It is amazing just how far you can get with the right family connections plus a slavish devotion to licking the arse of the powers that be. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Patrick Wintour, as talentless a piece of servile scum as ever disgraced the once fine profession of journailsm.
Here we have quite possibly the worst piece of political journalism in British history. Even given that it is supposed to be a puff piece by someone as openly critical of New Labour as Himmler was of Hitler, it is pathetic. What information precisely is it meant to convey?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/wintour-and-watt/2010/mar/26/alistair-darling-gordon-brown
The astonishing thing is that the completely intellect free Wintour is actually the political editor of the Guardian. I get so angry about the Guardian because it was once – within my lifetime – truly a great newspaper.
I offer £100 cash to anyone who can show me a piece of genuine journalism by Wintour – and to make it fair, commenters on the blog can vote whether it is genuine or not. On the debit side, allow me m’lud to enter this atrocious Blair apologia:
Tony Blair to tell Chilcot inquiry: war stopped Saddam building WMDsFormer PM expected to tell inquiry that without military action Saddam would have built WMD using the team of scientists he had assembled for the task
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/29/tony-blair-wmd-saddam-hussein
Not a single word of scepticism about the bonkers Blair narrative from Wintour.
In fact, I should be fascinated to know if anyone can unearth any evidence that lickarse Wintour has ever asked any New Labour politician a sensibly critical question.
Why precisely is Wintour’s £220k a year salary and expenses paid by the C P Scott trust and not by New Labour?
“Mocking Islam when the Catholic Church is on the point of falling asunder because of the covering up of criminal activity,”
Yeah, the Catholics are often a horrible lot as well, but I’ve never heard a Catholic try to convert me. Certainly not at this website. If a Catholic did try to push his religion here, I’d certainly mock him.
And, dreoilin, isn’t it about time for the Irish government to rid itself of Catholic nonsense? What a fucked up society you live in – far more respect for a fascist in Rome than a woman’s right to chose.
Writeman
“Like freedom from hunger, freedom from unemployment, freedom from exploitation, freedom from homelessness… If one put these economic freedoms at the top of the list, the United States, which is probably seen as the ultimate country in regard to democratic freedoms, it would suddenly be re-defined as an extremely “unfree” and “undemocratic” society.”
And which countries would you put at the top of list in addressing economic freedoms – just a guess but I’ll think you’l find that they democracies and at the top end of the scale in terms of political freedom as well. And if the US is so bad in addressing economic freedoms, as you say, why do so many people want to emmigrate there?
The another nice thing about democracies is that you can at least complain – put perhaps rather than criticising the least worst system you could enlighten us as to the superior system that you have in mind?
Larry
The Pope may be many things but he isn’t a fascist. Saddam, Armadinnerjacket, Assad, Hitler, Franco and Mussolini were/are fascists – you devalue the term is you apply to everyone you don’t like.
Stephen,
Yeah, you’re right; I was just typing fast while working. I was thinking of his childhood. Now apparently others, including his parents, refused to sign up – but, it doesn’t seem right to call him a fascist.
A Puppy Called Puberty
by Adrian Mitchell
It was like keeping a puppy in your underpants
A secret puppy you weren’t allowed to show to anyone
Not even your best friend or your worst enemy
You wanted to pat him, stroke him, cuddle him
All the time you weren’t supposed to touch him.
He only slept for five minutes at a time
Then he’d suddenly perk up his head
In the middle of school medical inspection
And always on bus rides.
So you had to climb down from the upper deck
All bent double to smuggle the puppy off the bus
Without the buxon conductress spotting
Your wicked and ticketless stowaway.
Jumping up, wet-nosed, eagerly wagging-
He only stopped being a nuisance
When you were alone together
Pretending to be doing your homework
But really gazing at each other
Through hot and laxy daydreams.
Of those beautiful schoolgirls on the bus
With kittens bouncing in their sweaters.
By Adrian Mitchell
It was like keeping a puppy in your underpants
A secret puppy you weren’t allowed to show to anyone
Not even your best friend or your worst enemy
You wanted to pat him, stroke him, cuddle him
All the time you weren’t supposed to touch him.
He only slept for five minutes at a time
Then he’d suddenly perk up his head
In the middle of school medical inspection
And always on bus rides.
So you had to climb down from the upper deck
All bent double to smuggle the puppy off the bus
Without the buxon conductress spotting
Your wicked and ticketless stowaway.
Jumping up, wet-nosed, eagerly wagging-
He only stopped being a nuisance
When you were alone together
Pretending to be doing your homework
But really gazing at each other
Through hot and laxy daydreams.
Of those beautiful schoolgirls on the bus
With kittens bouncing in their sweaters.
A Puppy Called Puberty
It was like keeping a puppy in your underpants
A secret puppy you weren’t allowed to show to anyone
Not even your best friend or your worst enemy
You wanted to pat him, stroke him, cuddle him
All the time you weren’t supposed to touch him.
He only slept for five minutes at a time
Then he’d suddenly perk up his head
In the middle of school medical inspection
And always on bus rides.
So you had to climb down from the upper deck
All bent double to smuggle the puppy off the bus
Without the buxon conductress spotting
Your wicked and ticketless stowaway.
Jumping up, wet-nosed, eagerly wagging-
He only stopped being a nuisance
When you were alone together
Pretending to be doing your homework
But really gazing at each other
Through hot and laxy daydreams.
Of those beautiful schoolgirls on the bus
With kittens bouncing in their sweaters.
By Adrian Mitchell
This entire “least worst” argument is, I think, a kind of diversion. It’s similar to the idea one often hears that it’s preferable to vote for the better of two evils in relation to the choices we are supposed to have; only one is still voting for “evil” isn’t one? How much choice is really involved in this kind of system?
Is, for example, the United States, in reality a one-party state or is there a plurality of parties? I believe it’s a one-party state, with three factions competing for power with each other. It’s similar to the system one had in Britain in the nineteenth century, when one could choose between the Whigs and the Tories. The system that existed before the rise of Social Democracy. The system one has effectively returned to today. A twin-party system.
Whether people actually want this kind of “democracy” is a large question to get into here though.
The system I’d like to see doesn’t exist and arguably never will, but at least I know it. I’m not deluding myself into imagining we live in a democracy, when we so clearly do not. Call it by it’s real name at least, but surely we can drop the democratic fairytale stuff?
We live in a society whic is ruled by an elite. They created it and still control it. People like my family I suppose. My lot looked after their hands very well, up to a point. We did it because it was clearly in our interests to do so. Give a little, so you don’t risk losing it all, as one of my ancestors used to say. He built homes and schools for his workers, but he made damn sure they learnt the correct ideas in his schools!
It’s not so much that my family were hypocrites, but they were honest about the system they helped create, at least in private, they had few illusions, especially about the nature of the “democracy” they promoted. It was a form of democracy that protected their control of power in society, not a democracy that chalenged it. It was a type of democracy that cemented elite rule, at the same time that it appeared to be replacing it. It was a conjuring trick. My great grandfather was, after all, a bit of an amateur magican.
So once again you’re just making shit up dreoilin. You’re anti-American obsession is making you nuttier and nuttier every day.
Posted by: Larry
You don’t get around much online, you poor sod.
writerman, once again a person at Craig Murray’s blog has turned out to be a fool. Have you noticed the political disagreements that have been occurring in America?
dreoilin, do you have to constantly turn your attention to America because your own country will not allow you to have basic reproductive rights?
Larry,
Of course there are political disagreements between the factions, but they aren’t real. It’s a form of ritual.
Larry, please learn to moderate yourself, or join a moderated board. It makes me cross, on everyone’s behalf, and it is boring. So boring I nearly used caps in a post (for ‘boring’) for the first time ever, fancy that.
Larry,
Don’t you have an AIPAC rally to attend?
Hilarious that you don’t seem to mind the anti-Jew hatred, and the Muslim proselytizing
Somewhat off topic (and I apologise if this has already been discussed) but I would like to know what Craig (and the local commentariat) think of the ex-FCO “wunderkind” Rory Stewart. My impression is that he is an insider masquerading as an outsider. I arrived at this conclusion after listening to him give a talk about Afghanistan, posted on the Guardian today, about the need neither to escalate or pull out but to maintain our presence. It seems he also was a supporter of the invasion of Iraq. This fellow seems to bend with the wind which means he stands a good chance of becoming PM one day. What is the general verdict on this guy?
dreoilin, I reckon the madman (can’t remember his name) who sang ‘bomb bomb bomb Iran’ was in essence mocking the deaths of people, yes.
Very interesting about the Old Testament. It’s always bothered me. And I’ve just found this – does it sound familiar to anyone?
If [the city] accepts your terms of peace and surrenders to you, then all the people in it shall serve you at forced labor. If it does not submit to you peacefully, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it; and when the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword. You may, however, take as your booty the women, the children, livestock, and everything else in the town, all its spoil. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you. (Deut. 20:11-14)
I’m agnostic, thank God.
Writerman: it doesn’t seem to have worked for your family though; they sound like they’ve been taken over, by a corporation, possibly? On the other hand, if they are still in charge, could you ask them to do something? 🙂
While Larry digs up evidence of that “anti-Jew hatred”, I’d like to ask him how he feels about having a vice-president who is a self-proclaimed Zionist.
Others –
Apologies. I found an early thread on Rory Stewart which, I’m pleased to say, confirms my suspicions. But I’d really love to know more about this greasy fellow. And I’m not talking about a Wintouresque summary!
“Hilarious that you don’t seem to mind the anti-Jew hatred, and the Muslim proselytizing”
Read any of the threads which deal with those issues and take that back.
“…a vice-president who is a self-proclaimed Zionist.”
Presumably every President and VP since it has been relevant has believed in the right of Israel to exist.
So why the fuck does it matter that Biden says he’s a Zionist?
Fulano, perhaps you weren’t around here when the Jews got blamed for the World Trade Center falling, the underwear bomber, etc.
“I’ve never heard this happen once.
Even Pat Robertson, who makes it a habit of saying the worst things that are said by Christians, never said this (at least I don’t think so).”
Solipsism. Yours is the only true experience, no-one else’s counts. This might make you feel good, but you can hardly expect it to convince anybody else, can you ?
Oh, and *spellingflame*, of course.
Take it back, Larry.
Richard Robinson,
If it were a real phenomenon, it would be fairly easy for dreoilin to substantiate the contention that “Meanwhile “Christians” in the USA sneer at and mock the deaths of Muslims in countries they cannot find on a world map”
It’s just not been my experience.
And I can’t prove that that’s not the case, just like I can’t prove that pigs don’t fly.
I think you’ve got the concept of burden of proof turned upside down.
Technicolour,
Larry won’t take anything back. He is here to do damage, not engage in debate. And there are others now, too. Remember when you ticked me off and admired Larry’s “mischief”?
tech
leave them, really the only thing this discussion has shown is that Patrick Wintour is a scintillating wit and brilliantly independent-minded analyst compared with these multi-headed, low-life trolls.
Larry,
“The Jews” have not been blamed for anything here. Zionists, The Mossad, and a Jewish organised crime syndicate have been blamed for things, but not “The Jews”, who are only ever mentioned by you. You are a liar.
Stephen wrote:
“One characteristic of Rome, Greece, London, Washington and Tel Aviv is of course that they all belong to democracies which, despite their imperfections, do allow their imperfect citizens freedom of thought and expression and choice as to how they are governed. ”
Why end your list of secular democracies there?
Why not include Nazi Germany?
Well they do have a lot income with Washington and London. Like Washington and London, their leader was elected, but not by the nations Hitler invaded. Not by the Poles or the Russians, just by the German master race.
And the Iraqis and Afghans didn’t elect the Americans and British who invaded their countries.
Yes despite their imperfections Germany choose to exterminate their Jews in concentration camps, Rome choose to exterminate Libyans during the same period in concentration camps, America choose to exterminate the natives slightly before in concentration camps they call reservations, and Tel Aviv choose to exterminate Palestinians in concentration camps they call the west bank and Gaza.
You justify this with the slogan Democracy.
My reply to you is stuff your democracy up your arse, we prefer our religion of Islam which forbids us from exterminating you in this way.
Concentration camps and genocide are part of your culture, your history and your democracy. We prefer God’s guidance.
writerman
you are right, Israel is a very strange democracy.
One in which elections are wan, by expelling or exterminating all those who vote against.
A nation where Jews are welcomed from all over the world as citizens, while Arabs who still have the Keys to their houses aren’t allowed back, to make sure only Jews can effect the election. A nation where which claims the west bank and grants all Jews their citizenship and voting rights but refuses such rights to the Palestinians who have always lived there.
But Zionists can call it democracy if they like, even though no one else would. If that is democracy, it just means democracy isn’t always a good thing.
If Israel was a real democracy, it would not make its actions right.
Killing brown babies to steal kidneys would still be equally wrong no matter how much people voted in the government that does it.
mary
Thanks for pasting that. And it does work.
The proof that it works is Larry saying that it doesn’t.
Israel is a parasite economy.
It doesn’t really produce much. What it does it re-exports.
Israeli goods do not need to pay import tax to enter the EU. So Israel buys stuff produced by poor nations, and re brands them as made in Israel then exports to EU to avoid import taxes.
Israel’s main income is this Tax fraud.
And every penny you stop from getting in to Israel might be the penny needed to buy a bullet to kill a baby.
And Larry we all know what medical stuff Israel exports.
And here is the link to it:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/23/2009-07-23_2_new_jersey_mayors_arrested_in_sweeping_money_laundering_probe.html
I don’t want a Kidney that used to be in a Palestinian boy, and neither does mary!
It might mean we die, but we are willing to accept that because we don’t want a Palestinian boy to be shoot for us to live.
Clark, no I don’t remember ticking you off. Must have over-keyboarded, I am sorry. Have nothing but respect for your posts.
It’s not up to me at all, natch, but I could tolerate Larry as a kind of Antisemite Watch. There’ve been some virulently anti-semitic posters cropping up all over the web, using Zionism as a thin disguise for bigotry. They always get ignored or outdiscussed here, and could through no stretch of the imagination be said to represent the board. When Larry started posting, back in January, I assumed he wouldn’t know that.
He must know that now. But his attacks on the board and on individuals, continue. It seems, as other people’ve pointed out, a strange way of getting anyone to love ‘America’.
“Why end your list of secular democracies there?
Why not include Nazi Germany?”
First of all not all the democracies listed are secular.
Second, Hitler came to power on a minority vote in 1933 and then proceeded to set up a one party state and held no further elections – which sounds pretty similar to some of your friends and heroes doesn’t it. And while you are it I don’t think you will find Mussolin’s democratice credentials were too hot.
And I don’t justify any exterminations in the name of democracy – full stop – it’s just the least worst system we have. I certainly haven’t heard any proposals from you for anything better, and I think you may find that it is catching on with Iraquis and Iranians who are fed up with dictaorships foreign and domestic.
In the meantime can I suggest you go and hide your ignorance where the sun doesn’t shine.