What comes out to me from the “Black Spider letter” correspondence of Prince Charles published today is how utterly obsequious Tony Blair and New Labour ministers were to him. No sign whatsoever of radicalism from the former “People’s Party” as they fell over to ingratiate themselves with the heir to the throne. I rather enjoyed Charles quite sharp tone to Blair.
I am fundamentally opposed to the existence of the monarchy. It will hopefully be replaced by a better system, but no human system is perfect. Given that we have a monarchy at present, you will perhaps be surprised to learn that I do not see anything wrong in Charles’ letters, which put forward views which are much what we would have expected him to hold. Of course there is interaction between the monarchy and government, and of course we should get rid of this hereditary element. But Charles’ lobbying is hugely less damaging and pernicious than the corporate lobbying I witnessed throughout my Whitehall career. At least Charles is not lobbying them for corporate advantage and giving large political donations at the same time.
While in my view he did nothing wrong in writing the letters, he and government are both very wrong in arguing they should be private. It is when it is secret that such attempts to wield influence between two branches of government – and monarchy is a branch of government – can be most simply perverted to ill ends. That such publication will not occur again because government has legislated to keep it secret, is an example of the privileged arrogance that prevents this from being a genuine democracy.
Altogether not that big a story and it gives Rusbridger and the Guardian the chance to pose as radical. I find the fact that what is published is so anodyne and unobjectionable rather suspicious – what has not been published? Rusbridger is of course the editor who complied enthusiastically with a GCHQ instruction to smash the Snowden hard drives. The existence of other copies does not justify this any more than it justifies book-burning.
By coincidence, a very worthwhile article by Michael Gillard that had been excised from the net has recently been republished, setting out how Rusbridger in 2002 conspired with Andy Hayman of the Met to bury an investigation into police corruption, including the burglary of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. By a further coincidence I was having a pint with Laurie Flynn in Sandy Bell’s four days ago.
Hayman went on to be the promoter of the stream of lies about the murder of Jean Charles De Menezes and the publicist of numerous fake terrorist plots, before having to resign in a scandal involving nubile police officers at public expense in tropical islands.
Rusbridger and his extraordinary wig go on and on as a pretend opposition outlet, their reputation much dented by recent hysterical unionist output which exceeds the Daily Express. But Rusbridger’s continued usefulness to the establishment is not in doubt. The pose of publishing the most harmless of Prince Charles’ letters does little to help a threadbare disguise.
Phil
My objection is that minority civil disobedience is very likely to achieve anything at all, apart from a little enjoyment and an increased sense of self righteousness for the participants – and I don’t see much appetite at present for mass civil disobedience. The hard won democratic tools to influence people, change minds and ultimately bring about change are already there – people just need to understand how to use them and speak in a language that people understand about matters that relate to their real life – Douglas Alexander used to repeatedly make the point that all politics is local, not that was very successful in getting his point across, so I think the point that politics has to change has already been recognised in the main stream – it is just the how where the firm ideas need to be developed.
This may interest some: http://palestineunlocked.com/events/medics/
Linked on John Pilger’s Twitter
Support Chagos Petition Hand In and Protest! 22nd May
Long-time Chagossian supporter and TV Presenter Ben Fogle will on 22nd May hand in this Avaaz petition demanding that the Chagossian people’s right to return home is finally respected. The petition will officially be handed in at 10 Downing Street at 12:30 on Friday 22nd May.
Chagossians and their supporters will be outside, however, to show support from 10:30AM through to around 3PM. We invite you all to join us!
~~
Our AGM is now confirmed for 13th June 2015. It will begin at 1.45PM at The Rising Sun bar in Victoria, London. Hope to see you there and then!
UK Chagos Support Association would like to invite you to our Annual General Meeting on 13th June. The meeting will begin a 2:00PM and should be completed within 2 hours. Space is limited at the venue so please let us know if you want to come along.
http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/
Great post, Technicolour (9;22pm 20.5.15)!
I didn’t know a lot of that info. – esp. wrt the 2003 protests and the research in general. So I’ve really learned something. It’s really good to know and such information is something of an immunisation against apathy and political depression. Thanks!
Damage to Israel’s reputation. Now that is funny.
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/boyle.html
“Sure we exterminate them, but how dare you say we would hurt their feelings on a bus, no sir, that’s where we draw the line!” Only Zionazi psychos.
https://cdn.liveleak.com/80281E/ll_a_s/2013/Oct/20/LiveLeak-dot-com-e84_1382273064-nazi-zionistcoin.jpg?d5e8cc8eccfb6039332f41f6249e92b06c91b4db65f5e99818bdd4944c41dcd44f2f&ec_rate=230
Sieg Heil, cocksuckers!
Oh dear, I can just see the text in the post above (10:00pm, 20.5.15) by me being lifted as a spambot. Clearly, I am in imminent danger of becoming a human spambot. What I need is some jazz rock fusion music.
Israel’s Descent into Barbarism – Norman Finkelstein on Reality Asserts Itself
Finkelstein describes the “necessity” of Israel proving the destruction it is capable of wielding.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=13880
May 19th 2015
RD
“My objection is that minority civil disobedience is very likely to achieve anything at all…and I don’t see much appetite at present for mass civil disobedience.”
OK, so you think it won’t work.
Of course most popular uprisings are ultimately minority events. Bigger monorities than participating here and now but that can easily change. And of course every uprising, mass civil disobidience grows and manypeople never join in but still reap rthe benfits. There were other people of colour who did not join RosaParks on the front seat. There were still many people saying it won’t work as MLK spoke of his dream. No problem. There were enough to achive something. You just got to make that choice yourself.
“The hard won democratic tools to influence people, change minds and ultimately bring about change are already there”
OK, you also think it unwarranted.
Obviously I suggest your democratic tools are not all that. I’m sure you’re pretty much aware of the anti-parliamentary arguments I won’t bother to present here. I just gotta say: how’s that working out? Jeez, I might be in a minority but at least we’re not banging our head against the same old locked door.
RD
To be clear, I’m not equating our struggle with the civil rights movement. Just the process of how these mass movements are fluid.
Our differences are mainly psychological, Phil (cue even more pernicious species than troll: amateur psychologist). While there are all sorts of possible agents of change, I have more sympathy with some than others. I suppose anyone’s concern has to be -after establishing that change is needed – what can I personally do that will be effective? Answer – not something I do badly. Next question – what, then? Matching the differences to different facets of the task would be ideal
This is even more bollocks than usual, but I’ll let it stand for the idea it might contain.
“I just don’t understand how what I described equates to neo-liberalism.”
Isn’t Neo Liberalism just anarchy applied to economics? Less state control and more self regulation?
As a rule I don’t link to the likes of Alex Jones. However, the following is an extraordinary interview with Dr Chris Busby, recorded just six days after the Fukushima disaster started in March 2011.
About two weeks after the Fukushima disaster the media blackout started coming down, and it remains to this day (ie, ‘they’ are quite happy to let untold millions of people die in order to protect their financial interests).
Everything that Busby says in this interview is true…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-zEXAQbMAU
RD
“My objection is that minority civil disobedience is very likely to achieve anything at all…and I don’t see much appetite at present for mass civil disobedience.”
“Dr Eliza Filby, a lecturer in modern British history at King’s College London, says he is right but such an admission is rare. “Yes, protesting does have an effect, but politicians don’t admit it. They can’t.”
History tells us there are three main ways of making an impact with a protest, she says. “You can have huge numbers, as they did in 2003. You can have prominent people – that works.” The third option is to smash things.”
Link above.
Not Blair this time but Gordon Brown.
World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa 2015
22/23 May 2015.
Dead Sea, Jordan.
http://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-middle-east-and-north-africa-2015/programme
http://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-middle-east-and-north-africa-2015/speakers?page=1#
Resident Dissident
20 May, 2015 – 9:34 pm
“Still proselytising for the ridiculous Krishnamurti cult I see.”
Well at least its less ridiculous and larger than your cult.”
LOL RD, well said. Proven by the fact that for all her sweat and toil today, Mary has only (fleetingly) had Habby’s attention; lucky her.
Suhayl, here you go: Buckethead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8akmP6Sjv2o
Suhayl, hello. Hey surely we knew that the protests of 2003 had an effect – not least because they showed the world that the Brits weren’t the same bloody minded warmongers as their government. Also, thought the Syria vote was heavily supported by the public’s reaction. But Filby’s wider research rather interesting…
Isn’t Neo Liberalism just anarchy applied to economics? Less state control and more self regulation?
An arresting point. Anarchy, maybe (although ‘self-regulation’ seems to be a nonstarter). Anarchism, no; the intention is egalitarian. Hedge funds as leaders and determinants of existence are no more admissible than anointed monarchs, and for pretty well the same reasons.
Thanks also TC. Some good lateral insights there.
Fred
“Isn’t Neo Liberalism just anarchy applied to economics?”
No. That’s deregulation.
Anarchy, for me and all left anarchists, is not simply the absence of rules.
Tomorrow’s Guardian headline.
‘Osborne. Let the cuts begin!’
Few heeded the warnings on what lay ahead.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/may/20/fresh-spending-squeeze-has-already-begun-says-george-osborne
As I said, Villager is puerile.
“Yes, protesting does have an effect, but politicians don’t admit it. They can’t.”
Protesting is rather wider than civil disobedience.
Go to sleep if you can you ol’ hag!
Wish you would find an ounce of wisdom, for all your foot-longs of cut-n-paste crap all day long! I hope you meet the Chief Rabbi in your dreams. Have a sweet one.
“Anarchy, for me and all left anarchists, is not simply the absence of rules.”
No anarchy isn’t the absence of rules and neither is Neo Liberalism, the difference is in who makes the rules and how. Anarchists have councils and rules agreed by consensus. So, in effect, does Neo Liberal economics, it’s just that the rules are independent of state.
Phil/Technicolour
Perhaps you need to be a little more evidence based in your approaches – which forms of protest have achieved their objectives and why and which failed. Start with Stop the City if you need an example of a spectacular failure.
Anarchists have councils and rules agreed by consensus.
Who are on the councils and how is the consensus determined? The lack of structures for determining this does lead the whole process open to manipulation doesn’t it?
Suhayl, tell me what you think of this. Only heard it the first time some days ago. Refreshing to be caught in a time warp. There’s a version by our very own Cliff too–you’ll find it on Spotify or some such. Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kgm-vppxOY
And a Tom Jones version too….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Mk3-MeO9c
E N J O Y ! ! !
Villager is so useless as a troll that he has to copy the senior Troll’s template. Grow up and remember to switch the lights off in the dorm.
Re Brown @ WEFME, Jordan, strange doings among our ex-leaders indeed. Could well be that Blair attends the Jordan gig, but concealing his movements, with reason, the bastard. Although announced as speaking at Nigeria’s APC meeting today (see An Apology for details), he didn’t make it,and the platitudes were instead delivered by Mandelson. Something’s definitely going on between New Cheap Labour’s wealthy apologists and the new Nigerian president Buhari, whom Blair was greasing even before the election.
http://jide-salu.com/2015/05/20/must-read-tony-blairs-tough-talk-to-buhari/
A refreshing approach to ending corruption, from our envoy to Kazakhstan, Burma, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi and most importantly Abu Dhabi, not forgetting being Paul Kagame’s bestest Western friend. Bit low on the old practicalities, though.