The media appears determined to narrow the Overton Window further to exclude republicanism, which would make the views of over 30% of the UK population unacceptable as a part of normal political discourse. The fascinating thing about the concept of the Overton Window as enforced by the UK media, is that some of the views not given media airing as being beyond the pale of “respectable” opinion – such as rail nationalisation – actually enjoy public support.
The media are currently intent on demonising Jeremy Corbyn as a republican by inventing conflict between him and the Queen. The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg asked him in a corridor whether he would be prepared to kneel and kiss the Queen’s hand as part of the ceremony of joining the Privy Council, and the media splashed his demurral as the lead broadcast and print story of the day. It subsequently became plain that Kuenssberg is a medieval fantasist and there is no hand-kissing involved.
Naturally no apologies followed. The Guardian is still attempting, even today, to milk the story with a front page article indicating Corbyn may not kneel. I should sincerely hope not. I kneel to nobody. Personally I find the idea of kneeling to another human being as weird as the idea of sticking my penis in a pig’s mouth. But apparently grovelling servility is the norm, and even thinking about not doing it makes you a weirdo.
The interesting thing is nobody has actually asked the Queen. I have met the Queen in public many times and in private twice, on both occasions to be thanked for my role in organising State Visits. I had explained I was a republican and Scottish nationalist (in those days small n) and was therefore refusing the offer of a LVO and a CVO respectively. I did not bow, or call her Ma’am. She actually asked me my reason for refusing the honour the first time, and was perfectly pleasant when I explained politely but straight. I received direct from her hands small gifts of an armada dish and a letter rack. I eventually auctioned the letter rack for the Julian Assange Defence Fund.
She showed no umbrage or concern whatsoever that I was a republican – I am sure she meets them all the time – and behaved towards me in an entirely normal fashion, not in any way noting my refusal to obey the court protocol. I personally witnessed a proposed honour to another person being downgraded because “the Palace” did not like them, but there was no question of any sanction on me for my republicanism. The proof is that there was never any question mark over my doing the job all again on a second occasion, either from the Queen or from her private secretaries.
If Jeremy Corbyn sticks to his guns, and just goes along and shows normal respect, I have no doubt at all the Queen will carry on completely unfazed. She is not stupid, is very well aware that a significant number of British people are republicans, and is not interested in making people uncomfortable. She will expect so long as she is monarch, Jeremy Corbyn to work as prescribed within the forms of government – just as I organised State Visits to the very best of my ability. But personal displays of obsequiousness are not of importance to the Queen; they are rather the obsession of the pathetically servile Guardian and other media.
RobG.
How did I forget you? I am so sorry, you put so much in with your links. Thank you very much.
I have that CD here and every so often, “I think to myself what a wonderful world”.
It is you all who make it a wonderful world!
I phoned my best friend to-day, not knowing if he was working or not and left a message on his answering machine. Five minutes later there a ratatat on my door. He nearly crushed my knuckles with his hand shake.
I was glad I did not have to tell him bad news!
Thanks again RobG.
_________________________________
Cheers Mary.
“Node could it have been reduced to save bandwidth or facilitate faster upload/download perhaps?”
It’s a fake.
http://www.icp.org/browse/archive/objects/2nd-hungarian-ball-0
Robert Crawford
25/09/2015 9:48pm
Robert, many congratulations. I am delighted to hear your wonderful news.
I was deeply touched (and not a little surprised) to see you remember me in your message. I don’t think I did much! But thank you.
Take care,
John
I’ve just got news that Shaker Aamer is going to be released. Sorry this is off topic but please rejoice with me, RD and Habbabkuk. Keep the pressure on because he should be sent home tomorrow yet at the earliest he will not be reunited with his family until October 25th.
It has been a travesty from the start. 13 years of imprisonment and torture without being charged with any crime. I bet it is on Putin’s list for his visit. 🙂
Fedup : “Node could it have been reduced to save bandwidth or facilitate faster upload/download perhaps?”
Unlikely. The pic’s size is 34 kB. That’s tiny. If you’ve got a broadband speed of 8 Mbps, you can download 30 of them per second. But anyway, looks like Fred’s ID-ed the original (8.56pm).
Robert Crawford let me congratulate you on your fantastic recovery and tell you how happy I am to hear the good news. Look after yourself my friend and cherish your life and your loved ones more than ever before. I am glad to share your happiness with you.
Congratulations on passing your M.O.T. Robert. May you go round the clock 🙂
See, I told you so, you ARE wonderful! All of you.
I’ve got tears in my eyes, I can hardly see this keyboard!
Good words have a far greater effect than you may think, for the recipient, believe me.
Keep being your wonderful selves.
I know you will because that is the way you are, wonderful!!!.
Congratulations Robert. Keep positive. It has been a tough time for you waiting for the results.
I can see you are overjoyed and quite rightly so. 😀 we are overjoyed for you.
John Goss
25/09/2015 10:38pm
I have had this news too from Reprieve today.
I am obviously very glad that Mr Aamer is going to come home and be reunited with his family at last.
I must say, though, that I don’t feel elated. I feel angry. I feel angry that he has been waiting since 2007 and we don’t know why. I feel angry because I am pretty sure he and his family will receive no compensation, no redress, we will never be able to dig out what happened to them and why. I am sure the last thing he and his family will want to do is continue to fight – they must desperately need rest. I just think that this case cries out for something to be done, and I fear that nothing will be done, that it will not be possible for any justice to happen.
Kind regards,
John
Robert, we are all just perhaps ghosts in the cyber-world, but here’s another crushing handshake.
And here’s another little bit of humour…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIgUhHzdlfA
Lex Croucher, who made the above video, is a 23-year-old middle class gal who has built up a huge following on YouTube (more than 100,000 subscribers), doing girly stuff (she’ll kick me for saying this).
These young people are the future of our country, and people like Lex are becoming more and more politicised, towards the left.
I shall resist the usual links to Bob Dylan songs…
(and could add that original Dylan songs have once again been completely purged from YouTube)
Thanks John, I like your new picture. I think you should “copyright” it. It seems to suit you, in a nice way.
Cheers.
KoWN
Not the bloody apple again! As your taped-conversation shows it is not the masters of Blyton who are to blame for the thrashing out of arguments, and the punishment of offenders, so much as those who would wish to see others thrashed. Let me assure you as a master myself that here at Blyton we have no thrashing, fracking, f-cking, fagging or sh-gging.
We cannot be bribed by apples. And Noddy has to stand still in the corner, so still that if that bloody bell on his(expletive deleted) blue hat goes off before the school bell he’s in detention.
On the Becky Cohen / Craig discussion about whether the Queen now has the right to count herself a Brit the Saxe Coburg chapter in Forgotten Kingdoms is worth a read and yet surely HM may think to herself that having opposed Germans in two world wars perhaps the family should be cut some slack
Ye see, That’s what this World needs, i Have seen Craig Speak out with Passion Re the Royals, But Has manners regardless. Good un Craig.
On Wednesday night i saved the foto.. Seemed too Good ( or Sick ) to be True.. Strange setup though. Even for a Fake.
Robert.
Brilliant News.. Just great. I’m Glad you feel some strength From well wishers here at Craig’s. An uplifting story. All the Very best..I was in Agreement with something Nevermind said the other day, RE being away from MsM for some days. we should seek out wee pockets of Enlightenment from time to time. I shall Send you a Video or Two from Time to Time. 🙂
Robert, thanks for the like of my lookalike twin. I must confess a niece spotted the likeness, and even though I know it is a much younger personality, and I’m always up for that. I cannot copyright the image because it is not min and not me, but somebody like me called Victor. If anyone is in contravention of copyright law it is me.
I’m not absolutely certain how copyright law applies to edited images. I did edit out the name Victor. So if there is a claim I am happy to address it. And to the artist: great image. Thanks.
Brian, great stuff, your videos seem to strike a chord with me and do me a power of good. I will look forward to your next video.
Thanks a million.
____________________________-
Node, great humour (round the clock). I have certainly been round the block a few times, kind of travel weary. However, I am ready to go round again!
Cheers.
LOL @ KoWN…yet again. Exactly.
Congratulations to both, Shakar Ahmed and Robert. Both will look forward for differing reasons, but both are proof that hope is the positive motor of humanity.
Thanks for your kind words Brian.
Shakar will finally see his children and family after 14 years, and Roberts step will become a little more springy I guess.
what a positive day yesterday was….. good night
RobG.
Being cyber ghosts as most of us are here, is what makes all the good wishes extra special.
I don’t know any of you, and yet I think I do by what you say on here, about all sorts of things, builds up an image of each one here, good and not so good.
As Brian just said he agreed with something Nevermind said. I read it too, and said to myself, I got rid of all that when I got rid of the t.v. I only listen to the news once a day on the radio.
I listened carefully the other day to hear how the BBC would report PigGate.
A bit of waffle about a book that Lord what’s his face wrote about Cameron’s student days, and no mention of a pig or the action that was supposed to have taken place.
Then I thought, why do I even bother to listen to this at all? Conditioning!!!
Thanks Nevermind.
I thought I had lost little Robin from my garden because of the murdering magpies. And as I thought about him he appeared in front of my sitting room window as I looked out, cocked his head to one side and looked straight in the widow at me, as much to say “I am still here”.
I am still here too Robin.
Robert: Very, very pleased for you.
Best wishes Robert—very inspiring to read all the lovely messages you have received.
Thanks Glenn.
I am up late to-night for a different reason. This last few months I could not sleep because I was sore and sometimes worried about, what next?
To-night I am on a high without any artificial stimulants, joy of knowing that I might just complete my “wish list”.
Imagine having to tell others bad news. It just does not bear thinking about.
Onwards and upwards!
Beth if it is inspiring for you, how do you think I feel?
These people are just so special. I have never met any of them. ghosts in the cyber-world as RobG described us, and yet, I feel I do know them. I feel they are friends.
Thank you for sharing the good news with me. Maybe I will get to know you through your posts here, I hope so. And another thing, I am relatively new here, still all these good wishes for me.
When I think about it, I must have been a pain in the—-.
Cheers Beth.
Robert: Strange, is it not, the set of circumstances that are about to get changed by a result that is already “in the bag”, so to speak. I’m very happy for you, and happy for myself too in a way – at last an online comrade has good news – which makes an extremely welcome change of late.
By “in the bag”, I refer to the thought experiment concerning Schrödinger’s cat. The result is already in, it’s there – you just don’t know it yet. It really is like existing in both states, and the toggling between the two is pretty grim – I imagine at times you would rather know even if it’s the worst, just to get on with it. The waiting is hideous.
Like a lottery ticket as yet unchecked. You got all six, with the bonus ball – you must be absolutely delighted. I raise a glass right now (a Chardonnay, quite refreshing and only 11%) in your honour. (I wouldn’t normally at this time of night, but what the hell – it’s an occasion to celebrate at last.)
Craig. Firstly (though this will be on topic), Same old story I really apologize do for my totally unhelpful attacks on you. I’m still young and angry and have to be honest, I do view a lot of people here as comparatively privileged and resent it. But birth was not a choice of anyone I guess. It’s because I know the taste of freedom I imagine, witch makes it all the more ‘unhelpful’ really, and quite an absurd position to take. There is so much more freedom living on the ground.
And the Royals? I can’t tell you how absurd it seems to me that they just don’t find a way to bow out gracefully. Or ungracefully, that would still be better for them imo. It would actually be an opportunity to beat ‘public opinion’ , “no you don’t need/want us, we are part of history”.
The battle. Aren’t we all meant to love each-other? I mean I know there will always be ‘conflict’ but still…In the face of certain death for everyone seems like it should be the overriding priority.
Robert Crawford,
Fantastic news Robert!
Delighted for you.
A beatiful song for you to celebrate…=)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk70wuIYBBE
Talking of royals, the Saudi royals blocked 2 of the exits to the jamarat location to hold a party for royal dignitaries. When I went to Hajj I was caught up in one of these public safety disgraces in Arafat. They pen people in so that crowds trying to exit try tp push their way against crowds still trying to get in.
The Saudis are pompous shite. They sit in their pompous dignity while through their wealth 14 million Syrians are subjected to homelessness and war. Then they accept titles for human rights and blame everybody else for the chaos they have caused: Assad in Syria. Black Africans in Hajj. Talk about othering/projection. Their religion is supposed to teach them how to behave. unfortunately wealth is a test that humans never fail to fail.
RobG
very good news.