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.
I despise both trolls who are having their own little private chat about me. They should be reminded that personal attacks are not permitted.
Both of them wished ‘Happy Bomb Day’.
Perhaps the searing images here might give them a jolt.
https://crfntserver1.crf-usa.org/crf/crfdata/hdww2007/2702/tragic_result_on_hiroshima.htm
Habba, see my post at 3.06pm.
Perhaps you’d care to tell us the name of this ‘respectable Continental TV station’, and in what way they are reporting the vile piece of propaganda in today’s Mail?
I dislike Hitchens referring to Corbyn as a ‘bearded lefty’ He obviously thinks the Tories are fragile and sees them fragmenting without a strong opposition. Wouldn’t that be good?
PETER HITCHENS: If the bearded Lefty wins, it’s the Tories who’ll be a whisker away from disaster
9 August 2015
Smug Tories who rejoice at Jeremy Corbyn’s seeming march towards the Labour Party leadership should be careful what they wish for
There are two ways in which this could go wrong for them. One is the constant risk that George Osborne’s supposed recovery finally runs out of luck, and is revealed as the conjuring trick that it is.
In that case, a bearded radical Left party might do surprisingly well, as they have found in Greece and are finding in Spain. A serious dose of unemployment and a spate of bank failures can make the unelectable electable quite quickly.
The other is the risk that Mr Osborne’s alleged recovery doesn’t run out of luck, and the Tories face and trounce a Corbynised Labour Party at the next Election.
That would probably do for Labour as an organisation once and for all. Destroyed in Scotland and flattened in England, it would no longer be able to raise serious money or act as a proper opposition.
/..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3190691/PETER-HITCHENS-bearded-Lefty-wins-s-Tories-ll-whisker-away-disaster.html
Herbie
I don’t tickbox anyone – I try and listen. I also note that you didn’t answer the question about your own contact with the electorate and just engaged in your usual ad hominem.
RobG
As it wasn’t Russia Today, they were reporting the Daily Mail story straight – picture of the headline and quotations.
I note with wry amusement that my mention of the Daily Mail elicited an immediate response from one of the Eminences on his theme of the month. 🙂
Jon @ 6.18
Of course, the fact that Israel is a self-proclaimed Jewish State would imply that Israeli criminality is imbued with notions of Jewishness.
Compare and contrast:
“I despise both trolls who are having their own little private chat about me. They should be reminded that personal attacks are not permitted.” (above)
and
“Six diversions and distractions so far.” (previous thread)
“It’s more important Tom Watson getting deputy than Corbyn getting leader. He’s a man that would get things done”
Yes – opposition politicians can achieve change – SNP MPs please note. Stella Creasey has also done a lot of good work in dealing with the scourge of pay day lenders. Could someone remind me what Jeremy Corbyn has achieved during his many years in Parliament.
Habba – bet you don’t have a beard either!
https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1081&bih=417&q=statue+of+la+zuconne&oq=statue+of+la+zuconne&gs_l=img.12…4232.25702.0.32706.20.10.0.10.10.0.198.1221.1j9.10.0….0…1ac.1.64.img..7.13.1292.C46iapY19lA#imgrc=eS-JnNO5PDweNM%3A
Mary 8.38pm .
” Perhaps the searing images here might give them a jolt ”
…………………………………………………………..
I doubt it Mary as at least one of them has a head and heart as dense as stone as you can see above .
Herbie
I wonder if you’d have a stab at explaining why your argument that
“things have changed and people now know what elite economics means for the vast majority of people”
is better than my argument that
” what happened 30 odd years ago will happen again today” ?
Can you provide any objective evidence for your supposition?
“Habba – bet you don’t have a beard either!”
_________________________
You’re absolutely right – filthy things!
RobG I linked to Sky’s terrrr nonsense on the previous thread.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/07/aaronovitch-blusters-to-a-well-of-silence/comment-page-7/#comment-542952
Strangely, the BBC are not carrying it. They are concentrating on Hammond’s warnings on the loss of European living standards if millions of Africans have to be absorbed. Almost a ‘rivers of blood’ speech and definitely incitement of racial hatred, if muted.
Migrants ‘threaten EU standards’ says Philip Hammond
21 minutes ago
Philip Hammond: “More can be done to enhance the physical security of the tunnel”
Europe will not be able to preserve its living standards if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa, the foreign secretary has said.
Philip Hammond called for EU laws to be overhauled to make sure that people coming from Africa to Europe could be returned to their home country.
Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn accused Mr Hammond of “scaremongering”.
Steve Symonds of Amnesty International UK described Mr Hammond’s “mean-spirited response” as “shameful”.
“Rather than throwing up the drawbridge and talking about how Europe can ‘protect’ itself from migrants, Mr Hammond should be working with our EU partners to ensure that people don’t drown in the Mediterranean or get crushed beneath lorries at Calais,” he said.
Mr Benn added that Mr Hammond should “think more carefully about what he says”.
“We need responsibility and international leadership from this government, not scaremongering,” he said. “Those fleeing Syria are desperate refugees from a country being torn apart by war.”
more at,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33842861
including a video
Res Diss
“I don’t tickbox anyone – I try and listen”
So why were you dividing economics into tickbox issues, nuLab style, when you claimed that no one cared about privatisation?
“Of course, the fact that Israel is a self-proclaimed Jewish State would imply that Israeli criminality is imbued with notions of Jewishness.”
What a stupid argument – why not try it with Moslem terrorists, a number of Islamic republics, the UK (were the CofE is the established Church”
““It’s more important Tom Watson getting deputy than Corbyn getting leader. He’s a man that would get things done”
Indeed. Establishment paedophiles beware.”
________________________________
Not so sure about this. It will be recalled that Mr Watson did some sterling work bringing Sun phone hackers to justice, but fell rather silent when the focus turned to Mirror phone hackers.
Likewise it will be recalled that establishment Tory paedos were well within Mr Watson’s sights, but cover-ups concerning what are euphemistically termed “Asian” paedos somehow escaped his brief.
Also RobG, if the name of the continental TV station was given to you as requested then the country of residence of the commenter in question would be revealed. I don’t think you will get an answer!
Herbie
Because I was trying to summarise the main themes that came across to me – and I didn’t say no one cared about privatisation.
What are you hearing?
It’s quite simple, habby.
Your argument is that because something happened before, it will happen again the same way.
An idiot’s argument.
I’ve added in the very different context today and argued that since things are very different then results will very likely be different.
Initial conditions aren’t even similar. They’re quite opposite to what they were 30 odd years ago.
This is obvious. You’ve simply made a fool of yourself as you usually do, and now you’re hoping to parse your way out of it.
HTH
“Because I was trying to summarise the main themes that came across to me – and I didn’t say no one cared about privatisation.
What are you hearing?”
I’m hearing despondency and alienation, and everywhere people look they see the economic game rigged against them and in favour of a relatively small elite.
Corbyn is hope, at least.
Could be Obama hope of course.
We’ll see.
Jeremy Corbyn is one of the speakers here on 22 August. He has amazing energy. Methodist Central Hall. 9.30am – 6pm
Palestine & Latin America: Building solidarity for national rights
Hear Latin American and Palestinian speakers discuss themes of mutual solidarity.
https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/144310300/20150721flyer.jpg
Register for free ticket
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/palestine-events/19178-palestine-a-latin-america-building-solidarity-for-national-rights
“Also RobG, if the name of the continental TV station was given to you as requested then the country of residence of the commenter in question would be revealed. I don’t think you will get an answer!”
_____________________
Clear thinking is obviously not your forte, Lambkin.
Have you ever heard of satellite TV, available in all Continental countries and indeed world-wide?
But I’ll tell you the country I live in if you tell me your full name and address, can’t say fairer than that can I 🙂
“Corbyn is hope, at least.”
Twenty years ago maybe, even ten years ago, I think it’s too late for him now.
If you want a laugh on a Sunday evening you could try this:
Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham turn to YouTube in Labour leadership race
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/09/liz-kendall-andy-burnham-youtube-labour-leadership-campaign-videos
I think even those who don’t agree with Corbyn’s views will realise that this Labour leadership contest has highlighted the almost complete corporate take over of British politics.
We live in a fascist state, folks.
Herbie
A lot of bluster and insults there but no clear thinking.
At the risk of repeating myself, I believe that a Labour Party campaigning on a Corbynite prospectus will not win the next election.
I also am convinced that there are many on here – fellow blusterers of yours ,if you will – who secretly share my prediction and who therefore hope that Mr Corbyn will not become the next Labour leader so that their publically expressed belief in a Labour victory under Mr Corbyn will not be put to the test.
Over to you now, Professor, for your customary last word.. 🙂
John Hilley has just posted and copied on Medialens an article by David Pratt of the Sunday Herald entitled ‘Something is rotten in the State of Israel’
I have a few misgivings about David Pratt’s interpretations here, as in his claim that certain Palestinian solidarity groups (which ones, specifically?) won’t work with Israeli voices – many, such as BDS, certainly do, provided they aren’t advocating positions of ‘normalisation’.
Also, the ‘something is rotten in’ line rather suggests a nod to the ‘bad apple’ view, rather than that which looks at the primary contradiction of the Israeli state’s founding and the systematic occupation/killing that has continually entailed.
Still, overall, a welcome indictment from Pratt – and hitting the mark, judging from some of the hostile, pro-Israel responses he was expecting.
————————-
Something is rotten in the State of Israel
David Pratt, Foreign Editor, Sunday Herald Sunday 9 August 2015
As I sat down to write this essay, I knew potentially I was setting myself up for some political flak. I knew it too back in 2006, when I wrote my first book Intifada: the Long Day of Rage about the Palestinian uprising.
In fact, I’ve been conscious of it every time I’ve ever penned a piece about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
If there is one thing as a journalist I’ve learned during decades of covering this story it’s the impossibility of ducking the political brickbats and sometimes downright vitriol that inevitably comes the way of anyone writing about this emotive issue.
The simple and unavoidable fact is that nothing is neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For this reason alone, any writer who steps into the debate over this long and bitter struggle is almost certain to be subjected to an onslaught from detractors. Depending of course on the writer’s take, this could see them denounced as anything from an anti-Semite to a Zionist stooge.
For these reasons there is no point in making any pretence towards impartiality. So let me from the outset lay my political cards on the table. Put quite simply, given the weight of evidence encountered as a reporter over considerable time, I have always maintained that the State of Israel has a case to answer for in its appalling treatment of the Palestinian people. More recently too, if I can paraphrase a line from Hamlet, I sense there is now something rotten in that same State of Israel.
Perhaps this second point is initially best explained by taking stock of a single terrible event that occurred over the last few weeks. I’m speaking of the scarcely believable savagery of the arson attack on the home of a Palestinian family in the West Bank village of Duma.
/..
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1439149854.html
RobG
“We live in a fascist state, folks.”
__________________________
Less of the “we”, laddy – don.t you keep telling us you live in Poitou-Charentes?
And now have another bottle and don’t forget to claim your winter fuel allowance this year will you.
Those were John Hilley’s remarks in the preamble. I omitted inverted commas. Sorry.
Whatever country he lives in, someone seems strangely unable to link to the Daily Mail Web site himself.
Anon1
“Jon, good, balanced stuff as always though as always it never comes out on my side. N_ never fails to register a business tycoon’s Jewishness when he wishes to make a racially-based slur against Jews. His posts about Israel are full of filthy innuendo about Jews. I wasn’t referring to today’s series from him, though he can’t help shoehorning in a bit about Israel in most posts and appears to have been particularly active of late. A complete loser and arsehole who seeks to explain away his own failures in life by constant reference to the Jews.”
____________________________________________________________________________
This is typical Hasbara to confuse Israel with being Jewish. Don’t believe this – most Jews in London and increasingly the US are recognising Israel as a rogue state.