I apologise for the silence. I am perfectly well, thanks for all the queries, but am on the site of the Eden Festival and working rather too hard.
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Iran is to begin enriching Uranium again if the 2015 JCPOA deal falls through.
“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the AEOI to prepare the Natanz facility for resuming the enrichment process. The installation is expected to be ready to house 60 enrichment centrifuges in a month.”
https://www.rt.com/news/429634-iran-threatens-uranium-enrichment/
Iran is quite right to resume those particular activites, the Great Satan (US government) has reneged on the deal, and with the oppressive apartheid military regime of Israel already in possession of nuclear weapons. Iran needs to hurry up and produce its own.
Of course intelligence led operations by the west will probably see any attempts by Iran to produce WMD’s fail.
Is it any wonder then that Iran issued a stark warning to the North Korean leader Kim Jung Un, saying that the Great Satan cannot be trusted.
The real rogue state in the region isn’t Iran or Syria, but Israel which possess chemical and nuclear weapons. Yet the oppressive apartheid military regime answers to no one.
Personally I would rather trust the US democracy than the Iranian theocracy. Supreme Guides, anyone?
‘It’s Much-Binding-in the-Marsh’ anniversary day, then, H. True comedy.Thanks for the reminder..
In my experience, Iranians want the kind of freedoms on offer in Western democracies. It’s hilarious that Western leftists like RoS think women in Iran want to be told to cover up by a bunch of bearded nonces in medieval garb so as to avoid being publicly thrashed in the street by the regime’s “religious police”.
According to one of these self-styled “Supreme Guides”, it’s women wearing Western clothing that has been causing the rivers to dry up! How sad that the intelligent people of Iran have to put up with this brutal Islamo-fascist regime. I don’t think they will put up with it for much longer, though.
How sad that the intelligent people of the UK have to put up with your brutal Islamophobic comments.
Don’t see anything Islamophobic there, John. I see objections to the Iranian regime per se and to the concept of a theocratic state. Surely you would agree with the latter of these two cases? You should really address his arguments rather than just throwing around unfounded accusations intended to discredit other commenters.
“ bearded nonces in medieval garb”
Must be the ones that pass through the street here regularly, on the way to Sjoel.
They look perfectly happy– probably because they don’t have to live under the judeo-fascist regime that beckons them to.
Whilst with the full support of the west the far worse medieval regime in Riyad gets full approval and weapons to starve 18 million Yemenis.
If history is anything to go by then let us line up the damage both countries have done to other countries say since WW2
USA: dropped two atomic weapons on cities killing tens of thousand innocent civilians then caused many regime changes in South and Central America notably chile in 1973, Vietnam war, Cambodia, then Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen amongst many others.
Iran? Invaded by Iraq with support from the West. Now one can only be a real Charlie to think that because a country calls itself a democracy, it can be preferable to another one.
I wouldn’t, considering that the US have already overthrown two Iranian leaderships in 65 years.
So what do you think Israel’s reaction to a nuclear armed Iran would be?
1. Surrender.
2. Build more nuclear weapons.
3. Launch a pre-emptive strike.
4. A combination of 2&3.
Take your time.
5. Ask big daddy for more money.
Refrain from acting with total impunity?
@ Kempe June 13, 2018 at 22:30
One doesn’t know what it would be, but what it should be is to work out a just settlement with the Palestinians, go back to the pre-1967 lines, and allow Palestinian refugees to return to Palestine. Whether two state or one, but ceasing the Aparhteid relationship with the Palestinians.
And obviously, stop working towards the Yinon Plan of ‘Greater Israel’, and stirring trouble in the ME and elsewhere.
If Iran had nuclear weapons, they would be a Strategic Deterrent; they would not attack Israel first, knowing Israel could respond with a devastating nuclear response, as well as a US/NATO response.
But I have no illusions things will turn out well in the ME. Come Armageddon, squat down, put your head between your legs and kiss your a** goodbye.
Mr Barbara
You know as well as anyone that the Palestinian refugees and their descendants – evaluated on this blog at around 5 million people (equivalent to almost the entire population of the State of Israel) – are not going to return/be allowed to return to Israel. You might wish it but you know it’s not going to happen.
Furthermore : in that knowledge, those who say “Israel has the right to exist provided that the refugees and their descendants are allowed to return” are in effect saying “Israel has no right to exist”. It is in effect saying that even if there were to be a Palestinian state on the West Bank Israerl would still be illegitimate.It is a deeply deceitful and cowardly position to hold and, worse, very unconstructive.
OMG. I just caught the end of some documentary about Russia written by David Dimbleby of the rich Dimbleby Dynasty. It was replete with British propaganda nonsense, and no doubt the important truths were edited out. That we will never know. It was also full of lies, like the Russians poison UK citizens, Russia invaded Crimea, Navalny’s support is increasing at the expense of Putin. It was all negative against Russia, what I saw. It was a total disgrace. But what can you expect from the BBC?
I find it quite troubling that you are apparently so relaxed about opposition leaders being locked up and and journalists bumped off. Is this a situation you would also tolerate here once your glorious socialist state has been fully implemented?
I await your viewpoint on the lockup of Ahed Tamimi and the murder by the IDF of Gazan journalists in suspense.
John, it is precisely the reason I didn’t watch it actually – knowing it was Dimbleby I gave it a wide berth.
Dimbleby doing yet another hatchet job on Russia for the BBC just now on the eve of the World Cup.
So amongst all the grandeur of Moscow, Dimbleby could find nothing positive to show or to say about Russia, yet again presenting Russia as run by one man Putin and everything would be OK if Putin was not there. The programme was of course littered with misinformation. Of course there was a lot about Navalny and strangely for such an autocratic state, also interviews with some dissidents and opposition outlets but of course they were only allowed to speak freely to give pretence at openness. No one making these programmes ever interviews real opposition such as the communists who poll much higher figures than this Navalny but of course this would spoil the story. Shame on the BBC and shame on DD.
Dimblebore was playing around on the asinine One Show last night playing table football. I wondered what that was all about. Obviously an advertorial for his anti Russian rot such I am pleased to say I missed. He is obnoxious.
A few years ago I was at the dentists. A somewhat hysterical woman arrived and I was asked by the dentist if I wouldn’t mind her being seen before me as an urgent matter had come up.. I concurred. Imagine my great annoyance when I found out later that she had Dimblebore coming to dinner at short notice. He was coming to their church in which his ghastly family had an interest and he was unveiling something. Pompous prat. A Carthusian (Charterhouse) like his Bruv and Mr Jeremy Hunt, the property magnate and p/t health secretary.
Q. Why have the Dimblebores had the run of the BBC for decades and decades?
You really are needlessly rude about people yet you run for the hills when anyone turns the tables on you. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander…
What makes the Dimblebys, or Dimblebores as you so wittily refer to them as, so ghastly?
Sharpie
Why do you keep referring to things which you then go on to say you “missed” or “fell asleep during” ?
BBC programmes, The Times, the Daily Mail, politicians’ speeches and so on.
@ Loony June 13, 2018 at 14:42
‘Anon1 does not flag up every single instance of Pakistani and Bangladeshi child abuse gangs. His post is concerned with only one such example. If you are interested in a more comprehensive list then try this
http://pmclauth.com/PMCLAUTH/sentenced/Grooming-Gang-Statistics/Gangs-Jailed?widget=BASIC&start=1&limit=100 ‘
I am shocked that this phenomena has been so wide-spread, and for so many years, and that it is mainly Asians who run these ‘Grooming Gangs’: ‘British-Pakistani researchers say 84% of grooming gang members are Asian: ‘It’s very important we talk about it’:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/quilliam-grooming-gangs-report-asian-abuse-rotherham-rochdale-newcastle-a8101941.html
‘…The National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) identifies two types of group-based child abuse.
It says in “Type 1” offenders work in groups such as grooming gangs to target victims based on vulnerability, while “Type 2” offenders form paedophile rings to carry out abuse because of a specific sexual interest in children…..’
There are a number of reasons for this, I suspect.
Firstly, Muslim girls are much less likely to fall for the casual sex approaches, and are less likely to drink or take drugs, so less bribable.
And the figures are for convictions; police are more likely to convict Asians than whites committin paedophilia, because white paedophile rings generally include ‘respected’ members of society, including teachers, priests, police, magistrates, social service workers, and in many cases also TV and media personalities, politicians, councillors, judges, MP’s and High Society, right up to the very top of the tree.
We see from the ‘progress’ (or rather lack of progress) of the IICSA Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, that the PTB have no interest in exposing the filth of their peers (and perhaps skeletons in their own cupboards).
I am still of the opinion Tommy Robinson is against Islam and Muslims, and that he is using the abominable crimes of rogue Muslims to vilify all Muslims, that his interest is not the ‘child grooming’, but that it was done by a tiny minority of a group whom he wants to demonise.
An indication of this is that he remained friends with an EDL member who has just been jailed for 17 years for paedophilia:
‘Leigh McMillan of the #EDL. One of Tommy Robinson’s mates that has stayed friends with him to this day.’:
https://twitter.com/far_right_watch/status/969707858584629249?lang=en
Given the fact these Asian ‘Grooming Gangs’ have been operating for years around the country, what has stopped the police from breaking them up? Are they getting ‘bungs’ from the gangs? They are obviously not being ‘protected’ because of high Establishment links, or because police have a soft spot for Asians.
So far as I know Tommy Robinson has no problems with Muslims but a lot of problems with Islam – which he identifies as being an all encompassing ideology with a religious component. I have no idea as to whether this is an appropriate distinction to make as I am neither a Muslim nor an Islamic scholar.
I have every idea that people who refuse to take a rational look at such questions and disrupt any attempt at analysis by screaming abuse about racists are either idiots or cowards or both.
Most of the convicted Muslim sex offenders are not pedophiles – as they do not typically target pre pubescent children. Rather they are hebephiles since they typically target young people that have reached puberty. Many Islamic countries do not have an age of consent for marriage since the age of consent coincides with puberty and the age of puberty is variable.
It is obviously the case that there are some deeply disturbed white British individuals – and a lot of them seem to occupy positions of power or influence. So far as I know it is within this group that genuine pedophiles are most likely to be found.
The fact that many people are unable or unwilling to differentiate between pedophilia and hebephilia is illustrative of a deliberate attempt to muddy the waters and confuse the issue. The BBC provides a classic service in this regard.
Here is Jeremy Paxman in 2011 sneering at Tommy Robinson. Whatever you think of Robinson most of what he was trying to communicate in this interview turned out to be true
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFyO9s07Jgs
Here is Jeremy Paxman explaining why despite occupying a high profile role in the BBC for many years he never had a clue about the activities of Jimmy Savile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kv4dsh31v4
@ Loony June 13, 2018 at 23:54
Under normal circs, I would expect you to distance yourself from Fascists, so take a look at Tommy’s ‘defenders’:
‘Tommy Robinson supporters perform Nazi salutes at violent London protest, amid warnings of return to racist street movements’:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/tommy-robinson-free-protest-nazi-salutes-london-violence-police-arrests-attacks-prison-a8393566.html
*ionists and the EDL have often joined forces on Demos; I’m sure it’s not that *ionists detest ‘Grooming Gangs’!
‘Real Clear Israel Radio:PEGIDA UK’s Tommy Robinson & Author Diane Weber Bederman’:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/therealclearisrael/2016/06/08/real-clear-israel-radiopegida-uks-tommy-robinson-author-diane-weber-bederman
‘British-Pakistani researchers say 84% of grooming gang members are Asian: ‘It’s very important we talk about it’
Yes. And start by calling a spade a spade, so no more “Asian”. Over 90% has Islamic names as your own statistics show. Most Islamic names in the UK belong to Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. So stop insulting all UK Chinese, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians etc.
If you don’t get it, you might if Asians start labelling N_zis as “Europeans”.
This whole matter is much more relevant for a UK blog than the what happened in one particular tiny speck of the ME called “Gaza”.
This speck in the ME called Gaza is the residence of 2 million people. Of course it is of no importance to you. It has been described as a large open air prison. It is subject to a brutal siege and what politicians from the nation imposing the siege describe euphemistically as ‘mowing the lawn’ periodically culling some of the population. It is also admitted by others of that same government to be subjected to a ‘diet’.
Collective punishment of these 2 million people is of no importance to you and let us move on.
Gaza 2 million people now, thanks to one of the highest population growth numbers in the world. Gaza Palestinians beat even all other Palestinians around in the ME. Check the graphs here: http://yalejournal.org/article_post/the-demographic-security-dilemma-2/
“Palestinians are retaliating with the one structural weapon where they have the upper hand: demography”
Some open air prison; self aggravated problems more..
Your approach to human rights is selective and does not apply to Palestinians.
Thanks for making crystal clear that you’re zionist fascist.
@ Antonyl June 14, 2018 at 02:46
‘..This whole matter is much more relevant for a UK blog than the what happened in one particular tiny speck of the ME called “Gaza”.’
The ‘tiny speck’ happens to be the world’s biggest ‘open-air prison’; perhaps, just perhaps, that is why the world outside of the ‘NWO/One World Gulag’ bunch of Luciferian scumbags take a serious interest in what we should all be interested in – Genocide.
‘Genocide” resulting in ~ the fastest growing population in the world: the Israelis must be doing something very wrong.
I know some people are obsessed with only Gaza but try for once to look at what China did with Tibet or is doing now with Xinjiang or what the Saudi Arabian royals do for their non-pure Sunni neighbors, or many Pakistani Punjabis with all other groups there.
“Asians…”
Yes the Vietnamese are complicit in this aren’t they.
Interesting that you mention this . Muslims: Indonesians and Arabs not involved either so let us focus on this group and not generalise.
SA
We witnessed horrific sexual abuse by US soldiers in Afghanistan. This gives us an insight into the level of impunity enjoyed by the British when they ruled India , i.e. India Pakistan and Bangladesh.
This sexual abuse was dealt with by Muslims and non-Muslims by not -talking about it which they felt would increase the shame and prolong their misery. All that bottled-up resentment against gross injustice and historical impunity is , I believe , the backgound to present day grooming gangs.
It isn’t my position , from outside this community, to expose and humiliate them further by talking about this abuse. but it is my duty as a Muslim to defend Islam against accusations of indecency and inhumanity. The original indecency and inhumanity was perpetrated by British people on a vast scale. The police understand this , which is why they keep it in a low profile.
Neither you nor I can imagine how much stress is generated by raking over these burning coals of repressed hatred.
Or as one Caribbean person said to me once. If they just gave us the whole UK and everything in it, it still would not amount to fair compensation for everything they stole from us African peoples. Sorry for trading on already mangled toes.
“””All that bottled-up resentment against gross injustice and historical impunity is , I believe , the backgound to present day grooming gangs.
It isn’t my position , from outside this community, to expose and humiliate them further by talking about this abuse.”””
_________
So the reason they groom white girls for rape is because of the historical injustices of the Raj??? I’ve heard it all now.
A really disgusting attempt at getting muslim child abusers off the hook Giyane. Even the most deranged far leftist wouldn’t go this far.
And we shouldn’t talk about it because we’re not from *their* community ? F*ck right off. That kind of attitude got us into this situation in the first place.
The implications of what you write can only be considered true by adopting a very selective view of history – one that fits your narrative. No-one is suggesting that the British did not commit crimes, but then so did substantially everyone else.
Consider the 14th century. England was afflicted by a great famine and the Black Death which together acted to essentially halve the population. What was left of England consigned itself to some relatively minor wars with France. Meanwhile in India:
Tamarlane is estimated to have slaughtered 90,000 Hindus in a single day and Tughlaq captured 180,000 Hindus and consigned them to slavery. Separately up to 30,000 Hindus were massacred in cold blood and over 700 villages in India were razed to the ground.
Original sin is a complicated concept as it firstly requires a definition of “original”
Moving forward to more modern times in Afghanistan. Is it really the case that there was “horrific sexual abuse by US soldiers in Afghanistan”? You may be correct, but I am aware of no evidence of this.
I am aware of evidence that supports the contention of sexual abuse perpetrated by Afghan security forces operating under the protection of the US. In this regard I am able to recommend a film by the British journalist Ben Anderson entitled “This is What Winning Looks Like” In particular I would commend the testimony of Major Steuber.
Anon 1
Oh, you want to defend British historical injustice and cruelty. That’s fine. It’s a free world.
Please do whatever you feel is the patriotic and right thing to do. Don’t let me stop you.
Loopy
You bring up lots of other historical crimes. I squashed a cockroach outside my house this morning . Shall we discuss that in relation to the sum total of injustice in the world . Do you think it might be relevant to what we were discussing about historical abuse in India?
There must be a word for it. Deviation? irrelevance?
What’s original sine got to do with the price of sugar? were you born with some under your baby toenails. That must have been terrible for you.
No – Let us not discuss the crushing of cockroaches or sugar under toe nails. Let us instead discuss why you claim horrific sexual abuse by the US military in Afghanistan and then provide precisely zero evidence to support that claim.,
Let us discuss why you find the activities of the British during the Raj so very interesting, but why you find 14th century Islamic crimes in India so resolutely uninteresting.
Let us discuss why you are so keen to talk about the “original indecency and inhumanity perpetrated by British people on a vast scale” whilst resolutely refusing to say exactly what you are talking about. Could it possibly be that you have no idea what you are talking about.
As it happens I am overly fond of the British myself – I despise their moral cowardice and refusal to call out people like you. People that make all kinds of accusations, but have no intention of actually standing up their accusations..
It has not escaped my attention that the only plausible explanation for your reference to cockroaches is because you wish to (not so) subliminally associate Hindus with cockroaches.
Loony
We are on a political blog. politics is the disconcerting art of telling people one thing so that they agree another thing i.e.lying.
On a political blog it’s not just the established lies that get discussed , it’s also the personal witness of anything and everything that seems to undermine the official narrative.
I have close friends who are Afghans who witnessed the callous abuse by US soldiers of local women. My sister married the son of a serving colonial officer in India and he recounted that they had god=like power over the local population. I also have friends from India who have told me what used to happen.
I use the example of the cockroach to illustrate the absolute absence of value of these sub-people to the ruling authority, so you identify the message correctly and rasther weirdly assume that by mentioning it I must condone it. You must be a shambles emotionally to think that discussing something means you agree with it. Why not get onto RoS and reel guid and tell them their openly discussing the SNP means that they are secret opponents of independence?
I can’t discuss the total aberration and repellance of the sexual abuse of English girls without trying to describe the total aberration and repellance of life under British , and later, US military dictatorship. Why do you think USUKIS has spent the last 30 years trashing the Muslim countries if not in order to generate some offensive reaction in the targeted populations. If you don’t understand the deliberate intention of a lifetime of war, what do you understand?
Why do you think the Anglo-saxon imperialists ally themselves with the Zionists? Answer: because the Zionists need no other excuse than their religious exceptionalism to attack Islam and Muslims. This suits the purposes of the Anglo-saxon imperialists who would otherwise be accused of committing illegal colonial war crimes.
@ giyane June 14, 2018 at 08:50
Glad you’re speaking out in truth.
@ Loony June 14, 2018 at 11:26
Let’s discuss what happens to top-notch US soldiers who ‘tell the truth’:
‘On the Dark Side in Al Doura – A Soldier in the Shadows’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mEj0Gj5vsQ
Discussion starts after folks have had a chance to watch the documentary.
“Anon1 does not flag up every single instance of Pakistani and Bangladeshi child abuse gangs.”
You are quute correct. There isn’t the space.
Your error is that you equate the grooming with these gangs being Muslim. Grooming gangs are not confined to Muslims nor are all Muslims implicated in grooming gangs. You are basically equating a character to a religion and creating a stereotype.
SA
His error is seething moral indignation, which is usually a projection of some dark unrecognised thorn in the conscience. When a person experiences abuse as a powerless child, sometimes they try to replicate it as an adult so that they can retrospectively heal their inner child. When a community has suffered abuse under tyranny, maybe they recreate the guilt so they can come to terms with the original abuse as free citizens in charge of their own destinies.
The point is that the British abused those whom they had enslaved. The main problem was the enslavement, and the sexual abuse was secondary. From my understanding of things, The objective of many of these rapes was enslavement of the victims, sometimes by their extreme lack of self-confidence. I don’t think the British are quite ready to admit that they enslaved most of the rest of the world. We’d rather think of it as just Empire, which sounds rather grand, and forget about the cruel degradation of those weaker than ourselves, which is why Mrs May is trying to achieve by removing us from the jurisdiction of the EU court of Human Justice.
Go on, you old Tories, grab back all your historical impunity.
There is no error. Grooming gangs, as you so euphemistically term them, are disproportionately Muslim. There is no shortage of evidence to support this contention. Whilst the British seek to minimize the publication of this evidence it remains relatively easy to access.
Obviously not all Muslims are implicated in grooming gangs. Ask yourself would ever say or write any of the following: The SAS are a British military unit and yet not all Britons are in the SAS. Peter Sutcliffe is a British serial killer yet not all Britons are serial killers. Richard Branson is a British billionaire yet not all Britons are billionaires.
No-one in their right mind would claim that all Muslims are implicated in grooming gangs. Indeed to my knowledge no-one has made that claim. Yet still you feel the need to refute a claim that has not been made. Why? What purpose can this serve except to obfuscate the issue and divert attention.
You still don’t understand. It has nothing to do with the fact that they are Muslim. There are Iraqi, Kurdish, Egyptian, Indonesian, Chinese, Somali and many other Muslim communities not implicated. Therefore this has nothing to do with Islam as such.
“No-one in their right mind would claim that all Muslims are implicated in grooming gangs. Indeed to my knowledge no-one has made that claim.£
Quite right.
This may be of interest?
“Police Cover-up Whistleblower, John Wedger, tells his story about child abuse in London”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hndRK3dfnJg
Loony, Speaking as someone with considerable years of experience in child protection investigative work i can tell you that grooming gangs are NOT and I must repeat NOT predominantly either Muslim or Asian. They are predominantly white male including a high number of professionals who are involved with managing and perpetuating these rings. These professionals I hasten to add include police, judicial figures, teachers (the profession a disproportionate level of paedophiles), doctors, surgeons and other professions. One of the largest paedophile rings in the country was run by two white male teachers. What you are doing is making scapegoats of Muslims without any sort of proper evidence. You need to be very careful before perpetrating this kind of propaganda designed to cast Muslims in a deplorable light causing further scapegoating and demonisation. Here’s a stat for you – since the FBI launched Operation Ore some 10-15yrs ago – in the first year alone some 3,000 paedophiles caught on line (in fact the number is somewhere between 3,000-8,000) were British Teachers. Here’s another little known fact for you – the two detectives who managed the Soham Investigation (and let me say this Ian Huntley did not do it) were also caught by Operation Ore using their own private credit cards accessing extremely hard core severe child pornography yet they were still allowed to continue running the investigation. I could go on but I won’t.
“Grooming gangs are not confined to Muslims nor are all Muslims implicated in grooming gangs.”
No one said either of those things.
Your reply shows once again that it’s impossible to have a serious discussion about anything on here. Red herrings, strawmen, diversions, insults, innuendos and diversions are the standard currency. The lack of proper arguments is why no political party or individual espousing the usual narrative on here gets very far or for any length of time when put to the test of a vote by the people (aka elections).
Considering your comments, H, you do spend an inordinate amount of time around here.
I think I spend relatively little time on here compared to many of the regulars (RepScot, Giyane, Sharp ‘Ars, SA, Hatuey, etc) : However you slice it : by number of comments or by their length.
Charles, you are one of the worst offenders of those red herrings, strawmen, diversions, innuendos and insults that you refer to. Time to clean up your own act I think.
The Commons has just voted to take away the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights after Brexit, eroding our rights and equality protections.
https://mobile.twitter.com/CoreyStoughton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwingsoverscotland.com%2Ftoday-in-parliament%2Fcomment-page-1%2F%23comments
It’s all downhill from here on in, Scotland will votes yes to indy next time around. The good folk on these isles are welcome to come, live and work, in a independent Scotland.
Thank you Mr Bercow, for igniting the spark.
https://mobile.twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwingsoverscotland.com%2Ftoday-in-parliament%2Fcomment-page-1%2F%23comments
Hi Ros.
Yes it’s true that history can have its uses even for mediocre fools like Bercow.
What a day it has been reel guid, could this momentus day be a turning point, away from Westminster and towards independence for Scots and others who live here?
I certainly hope so.
Yes there is a sense of events now starting to unfold quickly.
Scotland will vote yes next time… Momentous turning point… Events starting to unfold quickly….
Heard it all before.
……zzzZZZZ….
Oh Jeremy what have you done?
“Striking Labour rebellion numbers tonight:
74 Lab MPs defied Jeremy Corbyn to vote to stay IN single market,
15 Lab MP voted to LEAVE single market,
Corbyn ordered everyone to abstain”
https://mobile.twitter.com/SamCoatesTimes/status/1006979822625665024
Ros
Labour MPs now make ferrets in a sack look comradely.
@ Republicofscotland June 13, 2018 at 23:20
It might not be as draconian as it looks at first sight – there are a lot of MP’s on both sides who aren’t happy with pulling out of the Fundamental Rights, and there is a good chance they will be brought back in:
‘Government avoids defeat after MPs vote against retaining EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in UK law after Brexit’:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-charter-fundamental-rights-commons-uk-eu-defeat-a8068326.html
‘..During the debate Ken Clarke, the former Conservative Chancellor and pro-European, said the Government had failed to explain why they intended to abolish the Charter of Fundamental Rights after Brexit.
Mocking the Government, the senior Tory MP added: “Presumably it’s because it’s got the word ‘European’ and ‘rights’ in it, and this was intended from a Daily Telegraph gesture to the hard right wing of my party.”
But Mark Harper, a former Conservative minister, suggested that the Government could consider bringing forward an amendment at report stage – likely to be in the new year – to address Mr Grieve’s concerns over the charter.
“If there are actually rights which we do think are important and aren’t, we don’t think are adequately reflected in legislation, there is an argument at some point in due course – maybe not immediately when we’re doing this – but certainly whether some of them actually would benefit from being brought into the Human Rights Act,” said Mr Harper.
After the amendment was voted on the Liberal Democrat’s Brexit spokesperson, Tom Brake, said: “The government squeaked home, but we will not give up the fight to protect fundamental rights from an extreme Brexit…..’
A JC Labour government will almost certainly redress any loss of rights by May & Co.
People, all people but particularly people in the medical profession should get together to ensure Julian Assange gets the correct medical treatment he urgently needs. Stay silent and you condemn yourself over a gross violation of human rights.
And the link:
https://wiseupaction.info/2018/06/13/the-fight-to-free-julian-assange-is-a-question-of-political-principal-the-james-cogan-interview/
The fight to free Julian Assange? He can walk out the embassy any time he chooses and get all the medical attention he needs.
Stop parroting that line which is used by your best mates on here. You know full well that he would be arrested instantly and rendered to the US and Ms Gina Haspel for her to do her worst.
He is not imprisoned, Sharp Ears. It is his own choice to evade justice by remaining in the Ecuadorian embassy. And didn’t he say he would walk out if Bradley Manning was released? Is he a man of his word or not?
Yes, you’re right – he did say that re Bradley Manning. Look, let’s face it, his bluff was called. Mr Assange is, in my opinion, a twister and an opportunist. To call him a genuine whistleblower is to be facetious.
The troll is of the humble opinion that the whistleblower is an imposter.
Projection of impostureship onto innocent third party. Oh well, they’ve run out of straightjackets on all the Tory MPs. You’ll just have to look stupid in public under your bridge, Bostick. The NHS can’t afford to look after you.
Giyane
You appear to have all the time on the world to “comment” day in and day out. Don’t you work?
“To call him a genuine whistleblower is to be facetious.”
I’ve got one Hillary Clinton to say otherwise.
bj – the key word is “genuine”.
‘The death in prison of Katie Allan, 21, a Glasgow university student, exposes a disgrace at the heart of the Scottish judicial system’:
http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy432a.html
‘..In line with Mr Matheson’s thinking, the unit at Polmont where Katie Allan died has only 66 inmates. Yet, even with so small a number to care for, it appears to have been beyond the ability of the staff to protect a traumatised young woman from severe bullying. It has not taken long for a supposedly therapeutic regime to break down.
For that reason among others, it is important that the facts of this case are known and understood. All the principal characters – the sentencing sheriff, the justice secretary, the Scottish Prison Service, the governor of Polmont prison and the editor of Ms Allan’s local newspaper which reported with lip-smacking satisfaction that she had been ‘caged’ – may have something to learn from the needless waste of a promising young life.
Nevertheless, you can be sure that the ventilation of awkward truths will be postponed as long as possible. There is a legal obligation to hold a fatal accident inquiry in cases of deaths in custody, but there is no obligation to hold it within a reasonable timescale. There has been no FAI into 24 prison deaths last year. There has been no FAI into 18 prison deaths in 2016. There has been no FAI into six prison deaths in 2015. And, quite intolerably, there has been no FAI into six prison deaths as long ago as 2014. Total number of deaths in custody in Scotland, 2014-17, in which the cause of death is still to be determined: 54….’
Then of course there was the Holly Greig paedophilia case, where a Sherrif was one of the main accused; needless to say, nothing came of it, except extreme harassment for the mother and daughter.
Scottish Justice seems worse than England’s!
(Though I should add, the harassment of the mother and daughter continued unabated in England, to where they fled).
You clearly have no idea of what you’re talking about.
Her death is tragic, no doubt. But if she had been some working class bird from Castlemilk rather than the leafy suburbs nobody including you or your silly article would be asking “What was Katie Allan doing in prison?”
Then you go on and make a point about Holly Greig. Anyone that knows a thing about that case knows that it’s far from the conspiracy that wankers on the web make out it is. Sorry to burst the bubble of your YouTube knowledgebase.
What do you get out of point scoring on subjects like this? Isn’t it obvious that there can be no winners in depressing situations like this?
I’d actually ban you from this site for this comment.
@ Hatuey June 14, 2018 at 00:57
My major interest was the lack of justice in this case, and others:
‘..Nevertheless, you can be sure that the ventilation of awkward truths will be postponed as long as possible. There is a legal obligation to hold a fatal accident inquiry in cases of deaths in custody, but there is no obligation to hold it within a reasonable timescale. There has been no FAI into 24 prison deaths last year. There has been no FAI into 18 prison deaths in 2016. There has been no FAI into six prison deaths in 2015. And, quite intolerably, there has been no FAI into six prison deaths as long ago as 2014. Total number of deaths in custody in Scotland, 2014-17, in which the cause of death is still to be determined: 54….’
Do you think that sort of stringing out of ‘fatal accident inquiry in cases of deaths in custody’ i OK? Well, do you? Because I bloody well don’t.
As for the Holly Greig case, I know quite a lot about it, being part of a core campaigning group on the case. I believe Holly.
And the Procurator Fiscal of Aberdeen was also guilty of crimes, covering up the facts of the case.
I am fully aware that many people try to brush the whole case off as unfounded – after all, big names are implicated.
What do I get out of posting a comment ‘like that’? Just what it says on the tin – an expose of how the Law operates in Scotland.
As for banning, if you were in such a position on a blog, I for one wouldn’t bother posting on it. Have a good night – they say ignorance is bliss.
Not enough, it seems, to spell her name correctly.
This would be the Sherriff who is accused of abusing children at his sister’s home; even though he doesn’t have a sister? Almost as good as Piazzagate and the non-existent basement
Two massive comments that both include massive quotes and the same amount of substance.
It took about 10 minutes of research to understand completely and with absolute confidence that the Holly Greig conspiracy theory was a smouldering pile of flat-earth. Kempe below makes the comparison with pizza-gate and that’s spot on.
Did you wake up yesterday and decide it’s time to play the glib moron card?
Lol @ “Do you think that sort of stringing out of ‘fatal accident inquiry in cases of deaths in custody’ i OK? Well, do you? Because I bloody well don’t.”
Your insincerity and mock outrage speaks volumes about your character.
H: “Did you wake up yesterday and decide it’s time to play the glib moron card? ”
No, he decided to do that a long time back. Ask him about all the fake school shootings, the fake terrorist attacks (there’s never really been a genuine one!), and Paul’s all time favourite – that Barak Obama is in fact a woman, and Michelle Obama is a man. I kid you not. He’s got proof.
Oh, and don’t start Paul going with the “pizza-gate” thing – he believes every word of that too. In fact, I don’t think there’s a whacked out conspiracy howler that Paul doesn’t fully believe in. He’s got what it takes to make a level-7 Operating Thetan if he ever turns his hand to scientology.
any more bullies want to get a kick in?
You think only a “bully” points out the ludicrous, and often heartless and dangerous, nonsense regularly put out by some posters here?
Nope. A bully may or may not have a point of any kind, but a bully will kick a man when he is down. If you just came along and made a point, good on you, but if you came and put a kick in at the same time and after everyone else then maybe there’s an issue. I don’t know the ins and outs though. I just saw some geezer called Paul B who’s heart seems in the right place getting torn a new one. Didn’t seem right. Think I may have cried a little bit. In my head, not through my face. Actually not really. Don’t get me wrong I will lay in to someone if I think they deserve it, like Bostik, preferably in person, but then I even felt sorry for him the other day. Maybe I’ve been drinking too much, makes me emotional. Usually I’m psychotic. Guess I’m just a sociopath after all. Boooooo
I take your point, particularly concerning PB himself – he seems to have a good heart from what I can tell, it’s definitely in the right place. And for that matter, I don’t know how much I agree with Hatuey – we’re certainly not mates on here (although that’s because I’ve had almost no dealings, no personal disagreement).
It concerns me that PB peddles the most dangerous nonsense, and jumps enthusiastically on every conspiracy theory going. This is very much work of the “useful idiot” for the far-right, even though he obviously doesn’t realise it.
There doesn’t seem any way of waking him up, though. Suppose you had seen someone promoting obvious lies that works in favour of the NRA – and has been doing so for _years_ – wouldn’t that make you a bit predisposed to ridicule them a bit once in a while? And seriously, everything I wrote here is entirely on the level, it’s not parody – everything is from PB himself and on the record – apart from the Scientology bit (I made that up for comic effect). /tish-boom/ .
Yeah I already had you pegged as a good’un. Understand it can be infuriating correcting some conspiracy theorists, but when you can’t see the proof and truth with your own eyes, there will be no way of convincing some, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but does gives rise to extreme cases like holocaust deniers and the tedium of patiently presenting cold hard facts when you could just as well be banging your head against a brick wall. In my case banging my head against a brick wall is far more rewarding because it can only make me prettier, shut me up, and progress with the home improvements. I’m determined to have a window in this cell one day.
Katie Allen – drunken, hit and run driver, sent to prison – rightly so.
Imagine if she had done that to one of your relatives or friends.
Sure but it isn’t a capital offence, she didn’t deserve to die for it. The prison service has a duty of care for inmates and once again they seem to have failed.
@Kempe.
Of course it isn’t a capital offence, but it is a very serious one. How did she die? Did she commit suicide as so many do in prison?
It is tragic, but she could have easily killed someone because she showed “no duty of care” towards other citizens.
Yes she was driven to kill herself by being bullied.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/2751091/drink-driver-katie-allan-polmont-bullying-death/
Another 3-4 months and she’d have been free.
That does not mean she should not have gone to prison. The sentence was a correct one – prison can be a harsh environment – I cannot see that the prison service have failed Katie Allen – dealing with an environment that is categorised by bullying amongst the inmates and a hierarchy amongst them of leaders and non-leaders. This case should just be put down to a negative consequence of being imprisoned – Katie Allen is not the only person who has committed suicide in Prison there are hundreds and thousands who have – so perspective is important here.
The only chance the SNP has of success now depends on not only continuing with disruptive agitation, but escalation. Failure to do that will result in a reversal of momentum and the MSM will depict their walk out of Parliament today as a petty stunt; and that would cost them dearly. In truth, if they fail to push the envelope further, the walk out was a petty stunt.
I think it’s time to suggest SNP MPs, MSPs, and Councillors could go ahead with a mass resignation and propose that they re-fight by-elections on the single issue of Independence — all perfectly legal and reasonable but potentially very disruptive and destabilising for May and her government of panic merchants. It would be interesting to see the impact of this on stocks and Sterling too.
Westminster and Whitehall are full of cowards. The above would prove that and they’d fold within days. The Tories have no home in Scotland, no bedrock of support, and that’s important. The time has never been better to go for the Tory Party’s neck.
Do what Sinn Fein did in 1919: set up a parallel government and refuse to have anything to do with the UK government.
There is a current derealised drama on BBC radio 4 about a civil war in U.K. caused by Scottish UDI which I have only half listened two. But one scene was the Westminster Government preparing to invade Scotland on the basis that the nuclear deterrent in Faslane was being compromised and therefore justified as self defence.
Ah yes, the BBC, has form on causing panic, Ronald Knox, Broadcasting the Barricades, had a similar theme to it.
Orson Welles himself said that Broadcasting the Barricades, aided him greatly in his War of the World’s radio slot.
You can rely on the state broadcaster, to spread fear and panic.
So little to do with the UK government that they kept the British pound as their currency for another six decades or so.
You need to mug up on your Irish history. It wasn’t Sinn Fein who won the Irish Civil War but the other side and they were the ones who kept the pound.
Apologies! I mist have been misled by Lysias, who keeps saying that Sinn Fein “won” (silly word, by the way).
So little to do with the UK government that there continued to be mass emigration from Ireland to the UK during the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
‘Bernie Sanders’ Criticism Of Israel Is Radical. And He’s Taking It Mainstream’:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/49624.htm
‘Not many in the media are noticing, which is understandable given the burden of keeping up with Donald Trump, but in the shadow of Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, Bernie Sanders is dramatically challenging Beltway discourse on Israel.
In 2020, when Sanders likely runs for president, and journalists begin paying attention, they’re going to be shocked. The Israeli government and the American Jewish establishment will be scared out of their minds.
Last month, Sanders crossed one of the red lines demarcating politically acceptable Washington discourse about Israel. He organized the first letter written by multiple senators criticizing Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Then, last week, he raced past that line again with a video that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen from an American senator.
To understand how radical Sanders’ video is, it’s worth remembering how liberal Democrats like Barack Obama, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton talked about Israel and the Palestinians as recently as two years ago. While Obama, Kerry and Clinton did sometimes criticize Israeli policy, they generally did so in the language of Israeli self-interest, not of Palestinian human rights. Israeli settlement policy was bad for Israel, they argued, because it threatened Israel’s future as a democratic Jewish state.’
A welcome breath of fresh air from Bernie. His fans will surely broadcast this all over social media, even if the MSM ignores it, showing their true colours to many who may not have been aware of their MSM’s biased propaganda.
This excellent documentary was on BBC last night.
‘When Grenfell Tower caught fire in June 2017, the disaster revealed a deep division between rich and poor in this part of west London. Now, residents of the community around the tower tell the extraordinary story, 150 years in the making, of how their borough became the most unequal place in Britain.
This film reveals little-known stories of how the divisions began, such as the building in the nineteenth century of a huge wall that still stands today. The wall was intended to separate the homes of the Victorian middle class from what was then the worst slum in London. Residents share their memories of the dramatic events that shaped their community – from exploitation by notorious landlord Peter Rachman in the 1950s to the first Notting Hill race riots and the construction of Grenfell Tower in the 1970s.
When Grenfell Tower opened in 1974, Britain was more equal than it has ever been, before or since. For the residents who moved in then, the tower was a symbol of hope for the future. But since Grenfell opened, we have become steadily more unequal, until today levels of income inequality are the same as they were in 1850. This is the untold story of a unique part of west London, revealing how its past has shaped its present.’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b6q2sh
Sharp Ears
The Tories have created a breed of managers who really believe that their management status permits them to over-ride Health and Safety. These managers are interested in only one thing, ” due diligence “, meaning that when things go wrong there is a solid blame trail that leads firmly away from themselves. In the only corporation I have ever worked in the CEO got £230K p.a. and he employed a manager on £80K whose sole function was to remove blame trails from the CEO and CFO.
I had the huge satisfaction of being proved right on one technical issue. With the highly satisfactory result of my probationary period being brought summarily to an end. I know it’s petty of me to chalk up scores against the d***-w****s but I had the satisfaction of hearing “It turns out you were right ” being muttered through clenched teeth by the CFO, ( who was utilised to spare the embarrassment of the CEO and manager ) . “Yes, I know my job, what about you? ”
The Thatcher swamp of managerial supremacy is a system which rewards callous liars to lie for hire and reward. anyone who does not toe the line will get fired. When I worked for Unite Students last year the Calibration Department were defending the management policy of blatantly NOT complying with Electrical Safety at Work Act, by not providing RCD safety trips on showers and lights in bathrooms or on socket outlets in student rooms and kitchens. The heavies from head office came one day and put my head on a plate with a false accusation of inappropriate behaviour.
That hurt. But not as much as Grenfell Tower is going to hurt their lying senior management when they have to explain to their international investors why their buildings are 20 years behind in compliance with basic safety requirements for their tenants. Sorry to hear about your hedge-cutting experience yesterday. Now if you had been doing hedge banking like Mrs May’s husband they’d have closed the rat run past your house.
She’s just been on reptilicating Blair’s stuttering faux-regret about not having met Grenfell tenants.
@ giyane June 14, 2018 at 08:15
‘..The heavies from head office came one day and put my head on a plate with a false accusation of inappropriate behaviour….’
I presume that means you were sacked. If so, did you take the issue up with the appropriate authorities for wrongful dismissal?
You’re evidence about the RCD safety trips would surely have won your case, and a nice little bundle of cash, as well as ensuring the RCD safety trips were installed, and perhaps getting some of the management sacked.
Do you know if the RCD’s were installed after? I should imagine the students would be very interested in this episode.
How many Universities would have been affected?
A word to the wise – watch your back! Many people suspected that the electrician Jean Charles de Menezes was working on the London Underground, and knew too much about the real perps of the 7/7 London Bombings.
” Many people suspected that the electrician Jean Charles de Menezes was working on the London Underground, and knew too much about the real perps of the 7/7 London Bombings. ”
Many people are idiots then, LUL have their own electricians and de Menezes was on his way to fix a burglar alarm in Kilburn.
@ Kempe June 14, 2018 at 15:23
Perhaps that is true; at the time there was no idea where he worked.
And even if on that occasion he was going to fix a burglar alarm (maybe that’s why he originally was alleged to have ‘wires sticking out of his jacket’!) that does not say he had not worked on the London Underground. The ‘burglar alarm’ story could also be a red herring to stifle theories about the Underground.
Paul Barbara
Unite Students took me on through an agency on standard zero hours terms.
After the RCD incident and my complaints about rats chewing cables, the contract was never going to get more formalised. Corporations read blogs like this where their employees criticise them. They don’t appreciate freedom of speech. There is no redress for 90% of the construction industry work-force who have their own limited companies or are self-employed. The courts were a bit shocked to find that out in the Pimlico Plumbers case. If the courts don’t know how the construction industry works the public doesn’t know either. The bottom line is that you do what you’re told or wait to the end of the day and get sacked.
The professional electrical body where I am registered is not able to influence this government at all towards enforcement of the electrical regulations on landlords. It will all come out in the Grenfell Inquiry. But NAPIT don’t see the 2013 voltages as being the cause of the fire because they were fixed. A NAPIT advisor did however inform me that accommodation providers can be prosecuted under the Electricity at Work Act and Health & Safety legislation for failing to upgrade their electrical installations to current standards which would protect tenants..
The bottom line is that if there was an RCD protecting the faulty fridge the trip would have cut the circuit immediately. Your house has RCDs on the sockets and so does mine. It’s only the complacency created by this Tory government that has allowed corporate landlords to believe that they are exempt from retrofitting safety equipment that is standard in all homes across the UK.
Giyane
In all friendship and from one public schoolboy/Oxbridge man to another : you often talk about your conflicts with various employers – to the extent that there does not appear to have been a single employer with whom you haven’t fallen out. Have you ever considered the possibility that this unfortunate fact might say more about you than it does about your many and varied employers?
Bostick
I’ve heard that Troll snot can be used for sticking all sorts of materials including laminates, plastics and synthetic rubber floors. I don’t know how you get away with subliminal advertising of your wares on CM blog, probably because your sublime slime does actually work. May I take this opportunity to advise you of a sticky end for your heroes in previously Tel Aviv, now Jerusalem, if they continue to massacre ethnic minorities against world opinion and the rules of their own supposed God. It will make Grenfell Tower look like a birthday cake candle.
Fiery words indeed, Giyane. Are you calling for another Holocaust?
Giyane, please, do not give Bostick the dignity of a reply to his brand of malice thinly disguised as legitimate dissent. He is not worthy of a reply and clearly enjoys insulting people. He is best left ignored to tell you the truth.
No Charles, it more likely means Giyane has the gaul to highlight matters that are inconvenient to the employers and he has the integrity to do that. Corporations in this country hate the truth with a vengeance, They hate strong staff who challenge decisions and whistleblowers. Giyane is not alone in falling out with employers.
@ Sharp Ears June 14, 2018 at 06:46
Not much has been said about an important part of the equation: the electrical surges:
‘News The Essential Daily Briefing’:
https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/7dangerous-power-surges-were-reported-at-grenfell-tower-in-years-before-fire9583/
‘Power surges in Grenfell Tower caused electrical appliances to malfunction, overheat and give off smoke in the years before the fire.
At least 80 people are thought to have died in the blaze last month, which police say began in a fridge freezer in a fourth-floor flat.
Letters between Kensington and Chelsea Council and Grenfell Tower residents show that 45 of the tower’s 129 flats were affected by a powerful surge in 2013. Compensation was paid to 25 residents whose appliances were damaged beyond repair.
Fire experts have said the electricity spikes could have caused the fire to start.
“I think it clearly concerns anyone that if you hear that there are 20 appliances in one day, there is something that is clearly wrong,” Geoff Wilkinson, a building inspector and fire expert, said.
Surges in 2013
In a letter dated 24 July 2013, the council’s housing department said “a series of surges were reported in Grenfell Tower”.
Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), which was responsible for managing the block, “has been actively investigating the cause”, the letter added.
The letter was sent to Judith Blakeman, the local Labour councillor and a member of the TMO. She said the surge affected many electrical appliances, including fridges.
The council suggested to residents that the smoke was actually steam, she told the BBC. “That didn’t go down well with residents, because they can tell the difference between smoke and steam,” she said………’
There was a lot of talk among locals that suspected the fire was deliberately caused in order for the area to be redeveloped and ‘gentrified’. Though don’t expect that to come out in the ‘inqiery’!
“There was a lot of talk among locals that suspected the fire was deliberately caused in order for the area to be redeveloped and ‘gentrified’.”
The fire does appear to have been genuinely started by an electrical fault, but that is not to say that the difference between the value of the land that the Tower stands on with the Tower standing on it and the value of the land with expensive flats on it might not be more than the cost of clearing up after the fire, demolishing the Tower and building the new flats.
Bayard
This is one of the main reasons why affordable houses in many parts of the SE can no longer be affordable, it is the price of the plot of land. The buildings are by contrast not so much. This is producing an effect of social cleansing in many communities which can only get worse. However there may be some salvation on the way. The developers seem to have been on a building spree in the corridor that runs along the new Crossrail link. The result is a lot of expensive houses without enough buyers.
The highly-principled walk-out by the SNP yesterday is being belittled by the BBC. “The Tartan Mist ” i.e. inner rage at the Tory plan to remove our parliamentary and human rights is being joked about by these callous criminals who call themselves MPs. This has shown the Tories in their true colours for the whole world to see, if anyone has eyes that can see.
As it was belittled by Bercow and most of the stooges on the green benches.
Parliament has fallen into disrepute. Time for a selective lockout.
Israeli police abuse Ethiopian monks, and complain of a hand injury incurred by one of their officers who threw an 84 year old monk to the ground;
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ethiopia-said-to-freeze-jerusalem-embassy-move-over-anger-at-abuse-of-monks/
Welcome back “Poster 123” from the excellent “The Lifeboat News” !
This is for you in view of your past expressed interest in all things Cypriot, and should also be of interest to Anon iro of crimes against children;
https://metro.co.uk/2018/05/23/british-soldiers-horrifically-tortured-children-during-cyprus-emergency-7570625/
What a strange response to my words of welcome! Surely you know that you’ve been sorely missed on CM? I was just glad to see you’ve decided to return to a blog whose author has been the subject of scathing commentary pn other fora from your good self.
“scathing” ! moi ? More a case of others having an unfortunate combination of many annoying faults, fragile egos & very thin skins ! 😀
Yes, Poster 123, it’s always someone else, isn’t it.
Perhaps you care to share your “expertise on Greek matters” by letting us know what you think of the proposed name compromise from FYROM to “North Macedonia” ?
Sure, Poster 123. It’s a very silly name.
Poster 123
Sorry, read yours too quickly. I was thinking about another name which had been suggested previously.
“North Macedonia”, eh?
Not too keen on that. It could give FYROM the idea that there should one day be a united or greater Macedonia – under Skopje, of course.
Cf “Northern Ireland”, to which the Republic of Ireland laid claim in its constitution until quite recently.
BTW, why have you deserted “The Lifeboat News”?
Goodness, a first in years, maybe even ever ! I agree that the proposed name is very dangerous for Greece.
As to the other place, let’s just say, CM isn’t the only authoritarian thin-skinned Mod !
Beginning to think that maybe I have a problem with authority figures, especially those that command respect instead of earning it.
Hi again Macky/Poster 123
Yes, I thought it was something like that. You haven’t been banned from there but you have been reproached by Dan the Man (can’t say I’m surprised as you’re usually over the top even for that hateful “blog”) and, thin-skinned as you are, you’ve left in a huff, just like you did from CM. I must say I think you’re more at home there than here but hey, who am I to tell you where to go? 🙂
I see that you are still an unreformed peddler of untruths, as I did not leave this blog because of being thin-skinned, but out of disgust at CM comments regarding the Odessa Massacre, blaming the victims themselves, then Putin, but excusing the fascist murderers themselves.
And you are wrong in assuming that I took affront from Dan, rather the other way around.
Oh yes. The Lifeboat News which you attempted to enter under the pseudonym ‘James Devenish’. Farcical.
http://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/msg/archive/1518432977.html
Is not “Sharp Ears” a pseudonym ?
Flicking through the channels, I have just heard some male minor ‘celebrity’ say on ITV ‘I’ve never suffered from mental ‘elf” (health)’. YCNMIU
we really are heading toward idiocracy. Watch it, the film ‘Idiocracy’ I mean. Good for a few laughs.
Great piece on Assange/Wikileaks by Suzie Dawson;
https://steemit.com/wikileaks/@suzi3d/julian-assange-censored-to-death
Exiting the EU Questions LIve now on the Parliament Channel. Freeview 232 or live on the iPlayer
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/schedules/bbcparliament
The SNP members have returned.
It gets worse on the BBC.
Tonight’s QT panel
John Mann Lab a-s stirrer. Attacked Ken Livingstone.
Dominic Grieve Con right winger ex Attorney General who refused to grant an inquest for Dr Kelly
Isabel Oakeshott right wing commentator *
Matthew Wright airhead about to leave his Wright Stuff on Channel 5 – moving wallpaper
Leanne Wood Plaid Cymru
https://twitter.com/bbcquestiontime/status/1006952110095785985
* https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/11/profile-isabel-oakeshott-and-the-bad-boys-of-brexit
To be fair Ken is ultimately reponsible for most of the attacks on Ken.
Thank you Sharp Ears for the line up, Oakeshott, dear oh dear, what a nasty piece of work.
Sharp Ears
If you had just seen Kelly murdered for speaking the truth, would you order an inquest? Grieve probably enjoys a stroll without being used as a shop dummy by the powers that be,
” I’ve ordered a double inquest, one for Kelly and one for me “
MSNBC liberal moron claim that Russia is behind that Trump met North Korean leader
https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1006753110918877190
Predictably, the liberal media are now also suggesting one day after the talks that the fact that NK hasn’t denuclearized and built a McDonald’s in Pyongyang means Trump has FAILED.
Yes, one somehow gets the impression that some people would be most displeased if peace were to break out on the Korean peninsula. That is because they would lose one of the sticks they periodically wave around to beat the USA with.
It’s all about Trump and the threat he presents to the established liberal order. They would rather nuclear war than see him succeed.
Bostick.Not all of us are as weak-minded as you.
I see the name Bostick has stuck. ‘Guaranteed to stick under all conditions’. LOL.
May I refer to you as Sharp ‘Ars ?
Why do you attack your compatriots as ‘liberal media’? Do you imagine that you aren’t perfectly transparent?
So who do we reckon for the World Cup then, team? Anon1’s hot tip at 28/1 (or better if you can get it) is………………
Uruguay !!!
(But it’ll be Germany)
Germany/Uruguay final isn’t a bad bet at 80/1.
UN General Assembly passes motion to condemn excessive use of force at Gaza border fence. 193 votes to 8.
So who are the egregious eight, lets see:
US and Israel obviously followed by the Marshal Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Togo, the Solomon Islands and AUSTRALIA. Malcolm Turnbul really is a piece of shit.
US, Israel and their little band of gimps.
http://www.dw.com/en/un-votes-to-blame-israel-for-excessive-force-against-palestinians-in-gaza/a-44213593
Vivian.
As per usual it’s a non binding resolution, though I’d say that the UN is so disgusted by Israeli oppression that’s backed up by the US, that a motion put forward by Nikki Haley to also condemn Hamas failed to get enough support, to be included in the resolution.
The majority of the nations at the UN in my opinion, are fed up with the oppressive apartheid military regime that is Israel, being allowed to kill and terrorise Palestinian people with impunity.
Alas they’re too gutless to really do anything about it.
That’s good. could we also have a motion condemning the excessive use of the wrong end of the telescope by the world’s smallest democracy. The goldfish is just peacefully swimming around in its bowl and the apartheid junta of Israel is firing butterfly bullets at it in self-defence. Oh sorry, they missed the bit about taking out the motes in your own eye, didn’t they. Oh, and they missed the next bus to heaven as well. I don’t think there are any more buses coming. Stuck forever in a pre-mordial cave painting daubed by dinosaurs onto the stalagmite depicting the joys of chewing the new two-legged human things.
Well done the UN. for the understatement of all time. Please use necessary force next time. Can’t let those thinky things take over the whole world.
45 of mostly western states REFUSED to support the deal and ABSTAINED!
Thats a disgraceful bunch of people that apparently is fine that 120 civilian protesters are murdered for weeks live on camera in Israel. We see once again also how the EU use israeli propaganda to judge whats going on in the region. The israeli lobby is in full spin in Strasbourg to mold EU poliicians..
193 to 8 is correct but you’ve forgotten the 46 states which abstained, ie, did not vote for the Resolution. I suppose it was just an oversight on your part?
Naw! Brevity is the soul of wit.
Charles Bostock
193 vs 45 – what is the higest value? 45? But yeah keep trying, apparently you are unaware that people of this world are fed up with the child-youth killing Israel have carried out past months concering the protests.
Jack
Of course 193 is higher than 45(or 45 plus 8). But 45 is also higher than 8.
What attracted my interest was the fact that you seemed to be giving the impression that there was overwhelming support for the Resolution (193 to 8) whereas, in reality, that support was rather less overwhelming (193 to 53).
But I’m sure that your omission was involontary and just an oversight.
Charles Bostock
53 is still more than 193? What are you even trying to accomplish here?
United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights since September 2014: Jordanian prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
Amongst the present United Nations Human Rights Council members: Pakistan, Ukraine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, UK, US, Australia, Ecuador.
Can these countries show others the way by cleaning up their own human rights issues first?
Anotyl
None of that countries keep massacre civilians year after year like israel.
Pro-israeli users show their racism by these kind of comments, palestinians arent worth a dime according to them, thats why they get so agitated when world unites against this lunatic regime..
First images of the Scotland plane arriving in Moscow:
https://goo.gl/images/Rtjfkv
Naw Anon 1. That’ll soon be the shuttle flight that takes the Scottish MPs to London on a Monday morning.
We live in hope.
Last images of England at a major football tournament……
://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/england-1-2-iceland-england-knocked-out-by-iceland-1-4163956
……..sent home by a remote island nation with a population smaller than Bournemouth.
They weren’t a bad team actually.
Yes well done England on qualifying for the World Cup. However I hear the team might want try and impress the PM. ?
https://mobile.twitter.com/kwr66/status/1006639814320500736/photo/1
Very good.
Rod Stewart lookalike not happy in losing landmark employment rights case. 😀
https://twitter.com/i/status/1007206128365785088
I didn’t like the look of him either but did you see the interview he did last night? I thought he put forward his case very well. The claimant had received half a million pounds from Pimlico Plumbers for three years work and was basically disgruntled about not getting sick pay when he fell ill. On that kind of money he should have made his own arrangements as well as for a pension. The hobby South Asian who was put up against Rod was just the sort of useless jobsworth who contributes nothing to the economy and Rod made mincemeat of her.
A transcript of the case can be viewed here:
http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2018/29.html
The Supreme Court says of the agreements between the worker and Pimlico
“In places they are puzzling. In his judgment in the appeal tribunal Judge Serota QC concluded that, on the one hand, Pimlico wanted to present their operatives to the public as part of its workforce but that, on the other, it wanted to render them self-employed in business on their own account; and that the contractual documents had been “carefully choreographed” to serve these inconsistent objectives. But the judge rightly proceeded to identify a third objective, linked to the first, namely to enable Pimlico to exert a substantial measure of control over its operatives; and this clearly made development of the choreography even more of a challenge.”
Also the judgement gives details of the worker’s turnover from Pimlico for the year ended 5 April 2011 as £131k. However this was reduced to £48k after payments for materials and expenses. Not a bad amount but nothing like £500k over 3 years as claimed by Pimlico’s owner.
“Materials and expenses”
Nudge nudge, wink wink.
The diminutive twerp is not stupid. He has a ‘fortune’ of £140m and owns several expensive cars.
‘Pimlico Plumbers donated £22,735 to the Conservative Party in 2015, and Mullins donated more than £48,000, in the two years to July 2017. He was a business adviser to David Cameron and George Osborne, and has been a vocal critic of Brexit. In January 2018, Mullins announced that he would no longer be a Tory Party donor, and declared his candidacy as an independent at the London mayoral election, 2020. In March 2018, Mullins said he would financially support the Liberal Democrats to support their campaign to prevent Brexit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Mullins
Politically speaking he appears to swing all ways! Hilarious.
He must have spent a large chunk of his ‘fortune’ on legal fees going all the way to the Supreme Court. Mr Gary Smith was legally aided presumably.
Speaking of legal fees, does anyone know whether Craig and Gorgeous George have started their legal proceedings against Philip Cross and “X” yet?
The absence of any crowd-funding appeal would seem to indicate not but of course I can’t keep my eye on everything on the net.
Charlie, you posted the other day to say that this ‘Philip Cross’ affair was a non-story, when someone else had an update, yet you yourself are repeatedly raising it. Do you now believe there’s mileage in the story, or are you deliberately trying to suppress certain aspects of the story? ?
The absence of any legal proceedings brought by Craig and George makes me wonder if even Craig and George believe there’s still any mileage in the story 🙂
I’m probably the only bloke who’s still interested (in the legal proceedings, I mean).
But anyway, stop poking and make yourself useful by telling us if you’ve heard anything!
Why nothing, Craig, about Trump’s latest alleged act of American hubris?
Craig’s on holiday. Last time he went missing he was negotiating peace in Ankara.
Glad to see you are still riding Trigger, your old hobby horse. Point taken though that Trump is offering NK a false dilemma, that it can only be a modern state by coming into the fold of US power. Trump is laying down the corn that leads to the chicken trap. In a multipolar world Mr Kim doesn’t need to, and will never, go there. He’s just playing trump to get some closure on the sins of US past warcrimes.
You see the phrase ‘housing association’ and think that is a benign organisation which provides housing for those in need. Not so.
Fury as housing associations redevelop and sell affordable homes
With many Grenfell Tower survivors still displaced a year after the fire that killed 72 people, figures reveal millions being made from selloffs
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/13/fury-affordable-homes-redeveloped-sold-housing-associations
‘Housing associations have made at least £82.3m from auctioning homes in five London boroughs since 2013, according to figures seen by the Guardian. Analysis by the Labour MP for Westminster North, Karen Buck, shows that Westminster, Brent, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Kensington and Chelsea sold 153 properties at auction through Savills estate agents – with more than half in Westminster where sales totalled £36.4m. The true figures are likely to be much higher as the data only covers sales made by one agency. The auctions are part of a wider trend of some housing associations selling off social housing in expensive central London to fund new developments, which tenants say are unaffordable or far removed from their families, schools and work.’
In the main, councils have handed over what remains of their housing stock available for rent to housing associations, thus ridding themselves of the responsibility to maintain and repair the properties and to provide housing. The witch Thatcher lives.
The managers of Housing Associations fully understand the potential for self-remuneration from the sale of social property. . I don’t know why you don’t just get a comfortable deckchair and sit in the road directing the porsches round you. The police would probably be happy, residents would be happy and you could charge a toll charge for allowing the porsches to pass. Mrs May would be absolutely delighted that one of her oldest antagonists had come over to ruthless Thatcherite greed. You could spend the charge on repairing potholes, becoming part of DC’s Big Society.
Sorry, that’s where we are.
Oh FFS. Now the Aquarius has changed course to Sardinia because some of the passengers are feeling sea sick. Just send the fucking thing back and jail all the crew for human trafficking.
What is the purpose of this liberal pro-refugee madness anyway? Is it to dump the wages?
Mostly ideological. If you look at the Twitter accounts of the traffickers, sorry, charity workers, they’re all for open borders. They actually look at their own countries and think to themselves, wouldn’t it be great if we could replace ourselves with Africans. Liberalism is a mental disease.
@ Anon1 June 14, 2018 at 13:45
‘…Liberalism is a mental disease.’
And ‘Regime Chamge’, War Crimes, White Helmets casus belli hoax CW attacks (and sometimes real attacks), WMD lies, Kuwaiti Incubator Baby lies, Gulf of Tonkin lies. USS Liberty lies and cover-up, Novichoks lies – are these not also an even worse ‘mental disease’?
And now the NWO One World Gulag merchants are stirring the Ukraine and Syrian pots for the World Cup – expect May to announce a ‘breakthrough’ in the Novichoks hoax shortly.
No it is to save human life, or don’t you care. Cameron and Sarkozy wrecked Libya. Remember? It’s wide open now for all sorts of traffic.
I was replying to Jack @ 13.40
______
Who is Jack with all the Emperor penguins? Is he based in Antarctica? 🙂
Who has wrecked so much of sub-Saharan Africa, Sharpie? I suggest it is the successive tinpot rulers of those countries – corrupt, tribal, embezzling – rather than any modern Western politican
Charles Bostock
And exactly where do they travel from? Could you name me that country where the refugee boats often sail from?
Here you go, NATO’s war on Libya and the issue of refugees, https://www.globalresearch.ca/natos-war-and-libyas-migrant-crisis/5601762
@ Charles Bostock June 14, 2018 at 16:39
‘…I suggest it is the successive tinpot rulers of those countries – corrupt, tribal, embezzling – rather than any modern Western politican.’
But these are just the sort of people the West puts into power, or assists into power, or supports after they take power; they know full well that as long as they are kept sweet with huge incomes and arms supplies, they will allow the West’s Multinational Corporations to plunder the country’s resources.
Take Mobutu, for instance. The West backed him, and caught Lumumba and handed him over to his enemies to be tortured and murdered.
Or Idi Amin in Uganda, or Suharto in Indonesia (not Africa, but another good example of the types of ‘Leadre’ the West supports. And of course the Military Juntas in Greece, Turkey, and Latin America.
‘…I suggest it is the successive tinpot rulers of those countries – corrupt, tribal, embezzling – rather than any modern Western politican.’
But these are just the sort of people the West puts into power,..”
Come off it, Paul, the great majority of them are entirely home grown.
Home-grown
As in home-grown in the nest of spies in London.
Always moaning about refugees, but not so keen about moaning about how/what made most of them them into refugees in the first place;
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/britain-needs-full-public-inquiry-libya-war-1720645742
They are mostly economic migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
Various European empires, have pillaged and stripped sub-Saharan Africa for centuries. Now the tables are turning and you don’t like it.
Looking for someone to blame? Look no further than the governments who in the 21st century invaded ME/African/Libya, countries under the guise of bringing peace and democracy, which has seen millions flee to Europe.
Sub-Saharan economic immigrants and refugees are, returning the favour. So get your community grass down to Westminster if you’re not happy about it all. That’s where the blame lies.
Sorry, RepScot, but which sub-Saharan countries have been “invaded” by the West in the 21st century?
“””Various European empires, have pillaged and stripped sub-Saharan Africa for centuries. Now the tables are turning and you don’t like it”””
The tables have turned, have they? So you are saying they are here to pillage and strip our continent? I thought they were supposed to be doctors and engineers and poets but oh well.
This is not an advanced people conquering another territory, RoS. This is a decision made by Western liberal politicians to open the door to the world’s poor to come and settle here, with all the terrorism, rape and assorted criminality that entails. It is pure suicide. Didn’t the left do well?
What ought to concern you most of all, though, is that if you keep going on with this insane policy against people’s wishes, you will end up with the far-right in power across Europe. Is that really what you want?
And no, “we” (I think you mean people who died generations ago) are not to blame for the state Africa finds itself in. “We” (ie, present day us) send billions to Africa which is squandered by its corrupt leaders.
Take the example of the recently departed President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, who never missed an opportunity to rail against his former colonial masters. He started his career as an army lieutenant on £20 /month. By the end of his spell as virtual dictator of Gambia, he had accrued more wealth than the entire GDP of Gambia. Are you seriously suggesting that we are to blame for the resulting flow of Gambians to Europe?
@ Anon1 June 14, 2018 at 15:39
‘..This is not an advanced people conquering another territory, RoS….’
That’s one way of admitting it was the ‘law of the jungle’ and ‘survival of the fittest’.
One might say the same about Hitler, or of a mugger of an old lady.
‘…“We” (ie, present day us) send billions to Africa which is squandered by its corrupt leaders….’
And “We” know precisely the kind of rulers “We” give/loan money or sell arms to.
“We” also know that “We” get out of these countries far more than “We” put in, in most cases (and if “We” don’t know that, “We” should read ‘Confessions of an Economic Hit Man’ by John Perkins).
No need to be sorry Charles.
I didn’t say sub-Saharan in the 21st century, I said African, and specifically put Libya next to it.
Anon1.
I knew that particular comment would light a fire under you, and you didn’t dissapoint.
Im sure all the European immigrants that came to the likes of Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, had a technical profession.
Paul.
Yes we’ve given billion to African leaders, that have stashed away huge sums for themselves. Even today the likes of Jacob Zuma the ex-South African president is under investigation for alleged corruption.
But we owe Africa and its people a huge debt, the likes of the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Belgians, the British the German’s the French, and the latecomers the Americans stripped Africa for centuries.
Indeed Brazil, stole through slave traders almost 5 million people. Brazil was the last Western country to abolish slavery in 1888 I think.
You can’t answer, RoS.
Oh come on Anon1, we still influence (mainly by bribes) the outcomes of elections in Africa, in an attempt to keep our most favourable corrupt African leaders onside.
Which part can’t I answer?
You said “invaded ME/African/Libya, countries ” in your comment at 2.27pm.
So which African countries other than Libya were invaded in the 21st century?
Charles.
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/01/16/so-why-did-france-invade-mali-anyway#close-modal
The simple answer, gold mines.
Maybe Gold, but France with all these nuclear power plants have to keep tabs on the uranium. The uranium and the oil deposits are in the Tourag’s territories and there is the added problem of all the Chinese trade.
Anon 1
May I point some inconsistencies in your narrative?
“This is a decision made by Western liberal politicians to open the door to the world’s poor to come and settle here, with all the terrorism, rape and assorted criminality that entails. It is pure suicide. Didn’t the left do well?”
Where is the left in all of this decision making? Is Angela Merkel of the left? Is Theresa May so left wing that having been in the home office between 2010 and 2016, has failed to reduce immigration even to targets she set herself? The real beneficiaries of cheap immigrant labours are businesses and to an wxtent also governments that wish to undercut and neutralise local labour markets.
Immigration is a complex issue but your attempts at cheap point scoring as well as those of Charlie do not contribute to the discussion. Notably immigration has also a negative side for the countries where immigrants come from.
Not forgetting also that globalisation is one of the big drivers of immigration as well as western exploitation of Africa and other places.
“They are mostly economic migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.”
Not even according to the BBC;
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911
Have you not twigged yet that we are talking about the North African route here?
You simply cannot comprehend that anything can happen that isn t the fault of the West, can you?
My bad, I thought you were pontificating generally as you often do; however do you not accept that us turning Libya into a failed-state has made this North African route more possible for desperate people ?
Anyhow ROS is right of course, Europe is reaping the whirlwind legacy of centuries of colonial exploitation, and although those fleeing from poverty, you’d like to class simply as “economic migrants”, many are also fleeing war and persecution,and therefore have a right to asylum as refugees.
You’re grasping at straws now, Macky.
@Anon, thought I should draw your attention to this piece, especially this bit;
” the vast majority of migrants are the result of wars and conflicts that have been sponsored by NATO powers, either directly or covertly, as well as by illegal human trafficking networks which have metastasized out those wars.”
But read the entire article, as the author agrees with you that Italy was right not to allow the Aquarius, but not in the way you think 😉
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/06/17/italy-wins-first-showdown-over-migrants.html
@ Anon1 June 14, 2018 at 13:38
That is your one strong suite – you have so much empathy.
Anon1, however much it pains me to say this, I actually agree with you about sending the crew and passengers back. This whole thing has become ridiculous. What makes people think they can leave their own countries, board an illegal boat, take to the sees and then be allowed into another country and be given housing, work, benefits etc. I support the Italian Government for not allowing the boat to dock. The passengers take their chances but quite frankly, enough is enough. Economic migrants they may be but there are many out of work, poverty stricken people in western countries so this whole refugee thing has to be stopped. There is not today, any real asylum seekers, they are economic migrants. Well, there are hundreds of thousands of people living in Europe and other western/eastern countries who are living in poverty and squalor. Time to say NON!
Lowkey – Ghosts of Grenfell… where is….where is… a litany of 72 names on this sad day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztUamrChczQ
Rolls Royce to cut 4,600 job mainly from middle management, their Derby base will see the most job cuts.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44479410
I recall reading that Henry Royce’s last words were reputedly. “I wish I’d spent more time in the office.”
Thankfully the great Mr Royce, isn’t around to see the damage to RR’s reputation by the problematic Trent 1000 engine.
I wish OUR NHS would cut 4600 managerial and secretarial posts; there would then be more money for the frontline services!
+1
We couldve saved billion and given the money to the NHS, if we removed Trident, and decided not to squander billions on two floating staging posts, namely the two aircraft carriers.
Stage posts? Did you mean sitting ducks?
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/russia-mocks-britains-new-hms-10707472.amp
If they’re sitting ducks perhaps someone should tell the Chinese, who have announced their intention to build several.
RoS – we need to get something clear here – the NHS is NOT most definitively NOT short of funding. There seems to me to be an appalling lack of critical analysis when it comes to the NHS. They take 120billion pounds a year (and more) of public money and are to incapable of delivering any kind of proper health care system – why? Because all the money goes on themselves, on their managers, on empire building – patient care is ranked at the bottom of their priorities. It is a hugely over managed bureaucratrc organisation staff by largely grossly incompetent managers and their empire of lackeys. Tony Blair’s government put in hundreds of millions of extra pounds into the Modernisation Agenda which money was for introducing modern healthcare services to patients, to purchase state of the art equipment etc – what did the NHS do with the money? They regraded themselves so that technicians such as OTs and Physios took huge leaps in salaries. Contrary to popular opinion, nursing is now a very highly paid profession. Not one penny of that money went on providing new and improved services to patients. You could give them that Billion from Trident – and hey presto – it would be gone, just like that – and there would be no new front line jobs, no extra beds, no new, modern treatment, no early intervention work nothing – they would continue to build their empire of managers, deputy managers etc. They have enough money to deliver a far better service than they presently are. It strikes me that nobody ever seems to question these so called ‘crises’ the NHS perpetrate year on year such as Mental Health Services last year, winter beds, alleged flu epidemics in this past winter – every year they have excuse on excuse on excuse and not a shred of evidence to support any of it. Somehow though, they seem to grab the public debate. It was one very badly run organisation – we are virtually bottom of the international league table on the number of hospital beds per capita population – and I mean against the rest of the world the contrast is striking – and they are closing yet more beds. So what we have here is an organisation that has tiers upon tiers upon tiers upon tiers of necessary management and administrative jobs (all very highly paid) and the lowest number of hospital beds per capita population in the world – therefore a lot of chiefs presiding over a grossly diminished service. Do you think they should really get a penny more of public money until they sort themselves out? This announcement this week that they cannot recruit enough nurses – balderdash, they haven’t got enough beds to give jobs to the nurses that are presently qualified so why do they need anymore? Just another excuse for getting more money.
Rubbish from someone who knows absolutely nothing about the NHS. That content has been picked up from the right wing tabloids.
Jo
I am not sure where you get your information from. Blair and Brown gave a lot of money to the NHS but at the same time introduced two expensive measures that took care of much of these increases. These were: PFI which swallowed up a lot of resources, and tariffs which required a whole echelon of administrators to cost each piece of cotton wool used and each procedure. It also introduced targets and penalties for breaching these targets. Despite all this, some money has also been used for clinical care the cost of which has escalated rapidly due to advances but also due to some strange practices. For example you could buy a small fridge in Curry’s for £100 but the equivalent for the NHS has to be specially sourced and cost many times a smuch. There was an introduction of ‘penalties’ for underperformance and instead of trusts facing difficulties given a helping hand, they were penalised. I think it also became fashionable for all governments since then to blame the NHS itself for the politically imposed policies. Drug costs is something else that has escalated due to collusion between pharma and neoliberal governments. Restrictions were imposed on NHS based locum agencies which have led to private locum agencies charging exorbitant fees. So please look more closely to where the blame lies.
SA and sharp Ears. I have worked with the NHS for years and trust me the public would be disgusted at the amount of financial waste and empire building there is within it. I am very clear the blame lies with significant management failures. Social Services have also been subjected to performance targets, inspections and special measures. The difference is that social service rose to the challenge and used the performance management system to radically improve their services, streamline their tiers of management and develop stringent financial protocols. It was acknowledged by the Labour Government that Social Services were far better placed than the NHS to deliver high quality for money services. There is way too much sympathy for this failing organisation from the public. Allow me to give you some examples of the waste. In Wales, when the LGRs were dismantled, that meant that Trusts merged – the Chief Executives and Senior management teams were therefore at risk of redundancy – what happened instead, well, they negotiated (with the NHS Trusts) a 10 year TUPE deal in which they would lose their senior management posts if they were unsuccessful in reapplying for them but would remain in the trusts on the same salary for the next 10 years. The Modernisation Agenda was used to double GP’s salaries – for less work, less hours and a poorer quality service, the majority of Consultants are paid full time salaries to work for the NHS. However, and this has been proven time again through trial and error, they actually spend some 55% if not more of their time doing highly lucrative private work for which they use NHS nurses, theatres and other resources for nothing – so net the entire income derived from private work for themselves. Hence, the waiting lists – not due to demand but due to Consultants prioritising highly paid private work. Try it yourself. If you go as an NHS patient for a necessary operation you will be told you have to wait up to 6 months. If you go the following week as a private patient you will get a date within 3 days with the same consultant. Consultants also do Saturday morning surgeries for simple, routine day surgery issues – but, and this is the big but, they do this to clear their lists because of the backlog due to their undertaking so much private work. They charge the NHS 5000 pounds per morning for doing the job they are already paid to do. The NHS also pay for the nurses and other related staff for these sessions. What other company in the world would allow senior staff to spend approximately 60% of their time working privately whilst taking a full time salary from the organisation. None would. You have seen the recent Royal College of Nursing report that in the past year there has been a 37% increase in the creation of management posts and a corresponding decrease in nursing and other posts. The Audit Commission said about they NHS that they are populated with tiers and tiers of managers and middle managers and administrators, all very highly paid for what they do and with tiny spheres of responsibility and who are not largely competent to do the job. This is true oh so true. For example, I worked in a Trust where there was A Director of Performance Management, a Head of Service of Performance Management, A Performance Management Team Manager and yes, only two members of staff in the Performance Management team. So, 2 Senior Managers, one middle manager are there to manage two members of staff. A good use of public money? I think not. If you are a Team Manager in the NHS you only have to be managing two staff. To get to a Service Manager you need to be managing only 6 staff and so on and so forth. In Social Services, conversely, to be a Team Manager you have to manage a team of at least 25 people, a Service Manager would oversee 4-6 services, a Head of Service (Equivalent of an Assistant Director) would manage a whole Directorate – i.e. adult services, children’s services etc. You also have no idea at all how much money the NHS spends on ‘training’ on staff. Staff can do as much training as they like, i.e. degrees, PhDs, Masters etc – but you don’t need to evidence whether you need to do it or not or whether it is relevant to your job or indeed, that you are competent at your job – you can just do it and get as much time off as you like to study – damn your patient appointments what do they matter – this costs the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds per year. Everybody has a deputy, deputy nurses, deputy Sisters, deputy Matrons and so on and so forth – all these jobs could be scrapped as they are not necessary. There are tiers and tiers of non productive non clinical jobs that have no clinical work attached to them and just provide information to patients – these posts are grossly unecessary and a real waste of public money. I could go on and on and give really serious examples of empire building and financial waste but it would be far too long for this post. I do know where most of the blame likes and it is within the NHS itself. it needs a proper clear out, a radical restructure to axe 60% of the totally unnecessary managerial and administrative posts and invest in proper new and modern treatments to improve patient care – which the Modernisation Agenda money was intended for. Stop the Consultants also spending 60% of their time, on NHS time, doing highly lucrative private work. I am putting the blame fair and square where it belongs. Years of working with this inward looking, incompetent, over managed, bureaucratic organisation (from which I am now thankfully retired) has shown me the truth of what it is. The public would be properly outraged if they knew the true extent of what goes on within the NHS.
I think our NHS has so many managers because the Tories knew jobs had to be found for the manager-class when they closed down or sold off so many of our industries in the ’80s. They didn’t care about blue-collar workers who lost their jobs, which would drive down wages and give the establishment a whole class to blame for the social decline that followed; but they knew better than to have their own white-collar voters become militant strikers.
That’s when we saw an increase in NHS managers as well as the introduction of quangos, to give their own voters decent jobs.
Michael you are absolutely right – the radical increase in Managers within the NHS can be tracked back to the Thatcher era. The thing is, the majority of these Managers within the NHS really are grossly incompetent and would be unemployable within industry if they lost their jobs within the NHS.
RoS, I wish the NHS would adopt similar cost cutting measures.
“British LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell has been detained by Russian police in Moscow ahead of the opening ceremony of the World Cup.”
“Mr Tatchell was detained for what Russian police described as an illegal protest.”
“He had attempted to hold a solitary demonstration near the Red Square to draw attention to human rights abuses against gay men in Chechnya.”
https://news.sky.com/story/british-lgbt-campaigner-peter-tatchell-detained-by-russian-police-11404591
A bit over the top by the Russian police I think, playing straight into the hands of Russia’s decriers.
It their laws, why not respect it, why even travel to Russia if you are going to instigate all this nonsense? All these stupid provocateurs get what they deserve but I guess thats the point, “hey look how evil russia is…” Sigh.
Had he been arrested in Trafalgar Square by the Met there’d be pages of posts here railing at the oppression of the British government and how it’s further evidence that this country is a facist police state. In Russia however, we should respect their laws no matter how repressive.
Promoting homosexulaity to children is a very recent Western value. It was banned in Britain until 2003.
Brian c
if you can get a human being busy with deep questions about their own identity, it’s so much easier to get away with controlling them and accumulating wealth and power.
Kempe
Maybe because UK and Russia is 2 different counties, but keep trying.
It’s the two sets of different standards that are objectionable.
Kempe
Thats the issue I try to tell you, they ARE two different countries, you cant compare 2 different societies.
Has it not dawned on you that law is still state specific and in any case is a human construct?
You and others urge all newcomers to U.K. to observe our laws and respect our customs so why does that not apply to others?
Is this ‘respecting the law’?
“Police Cover-up Whistleblower, John Wedger, tells his story about child abuse in London”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hndRK3dfnJg
Kempe, quite honestly, I am sick and tired of these Stonewall activists and their in your face we have a right to fight you as we believe you to discriminate against us messages. There are millions of civil rights abuses in the world today, in the USA, in the UK and a myriad other so called civilised countries. This country is rapidly becoming a fascist police state – the USA is already there. That doesn’t mean Tatchell should go to Russia and start preaching about Gay rights.
Well actually, Jack, homosexuality (male and female) and the rest of LGBT is not against the law in Russia. So your premise is invalid.
Not of course that that stops the Russian state from sanctioning their persecution. It reminds one of the various Soviet constitutions which guaranteed certain freedoms which were then systematically ignored in practice.
Charles Bostock
I didnt say homosexuality was illegal, I implied that instigating these non sanctioned demonstrations are. Get out of Russia should be th message for all these lousy activists.
Yes, Jack – in other words, Thatchell got into trouble for demonstrating. I do like the notion of a “non-sanctioned demonstration” though; good to know that a demonstration has to be “sanctioned” by the authorities. 🙂
Charles Bostock
Indeed, thats the issue I try to formulate. In Russia its illegal. Probably in alot of other states too to stage protests without approval of the authorities.
Jack
Let’s debate and discuss – do you agree?
RepScot reported thus : “Mr Tatchell was detained for what Russian police described as an illegal protest.”
Now, you’ve clarified that you agree with me that LGBT is not against Russian law.
It therefore seems that the Russian police can deem illegal a protest against the violation of legal LGBT rights.
And that because a demonstration – even a very small demonstration – against the violation of perfectly legal activity needs to be “authorised”.
I would not like to live in that sort of society. Would you?
Charles Bostock
No wrong again. They arent arrested for LGBT for mere protesting. In UK people need authorization too.
You can google it , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protest_permit
It is also telling that “i wouldnt like to live there” logic, you arent, but alot of other people are, you need to understand that fact, the world doesnt look like your backyard.
Nothing to add on this topic now.
Wrong Charles, Homosexuality is illegal in Russia. As to Soviet constitutions which guaranteed certain freedoms and systematically ignored, hey presto, welcome to the UK and the USA.
Jack.
You’d have thought that with the eyes of the world upon Russia now, that a bit of common sense would have prevailed. Mr Tatchell is a prominent campaigner, and I’m pretty sure the Russian authorities would’ve known that.
Republicofscotland
They will always find a way to unleash this bashing of Russia. It doesnt matter what Russia do, liberals want Russia to surrender. It wont happen.
Jack
So it’s the “liberals” versus Russia, eh? That implies that the Russians aren’t liberal, doesn’t it. So how would you characterise the Russians? Illiberal?
Charles Bostock
Certainly, as UK is as non-conservative. Did you really believe they were liberals?
Agreed Jack. Totally agree. I would ignore Charles Bostock’s comments – they are peurile and it is a pathetic and poor attempt at agitprop – but lacks the intelligence and insight to do it properly. It just lobbing a non-fuctioning bomb into a functioning place – has no impact at all.
I agree with you Jack actually, the situation of gay men in Chechyna has little or nothing to do with Tatchell or any other country for that matter. Don’t travel there if all you intend to do is use it as a platform to promote gay rights in Russia – that is not acceptable.
There was a big article by Tatcher in the Guardain the other day, one of the daily diatribes against Russia and Putin etc. He is not interested in the football, just gone there to cause trouble. As the world cup period is visa free travel to Russia, he prob had not problem enteriing.
He is a symptom of all that is wrong with western liberals. In Sweden for example, the Social Democrat government has been rolling back much of the 20th century progress in terms of the welfare state and equality in line with neolibralism a la New Labour. In the meantime they have had an even more liberal open door policy for migrants. Officially, Arabic is the 2nd most spoken language there now. The Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party is suddenly level pegging in the polls at just over 20% with the Social Democrats and Moderates (Conservative party). Instead of looking at why they have lost support – bearing in mind they have been the predominent governming party for nearly 100 years, the Social Democrats are trying to ban ‘sexist’ advertising! By all means, but eroding wages, pensions, welfare and employee rights are what concerns voters. Rather like the Clinton gang in the US, more interested in spurious Russian interference and gender neutral WCs than helping the ‘deplorables’ enjoy decent healthcare and a living wage!
John A.
If Russia is the democracy that it makes out to be, then surely a one man demonstration shouldn’t cause the Russian authorities to bat an eyelid?
Tatchell is not all he seems. Once seen holding a poster supporting war on Syria.
@ Sharp Ears June 14, 2018 at 15:59
Might be this one: ‘Peter Tatchell disrupts Jeremy Corbyn speech with Syria protest’:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/10/peter-tatchell-disrupts-jeremy-corbyn-speech-with-syria-protest
I bet he shut up (like all the MSM) after Aleppo was liberated, and it’s citizens were dancing in the streets.
But to be fair, he did attack the destruction of Raqqa, but saying FUKUS ‘liberated’ it, a stretch he couldn’t admit to re Aleppo:
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1005035470924013568
Very odd indeed. Whatever else anyone says about the Syrian, Ba’athist government, it is rigorously secular, the polar opposite of 98% of the forces ranged against it.
Viv o’bliv
Secularism is the separation of state and religion not the absence of religion.
Religion is the combination of rules and wisdom. political Islam, created by Britain is rules without wisdom, so it really doesn’t count as religion. The UK and Syria are secular societies in which the rules and wisdom of religion inform and guide the state, without incurring the abuse of power that happens under hierocracies.
Any act which is motivated by other than service of God’s will, i.e. extraction of money and power, is not accepted in the religion of Islam. It follows that none of the activities of political Islam meet the requirements of acceptability in Islam. There is no such thing as political Islam. They are opposite and contradictory purposes. However the inclusion of the word Islam in the slogan ‘political Islam’ deceives millions of people into thinking that it represents Islam.
Politics is lying. islam is sincerity. ne’er the twain shall meet. Chalk and cheese.
“Religion is the combination of rules and wisdom.”
Giyane.
I have to disagree with the above in my opinion religion is divisive, and has led to many wars.
As for religion and wisdom, the church oppressed scientific advances for years the likes of Galileo and Copernicus were persecuted for their beliefs.
The invention of the printing press broke the churches religious grip on the masses.
Indeed, a bit spooky, in the Luke Harding sort of way.
Why didn’t here pull this stunt ahead of the Eurovision in Kiev ?;
https://metro.co.uk/2017/05/13/lgbt-fans-warned-of-violence-ahead-of-eurovision-in-ukraine-6632969/
“Tatchell is not all he seems. Once seen holding a poster supporting war on Syria”
That makes him sound very menacing.
In general, I thinks it’s always wise to evaluate people (well, most people – one would obviously make an exception for people like Hitler…) in the round and not to cast them into the outer darkness because of their position on one or the other specific question (eg Syria or the second Iraq war) where opinions do vary. To so cast them is at best rather crude and unsophisticated and at worst obsessional.
@ Charles Bostock June 14, 2018 at 17:41
In case you hadn’t realised, the Syrian situation is not a ‘Civil War’, and was not ‘started’ by Assad shooting down ‘peaceful demonstrators’. It was started by the US and its crony War Criminal gangs by arranging an invasion of foreign headchoppers, and trained Syrian dissidents, originally from it’s secret base in Jordan and it’s bases in Turkey, and unleashing them on Syria in an attempt at ‘Regime Change’.
They infiltrated peaceful (choreographed) demos, and used snipers to kill both sides (just as they did in Egypt, Maydan and Venezuela), including killing a number of Syrian police (like Ukrainian police were also killed in Maidan).
The US & cronies’ bombings in both Syria and Iraq were aimed at those countries’ infrastructure and citizens, not at the stated target ISIL/ISIS/IS/ Al Queda, which they assisted with arms and ammunition airdrops and helicopters.
The stakes are getting even higher now, with big attacks expected during the World Cup, and another white Helmet CW attack or hoax.
So, yes, it is OK to blast someones moronic intentional or misguided support for the lies and proposed attacks on Syria, with a potential to explode into a much bigger regional or even world war.
Well Charles, you do surprise me now and again. I think I can agree with you on that. ?
World Cup Opening Day!!
‘BIG WAR IN SYRIA AND WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA START THIS WEEK’:
https://southfront.org/big-war-in-syria-and-world-cup-in-russia-start-this-week/
‘…All of a sudden the IS forces, evidently reinforced and well supplied, reappeared to attack Sukriah and Al Hamdan. On June 7, IS militants advanced to Abu Kamal. In one day they took control of 90 km2, including the road connecting the Т2 Pumping Station and Mayadin, allowing them to cut off the supplies from Deir-ez-Zor provisioning the Syrian forces positioned at the T2 Station. This paves the way for them to block the Palmyra-Abu-Kamal highway. This advance does more than just divert the government troops’ efforts from other fronts.
The IS militants were attacked on June 4 and 5 by SDF forces supported by US aviation at As Shahaf, forcing them to retreat westward, crossing the Euphrates River near Abu Kamal. There is nothing preventing the jihadists from receiving reinforcements from Deir ez-Zor and El Haseke and the Iraqi province of Nineveh. Their movements are unobstructed by the US-backed force. That’s exactly what Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in late May — IS forces have reappeared in US-controlled areas of Syria. Many of them join the so-called New Syrian Army units operating near the city of Deir ez-Zor. Others move to the area where the American al-Tanf base is located. Mr. Lavrov emphasized this fact and warned about the dire consequences.
Almost at the same time combat operations flared up quite unexpectedly in the desert area between As Suwaydah and Damascus. An enclave materialized, controlled by jihadists and encompassing several villages and areas of high elevation, from which they began surveying the area and shooting from the hills at the approaching enemy. If the IS militants are driven out — and soon they will be — the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is positioned about 35 km. from the battle area, will get more soldiers to fill its ranks.
The question is — where did the IS forces come from, enabling them to suddenly appear deep inside Syrian army positions? The only answer could be from the Syrian-Jordanian border, which is regularly crossed by militants trained at the Rubkan refugee camp on the Jordanian side of the frontier. And they had to cross more than 40 km. of land controlled by the Syrian army. Obviously, the rebels were well informed about the secret passages that exist and deftly took advantage of the weak points in the organization of the Syrian Army’s defenses….’
‘UKRAINIAN MILITARY DEPLOYS LARGE NUMBER OF BATTLE TANKS, OTHER EQUIPMENT NEAR CONTACT LINE WITH DPR, LPR FORCES (VIDEO)’:
https://southfront.org/ukrainian-military-deploys-large-number-of-battle-tanks-other-equipment-near-contact-line-with-dpr-lpr-forces-video/
‘The Ukrainian military is massively deploying military equipment, including battle tanks, to a contact line with forces of the Donetsk and Luganks People’s Republics, according to a video obtained by ANNA-NEWS.
The video shows a train with heavy military equipment (about 30 battle tanks, 5-6 BMP vehicles and other) and troops are moving in the direction of the city of Donetsk. The video was filmed in the Kiev-controlled town of Zaporojie.
At the same time, sporadic clashes and artillery duels continued between pro-Kiev and DRP/LPR forces in the region of Donbass.
Earlier, DPR and LPR representatives claimed that the Ukrainian military had already concentrated an armoured striking group to advance in the region.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force deployed Su-25 attack aircraft in the region of the Sea of Azov and the Ukrainian Navy started “drills” near its seaports in the sea. These drills are linked to the recent tensions between Ukraine and Russia in the region.
According to some pro-DRP/LPR experts and Russian parliamentary members, the Ukrainian military may start a military operation against the DPR and the LPR or may carry out military provocations in the region of Donbass amid the World Cup 2018 in Russia.’
As many suspected, things would kick off during the World Cup. All we need now is for the ‘Novichoks’ hoax to be resurrected with ‘new evidence’.
The Eden Festival finished on 10 June. Is it possible Mr Murray has been detained by the spooks?
Of course not.
What is going on here is that Craig has – as he told us when he launched the idea of recurring donations – as several kinds of activity; You cannot expect him to be at the disposal of those who spend most of their time commenting on what he writes here. That is one of the reasons why he appealed for recurrent donations rather than subscriptions : the former cannot be held to imply an obligation to post at regular, defined intervals whereas the latter could.
There is of course a solution – those who have nothing useful to say for the moment could simply show a little patience and wait?
‘That is one of the reasons why he appealed for recurrent donations rather than subscriptions”
I wonder what the other ones were?
@ Anon1 June 14, 2018 at 15:56
I don’t know what all this bitching about donations is about – Craig is not exactly demanding money with menaces – and he hasn’t hidden his blog behind a pay-wall. So it appears to me just snidish sniping.
If you don’t like Craig or his Blog, why don’t ya’ll p*ss orf?
Probably not quite sober yet.
@ Mark Russell June 14, 2018 at 15:23
Possibly held in the same cell with the Skripals?
The World Cup has kicked off. The Russian national anthem is very rousing. The head chopper in chief, MBS, is in attendance for the opening match, Russia v Saudi Arabia.
Q Who will the Russian oligarchs in exile be supporting? Their own country or their country of residence? 🙂
‘The Kremlin has released a list of those who will join Putin for Thursday’s opening ceremonies and it features a large helping of central Asian autocrats and the heads of the breakaway republics Abkhazia and South Ossetia, along with a smattering of foreign leaders from Africa and South America.
But there will be some media darlings, like the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the new Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, who swept to power earlier this year after popular street protests.
The Kremlin has said that politics have no place in sport. But in an apparent move to match Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore, Putin will host a top official from North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly.’
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/13/world-cup-opener-audience-largely-ex-soviet-affair-putin-strained-ties-west
Go Vladimir!
What a crying shame that Israel did not qualify. Bibi would have liked the platform.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_%E2%80%93_UEFA_Group_G
The Palestinians did not qualify. I see they had to play in Jordan for one of their matches.
Note that they are described as an Asian team. Strange that Israel is allowed to participate in Eurovision, hence considered to be ‘European’.
Where the Palestinians play in what remains of Palestine. In the Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium, Al Ram.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_Al-Husseini_International_Stadium
Post-1967 – It was occupied by Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967, and has been under Israeli occupation since then. The population in a 1967 census conducted by the Israeli authorities was 860, 86 of whom originated from the Israeli territory.
In 2006, the Israeli High Court rejected three petitions objecting to the construction of a security barrier separating a-Ram from Jerusalem. The route of the fence planned to encircle northern Jerusalem has been revised several times. The latest plan calls for a “minimalist” route that leaves the village of A-Ram east of the fence. According to the current plan, still subject to revision, the fence will approach A-Ram, near the Atarot airport and Qalandiyah.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ram
It was ever thus. Occupation. Checkpoints, Barriers, Walls.
@ qual June 14, 2018 at 16:28
What they lack in football skills is more than made up for by their abilities in targeted assassinations, torture (including of children), land theft, Apartheid practices, lies and massacres.
No one could expect them to be good at everything….
Very rousing indeed.
Mind you, so was the International, the anthem of that genocidal criminal conspiracy called the Soviet Union. And a lot of people found the Horst Wessellied quite rousing,,, even arousing.
I’m under the impression that the Soviet anthem, came into use as late as 1944. Didn’t they remove the lyrics at one time and replace them with new ones in the 70’s?
Still it’s a stirring anthem, as is my favourite the La Marseillaise, even though its lyrics call for blood shed.
The International is the anthem of the International Socialist movement, not of the Soviet Union.
Russia today is a capitalist country.
” . . . that genocidal criminal conspiracy called the Soviet Union. ”
Supported by ‘the West’?
“Taken together, these four volumes constitute an extraordinary commentary on a basic weakness in the Soviet system
The Soviets are heavily dependent on Western technology and innovation not only in their civilian industries, but also in their military programs.
An inevitable conclusion from the evidence in this book is that we have totally ignored a policy that would enable us to neutralize Soviet global ambitions while simultaneously reducing the defense budget and the tax load on American citizens.”
http://www.crowhealingnetwo…
http://www.crowhealingnetwork.net/pdf/Antony%20Sutton%20-%20The%20Best%20Enemy%20Money%20Can%20Buy.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sah_Xni-gtg