More space has been devoted by the mainstream media in the last week to the terrible effects of “austerity” on the vulnerable, than in total since the Westminster election. That is entirely in the context of Ken Loach’s Cannes Palme d’Or winning film I, Daniel Blake. The film itself will now get a much greater cinema distribution than it might otherwise have anticipated. I think it is worth highlighting some excellent points made at the winners’ press conference:
Ken Loach:
We talked about finding a style that was absolutely clear and plain and unadorned…there’s a quotation from Bertolt Brecht…”and I always thought the simplest of words must suffice. When I say what things are like, it will break the hearts of all”. And the thing that we tried to do is to say what things are like, because it not only breaks your heart, but it should make you angry.
It is an issue not just for people in our country, but all across Europe. There is a conscious cruelty in the way we are organising our lives now, where the most vulnerable people are told that their poverty is their own fault. If you have no work, it’s your fault you haven’t got a job. Never mind that… throughout Europe there’s mass unemployment and in Britain there’s two million known unemployed but in reality four million. And the most vulnerable people are caught, disabled people are caught. The increase in suicides… in fact in the places where these assessments take place, some people who work there have been given instructions on how to deal with potential suicides, so they know this is going on… It is deeply shocking that this is happening at the heart of our world… the heart of it is a shocking, shocking policy.
Paul Laverty (scriptwriter):
After travelling the country, in Scotland and all the way down to England, travelling round foodbanks, listening to people’s stories, talking to welfare rights organisations, disabled groups, what was remarkable was how many of the most vulnerable people were the ones who bore the brunt of it. Now in this particular instance Daniel is a very competent man who has had a life of work, who’s got friends, who’s smart, intelligent, he’s had a very, very full life. But what really amazed us was talking to experts… the people who work with mental health, the stories we heard about that would just break your heart.
The people who are disabled, they have suffered six times more from the cuts than anyone else, and there was a remarkable phrase by one of the civil servants we heard who talked about the cuts, who said “low-lying fruit”, in other words the easy targets. So this story could have been much harsher, it could have been somebody with mental health difficulties… we could have told a story from someone who is much more vulnerable, much more heartbreaking.
I think it’s very important to remember too the systematic nature of it….talking to whistleblowers, people who worked inside the Department of Work and Pensions… there are several people we met, and they spoke to us anonymously, and they said they were humiliated how they were forced to treat the public. So there is nothing accidental about it, and it is affecting a huge section of the population.
I have inveighed long and hard against the massive increase in the wealth gap between the rich and poor in the UK and in the West in general. It is great to see popular resistance today in France to the extreme erosion of workers’ rights that has facilitated this.
In an indisputable measure of the growing inequality in society, the life expectancy gap between rich and poor is growing for the first time in 150 years. Let me say that again. The life expectancy gap between rich and poor is growing for the first time in 150 years. Our desperately unequal society now becomes more unequal at an exponential rate. The UK has more than 100 billionaires, and it has foodbanks and children crying from hunger, not developing properly due to malnutrition. I sense a true swelling of popular discontent that has the potential to break through the consent manufactured by a billionaire-owned media and billionaire-owned politicians.
America does, (sort-of) have some filmmakers with Ken Loach’s drive
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/terror/
This indie film which screened in February follows an FBI sting operation against a “terror cell”, the film is actually titled (T) ERROR
Magically, the BBC pops-up as amongst those having sponsored the film-makers: Whoda thunk?
***************
The Filmmakers
Lyric Cabral is a New York-based filmmaker and photojournalist who has received artist grants from BBC Storyville, the Tribeca Film Institute, the Sundance Institute, ITVS, NYSCA, the International Documentary Association (IDA), and the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund. (T)ERROR is her first feature length documentary, and premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a Special Jury Prize for Break Out First Feature. Cabral, along with co-director David Sutcliffe, was honored by IDA with the 2015 Emerging Filmmaker Award. (T)ERROR was also a recipient of the 2013 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant, awarded by the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. In 2013, Cabral was named by Filmmaker Magazine as one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” Her photography has been published through Aperture Foundation, National Geographic Channel UK, The Nation, and the Village Voice, and exhibited with “Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument.”
David Felix Sutcliffe is a Sundance Award-winning documentary filmmaker. In 2013, he was included in Filmmaker Magazine’s annual list of “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” His first film, Adama (PBS), is an hour-long documentary that explores the story of a 16-year-old Muslim girl growing up in Harlem who was arrested by the FBI on suspicion of being a “potential suicide bomber.” Along with (T)ERROR co-director Cabral, Sutcliffe was honored by the International Documentary Association with the 2015 Emerging Filmmaker Award. In 2014, he was selected as a fellow for the Sundance Institute’s Edit and Story Lab, as well as their Creative Producing Lab. His work as a filmmaker has been funded by the BBC, the NEA, the Tribeca Film Institute, the Sundance Institute, and ITVS.
***************
I’m sure the film will be shown on BBC2 this Sunday, or will we have prats in cars?
Between the haves and have nots there are do’ers and not do’ers. To enable not do’ers to have without having to do misrepresents the do’ers.
Those that can’t should be haven to those that can do .
And at least we all can try.
Heard this shit all my life to explain why I’m the ‘working poor.’ Piss off.
I SPY Budget Trouble in NZ – according to an analyst (does it reflect what is happening in UK, SPY budget increasing – never mind the actual low threat level, whilst austerity & cuts are hurting the population ?)
New Zealand’s spies have been given a major funding boost, most likely in response to pressure from our allies, according to an intelligence expert.
“I have a feeling that this Budget reflects not only our own concerns, but also those of our major intelligence partners,” says intelligence consultant Dr Paul Buchanan.
“We are the primary collection country for the English-speaking Pacific, and you well know that we’ve been caught unawares, for example, of the coups in Fiji.”
He says the NZSIS is recruiting human intelligence officers who will work well in places where it wants information.
“I know they’re recruiting for example Asians, Middle Easterners or Kiwis that can pass the security abetting *[sic], and perhaps this is pushed by our allies,” he says.
“I don’t think that the threat environment in New Zealand, here at home, justifies this type of expenditure, unless our allies are pushing us to up the ante a bit because we’re seen as dragging our feet.”
Nearly $320 million has been allocated to New Zealand’s intelligence agencies in the latest Budget, giving a major boost to the NZSIS and GCSB.
$178.7 million is going toward operating funding
$20 million is being spent on a new Computer Emergency Response Team to fight cyber-crime
$120.2 million is funding a major upgrade of the Government-wide communications security, what it calls “high-grade cryptographic infrastructure”.
Mr Finlayson the Budget money is going toward “significant staff recruitment and further extends the SIS’s ability to respond to the threat from foreign terrorist fighters”.
Mr Buchanan says this is interesting.
“Now let’s think about this — we’ve had no problem with foreign terrorist fighters. There’s a lot of talk about it. There’s talk about surveillance of 30 to 40 individuals. But we’re surveilling them already, so I think actually this is a cover for an expansion of the SIS’ foreign human intelligence collection capabilities.”
He says the intelligence community’s priorities will be revealed in their mid-year annual reports.
“That seems like a lot of money just to hire people. $178 million gets you a lot of people, but we don’t need 5000 undercover agents, so even if they doubled it that still would leave a lot of money to do other things. So it’d be nice to get a little more on that breakdown of $178 million.” . . .
*positive, developed, aiding & abetting: nice typo!
320 million NZ $ for the intelligence agencies, eh?
The New Zealand budget (govt spending) for 2015 was fixed at 74,9 billion $.
So NZ spending on the intelligence services will be 0,427 % of total NZ govt expenditure.
Surely not an unreasonable price for staying safe and contributing to the security of the Western world (so to speak)?
Surely not an unreasonable price for staying safe and contributing to the security of the Western world (so to speak)?
You have got to be joking. What to keep a eye on the Mongrel Mob?
Nit joking at all, Mr Lawton. A price well worth paying in this dangerous world.
Since you’re engaging – is it your opinion that the 0.4% is excessive and if so, could you explain why you think so? And if so, what do you think the spending should be?
Thanks.
“Since you’re engaging – is it your opinion that the 0.4% is excessive and if so, could you explain why you think so? And if so, what do you think the spending should be?
Thanks.”
They should spend the money on cleaning up all the pesticides they have used heavily over the years and that would help with the high asthma rate in the country. It had the last 245 T plant in the world.They should stand up to the other Anglo Saxon bullies and tell them to take a running jump.
One of my favourite films is “Being John Malkovich”. As it progresses it gradually gets increasingly funny, and crazy to the point that you think, they cannot possibly take it to the next level of madness and insanity, and to my amazement they do. I have never seen any film that is anything like it.
However it does resemble something else – and that is The Daily Telegraph – they have been going down this wormhole for years…and now they are there – with this article – which is so completely ridiculous they must believe the people who read this nonsense are as mad as the people who write it… Maybe they are by now..which is why it is not funny. It is a daily dose of mass brainwashing.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/why-teenage-girls-cant-see-beyond-isils-cute-kittens-and-nutella/
Tony
Fcuking insult to intelligence – The Barclay brothers are complete tossers sucked into this Tory propaganda wormhole far removed from the event horizon..
That was my thought too, Tony. An absurd article based on fairytales.
But Dan Jones in the Standard was spouting the same nonsense in the Standard yesterday, so plainly the so-called security services have held another of their briefings for our lying journalists.
I first went to Cornwall in 1962. My Mum and Dad actually met in Cornwall in 1939. The whole of Cornwall, not only seemed idyllic, it seemed wealthy – with no sign of poverty whatsoever (however – I was traveling from Oldham on the back of of a moped).
I last went to Cornwall for the first time in 20 years when it was incredibly hot in July 2013. We were camping. Whilst there were no obvious signs of poverty – virtually every village food shop and every supermarket – had a little area sectioned off – with a label FOOD BANK – where people could and did donate food for local hungry Cornish people.
I had never seen a Food Bank before in my life – and Cornwall was full of them.
This is outrageous.
They also have to tolerate rich people from London – buying a large percentage of their homes – and leaving them empty for most of the year.
I think The Cornish should go for Independence – and throw all the bloody rich English out of their Country.
Tony
What about a federation of all the nations of the Celtic fringe — Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall?
Regions (not “nations”!) of the Celtic fringe already cooperate economically and culturally within the framework of trans-national partnerships set up under the auspices of the European Union.
They are the Irish republic, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.
Christ-I really admire your skill at googling. (Roflmao)
I think readers of this forum may be interested in the fact that the resident snitch apparently considers Scotland not a nation, but only a “region”.
I wonder why our Transatlantic Friend missed out Brittany from his list.
Life is cheap in Scarfolk, oops, sorry, Norfolk. Mum in big Landrover didn’t see the seven year old in the road whilst talking on her hands free. Maybe she is too short to handle a big vehicles such as this Landrover.
I wonder what the national MSM will make of this appalling judgement, whether they have time for reporting anything else than referendum lies.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/clenchwarton_motorist_fined_90_for_knocking_down_and_killing_seven_year_old_boy_while_on_her_mobile_phone_1_4553091
Terrible loss nevermind – so sad – thankyou for posting I will send my condolences.
What the MSM make of it, Nevermind, is less important than the culprit receiving a heavy sentence.
You may remember that a few years ago a female motorist in London was jailed for several years for knocking over and killing a cyclist at a crossroad while using a mobile phone(despite the fact that the cyclist ran the traffic lights).
I’m not sure that a heavy sentence does much more than feed the revenge fantasies of the idle reader. It may be that, in the circumstances of this case, the sentence was reasonable.
What obviously needs to be changed is the confusion over the use of phones by drivers of vehicles.
Perhaps then, not for the first time, the Habbatant is entirely wrong and what the media make of the case is of prime importance: the moral attached to this appalling tragedy, and the unimaginable grief it must have occasioned, ought to be that the law against the wrongful use of mobile phones is made very clear.
As to punishment, unless the driver is a certifiable sociopath she is sentenced to live with the guilt for the rest of a life very likely to be considerably shortened by self punishment.
I’m not sure that handsfree phones are a lot more distracting than nattering to your passenger, waving your hands (sometimes both) and otherwise not paying attention to the road. That’s driving without due care, maybe dangerous driving. The law’s pretty clear that handsfrees are legally useable while handsets aren’t.
Should the penalty reflect the magnitude of the damage? Or the circumstances of the individual case?
“Bevin” – typical of you to focus on press coverage and then come up with something like “clarify the law” without, of course, giving any detail about what you have in mind.
Everything is relevant to this post, which is about the war being conducted against poor people.
Even this snippet from the USA:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/05/26/sanders-trump-lets-debate-biggest-stadium-possible
It doesn’t take much imagination to see that such a debate could transform the current political discussion in the US. It is hard to believe that the various “Trade Deals” could survive a debate between these two opponents.
Murray Dobbin might be right, the end of globalisation could be in sight:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/05/27/are-we-witnessing-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-globalization/
“The Netherlands has rejected calls by Israel to declare illegal a growing international campaign that calls for the boycott of Israeli products.”
“Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said on Thursday the Dutch government has explained to Tel Aviv that people joining the campaign was an issue of free speech, to which the Dutch people are entitled.”
“Netherlands is the second country in the European Union to have announced its support for people’s right to join the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.”
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/27/467604/Netherlands-Israel-BDS-Bert-Koenders
Well the Netherlands, have just gone up in my estimations, politely telling Israel to f*ck-off. Still Israel is hawking its wares around Europe, trying to convince other EU nations to ban BDS.
“Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon denounced the decision, saying there had to be “limits” on the concept of freedom of speech.”
Weasel words from a weasel led government.
“Detailed plans to move towards the creation of a European army are being kept secret from British voters until the day after the June 23 Brexit referendum, it has emerged.”
“The plans involve establishing a new European military and operational structures, including a headquarters, according to the Times.
The first step towards such a plan is said to be supported by Germany and other EU member states.”
“The document, drawn up by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, will be discussed by European leaders at a summit on June 28.”
“In an effort to avoid derailing the ‘Remain’ campaign, the policy plans won’t be sent to national governments until the day after Britons vote on June 23.
Until then, only a small group of officials can read the proposal, but they must do so under lock and key, leave their electronic devices outside the room and take handwritten notes only.”
https://www.rt.com/uk/344563-eu-army-secret-referendum/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome
Oh dear, that’s all we would need, a Nato mark two type of army throwing its weight around in Europe.
Would this European army control the nuclear weapons of Britain and France?
Lysais.
I can’t answer that, we can for now just speculate, could the EU army be used to control the EU population? Or it could be used to provide a menacing front line to Russia. Which EU nation or nations will have control of this army?
Will this army be more of corporate led army, it wasn’t that long ago that the (ERTI) European Round Table of Industrialised, was unmasked in Europe, an extremely powerful group of businessmen who had plans for Europe, and how it would be set out in their image.
For those of you that haven’t seen The Brussels Business, I urge to watch it, only Washington has more lobbyists.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h4C5SgeVK-Q
RoS
The idea of a “European army” has been around since the early 1950s – cf the attempts to create,by Treaty, the “European Defence Community”, finally scuppered by the French parliament in 1954 (immediately followed by the admission of West Germany into NATO and the agreement of the then UK govt to permanently station a number of divisions in West Germany). And then, later on, the MLF and so on. The nearest we have got to that are the Rapid Reaction brigades set up under the CFSP, which envisioned “the progressive framing of a common defence policy which might lead to a common defence”.
No – they will stay under the control of the US
Not the French ones
“Detailed plans to move towards the creation of a European army are being kept secret from British voters until the day after the June 23 Brexit referendum, it has emerged.”
Hitler created a European army to invade Russia.They lost last time so they are going
to try again with Operation Barbarossa 2.
Hitler wasn’t the first. He was preceded by Kaiser Wilhelm, Napoleon, Charles XII of Sweden, and Poland. They all failed.
Wilhelm did better than most – with Lenin’s help
Missing the classic final line ‘Not only that, but it’s neo-rubbish and crypto-rubbish!’ but still funny, and (vaguely) pertinent :
https://youtu.be/oJ-9R6NCZ0A
Ros, thats a bit OTT, why should we have two sides tit tatting each other into another arms race as of now?
NATO has gone rogue and is aggressively expanding into an area of influence that has as yet not even dealt with its own democratic/oligarch systems of Government.
Why should we not have a third pillar? please explain why a Euro[ean [peace and defence force should be ‘like NATO’?
“Detailed plans to move towards the creation of a European army are being kept secret from British voters until the day after the June 23 Brexit referendum, it has emerged.”
That’s already been denied. It was ridiculous anyway.
“Activists gathered outside G4S’ AGM in London on Wednesday to protest against the security giant’s complicity in worldwide human rights abuses, particularly torture carried out against Palestinians.”
“Shareholders making their way into the venue were greeted by groups of campaigners holding colorful placards decrying G4S’ human rights record.
G4S’ provision of equipment and services to Israeli prisons and the firm’s supply of wares to military checkpoints scattered along Israel’s separation barrier in the West Bank were focal points of criticism. G4S was also lambasted for entrenching violence against asylum seekers in Britain and profiting from global crises born of conflict.”
“The detention of Palestinians in Israeli jails violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids the transfer of prisoners from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) to Israel.”
For more information on the neferious alliance between Israel and G4S, see here.
https://bdsmovement.net/activecamps/g4s
Sounds like the Trump-Sanders debate is a done deal. Raw Story: Bernie Sanders credits Jimmy Kimmel for Trump debate — which he sees as chance to seize nomination:
The deal is off. Trump said he won’t debate Sanders.
Now there’s a surprise!
Not really, surely. Why should Mr Trump debate someone other than the official Democratic candidate?
I was being sarcastic. Trump has the debating skills of a house brick, his advisors know he’d be destroyed.
You may be right, Jim – but perhaps one should hold fire and wait and see if Mr Trump agrees to debate with the official Democrat candidate once he or she has been chosen?
That’s a separate issue, the point is he bottled the debate with Sanders. Wisely.
I’m not sure what that “point” is, Jim.
The point, surely, is why should the likely Republican candidate debate with the (unlikely) Democratic candidate.
When there is an official Republican candidate and an official Democratic candidate then I am sure – based on precedent – that there will be a Presidential debate, or even several.
I’m sorry you’re unable to understand that because you often make intelligent points – it seems rather simple to me.
He’d said he’d debate Sanders, and has now pulled out. How hard is that to understand?
Only a fool is unable to change his mind, Jim.
I wonder if you can give me a little on your sources for that, Jim? Is there anything on Youtube or in a reputable newspaper? He may well have said it but it’s also possible that someone made that up or misrepresented what he said (look what some people do with their links on this blog 🙂 ).So it would be good to check out that statement.
So Obama the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace prize (I know I can’t stop laughing as well) is in Japan, Hiroshima to be precise. Obama, in his speech called for a world without nuclear weapons (yes I’m still laughing) but would not apologise for the US dropping a nuclear bomb, which killed more than 140,000 Japanese people.
Meanwhile China has issued a veiled threat aimed at the G7 over interference in the South China seas by the West.
“The remarks come as Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States on Thursday began a two-day summit of the G7 in Ise, central Japan.”
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/26/467559/China-G7-Hua-Chunying-Japan-South-China-Sea
Almost the entire financial world is now a scam.
They sell you something promising this that and the other – and you think O.K. – that seems a good deal – and you actually buy it…It is delivered (sometimes) – and you think great…
Now you just think – well can I have the this, that and the other – the additions you promised for free….
and they reply – you didn’t read the tiny small print embedded in the 20 page long contract…you are only eligible for that…if you do this…
Can I have my money back?
No – we didn’t lie to you – you just didn’t read and understand all the details
Just been screwed again
I don’t like these people, but I can’t be bothered complaining.
There’s no point – they are just laughing at me and the rest of us.
Maybe Legal, but certainly not Decent or Honest
Tony
Cheer up Tony, using a cross party consensus Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have managed to get Cameron to Amend his queen’s speech – or face having it voted down if he doesn’t keep the NHS completely excluded from the corrupt TIPP negotiations.
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/05/27/cameron-just-made-uk-history-unprecedented-humiliation-parliament/
This is the first time in 100 years this has happened and it’s usually understood that should amendments be made the Prime Minister Must stand down – of course Cameron changed those rules. However in other news a Conservative Constituency chairman has resigned amongst the election fraud debacle. All in all a shitty day for the pm 🙂
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/05/27/conservative-chairman-resigns-new-criminal-investigation-election-fraud/
TwitterBug
“….it’s usually understood that should amendments be made the Prime Minister Must stand down – of course Cameron changed those rules”
Really. Could you source that, please (both bits).
Thanks
By which I mean could you provide the sources which your link didn’t?
Thanks.
You’ve got a search engine, Hab, but to give you a hand you could start with this new Stateman article from 2013
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/if-queen’s-speech-amended-prime-minister-must-resign
Shatnersrug
Thanks for that link. But allow me to guide you on this question, if I may.
In the past, the Parliamentary convention was that if a Queen’s Speech is “amended”, the govt should resign. That is correct (and has happened).
Butt:
As your most recent link shows, the above convention was inextricably (and somewhat confusingly) tied up with the notion of “no confidence”, which is indeed a resigning matter.
However:
1/. The Queen’s Speech sets out the govt’s programme, if you will, for its future legislative intentions. It is subject to a vote of Parliament.
2/. An “amendment” should be interpreted as something proposed by the oppostion party (or parties) which seeks to strike out something in the Speech (and, possibly substitute something else in its place with which the govt disagrees).
3/. It is therefore reasonable to take the position that if the opposition amendment is voted through, that vote can be seen as representing a vote of no confidence in the govt which laid down the original Speech
4/. But in the case you brought up, it is not the opposition party which sought to amend the Queen’s Speech – it is the govt itself, which laid down the original speech.
5/ Hence it cannot possibly be a no confidence matter (and thus a resigning matter) since it would be manifestly absurd to argue that the govt laid down the amendment with the objective of bringing itself down.
6/. It is a case of a govt correcting a false step (or omission, or however you want to call it) in its own Queen’s Speech in the only way parliamentary procedure allows.
Hope that clarifies.
Opmoc
You appear to have unlimited time in which to post but no time to read through the contracts you sign. I suggest a degree of re-prioritising on your part.
In my experience, the most honest people are ..
1. Small local traders who do not need to advertise – because they get all their business through personal recommendation – and they are snowed under with work…so you might have to wait a bit….but they will do the job to a very high quality – at a perfectly reasonable price
2. Over 95% of people who buy or sell anything on ebay – even Internationally – and especially The Chinese – but also The Dutch, The Japanese and The English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish…there is a degree of trust there which is quite profound. The vast majority of ordinary people like you and me – simply do not lie – and as strange as it may seem ebay is an American company – and they instituted this trust thing..with recommendations…what’s your’s (which actually indicates most human beings are nice). The Americans deliver too – and its not really their fault (I won’t go into details – its embarrassing). I know they mean their best , and I still occasionally possibly at some time in the future might buy something again from the USA. (The Chinese sometimes deliver 3 times faster than the UK for Free (I live in The UK))
I try not to deal with large corporate companies – but sometimes they have a monopoly – and there is no other choice – except between a few large elephants who you just know are going to shiit on you.
I am retired. My son runs a small international business in The UK. He does not lie or cheat – and his Son is Beautiful – he is not yet 3 months old – and thinks he is twice his age…very alert…no you cannot walk yet..
Babies are getting more advanced. They need to grow up young To Kill The Slugs in Control.
Us Grandads haven’t got the balls.
But The New Generation will…
They ain’t going to put up with this “elite” shiit any more.
The worst generation in my view is the 30-45 year olds – what a bunch of pxxxxx’s.
If you want to see a good band – go to the over 50’s or under 30’s
The middle aged people 30-45 are a bunch of FAT useless t0ssers most of who’m won’t make 60 – they are already waddling
It’s not my fault you were born at the wrong time.
I’ve got my Grandson to Play Football with when I am in my 70’s
Tony
” The vast majority of ordinary people like you and me – simply do not lie ”
People of all stripes lie all the time. Did I miss the context? It seems no context could sublimate the fact that lying is essential for humans. Imagine being totally honest with your spouse when she asks if she looks fat in this dress. Farewell and adieu my friend.
You young people seem to think us old ones are doing well…
well both my Ex who is over 60 – and My wife who soon will be
They have both worked their lives – and they paid into the UK Government Pension Scheme
and the paid with their lives -They both brought up Children from birth…
and they were both expecting their pensions – that they had worked for all their lives at the age of 60…
I am married to my wife – I was expecting she would get pension on time when she reached the age of 60..
We obviously thought we could trust The UK Government
They are a bunch of Liars and Thieves
now ok – both my ex and my wife – have kids who love them – so they aren’t going to starve
but I think of my wife’s best school friend – same age – who never got married and never had kids
She Is Expecting Her Pension Too when she is 60
I haven’t had the heart to tell her yet…
and in the blogosphere – no one even mentions this complete outrage
Except John Ward – who has recently spilled his financial guts too
https://hat4uk.wordpress.com/
Good Man
Tony
If you think that you can trust the UK government then you are nuts.
Detailing their crimes would fill a library. They kill, they dissemble, they embrace criminality of every kind, they bow down to the craven god of greed, and they rape the planet.
Everything they say is false, and everything they embrace is a fraud. They have contempt for humanity and are consumed with their own venal stupidity.
The Pentagon’s top PR man told Morley Safer in Vietnam in 1967 that journalists who believe what people in government tell them are stupid. https://theintercept.com/2016/05/20/pentagon-official-once-told-morley-safer-that-reporters-who-believe-the-government-are-stupid/?comments=1#comments
If you really believe that then you should consider emigrating.
Have you?
No, of course not.
What are you some kind of anarchist?
Putting aside your baseless assumptions – why should people run from crime? Where are they going to run to? State criminality is all pervasive and is everywhere.
What I do is not relevant to the fact that the UK government has embraced fraud, greed and corruption as fully as an Anaconda embraces its prey.
All you can do, as a lowly lackey for the criminals is to seek to divert attention. What an honorable profession. You must be so proud – perhaps the British will give you one of their medals.
A curious piece in yesterday’s Guardian…
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/26/open-door-column-note-to-readers
And here’s Joseph Mayton’s response…
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sono1t
Given the now complete ‘take-over’ of the Guardian I can only be cynical as to what this is all about.
Why would read the Guardian – more establishment liars. Ruoert Murdoch is more honest than these people. Starve their lies of the oxygen of publicity
Quite agree, Loony – we need a good dose of press censorship, eh what!
Comprehension would not appear to be your strong point.
I suggested that people should ignore the Guardian on the basis that it prints drivel and lies. I did not suggest that the Guardian should be banned.
My original observation was quite clear only a fool or a practiced dissembler could reach the conclusion that you insinuate.
Loony
Asking for points of view (or “lies” as you call them) to be “starved of the oxygen of publicity” (as you demand) can only mean censorship.
That is because the “oxygen of publicity” is given through the printing of something – that is the first step.
Whether people then read what appears in the newspaper is merely a second step.
Perhaps you need to take more care when drafting your comments?
I don’t provide English lessons unless money changes hands, but it appears that you would benefit from a stronger grasp of the meaning of words.
RobG – This is how to deal with journalists!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64U1VTpoCNc
Good to know The Guardian has fact checkers. It certainly didn’t when it was promoting the Iraq war on the basis of information so bogus that a child could have told you that it was rubbish.
Maybe it can start checking Eliot Higgins’ “facts” about Ukraine or the Coventry Observatory for Human Rights and ready made clothing’s facts about Syria.
Hell it could even look into the motives of its columnist/assassins on the Get Corbyn file.
Truth is that nobody has any difficulty with the idea that Mayton might have been less than scrupulous, but the idea that The Guardian cares about journalistic standards, fairness or inventing facts is laughable.
And they run a website to prove it.
The idea that there is not enough to go round is not fundamentally flawed. We live in a finite world. No species can sustain exponential population growth – not even us humans.
So far as I know, I have only had two kids – but that does not mean I am finished yet…
It has not been working too well for the past couple of weeks..
but since losing weight and doing lots of exercise – walking miles, I am pleased to report – that it is back on fine form…
It certainly is not down to the food in the pub yesterday – what a load of shiit – but it was a good walk with my wife and son and grandson
Got to keep fit – and Seriously Do Not Take any Prescription Drugs (except in special cases) the more I get into this book about The Pharmaceutical Industry
I would like to meet Peter – He comes from Denmark and has morals
“Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime: How Big Pharma Has Corrupted Healthcare”
The “Elites” are Culling The Herd as if We are Deer.
If you haven’t noticed yet – then you are dead.
http://aanirfan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/should-uk-leave-eu.html
Tony
These two separate news items are directly linked…
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/05/27/911-disinformation-saudi-arabia-attacked-america-paul-craig-roberts/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmx7jQT-TIU
… whether or not you believe that lizard creatures control the universe.
I believe that Paul Craig Roberts was in the Reagan administration responsible for the crimes so eloquently described by Pinter in his formidable Nobel address. And is a present day apologist for mass murder on the opposite side of the political spectrum, with his cogent opinion piece on Pol Pot’s successes. He’s a man worth listening to by any measure.
And that is why we call you Troll Pot.
You’re a big fan too aren’t you Bevin? And it’s only you calling me that. Home truths are not trolling activities.
Cat got your tongue Bevin? The crimes of Empire that Roberts is complicit in are suddenly of no interest to you? Why not the impassioned cries for arraignment before the ICC? Or is it that his newfound support for mass murder of your perceived class enemies wipes his slate clean? Everything balanced nicely now eh Bevin?
The point, Jim is that your attack on Roberts is not only dishonest, because he does not say anything close to what you claim he means, but indicative of the sort of ruthless disregard for the truth that characterised Pol Pot and prompted him to engage in enormous massacres.
It is not Roberts, happily wiser than he was in the days when the government of which he was a member was supporting Pol Pot on the Thai border, who practises the politics of “lying until it is true” but yourself.
And you do it again here, repeating the completely unsubstantiated smear that I am a “fan’ of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. No doubt you imagine that eventually someone else will believe that you have any evidence.
If I imagined that you had the tiniest understanding of history I would point out to you that you are practising Goebbels’ tactics, on a daily basis: telling lies, repeating them, adding to them and smearing those with whom you disagree, without being to argue reasonably, with your lies.
There is no reason for you to behave in this way. There is no reason why, if you cannot add anything to a discussion you should not just listen, perhaps make a note to look into the subject and keep you own counsel.
Bear in mind that what occasioned your comment was a piece Roberts had written on Saudi Arabia. You add nothing to what he says, you merely distract from a debate which might have made us all wiser.
And that is trolling.
Another long winded denial of the truth. Roberts’ opinion piece was crystal clear in its implications. You linked to it. Roberts’ piece which you linked to was on the subject of South American states’ subversion by US imperial interests, get it straight.
You fail to address the issue of his complicity as a member of that heinous government in the crimes Pinter alluded to. This seems a tad remiss of you considering your perpetual state of high dudgeon over the ‘Crimes of Empire’. An explanation please.
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/04/11/washington-continues-to-destroy-latin-american-reformers-paul-craig-roberts/
What was that about the Guardian’s disregard for the truth you were blathering about to somebody else? Christ you’ve got some front.
Jim
I guess we disagree on many things, but am happy to see that we agree on the “merits” of Dr Paul Craig Roberts – on whom I have had occasion to post on several occasions.
PCR, as a “source”, is in the same category as the dubious websites that are often referenced on here.
I’m not on your side, go away.
Jim
There is no “Habbabkuk side” or official line. Hence you can agree with me on individual questions, can you not?
Anyway, whether you like it or not, we agree on the egregious Dr Paul Craig Roberts.
Sorry if that gets you into further trouble with those who are quick to call you a “troll” 🙂
“There is no “Habbabkuk side” or official line.”
_____________
Say Habb, who openly admitted that he was keeping a vigilant eye on CM’s blog.
Again I ask the spy in the camp, for whom is your Argus eyes, spying for?
Jim.
I also recall, when the Belgian airport was “bombed” Habb, commented that he’d reported to the proper authorities anyone commenting contrary to the official narrative.
If there’s no “agenda” then why do such a thing?
His deleted comment to Tony (sorry about my intemperate reply, also deleted) really pissed me off. Uncalled for snide bile, I’ve finally seen the light regarding the creature!
Your use of inverted commas round “bombed” is interesting, RoS.
But I realise you’re just having fun again and trying to provoke me. 🙂
Lizards or not David Ike made the other 3 look like halfwits. BTW Portillo claimed to disbelieve ALL conspiracy theories, especially the Westminster pedophile CT, except for the Hillsborough aftermath CT.
https://youtu.be/S1XP6eGzsSA
OK but what does that say about the other three one of whom is a BBC employee, ex newspaper editor and the other an Ex MP… the woman. Who’s she?
Nothing, it’s just funny.
A little OT but I find it worthwhile to exhume the continental bigotry from time to time. although I have forged some long-term connections with those across the Pond, I find it somewhat disconcerting that educated, cultural icons, in their own minds, dismiss the opinions, attitudes and beliefs of the Colonists who sometimes comment. I always thought Europe was old, therefore culturally and socially elite. Was I wrong?
oops. I think I dropped a dirt-clod in the churn. How inappropriate and rude. Many excuses.
Old doesn’t mean good, new doesn’t mean better.
IOW’s ‘Say hello to the new boss, same as the old boss’? Being a helpless romantic, I should say I object to the objectivity.
Blue Tory
http://www.pickabook.co.uk/9781781857472.aspx
puke
A fantastic ‘getting your own back’ song for anyone angry at Imperial arrogance :
https://youtu.be/cBGkhPx529g
Wish I could sing and play guitar like Paul.
Let’s face it, the world is going down the tubes whoever wins the US election.
I’m heading for New Zealand in the hope of avoiding the holocaust..
Been reading ‘On the Beach’ Trowbridge? I remember my dad telling me when my folks emigrated to Oz in ’61 that there were quite a few folk off to Tasmania because of reading that book, and the feeling of doom in the air generally.
Trowbridge H.Ford
You won’t escape the storm, by heading to New Zealand, according to Edward Snowden.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/05/new-zealand-spying-on-pacific-allies-for-five-eyes-and-nsa-snowden-files-show
Right, Jim, but we only escaped armageddon at least thrice during the Cold War – i. e., during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and when JFK and Olof Palme were assassinated.
Think our luck has run out with too many leaders acting as mere loons about how dangerous the world has become.
Yep, I don’t like to think about how perilously easy it would all be to end up in Dr Strangelove land! You’ve gotta laugh. ?
Talking of On the Beach, this is a suitably downbeat one off Neil’s album of the same name. Vampire blues is pretty post-apocalyptic too, off the same album. I’m sure they’re all known to you anyway. ?
https://youtu.be/vxUbzH38OvM
See the Sky about to rain.
For full gloomathon this is the killer though! :
https://youtu.be/CKgj1FNToWY
Just think of the most narrow escapes, Jim – i. e., Nikita backing down when he realized that JFK would be forced to go to war if he didn’t, the shooters not shooting straight in Dallas and hitting Connally too, apparently by mistake, and all the Soviet spies, especially Rick Ames,so fearing a nuclear disaster that they helped prevent it.
All we have now is loony narcissists.
Opmoc
“God’s chosen people?
God did not choose you slugs – check out your history. No one can stand you.”
______________________
Don’t forget to renew your subscription to “Der Stuermer”, will you.
Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)
It’s a nice sunny day here. Are you permanently plugged in like that bloke in Dr Strangelove?
I’ve never heard of Der Stuermer. I see you have. I just didn’t realise you were that old. It ceased publication in 1945.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_St%C3%BCrmer
Have a nice day,
Tony
Opmoc
I’m sure our Transatlantic Friend would be happy to enlighten you about “Der Stuermer”, he’s referred to it a few times on here.
If he does do so, you will understand better my reaction to your deplorable remark about the Jews, viz:
“God’s chosen people?
God did not choose you slugs – check out your history. No one can stand you.”
Shame on you.
With you on that one Habbs, only just seen that.
Glad to hear that, Jim. You should always read carefully what I say – I would (immodestly) say there is often much to learn and my eagle eye misses nothing. 🙂
I wouldn’t go that far Habbs, that sounds a tad megalomaniacal. The Sanders thing I haven’t bothered replying to is pretty desperate stuff!
If I have ever referred to Der Stuermer here, I can’t say that I remember doing so.
But the resident snitch is known for keeping Stasi-like (or, in this connection, should I say Gestapo-like files?) files oh all of us.
Why don’t you just fuck off Habbs.
“Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has warned that the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group is preparing for a terror attack it during the upcoming Euro 2016 soccer tournament to in France.”
“The head of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen, made the remarks in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper on Friday, adding that he has no hard evidence on where or when the attack is set to happen.”
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/28/467734/Germany-Daesh-Nusra-Front-Euro-2016-France
So there’s no “hard” evidence to back up the claim, but hey it sure does make a good scare story. Are we being prepared for an event? One that could be traced back to Syria or Libya, Yemen, or whatever sovereign nation, that needs Nato boots on the ground, in the half crazed eyes of the multiple Dr Strangelove’s that now inhabits Nato, the self appointed world police force.
No doubt some sort of event will take place during the Euros, we’ve already witnessed the training exercises at Manchester, and there’s no shortage of brainwashed Wahhabists floating around Europe willing to carry out Saudi orders.
Finally France, has been absolutely primed in my opinion, primed to expect another event, an event that might just tip the seesaw of ill feeling towards the immigrant population.
Well I think we know what to expect from Hilary Clinton, on Syria and Iran if/when she becomex POTUS, I suppose this just confirms that she’s an ardent supporter of a stronger Israel, at a cost to other nations.
https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/18328#efmADMAFf
http://newobserveronline.com/clinton-destroy-syria-israel/
” Home Secretary Theresa May said many British Muslims “benefit a great deal” from living under Sharia law while launching an investigation into any possible “mistreatment of women” under the separate legal system.”
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=54885
It could that the Home Secretary is just playing to the gallery, trying not to upset the Muslim community. I for one see no benefit in using a strict arcane and sometime brutal law, it has no place in the UK.
“One study published by the think-tank Civitas almost seven years ago estimated that there were more than 85 Sharia bodies operating in Britain but there is no official estimate.”
I can see why an investigation into the wide use of Sharia law would be required by the Westminster government. The problem lies in how to deal with it.
I think that you will find that many communities, regulate and arbitrate amongst themselves using their own ‘legal’ systems.
Provided that all parties are willing to submit to, for example, the judgments of their pastors or elders who are we to object?
It is something that has been going on, within close knit communities, for centuries, and saves society at large much expense and bother.
Provide that nothing illegal-for example honour killing or assault- results it is really nobody else’s business.
This puts me in mind of some scholarly articles I’ve come across in the Journal of Saudi American Anthropology. Very remote communities with arcane but very successful systems which many would find hard to comprehend. I can’t find the links now sadly.
“Provide that nothing illegal-for example honour killing or assault- results it is really nobody else’s business.”
________________
Yes Bevin I agree, that many “sub-cultures” for lack of better words exist inside nations. It is of course your above sentence that hinges on whether or not toleration is the appropriate way forward.
Is enough known about Sharia law and its punishments, do they fit the crimes, if they can be considered crimes, in the wider community.
“A sad day for Sweden. A sad day for the Nordic countries. A sad day for peace.”
“On May 25th Riksdagen (the Swedish National Assembly) sacrificed the Swedish neutrality policy by joining the NATO Host Country Agreement. This happened almost without any public debate. Popular protests and 41 300 signatures have been swept aside by Riksdagen.”
“The Agreement makes Sweden a possible host country for aggressive NATO exercises during peacetime. In addition, the Swedish government may allow NATO to invade the country if a crisis or a conflict should occur. Inevitably, Sweden will become directly involved in NATO’s armament proliferation and their aggressive provocations against Russia. Large-scale fleet exercises in the Baltic Sea will further increase the danger of confrontation and war.”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/sweden-dumps-neutrality-signs-major-agreement-with-nato/5527596
I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised by Swedish actions, afterall Sweden has been kowtowing to the US (over the Assange affair) for years now.
“A sad day for Sweden…” Forget Sweden, Sweden has embraced collective insanity. Their insanity is so all pervading that it is difficult to describe.
Listen to their inane bleating about tolerance, inclusion, multi-cultural garbage and all the rest of it. Then consider that they are housing refugees on a luxury cruise liner, at the same time as people are taking to inflatable dingy’s and risking all in perilous journeys across the med.
Come on you disadvantaged masses – take a few more life threatening risks and if you manage to survive a land of milk and honey awaits you in Sweden. Of course Sweden has no intention of doing anything to actually protect human life outside of Sweden, Sweden has no intention of recognizing that it is providing incentives for people to engage in massive risk. Sweden has no intention of recognizing that it is playing a full role in ramping up the pressure on southern European states.
The educational performance of Swedes is dropping like a stone. Is it any wonder when lunatic Swedes claim that they can provide a home to migrants without recognizing that the population of Africa alone increases by 80 million per year. So how is that going to work out, does anyone really think that population of Sweden is going to rise to the 100’s of millions within a few years.
Of course it is not, At some point the oh so caring Swedes are going say “OK we have had our fun, we have salved our manufactured conscience – the rest of them will just have to die”
Oh yes this is Sweden, we are so not racist except when it comes to dealing with the mestizo Rafael Correa – screw you, we are Sweden and we intend obeying no laws whatsoever when it comes to our dealings with people like you.
You appear to have it in for the Swedes, Loony.
Nothing to do with the Assange case, I trust?
41,000 signatures, eh?
Not bad for a country with a population of a tad under 10 millions.
But, hey, that’s (Parliamentary) democracy for you! 🙂