My body and mind are still in Ankara, fully engaged with the Syrian peace talks. But my heart is in Catalonia.
A great day. The achievement is colossal – a pro-independence majority achieved despite the leadership being in jail or in exile, and on an 84% turnout. The lies being spewed out day by day by the neo-liberal media about a “silent majority” are well and truly exposed, as is the EU’s contempt for democracy.
I guess now they have to charge over million people with sedition.
“The lies being spewed out day by day by the neo-liberal media”
Go well beyond Catalonia unfortunately. The good news is they are not believed anymore even by their followers.
That’s the reason for all the nonsense about fake news. The plutocrats and the propagandists who serve them realize they are losing the argument, so they are no longer willing to allow dissenting views to be aired.
Well done them Catalan citizens.
Well said Craig
Compare coverage with nazis in office in Vienna. It’s quite something. I known for some time the EU doesn’t care for democracy.
Can Rajoy continue to oppose negotiations to grant greater autonomy to Catalonia?
Of course he can! He just has to copy the Maybot’s tactic of ignoring public opinion when it doesn’t agree with her own dogma.
I believe he has already said that he will talk once a new Catalan govt is in place, Lysias.
BTW, “Happy Holidays” (as I believe the expression goes in your multi-faith and politically-correct country) to you and all your loved ones and best wishes for a constructive and rewarding New Year!
Tbf, the pro-independence media in Catalonia itself has been pumping out neoliberal propaganda for decades. Catalonia”s public TV and public radio have long been controlled by the pro-independence PDeCAT,, one of the most doctrinaire and corrupt neoliberal parties in Europe.
Not sure what there is to celebrate……’pro leavers’ In Catalunya are spewing hatred against Spanish people, want them to leave. They have been whipped up into hating one another just like brexitters have been told to hate foreign nationals who live amongst them. How do you think do the Spanish people feel who live in Catalunya?? So much hatred, and for what exactly?!?! More money for some people, that’s all 🙁 nothing to do with democracy, just hatred against someone considered a scapegoat.
If there is hate Natasha, thats a pity but autonomy and freedom should never be about that. I dont know the situation in Catalan communities but the impression I get is that it is the Spanish Nationalists and their armed police force who seem to embracing hatred with gusto
Natasha, I´m sorry, but if you tell in this way I think you know nothing about Catalunya, here nobody hate Spanish people, the only thing that Catalan people wish is that Spanish government allows to vote for deciding possibility of independence for know what people want and in Catalunya there is not problem for people born in others places living here, is a multicultural city. Many persons of may family came from diferent places of Spain and never had any problem with it.
Dora
Dora – You are probably right in that many people know nothing about Catalonia. Maybe you could help increase understanding.
Do all Catalans fill rubbish bags with large volumes of banknotes and then transport that cash to Andorra, or is that just a hobby of the political leadership?
If your political leaders refer to non Catalan Spaniards as “thieves” and “fascists” then is that a sign of love and tolerance in the Catalan language.
If Catalonia is so welcoming then would it be OK if I were to open a shop in Catalonia and put up signage in that shop in a language of my preference?
Very leading questions, Loony, and all leading the same way. I do not know the answers, but what I have seen is a load of Spanish-controlled police thuggery against ordinary citizens who went peacefully to cast votes. If there has been reaction against that it would be entirely understandable.
Just to help you out with some context – the questions posed are all capable of being answered by reference to events that took place long before you ever saw (or thought you saw) “a load of Spanish-controlled police thuggery…”
It is though interesting to note that in your view persecuting ordinary shop keepers would be an understandable response to Police brutality. This sounds ominously like the concept of collective punishment – something favored by the Nazi’s.
I saw roughly a hundred videos and hundreds more photos, in real time, as events happened. Not one of the so called ‘fake’ videos or photos highlighted here and elsewhere were among them. Not one.
You saw something on the inter- rent and assumed you were privy.
Natasha,
It is interesting that you see hatred as being on only one side: by Catalans against ‘Spaniards’, whoever they might be. You make no mention of the thuggish actions of the ‘Spanish’ police actions in October.
We had the same claims against supporters of independence from Scotland, by unionists. Police Scotland reported that no incidences of violence had ben reported to them during the campaign. Of course, both sides defaced and tore down posters by the other side, but that kind of thing goes on during even Council elections. The only real incident of violence occurred on 19, September in George Square in Glasgow and it was by unionists.
The Scottish referendum was a pretty good example of democracy in action. It seems to me that the the people who live in Catalunya have conducted themselves, on the whole, pretty well, turning out in very high numbers to express their wishes.
– “The only real incident of violence occurred on 19, September in George Square in Glasgow and it was by unionists.”
This is so. I was in Glasgow; not near the trouble, but following on-line with a friend who was receiving frequent updates from her friends in the city.
Then the whole city was very quiet for the following weekend; a sad atmosphere, and almost spooky.
Of course Glasgow had a sad atmosphere over the subsequent weekend because Glasgow had voted a significant majority for YES.
Watch as they desperately cling on to the ‘pro-independence parties did not get a majority of the vote’ line. Congratulations to the Catalan people but, unfortunately, I don’t think Spain will let them go just yet.
Well apparently they are considering that the utterly peaceful, respectful and dignified mass Independence demonstrations in Catalonia are ‘rebellion’. Which in the Spanish constitution, according to the man who wrote that bit requires armed violence. And the judiciary are taking this so seriously they are denying bail.
One of the Jordis has been given 5 days solitary for using his daily phone call to give an interview about yesterday’s election. Punished for ordinary politics. That is Spain.
The EU is talking about Chapter 71 sanctions against Poland but is silent wrt Catalonia. It makes me sick. I’m rapidly going off the EU after voting Remain. Half of me though still thinks we should be in there, with the iCatalans to reform the place.
Indeed, the Catalonians have some sort of right (exactly what is uncertain) to express a wish for self-determination. But your analysis is very one-sided. The vote for the non-independence parties was nearly as large and the independence parties together have actually lost some members in the Catalonian assembly. Catalonia would seem to be divided down the middle. Shades of Brexit. I am not convinced that Puigdemont is a benign politician. He has the makings of a despot too. There are nuances in society and politics that escape your unbridled enthusiasm for Catalonia’s independence from Spain, or the likely problems that these schisms in society can cause when manipulated by cynical players. “The Spanish state is defeated” is exactly such an example of shrill and toxic politics.
All of which is why the Spanish government should be willing to negotiate to grant Catalonia greater autonomy, something that the Ciudadanos party that did so well in yesterday’s election also want. It was the refusal to negotiate that got the secession talk started in the first place.
If only there was some peaceful way in which we could find out what the Catalonians thought about independence.
Season’s greetings to one and all.
Ref the negotiations, Craig, I trust that the USUKIsNATO axis is being compelled to pay for the reparations. There is nothing left in the major cities of Syria. Just as in Iraq.
And my seasons greetings to you too, Sharp Ears, may you have many more of them!
“My body and mind are still in Ankara, fully engaged with the Syrian peace talks.”
In Ankara in some-sort of official capacity ?
Macky,
A quick google search reveals nothing about Syrian peace talks in Ankara at the moment, but there has been something going on in Antalya recently. Maybe its a secret and moved on to Ankara, though I somewhat doubt the UK is involved, nor Craig in an official capacity, but would be impressed if he was. If Craig is anywhere near the old town of Side, Antalya, he should pay if a visit. It was very nice 10 years ago, before everything went mad in the region.
“Iran, Russia and Turkey diplomats meet ahead of Syria summit”
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/160615-171119-iran-russia-and-turkey-diplomats-meet-ahead-of-syria-summit
Tony
The rational way to read Craig’s sentence is that Ankara & Syrian peace talks are linked; I was thinking that maybe it was his way of hinting about something not officially revealed.
Is there any particular reason why Craig should be involved in any official talks about Syria wherever they light be held and whether secret or not?
Only his either very intriguing, or alternatively very badly worded, sentence.
Turkey for Christmas…how very traditional
Separatist Kurds?
Rajoy’s Partido Popular reduced to just three seats in the Catalan Parliament. Fantastic! The message to the Tories should be clear enough. Meddle with the democratic rights of a determined people and it will rebound on you. May would be better agreeing to a Section 30 Order now rather than later.
But in a recent poll, asking the hypothetical question if Scotland could leave the Union and remain in the EU how would they vote? The majority of people polled said they would vote to remain in the Union.
So the democratic right of the determined people of Scotland is to remain in the Union as decided by the once in a lifetime referendum of 2014.
It is a great day indeed, Craig. Maybe now is the time to shift the focus of the media on Rajoy’s utterly corrupt Government, his dependency on police goons trained by fascists.
Rajoy’s ministers are under the spotlight of more than one judge now and we will soon hear ‘not very much’ about the trials into massive housing scandals of past and present.
There will be a national election in Spain soon, and other Spanish regions might now follow Catalunya.
As yet there is no official comment from the EU, unless I have missed it, I have not heard of any support from the SNP either.
https://www.independent.ie/world-news/separatists-regain-majority-in-crucial-catalonia-regional-election-36429561.html
“Either Rajoy changes his recipe or we change the country,” Puigdemont, said in a televised speech. He was flanked by four former cabinet members that fled with him. ”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-catalonia/catalan-separatists-win-election-in-rebuke-to-spain-and-eu-idUSKBN1EE2WW
viva Catalunya
Thanks for pointing out that Rajoy runs an utterly corrupt government. You seem to have forgotten to mention the purity of the Catalan government.
Pasqual Maragall (who is Catalan and is a former President of Catalonia) has attempted to raise public awareness of the purity of all things Catalan. He pointed out that in order to win Catalan public works contracts it was necessary to pay a kickback to Catalan independence parties. Ordinarily it was necessary to pay 3% of the gross value of any contract to Convergencia i Unio. This interesting scheme has probably been running since 1980. Some of the companies that have been shaken down in this way include Ferrovial, Ingenieros Consultores, Barcelona d’Infraestructures, Autoridad Portuaria, Infrastructures.cat and the Port Authority of Barcelona. Naturally the people that ultimately paid for all of this were some of the poorest people in Catalonia – shaking down social housing projects was a particular favorite.
Some of the money received was sent on holiday to Andorra and a lot more of it was used to finance the propaganda of separatism.
So, do yourself a favor and ask yourself how it is you know what you know about Spain and Catalan independence and ask whether it is possible that you may be a consumer of Catalan propaganda.
Very well said and thank you for reminding people once again of this extremely sinister feature of the Catalan pro-independence parties.
If this “extremely sinister feature” is true, the pro-independence parties did well to win a majority.
It will be interesting to see the reaction from Madrid in this result and as usual, the MSM and BBC still using pejorative language to describe the Catalan Independence movement.
Merry Christmas to all
Craig E
And a very Merry Christmas to you too, Craig.
I am very sad to hear that Turkey, which was one of the most corrupt and violent participants on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood terror against Syria is hosting peace talks to anyone. Erdogan should now be facing jail, not hosting a process that will surely allow him to profit from Muslim Brotherhood violence. As always USUKIS controls the narrative in its proxy terrorist progress towards world domination.
Giving any kind of green light to terror will allow the continuous 30 year violence against Muslims to achieve respectability and to extend to other regions. What happened to the age-old principle of not negotiating with terrorists? Turkey escorted Islamic State from Jordan to Mosul. Why is it playing any part in any negotiations?
giyane,
“I am very sad to hear that Turkey, which was one of the most corrupt and violent participants on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood terror against Syria is hosting peace talks to anyone.”
On judging by some of your previous comments, I can understand the way you feel, but you shouldn’t be “sad” at anyone holding peace talks, rather than just continuing to shoot and lob missiles at each other. I assume you know that The Muslim Brotherhood is a very old creation of the UK, and as regards your feelings that Erdogan, should be facing jail, that also applies to Anthony Charles Lynton Blair for war crimes and illegal invasion of Iraq (under International Law) and David William Donald Cameron for the same reasons in Libya.
Other than that, I agree with you, except the real problem is those that are really responsible for the creation of the terrorists in the first place. To determine who these people really are, you could try reading books by the likes of Mark Curtis or even John Pilger.
Tony
It’s very disappointing that Craig has evaded the issue of Government Ministers being sacked by exposure of private sexual indiscretions in the MSM. Maybe while he is hobnobbing with terrorists in Ankara it might be politically correct to camouflage his liberal values from notice by the political wing of Islamic State and Al Qaida whose philosophy of hate and brutality has united the Muslim world against them.
Perhaps now, while he is back with his friends and supporters in the UK, he might like to comment on police officers exposing politicians and Zionist shill journalists making unsubstantiated charges against them. Or is it that world politics is so deep in sewage that we can allow a few turds to float by with impunity?
Craig is not in the UK. He is in the thick of things, and under great pressure. I hope he gets a rest from it soon, because it has been months and months of one thing after another.
If you’re referring to Damian green, he lasted a lot longer than you or I would if porn was discovered on our workplace computer. With everything else going on in his life – and in the world – I wouldn’t hold my breath on Craig getting bent out of shape over the treatment of that pitiless Tory ****.
zoot,
I tried to find out the real reason that Damian Green, had been sacked, by doing a few hours research, but its a long and complex story going back more than 10 years. I doubt it is anything much to do with the reasons, that everyone thinks from reading the mainstream media, but wouldn’t be at all surprised if Theresa May is soon replaced by Jacob Rees-Mogg. Not that I know anything much about him, but Hunt would be even worse than May, and Boris, though more amusing would be even worse than Cameron.
Judging by this intervied at least Mogg has got a few brain cells and knows how to handle the atrocious media even better than Corrbyn. I even agree with him on BREXIT. You don’t pay the buggers up front. It’s a ridiculous position to negotiate from, as they will take everything you offer, and leave you with nothing and no leverage. These people are not nice. they have already crucified Greece.
“Jacob Rees-Mogg skewers BBC host – Brexit Britain MUST leave the EU COMPLETELY in 2019”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGg59f6n6A8
Tony
I had always thought the Lowest Common Denominator of the UK’s claim to Christian morality was embedded in the Gospels phrase ” Judge not, lest ye be judged, And I have always found in all levels of UK society, including amongst practising Muslims, the utmost respect for this cautionary truth.
But it seems now that feminism has gone completely mad, savaging anyone who proffers a loving hand while championing their right to fuck any hole or proboscis they like. I can honestly say that seeing the protruding bones of raw prejudice sticking out of Westminster politics has made me feel rather out of touch. How do these creatures mate? On some kind of consensual adult website where the sole agreed function is to fuck?
Any other more conventional way of showing affection is now considered an offence.
I find your comment somewhat crude.
Kate Maltby is a Zionist and a political activist. The media presented her as a sweet little victim. I don’t know any other way to describe the fawning MSM on Zionist interference in UK politics other than by metaphor. She’s complaining about being touched when in reality she probably touched him. One wonders why Green was targeted by Zionists. He must have been doing something right to be targeted both by the police and them.
As to crudity, my brushes with media figures as a chauffeur taught me that all night orgies is considered a normal way to pass the time in London society. And we get fed a constant stream of LBG tripe by the BBC. If it is now a sacking offence in UK society for a man to touch a woman, I’d rather live in France or Germany because I can’t stand this hypocrisy. The real reason Green was sacked is because Israel wants to control the UK and it has proved that it can fill vacant ministries with flatterers and panderers to its cause like Gavin Williamson or Macron.
The Kurds have a word for it – gewad- people who sell their own country. I cannot sit idly by while my country is taken over using political correctness instead of democracy. Any man can touch a woman in UK society and if she doesn’t like it I’m sure they know how to express themselves. The women in my workplace do.
Anyway I’ve just had a TIA and been banned from driving for a month. When I was child my granny ran a hotel and had an ex-military gentleman as a manager a pillar of propriety. One day he flipped and became very crude and offensive to everybody. I am not there yet, but I may get there yet if UK politics continues to be run by the covert instigators of thirty years of attacking Muslim countries masquerading as UK foreign policy..
This looks like recrystallisation to a finer scale. The EU is going to be forced to change. This needed to happen.
I normally agree with many of your viewpoints, Craig. But not this one. If there was a time for ‘togetherness’ in the country or countries, surely it is now. I also get the impression there is something elitist about Catalonia’s aims for independence, a sort of ‘we pay more taxes than other regions of Spain, therefore we deserve more.’ This is not democracy in action. It’s comparable with the single, childless, bloke complaining that he has to pay taxes to support people with children – the list of comparatives is endless in fact. I, for one, do not want to see the break-up of countries, dark days lie ahead if they do. And once on the road to ‘independence’, I fear the repercussions in the rest of Europe if the agitation begins to snowball.
Roy David,
The only real kind of democracy is local democracy, otherwise you end up with a centralised dictatorship, with the vastly overpaid and corrupt, dictating policies of societies thousands of miles away, of which they have no knowledge or interest. The same applies to large companies who take over small companies. They end up being a monopoly, that closes out much smaller competition, with potentially much better products and services. Such large corporations then work with large government and the end result is an incompetent Fascist Dictatorship (or communist for the 1% who control it). It never works out well for the vast majority of any population.
Tony
Yes but the logic of your argument is that prosperous Denmark for instance should give up it’s sovereignty to say Italy so that they can pay towards corruption in Naples say.
Are the UKippers on here looking forward to Treeza’s promised BLUE passport as retold by Brandon Lewis? That’s Tory Blue and not Israeli Blue btw.
Brandon Lewis retweeted
Theresa MayVerified account @theresa_may · 2h
The UK passport is an expression of our independence and sovereignty – symbolising our citizenship of a proud, great nation. That’s why we have announced that the iconic #bluepassport will return after we leave the European Union in 2019.
Brandon’s website is very blue too.
I for one am rather pleased that that the UK will leave the standard EU passport in 2019, although I understand that the new passport, while returning to the old dark blue colour, will not have stiff covers nor the little window for the holder’s name.
Never mind, it’s not perfect but it’s symbolic progress.
Perhaps we may also look forward to hearing Beethoven’s ode to Joy only as part of Beethoven concerts or recitals and bno longer every three hours when the EU is mentioned.
Further developments i would very much like to see (both would in my opinion be ant-inflationary) are
1/. the abandon of currency decimalisation and a return to the pounds, shillings and pence system
2/. an exercice similar to the one the French carried out several decades ago (anciens francs to nouveaux francs) and which several other countries have also done, namely the knocking off of (at least) two zeros from all £ denominated amounts. Ie, £ 600.000 “old” pounds would appear as £ 60.000 “new pounds. Earnings and so on to be included, if course.
I believe the bright new future the UK is embarking on shoukd be heralded by changes of the kind advocated above.
“A bright new future”
One where trade union rights remain under attack, the working time directive is scrapped, the US floods the UK with dodgy foods and begins privatising the NHS.
One where wages stagnate even further, and a low wage economy becomes the norm. One where foodbanks and poverty become accepted as the standard, one where the loss of EU laws leads to god knows what through the British Bill of Rights.
One where the upper class, the empire and world prestige matter more than the caring of those who need it most.
One where immigrants are discouraged and seen as second class citizens.
A bright future indeed.
I fear we must agree to differ, RoS.
Have a most enjoyable Christmas (and the same of course to your good friend “reel guid”) 🙂
Habbabkuk.
Merry Christmas to you as well. ?
I agree with you on one point. Beethoven’s ninth should be left alone and not be desecrated by association with any other activity.
As to what the French have done, some French man said that when the Euro came they converted Francs to the same equivalent no of Euros which tripled the prices overnight. France is now an incredibly expensive place.
“some French man said that when the Euro came they converted Francs to the same equivalent no of Euros which tripled the prices overnight.”
Your Frenchman sounds confused. Tell him that prices should have multiplied by 6.56 overnight, which I would have noticed. Bakers, however, pushed the price of a baguette over the psychological 3.00 franc limit by charging 0.50 euro the very next day.
If the Spanish govt’s popularity (in all of Spain) were to fall dramatically, would Rajoy look to Gibraltar as a way to improve his fortunes? I don’t mean à la Galtieri, but border disruption as happened in 2013. Then, the EU rode to the rescue – but could we rely on them doing so again?
Mariano Rajoy is between a rock and a hard place.
He needs to keep the EU on board in order to fend of Catalan independence. The EU needs the British to remain supine and weak in order to shaft them in Brexit negotiations. Therefore poking the British with a sharp stick is not what the EU wants to see. The British hold all the cards and the EU needs to ensure that they are not tempted to play them.
The general British population seem well disposed to Catalan independence – imagine if the British state got behind this as an idea, it’s goodnight Spain and the German southern flank is exposed.
Meanwhile the Poles are under the German cosh and in the past the British went to war because of their love of Poland. No need to go to war today just stand behind Polish national sovereignty and the German east flank is exposed. So there is no way the Germans will authorize Spain to go after Gibraltar, and absent German permission the Spanish can do nothing at all.
“imagine if the British state got behind this as an idea, it’s goodnight Spain and the German southern flank is exposed.”
Loony.
By the British state, I’m sure you mean Westminster, as the SNP and Greens MSP’s (who make up the majority at Holyrood) were in most part cheering on the Catalan people towards independence yesterday.
The “British state” wantd the Spanish unionists to win convincingly, in the hope on stirring the natives to the north, it hasn’t worked.
Without exception you do it all wrong when it comes to independence. There are zero similarities between Catalan independence and Scottish independence. However under certain circumstances it could be possible to create some, and I can help you out.
What you need to do is get behind the Scottish Garlic language – promote this as being in all ways superior to English as a medium for communication. Once you have established sufficient awareness of the language start to insist that it be taught in schools. After a while start to agitate that all school teachers irrespective of the subject they teach must be fluent in Gaelic. Once you have this base established start to expand the range of subjects that are taught in Gaelic.
Exploit the differences between English and Gaelic such that you refer to things like the British Empire in English, but the English Empire in Gaelic. Over time this will provide a base for teaching school children that Scotland is one of the few countries still occupied by the English Empire and that all Scots are effectively held hostage by the English. Obviously you never express these sentiments in English, only ever in Gaelic. At the same time launch a campaign to make sure that all public signage is in Gaelic, and make it illegal for things like menu’s and all manner of publicity not to be printed in Gaelic. Arrest and fine heavily anyone who will not conform to this requirement (people trying to make a living out of the tourist industry may prove to be particularly problematic in this regard).
Insist that all employees of the state ranging from Civil Servants to bin collectors be fluent in Gaelic and as far as possible deny any non Gaelic speakers access to employment. Make sure that all newspapers are printed in Gaelic and start to restrict access to newspapers printed in English. Use this opportunity to run as many anti English stories as possible – focus on things like English privilege, English theft of Scottish natural resources ranging from oil to wind, and highlight to the maximum extent possible stories about English criminals. Only report the bare minimum about Scottish criminals – unless they have spent time in England, in which case you run stories implying that a pure Scotsman has been turned into a murderer/bank robber/rapist by the malign influence of the English.
This is about a 30 year project. If you run with this idea then I can all bit guarantee that in about 30 years time almost everyone in Scotland will vote for independence.
Loony.
You might as well have been writing your above comment in Gaelic, for all the sense it makes.
God knows which country you come from, but I pity you if this is the mental attitude they taught you. Then again you come across as Spanish, Rajoy’s fascist regime attempted to phase out the Catalan language, in a fashion you described.
RoS
On the contrary, Loony’s post is perfectly understandable. More importantly, it is a good description of what has been going on in Catalonia for a couple of decades now
Far from being a shining example of openness and inclusivity, the Catalan government is, in reality, narrowly nationalistic and slyly repressive.
RoS
I think the gist of Loony’s argument is to promote Gaelic and deter the use of English.
The 2014 Referendum would have been won had those not born in Scotland been excluded from the count. However, although the margin of victory would have been slightly better than for the EU Referendum, I suspect Scotland would be as divided as we are now in the UK between Leavers and Remainers.
If we end up with a “cliff-edge” Brexit, though, the estimated 5% hit to our GDP might lead to IndyRef2 and perhaps a >2:1 margin.
So Rajoy won’t meet with Puigdemont, he however spoke with president of Ciutadans, Albert Rivera. Rajoy is only concerned about respecting the Spanish Constitution and the rule of law.
http://www.catalannews.com/politics/item/rajoy-dismisses-puigdemont-s-call-for-meeting
Well, Rajoy can’t really meet with Puigdemomt because Puigdemont is still skulking in Brussels.
Bernhard, of the Moon of Alabama, who I have such enormous respect for, that I even sent him some money, fails to mention the UK involvement in this complete and utter ongoing genocidal atrocity, so I will. The British Government is at least as guilty as the US Government. I don’t know about The German Government, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they are involved too (they are even better at hiding from the world, what they are really up to). Bernhard must have some inside goss, but maybe he doesn’t want to get arrested. I can understand that.
“Washington Post Calls For Outrage About War On Yemen – Hides U.S. Role In It”
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/12/washington-post-calls-for-outrage-about-war-on-yemen-hides-us-role-in-it.html
Extract
“Just in time for Christmas the Washington Post laments the cholera epidemic in Yemen caused by the U.S.-Saudi war on the country: One million people have caught cholera in Yemen. You should be outraged.
The International Committee of the Red Cross reported today that a million Yemenis have contracted cholera in the last 18 months. More than 2,000 have died, according to the United Nations. It’s the largest cholera outbreak in world history.
…
Sixteen million people lack reliable access to clean food and water. The disease could spike again in March, when the rainy season begins. Experts warn, too, that diseases kill more people, and more quickly, when a population is underfed. In Yemen, 1.8 million children are acutely malnourished. Nearly half a million babies and toddlers are starving.
YOU SHOULD BE OUTRAGED, says the Washington Post. But outraged at whom? Not one word in the piece mentions that the U.S. is directing the war on Yemen and providing to the Saudis all they need to commit the ongoing war crimes.
The U.S. provides the bombs, it provides the intelligence and since early this year it doubled its refueling flights for the Saudi bombing attacks. (The military is now intentionally muddling that data.)
The Saudi attacks, with U.S. bombs, based on intelligence the U.S. provides and enabled by U.S. refueling, intentionally targets water, food supplies and infrastructure to starve the population:”
The UK, also does all of that – our Evil Bastards in Westminster – and our Evil RAF and “Special Forces”
Is anyone going to complain?
Sometimes, I feel as if I am living in Germany in 1939.
Tony
Спасибо за деньги !
V.V.Putin
Ba’al Zevul,
You should buy Dmitry Orlov’s book, especially if you are an environmentalist, and are convinced that everything is soon to run out. The early chapters are about the US, (well he may be Russian, but he has lived there most of his life). It’s highly readable, written in a light, laconic, amusing style. He has even got very slightly spiritual, which I really was not expecting, yet really apprecaited and empathised with. He does however, give the distinct impression, that he thinks the vast majority of The US population, are complete and utter morons, and he has travelled and worked with a vast cross-section of them largely doing work related to physics and engineering. Of his enormous intelligence and style I have no doubt. However, I do not agree with him about everything, and I can’t give him book of the year yet, cos Craig Murray’s Orangeman Togo one, reveals much more than he writes on his blog, and even that is not as good as his Murder in Smarkand. I expect my mate’s book to be crap, and not in anything like the same league, but I haven’t read much of it yet..and he doesn’t use real names about The UK Government. I guess he doesn’t want to get arrested or fired either, but has probably come to the conclusion, that the people he works with are too thick to read it.
Tony
Thanks Tony, but if I were an environmentalist, and convinced that everything was about to run out*, I should hardly need to buy Orlov’s book, should I? He’d be preaching to the converted….but I’d maybe be better off investing in tradeable substitutes for crashed cash, like cigarettes and whisky.
Have a great Christmas, anyway.
*Broadly speaking, I am.
Ba’al
You write excellent posts about Africa which I hope others read. But this? Why?
Moon of Alabama is rather obviously a channel for the view from Moscow, and is interchangeable with Voltaire.net.
PS Your kind assessment of my Africa posts is greatly appreciated, since I suspect you know much more about the continent than I do.
Not that side Ba’al. Best seasonal wishes.
“In Yemen, 1.8 million children are acutely malnourished. Nearly half a million babies and toddlers are starving.
YOU SHOULD BE OUTRAGED, says the Washington Post. But outraged at whom?”
______________________
I’m outraged at the country that gives over two thirds of its agricultural land and 40% of its water supply to the production of a narcotic.
Yemen.
EU not so sacrosanct these days. How about the UN?
They seem flatulent as usual in the face of a coward and bully. Long-in-tooth Ambassador issues threats.
How do you like Trump now?
This Damian Green affair has more than one curious aspect to it.
Firstly, the beginning of his downfall is when two retired police officers break the confidence of ongoing enquiries. To be noted here that the police received a lot of stick a couple of years ago after they entered the HoC to search Damian Green’s office. To be noted also that, more generally, the police are not very happy with Mrs May and her government.
Then, hard on the heels of the “porn on the computer” comes the Kate Maltby business, where the following (taken from The Sun) reveal something rather curious:
“And Ms Maltby, 31, said he put “a fleeting hand against my knee – so brief, it was almost deniable”.
It left her so “angry” that he was “hitting on her when he offered a job” that she ignored him for a year.
But after appearing in a corset in the newspaper to accompany an article about the history of the clothing, Ms Maltby received a text from Mr Green.
He wrote: “Long time no see. But having admired you in a corset in my favourite tabloid I feel compelled to ask if you are free for a drink anytime?”
She said she ignored the message and only contacted Mr Green after he became a minister in Mrs May’s new Cabinet on July 17 last year, congratulating him on his appointment.”
Ms Maltby is “so angry” that she “ignores” Green for years……..but then, all of sudden, gets in touch to congratulate him when he becomes a minister…..
And finally (or perhaps it won’t be finally…?) we observe the Maltby affair assuming a further dimension in that the Prime Minister herself now seems to be under attack (“she knew about ths year ago”).
Quite a few coincidences there, I’d say, I do wonder whether there’s not some agenda or another being played out here.
Conspiracy theories welcome (for a change)!
So much more civilised than a military coup? And, given the current size of the UK military, probably more effective, too. Pass the popcorn, will you?
Habbabkuk,
Strangely enough, I agree with you there (it does happen once or twice a year)
I have researched Damian Green for a few hours, simply because, I had never heard of him, and I was trying to work out why yet another member of Theresa May’s Government was being fired.
The evidence is extremely strong, that he really fancies young beautiful women. Well strange as it may seem, so do I, and I’m even older than him. If I didn’t love my wife so much, I might well attempt to do something about it. (Despite my age, I am much better looking than him – and still haven’t given up flirting – but that’s as far as it goes)
All of this strongly implies to me, that he is not into little boys, nor little girls – and is just a normal dirty old man with a high normal sex drive. Researching this further I find that he was really aggressive in outing corruption between certain very senior members of The Labour Government, and The Met Police all documented strangely enough by The Guardian around 10 years ago.
I have found no evidence that he has broken any laws, but I do not know that much about him. Guido and his wife, just said, what everyone who moves in these circles (I don’t) already knew.
I don’t think that many people who live in Glass Houses, throw stones, unless they think the people they are throwing them at, are evil, and they themselves think they are innocent (well at least fairly normal)
However, John Ward, may have other evidence that I don’t know about, or he may simply have heard about it from a Copper he trusts.
https://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2017/12/22/peace-on-earth-and-goodwill-be-unto-all-men-except-boris-johnson-and-damian-green/
Tony
Along with the splendid news that Catalonia has not been beaten down by Francoism is the news of a Wings Over Scotland commissioned Panelbase poll that has independence at 49%.
Also 46% of Labour voters in Scotland support independence in this poll.
Independence was around 28% support at the start of the indyref1 campaign in 2012. Labour supporters who voted Yes in 2014 was 37%. To start the indyref2 campaign with Yes at 49% and Labour supporters at 46% Yes must leave hardline unionists despondent, however much they pretend to be confident.
Meanwhile Wings has the story that one of those Tories who nominated the candidate who took Salmond’s seat has been displaying extreme right wing views on Twitter. He has also been followed on Twitter by several Scottish Tory parliamentarians.
More evidence of – and there’s been an ocean of it in 2017 – extensive far right infiltration of the Scottish Tories during Ruth Davidson’s leadership.
Yes reel guid, the gap just might be closing, as people wake up to the disasterous effects on their future and kids futures, due to ineptitude of the British government.
So the xenophobic psycho, who passes himself as POTUS these days has signed a bill to allow drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Is there nothing or no one this idiotic meglomanic neocon will sell out or sell-off to make a profit. All it will take is one ecological disaster to permanently damage a already fragile environment, however Trump doesn’t care about that.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-alaska-oil-eni/trump-administration-permits-eni-to-drill-for-oil-off-alaska-idUKKBN1DS33B
The planet’s fucked anyway. It’s one huge ecological disaster zone already. Console yourself (microscopically) with the thought that the asshole will need to rebuild Mar-a-Lago some distance from the rising sea quite soon.
Ba’al Zevul,
If the planet’s fucked already, how come we’ve still got loads of dolphins in the seas surrounding the UK, as well as great enormous whales, just off the coast of Ecuador, that you can, if so inclined, just turn up and see.
wtf are they eating? i thought we were supposed to have run out of fish?
Tony
Tony.
Most Cetaceans are contaminated with chemicals such as fire retardents and plastics that we’ve dumped intio the oceans and seas. As are the fish contaminated by nitrates, phosphates many of smaller ocean going creatures such as krill and plankton are also contaminated by pesticides and metal toxins.
Then you have industrial waste and human sewage pumped into the oceans by some countries, add to this many ships empty their contaminated ballast into the seas and oceans.
“The planet’s fucked anyway. It’s one huge ecological disaster zone already.”
That’s the spirit, I like your positive mental attitude, lets throw some more fuel on the fire and sit back and watch the world burn. Lets take comfort in the fact that there’s always another Greenpeace ship that we can mine.
I suppose though, eventually Mother Earth, will decide enough is enough, and put to bed the Holocene era once and for all. Like the last Neanderthal’s (thought to be anyway, 24,000 years old) found in the Ibex cave, I wonder how we’ll go out?
RoS,
If you have any practical suggestions as to how we can bypass the corporate rape of the planet and dramatically reduce its human population with the goal of making things not too much worse than they are already, and keeping them that way, don’t even bother telling me. Put them directly to someone with the will and power to implement them. I’m certainly not advocating putting more fuel on the fire, but simply acknowledging my impotence in putting the fucking thing out.
Tony, yes, we’ve still got dolphins. We’ve also got resource wars, warming oceans, climate pattern changes and a mass extinction under way. We’ve got levels of atmospheric pollution in London which give East Anglia breathing difficulties on a westerly wind, and I don’t even want to think about Delhi. I will modify my statement: Unless Someone Does Something About It We’re Terminally Fucked. And that’s down to human nature, which will defeat any serious attempts to Do Something About It.
RepublicofScotland,
We have all been told since we could read, before we went to school, that oil is a fossil fuel, composed of dead plant and animal matter, built up over many billions of years. yet, the Arctic and Antarctic are Very, Very Cold.
Have you ever wondered, why there is absolutely loads of oil in such places, that do not support enormous volumes of life?
In fact oil is regularly drilled, from very extreme depths, very much lower, than anyone can explain how any life actually got so low.
Yet, nearly everyone, including some highly competent physicists, actually believe that oil is a fossil fuel, despite all the real scientific evidence, that it is formed deep below the earth.
It is also found in enormous quantities on the surfaces of moons and planets, that almost certainly are so hostile that they could never have supported any kind of organic life, that we are currently aware exists.
I put it down to Groupthink, Money and Corruption. If you tell everyone its going to run out, you can charge what you like for it.
Why isn’t oil now more than $1,000 a barrel, as was predicted and bet on by the doomsters who are now totally skint?
“The Origins of Oil – falsely defined in 1892”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdSjyvIHVLw
http://www.gasresources.net/introduction.htm
Tony
“Have you ever wondered, why there is absolutely loads of oil in such places, that do not support enormous volumes of life?”
Tony continental drift and climate change, both the Arctic and Antarctic, had very different climates and positions millions of years ago. Life was prevelant back then and folage abundant, that would explain the prescence of oil.
“It is also found in enormous quantities on the surfaces of moons and planets, that almost certainly are so hostile that they could never have supported any kind of organic life, that we are currently aware exists.”
Tony.
I wouldn’t rule out extremophiles existing.
Youb have no idea how utterly bollocks that is, Tony. Speaking as someone who has looked at organic compounds in sediments in some detail.
LOL ! Theresa May speaking to UK troops in Cyprus, just thank them for defeating Daesh in Syria ! 😀
Good for her, say I. This country owes a lot to the armed forces, who, almost uniquely in public life, may be required to lay down their lives for the country.
It is therefore only fitting that a Prime Minister should express the nation’s thanks, a sentiment which all right-thinkng people who love their country should – and in fact do – share.
Macky,
I suspect that no one has told Theresa May the truth yet, and I can understand that. I mean would you?
“Theresa May and the Holy Grail (UK Full Version)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAlci07mnRQ
Why aren’t the US security services hunting down erm…lawn mowers.
https://mobile.twitter.com/conradhackett/status/944035942200958977/photo/1