The dreadfully stultified pageantry of the British state has been on full display the last couple of days, all mouldy ermine, fraying gold braid and musty velvet. But forms which evolved as a vibrant display of Imperial might have transmuted into rituals of obeisance, as the nonogenerian Prince Philip stumbles behind the Chinese President along lines of men wearing decaying bears on their heads. The sickness of Britain’s monarchical system was never more bluntly revealed than by the rictus grins of the aristocratic clowns balancing their tiaras at the state banquet.
The Chinese are the imperial masters now. Cameron begs them to build a nuclear power station for which the British state guarantees it will pay double the market price for electricity produced, for twenty years. And a government which has just announced the extension of thought crime to the expression of non-violent or anti-violent thought deemed “extreme”, has no locus to talk about human rights, a concept at least as alien to Teresa May as it is to the Chinese Communist Party. Britain has its own war criminals like Blair and Straw running around, immune and very wealthy.
The British state is an immoral entity which I view with disgust. That is what drives for me the imperative to early Scottish Independence to be rid of it. Every day as a British citizen is like bathing in sewage.
Fred : £90 per MWh for 35 years sounds like a damn good deal to me
I wonder if the people of Fukushima Prefecture would agree with you.
China’s poodle? The Chinese are building vast aircraft carriers whilst we are cutting back on conventional defence and lack the ability to launch our aircraft from ships, instead spending £100 billion on Trident. China wants to rule the seas (with Brittania now piggy-backing on her shoulder).
Fred wrote:
My question would be, are the corporate ‘global’ forces taking orders from or giving orders to Brussels? From the article quoted below it looks more like Brussels is bending over backwards, forwards and sideways to alter or ignore their own regs and standards to suit the will of corporate global forces rather than vice versa. In any case, I would say it is rather naive to believe that the EU is going to remain independent or stand in the way of the oncoming world-wide corporatocracy. Rule by corporations – it’s well on the way, so peasants, serfs and useless eater one and all get used to it.
“I wonder if the people of Fukushima Prefecture would agree with you.”
I was hearing on the news yesterday that Fukushima has claimed it’s first life.
Way to go to catch up with Aberfan.
Fred, 11:20 am:
We need continent-scale electricity grids, but that requires political cooperation rather than competition.
We can’t keep building nuke stations; they become lethal if economic conditions cause them to be left unattended. Nuke stations are only safe if we can guarantee that our civilisation will last ten times longer than any other ever has.
Craig, in just three brief paragraphs you pack it all in there!
I’m sure you’ll get an invite to the next state banquet.
Sorry, Sixer. Wasn’t aiming at you.
For me the Huff post comedy pages have it down to a T. Enjoy the video.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/10/20/uk-flash-sale_n_8340696.html?1445373427
I agree with Clark, nuclear power has too many dangerous legacies to leave for others and it is a technology who’s worst scenario, a runaway process of sorts, can not be controlled.
“We need continent-scale electricity grids, but that requires political cooperation rather than competition.”
They are working towards it, we have HVDC to France and Netherlands and we’re working on Norway and Iceland.
“We can’t keep building nuke stations; they become lethal if economic conditions cause them to be left unattended. Nuke stations are only safe if we can guarantee that our civilisation will last ten times longer than any other ever has.”
People want central heating, washing machines, tumble dryers, hot water that comes out of taps. They will be wanting electric cars. What do you suggest? How the hell are we going to provide them when the coal fired plants close down? What else can we do?
Great ad, Nevermind. And don’t forget, Britain leads the world in hardworking bitches…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/investigations/11764487/Tony-Blair-given-sensitive-Foreign-Office-papers-before-business-trips-to-China.html
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/947689.shtml
Coincidence or what?
I’ve got too many other things on the go today to get into nuclear energy. However, I’ll chuck this into the mix…
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/319053-fukushima-fallout-radioactive-japan/
An extremely rare occasion when a high profile person tells it as it really is!
(although it’s too late now for the Pacific Ocean)
Thanks for that news Silvio, its interesting that TTIP has been kept below the radar by Stasi like measures within the EU. MEP’s are ushered into dark rooms with a pen and paper that does not allow copying, they are told to sign a secret agreement not to divulge anything they read, or…..
Admittedly, Stuart Agnew, UKIP MEP for North Norfolk and farmer who is partial to a bit of subsidy, should have been kept in that room for some time, enough for him to contemplate as to why his party have not aligned themselves with anti TTIP groups and parties in the EU.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/ukip_euro_mp_claims_he_was_led_into_a_windowless_cell_and_threatened_with_a_fine_amid_gag_on_disclosure_of_ttip_agreement_1_4276418
Fred, if we stuck just a thousand quid solar panel on the roof of every dwelling in Britain we’d halve the load on the national grid.
You’re either working for ‘them’ or you’ve bought into the propaganda.
“I am wondering if the extended discussion on Mandarin etymology and inflexion might not conceal a desire on the part of its participants to evade the issue.”
No, You seem rather like poor man’s Robespierre in Buchner’s “Danton’s Death”; you live in hope that our thoughts spy on us. I have some news for you, they don’t. Here is the difference. If I think I have something to contribute and that seems grounded in evidence I will comment. If not, I don’t. You should try it some time.
“People want central heating, washing machines, tumble dryers, hot water that comes out of taps. They will be wanting electric cars. What do you suggest? How the hell are we going to provide them when the coal fired plants close down? What else can we do?”
You sound almost helpless there in your last sentence, whichever Fred, poor consumers must have their electricity, how are they going to get it without nuclear power diddums.
How about some cheap concentrated solar power plants in the Magreb countries supplying Europe as well as themselves?
How about the abilities of us developing apes to innovate and use the latent energies that are within the wind, waves and sea currents.
When you look out at sea, fred, you’re unaware of the fish within, and you can’t see the amount of energy that is scouring the UK’s east coast from top to bottom? the energy that is flowing in and out of the Wash, the Severn estuary, the Blackwater estuary,etc. etc.
Energy has to be privatised, the more generators, small or large scale, the more grid safety. A majority of citizens, now there is a goal for subject to aim for, within Communities should be able to club together and buy their own generators, especially if they live near the coast.
There is a plethora of non lethal options for us to consider and our offspring not to worry about, so be a little more positive Fred, it would lighten up your day.
IO don’t have a tumble dryer, dishwasher or electric car, should I now worry about the energy it takes for me to write this missive?
No, You seem rather like poor man’s Robespierre in Buchner’s “Danton’s Death”; you live in hope that our thoughts spy on us.
I can only defer to your visibly superior pomposity and faux-erudition. However, the origins of kowtow were hardly the point of the original post. I have never read and will probably never read anything by Buchner. Is he the one who invented a filter funnel?
What is your opinion, great one, on the crawling subservience of our elected leaders to a regime promising to destroy our economy and replace it with its own?
That, by contrast, would interest me. Possibly.
One of Craig’s posts that I completely fail to understand or agree with.
1. I just cannot understand this emotional hostility to the Royal Family and the institution of royalty in general. In a practical sense, our mixed constitution has generally proved reliable and flexible – I go along with Burke about this, although if he were alive today I think Burke’s main criticism would be that the monarch has far too little power to balance the constitution. The Queen, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles certainly seem to have thrown themselves into their roles and duties with complete commitment, even though it meant more or less foregoing any chance of living a normal life as most of us can. Their sense of duty and obligation to the nation cannot be matched by any elected politician that I know of.
2. Why complain that the British establishment is making up to China? China is the most populous nation in the world, and is just becoming the biggest economy. It is by far the oldest state and civilization in the world, and invented everything necessary for civilization hundreds (if not thousands) of years before our ancestors did. Scientific studies strongly suggest that the average Chinese person is significantly more intelligent than the average “white” person. And we could learn a great deal, to our advantage and everyone else’s, from Chinese politeness, discretion, thoughtfulness, and patience.
Why would interesting you, interest me?
That is what drives for me the imperative to early Scottish Independence to be rid of it. Every day as a British citizen is like bathing in sewage.
One reason that I comment here is related to the (first) Scottish Independence vote. I was actually neutral throughout the vote – but I could see the internet being heavily manipulated as part of project fear.
hence my desire to mention this particular Zimbabwean style UK sewage bathing during the campaign.
When I tried to comment during the run-up to voting, about the actual abuse, online on Guardian.com and Telegraph.co.uk etc., I was always blocked from logging-in. My passwords were invalid, my user credentials not working. Any attempt I made to request a new user-ID was never completed or the registration was completed but the confirmation click-link email was never delivered, either to my corporate address or to the many backups.
We not only have a bankrupt country, (no reconnaissance planes to protect us from the Polar Bear), we’ve sold our future energy infrastructure to soon to be Fascist France & Communist China, and we have our rampant Security Services shovelling shit wherever/whenever they feel like.
Of course, the ‘Master the internet’ package that was used/abused before by GCHQ et al. will soon be legalised [1,2] – but it’s still subverting the people.
Oh, I bypassed the internet reset packages/deleted e-mails by simply writing factual real-world letters to many Scottish acquaintances, with a stamp on. They got through.
1 = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3084535/UK-Government-quietly-rewrites-law-GCHQ-British-spy-agencies-avoid-prosecution-hacking-computers.html
2 = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3282596/New-laws-let-spies-hack-phones-computers.html [accessed 11:41 GMT, 21 October 2015]
Why would interesting you, interest me?
If you were interesting, you would have a reason for existence.
I rest my case.
[ Mod note: Caught in spam-filter, timestamp updated ]
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Things aren’t *that* bad, Craig. I don’t like the British state with its monarchy & House of Lords either, but it isn’t like “bathing in sewage”. Living standards here are still higher in the UK than in many parts of the globe.
Looks like Hilton agrees with Craig. Is this a first?
http://uk.thetodaypost.com/steve-hilton-camerons-ex-strategy-director-tears-apart-national-humiliation-of-china-state-visit-10282
Ba’al Zevul
“Chinese practices to compete” is ALSO working 16 hours per day with little breaks and coming back home (even this is not the case as majority of factories provide dormitories) to sleep ONLY.
China has working age population 40% more than total EU population and it has way to go. If it wants it will win in all forms of commercial competition except hi tech where China is still behind the west. But they are investing hundreds of millions in overseas education and large bulk of Chinese students are returning to work in China.
China today is like Britain in 18 century ONLY 20 times bigger. My projection is that in 10 years time China will dominate East and South East Asia not only economically (as it is the case now) but also politically. It will then (in 20 -30 years) move to north (Far East) the west (Siberia and Central Asia) in need of mineral recourses.
Fortunately for Europeans Russia will still be a nation (although its borders will be significantly reduced), so China will stop its expansion somewhere close to Urals.
If one thinks it will be nuclear war, one is wrong. One needs to go to Khabarovsk to see how Chinese expansion works with not a single bullet fired. Russia has less than 15 million living in Far East and less then 30 million east of Urals. Chinese expansion is a matter of time and not principal.
Humiliation aside, missing on Chinese money would be stupid. With EU in financial and economic trouble (Germany and France are sending their beggars to Beijing shortly), with Russian economy sliding down and middle east proved to be secure only as long as oil is over 100 USD, China seems to be the most stable economy as its economy is one of the most diversified in the world. Look around you home, I bid you will find dozens of items made in China and more of it as China also exports materials (steal, chemical products, rare minerals).
UK’s humiliation is part of new era where ones’ economic needs is more important than ones’ principals. And to say it loud British principals were not high even at best times. have not we supported dictators around the world back when we could kick them out? How can we not do so now, when we are in deep trouble?
Good post from Craig. Any idea why P Charles and consort missed the dinner?
I thought Kate looked like a painted doll and very thin.
~~~
Liam. The people who literally bathe in sewage are the Palestinians in Gaza. Their situation will be even worse when el Sisi has finished flooding the tunnels (their lifelines) with sea water thus increasingly the salinity of the aquifer which is already threatened.
Egypt floods Gaza’s tunnels with seawater
Analysts have warned that Egypt flooding Gaza’s tunnels will have serious negative implications for the local environment http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-floods-gazas-tunnels-seawater-351883398
Terrible. The poor people.
The pomposity, of the ermine clad grandees,was there for all to see, as China’s president Jinping, strode along the red carpet laid out in his honour.
God only knows what he thought of this tiny island on the fringes of Europe, trying its utmost to seem important, and project a position of empirialistic power, that’s long since faded, that if they were alive today, Clive of India and Gordon of China/Africa, would have trouble recognising.
Jinping, must look at Britain and its subservience to the USA, Saudi Arabia and think to himself, surely this can’t be the country that once commanded the Ever Victorious Army, full of Chinese soldiers, and led by Gordon.
Britain’s House of Lords must surely be a laughing stock across the globe, second in size only to China’s it makes a mockery of the Westminster political system, jam packed with wealthy business men and women, and aristocrats who ooze, vainglory in copious amounts.
As for Hinckley Point power station it’s not popular, amongst other things.
Only 29% of the UK population support plans to go-ahead with a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.
Two of the world’s biggest rating agencies (Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s) have threatened rating downgrades for EdF – if Hinkley Point ever gets the green light. The inevitability of big cost overruns and delays on the project could only have significant ‘credit negative effects’.
Senior military and intelligence figures have warned ministers that plans to give China a big stake in Britain ‘s nuclear power industry pose a threat to national security.
The United States has publicly aired its worries over Britain ‘s increasing ties with China . The Japanese nuclear companies, Hitachi and Toshiba are understood to be furious that fast-tracking an assessment for a Chinese reactor-type, as part of the Hinkley deal, could divert the resources of UK nuclear regulators.
Germany grants Chinese artist Ai Weiwei a three-year visa
3 hours ago
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chinese dissident artist and free-speech advocate Ai Weiwei has received a visa to stay in Germany for three years and will take up a teaching post at a Berlin university, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Ai was reunited with his son and partner in Berlin after Chinese authorities unexpectedly returned his passport in July. They had confiscated it four years ago after secretly detaining him for 81 days.
/..
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/germany-grants-chinese-artist-ai-weiwei-three-visa-095942772.html
Chinese pop is falling. ‘One child policy’. Now a surplus of males. It is to be changed to ‘two children policy’. If was left to choice, the population would fall. The underlying tread in world pop. Is down. It will peak and then fall. In more European countries (without immigration) the pop is falling. There are more obese people in the world than starving. It’s a question of distribution.
State embarrassment. The Tories are starving vulnerable people but having opulent dinners for the Chinese billionaires..
Clark; Have you heard of the secret meltdown of a California Nuke (santa susanna) in the late 50’s; never cleaned up. I believe it was a molten salt reactor. Even the ‘safe’ fuel can be screwed up by incompetence and poor oversight.