I am delighted by the apparent sea-change in media opinion on the treatment of refugees, but concerned that in modern society compassion only seems able to operate in a wave of emotional hysteria rather than as a fundamental, underlying everyday principle. There is also a danger that those arriving in the Mediterranean and Balkans are viewed, quite wrongly, as in some way different from those in the awful camps at Calais, who have been demonised all summer, reaching its peak when a child being killed by a train led to vicious media headlines about delays to British passengers.
Cameron and May’s apparent willingness to budge at least minimally in admitting more from Syria must be matched by a willingness to admit those from the Calais camps who are genuine refugees. I still have a home in Ramsgate from which you can actually see France. I for one am willing to make accommodation available at no charge to help out in the crisis.
These are troubling times. In London the National Youth Centre has cancelled a play, Homegrown, which explored Islamic radicalism, because it had an “extremist agenda”. By this they mean that it did what it was meant to, it explored the reasons that attract young people to terrorism including a revulsion at western foreign policy and the alienation from society of urban youth in a society that values materialism above all but increasingly restricts access to prosperity and choice. These are precisely the issues that modern playwrights ought to be considering, if they are worth anything.
However it goes against the government’s insistence that radicalisation is nothing whatsoever to do with our invasions and bombings of Muslim countries or the huge and burgeoning wealth gap in our society. We are supposed to view terrorism as a spontaneous outbreak of pure evil, for no reason. So the play was cancelled, after consultations between the National Youth Theatre and the Metropolitan Police. When you have the police deciding on the content of plays, you really are on the road to being a fascist state: we already have the police involved in what can be said in universities under the government’s definitively illiberal Prevent strategy.
Just as there is still no official admission that our invasions and bombings greatly boosted terrorist organisations, so there is still no official admission that the wave of terror and destruction we helped unleash on the Middle East, either by direct invasions or bombings or by proxy, by funding and through the Gulf States, is the root cause of much of the refugee crisis. It is good we are moving a tiny way towards helping. We should do very much more. And acknowledgement of our own culpability in the crisis should be an essential part of a new attitude.
Under political pressure, Abbott will take more Syrian and Iraqi refugees within the set total. Big deal.
He is keen to join in with the bombing and is coming to Europe ostensibly to discuss immigration. I bet it’s more than that.
Tony Abbott says Australia will take more refugees from Syria and Iraq
PM says he was moved by ‘horrific imagery’ of drowned boy but that he would not increase the overall number of refugees Australia had planned to take
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/06/tony-abbott-says-australia-will-take-more-refugees-from-syria-and-iraq
He is skilled at embroidering his messages with lies.
‘Abbott said on Sunday that the Coalition’s success in implementing the policy allowed the government to accept refugees from a region in great stress “instead of just getting the people who the people smugglers sent to us in leaky boats”.
The government is also due to make a decision within a week on whether to join air strikes against Islamic State in Syria. Australia has conducted air strikes against the group, also known as Daesh, in Iraq since last year.
Abbott acknowledged the situation in Syria was grave. “People in Syria are caught between the mass executions of the Daesh death cult on the one hand and the chemical weapons of the Assad regime on the other,” he said.
“It is important that there be a humanitarian response, but it’s also important that there be a strong security response as well and obviously the government will have more to say about that matter later in the week.”
A humbug.
“resident diss just cannot bring his “methodist” self to declare the deranged lunatic net an yahoo as a war criminal!”
But I did – along with a number of others who I presume you don’t think deserve that label despite the clear evidence to the contrary.
I think it must be an issue as to mental capacity as to why certain posters see the World in such a binary fashion.
At this time last year, just before America started its bombing campaign in Syria, there were 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees (steadily built-up over 3 years).
Now, after a year of continuous bombing…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American-led_intervention_in_Syria
… there are 3.9 million Syrian refugees:
http://www.ibtimes.com/syrian-civil-war-number-refugees-nears-4-million-un-estimates-1955475
So what’s this all about? My take is that the neo-con psychos know that the public won’t swallow another ‘dodgy dossier’, so it’s on to Plan B:
1) create total chaos in Syria, which includes a bunch of headcases who go around cutting off people’s heads, etc.
2) the headcases/bogeymen scare the public so much that they’ll consent to a bombing campaign.
3) bomb the feck out of Syria (the Americans have been doing this since last September).
4) the ensuing mass exodus of refugees scares the public so much that they’ll consent to ‘boots on the ground’.
5) invade Syria.
6) job done.
7) next step, Iran.
Thanks Winkletoe – 6 Sep, 2015 – 4:45 pm – the dishonored inhuman obtuse Fox has targeted Westminster for his ignoble lies using Jenny Abramsky’s ‘World at One, at the Ministry of Propaganda.
Lacking creative mendacity Mr L Fox has wound back to the ‘red line’ chemical attacks to reinforce the need for a demilitarized zone in the Syrian sky or a ‘no fly zone’ – a dumb formula debunked by John Pilger and believed illegal by the UN secretary general in the 90’s when used in Iraq to ‘prevent’ chemical attacks on the Kurds.
http://johnpilger.com/articles/labour-claims-its-actions-are-lawful-while-it-bombs-iraq-strarves-its-people-and-sells-arms-to-corrupt-states
Mr L Fox displays a clear case of amnesia in this regard preferring to recall the United Nations Security Council approved no-fly zone on 17 March 2011 in Libya recommended by Senator Joe Lieberman to impede forces loyal to its embattled leader, Moammar Gadhafi.. No Fly Zones as Iraq proved are a great excuse for war as validated in the memorable words of Senator John McCain; the technique, in its simplest description, tells pilots: “Don’t fly or you’re going to die.”
No Mr Fox, Britain will not take the lead in Syria, we the British people say so.
From Day 1 of UN Resolution 1973’s approval, when NATO commenced all-out attacks on Libya’s aircraft on the ground, airfields, command-and control centres, supply depots, military units and so on, Russia and China had been well and truly duped and it is highly doubtful they will ever allow that to happen again, given the abused interpretation of what constitutes a no-fly zone.
Stuff you again Liam Fox.
Bastard!
“I think it must be an issue as to mental capacity as to why certain posters see the World in such a binary fashion.”
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha
🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 ::) 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 ) 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀
Resident Dissident sees others as having a black and white myopism. Wonderful!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha
🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 ::) 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 ) 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀 🙂 😀
Comprehension is not your strong point, is it?
The question was;
But then your imperatives just cannot allow you to answer a simple question, can you?
Which results in gobbledygook talk of;
Fact is you simply cannot answer the question (it incriminates your none “methodist” dear leader) hence shut your eyes and you are invisible to the world and your “clever” technique of whataboutry won’t be noticed by all, all the while you have turned the table and denounced some more the same villains that you rail against all day long!
Comical Ali eat your heart out, we have our very own nascent wannabe regev the dissembling lying bastard assigned to this board.
John Goss
06/09/2015 8:48pm
We can see where you mistyped! And you copied and pasted the second one, too!
Reminds me of the eleven “hads” in a row in a perfectly grammatical sentence.
Peter, where Jane had had “had”, had had “had had”. “Had had” had had a better effect.
Kind regards,
John
John Spencer-Davis your had-had reminds of Martian attack, have you seen that movie?
Stuff you again Liam Fox.
Bastard!/strong>
and add to the above;
Slimy Mr. Fox go fuck yourself in the mirror cuz you are too ugly for anyone else to fuck you!
This slime ball is the same tosser who was caught for cocaine offenses whilst he was in Thatcher cabinet if memory serves me right.
craps missing < has made the whole lot bold! sorry peeps (save the trolls of course).
Fedup
06/09/2015 9:03pm
I’m sorry, no, I haven’t, is there something similar in it?
Here’s a couple more. Five “ands” in a row:
The space between the Pig and “and”, and “and” and Whistle, was too small.
Seven “thats” in a row:
It is true for all that, that that “that” that that “that” refers to is not the same “that” that that “that” refers to.
Tired out now!
Kind regards,
John
John Spencer-Davis don’t be sorry , here is a taster of the film absolute crap scenario and even crappier dialogues but there are moments of hilarity and sketches of perversions of the politicos.
I remember the 11 hads John, and the five ands.
It was a new pub, The Fox and Grapes, and the foreman told the signpainter “You need to leave more space between ‘Fox’ and ‘and’ and ‘and’ and Grapes.”
Ah, the old schoolboy teasers! 🙂
How many cans of ‘K Cider’ is it tonight, Fedup? Is there going to be another dirty protest before you are eventually put back into secure custody?
It’s supposed to be crappy isn’t it? Isn’t that part of its charm?
Thanks. J
Re Syria, even if we did we are looking at just two servicable Tornado aircraft. The refugee crisis has been brought about by the rise of fantatical Islam in the region. No one wants to hang around in a place where human barbecues and beheadings are the order of the day – except some of our own home-grown jihadis, of course, who are travelling in the opposite direction.
Did you think of that all by yourself? Or did some one else help you with it? Do you know what a dirty protest is? You obviously are far too stupid to understand what sort of poison your spewing
Your kind of a cretin make good currency in some circles, you know that don’t you?
zionstani free jets have not been dropping any free incendiary bombs on Syria as much as the psychotic zionist tossers would love to! the dreams of eretz zionistan are coming to bite back and the worst of the nightmares of the supremacist parasites is taking shape before their very eyes.
Assad I was certainly a nasty piece of work, but Assad II, aka Captain Darling, doesn’t seem to have the same grip on the family tyranny. He’ll hop it with his billions at the opportune moment, leaving the dregs of the Assad crime syndicate to mop up what’s left before being barbecued themselves. Quite some place.
For a taste of the Assad family crimes,
http://www.gutsandgore.co.uk/notorious-prisons/tadmor-prison/
Don’t Buy it Fedup.. You are Well above it.. Kind regards Brian
Mary cheers for the wee Poem…
I’ve had a crap time trying sleep over wee Aylan’s End…
I was also reminded of the more Damaged Body of one of the four young boys Bombed on the Beach By IDF last year…and wondering at the very short lived outcry to that Image…
Haiku –
Sad Waves are Breaking
The Pulsing Sea Lost a Child
Oh Little Aylan.
Sigh.
“Do you know what a dirty protest is?”
Yes it’s when you throw shit around your cell walls.
Thanks BrianFujisan you are a great guy! I share your sadness the image of that innocent little boy has haunted me too.
This sort of miscreant is the sort that would twist a knife for the sake of winning a crappy point! So predictable and so fucking beneath contempt, I was not disappointed by this wanker using what it has learned. In fact it is used earlier than I had thought its kind would use such a low blow.
How is Wabi-sabi coming along?
“An MP (from the North of England I think) was on the TV last week saying a number of his constituents were writing to him to ask him how they could offer their spare rooms to refugees. those kind cons”
___________________
Thanks for that, Jon.
Mary – any chance of you being inspired by that example?
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/israel-build-fence-refugees-150906125147720.html
No welcoming families in Tel Aviv then ? Surely there must be someone there with generosity in their heart for whom life is good with a spare room . Somebody who rages against Assad’s regime who regularly expresses support for its victims ?
I’ve had a crap time trying sleep over wee Aylan’s End…
I was also reminded of the more Damaged Body of one of the four young boys Bombed on the Beach By IDF last year…and wondering at the very short lived outcry to that Image…
Haiku –
Sad Waves are Breaking
The Pulsing Sea Lost a Child
Oh Little Aylan.
#compassionpositioning
#virtuesignalling
Mr Goss
“There is one question Habbabkuk has not been in a hurry to answer.
Are you one of the few who does not think Netanyahu is a war-criminal?
Yesterday he totally ignored it.”
__________________________
You are either blind, daft or, more likely, a (terribly bad) liar.
You will find my answer in my post of yesterday at 21h30.
Sometimes the subject Varies… But i do write Haiku all the time.. It’s most Enlightening… In a Japanese Way.
Fedup.. Got caught up with the Haikus.. But still got great ideas for the Scope..
But i found another wee Wabi-Sabi Gem.. This one Merely traveled Miles, and not LY’s…It hasn’t Moved in Years..me wonders. –
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132108640@N08/21013274569/in/dateposted-friend/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132108640@N08/21013227299/in/dateposted-friend/
Anon1
“but Assad II, aka Captain Darling, doesn’t seem to have the same grip on the family tyranny. He’ll hop it with his billions at the opportune moment,”
_____________________
You are probably right (he might have put a few of those billions into Moscow banks).
But then I am heartened by recalling that Arab dictators have often come to a very sticky end at the hands of their own people. “Colonel” Khaddafi was only the last in quite a long line. One can only hope that Assad Junior’s end will be as unpleasant.
As usual, I was right. No answers, just an embarrassed silence from the usually vociferous ones.
+++++++++++++++++++
“Here are two questions the Excellences won’t be in a hurry to answer.
!/. The overthrow of the beastly and oppressive President Mubarak was rightly welcomed by most of the Excellences on here.
Why did the very same Excellences not welcome with the same vigour the uprising against the equally beastly and oppressive Assad regime?
2/. The overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt by the beastly and oppressive General Al-Sissi was roundly condemned by most of the Excellences on here. Rightly so.
Why was the crushing of the popular uprising against the equally beastly and oppressive Assad Junior – before it was hijacked by ISIS – not equally roundly condemned by the very same Excellences?
Off you go! I’ll be back this evening to read the silence. :)”
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Dont-lecture-Israel-about-aiding-needy-Syrians-defiant-Netanyahu-says-415434
A distinct shortage of the milk of human kindness in the land of ‘ milk and honey ‘ it seems .