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.
Thanks Brian and Winkletoe too.
Mark Remember Fox is a doctor. God help any he treated.
A very strange entry in Wiki.
‘Fox studied medicine at the University of Glasgow and worked as a GP and Civilian Army Medical Officer[1] before being elected as an MP in 1992.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Fox
Throughout Wiki, there are other quotes of ‘he studied medicine’ and again here
https://www.conservatives.com/OurTeam/Members_of_Parliament/Fox_Liam
Most doctors will volunteer where they did their training, where they did their house officer rotations, which hospitals they worked at, their subsequent jobs and so on. His is skimpy and woolly.
Ref [1] on Wiki goes to the second link above.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
If he is a doctor he should bring to mind every doctor’s maxim – ‘First do no harm’ before he advocates any further taking of human life.
Pulcinella (22h27)
Why are you so worried about families in Tel Aviv? They’ll get along fine without your concern.
And now get back on stage, the other characters are waiting for you!
Mary (re Dr Liam Fox)
“Most doctors will volunteer where they did their training, where they did their house officer rotations, which hospitals they worked at, their subsequent jobs and so on. His is skimpy and woolly.”
___________________
Perhaps he’s just being discreet like “Lysias” with his Oxford college?
“Colonel” Khaddafi was only the last in quite a long line. One can only hope that Assad Junior’s end will be as unpleasant.”
The worst post I Ever Read on this Blog… Horrendous…Fucking Sicko.
Fox is on the GMC register
GMC Reference Number
2854160
Given Names
Liam
Surname
Fox
Gender
Man
Status
Registered without a licence to practise
Primary Medical Qualification
MB ChB 1983 University of Glasgow
Provisional Registration Date
15 Jul 1983
Full Registration Date
09 Aug 1984
Specialist Register entry date
This doctor is not on the Specialist Register
GP Register entry date
This doctor is not on the GP Register
This doctor is not licensed to practise medicine in the UK
Annual retention fee due date: 09 Aug 2016
http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/register/LRMP.asp
Suggest he becomes plain Mr L. Fox
~~~~~
Register of Interests. Very many large donations.
Recent in detail
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10213/liam_fox/north_somerset#register
Complete back to 2000
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=10213
Analysed here.
http://searchthemoney.com/profile/214?p0=3#tabsx-1
If your MP is a Con, search on this site. Always revealing!
http://searchthemoney.com/list_mps
Fox is ‘a qualified obstetrician’ according to this.
Did he ever sue Harvey Boulter? Don’t think so!
So why HAS Liam Fox been on holiday with male friend who cost him his job? In return to frontline politics, scandal-hit ex-Minister argues it’s because they did nothing wrong in the first place
Dr Fox’s friendship with businessman Adam Werritty proved costly
It led to spectacular tumble from Cabinet Minister to backbench MP
Dr Fox and his wife took holiday this year with Mr Werritty and his girlfriend
‘You don’t abandon your friends just because it is convenient’ said Dr Fox
24 August 2013
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401470/Has-Liam-Fox-holiday-male-friend-cost-job.html
Perfidious Albion and the War in Syria by Steve Jefferies:
http://veteransforpeace.org.uk/2015/perfidious-albion-and-the-war-in-syria-by-steve-jefferies/
There is NO mention of Liam Fox on any of the 527 pages of this list of members of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. So don’t consult Liam if you are having a baby. 🙂
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/patients/public-registers/public-register-september-2015-1.pdf
The worst post I Ever Read on this Blog… Horrendous…Fucking Sicko.
Indeed Brian what kind of a sick in the mind fuckwit could ever even think of such horrific notions? These mind sick zionist fuckwits have no shame, or sense of humanity in their souls, their dead souls carried around by their zombie shells have no ears to hear the cries of the mother and infants that have bombed and mutilated from aloft, their eyes are blind to the suffering of swathes of people they are the cause of. All the while they are bent on carrying out their mission of obfuscation, spreading lies and stoking hatred.
That is my kind of Wabi-sabi, what are your thoughts?
=======
Mary do you remember there was a case of a DR. Fox (a luminary in the conservative party) who was arrested by the police over possession of cocaine, if I recollect correctly in Brighton?
BTW that is good detective work there Mary.
Good poem Mary…
Just caught this yesterday. Guess I should set up a fb account to share, but nobody around here with a fb account gives a shit. To busy being insecure etc…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc_dOEkw5Gs
They don’t want to know. Maybe it’s to much for some peoples weak identity to accept others may understand things they don’t. Fucking nanny state. Feeding them there own subjugation. Caged tame animals. *sigh* must maintain the ‘British way of life’ I guess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wohEV97sxqg
Habbabkuk – were your questions in good faith, you might have answers. They are themselves interesting questions. But perhaps people are getting (slightly) better at ignoring your frequent provocations? (Aside: I should be most pleased if my remark does not cause a barrage of fresh commentary from all an sundry).
In other, more important, news – we have the Labour leadership contest results about to be announced. A few folks hereabouts have suggested that there should be a purge of the Right wing of the party, and it turns out this has been entertained at a national level already – I did not know this:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/06/tom-watson-corbyn-supporters-mandatory-reselection
Corbyn and Watson (likely winners, if we believe polls these days) are both opposed to the idea, which I think is probably a good thing. As I’ve said on other threads, purges can end up backfiring on the party.
Fedup Thank You… I remain Sickened…
I can see where you are the With Wabi-Sabi…but it’s Strictly a Natural world Concept….Regards Non Human Solid Objects ..Decaying..Rotting, Rusting Away.. Some of my Best work is not Haiku..But 2/ 3 pages Long Poetry…
But Families… Children In the Corner of a room… Peeing Their Pants at the sound of approaching NATO WAR Planes…A Fact Reduced to
compassionpositioning
Rising Tides: Facing the Challenges of a New Era by Liam Fox (2013, 2014 Heron books)
Introduction (abridged & summarised by me)
I have been able to call on the experiences of a number of those who have been in the hot seat and taken some of these decisions[involvement with the outside world] in real life.
John Major (Bosnia & Northern Ireland)
Tony Blair (Middle East)
Malcolm Rifkind (Historical Knowledge)
Condoleezza Rice (conflicts within Islam)
Bob Gates (International security)
Donald Rumsfeld (known unknowns)
Prince Salman of Bahrain (Gulf English language)
Says it all really…
@Mark Golding
6 Sep, 2015 – 11:39 pm
8) Iran has the largest natural gas reserves in the world, and, I believe, the fourth largest oil reserves.
Life is certainly good for Habba & Co.
A long weekend away results in another ironically named Post from Craig, plus another riveting non-post, but leaving that aside for the moment, having just had the misfortune to speed read through the comments here; the juvenile, brain-dead, and ugly comments left by the resident trolls, at least highlight once again the obscene nature of their mindset; with such disturbed mentalities I don’t think any of them are actually capable of any real human empathy whatsoever, and of course equally none of them will be able to relate or even understand that this was written for them;
https://sturdyblog.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/something-serious-has-happened-but-you-dont-know-it-yet/
@Ishmael, welcome back, nice to see you here again.
Laugh all you wish Mr Goss – it still doesn’t disguise the fact that your fundamental dishonesty has been exposed once again, it fact it just highlights the fact.
All the supporters of Assad here perhaps should reflect that the poor man whose wife and children who were washed up on the shore in Turkey fled Syria as a result of his house having been bombed by their hero.
The Sun has one of the most disgusting front pages today in the same mould as Gotcha.
This is the online version.
Headline – Blitz ‘em to hell
EXCLUSIVE: Our boys await order to destroy IS in Syria
THE Sun today lays out the military options open to David Cameron for air strikes on Syria to ease the migrant crisis.
It comes after ex-top brass last night urged the PM to set a date for action.
Our Boys and Girls could strike a death blow to the heart of IS and relieve pressure on innocent civilians, if given the go-ahead by MPs.
Former head of the British Army Sir Mike Jackson was the first of many respected military figures to call for an extension of bombing into Syria to smash the terror state.
He said: “There is no logic in taking military action against IS in Iraq and not against it in Syria.
“They don’t recognise the border, so there’s no logic in it.
“If we are to do them real damage we have got to do better than we have been doing.
“It’s complicated but Syria really is the problem here.
“If you want to solve the migrant crisis then you have to solve Syria.”
Iraq war legend Colonel Tim Collins echoed Sir Mike’s view.
He said: “We need to bomb IS in Syria. Targeted attacks on the IS military structure will degrade them to the point where they crack and have to deal with us.”
He added: “Britain needs to show leadership. So far we have failed to show any kind of leadership either militarily or diplomatically.
“And that is the key, not only using our military might but also our diplomatic skills.
“Europe will not move without Britain so we need to show an example to them too.
“That’s when you show diplomatic skills, separating out those who can be our allies in the region.
SAS legend and Sun Security Adviser Andy McNab warned: “The price of doing nothing is that this crisis will just escalate.
“We can do more and we should do more. We missed the boat on the last vote and now we need to get on with it.”
Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said Britain should “crush” IS with air strikes in Syria.
The retired bishop, 79, who was head of the Church of England from 1991 to 2002, said it would help create “safe enclaves” within the war-torn country.
He said: “It’s not enough to send aid to refugee camps in the Middle East.
“There must be renewed military and diplomatic efforts to crush the twin menaces of IS and al-Qaeda once and for all.”
The RAF has been taking part in a bombing campaign against IS in neighbouring Iraq. But it has not joined attacks on Syria because MPs voted against military action there two years ago.
Chancellor George Osborne yesterday suggested the Government may call a new vote authorising military strikes in Syria.
If the order was given, Astute-class attack submarines using Tomahawk missiles could wipe out IS HQs in the city of Raqqah.
This could be followed by precision bombing strikes involving RAF Tornado jets.
The RAF’s fleet of fearsome Reaper drones could also have their mission extended into Syria.
Armed with Hellfire missiles they can destroy armoured vehicles and teams of IS fighters from a height of thousands of feet.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR CAMPAIGN
The US is already bombing IS targets in Syria but more firepower from Britain could tip the balance. With IS fighters having nowhere to hide, the Peshmerga, being trained by the British Army in infantry skills, could sweep in.
Ending the bloodshed and restoring peace would help slow the mass exodus.
Action must be taken in lawless Libya too where some 500,000 refugees are massed to make the life-or-death voyage to Europe.
/..
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/6626148/Our-boys-await-order-to-attack-IS-in-Syria.html
~~~~~
It goes on, interspersed with photos of Jackson, Osborne, a Reaper drone, a Tornado jet, an Astute class sub. Truly dreadful war mongering.
Jon
“Habbabkuk – were your questions in good faith, you might have answers. They are themselves interesting questions. But perhaps people are getting (slightly) better at ignoring your frequent provocations?
_________________
Why do you bother to cook up feeble excuses for why the Eminences don’t answer?
The real reason they don’t is because they can’t – or rather, they can’t without exposing the hollowness, hypocrisy and absurdity of their “positions”.
My two questions on Syria/Egypt being a perfect example.
Macky
“A long weekend away results in another ironically named Post from Craig, plus another riveting non-post,…etc. etc..(follows another paragraph-long sentence a la Bernard Levin but less elegant)”
____________________
The above seems to imply that Craig posted new threads as a result of you going off on a long weekend.
I would suggest that is extremely unlikely.
Of course, you might just have been expressing yourself clumsily, which is understandable as you posted after one o’clock in the morning and must have been quite tired. But thanks nevertheless for making the effort to post on a blog which you so dislike.
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.
——————————————————————
So I took a look at Noddy’s comment. Not having boarded at Blyton perhaps I have missed something, and perhaps others here can help me out, but I cannot for the life of me find an answer to whether Noddy is one of those few who does not think Netanyahu is a war-criminal. Is it cryptic?
You will find my answer in my post of yesterday at 21h30.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/09/selective-demonisation/#comment-548152
Are you one of the few who does not think Netanyahu is a war criminal?
Yes, or no.
I am going to work on the theory that Habbabkuk does not believe that the slaughter of 2000 plus people (including shildren), the bombing to oblivion of their houses leaving them homeless, the stealing of their land, the poisoning of their drinking water and prohibition of their fishing rights does not amount to a war crime, though he has not specifically said so.
“Absolutely right, Mr Goss. Just replace the word “few” by “many” and you’d be even more spot on.”
This kind of answer can be replaced later with a qualifying statement questioning whether a reader understands sarcasm, humour or irony. A straight Yes or No leaves us in no doubt. So can you Habbabkuk answer the question please? Thank you.
Fujisan
““Colonel” Khaddafi was only the last in quite a long line. One can only hope that Assad Junior’s end will be as unpleasant.”
The worst post I Ever Read on this Blog… Horrendous…Fucking Sicko.”
__________________
Save your spurious outrage for the many victims of “Colonel” Khaddafi – any Libyan opposition, Irish and British people blown up by IRA bombs using Khaddafi-supplied Semtex, Ugandans killed by the Khaddafi-financed Amin dictatorship…..
It is fitting that the “Colonel” should have died as horrible a death as he visited on so many others.
And now fuck off, you horrible hypocrite.
Let me tell Lord Carey (no pun intended) if Britain bombs Syria without UN approval on the false pretext of combating a terrorist entity initially created by the Western alliance, we move from a bound state where the Syrian army is fighting terrorism in it’s first duty to protect to the higher energy level of international crisis and the very real impetus towards world conflict and holocaust.
This must be the Grand Game, A LAST DITCH ATTEMPT to wrench power and bounty back into Western union at the shocking and’aweful’ consequence of a million souls whose time has ceased.
That is the reality Lord Carey and that truth & sensibility is already planted in the minds of intelligent, sensitive and tuned in public, communities and nations.
Lord Carey you are a presumptive, adulterated bastard willing to sacrifice the innocent for your monstrous be-all & end-all annihilation.
I and us will stop you and the hidden peerage that pulls the government strings.
Resident Dissident I do not support Assad anymore than I support Cameron. I do not believe that NATO countries have the right to intervene in the affairs of other countries for reasons of creating a more pliable government. Bombing is not the way. It will create more refugees and a bigger crisis.
Mary, quite right about The Sun headline. Reminds me of “Gotcha!” when the General Belgrano was sunk. War is evil. War criminals should be arrested.
Mr Goss
Stop being clever-clever and pretending you didn’t understand my answer.
To put it into plain English which even an unreformed old Stalinist like yourself can understand:
1/.I do not believe that Netanyahu is a war criminal
2/. There are many (not few) who share my belief that Netanyahu is not a war criminal.
+++++++++++++++++++++
PS – how’s your “petition” doing? Has the govt responded yet? :0
Suhayl Saadi
6 Sep, 2015 – 8:08 am
“Israel was a state founded by refugees, fleeing persecution largely in Europe. So, when will Israel step up to the plate?”
……………………………………………………………….
A slight correction needed Suhayl.
Israel was founded via Jewish-Zionist terror. The bombing of the King David Hotel is but one example from thousands of other atrocities carried out by “God’s chosen.”
Mr Goss
“Resident Dissident I do not support Assad anymore than I support Cameron.”
_________________
I cannot for the life of me interpret the above as even an indirect answer to the two questions I put yesterday evening.
Now that I’ve answered your question, Mr Goss, perhaps you’d have a go at answering mine please, thank you.
+++++++++++++
BREAKING NEWS – I just saw a pig flying past my window!!
NATO vs Gaddafi Genocides…. it’s a hard one that…
At least i wouldn’t wish it on someone …you are an evil wee swine Habbabkuk
Such a wee Cry baby aint ya..Has your controller(s) Run off on you –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O5zgXeCynQ
The State of Israel – a land in which immigrants fleeing from persecution in Europe made the desert bloom – has been and is still surrounded by beastly, corrupt and murderous dicatorships, autocracies and terror organisations.
The said beastly, corrupt and murderous dictatorships, autocracies and terrorist organisations have, over the decades, caused the death of countless tens, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of (usually their own)people.
As such, they have obviously earned the support of the fascists on this blog.
For supporters of war-criminals. A picture speaks a thousand words.
https://www.facebook.com/inmindscom/photos/a.365131370239165.86577.365007213584914/882204321865198/?type=1&fref=nf
So Habbabkuk now we know you support war criminals we know where we stand. I once asked you whether you supported torture and after a long time, months in fact, you said no. I see you believe in bombing people to death, bombing them out of their homes, that you believe in bombing and poisoning drinking water supplies and that you believe war-criminals have the right to do this (that’s a decent person’s understanding of war-criminal but I accept you do not agree). When people are bombed and maimed it is torture for them and for their families who witness the suffering of their loved ones.
You however do not believe in torture.