I was called a traitor by a Conservative MEP in a committee meeting of the European Parliament to which I was giving eyewitness evidence on the UK’s complicity in torture and extraordinary rendition. Doubtless that is recorded in the minutes of the meeting, which means I am marked down on a forest of European Parliament paper as a traitor in each of the European Union’s 24 official languages.
Nobody turned a hair, least of all me. There were some giggles as the Tory MEP immediately walked out of the meeting, which was viewed as childish. But nobody thought of it as way outside the normal levels of political discourse. Indeed it was quite mild by European parliamentary standards. It is, of course, perfectly true that I used to represent the United Kingdom and now it is my dearest wish to destroy it as an institution. It is therefore arguable that I am technically a traitor. I am not scared of names.
My Scottish readers will have realised that this disquisition on treachery is a reference to the Labour Party’s published dossier of evil cybernats. The majority of those cited qualified as evil because of use of the word traitor. I am devastated I did not get included. I am unsure that my ego will ever recover.
It seems to me that, in an argument which revolves around what constitutes a nation, the idea of treachery to the nation is one that logically is bound to intrude, on all sides. Indeed it can be shown to intrude into the entire discourse around unionism and nationalism over centuries. I have used the term myself.
It seems to me context is important. There is a legitimate discourse on whether treachery to either the United Kingdom or to Scotland is involved in the independence conundrum. To make plain that some consider a position or act as traitorous has a place in robust political debate. I deplore the idea that politics must be reduced to genteel commonplaces over tiny areas of disagreement. Passion is important. But to imply violent retribution is different, and comes under bullying and threat.
“Traitor” should not be shunned like a racist epithet. It carries a meaning which is important.
Ba’al, your figures leave over 43% of the Israeli electorate unaccounted for.
I only quantified the top four of those winning seats, and the proportion is of votes cast, not the electorate. You’ll find them all at the bottom of this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_legislative_election,_2015
And 28% couldn’t be arsed voting at all. Or looking for a Wiki entry, probably.
Israel Continues to Cripple Gaza with its Sea Blockade
“No humanitarian crisis here” say Netanyahu and Ya’alon
by Stuart Littlewood / July 1st, 2015
Governments should support brave humanitarian voyagers and back their play in future.
Welcome to the latest chapter in a long tale of unspeakable cruelty.
Israel’s military are once more raiding mercy ships on the high seas in an effort to prevent humanitarian aid reaching the 1.8 million souls in shattered Gaza.
/..
http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/07/israel-continues-to-cripple-gaza-with-its-sea-blockade/
The author quotes Craig on Maritime Law.
Of course, the entity known as Israel knows no law and has no borders.
“Please, John, please! There is a huge amount of utter nonsense on the Internet; please stop bringing it onto this blog.”
You are not my keeper Clark. What you regard as utter nonsense others might be inclined to test against what is known. It is people like you who never question the official narrative on so many issues that prevent the truth emerging. When Aangirfan raised questions about Jimmy Savile, Ted Heath and a whole host of other powerful establishment figures accused of child abuse the site was dissed on this blog. Only when MSM was forced to bring its knowledge before the public did the former dissenters come into line. So don’t try and dictate to me Clark. Consider what you link to yourself. And I will do likewise. Why would this woman lie? This is an extract from a much longer interview.
http://childabuserecovery.com/catholic-jesuit-superior-resigns-after-charged-with-black-mass-child-sacrifices/
Sorry, wrong link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A1o1Egi20c&feature=youtu.be
“So I think a discussion of the demand for peace in Israel is a bit more convoluted than you’re letting on. ”
Quite possibly. What is certain is that it makes an outright lie of the truth to omit the fact that polls consistently show that the majority of Israeli people, not the state, are in favour of peace negotiations, as are the Palestinians.
“And it certainly doesn’t hinge on demonstrations by the demonstrably few who are still thinking straight in Israel.”
Ten thousand plus demonstrated in Tel Aviv against the occupation last year. Given the relative size of both countries, that’s the equivalent of 100,000 people in the UK. Moreover, the Israelis acting for peace run the risk of being violently assaulted by Neo-Nazi-style militia groups; something which does not happen in the UK: the difference is for obvious reasons.
Observations from a Palestinian. A lot can be learnt from his essay.
July 02, 2015
Baskin’s Generous Offer
Making Peace with Israeli Occupation
by RAMZY BAROUD
It would be fair to assume that Gershon Baskin’s recent article in the Jerusalem Post – Encountering Peace: Obviously no peace now, so what then? (June 24) – is not a mere intellectual exercise aimed at finding ‘creative’ solutions to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Baskin is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Post, a rightwing newspaper. He is more or less embodied in the Israeli political establishment, otherwise, he would have never been allowed to initiate the “secret back channel for the release (of captured Israeli soldier) Gilad Schalit” as he proudly states in his bio.
/..
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/07/02/making-peace-with-israeli-occupation/
The articles on his own website is very interesting
http://www.ramzybaroud.net/about/
as is his latest book.
Before anybody thinks I did not notice the video is from the same site that Clark calls a lone Canadian nutter, similar type of language to the disinformation site rationalwiki used for protecting the authorities against questioning. This is the same site RD loves so much. Here is its take on MH17 as if anyone needs further proof of how pro-establishment it is.
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17
Your faith does you credit, Technicolour. One day you’ll meet a politician…as I said, even bloody Netanyahu wants peace negotiations. Keep ’em going as long as possible, meanwhile not-quite-promote settlements until there is no possibility of any contiguous state for the Palestinians, and they’re living in the cracks in the all-Jewish regional power. And it’s Bibi, champion of peace when we’re done.
Demonstrations, schemonstrations. You’re seeing all the liberals on the street: everyone else is behind bombing Gaza (for peace) again. Here’s another rally:
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Thousands-attend-Jerusalem-prayer-rally-for-IDF-operating-in-Gaza-363502
And 300,000 ultra-orthodox haredim purely interested, for purely religious reasons, in not getting conscripted:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4494108,00.html
The bill they are protesting against was passed.
Still, this is just bickering. Gone.
John Goss, I do test your links against what is known, and they repeatedly fail. That’s the problem; I keep wasting my time because you link utter nonsense. But some of it is dangerous.
There’s a little story. Microsoft Windows 95 at the time was the most popular product ever distributed, over a million copies. Every copy contained the same bug which every user spent about an hour finding a solution for – at a million person-hours wasted, this was at the time a record breaker.
The same applies to tens of thousands of people exposed to your comments here, John. Say one percent of them tried removing the temperature-sensor strip from their mobile ‘phone battery, as your earlier link suggested. How many fires would you be happy to have started? How many potential injuries and lost lives? Just how much is your personal arrogance worth?
QT tonight BBC1 @ 22.35
“David Dimbleby presents topical debate from Grays in Essex. On the panel are Conservative health secretary Jeremy Hunt MP, Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn MP, Anne McElvoy of The Economist, comedian Shappi Khorsandi and Douglas Murray of The Spectator.”
McElvoy is the wife of S Times editor Martin Ivens.
Opinions from medialens commenters.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1435784142.html
Macky
“No Clark, I’m actually walking away to let you carry on effectively talking to yourself, as I get more sense out of my cat’s meowing than trying to reason with you.”
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Pleased to see you’re a cat-lover, Macky.
It shows that you possess at least one redeeming feature.
Of course you still have a long way to go, but it’s a beginnning. 🙂
“The same applies to tens of thousands of people exposed to your comments here, John. Say one percent of them tried removing the temperature-sensor strip from their mobile ‘phone battery, as your earlier link suggested. How many fires would you be happy to have started? How many potential injuries and lost lives? Just how much is your personal arrogance worth?”
You should try telling that to the 2 million viewers that had already watched the video before me. I don’t know whether you are right. Usually you are not. I do not know whether it is an information-gathering strip or a heat sensor strip. But because of the shit you’ve published in the past I would not trust your opinion. There are others on here I would trust but you and Fred are not among them. That does not mean on this occasion you might prove to be right. But Fred is a troll as you know. It is his duty to prevent people from stopping the authorities from spying on them. A quick search indicates that the heat sensor is the paper underneath which this metallic strip is housed which is returned afterwards. Are there any technical people who can clear this up? Mark Golding perhaps.
Clearly you are happy to protect the royals from any child-abuse scandals, and there are many, not just from the ‘lone Canadian’ site. I can understand why Macky finds you so objectionable
Interesting that at least a couple of people here have been reading Mondoweiss.
“glenn_uk, I bother because myself and Macky are not the only users of this site. I could just ignore it, but Macky won’t. Macky will continue to praise and massage the false ego of everyone he wishes to encourage, and direct smears at everyone he wishes to discredit, constantly working to build his cabal to oppose Craig and the work of this site, and redirect it to his own unstated ends.”
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Seconded, even tho’ it’s from the awful Clark.
It is the duty of the elect few to challenge the obsessives, liars, misinformers, loonies and provocateurs who are numerous on this blog lest the casual normal reader be seduced by them and believe that their misguided and sometimes treasonous views represent unanimity. It is also necessary for what is left of the good reputation of the blog.
I have never acquired a mobile phone (we call them “cell phones” here in the U.S.), because I know from my time in military intelligence how they can be used to track and eavesdrop on people. John W. Whitehead details in his book Battlefield America: The War on the American People the ways in which U.S. intelligence agencies conduct surveillance on the entire American people, not just terrorists.
“Sometimes treasonous views”. Seems contrary to Craig’s views expressed at the top of this thread.
Interesting indeed but slightly less interesting than (other posters)learning that our Irish-American sage spreads his wisdom across several blogs. 🙂
I suppose (or should I say “surmise”?) that the savvy obssesive would use a different moniker for each blog he or she posts on, but that would perhaps be to underestimate the vanity factor?
I recall that Craig has said, on several occasions, that he welcomes views that disagree with him.
BTW – any answer to Fujisan’s question? Nothing to be ashamed of, surely?
Mary
““David Dimbleby presents topical debate from Grays in Essex. On the panel are Conservative health secretary Jeremy Hunt MP, Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn MP, Anne McElvoy of The Economist, comedian Shappi Khorsandi and Douglas Murray of The Spectator.”
McElvoy is the wife of S Times editor Martin Ivens.”
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Is there a Mrs Jeremy Corbin, a Mrs Douglas Murray and a Mr Shappi Khorsandi?
I’d look it up myself but I wouldn’t want to spoil anyone’s fun!
Netanyahu doesn’t want peace with the Palestinians, he wants peace without the Palestinians. He wants their land, all of it, he wants them to f*** off, and he doesn’t care where they go.
We have traitors aplenty in this benighted land,4of them on Scotland2015 last night,we are a country that a lot delight in doing it down as opposed to England who never fail to big up their country,they are proud/confident.We need some really strong orators likes of Mick McGahey/Jimmy Reid types that do not take a step back and hit them right between the eyes,we should put the fcuking BBC/MSM et al take no snash from them.Nicola and her crew are smart/bright but lack a good dollop of red blood.
I sometimes wonder why someone who has worked in military intelligence (allegedly) constantly refers to other people’s writings on intelligence gathering.
Monkey
“Netanyahu doesn’t want peace with the Palestinians, he wants peace without the Palestinians. He wants their land, all of it, he wants them to f*** off, and he doesn’t care where they go.”
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Are you sure about that, Monkey? Aren’t about 20% of Israeli citizens Palestinian Arabs?
@Clark, stop your stomach churning sanctimonious humbug, as if you have never made a mistake, or never linked to a dodgy Site; I well remember you trying to pass off Habbabkuk’s fascist “stopfake” propaganda site as legitimate.
@Habbabkuk, I’m distrubed to note that it’s not just cats, but also our opinions on Clark that seems to agree; I think I need to take a cleansing shower ! 😀
Macky
Judging by the amount of bilge you yourself produce I should imagine your water bills are sky-high?
It is strange that one keeps being told about forthcoming programmes on BBC television and wireless. Is this a labour of love or is it remunerated?
(If the latter, any hints on how I could get my foot in the door would be welcome!)
Here’s one who wad be a traitor, anyway. Neatly linking the topic and some of the discussion….
http://newvoices.org/2015/06/04/lets-all-be-traitors/
As I said earlier, I have been called many types of traitor: dishonoring the Jewish people, dishonoring my family, treasonous to and forgetful of my Ashkenazi heritage, ‘n verraaier, a heretic, an “evil liberal.” These accusations can hurt, they can be maddening, they can make me – to use a most vernacular word – “punchy.” But then I also remember that these accusations mean that I’ve clearly hit a nerve – and then I am proud.
So I’ve decided to take these accusations in stride: my Twitter profile now lists me as ‘n Trotse verraaier – a proud traitor. Because virtuous treason is better than immoral “loyalty.” And though I may not always be the most virtuous of traitors, it is something that I strive to be.
And I invite you: join me. Be a proud traitor too.
Good man.
Corbyn.
“For those who enjoyed RoS’s Galloway clip, here’s something equally entertaining featuring someone who shows all the signs of becoming the Gaelic equivalent of GG:”
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KNOWN.
Thanks for that clip of the Irish Parliament,she certainly doesn’t mince her words.