I very much hope that Helen Clark becomes the new UN Secretary-General. As Prime Minister of New Zealand, she showed enormous political courage in keeping New Zealand out of the Iraq war, despite immense pressure on her from the UK, US and Australia. This pressure included the threat that New Zealand would be excluded from the intelligence sharing agreements between these powers. Given New Zealand’s history, Iraq was a big decision, and Helen Clark got it exactly right.
She similarly refused US pressure for a quiet hush-up when New Zealand caught Mossad agents forging New Zealand passports. Mossad used forged British passports in a subsequent high profile killing.
She has shown similar judgement in running the UN Development Programme, where she has won much respect for paying as much attention to the views of African nations as to the “authorities” of the IMF and World Bank.
For these reasons Clark is not the preferred candidate of the US or UK governments for the Secretary General position. But her independence does mean she is ultimately acceptable to Russia and China, whose agreement is essential as the appointment is confirmed by the Security Council. The Russians in particular feel they made a mistake in agreeing to the disappointing Ban Ki-Moon last time.
Finally may I be permitted to suggest that answer no. 5 here gives a further example of Helen Clark’s excellent political judgement?
Here’s some classic Dennis Skinner, from the House of Commons last Monday (first sitting after Easter and the ‘Panama Papers’), calling out dodgy Dave and his tax affairs. Whatever you might think about Skinner, few doubt his integrity…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su4SE0IJDYY
RobG
If I “thought” like Herbie – which, thank God, I do not – I would now murmur that Dennis Skinner is a “controlled opposition” and has, of course, been “co-opted”.
What do you think?
Just thought I’d say thanks for the nice comments earlier Habby. I didn’t respond before because I thought the ‘usual suspects’ that seem to lurk around here would automatically have us down as ‘bezzie mates’! They probably think that anyway ?
That is their usual response when they are unable to refute an opinion they disapprove of with fact, reason or logic.
Ha ha! Anyway Habs, I think I’m going to have to leave this forum for my own mental health, seriously, this stuff is making me pretty depressed! Its horribly compelling, but just too dammed stressful, I’m a bloody lightweight ? Cheers and good luck with the good fight. If I get sucked in again I’ll say hello! ?
Skinner (AKA ‘the beast of Bolsover’) has been banned from House of Commons day sittings more times than I can remember. I think he has integrity.
Corbyn, on the otherhand, is getting much flak, particularly over HSBC corruption, that he still refuses to raise questions about.
My own take on Corbyn is that he also has integrity, but he has the almost impossible task of trying to change the Labour party from within. Ie, if Corbyn goes public on the HSBC scandal (which is the biggest financial scandal in history) it will not only destroy the Conservative party, it will also destroy the Labour party, because Blair & Co (the ‘Red Tories’) were also, and remain, complicit in it.
In the meantime, the British public continue to be ripped-off for quite literally billions and billions of pounds, all done by shysters and barrowboys.
Dennis Skinner is a bit of pre-Cambrian rock sticking out from the Jurassic.
Seriously though, he’s not serious, is he ? All that blunt man posturing, the synthetic anger, the non-questions.
And those shirts and ties!!
But at least, Skinner does not work for the security services, who are totally complicit in the HSBC scandal.
Ay, Habba.
“But at least, Skinner does not work for the security services”
___________________
Did anyone claim he did?
Mightn’t destroying the Blairites be the salvation of the Labour Party?
Tom is getting better. Thank God for that.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44492.htm
“What Happened at Information Clearing House?
By Tom Feeley
April 14, 2016 “Information Clearing House” – On Monday the 21st of April I had a stroke. As a result I had been hospitalized for almost 3 weeks.
I am very happy to report that I am making great progress in my recovery and the doctors say that I should be back at work fully functioning within the next Month.
My MRI and CT Scans still show brain swelling but it has improved and each day I feel a little better.
I am having some problems with memory and am spending a couple of hours each day trying to catch up on the insanity that has inflicted so much death and suffering across our planet during the last month.
I want to apologize for not informing you earlier about what had happened, but my lack of memory for passwords and other information made it impossible to post anything on the website or in the newsletter.
I am working my way through the last months emails and I will be answering them over the next few days.
I want to to thank so many people, especially my family, Paul Craig Roberts, (http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/) the good folks at Global Research, http://www.globalresearch.ca/ and my long time friend Mike Whitney (http://mikewhitneysgraspingatstraws.blogspot.mx/) and so many others who have worked hard over the years to keep us informed.
I also want to thank Dick M, a man who has helped me over the years to grow ICH into one of the webs few independent news and information websites.
It is obvious that we (ICH and its readership) will need help to ensure that a similar situation does not occur again and that Information Clearing House will continue to grow and share its outlook, that no life is more valuable than another, that every person has a right to live a life of peace and joy.
I hope to be able to provide some articles again over the weekend and be back to normal over the next few weeks.
During the next months I will be looking for assistance in developing the website. I would appreciate any advice, insight or experience you may be able to provide. Please email me at [email protected] if you would like to assist us in providing a non commercial source of independent news and information.
Let us not rely on commercial, for profit companies to provide us with anything other than that, which they perceive as being beneficial to themselves. Let us invest in each other and our ability to create a better world.
We are operating on a shoe string budget, without a prudent, financial reserve. We need a special effort to help ensure that we can continue to provide this service. “
Thanks, Tony for the news about Tom Feeley.
Always remember that he had the guts to post my last article of three which completed the fall of that most nasty piece of work, the Iron Lady.
Can readily understand his wanting help after the stroke, as that’s what the docs in Sweden were looking for when i collapsed. I hadn’t had one, and my memory was as good as ever.
Will certainly send him some money now, and assure him he can count on more help from me, whatever it is.
He is really a good guy who deserves far better.
The empire strikes back.
I am told that the email I sent Tom, offering $200, cannot be delivered!
What a shit hole we live in, but I shall get my thoughts and gift to him somehow.
I only tried to send him $10, and the bank (I don’t know which side of the pond it was) not only refused it…they put a block on my account….fortunately my bank texted me…and so I phoned them up…Yes its me – its legit etc….They reopened my account – but he still didn’t get my $10…I did post on his website – use Paypal FFS – I managed to send Feeding America $10 without any problem…so I think it must be Tom they don’t like. I think he’s a Saint.
Tony
“No life is more valuable than another”. If only your beloved Paul Craig Roberts felt the same way about Pol Pot’s victims!
But remember, Jim, Tom was willing to post unpleasant opinions from others like me, so don’t hold Feeley responsible, nor me, for what Roberts writes.
No, I don’t, no probs ?
And thanks for being civil, it’s horrible when things get nasty ?
Jim,
My son has seen the skulls – he buggered off to SE Asia for 3 months with some girl he hardly knew and hitched (itched as well I guess)
As regards Pol Pot, and who was really responsible, well its a very long complicated story…you may think you know the truth about that…to give you an insight into the real history…this is like an intro…
“The Secret Team: The CIA and Its Allies in Control of the United States and the World”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Fletcher_Prouty
or Professor Peter Dale Scott
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Dale_Scott
Some people tell the Truth – even when they are on The Team
Tony
I’ll go with Chomsky and Pilger Tony, but I’ll give the links the once over, thanks. ?
Chomsky and Pilger still get published…so you are only reading what they are allowed to write. They can’t tell you the full story, or they won’t get published and they won’t get paid. What would you do?
Well that isn’t too hard, is it?
https://chomsky.info/
http://johnpilger.com/
I could never understand why Craig doesn’t have them linked, like he does Lenin’s Tomb. I’d have this linked too.
https://fullfact.org/
Oh sorry, I forgot, I did have them linked, along with Craig, back in the day 😉
Thanks, Tony, as I posted the gift, and received a thank you from Tom.
Shows your tenner resulted in 400.
Prouty was the best, as his playing ‘X’ in the Garrison film showed. That was payback for Harvey having infiltrated Jim’s investigation?
Do you remember what’X’ actually said?
Must go through my papers, and find that letter from him.
Interesting to note that he died, age 84, shortly before 9/11? Any,convenient connection?
Others mentioned, even Scott, leave something to be desired.
Wait, the CIA was secretly behind the Cambodian killing fields? How did I not see that coming?
Martinned – for many of the dingbats on here, the CIA is behind absolutely everything MI5 and Mossad aren’t behind…
There is little secret about who supported Pol Pot, provided that you accept Hansard as an acceptable source.
Martinned.
Not sure about that, however I do believe Thatcher aided (in secret military training ) Pol Pot ‘s Khmer Rouge.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KOMewMUw024C&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=secret+affairs+mark+curtis+pol+pot&source=bl&ots=ywDF_X3vzN&sig=sZBrYff5Bd4_9Slhru4If2_wbnA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4wMXYr5HMAhWNsh4KHc0mACYQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=secret%20affairs%20mark%20curtis%20pol%20pot&f=false
Of course Thatcher had a history of aiding dictators, Pinochet anyone?
Sometimes this guy is completely brilliant…
http://petras.lahaine.org/?p=2079
“Trump The “Fascist” ”
http://petras.lahaine.org/?p=2079
“James Petras is a retired Bartle Professor of Sociology at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York “
Petras was the only guy I really respected on Veterans Today, and suspect he left it voluntarily too.
Too many Jim Fetzer types.
No Tony, that’s a pile of anti-Semitic drivel. Chris Hedges’ brilliant link in the Monbiot Guardian article is a clear-eyed and sane piece on Trump’s dangerous fascination for the disenfranchised, and Hilary’s and Obama’s culpabilility for that disenfranchisement, with all the other Ivy League liberal elites.
‘Fascist’ is a term so widely abused it is almost without meaning now. Even the great bogeyman fascists were very different from each other in outlook and personality apart from their talent for rabble-rousing. Trump=Mussolini, perhaps, though I doubt Donald could make the trains run on time. Reading about the German naval effort in WW1, I was, however, struck by a distinct resonance between Trump and Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Now Brazil’s Dilma is going down the Ddain aka VP Michel Temer’s coup because the President used bank funds to cover short falls in state ones during the 2014 election campaign.
Wonder who got paid to do the job on poor Eduardo Campos, and who was paid off to keep quiet about it which claims about CIA involvement were hoped to stifle.
Really, is there anything more farcical or surreal or even Kafkaesque, than, the unelected, undemocratic, and more than likely unwanted House of Lords, I ask you?
To add to the absurdity, that is the HoL, one of the life time peers has died and in order to adhere to the 92 permanent peers, agreed by Tony Blair, a new life peer will need to be created. Well now I know what, Herodotus mean’t by when he described, the Achaemenid Empires, heavy infantry, known as the Immortals, which never fell below 10,000.
http://www.thenational.scot/news/salmond-hits-out-at-farcical-peerage-process.16378
My dialogue with Habba at the end of the previous page will probably get lost with the way that comments are now set-up on this blog.
So, I was pointing Habba to the HSBC scandal, which is the biggest financial scandal in history, and both the Tories and Labour are heavily implicated. Here’s a run-down on it from March last year…
http://medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2015/788-a-conspiracy-of-silence-hsbc-the-guardian-and-the-defrauded-british-public.html
This Media Lens piece is now rather out of date. Much more info has now come to light, which the alternate media will no doubt report in the coming weeks…
If you are looking for the “biggest financial scandal in history” then there are no shortage of contenders. Some may say that HSBC are second rate in this particular contest.
Why only this week the US Federal Reserve found it necessary to write to JP Morgan advising them that they had identified a deficiency in their wind down plan which, if not addressed would “pose serious adverse effects to the financial stability of the US”
Maybe if you are running a $51 trillion derivative book such deficiencies are inevitable.
This may appear to be as uninteresting to you as it is to the corporate media. However try to imagine the response if Islamic terrorists were discovered to involved in a plot that would “pose serious adverse effects to the financial stability of the US”
Loony, I would venture that there is a not so subtle difference here.
That is, monies ‘persuaded’ from the general public that are being defrauded by private companies.
And monies that are screwed out of the general public by governments under threat of imprisonment (ie, taxes).
I assume you bring the terrorist nonsense into this in an ironic/sarcastic manner.
You said: Why only this week the US Federal Reserve found it necessary to write to JP Morgan advising them that they had identified a deficiency in their wind down plan which, if not addressed would “pose serious adverse effects to the financial stability of the US”.
But surely you realise that the US Government is owned by JP Morgan, et al?
For all those who can see beyond the clumsy propaganda, go look-up the HSBC scandal.
That was a good heads up on the morgan wind down and living will failures.
The findings are: ” — morgan could not transfer money from it’s subsidiaries outside of US” Whatever this may actually mean? Cryptic has not got a look in.
The cryptic wording you reference may refer in large part to London – the global epicenter of fraud. It is probably assumed that in a meltdown scenario London will act to prevent the export of money back to the US – therefore JPM will need to sort itself out inside the US.
In the end it is all bollocks as with a $51 trillion derivatives book no-one can possibly tell which way is up.
Sorry Anon, what exactly is your profession, and what exactly is your faith?
Pissing in the wind and playing with the steam. Right?
Put Irina Bukova into the SecGen slot. Bulgarians understand extrajudicial killings. They pioneered that umbrella of death that shoots ricin pellets. We need all the support we can get. Summary executions are frowned upon these days. We used to use beaners for death squads, but they won’t do what we tell them anymore. So now when we want somebody dead we get our psycho killers from south of the Scottish border. Limeys are unfailingly obedient. There’s nothing we can’t make them do… Soap my dick, Jeeves!
http://www.reprieve.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016_04_09-PUB-Britains-Kill-List.pdf
Yesterday there was a general election in Syria. No mention on this blog (because I would guess that Craig is way too anti-Russian), and barely any mention in the MSM. A large number of people voted, and they voted for Assad…
http://truepublica.org.uk/global/syrian-general-elections-update-not-covered-establishment-media/
Please contrast this to the ISIS lunatics who are supported and funded by Washington.
Here is a great account of the Syrian elections That is in contrast to the propaganda that is so prevalent in the oligarch owned media. The most comical “reportage” was from al-Jazeera, that managed to find two a man and a woman in Aleppo who were calling the elections as a sham for the reasons that outside of Aleppo the fighting was going on!!!! No shit Sherlock the isis lunatics had been staging their biggest attacks to coincide with the elections.
The Washington Post actually had an article about the Syrian election yesterday. Syria’s Assad holds elections despite peace talks in Geneva. That story did not report the results, which were not known at the time, and, as far as I can tell, they have had no further stories on the subject.
lysias of course they don’t have any stories on the subject, the seamless propaganda chamber is only interested in stories about poopy pants Assad, rubbish Assad the dictator etc. and waxing lyrical how wonderful are the “moderate terrorists” and their fight for a Wahhabi Syria.
Hmm. If one insistently talks to trolls, does that make the insistent…. a troll? I believe such to be so.
And if one addresses the trollee, does that infect one? perhaps the thought should occiur.
You are right
Perhaps trolls should have “Troll” tattooed onto the fingertips with some kind of electronic ink that would then print “Troll Alert” onto every post the troll makes? What do you reckon?
Lets see if my sound and vision works on this..
“Craig Murray – Torture 1 of 7”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF9spgagSHI
Tony
This has been banned by Youtube too..but My Brother-in-Law worked in the same building – EMI -and regularly saw these guys come in long before Abbey Road.
He said they were hairy but nice blokes…he met them down the pub after..My sister was not impressed.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfj1bu_the-beatles-all-you-need-is-love-live-on-stage-agy_music
Tony
My thanks to Fedup for telling us about Syrian elections.
I have had a frustrating week dealing with all the things that jaundice my view of Asian businessmen.
The guy wants to open a food factory but the Iranian electrician has disappeared. The wiring was done last year so none of it complies with Amendment 3 of the BS 7671 regulations.
In the mains cupboard a fuse has been bypassed with copper wire and there are stray wires floating round exposed main bussbars.
I’m opening in 2 weeks and the council need a certificate. Yes so you will have to do the remedial work.
There is a flat upstairs with wife and family with small children, but no fire doors, just heavy steel plate doors with locks and heavy bolts. They’ll be going soon and it will only be used for guests.
No consultation with the fire service, , no sprinklers , no emergency fire doors, no enclosed lights to stop flies or glass falling into the food.
I am busy sourcing the parts for what I need for the remedial work, but no go-ahead. I buy a few things for £200, a quarter of the total requirements for the materials. I have taken a week off work in readiness for the go ahead to meet the deadline.
Last word is , the iranian sparkie has returned and will certificate his own work. Only after the factory has opened am I promised a chance to rectify the many faults. And that’s a clever wheeze, because any work I do after he’s done the certificates puts the responsibilty onto my company’s shoulders.
His certificate will then be worthless.
So Fedup we have a hadith in Islam that you don’t know someone untill you have been on a journey with them or done business with them. Please could you try one of these before you accuse me of having a jaundiced view. BTW, Im not going to be grassing on them to the powers that be. I tried that once and I got accused of being a spy and an agent of MI5, ( which in fact they were)
An Asian businessman sees it as his moral duty to subvert the authority of the Health and Safety dept, (British Raj) and put responsibility for any mistakes that occur onto sub-contractors while getting the work done by anonymous asylum seekers who were or were not qualified in countries which have no electrical earth..
You really hate anyone other than yourself don’t you? Cut the chase out and join the “master race” (if you are not already a one Brother Mohamed*).
The ludicrous notions of “a country that has no Earth” that is evidently a reference the origin of the electrician who has been asked to carry out the installation. What the crap has this to do with the standards of his work? You are a racist and as usual in the guise of “I am Muslims trust me” carry on heaping derision on all Muslims that you somehow never approve of, and as ever there is stocking fillers of the “PBUH and Hadith” etc. What has any electrical wiring to do with any hadith? Has there been any mention of electrical installation and IEE regs to be found in the Quran?
You have really excelled yourself by approving of a nanny state that is creating huge layers of bureaucracy to keep the jobless in jobs of hindering stopping others from getting on with their jobs. H&S has always had an “executive” stock at the end of it, and of course that is designed to let us all know how very important the odious tossers who end up doing that job are. They then proceed to keep the accidents at minimum by stopping the jobs from getting done all together. The ludicrous notion of children wearing industrial riggers gloves and protective goggles to play conkers really must appeal to you! As it did to the headmaster who introduced it to his school!
Food hygiene standards are mixed with the flat above and the lack of fire doors thereof, which then end up in the distribution and fuse box, then why the fuck are you working for the chap go and find yourself a nice job in a nice “English” firm and stop moaning? Can you not find any hadith on biting the hand that feeds you? You have not had one positive word about “Muslims” ever since you have started posting here, why is that?
* I was talking to an apparently fervently zealous Muslim who was busy giving the verse and chapter of Quran and the hadith etc. Not very convinced I did a bit of checking on him and he turned out to be a zionist Jew from Gateshead! As in the case of The very strange saga of Adam Gadahn or in the case of Adam Yahiye Gadahn: The Fake Terrorist
Oh well usual vile nonsense from you then. Grow up fedup please. Your head is not screwed on.
Yeah of course!!!
You fooled me mate!
But still why do you work for the “Asians” why can’t you get yourself a “proper” job in a nice “English” firm?
It would be a refreshing change if you could point us to when and where have you ever had a good word to say about any “Muslims” other than your fantastic self?
They ask me to work for them because they know my standards will impress the (totally unnecessary safety) authorities who need reassurances that their factory will not burn down frying the illegal residents.
They have plenty of dodgy electricians to do the work and plenty who will do the work to a much higher standard than me. I presume their reason for calling me is to have some sport out of winding me up and wasting my time.
Bullshit!!!!!
Why do you work for them?
And not the supremacist crap reiterating your prejudices again;
So in other words you are one of those H&S tossers (the last time I nearly throw one those overboard, and since then they all leave me well alone) In other words phony jobs for phony posts that leach off the back of the workers and the management alike.
In one sentence you have put the illegal residents, and the dodgy electricians and ….. whom needless to point out they are all “coloured” and then proceeded to big yourself up as you are so needed and and so fucking important!!!!!
Give over mate, if it smells like a pork, and if it oinks then it is fucking pig!!! You are as much Muslim my pooch is!
Show us when in the history of this blog you had a good word about one them Muslims?
The hypocrisy of it all is astounding!
Our resident “Muslim” who has not had a good word about any of the “coloured” Muslims to date, and is complaining about the electrician and his country of origin, and the south Asian business man, the flat above, fire doors, fuse box, and forwarding the notions of illegal immigrants being the potential employees and workers of the said factory, is content with taking the south Asian businessman’s money! There is nothing wrong with that at all, however then to start rubbishing the bally lot of the said “coloured” Muslims for being simply “coloured” Muslims!!!!!
Reminds of the Two Ronnie’s sketch; an Arab guy buying groceries from a racist shop keeper!
Giyane and Fedup
A period of silence from the two of you would be welcome.
Quarrrelsome people, these Moslems – which is, of course, why in the real world they will never get their act together vis à vis Israel.
Why, they’re worse than a Congress of Disputacious Rebbes! 🙂
Habb.
Yes, Gyiane is certainly quarrelsome, especially when it come to Ahmadi Muslim’s interpretation of the Koran, that really annoys Gyiane.
Staying on angry Muslims, Erdogan has finally convinced Merkel, to allow charges to be brought against, Jan Boehmermann who had recited a satirical poem on television which made sexual references to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. What next thought crime? Of which Craig outed to on a earlier thread as a hawker of.
Under German law, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government had to approve a criminal inquiry.
Are their no lengths the West won’t stoop to to accommodate Turkey’s dictator in the making?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36055488
RoS
Let me explain a little to set your mind at rest.
The German govt’s agreement that charges can be brought means just that and no more.
What now happens is that the public prosecutor will examone the case and decide whether to bring forward the charge or not.
If he does decide to bring the charge, the comic will stand trial and be found either guilty or not guilty.
The way this has been handled is actually quite clever.
It consists in offering President Erdogan a face-saver (this is the German govt bit).
And then, in the public prosecutor not actually bringing a charge (by this time all will have been forgotten: the dogs bark and the caravan moves on.
All are happy : President Erdogan on the one hand and the “free-speech” brigade on the other.