I have been shortlisted for the Contrarian Prize. I am honoured to be considered for an award of which the previous winners are Clive Stafford Smith and Michael Woodford. It probably says something about the purpose of the prize, that the rather extraordinary list of shortlisted nominees are not people liable to enjoy socialising together. I shall not elaborate further. But to be associated with an award of which the motto is “courage, independence, sacrifice” makes me feel I must be doing something right.
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Its not whether to accept a prize given by these establishment organisation, but what the general public gets to hear about the contributions this person is making.
Non of these winners will get a free say on the news, or be interviewed being able to speak their mind. But the 20% of the public which see through this media bias and who will recognise this event/ the persons contributions, as another broken cog in the machine, they will be informed.
Just like you Phil. How about giving whoever wins lots of publicity on blogs and on FB and and and, to up this percentage, rather than to accept the gloom by going for a spurious point everyone else recognised a long time ago.
Question is, should the winner of this prize be given his 15 minutes of free speech. thats fame to Phil, by being able to speak his mind?
Another question , who on here, not you Hasbaratrollsockethabba, would support a max. publicity campaign for the winners aims?
Perfectly said, Craig (earlier, now deleted). And this is said not in the vein of taking sides, just pure observation.
Both words ‘friend’ and ‘free’ derive from the same Sanskrit root, ‘priya’ meaning love. This is the absolute single key issue with our world today: There is simply not enough love in the world in our day and age. I am not being romantic or philosophic here. This, Sirs/Madams, friends is an absolute F A C T !
Take any problem, any challenge, and yes at a profound, deep, meaningful level, from where we feel, act, react or respond, LOVE is the answer. This is also a FACT. Individually or as society. While the Devil is in the details, the Angels friends is in the Big Picture. We don’t see it. We are not even aware of it, so we carry on with our daily mischief.
With this perspective, I observe that Craig in who he is, is clearly a man of compassion. That combined with his objectivity and lateral thinking, is what draws me to this blog.
While Phil has some interesting original thoughts, I don’t quite understand his constant abuse of Craig. It is abominable and possibly rooted in anger. Which means internal conflict expressed outwardly as psychological violence. Perhaps he can reflect on this and that might afford a more intelligible conversation.
Finally, Craig, please keep up the good work. Your point about isolation is a good one. Life is relationship and without relationship there is no Life. That encompasses our relationship with adversaries. Thank you for affording us this forum and please waste no time in patching in that donate button so we can pay our debt. As many pointed out earlier, you have zero obligation to post or satisfy.
Oborne should have been shortlisted; he resigned from his perch at the Telegraph in disgust at how their reporting of certain issues was skewed by the interests of the owners- a highly principled stand. He is still a magnificent journalist, as the recent book reviews linked to by Res Diss demonstrate.
However as he’s not there I think Nevres Kamal probably edges Craig out of the prize on this one-
http://www.rmvf.org/nevres-kemal-social-worker-update-on-her-new-charity-rmvf/
The wooden spoon should be a dead heat between Ed Husain and George Galloway. I assume Craig made a sly reference to one or both of these guys when he wrote- ‘ the rather extraordinary list of shortlisted nominees are not people liable to enjoy socialising together.’
Mary’s Nemesis.
Sock puppet alert!!!
con·trar·i·an (kən-trâr′ē-ən)
n.
One who takes a contrary view or action, especially an investor who makes decisions that contradict prevailing wisdom, as in buying securities that are unpopular at the time.
Hmm. Every dictionary seems to have investor context. Does this mean Craig is DIvesting his interest in EU?
I just listened to a little sputnik and could not come to terms with the format of two against one, if all fails, he is able to secure and support his argument at all times, whatever it is
Galloway still sips milk and purrs like a cat, he is not suggesting solutions to todays ills, just takes the money, not my favourite contrarian.
This is O/T, sorry, just fits to the headline, but its covered with a wide discussion on the continent, not here.
All about Sebastian Coe and his lordly deals with Azerbaijan. It is too long to bother translating all, but the gist is corruption and multi billion deals, an equally sized scandal to be unraveled rivaling that of FIFA.
Where is the FBI when there are no political propaganda gains to be had?….
The company to look into, and I believe Mary did such an exercise before, is CSM Strategic, benefiting hugely from Baku 2015.
http://www.spiegel.de/sport/sonst/europaspiele-2015-in-baku-die-rolle-von-sebastian-coe-bei-der-vergabe-a-1038576.html
I’d like to imagine that your contrarianism went like this:
We don’t much like queers, jews, etc., but we’re prepared to tolerate them.
We loathe feminists but we’ll tolerate them.
We’re not too keen on authoritarian dictatorships but we’re a tolerant people.
We have grave doubts about democracy but it’s kind of OK.
We despise the Scottish people because they don’t agree with me.
But that’s on the record, and it’s not OK.
About right, Craig?
^ Trolls can imagine? ^
Hope you get it Craig.
How many here would sacrifice a job and a career for a principle ie speaking out about torture? The enduring image of that blue body, boiled alive, is embedded in my subconscious just as is the one of Ali Abbas with his arm bones burnt to white ash and his torso blackened and burnt.
http://uruknet.info/pic.php?f=18ali_abbas.jpg
Iraq war victim Ali Abbas reflects ten years on
A decade after Ali Abbas was severely wounded during the US-led invasion of Iraq, he spoke to ITV News about how his life changed dramatically following an airstrike in Baghdad
19 March 2013
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/9939885/Iraq-war-victim-Ali-Abbas-reflects-ten-years-on.html
His whole family was incinerated. His parents, brothers and sisters and other relatives (10 in all I believe) were killed. Praise be that he was brought to the UK, survived, was given prostheses and has since married.
In the Telegraph sidebar, there are three BLiar videos!
Related Articles
Alex Salmond: Labour MSPs responsible for Iraq war deaths
20 Feb 2013
Blair: radicalised Islam biggest world threat
23 Apr 2014
Blair denies Iraq invasion caused current crisis
15 Jun 2014
Orphan whose suffering in Iraq captivated the world says the war should never have taken place
18 Mar 2013
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19 Mar 2013
Ali Abbas: limbless Iraqi orphan finds happiness
03 Jan 2013
I think this is actually on topic. Thomas G Clark is a marvellous blogger and contrarian views are his subject here.
http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/more-political-than-you-think.html
Take heart if you do not regard yourself as an experienced and knowledgeable political animal. It might actually be a good start.
Kind regards,
JOhn
O/T Poison Gove is up to his tricks. Worthy of a dictatorship.
Gove Sparks Row Over Tory Donor Appointment
The Justice Secretary forced the exit of four directors before appointing an ally and Tory donor to its board, Sky News learns
‘Justice Secretary Michael Gove is facing accusations this weekend of undermining the impartiality of Whitehall by appointing a wealthy Conservative donor and a close personal ally to his department’s board.
Sky News has learnt that Mr Gove effectively sacked the four independent directors of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) just days after he was appointed to the role by David Cameron in the wake of the Conservatives’ General Election victory.’
http://news.sky.com/story/1501469/gove-sparks-row-over-tory-donor-appointment
Gove as Justice Secretary! We really are in Ruritania.
These are the rubber stamps.
The Centre for Public Appointments
http://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
The Commissioner for Public Appointments
http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/
“I think this is actually on topic. Thomas G Clark is a marvellous blogger and contrarian views are his subject here.”
Excellent essay for a GCSE candidate mugging up for exams.
“Take heart if you do not regard yourself as an experienced and knowledgeable political animal. It might actually be a good start.”
‘Political animal’ — wonderful cliche, John, are you experienced? Very clear language, I understand exactly what you mean.
John Spencer-Davis
“Last time someone commented critically on your postings, you sneered at them for attempting to defend Craig”
I only laughed then because the writer did not engage the point but merely asked if I would dare speak like that in person. The same on this thread. No one has even made the slightest effort to challenge the political point made by Herbie and I, just whining about my tone.
Craig only deleted the ‘heated’ exchange because he embarrassed himself by demanding irrelevent facts about me. He called me a hypocrite and suggested I was not who I made out to be. He wanted to know about where I live, my job etc. Apparently I have a pool, a boat, a whatever, I secretly enjoy. As if it mattered. As if my circumstances, as a working class nobody, should be similarly held to account as his, a careerist do gooder wannabe politician. So I called his bluff and pointed out he need only ask a mutual friend. Then it became a heated exchange worthy of deletion.
Of course I take the fact that Craig does not rebut the points but resorts to regretful name calling as a sure sign that hit home.
Nevermind
“Another question , who on here…would support a max. publicity campaign for the winners aims?”
Not me. That’s the whole point of this prize. Give the winner publicity. However, don’t you wonder, even a teensy weensy bit, why the establishment will lend some PR to a dissident voice? Cause I am at a fucking loss if it is not for the reason I gave in my first comment on this thread. And that’s a fucking compelling argument. An important argument worthy at least of your consideration.
Perhaps you can see other reasons. Come on, anybody:
Why might the establishment award prizes for anti-establishment behaviours?
Just in case anybody might be interested Craig is now blocking my IP and email. I obviously circumnavigated it for this comment but expect them to be deleted. That’s free speech liberalism for you. i.e. illiberal and censorious.
Well done Craig! Well deserved to be shortlisted and without a doubt, a well deserving winner if you win the prize.
Won’t it be a kind of Terry Pratchett moment? You go up to the platform, accept the award fro being a person who does not accept awards, thank them, and thank your parents and all of us here on the team you who supported you. And then tell them where to stick it.
Hmmmm – awkward.
But congratulations.
“I have deleted an ill-tempered exchange between Phil and myself.”
You are too modest, Craig.
Apparently, you inadvertently have blocked Phil’s IP and email. Please continue to understate your acrimony.
Speak up Ben, what is this?
Phil is being banned/blocked for being Phil?
Apparently, he is.
“Apparently, you inadvertently have blocked Phil’s IP and email. Please continue to understate your acrimony.”
Ben, will you ever learn to talk straight, even if you can’t think straight? Lot’s of people here who are attention seekers (possibly a result of what I have defined earlier, a lack of love — be honest), each have their own idiosyncratic ways. Some not so idiosyncratic, just plain idiotic.
Did it ever occur to you that Craig is the last of the techies here?
Are people aware of vpn? I’m guessing you can get this for free.
That is a sad indightment for this blog. Words can hurt even the hardest of libertarian men.
That said, I don’t think Craig is that hard, he is as vulnerable as we are, maybe even more so due to this being his blog.
But if this is a fact, and not some error, then there is no more point in bleating out that this blog is open for all.
Craig is probably on his way to Ghana and I shan;t say anything until he comes back vacuums are so destructive and useless at the same time.
He doesn’t leave for Ghana for another week.
In my view, the two David’s of Medialens deserve a joint award.
I’m sure there is another explanation Ben, can’t see why Phil of all persons would be banned by electronic means, does not make sense.
Well Craig I would definitely award this to you. I’ve followed the course of your life and works VERY closely (as best as one can) and the words independence, courage and sacrifice just sum you up.
I can’t think of anyone who deserves this more than YOU. Kind regards and the best of luck.
Lots of navel-gazing in the wee hours, I see.
To think there are some who accuse ME of ruin this blog! 🙂
Phil’s IP address was found in the “Banned IP’s” list and has been removed. WordPress says: