I, Daniel Blake 773


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.


Allowed HTML - you can use: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

773 thoughts on “I, Daniel Blake

1 2 3 4 5 6
    • bevin

      I’m nor sure what your problem with Sanders is. He seems to me to be something of a breath of, if not fresh then, old fashioned New Deal air.
      Of course he is very soggy when it comes to Palestine. Perhaps that is what you mean?

      • RobG

        Sanders is more to the right than Ronald Reagan.

        Perhaps it’s because we now live in a neo-con lunatic asylum that many people don’t realise this.

  • Republicofscotland

    “Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ayoub Kara has acknowledged to have paid a clandestine visit to Syria’s Aleppo, which is under the control of foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists.”

    “Late last month, Syrian officials and locals confiscated a vehicle loaded with Israeli-manufactured weapons in the southern province of Suwayda.”

    http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/29/467949/Israel-Kara-Syria-Aleppo

    Why would a Israeli minister sneak in and out of Syria? Why would Israel supply the anti-Assad regime?

    Well Israel really wants all of the Golan Heights, and probably parts of Western Syria to boot.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Whilst the Translation from French into English is not completely perfect – the content is exceedingly interesting if you want to know what our supposed World Leaders have been up to since 1975.

    I reckon Thierry Meyssan might make World Journalist of The Year 2016 – on this form.

    O.K. – He’s French – no one’s perfect – the stuff he writes is spell bounding – and he doesn’t make it up unlike our detritus who work for The Sun, The Telegraph, The Mail – and The BBC

    “G7, the summit of Western hypocrisy by Thierry Meyssan”

    http://www.voltairenet.org/article192049.html

    Extracts…

    “In this photograph, which was banned from publication in a number of countries, we see President Dmitri Medvedev drunk at the 2011 summit.”
    © Voltaire Network

    “Of the 9 official members of the G7, 2 have a double voice – the United States can count on the President of the European Commission, the Luxemburger Jean-Claude Juncker, who was obliged to resign from his functions as Prime Minister after it was revealed that he belonged to the Gladio network (NATO secret services). As for Germany, it counts on the President of the European Council, the Pole Donald Tusk, whose family has been linked to the Merkel family since the beginning of the Cold War.”

    (If you don’t know what The Gladio Network was – then you probably don’t know about the death of Aldo Moro. It doesn’t matter if you are The Prime Minister – of say Italy – if they don’t like you – The CIA will kill you).

    “From now on, the G7 is no more than a simple formatting class, where the United States and Germany indicate the language fomulae that their vassals are required to adopt.”

    Now come on – do you seriously think that – David William Donald Cameron – could have any influence whatsoever on any of these people? (I assume they are human). Even when he is photographed amongst them – especially if Putin is there – he looks (now how should I put it politely) “extremely uncomfortable”.

    Cameron has got a crap job. Sometimes, I almost feel sorry for him. He may not be a “Natural” complete and utter psycho unlike Anthony Charles Lynton Blair – who obviously enjoyed it,

    Tony

    • Habbabkuk (a stitch in time saves nine)

      I would advise anyone who might be tempted to take Opmoc’s silliness at face value to read about Monsieur Thierry Meyssan on, eg, Wikipedia.

      There you will find mention of various of his beliefs and theories, which will convince you that the man’s a nutter.

      Why, even the serious hard left doesn’t take the man seriously.

      +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      (cue for Republicofscotland to pop up for a teasing defence of T.M. 🙂 )

    • Tony_0pmoc

      Republicofscotland,

      Yeh – but that is all relatively mild “UK” schoolboy stuff…they might seriously dislike each other…but they have no plans to kill each other (well not so far as I know)

      What you need to realise is that – they are all very seriously constrained – about what can actually get published – and they also have this other problem (most of them – are a bit thick – not exactly the brightest light in the pig trough – whilst they are all pissing in the same pot (with the possible exception of Mhairi Black))

      The more important question – if you have any real interest in what was formerly known as Democracy – is what can be done – to ensure a fair result in the forthcoming EU Referendum…

      It seems to me – that using various techniques – the most obvious are those that were used in The Scottish Referendum – and those that Craig Murray has already written about – interference in the postal vote system – wide open to massive corruption – by those who can gain access (inside job?)

      I realise my perception is anecdotal (most of my friends are much the same age as me – despite the fact that we often have completely different political views – on the rare occasions that such things are discussed) – but also just by casual random observation of the Internet..

      It seems to me about 75-25 not 50-50

      Now I won’t display any political bias by indicating which way I am going to vote – and maybe my perception is wrong – but be honest

      what do you reckon?

      I reckon they will bend the result – and there is nothing we can do to stop them.

      Well you Scottish didn’t manage it – and some of you are quite lairy

      Tony

    • fred

      Yes the BBC showing their bias again. All that coverage of the Tory bus and not a word about Nicola’s helicopter. If the bus was local expenses not national then the helicopter was local expenses not national, wasn’t it?

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Ref my earlier comment – which I made from memory

    “(If you don’t know what The Gladio Network was – then you probably don’t know about the death of Aldo Moro. It doesn’t matter if you are The Prime Minister – of say Italy – if they don’t like you – The CIA will kill you).”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1581425/US-envoy-admits-role-in-Aldo-Moro-killing.html

    By Malcolm Moore in Rome

    12:01AM GMT 11 Mar 2008

    An American envoy has claimed that he played a critical role in the fate of Aldo Moro, the former Italian prime minister who was murdered by terrorists in 1978.

    Steve Pieczenik, an international crisis manager and hostage negotiator in the State Department, said that Moro had been “sacrificed” for the “stability” of Italy.

    In a new book called We Killed Aldo Moro, Mr Pieczenik said he was sent to Italy by President Jimmy Carter on the day that Moro was kidnapped by the Red Brigades, a far-Left terrorist group.

    Moro, who had been prime minister for a total of more than five years between 1963 and 1976, was snatched at gunpoint from his car in Rome.”

    Fill in the gaps.

    No wonder Cameron looks like that in their company.

    Tony

    • Please Free Me From American Insanity

      Can you blame Russia when the Yanks are so damned paranoid? America, the most frightened country on earth, and the only one to have ever used nuclear weapons.

    • nevermind

      Indeed Colin and those contemplating leaving the EU and its vital interests in Europe and Eurasia should wake up to the fact that we can’t continue with the strategy of perpetuating the war on terror
      That we must provide in future, hence safeguard our own energy interests and food supplies. We are neglecting both, for example, and I have been going on about this a bit, building a wash barrier with tidal energy turbines and a lock system. This would end the uncertainty of unproven dangerous new nuclear power stations and get on with saving a 4-6billion fresh food industry operating in our Fenlands and supplying 1/5 of our national fresh food supplies.

      So we have to work with Gazprom for some time to come, have to realise that fracking will not bring down energy prices, and looking at the desperation of the US to provide cheap energy, frack the hell out of our landscapes here.

      Non of our Tory’s seem to realise that we can’t take it away from Russia by wars, or fake humanitarian bombing, that we must have a relationship of sorts with them, as hard as this might be for the empiricists and self servers, but only by diplomatic means and cooperation will a future be secured for us here in Europe.

      http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/germany-considering-an-easing-of-russia-sanctions-a-1094585.html

      Maybe now you understand why we want a united EU and a peace and defence force here in Europe, that NATO, arms twisted behind its back by the US, can’t use its war methods here in Europe, it is a rogue organisation and we should withdraw our support.

      • YouKnowMyName

        I think we have a united Europe, well, large parts of the EU are united [in malevolence] according to a Blog who has been forensically analysing the May 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in depth – contrasting the difference in the respective national People’s televote with their respective national Broadcaster ‘Jury’ vote. SCIENCE, I like science. . .

        picture here https://ludwitt.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/screen-shot-2016-05-16-at-10-34-26-am.png

        Blue bits are where the EU nations’ Broadcasters that magically voted with a very high difference between RU/UA & favoured Russia.
        Yellow bits are where the EU nations’ Broadcasters favoured Ukraine. Allegedly some evidence of NATO bloc-votes in this apolitical arena.

        to save you d/loading the image file (potentially hazardous if you worry about that sort of thing, chaps) – here are the Jury votes that favoured the old-enemy Russia in text:

        France, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Austria, Malta, Spain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, Albania, Iceland, Montenegro, Greece, Cyprus (BOLD were the maximum possible pro-RU & zero to UA)

        and here are the results of the Vote Ukraine Juries:

        Poland, Georgia, Denmark, Macedonia, Israel, Slovenia, Serbia, Italy, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Bosnia, Switzerland, Latvia, Moldova, San Marino, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia. (BOLD were the maximum possible pro-UA & zero to Russia)

        Neutral or scared?
        Czechia, Finland, Hungary and Ireland Juries voted for neither song – whilst their televoting populace did, often very highly. Again quite a surprise, perhaps they Juries weren’t wishing to ‘play’

        according to this deep analysis https://ludwitt.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/analysis-and-conclusions-from-the-eurovision-2016-voting-an-initial-look/

        only the Broadcasters juries of Bosnia, Latvia, Moldova, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iceland and surprisingly Sweden seemed to actually have voted on the musical merits of the two songs in question, to have actually listened to the music instead of voting patterns “resembling Gymnastics scoring during the [last] Cold War”

        And finally, here’s NATO’s comment – as I like to show all sides, not just the ‘Putin comic book villain’ but also the official NATO position, for balance:

        https://twitter.com/nato/status/732585655054766081 (caution: Godwin’s law-horizon approaches fast)

    • Laguerre

      “Some reliably non-partisan information for the less credulous.”

      You mean another highly partisan website. It stank from the second paragraph where he started wittering on about “barrel bombs”. The use of the expression “barrel bombs” means American bombing good, Syrian bombing bad.

      • Jim

        I’ll take the word of Peter Tatchell any day over some random guy called Laguerre trying to smear him and his concerns for the voices of people like Osama Nassar. Don’t tell me, you work with Refugees and they all love Bashar. There, saved you having to trot out that line again.

        • Habbabkuk (a stitch in time saves nine)

          Jim

          Laguerre may “work” with refugees (although he hasn’t said with what refugees and what his work consists of) but it appears he has some sort of teaching position in French higher education.

          One shudders to think of the extreme left-wing treacherous anti-Western poison he doles out to his poor students.

          • Jim

            The Bevin’s of this world nauseate me Habbs. I’m quite a lefty at heart, but these creatures are enough to turn me bloody Tory. Curse the very thought!

          • Habbabkuk (be careful...)

            You must understand that people like “Bevin” are

            1/. extremists

            2/. cowards (I’ m sure they ever talk to eg their workmates or people down at the pub in the same way as they talk on here).

            They’re totally rejected by the healthy, vigourous elements in society – as is shown by the pathetically small numbers of votes candidates from their extremist parties get at elections.

          • Resident Dissident

            JIm

            It was ever thus – they are just continuing a long tradition of ersatz lefties from the days of Lenin and Stalin and probably before that. George Orwell had their number. All progress attributed to the Left is despite these creatures. I very much doubt that they can identify a single longstanding political achievement that can be attributed to their style of politics – lots of what they will see as gallant failures thwarted by those they hate but no achievements.

          • Jim

            Eloquently put Res Dis. It’s nice to hear a voice of sanity in this asylum. I really must take a break for my own well being. At least their foul lies and delusion are on display in public.

          • Jim

            And you too Habbs! Bezzie’s again, even if we are probably nowhere close politically, I’ll have ten of you over the Bevin’s of this world. ?

    • Republicofscotland

      Jim.

      Oh I don’t know Jim, Icke aside, what makes you think the other sites are less credible than say Syria 360 ? Of course your link reports on the usual anti-Assad barrel bomb stuff, no surprise there then.

      However here a different view is taken.

      “We invite GR readers to review the video and images below and make up their own mind as to what is happening in Syria.”

      “There is a mass movement across the country against foreign interference. This mass movement is not being reported by the Western media.”

      “The Syrian population does not support the “freedom fighters” recruited and trained in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.”

      “What is at stake is the sovereignty and survival of a country with a longstanding history. This movement also includes people who are opposed to the Syrian government.”

      “The Syrian people are fully aware that Washington is supporting Al Qaeda. They know that this is a US sponsored insurgency and that the rebels who are killing civilians are mercenaries.”

      “They are fully aware that this is a war of aggression which is intent upon destroying their country.”

      Report by Syria 360

      “Thousands of Syrians went out in massive rallies in various areas and cities on Thursday in support of Syrian national principles and staunch support to the Syrian Arab Army.”

      “Thousands from Qudsayya, al-Dimas and al-Sabboura areas in Damascus countryside gathered in a massive popular rally in Qudsayya area to show support to the Syrian army operations against the armed terrorist groups and national principles.”

      http://www.globalresearch.ca/syrians-across-the-country-say-no-to-terrorism-and-foreign-interference/5369958

      Next Jim you’ll be saying, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, is a impartial organisation.

      • Jim

        It’s called dissembling RoS. No-one is doubting the horrific nature and horrendous complexity of the proxy war. I’m interested in the voices of the poor bastards like Osama Nassar and his comrades whose brief optimistic chance of change was so quickly snuffed out by that war. I’ll keep on repeating it until you get it. It’s s very simple thing to understand but you seem incredibly resistant to seeing it. Your geo-political critique and ‘big picture’ analysis may give you a feeling of omnipotence or something, but as Osama Nassar said in the Amnesty International profile, he and his friends are desperate for their voices to be acknowledged. You are showing them scant respect, worse than that, are complicit in their suffering. Do you understand that?

        • Republicofscotland

          No Jim, it’s called agitating, Saul Alinsky, would be proud of your efforts, you’ve made your point over Mr Nassar for the umpteenth time. Of course if you wish to keep banging that particular drum, that’s your perogative. But the more you bang the less it will be heard.

          I’d imagine that if you’d put as much energy into actually doing something constructive about Mr Nassar’s predicament than you do harping on and “dissembling” in here, then you’d probably receive more favourable comments.

          Alas I fear your humanitarian endeavours (if we can call them that) stretch no further than the length of your keyboard.

          As for my choice of links well that’s my perogative.

          • Jim

            Your Guardian link was impressive wasn’t it RoS? Really bolstered your case.

      • Jim

        Jesus, global fucking research again, just seen that. You’re beyond help. But I’ll keep trying.

  • nevermind

    Some immigrants from Vietnam and Albania were said to land in Sea Palling on the Norfolk coast, if they weren’t caught at sea by the Dutch. We must expect that some will try desperate measures to try and get here.

    The UK is the third highest contributor to the EU and for that money, should expect to take at least 150.000 refugees from Syria and Libya, both bombed with venom,.
    But here we are sitting around, discussing the amount of refugees Norfolk could take, they are smarting at 50 altogether, whilst not grappling with housing, education, language tuition and social services for these people. The inabilities to show some remorse and or feeling for these people, always mixed up by the papers and public with immigrants, the crass difference between rich and poor immigrants, all makes for one stark reality.

    you are little Englanders who still get disturbed by empirical dreams at night, the roaring twenties…. oh what a lovely war…. and look at Liz Hurley on come dancing… come on our boys in blue… but don’t come here.

    Don’t think there ever was a more bratish behaviour from an EU country.

  • Macky

    Oh look !

    Dim Jim can’t understand why an organisation called “Stop The War” isn’t keen to listen to people advocating War !!

    • Jim

      Listening to the voices of people like Osama Nassar is not ‘advocating war’. More dissembling from Mr Macky….Next!

          • Macky

            That you are an odious Troll, incapable of serious debate, here just to put people off from visiting this Blog, just like your sinister doppelganger, the equally odious Habbu-Clown Troll.

          • Jim

            So you keep telling me. I like the delusion about your debating abilities by the way! ?

        • Jim

          And you were not merely referring to the perfectly legitimate link I provided for Bevin and John Spencer-Davis to examine their consciences over, you were attempting to conflate the message that Osama Nassar and his comrades wish to bring to the worlds attention with ‘advocating war’. Gross dissembling dishonesty. Again.

          • Macky

            Give it up Dim Jim, you aren’t fooling anybody with an ounce of honest commonsense; you would have to be missing a brain not to able to see through you.

          • Habbabkuk (a stitch in time saves nine)

            Macky

            In time you will learn – as you learnt with me – that you shouldn’t cross swords with Jim, you will simply end up looking more foolish than when you started.

            You’re yesterday’s Eminence, a never-was apology for a has-been.

            Begone!

    • Jim

      No anti-Brexit agenda there then Macks! Keep up the good work, I’m sure you’ll be well rewarded. ?

        • nevermind

          Although I will have no vote, I’m a lucky chap because many people are turned off and don’t want to vote.
          I shall vote with history and for Europe were our interests lie. And I hope that all the Daniel Blakes of this world will soon realise that its pitchfork time.

          • Resident Dissident

            So like Bevin you are another expat I presume interfering in the affairs of a country you have deserted in between dispensing lectures on others interfering in the affairs of the regimes that you favour.

    • fred

      If Remain win and the Brexit supporters start demanding another referendum would that be democratic?

      • nevermind

        Well Fred, democracy is a malleable, but the measure applied is ‘within one generation’ so they say.
        But would the cosy coalition between kippers and large rich landowners be able to wait that long?

        • nevermind

          If it rains on the 23rd. June and the Brexit postal votes have it, would it be fair to demand another Referendum?

        • fred

          Logic would dictate a referendum for major constitutional change should be only once a generation.

          So if David is deposed and Boris gets the crown and he starts declaring “referendum within two years” the majority who voted Remain would not be being treated fairly. That would be the action of a dictator not a democrat.

          • Jim

            You think it likely that Cameron would be deposed in favour of Johnson in the case of a Remain win?

          • fred

            “Achtung Johnson is not a very logical character Fred.”

            Of course he isn’t logical he’s a nationalist. If there are enough like him in the Conservatives determined no Turks are going to be allowed into Britain they could well decide to depose David and hold another referendum.

  • nevermind

    very cute question Jim, Cameron will go whatever decision, due to his being in charge of electoral fraud in possibly 29 Constituencies, for being caught out cheating.

    How would politics have looked like if the election had resulted in another coalition? not the storm troopers of cuts and austerity. Moreover, can one just walk away from breaking the law as if nothing has happened?

    • Jim

      No, but the implication I took from Fred’s postulation was that Cameron could be deposed because of the Remain win itself. It wasn’t clear what he was implying. Not trying to be cute.

      • Jim

        And if there was, say a General election due to voting fraud, anything could happen. Jeremy could be in no.10! Not sure of implications for re-run by-elections though, too complicated for my little brain. ?

        • nevermind

          Every GE ios marked by electoral fraud Jim, no hard feelings, not many care much about it, too busy with life, so whether its by-elections which have no spending limits, or a GE which will cost us all 300million, it is only a farcical notion
          going through the motion, it will change nothing, the status quo will remain the same, tax evasion, austerity and zero interest rates for some time to come, so do not save, spend spend spend, Osborne’s numbers depend on it.

          oh dear, now I have turned myself off politics for today……. (:o)

      • fred

        I was just wondering if the people who think the situation we have in Scotland is fair and democratic would think the same should it happen with the Brexit referendum. If they decided to just keep on holding referendums till the people gave the answer they wanted.

        • nevermind

          There is nothing wrong with referenda, Fred, I only wish we would use modern means that don’t cost us the earth. We all have NI numbers, so what’s wrong with an electoral database that gives you one vote only, in return for your NI number and another number like your postal code or tel. number. Multiple votes with the same number or random numbers would be cancelled, so fraud can be detected.

          I’m no computer buff, but such a system could not be that complicated. Any party that obstructs or dismisses forms of modern voting and choice of representatives should really wake up to the 21st century.
          It was MP’s who did not want us to have a choice of electoral systems, it was their single worst possible option we voted on, because they could not stomach the end of safe seats in a proportional system, they need insufficient systems to keep themselves in power.

          Switzerland has referenda all the time Fred, and they take part in them.

          • MJ

            “I’m no computer buff, but such a system could not be that complicated”

            A problem with it is that it may be susceptible to hacking and fraud of a different kind.

          • fred

            “There is nothing wrong with referenda, Fred,”

            There is something wrong with lying bastards who say “once in a lifetime” before the referendum and then decide they can move the goalposts after they lose and think up any feeble excuse they can for another referendum.

    • Jim

      Linking to the Guardian yourself now eh Macks? Persistent little devil aren’t we!

    • YouKnowMyName

      Thanks Macky, the glorious 77th twitter feed is not too bad: https://twitter.com/77th_brigade

      lots of nice pictures, doesn’t mention Putin once, Russia gets six mentions, Ukraine two votes, Daesh rate thirty comments in the last month or so – looks like overtly they are going after ISIS/ISIL/IL. . .etc (they mention “IS” over three hundred times – but perhaps that is confused slightly with the 3rd person singular present indicative of the verb ‘to be’ )

      One of the Russian mentions is the recurring idiotic “XXXX will invade YYYY tomorrow, fer sure” so a bit of harmless light propaganda, but as I said, the photos are nice!

      Another website https://britisharmedforcesreview.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/the-security-assistance-group-now-the-77th-brigade/

      claims that they aren’t trolling/psywar – but are just evolving from these groups

      a re-branding/re-naming of the Security Assistance Group, with units:
      The Media Operations Group (MOG)
      The Security Capacity Building Team (SCBT)
      15 Psychological Operations Group (15 POG)
      Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG). . .

      and whilst they don’t do psyops, er. . . they might do a little bit, if needed for ‘stability’ of something or other

      These paragraphs thus show that the SAG and now the 77th Brigade is not a unit for psychological warfare, no matter what some on wikipedia or the mainstream or social media claim it to be. Yes, as shown above and below, several of the units are dedicated to psychological warfare, but this is not their only goal nor is it the primary mission of 77th Brigade.

      did I mention the nice pictures? ( I like this one on information gathering techniques, similar to BBC2 springwatch? ) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiVaVx6WwAMhTUR.jpg:large

  • Macky

    @YouKnowMyName,

    That last photo may well be Dim Jim & Habbu_Clown playing toy soldiers ! 😀

    • Jim

      Hardly be Brit army wallah with my background Macks! Have you any, even a scintilla, of empathy with people like Osama Nassar and his friends by the way? Just out of interest. They have lived under the boot of cuddly Mr Assad and his family for decades. Forget the proxy war for a minute, and just put yourself in their shoes. Have you a shred of human compassion? Just out of interest.

      • Macky

        Plenty of empathy Dear Dim Jim, for people like Osama Nassar, but nothing except contempt for fakes like you that try to use their suffering for war-mongering. You’re so transparently hopeless, maybe you should try to do something that you are actually good at ?

        • Jim

          Your empathy extends to trying to silence their voice then? The Stop the War coalition have been quite effective at that. Have you been trying hard on this forum to get the famous war-monger Peter Tatchell’s message to a wider audience? You may well have. I haven’t seen the evidence though, amongst the Moons of Alabama and Saker links from yourself and your chums.

        • Jim

          No-fly zones are the equivalent of bombing? Devastating evidence there Macks! He’s a veritable monster! Thanks for that, I’m totally convinced of your watertight case against the complete bastard.

          • Macky

            Dim Jim, Why don’t you try asking some Libyans if No-fly zones are the equivalent of bombing , you know the ones whose country was destroyed because warmongers like Thatchell advocated for “No Fly Zones” ?

          • Jim

            The case for Peter Tatchell as a war-monger has about as much credibility as your supposed empathy for Osama Nassar and his friends, the evidence for which, in the form of advocacy on this forum, I am still waiting. Calling for no-fly zones and blaming Peter Tatchell for consequences related to the machinations of Nation States geopolitical interests is puerile dissembling. Again. If you knew the first thing about a superb human being like Peter Tatchell you would be crimson-faced with shame at impugning his reputation.

    • Jim

      His reputation has been traduced horrifically by the lowlife hard left in recent times. They no absolutely no shame. Bevin and the Magisterial Davis and their ilk are utterly beyond the pale. Peter Tatchell is and remains a true hero of the left, unlike the ideologically intransigent creatures trying to destroy him.

  • Republicofscotland

    “Turkey has threatened to quit a deal with the European Union (EU) to stem the flow of refugees if its citizens are not granted visa-free travel to the 28-nation bloc.”

    “Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a group of journalists at the southern holiday resort of Antalya on Monday that it was “impossible” for Ankara to meet Brussels’ demands in exchange for visa-free travel to the Schengen zone.”

    “We have told them ‘we are not threatening you’ but there’s a reality. We have signed two deals with you (the EU) and both are interlinked,” the minister said, stressing, “This is not a threat but what is required from an agreement.”

    http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/30/468128/Turkey-EU-Mevlut-Cavusoglu-Erdogan-Schengen

    I for one don’t want Turkey, (ruled by a quasi-dictator) obtaining membership of the EU, allowing 74 million Turks to move across Europe, the majority of the Turkish land mass lies in Asia, combine this with Erdogan’s action in Syria, one could say, Turkish membership of the EU, is a bad idea.

  • Republicofscotland

    This seems rather interesting.

    “The FBI is ready to indict Hillary Clinton and if its recommendation isn’t followed by the U.S. attorney general, the agency’s investigators plan to blow the whistle and go public with their findings, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay tells Newsmax TV.”

    “I have friends that are in the FBI and they tell me they’re ready to indict,” DeLay said Monday on “The Steve Malzberg Show.”

    “They’re ready to recommend an indictment and they also say that if the attorney general does not indict, they’re going public.”

    “Clinton is under FBI investigation for her use of a private server to conduct confidential government business while she was secretary of state. But some Republicans fear any FBI recommendation that hurts Clinton will be squashed by the Obama administration.
    DeLay, a Texas Republican and Washington Times radio host, said:”

    “One way or another either she’s going to be indicted and that process begins, or we try her in the public eye with her campaign. One way or another she’s going to have to face these charges.”

    Read more: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/breaking-fbi-is-ready-to-indict-hillary-rodham-clinton/#ixzz4AGGpQzu6

  • Macky

    @Habba-Clown, Decided to crawled out from under your bridge ? Put back on your other troll hat, at least making a fool of “Dim Jim” has a fresher appeal than exposing you for the odious Clown that you are.

    • Republicofscotland

      Macky.

      A word to the wise, you must know by now how the games played, Jim professes to dislike Habb. Yet Habb tucks in behind his slipstream, so to speak, to bolster his comments, mainly on Bevin and you, I wonder why?

      Hmm……

      If you get into a slagging match over whose link is more credulous, you’ve lost, don’t, just post the link, others will read it, remember there’s a whole army of lurkers out there, who’ll decide for themselves if what you post is in a small way meaningful.

      Bevin if you’re around, the same applies to you.

      • Jim

        Macky’s links were more dissembling (and failed at that, Tatchell is beyond reproach), to try and avoid the issue of his lack of evidence for his professed empathy for Osama Nassar, in case the finer points of the debate eluded you. Just thought I’d clear that up for you RoS. Macky thinks being reduced to homophobic slurs counts as a ‘win’ or something, quite delusional, but at least it’s on public display. Along with Bevin’s lies.

      • Jim

        Bevin is definitely still around! Probably engrossed deep in the study of Saudi American anthropology. Deciding which shade of mass murder appeals more, Stalin or the Pot.

  • Republicofscotland

    “They always say, “we don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Oh well…”

    “As news breaks that US NATO backed opposition leader, Mohammed Alloush [Jaish al Islam] has resigned in disgust that his terms are not being met in the Geneva peace talks, the media is struggling to conceal the Saudi, NATO and US control mechanisms that are in place to manoeuver their terrorist chess pieces across the war-against-Syria chessboard.”

    “Mohammed Alloush, the chief peace negotiator of the mainstream Syrian opposition has resigned from his post, following the failure of the UN-backed talks in Geneva. On 29 May, Alloush, who is a member of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, High Negotiations Committee (HNC), and a member of the rebel faction Jaysh al-Islam, said that peace talks failed to bring over a political transition or help millions of Syrians who are caught in the war.”

    Surely Nato aren’t thinking of cutting a peace deal with Assad still in power? I mean it’s not the Nato way the Nato way is “veni vidi vici” erm..but not in this case, I presume.

    It would appear Russian invited intervention, over Nato unmandated action in Syria, may stop the Syrian regime change in its tracks.

    http://21stcenturywire.com/2016/05/30/syria-peace-talks-mohammed-alloush-us-nato-terrorist-negotiator-resigns/

  • Martin Blank

    Plus most of the media are complicit in these crimes. The one time they bothered to report on a new set of cuts aimed at the most vulnerable, there was a massive public outcry, and rightly so. But the mainstream media should have been highlighting such punitive measures throughout this government’s tenure and that of the coalition – if they had, many lives would have been saved from sacrifice on the alter of rightwing tory ideology. The wave of hate against the most vulnerable in our ‘society’ has been stoked quite deliberately. How long (and even as I write this I still don’t want believe its a valid fear – but it is) before it is suggested by a rightwing ‘think-tank’ that the physically and mentally disabled are ‘euthenised’ because the country ‘can’t afford them’? I imagine many of you are aware of the infamous propaganda film, produced by a certain regime in Germany, in the mid 1930s, in which the idea was put forward as both a kindness and an easy way to save ‘700million Reichsmarks a year’ – those who scoff may wish to consider the years of propaganda we’ve seen against the poor, the disabled, those with mental health issues and the unemployed: ‘workers and shirkers’ ring a bell at all? We’ve seen a sharp increase in crimes against disabled people as a direct result of the attitude quite deliberately encouraged by the government and happily echoed by the tory press. We’ve seen cut after cut after cut to benefits the most vulnerable rely on, literally need to survive. The only cuts the wealthy have seen are to their tax rate and ditto corporations. The government have ignored the evidence the harm their cruel ideologically driven policies continue to cause – and that’s the worst part: they KNOW the damage, fear, poverty and death they are causing; they KNOW they are engaged in a class war unprecedented in modern times and they believe, so far correctly, that they can get away with it. Just look (if you can stomach it) at IDS; here’s a ‘man’ that obfuscated 6 ways from sunday to hide how many people his department (until recently) literally killed. A government hiding knowledge of how many people it has killed. I’ll say that again: a government hiding knowledge of how many people it has killed. There needs to be a reckoning. And soon.

    • lysias

      Actually, the German Propaganda Ministry waited until the war had started (and, with it, the T4 euthanasia program) before commissioning the film to which you refer. Ich klage an [I Accuse] was released in 1941. Herr H***** signed the decree that authorized Action T4 in October 1939, and it was backdated to the start of the war on September 1.

      • Martin Blank

        Thank you. I genuinely appreciate the correction. I confess I didn’t refresh my memory on that. I rarely comment anywhere but when it comes to issues close to my heart (and I lack much of the level of apparent political history knowledge demonstrated by some on here) I can get a little ‘lost in the moment’. As an idividual who falls within a group or two of those most hurt by years of damaging policies (but in a relatively secure personal position compared to many), I became less cowed and a great deal angrier some time ago. However its described, whatever euphemisms are used, policies aimed at hitting the most vulnerable the hardest in relative terms (oh dear, I feel a headache-making semantic argument coming even as I write that) are without any civilised justification. Perhaps, and I do say this respectfully as I’m sure I lack the requisite debating skills to argue about the historical ancestry of differing wings of whatever movement, some here are over thinking things a tad and losing sight of the urgent issues at hand.

  • Republicofscotland

    “Police have reportedly recommended filing charges against Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israel’s prime minister alleged misuse of public funds.”

    Potential charges are allegedly based on three separate counts, including the ordering of food and private chefs for family events, the employment of a carer for Netanyahu’s father, and affairs surrounding the prime minister’s residences, according to Haaretz.”

    “On the latter charge, Ezra Saidoff, deputy director general of the premier’s office, and electrician Avi Fahima, a former Likud Central Committee member, also look set to be indicted.”

    https://www.rt.com/news/344837-sara-netanyahu-expenses-indicted/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

    Should we be surprised, I think not, the nuclear military state of Israel, and at least some of its political elite, are capable of anything in my opinion.

    • Habbabkuk (are you accountable...?)

      “Police have reportedly recommended filing charges against Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israel’s prime minister alleged misuse of public funds.”

      Potential charges are allegedly based on three separate counts, including the ordering of food and private chefs for family events, the employment of a carer for Netanyahu’s father, and affairs surrounding the prime minister’s residences, according to Haaretz.”

      Should we be surprised, I think not, the nuclear military state of Israel, and at least some of its political elite, are capable of anything in my opinion.

      ________________________________

      There is no need for surprise.

      Israeli politicians are as human as any other politicians and as Israel is a free and democratic country under the rule of law and with an independent police service and judiciary it is not surprising that errant politicians and their relatives run the risk of ending up in court for their misdemeanours.

      Such a pity the same does not apply to those “politicians”, dictators and assorted thugs and tyrants for whom so much sympathy and admiration is expressed on this blog by certain Eminences…..

      (cue RoS for a teasing quip)

  • Mark Golding

    Take Obama. As he prepares to leave office, the fawning has begun all over again. He is “cool”. One of the more violent presidents, Obama gave full reign to the Pentagon war-making apparatus of his discredited predecessor. He prosecuted more whistleblowers – truth-tellers – than any president. He pronounced Chelsea Manning guilty before she was tried. Today, Obama runs an unprecedented worldwide campaign of terrorism and murder by drone.

    https://off-guardian.org/2016/05/28/silencing-america-as-it-prepares-for-war/

    [One] great myth we’re seeing play out is that of Obama as some kind of peaceful guy who’s trying to get rid of nuclear weapons. He’s the biggest nuclear warrior there is. He’s committed us to a ruinous course of spending a trillion dollars on more nuclear weapons. Somehow, people live in this fantasy that because he gives vague news conferences and speeches and feel-good photo-ops that somehow that’s attached to actual policy. It isn’t.”

    • Macky

      Best policy really, but second policy is to rebut with extreme disrespect, because that is what they are doing to everybody by indulging in trolling; worse policy is to treat a troll as a normal honest Poster, that only encourages them, and gives them more opportunities for trolling.

  • mike

    According to The Saker, US ground forces are involved in operations in both northern Syria and western Iraq alongside various Shi’ite and Kurdish militia. Must be time for the CIA to accidentally drop more arms to ISIS, or does Erdogan take care of all that now?

    Is it the Pentagon v the CIA? Good business, at any rate.

    • Why be Ordinary

      The mandate to negotiate on TISA given by European Governments to the Commission is on their web-site. Which bits don’t you agree with

  • lysias

    This RT report is the first I’ve seen of this: Keep out: State Dept urges Americans not to visit Europe :

    Europe is not the place to be for American tourists this summer, according to the State Department. A travel advisory warns US citizens there is a risk of terrorist attacks on tourist sites and major events in the Old World until the end of August.

    Can this be true? The RT report gives a link to a U.S. State Department advisory, which does seem to be genuine.

  • Macky

    Dim Jim @17.47,

    Yes I believe Thatchell us a war-mongering shill, as well as an Islamophone, an arrogant bully who even some pro-gay rights activists try to distance themselves from as he often brings their cause into disrepute; basically a pretty shitty person in general.

    You are a few bananas short of a bunch to keep going on about Osama Nassar, somebody nobody has ever heard of, especially when I directed you to the original suspect outfit that AI took their report from, literally word for word; I can equally demand that you provide evidence of your avowed empathy & advocacy iro the persecuted albinos of Tanzania, but I won’t as I would be making a banana of myself ! 😀

    Save your phony indignation for your Clownish alter ego; you stated that if I “knew the first thing about a superb human being like Peter Tatchell”, which sounds very much like you do know him personally, and/or are close to him, so my question was sincere as I had stated it was, but as you decided to try to make it homophobic, I gave you the benefit of maybe thinking so because of your own dirty mind, or because you were being trolled, but the truth is as we both know is that you grasped at a deliberate misrepresentation to throw the smear of homophobia. So I’ll ask again, how do you know Tatchell is a “superb human”, do you actually know him, or are even close to him, are is it just that his war-mongering views on Syria coincide with yours ?

    • Jim

      You know nothing of Peter Tatchell’s outstanding activist work over the decades. And your slur was a blatant homophobic insinuation, it’s on full public display you odious twat.

      And you failed to address the claim I referenced in your link that Peter Tatchell was advocating for arming Isis.

      • Republicofscotland

        Jim.

        If I might remove Mr Tatchell from his pedestal for one moment, if that’s okay with you?

        You railed rather loud yesterday over StWC prevention of giving a voice to Syrians at a meeting (incidently what are your feelings on Corbyn and George Galloway who are key people at StWC). So it only seems fair to get your opinion on this matter.

        Do try and reply without numerous expletives regarding the Guardian newspaper, if you can.

        http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/15/peter-tatchell-racist-no-platform-controversy-silences-freedom-of-speech

        Here’s a snippet of the article for you Jim.

        “Cowling wrote to the event organisers explaining that she would not participate in the event if Tatchell were present. She argued that his signature on a letter to the Observer last year about moves to prevent Germaine Greer and others from speaking on campuses because their views were deemed outrageous, revealed him as a racist and a transphobe.”

        Now who was it again, that was banging on about, preventing someone speaking? Hmmmm….

        • Jim

          Yes it’s old news RoS. Cowling is one of the idiot far left who’ve been making Peter Tatchell’s life a misery for quite some time now. Is this all news to you? The cult of no-platforming over utterly absurd ‘crimes’ such as the one Cowling was making so much of. There was another similar case in Northern Ireland over a bloody cake that was beyond belief too. You need to read more widely, this stuff has been going on for a while now. And it’s an absolute disgrace that somebody like Peter Tatchell should be subjected to it by these idiots.

          • Republicofscotland

            Thank you Jim, for your thoughts.

            You however omitted your feelings on Corbyn and Galloway, I thought you being a passionate advocate of humanitarianism, in the literal sense that is, would have aired your views on both men.

          • Jim

            They are not only my thoughts, they are the thoughts of the person who penned the very good article you linked to in some delusory state, thinking it bolstered your case. Read it again.

            Corbyn has as much chance as Mickey Mouse of becoming Prime Minister. He’s a decent enough chap. Galloway is beneath contempt. There you go, happy now?

        • Jim

          The funny part is you’re too stupid to see it’s a passionate and cogent defence of Tatchell.

    • Resident Dissident

      “an arrogant bully”

      Self projection I’m afraid. I met Peter Tatchell many many years ago when he was still in the Labour PArty – and although I disagree with a lot of his politics he is someone who clearly thinks for himself and has a tolerance for the views of those who think differently. He is a genuinely nice and compassionate person.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Comments are closed.