At 8.30pm tonight I am going to have a streamed live chat with Independence Live, on various subjects including of course Scottish Independence. It is interesting because they are setting it up using Blab, a programme which enables you to appear and join in the conversation. This is experimental for me. I believe that you may need a twitter account to sign in to blab and join in, but that you should be able just to watch on the Independence Live website without signing in. I am investigating if it will be possible to stream it on this site as well.
If we like the technology, I might use it to host a series of chats on this site, where I sit down with a whisky in hand and ruminate, and you can pop up and join in.
Join the Blab!
This is a livestream, Blab interview. If you would like to jump on and join the panel then follow the link below. You will need your Twitter login details to join panel, or you can just observe. https://blab.im/independence-live-craig-murray-interview
Re the Northern Lights, thank you Rob and Fred for addressing that. Quite revealing.
@Uphill,
I certainly don’t like the tone of your response and attacks. For your info I’ve lost the shirt off my back trying to put forward a message for meaningful change within finance and monetary policy, this is demonstrated by a quick check of Prof. Varoufakis;s own blog, whereby you’ll note an interview I conducted with him last January 2015 – I also worked extensively with Stuart Holland, but am not associated with Diem25.
However, just to reinforce the fact I’ve done my bit, here’s a link to something I used to do, but sadly run out of funds as don’t have a Soro’s backing me or the work undertaken for a decade:http://www.ascent-partners.com/ap_new/ckfind_image/files/Journal%20of%20Regulation%20%26%20Risk,%20North%20Asia%20-%20Summer%20Edition_FINAL_AP.pdf
And here’s the Yanis interview: https://www.scribd.com/doc/256237423/Journal-of-Regulation-Risk-North-Asia-Winter-2015
Obviously I do fuck all though!!!!!!!
Interesting Insights Here, On Economical Hit men = Carnage
” The next step in the deception is the appearance of the International Monetary Fund. The IMF tells the indebted country that the IMF will save its credit rating by lending the money with which to repay the country’s creditors. The IMF loan is not a form of aid. It merely replaces the country’s indebtedness to banks with indebtedness to the IMF.
To repay the IMF, the country has to accept an austerity plan and agree to sell national assets to private investors. Austerity means cuts in social pensions, social services, employment and wages, and the budget savings are used to repay the IMF. Privatization means selling oil, mineral and public infrastructure in order to repay the IMF. The deal usually imposes an agreement to vote with the US in the UN and to accept US military bases.”….
” Perkins’ book shows that the US is “exceptional” only in the unbridled violence it applies to others who get it its way. One of the new chapters tells the story of France-Albert Rene, president of Seychelles, who threatened to reveal the illegal and inhumane eviction of the residents of Diego Garcia by Britain and Washington so that the island could be converted into an air base from which Washington could bomb noncompliant countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Washington sent in a team of jackals to murder the president of Seychelles, but the assassins were foiled. All but one were captured, tried and sentenced to execution or prison, but a multi-million dollar bribe to Rene freed them. Rene got the message and became compliant….
” Correa had marked himself for overthrow or assassination. However, Washington had just overthrown in a military coup the democratically elected Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, whose policies favored the people of Honduras over those of foreign interests. Concerned that two military coups in succession against reformist presidents would be noticed, to get rid of Correa the CIA turned to the Ecuadoran police. Led by a graduate of Washington’s School of the Americas, the police moved to overthrow Correa but were overpowered by the Ecuadoran military. However, Correa got the message. He reversed his policies toward American oil companies and announced that he would auction off huge blocks of Eucador’s rain forests to the oil companies. He closed down, Fundacion Pachamama, an organization with which a reformed Perkins was associated that worked to preserve Ecuador’s rain forests and indigenous populations.
Western banks backed up by the World Bank are even worse looters than the oil and timber companies. Perkins writes: “Over the past three decades, sixty of the world’s poorest countries have paid $550 billion in principal and interest on loans of $540 billion, yet they still owe a whopping $523 billion on those same loans. The cost of servicing that debt is more than these countries spend on health or education and is twenty times the amount they receive annually in foreign aid. In addition, World Bank projects have brought untold suffering to some of the planet’s poorest people. In the past ten years alone, such projects have forced an estimated 3.4 million people out of their homes; the governments in these countries have beaten, tortured, and killed opponents of World Bank projects.”
More @
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/02/24/the-evil-empire-has-the-world-in-a-death-grip/
I know what Fred means Re expensive Cameras..Long exposure times Ect..But it also Depends where one is At
Check this kool video
Filmed in real time video (no time-lapse) in Full HD1080 during the night of the 8th of October of 2015 in Kvaloya, Tromsø
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV4oSsPNltU
“I certainly don’t like the tone of your response and attacks”
Chris, fair play for trying to address my issues in that post, the rest I bought up where relatively uncontested. In the context of the weight of issues I was illustrating it marks your ideas out as incoherent, highly dangerous.
So I see no reason to be nice, but i’ll certainly mark you know as one of the people endorsing this path.
And I think my point stands. Though I guess many can claim some kind of significance or popularity just going along with the disintegrating status quo, You still haven’t given me one single solid argument about how we might improve anything substantive. Just vague idealogical nationalist wishful thinking.
Ps, Unlike Yanis during his formal political career (I hear he’s in recovery now) I don’t (we don’t) have to be cordial. Let’s not worry about it.
but i’ll certainly mark you now* as one of the people endorsing this path.
You don’t like my tone, I don’t like your “argument”. These things really effects peoples lives.
Not that I want to win some over, it’s not how things work, but i’m sure you’ll be happy to account for consequences? I think not somehow.
@Uphill,
You suggested in our exchanges that I’ve just sat back and done nothing as far as trying to get a public message over for change is concerned, and if you desire change its best to deal with our monetary and financial system first – which in a 10 year timeline I’ve actually done.
I also suggested to you I share more in common with Stuart Holland – the former Labour MP for Vauxhall – than I do with Prof. Varoufakis with regards Diem25 – I think he’s pissing in the wind and the EU is now beyond change in its current guise.
As stated, and having lost the shirt off my back, despite pushing boundaries as far as monetary policy are concerned and financial regulatory reform, I’m still a political animal and have never hidden my leftwing views from those I’ve associated with professionally in positions of import. Indeed, my professionalism always dictated I only ever offered an opinion if one was sought, or if it was published as opinion in publications I worked for – now, you can see what I do, you can access publications I’ve produced and note I work with all sides of the equation, but the fact remains one’s agenda was always meaningful change and the Greek debacle emphasised no change forthcoming, quite the reverse Greece is economically crippled and my heart bleeds for all economically distressed souls across the EU.
This is not ‘bait & switch’, my opinion is mine and clearly stated on these boards. And I’ll remind you it was you who gave this line: “Actually this is clearly YOUR position, And I don’t see Yanis doing nothing, never heard of you.”
But here’s the fact, Prof Varoufakis has access to funds and I don’t!!!!!!!!
Also, please read his last two books and not his pronouncements now via Diem25, both of which were clearly anti-EU and with good reason.
@Uphill,
If my opinion does not satisfy here, I’ve been on the Naked Capitalism boards and defended Varoufakis this evening, despite not sharing his optimistic opinion that the EU can change. As ever I post under my real name and don’t hide who I am.
What I also hate is people marking stuff as “controversial” with no actual logical coherent counter argument. What you mean is some people don’t like it.
No doubt many try to create some controversy to what he’s saying for there own ends. Yea, I find it intellectually dishonest, redundant. Mercenary journalists etc. All that stuff annoys me. That’s good.
Craig, given the extraordinary upheaval facing the Syrian people, it’ll be interesting to get your view on the massive displacement ongoing, inter-alia from an international law perspective.
Is there any hope of ‘leaders’ being held responsible and being brought to account? Or is that a naive question?
Chris Rogers
7 Mar, 2016 – 9:52 pm
Good for you. I don’t think it matters that much in this context. I’v no need or wish to promote myself, it’s ideas i’m interested in, Though I don’t really hide my identity.
I don’t think his view is very optimistic. But more so, or a dam sight better trying than the alternatives emerging.
“Also, please read his last two books and not his pronouncements now via Diem25, both of which were clearly anti-EU and with good reason.”
And pardon? maybe I should also read his school reports, maybe the really developed ideas are in them.
—————–?
No, I study history, art and art history, some marx, ect etc and life experience. Really, who do you think you are, take me for a fool. ?
@Uphill,
The only time the EU bureaucracy will change if it sees an existential threat to its existence, this from the Vice President of the European Central Bank, who’s been involved in the European project for a considerable length of time. If you believe the level of unemployment we have across the EU, and indeed among the Southern periphery of the Euro Zone is a price worth paying for alleged European solidarity I for one do not. The imposition of the Euro has been a disaster and is driving the EU apart, and the Tories response to Europe since May 2010 has been an utter joke with Cameron just looking after the City of London.
Now has the EU abandoned the ‘social’ element emphasised by the Delors Presidency, which I wholeheartedly supported?
In a nutshell events since the Euro crisis broke in 2010, combined with the neoliberal takeover of Brussels, epitomised by the economic orthodoxy it promotes and TTIP means I cannot vote to remain part of that cabal. Hence, my emphasis on sorting out issues in the UK first, if at all possible, and holding up said change as a beacon for others and offering meaningful support for others of a like mind – which I believe is an ‘internationalist’ perspective, one that espouse justice and a more egalitarian society.
Now, what am I not answering?
As for optimism, forget it, what’s to be optimistic about when we can’t get meaningful change within the EU, never mind change as far as our climate is concerned, which has to be global by its very nature. As ever, it’s the poor that will ultimately pay and that applies to the UK, EU and globally. Thankfully I’m part of the global poor, same as I’m part of the UK working class, or what remains of it after nearly 40 years of neoliberal economic and social destruction – which I’ve opposed all my adult life.
We artists, or artisans. We are like the janitors of this planet. Mix with all the social classes. The eyes and ears.
I’v studied in depth history since people where painting on walls. I tire if the snubbing smears I get from people who obviously see everything through narrow chinks of a cavern. That’s blake btw.
Also studied/practice/d taoism, philosophy, psychoanalysis, Christianity, Buddhism, Confucius, shamanic stuff, etc. Taught eastern physiotherapy healing art’s now endorsed by many doctors. Just as science is now catching up to taoist ideas.
It keeps me from boredom. Nothing stand out, yet somehow I can’t form a valid opinion without reading the old works of one person.
I think i’m quite polite actually.
@Uphill,
You may be better off reading some Veblen as opposed to Marx, who critiqued capitalism as undertaken in the USA in the early part of the 20th Century. Whilst Marx is of import, Veblen is more accessible, and indeed Prof. Varoufakis’s books on the EU are very accessible, but the fact remains the good Professor is wealthy enough to ride the tide, whilst those impacted greatly by the economic orthodoxy espoused by the Eurozone are not.
Political theory and history are fine, but we are living in the here and now and require quick answers to pressing issues. And these won’t come from the EU, which is part of the problem. Unless of course we ignore all actions taken by the Troika since 2009 starting in the Baltic States, which I certainly cannot.
“The only time the EU bureaucracy will change if it sees an existential threat to it’s existence”
ok i’v had enough. round and round we go. Keep asserting something totally incoherent to reality.
IT IS DISINTEGRATING.
“Hence, my emphasis on sorting out issues in the UK first”
God you never end do you. We’ve been over this. I’m board.
Like most of them, your not giving solutions, just dreams of solutions.
Idealogical religious doctrine. It will be better because (enter highly selected information here), Your worse then Craig.
See? Us humans are universally horrible. Useless.
Thank God we built all those nukes.
“the good Professor is wealthy enough to ride the tide”
As mush as it is a tide (I also hate people likening choices in constructed systems to the weather) he’s trying to stop it.
I honesty think you must be on acid or something, your the one saying sit on our hands.
Uphill, try ‘you’re’ or ‘you are’ next time. Not that difficult.
As much* as it is a tide
and that is not without significant effects, as Yanis laid out here
https://youtu.be/md6_WfF9Ky0
There is no neutral position on a moving bus.
Alcyone, Your not helping.
Let’s see if we can break the monotony.
Craig gets a mention in the introduction here:
http://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/thread/1457377252.html
I have yet to see the video of Robert Stuart’s presentation here, but the first few of minutes promise an intriguing, worthy quest. I shall be watching it in time.
PS RobG, can you help me with my IP address please?
I was very impressed by Varoufakis’s recent books The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy and Europe after the Minotaur: Greece and the Future of the Global Economy. I see he has more recent books out. Should I read them?
Not long to go. Best make what peace we can.
It takes 80 calories to melt one gram of ice.
Once it’s water, 80 calories raises its temperature by 80 degrees centigrade.
Once the ice caps have melted we all roast together, fast in geological terms, tortuously slowly in terms of individual struggle and suffering.
Better to be vaporised in a flash. The sooner we get it over with, the better the chances for the biosphere and further evolution.
Clark
To come on this blog, make up “facts” from random posts you make these generalizations out of. Then come back and complain about your depression?
Can you see the kind of masochistic behavior this is?
Should you be online? I have some sympathy but only to an extent. It’s starting to look like your looking for stuff, words on a screen of all things, to justify your feelings.
Uphill, I acknowledge your great superiority to myself and everyone else on this blog, and probably everyone everywhere. Will that do?
@Uphill,
Thank you for suggesting one’s on LSD, regrettably I’ve not had the pleasure of any illicit drugs whatsoever since I left the UK in 1996, but of course whilst at Uni I had a great time on acid, as in LSD and many a meaningful conversation/dialogue whilst under its influence – not a substance to do on your own I can assure you.
@Lysias,
Prof. Varoufakis has indeed some memorable books out and they are good critiques, however, and whilst I don’t oppose Diem25, I don’t think it will achieve its stated ambition based on the reality of what the EU is today. The work Yanis has done with Holland and Galbraith is worth checking out and Stuart Holland has a good book out that was published in late 2014 on Europe.
Also worth checking out Steve Keen from time to time, together with Ross Ashcroft who has some good posts on You Tube.
Also good to see you will vote Jill Stein in November, although not too sure if it’s a Stein vote if Sanders does not lead the Democrat ticket. Would be interesting if Sanders triumphs in the Primaries and appoints Stein as his running mate – a dream ticket in my opinion.