I am in Tbilisi at the moment, where I spent this early morning drinking tea with some of the 2,000 strong Yazidi community. They see their religion as much more closely descended from Zoroastrianism than appears in most accounts I have read.
I very much enjoyed a visit to Tsinandali which was most useful for gaining a Russian perspective of the Great Game. I don’t have my books with me and am suffering a mental block as to whether it was Connoly, Abbott or Malcolm who visited Tsinandali. I had not realised that Griboyedov was married to a daughter of the house, Nina Chavchavadze. The murder of Griboyedov, Russian Ambassador in Tehran, by a mob rates little more than a footnote in British accounts of the Great Game, even though the British had bribed the religious authority to stir up the riots. What revisionist history there has been, has come from the Iranian side and falsely tried to obscure the fact that the refugees Griboyedov was sheltering were runaway slaves from harems.
This is a neglected recurring theme. When Shuja agreed the treaty already negotiated between Macnaghten and Ranjit Singh, the main stipulation he sought to add was that the British would return to him any runaway slave girls. The immediate motive for the ringleader of the attack on Alexander Burnes was that Burnes had refused to intervene to return a runaway slave girl who had sought the protection of another British officer. My fellow anti-imperialist historians have in general been guilty of emphasising rapaciousness by the British in these incidents and overlooking or excusing the slave status of the girls. Both aspects need to be faced squarely to write honestly the full facts of history. Tellingly, it is generally impossible to recover names of the girls involved.
Griboyedov deserves to be remembered for much more than his murder. An accomplished playwright and poet, he was a friend of Pushkin and had links to the dissident groups who attempted revolution in 1825. His murder left Nina a widow at either 17 or 19 by different accounts, and pregnant. She lost the child on hearing of her husband’s death, and never remarried. It is a tragic story which came alive to me in visiting the family home.
Griboyedov had fought Napoleon in the 1812 campaign, but had helped those Napoleonic adventurers Allard and Ventura evade a British blockade and go into service with Ranjit Singh. Griboyedov’s successor as Russian Ambassador to Tehran, Simonicz, had actually fought on the Napoleonic side against Russia, presumably in the Polish Legion. Nina’s sister was to marry a Murad nephew of Napoleon. The political elites of Europe melded quickly after the convulsion.
With which clumsy segue I shall note that the battle against the entrenched political elites of the UK appears to be going extremely well without me. I cannot express without a welling up of real emotion how happy I am that all I have been saying about the stultifying neo-liberal consensus and exclusion of dissent, and appalling burgeoning wealth gap between rich and poor, has found such massive traction between Jeremy Corbyn in England and the SNP in Scotland. I may have gone AWOL for a few days, but the cause of social justice appears in extremely safe hands.
When I wrote that he (under his own name) was on page 1 but I think he’s slipped down now owing to new comments, which are coming thick and fast. He’s probably on page 5 or 6 by now. I’m going to have another look…
Here we go, page 7 now:
http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/p/4bdhk?page=7
thanks MJ
Craigs comment on that awful paper
“If the poll was as far wrong as the general election polls from YouGov, – and wrong in the direction of Corbyn, not against him – he would only have 49.8% of the first preferences. Keep clutching at that straw then, you drowning neo-con hacks at the Guardian.”
The Guardian will be the first to find a nice old journalist to stab him in the back once selected as leader.
His leadership does not mean he wants to be PM, that is an old fashioned, genetically imprinted FPTP expectation, why should the ‘people’s party’ not appoint someone, a job share even with another party leader?
Lordy. That Craig chap has been a busy bee at the Guardian, since 2012 – and interestingly quite a lot of material critical of the paper still stands. I thought it was routinely excised!
“What you said was: “He was nominated for a knighthood by Alex Salmond””
So Alex didn’t nominate him personally. The fact remains in Feb 2011 Souter promised to match all other donations to the SNP pound for pound and when the 2011 birthday honours list was announced his name was on it.
I knew already he had been exonerated by the man who conducted the investigation into the Lockerbie bombings.
Quite aside from principles, I’d quite like to see someone of Corbyn’s historical and intellectual nous face Cameron at the dispatch box. Cameron, even for this admirers, does not have this depth, and the massacre is likely be short. I guess this is why there’ll be quite a media backlash prepared if Corbyn wins the leadership… can’t have Dear Capitalism subject to weekly questioning now, can we?
Tel Aviv my eye. More like Golders Green or Finchley Road.
Anyway here is a אריה-ים clapping.
http://www.sott.net/image/s10/215496/full/4936338132_2a0b9f12bf_z.jpg
No worries. All is safe in the hands of the Wiltshire Constabulary
Edward Heath abuse claims: Wiltshire Police to lead investigation
14 minutes ago
Any national investigation into claims of historical child sexual abuse involving former PM Sir Edward Heath is to be led by Wiltshire Police.
At least seven police forces are carrying out investigations linked to abuse claims involving Sir Edward.
Wiltshire Police said having a lead force would ensure a “consistent approach” across the police forces.
The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said it was confident he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
Operation Hydrant, a national hub coordinating inquiries into historical abuse, has been liaising with forces which received information concerning Sir Edward.
‘Assess new information’
A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said it would be working with the respective forces to establish an “appropriate national investigative strategy and supporting structure”.
The spokesman said: “Due to the complexities of this task it is anticipated that this will take a number of weeks to finalise.
“One of the first tasks will be to assess the new information that has been received following the appeals for information made last week.”
On 3 August the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, said it would look at whether officers failed to pursue allegations made against the former prime minister.
A retired detective has alleged that claims were made in the 1990s but not followed up.
Sir Edward led the 1970-1974 Conservative government and took Britain into what was then the European Economic Community.
He lost his leadership of the party to Margaret Thatcher in 1975 – something he never forgave her for and he did not serve in her cabinet.
Sir Edward died at his home in Salisbury in 2005 aged 89.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33863437
So that’s alright then.
and here is a אריה-ים photobombing
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b2/4c/4d/b24c4dd5b4974227669209d42ad4d36e.jpg
Mary, what did you post that great big c ‘n’ p from the BBC for? I can’t see a single thing in it that everyone here
doesn’t know already.
Craig’s comments to date
https://profile.theguardian.com/user/id/10766579
Fred, you said, explicitly and without qualification he was nominated by Alex Salmond. You were wrong. If you are claiming that this was indirectly done, please provide some evidence and modify your assertion accordingly. Otherwise ( I know this is hopeless), plait yourself a tinfoil hat and accept my enhanced scorn.
Re the late Fraser of Carmylie’s Lockerbie involvement (which had I cited it you would undoubtedly have dismissed as irrelevant), worth noting that
As Scotland’s most senior law officer, he was responsible for preparing part of the prosecution case against Megrahi and his co-accused, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, the latter of whom was later cleared in their 2000-01 trial.
However, Lord Fraser later described the key prosecution witness, a Maltese shopkeeper called Tony Gauci, as “an apple short of a picnic”. He also supported the Scottish Government’s controversial decision in 2009 to release Megrahi on compassionate grounds because he was dying of cancer.
Had Carmylie any reason whatever to falsify the record as far as Souter’s knighthood was concerned? No. He was Establishment Tory and had no interest whatever in Salmond’s reputation. Nor did he have any latitude in the matter. Salmond had not only breached no rules but was (you’ll understand eventually) not involved in the award of a knighthood.
And you are supporting Tommy Sheridan (before he went for Yes). Pmsl.
at 3.32pm that is.
According to the SNP Souter was nominated for his knighthood by a totally independent committee of Scottish civil servants without any input from ministers whatsoever…
Say you believe that and I’ll make sure the tooth fairy leaves you an extra nice sweetie on your pillow tonight.
” “Ted Heath a paedophile? Not until he’s proven guilty
The former British prime minister has a right to his presumed innocence. ”
Why is that “stupid”? He’s not defending Heath, he’s defending a basic tenet in British justice which is in grave danger of being forgotten. An accusation is not proof of guilt, that’s the mentality of the medieval witch hunt or the gutter press who hounded Christopher Jefferies. Ally yourself to that mode of thinking if you wish but it’s you who’ll look stupid.
“can’t have Dear Capitalism subject to weekly questioning now, can we?”
It’s a tantalising prospect. Cameron is a lightweight. He is easily rattled and doesn’t recover well. It’s only because the opposition has been even more insipid that he has emerged looking relatively statesmanlike. PMQs may soon become essential viewing.
Robert Crawford. I meant to answer much earlier but had a lot to do today. I am sorry that you are so worried. I would advise against looking up medical stuff on the net – it can be very alarming especially the cancer stuff with those photos of cancer cells enlarged under the electron microscope. Trust in what the consultant and his/her team tell you. All the best to you anyway and get lots of sleep.
You ask how I am. Getting stronger thank goodness. Clear of cancer but no speaking voice and breathing problems but I am alive! One bonus – the weight loss dropped me three dress sizes.
“An accusation is not proof of guilt”
No-one’s suggesting it is. If he is innocent the investigation will exonerate him. That’s how it works. All that’s required is that the investigation is allowed to take its course without interference.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/billionaire-tory-donors-firm-calls-5718102
Bamford, who has given the Tories £3.9M, and was entirely coincidentally ennobled in 2013, is now in a position to dictate national policy on the EU. Looks like Donald Trump, too.
Just sayin’.
Say you believe that and I’ll make sure the tooth fairy leaves you an extra nice sweetie on your pillow tonight.
I am absolutely certain Souter was nominated by Scottish civil servants. Nudge, nudge…
Question is, do any of the unionists behave any better? No.
” All that’s required is that the investigation is allowed to take its course without interference. ”
I fully concur and regardless of the highly serious accusations made against him he still has a right to a fair and proper investigation of all the evidence as do his alleged victims.
That’s all that’s happening. Don’t worry about the tittle-tattle in the newspapers, I’m sure the police don’t.
” Question is, do any of the unionists behave any better? ”
Absolutely not; but that’s no excuse.
“I am absolutely certain Souter was nominated by Scottish civil servants. Nudge, nudge…”
I expect you think the SNPs decision to drop their commitment to re-regulate the buses and to oppose equal rights for gay couples had nothing to do with the half million quid Souter bunged them as well.
MJ,
Did you see that disastrous interview with a gay magazine (GT maybe?). It’ll be on YouTube. It was for his second term, and he was asked a direct question about grouping with a homophobic and reactionary bloc in Europe. His adviser advised him to skedaddle, and he pretty much took his mic off and asked to start again. If it had been shown on television before the poll, I think it would have hugely hurt him – completely dreadful performance.
“I have taken pleasure in showing everyone that you, who cannot conduct a rational debate, have been utterly and persistently wrong on several occasions.”
Indeed. Fred is done but he’ll be back for more.
Mary, It has been one of those months with problem after problem to solve.
I fixed the last of them to-day.
Received my appointment for the next CAT scan. Only problem is I have to wait a month to see the Urologist for his opinion of what is what.
Sorted out the other stuff with my G.P. to-day. Had a lot of success to-day. It all came about by you wondering how I was doing. That picked me up, and then Brian Fujisan added his good wishes. After that nothing was getting in my way to-day. I knocked them all into a “cocked hat”.
Thanks very much to you both.
Got the computer fixed as well and walked home afterwards. that is progress.
Three dress sizes smaller, you will be in the movies soon you STAR!!! Well done.
Some might say a woman without her voice is an asset.
Mary, we all want to hear/read what you have to say. So keep going please.
I am off to put the joy back into my life. I have been fighting for far too long.
I will not be posting much, if at all. When I can I will read what you are doing.
Good deeds go along way to help. (Some might like to take note).
My very best wishes to you, love and blessings.
Robert.
That’s the spirit Robert. Don’t be a stranger and keep in touch. My very best wishes with which many on here will concur. We all need each other in these difficult times.
Has a piece of Edward Heath washed up in Jersey or am I getting my news confused?
George Square was the sight of ugly scenes last year on September 19 after Unionist protesters goaded, attacked and abused pro-independence supporters who had gathered in the wake of the referendum defeat. Mounted police and a helicopter were drafted in to tackle the thugs, who let off flares, gave Nazi salutes and started fights.
Ah yes those well behaved unionists, I remember them well.
http://www.thenational.scot/news/glasgow-city-council-rejects-bid-to-have-hope-over-fear-independence-rally-in-george-square.6220