I think you can measure the death of democracy by the sheer audacity of the propaganda that government can get away with. Michael Fallon today on the Marr programme churned out the “70,000 moderate rebels” lie with a smooth bland face, and mentioned only the Free Syrian Army when pressed on who they were exactly. This is dishonesty on an epic scale.
But the really breathtaking one was to follow. Fallon claimed that the UK had killed hundreds of ISIL militants by bombing in Iraq and caused not one single civilian casualty. This risible claim had appeared in the Daily Mail last week, which is to be expected. But that a government minister can state such an absolutely ludicrous lie before a major BBC journalist without being seriously pushed on the matter, really does say a great deal about what kind of “democracy” the UK now is.
As does the fact that a substantial number of MPs of the official “opposition” have spent the weekend actively colluding with government ministers to forward the government’s militarist agenda.
I am proud to say that Scotland seems largely immune from the prevalent jingoism. The idea that bombing Raqqa will prevent terrorist attacks in Europe is plainly so nonsensical, that it is hard to know whether people like Fallon have actually managed to convince themselves of it or not. What this all will do, of course, is reinforce the military/security state that the UK has become.
I have no doubt that the Iraq War was one factor in making the people of Scotland realise that the UK is not an entity that matches their aspirations for the way a state should behave. Splitting the UK is a process. This incomprehensible Westminster bloodlust for bombing will drive the division wider. As will the whole ambience of the Etonian government and the peculiar social behaviour of its inner group, as even our coy media is hinting at in its coverage of the Shapps/Clarke group.
I can sense Independence coming close with every new morning.
“If you don’t do what you are told – you will be sacked.”
Yup.
Great way of getting rid of the nuLab leftovers as well.
What’s he got to lose.
Let them crawl off to their corporate sinecures, and good riddance!
“He’s the boss. Democratically elected by a huge majority.”
I don’t think you’ve quite grasped the concept of democracy here.
Democracy is about freedom and equality of the people. When the Labour party elects a leader they elect a figurehead, a spokesman, not a “boss”.
well said Hieroglyph. If Labour’s cabinet cannot be seen to be united, with that much new support behind them, they are more damaging than helping.
What are all these new eager young supporters think hearing the likes of Chukka scream for violence? the man seems to be a City tart;
off course Corbyn should enforce a 3 line whip on this ultra important issue, screw Falconer who has always raised resignation as a blackmail for his demands, he’s a classical backstabber for the establishment.
And anybody too hooked on ‘recreational bombing’, thats all it does amount to, can go and cause a by-election, why don’t they?
“This kind of stuff tells you all you need to know regarding the contempt in which the general population is held.”
The general population has always been held in contempt.
For the prime funder, it’s a curious position.
They who pay, have little say.
How’d that happen.
Herbie.
True –
“The general population has always been held in contempt.”
And Mass Hypnosis, Builds Armies Along with the Extreme Media…And the self same Exreme media creates Wars. like the bbC, Scy.Fux n the rest of em
Fred @ 00:11: Excellent point. You’re starting to talk sense in recent days. Some change in circumstances …?
I read Globalistan by Pepe Escobar when it was incredibly hot in Greece in 2007
Pepe Escobar is one of the most brilliant authors I have ever read.
Pepe Escobar has just been fired by The Asia Times.
It must be something he said.
Top Man.
http://thesaker.is/silk-roads-night-trains-and-the-third-industrial-revolution-in-china-by-pepe-escobar/
Tony
I’m not sure about all the ‘learned writers’. I think British foreign policy could be summed-up by this…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO5GWJJP3FM
Amazingly good tempered thread so far!
@Philw
30 Nov, 2015 – 1:04 am
Don’t hold your breath on that one.
The trolls have been remarkably quiet this evening.
The GCHG psychos will no doubt come up with something tomorrow to keep us all entertained.
Have I mentioned that the GCHG psychos are all sucking on the teat of tax payer’s money?
Where’s Habba when you need him…
Ahh Lovely tale Tony… Great stuff.
The US could not find 70 “moderates” to undergo training in Turkey, but 70k or not, the question still remains, how are they going to spin the ISIL bombing mission into a diametrically opposite “kill assad” one, like Foghs infamous Libya civilian UNSC no-fly-zone that quickly turned into a bomb gaddafy mission – with Putin left complaining “who gave them the right to kill gaddafy?”.
Somebody needs to remind mendelsons labour puppets that just the INCREASE in Labour Party Membership after JC election is more the ENTIRE torah party membership !! DESELECTION NOW !
Police or military? Democracy Hollande style. Cockroaches.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6984880-3×2-700×467.jpg
I saw footage of a group of these operatives slamming a black man up against a van. His crime? Protesting, described by Hollande as ‘scandalous’, in the place allocated by Hollande as a memorial to le 13 Novembre terrorism.
Paris climate talks: French protests turn violent as world leaders gather for key climate change talks
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-30/protesters-form-human-chain-in-paris-ahead-of-un-climate-talks/6984714
Earlier we were shown footage (again) of Obomber running down the steps of Air Force One, as if to prove he’s fit and up for some more war. On arrival he went with Msr Hollande and Mme Hidalgo to lay single white roses at the Bataclan site. Most touching!
Paris attacks: Obama pays respects at Bataclan theatre
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34960730
PS Are we not thoroughly sick of this endless parade of ‘world leaders’ assembling in one capital or another? The obvious propaganda is sickening.
AWW Fair Maiden Sinead..
Looks like she will be fine –
Irish police confirmed that they found the singer “safe and sound” on Sunday and that she is receiving medical assistance.
Wee, Huge Soul.. One of the Real Conscientious Stars whom illuminated our worlds..That voice Too
An Emotional Rendition of Pink Floyd’s ‘ Mother ‘ –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ua9s8UZD-8
Bless the Clowns –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ATemRv60-Y
Andy Murray has already refused a knighthood, after the Olympics.
He makes money by being British but is still true to his roots. He is an international sportsman. 2nd in the world out of 7Billion is some achievement. Andy Murray for President or will it be Salmond. Can’t wait. YES/YES. SNP/Tommy
We live on this planet in confusion constantly making ‘choices’. Whereas to be connected to Universal Intelligence we need to be in clarity.
Organised religions have been the bane of mankind and have created/resulted in a brutal world. At first it was Christianity’s turn and millions of people were killed in its name. Now its Islam’s turn and it is struggling to come into the 21st centuray.
Until we reject all these organised religions, there will be no Peace on Earth.
Do what you will bomb or not bomb.
Each one of us can make a difference. We are medieval man but there is a tipping point collectively, and you can’t reach it by analysis; only insight and true awakening of intelligence.
http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/krishnamurti-teachings/view-text.php?tid=1644&chid=1339&w=un
“Of course, war and the large military establishments are the greatest sources of violence in the world. Whether their purpose is defensive or offensive, these vast powerful organizations exist solely to kill human beings. We should think carefully about the reality of war. Most of us have been conditioned to regard military combat as exciting and glamorous – an opportunity for men to prove their competence and courage. Since armies are legal, we feel that war is acceptable; in general, nobody feels that war is criminal or that accepting it is criminal attitude. In fact, we have been brainwashed. War is neither glamorous nor attractive. It is monstrous. Its very nature is one of tragedy and suffering.
War is like a fire in the human community, one whose fuel is living beings. I find this analogy especially appropriate and useful. Modern warfare waged primarily with different forms of fire, but we are so conditioned to see it as thrilling that we talk about this or that marvelous weapon as a remarkable piece of technology without remembering that, if it is actually used, it will burn living people. War also strongly resembles a fire in the way it spreads. If one area gets weak, the commanding officer sends in reinforcements. This is throwing live people onto a fire. But because we have been brainwashed to think this way, we do not consider the suffering of individual soldiers. No soldiers want to be wounded or die. None of his loved ones wants any harm to come to him. If one soldier is killed, or maimed for life, at least another five or ten people – his relatives and friends – suffer as well. We should all be horrified by the extent of this tragedy, but we are too confused.
Frankly as a child, I too was attracted to the military. Their uniform looked so smart and beautiful. But that is exactly how the seduction begins. Children starts playing games that will one day lead them in trouble. There are plenty of exciting games to play and costumes to wear other than those based on the killing of human beings. Again, if we as adults were not so fascinated by war, we would clearly see that to allow our children to become habituated to war games is extremely unfortunate. Some former soldiers have told me that when they shot their first person they felt uncomfortable but as they continued to kill it began to feel quite normal. In time, we can get used to anything.”
Dali Lama…Full Text –
http://www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/the-reality-of-war
Nobel Peace Laureate (Obomber) receives gifts from Head of UN Human Rights Council (former King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia)
No irony.
‘The former Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and other top officials showered the Obama family with more than $1.3 million in gifts throughout 2014, according to the US State Department.
In its annual accounting report released this week, the State Department revealed that on January 14, 2014, the American president received a “gold and silver men’s wristwatch with leather band,” valued at $18,400.
The monarch gave Obama another “white gold men’s wristwatch with leather band,” in April with a price tag of $67,000.
The president received a “48-inch gold-plated brass replica of the Mecca Clock Tower on marble base” in March with an estimated price of $57,000 – roughly matching the annual income of a median American family.
On January 14, 2014, King Abdullah, who died earlier this year at the age of 90, gave Obama’s wife a “diamond and emerald jewelry set including necklace, earrings, ring and bracelet,” costing $560,000.
The first lady received another exquisite set of the same gifts which was worth a tad higher at around $570,000.
King Abdullah did not forget Obama’s daughters, sending them a “diamond and emerald jewelry set including earrings, necklace, ring, brooch, and wristwatch,” along with a “Diamond and ruby jewelry set including earrings, necklace, ring, brooch, and wristwatch,” priced $80,000.’
Obama accepted $1.3mn in gifts from Saudis in 2014: Report
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/29/439635/Obama-Gifts-Saudi-King-Abdullah-Michelle
What was that about not laying treasures up on earth?
Alcyone..
nice sentiments..
i cant agree with the last Paragraph though..
Because it seems that No Longer can an Individual make a difference to the evil monsters that rule over us.. A million of us on the streets???
the Elite ocean washes over us… we are wee puddles in the rain…
Oor independence would at least be a Just Step…
Blair’s brother is a High Court judge. He has just been given a leg up.
‘Since he was forced out of Downing Street, Tony ‘moneybags’ Blair has amassed a fortune of £100 million and acquired a reputation for hobnobbing with the rich and famous.
The high-flying career of his elder brother, Sir William Blair QC, by contrast has been marked with more dignity and restraint.
High Court judge Sir William, 65, was, I learn, promoted this week to Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court.
Sir William was always regarded by friends as ‘the proper lawyer’ in the Blair family, unlike Tony, who is three years his junior.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3334437/SEBASTIAN-SHAKESPEARE-Tony-Blair-s-brother-wins-legal-job-sorry-Cherie.html
Let’s bomb Syria (£1m per Paveway ‘mission’?) whilst the poor and ill can’t afford to travel for Christmas with their families.
Thousands of cancer patients ‘too poor to celebrate Christmas’
The survey by Macmillan found people with cancer have to miss out on family events because of monetary worries
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/30/thousands-of-cancer-patients-too-poor-to-celebrate-christmas
‘Thousands of people with cancer will feel “cold and lonely” this Christmas because they do not have enough money to celebrate or heat their homes, a charity has said.
Almost 170,000 people in the UK with cancer are unable to join in special family events such as Christmas due to a lack of cash, according to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Its survey of almost 1,000 people living with cancer found 9% had to miss out on visiting family and friends because they could not afford it.
Other research of more than 1,600 people who have been in touch with Macmillan found 28% were unable to adequately heat their home in winter due to money worries.
The charity has previously found 83% people with cancer are on average £570 a month worse off as a result of their diagnosis.’
I listened to Sanchia Berg this morning on the Radio 4 Today program, aggressively threatening Diane Abbott with the consequences of not coming to the zionist heel on UK bombing Syria. She was trying to say you’ve got 2 choices 1/ force Corbyn to resign by breaking a party whip to oppose Cameron or 2/ force the New Labour party into ceasing to be an official government opposition by allowing a free vote.
Berg features in this study of bias and manipulation at the BBC:
http://bbcwatch.org/tag/sanchia-berg/
As to the bombing of Raqqa. Cameron has recruits from UK Muslims in Syria and Iraq. They have obviously had reassurances that the UK is not going to bomb them. If Russia bombs them that will feed anti-Russia feeling for USUKIS to utilise when they move Daesh on to attack Russia later.
The second he gets permission to bomb Syria from parliament Cameron will be bombing Damascus. Looks like he’s planning to get 2 regime changes in one. ( birds and stones best left to describe the Bullingdons ).
“Independence is a Process”
I feel a T shirt coming on, and can see new bill boards in the distance!
Was a time when lying to parliament was considered a major offence. Blair was totally unconvincing as a liar, but parliament was primed by Friends of Israel to swallow them hook line and sinker. Cameron is totally unconvincing as a liar but as Craig says he has the advantage of being groomed to lie by bullying at Eton.
Jeremy Corbyn has said no to lies. As Dianne Abbott stated this morning Corbyn’s position is the position of the people of the UK. We will not tolerate being lied to by the Friends of Israel. Just saying no is progress. His predecessor got kicked out for even daring to criticise Israel about Gaza. all Muslims know know that Al Qaida and IS are friends of Israel. We also say no to them and all the sleazy imams who sell their afterlives for a miserable gain by working for them.
Craig :
“I didn’t get where I am today by kowtowing to Friends of Israel.”
No, I didn’t get to where i am today by doing the same.
With regard to bomber Cameron’s rather unoriginal idea about taking out ISIS leadership.
Once I was listening to some discussion about the policy of killing senior members of terror outfits, The gist of the debate was that it was counter productive . The older commander would be killed, in his place a younger and more radical man would take his place.
He in turn would be even more violent and dangerous then the guy they got rid of in the first place. Perhaps the older guy would draw the line at the killing of children, the younger guy wouldn’t etc. So the cycle would not only continue but would get worse.
Daesh seem fulfill this concept. A generation born into war and conflict with the west, has mutated into such a savage death cult that they cannot even tolerate their own sub division of the faith (Shia muslims).
Even if they are defeated on the ground these people will not go away, they will melt into surrounding Sunni populations and conduct a guerrilla war from there on.
“Andy Murray has already refused a knighthood, after the Olympics.
He makes money by being British but is still true to his roots. He is an international sportsman. 2nd in the world out of 7Billion is some achievement. Andy Murray for President or will it be Salmond. Can’t wait. YES/YES. SNP/Tommy”
Andy Murray was awarded and accepted an OBE after the Olympics. He was recommended for a knighthood after he won Wimbledon but it would have broken protocol for someone to receive two honours in such a short time.
He lives in Surrey and trains in England, Scotland not having the world class facilities or coaches.
Have some Mark Twain circa 1904:
“Lust of conquest had long ago done its work; trampling upon the helpless abroad had taught [the country], by a natural process, to endure with apathy the like at home; multitudes who had applauded the crushing of other people’s liberties, lived to suffer for their mistake in their own persons. The government was irrevocably in the hands of the prodigiously rich and their hangers-on; the suffrage had become a mere machine, which they used as they chose. There was no principle but commercialism, no patriotism but of the pocket.”
Former CIA Deputy Director Gives A Stunning Reason Why Obama Has Not Attacked ISIS’ Oil Infrastructure.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=14e_1448865410#PZW8z3d5vTMBbIP2.99