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.
Queens are great. It’s a way to channel the matriarch, the Goddess, the Mother Earth. Life is always so more peaceful having them than Kings and Princes who want to bash everybody about. I’d say entirely necessary for Protestant life who do not contemplate the Virgin Mary with such honour. Bring on Queen Anne! I love you mum.
We rejoice at your good news Robert Crawford, and also for the good news for Shakar Ahmed & his family; best start ever start to a weekend ! 🙂
Tony Malibu your forgetting those protestant fans of the winter queen and the short Rosicrucian Bohemia of the early C17.
Macky, I am rejoicing too and agree that it is the best start to a weekend for ages.
John Spencer Davis is also right to be angry. I sent an open letter to David Cameron questioning why, if we are supposed to have a special relationship, Shaker was still in Guantanamo. I pulled no punches.
“It is basic logic that if you really did want Shaker Aamer to come home you would get on the telephone to President Barack Obama and tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he owes you this at least. Let me put it this way, Mr Prime Minister: Simon Mann, son of an English test cricket captain, was involved in a political coup to overthrow the president and government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. In this plot there were others who are so close to the Conservative Party it might seem like I am being provocative in mentioning them: so I won’t. Mann was sentenced to 34 years imprisonment for his part in the attempted coup. But London was able to secure his release after only one year.”
That was more than eighteen months ago. And I am angry too. But I am rejoicing that he will soon, God willing, be able to see a child, almost fourteen years old, who he has never seen, let alone held, and wrap his arms around his wife and other children. Now is not the moment for condemnation, angry though we might be, it is a time for joy.
Interesting to see that the Telegraph today raises NWO and 9/11 conspiracy “theories” to discredit Jeremy Corbyn. 9/11 is outside this blog’s Overton window and so I shall not comment on that save to note that when societies find that they have to engage with alien concepts such ad foreigners, negative concepts and taboos they find ways to construct a signpost or a gate or guardhouse that indicates that the topic must be approached with caution. We might use italics and some societies even have s unique alphabet for such things eg katakana in Japan. Or we use Latin or French, or we insinuate in many subtle wsys, or we had the tag “theory” to conspiracy for here on this pragmatic island we know what value to place on theories ie they belong to the world of France and intellectuals. I suggest that we revert to the language of Disraeli and Churchill and use the term conspiracy without its insinuating tag. Happy weekend all.
If anybody is wondering about the apple-bribing obsequious comment Habbabkuk, Habbakuk and all the other handles has changed once again and now contains three Bs.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/09/corbyn-kneeling-story-a-media-invention/#comment-553428
In terms of scholastic achievement perhaps it would be better with two Ds, something like Hadduck, Haddock or Haddaduck! 🙂
I do actually owe Habbs an apology and correction and note that he gave one re Putins background. A thead or two back in response to his question whether anyone could name a world leader other than Putin who had been a professional spook (which Putin obviously waS) I had suggested Bush snr and Habbs disputed that pointing out his had only been a political appntment. I have now looked back though Kevin Phillips’ American Dynasty and note that he only suggests a line between dots for Prescott and George Herbert. He doesn’t really join the dots. So I accept Habbs’ point. . . . . . .
Glenn@ 1.53am. [email protected], and Macky,
You are all so brilliant! I am running out of the right words to describe how all of you have made me feel, it’s GREAT!!!
Bottle it and you will make a fortune!
There is so much of the other bad stuff around, this is something special which will reverberate around the world and touch others in a good way.
A billion thanks to you. You are special, and it shows!
If I was a young man looking for a job, I could not do better if you all contributed to my application.
Thanks again, now go and help someone else, you may know someone who needs a boost right now.
My attitude to others will be boosted in a good way after all this (love) I think is the appropriate expression.
That is twice you wonderful people have made me cry (tears of joy).
I am Steppin Out with a spring in my step and a spring in my heart. Yes, I have won the Lottery, and it was a multiple rollover.
Your health is your wealth, as my dear mother used to say, and you were right Ma, as usual!!!
You never got the years you deserved Ma, I love you very much.
Robert Crawford: I am new to this blog, but would like to add felicitations nonetheless. I’m a two-time lymphoma sufferer, so I know what it’s like, waiting for those results. I truly hope it all slowly fades into your done-and-dusted past, as it has for me.
“It is basic logic that if you really did want Shaker Aamer to come home you would get on the telephone to President Barack Obama and tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he owes you this at least. Let me put it this way, Mr Prime Minister: Simon Mann, son of an English test cricket captain, was involved in a political coup to overthrow the president and government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. In this plot there were others who are so close to the Conservative Party it might seem like I am being provocative in mentioning them: so I won’t. Mann was sentenced to 34 years imprisonment for his part in the attempted coup. But London was able to secure his release after only one year.”
Aamer is not a British citizen. He has been cleared for release to Saudi since 2007.
A thead or two back in response to his question whether anyone could name a world leader other than Putin who had been a professional spook (which Putin obviously waS) I had suggested Bush snr and Habbs disputed that pointing out his had only been a political appntment.
Fwl- Russ Baker in ‘Family of Secrets’ makes a convincing case for the proposition that Bush Snr had long term CIA connections prior to his appointment as CIA Director in 1976. His reinvention, from preppy Boston brahmin to the more demotic ‘Texan oilman’ was in part engineered by a friend in the CIA, and the company formed as a result, Zapata Oil, gave Bush Snr ample opportunity for covert agency work under commercial cover.
More on that here-
http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKbakerR2.htm
Robert Crawford- your good news, and the responses it has elicited from many commenters here, has been really uplifting to read- thanks and best wishes.
“I truly hope it all slowly fades into your done-and-dusted past, as it has for me.”
Sixer, ‘slowly’ means being trapped in time — psychological time’ that is — I think he may know how to see it instantly; in Intelligence. Universal Intelligence that is.
Robert, excellent news, and delighted for you. Can I take the liberty to say, I told you so?!
Here’s a little present for you. Have a wonderful weekend.
http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/krishnamurti-teachings/view-video/action-observation-and-dying-while-living.php
“And we would like this morning as this is the last talk, to go into the question of what is action, what is the significance of death, and also a much abused word, meditation. Because this concerns most of our life. We are not trying to prove anything, convert you to a new set of beliefs or ideals, doing any kind of propaganda. The speaker particularly has a horror of all that. But together with the speaker, if you will, and if you are serious, go into all these questions.
Though probably most of you have been here during the last two weeks, we now will have to go and consider what is action. Because most of our life is action: all our relationship is action, our attitudes, our behaviour, our particular idiosyncratic expression, our restraints, our freedom to express what we like, or don’t like; we are violent, aggressive, obeying, believing and so on; all that is action. Not just going to the office every day for the next fifty years – I don’t know how you tolerate it – or doing some particular job, over and over and over again, for the rest of one’s life. All that is also action. And these actions are based not only on past knowledge, modified by the present and continued into the future.”
Sixer..
That’s a Beautiful Sentiment..I wish you Well.. I have enjoyed your Contributions Here.. Thanks.Stay aroon
Thanks Sixer, you will know all about the uncertainty of not knowing, waiting and waiting,
I was not prepared to wait a month for the results, so I demanded to be told, good or bad I need to know. Fortunately, they listened and told me.
I told the Oncology nurse that I would have thanked her even if the result was bad. I just needed to know so that I could get on with what I needed to do for myself.
All this support and good wishes made me think, ” birds of a feather flock together”.
On the 13th. of October we can sit down together at the hospital and go over the details of the scan, in peace.
Great stuff Sixer, and thank you very much for your kind words. They are much better than the other kind.
Old Mark, great.
We now have an insight into how these wonderful people think.
I am still thinking, why so wonderful to me? It is their way of being, that’s all.
This will ripple around the world and do others some good, I can feel it!
Thank you for your kind words too.
Alcyone.
Yes you told me so, and it lifted me up to the top of the tree. I was not going to let you down.
A ton of theory is worthless without action. I love the “doing” words.
Procrastination is a blight on peoples lives. If only they could be motivated to do something and get out of the rut they are in.
I have been enjoying the Speaker since you posted the way to get in there. I also found an old friend whom I have only read in books, Osho.
One person’s life touches so many and it is always worth while to investigate links that are provided in good faith.
To-day the world started again with me!!!.
As a matter of fact it should be noted that Putin was head of the FSB – the KGB’s successor organisation – between July 1998 and August 1999 a position to which he was appointed by Yeltsin. And he never left the KGB – to do so while alive is not possible you just become inactive.
Fwl
There was no need to apologise, your accepting my point is enough – but thank you anyway.
As important as admitting a mistake is to be able to conduct exchanges in a polite manner and to actually answer legitimate questions and I pay tribute to your willingness to do both.
OldMark
I don’t intend to dispute what you wrote about Bush Senior (I don’t know) but I think you will agree that there is a slight difference between having CIA “connections” (Bush Senior) and spending your entire career before entering politics as an operative officer in the KGB/FSB (President Putin)?
+++++++++++++
To answer the question which no one else (except Fwl) was willing to attempt to answer: there is no other head of state or govt. that I know of who spent his entire career (or even most of it) in the secret police of his country before entering politics.
Fact – and you should get over it.
Old Mark / Habba,
I am surprised no one has come up with any names and other countries. What Kevin Phillips suggested in American Dynasty ch 6 Armaments and Men: The Bush Dynasty and the National Security State are a lot of interesting dots and the sub ch at pages 200 fwd is entitled George H W Bush: Man in the Brooks Brothers Trench Coat. Its good to be civil and I apologised because my memory of the Kevin Phillips’ portrayal didn’t include the ‘?’. You might infer that Pbillips’ book is all the more credible for his caution in how he draws his conclusions. I don’t know what Dale Scott’s conclusions are : anyone?
Has anybody linked this before?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH0XitZn6p8
I find id curious that the interviewer’s face is hidden throughout.
Needless to say, Jeremy Corbyn maintains his composure through the whole inane questioning of the fictional Royal Kneel and Kiss
Sorry that should have been …….Man in the Brooks Brothers Trench Coat?
It is surprising that the Guardian promotes such a servile attitude nowadays.
If Corbyn gets some support to get through this time when the media is testing him and trying to upset him then he will get somewhere. But for the moment he will have to stand his ground.
So David Cameron tried to get a bl** job from a cold dead decapitated pig as an initiation ritual?
That is probably why nobody in the EU and in European governments takes him seriously. Quite frankly, why didn’t he refuse and give the one who suggested it a healthy p*n** on the snout? Some people can only be impressed by making a physical impression in their face. Uncivilised and sad but true.
I think you will agree that there is a slight difference between having CIA “connections” (Bush Senior) and spending your entire career before entering politics as an operative officer in the KGB/FSB (President Putin)?
Up to a point, Lord Copper/Habba.
Putin was a spook operating in plain sight, Bush Snr’s likely CIA roles prior to his becoming CIA Director weren’t overt, and could always be plausibly denied.
Bush Snr’s CIA connection briefly became an ‘issue’ in the 1988 Presdidential campaign, and produced this classic ‘non denial denial’ from the NYT at the time-
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/20/us/mistaken-identity-seen-likely-in-1963-fbi-memo-on-bush.html
Habba- fyi the ‘George William Bush’ suggested in the NYT article linked to above as being the ‘George Bush’ mentioned in the 1963 FBI memo, subsequently denied under oath that it was him-
http://whowhatwhy.org/2013/09/16/part-1-mr-george-bush-of-the-central-intelligence-agency/
Fwl
“Old Mark / Habba,
I am surprised no one has come up with any names and other countries.”
________________
And I’m surprised that you’re surprised.
The answer might simply be that there are no other names and countries.
You may be sure that if there were other names than President Putin and other countries than Russia, someone on here would have been delighted to provide them in order to prove me wrong.
But there wasn’t even an “It’s irrelevant” 🙂
I’m pleased if your correct. Journalists shouldn’t become the story and spooks should stay in the shadows. I hope Putin doesn’t (hasn’t)become a role model for spooks in other countries.
Hi Craig,
While I appreciate the general sentiments, I think you’re wrong on this one.
Here’s Tony Benn boiling with rage at the PC induction process (see halfway).
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/plans-for-the-privy-council-to-regulate-britains-newspapers-8436096.html
And Nigel lawson describing its kneeling and bowing quaintness –
https://whorunsbritain.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2013/10/08/last-preserve-of-the-establishment-who-are-the-privy-council/
Cheers,