Presidential Debate Sends Me to Bed 291


Am off to bed having seen 30 minutes of the first US Presidential debate. Anyone who wants to watch more of it should seek counselling. In terms of content it is impossible to distinguish what either of them is actually proposing on taxation policy. What comes over to me is the lack of any divergence from a neo-liberal economic model.

But in terms of style and presentation, which I presume this is about, rather to my surprise Romney is coming over the better. He is glib whereas Obama is stuttering a lot; they are both achingly dull, but Obama’s phrases seem curiously disconnected and there are gaps when you can see the gears meshing in his head. Neither of them shows any evidence whatsoever of charisma.

Four years ago Obama was talking with apparent belief about the need for change and inspiring people to follow him. He may even at the time have believed much of what he promised, but given the speed of abandonment of principle in office, I doubt it. Now Obama is just trying to present as a more managerially competent neo-con; a managerially competent neo-con competition is about the only one Romney can actually perform in.

I don’t really care who wins – debate or election.


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291 thoughts on “Presidential Debate Sends Me to Bed

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  • Cryptonym

    If homosexuality were an accident, some random glitch, copying error or junk DNA it would be exceedingly rare or have been eliminated entirely by non-procreation. It has stood firm through human history and has adapted to ever changing environmental and social conditions. Gays are survivors, always with us, unstoppable, they just keep coming. Get over it.

    You no doubt long laboured long and hard over your 10:49am post, sadly it was even more preposterous than your earlier ones, leaving you even further out on a limb.

    You waste of a amusing ‘handle’ as far as I’m concerned, though Giros are so 80’s.

  • Jay

    What we find with all sexual imagery and details is that can soon become an unwanted obsession.

    A young adult may be heterosexual, but maybe a gay obsession could enter his mind and effect his thinking and alter his persona.

    Its all very well in a liberal society to have all images and concepts.

    Even when these images are only make believe
    If we are bombarded with them they can change our natural behaviour.
    The liberal medial I don.t think realise how we are changed.
    This comes from experience.
    Sex is a very powerful emotion and we should be protected somewhat.
    I am sorry to say that the shysters know this and us on the right would like some coirse of censorship

  • John Goss

    The destiny of 5 British subjects is just about to be announced from the High Court, men who have been in prison for interminably long times without being charged, more than 8 years in the case of Babar Ahmad and 6 in the case of Talha Ahsan. Compare that with the short time it took to charge Mark Bridger of the murder of the little girl, April Jones, in Wales. These men are not suspected of murder but have been imprisoned on the say so of the United States. It is Frdiay and millions of Muslims have been praying in the mosques and Khateebs have been asked to remember them in Friday prayers.

    The verdict is Abu Hamza has failed in his extradition appeal as have two others. Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan’s cases have also failed. If you are British be ashamed. It is time to hang our heads.

  • Mary

    Sir John Thomas has ruled that Abu Hamza and four others can be extradited immediately. The BBC understands (ie have been told) that a US State Dept plane is standing by.

    Isn’t it ghastly.

    Biography of President of the Queen’s Bench Division
    The Right Honourable Sir John Thomas

    Sir John Thomas was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he read law, after which he became a Commonwealth Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School. He was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1969 and became a Bencher at the Inn in 1992. He practiced at the Commercial Bar in London from 1971 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 1984. He was an Inspector into the affairs of Mirror Group Newspapers plc when that company was owned by the late Mr Robert Maxwell.

    He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of England and Wales in 1996 and was assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division and to the Commercial Court. From 1998-2001 he was one of the Presiding Judges of the Wales and Chester Circuit. He was Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court in London from April 2002 to July 2003, when he was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal. He has been a member of the Judges’ Council since 2002. He was the Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales from 2003 to 2006. From 2008 to October 2011 he was Vice-President of the Queen’s Bench Division. He has been President of the Queen’s Bench Division since October 2011. He has been Deputy Head of Criminal Justice as well as judge in charge of European issues since 2008. He was President of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary from May 2008 to December 2010.

    He is an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge and a Fellow of the Universities of Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Swansea and Bangor and an Honorary Doctor of Law of the Universities of Glamorgan, the West of England and Wales.

    He is Vice-President of ARIAS (UK), Past President of the British Insurance Law Association and a Vice-President of the British Maritime Law Association. He is Co-Chairman of the Trustees of the International Law Book Facility.

    ~~
    A common denominator – the Chicago Law School

    In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book. He then taught at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years—as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004—teaching constitutional law

  • Mary

    Sorry John. Did not see your post. The BBC have a reporter outside Long Lartin. It was all pre-arranged. A done deal.

    See what these two women say on the BBC live feed. To think we share the same country.

    Claire Godridge tweets: fantastic news about abu hamza and the other 4!! british courts need to start being firmer and stop being a laughing stock.

    Jenifer in Forfar emails: This has gone on far too long. Let this be an end to it. I have never understood why any person would fight to stay in a country that they have no respect for.

  • A Node

    @John Goss 5 Oct, 2012 – 2:54 pm

    If you are British be ashamed. It is time to hang our heads.

    I agree. Let’s start with David Cameron and William Hague

  • doug scorgie

    Press TV: Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police Sir Norman Bettison has announced his decision to step down in March next year after controversy over his role in the UK’s Hillsborough tragedy.
    Bettison was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) earlier in September for being involved in the supply of misleading information after the 1989 disaster at the Sheffield football ground.

    “Recent weeks have caused me to reflect on what is best for the future of policing in West Yorkshire and I have now decided to set a firm date for my retirement of 31 March 2013”, Bettison said in a message on the West Yorkshire Police website.

    “…best for the future of policing…”? I think best for saving his pension before being charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

  • Mary

    Not looking good in South Africa. Breaking news

    5 October 2012 Last updated at 14:49

    Amplats fires 12,000 South African platinum miners

    The world’s biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, has fired 12,000 striking South African miners after a protracted strike over wages.

    Amplats said three weeks of illegal strikes by 28,000 workers had cost it 39,000 ounces in lost output – or 700m rand ($82.3m; £51m) in lost revenue.

    The strike has prompted clashes between striking miners and police in which one worker died earlier.

    Some 34 South African platinum miners were shot dead by police in August.

  • A Node

    @doug scorgie 5 Oct, 2012 – 3:21 pm

    I heard on the radio this morning that his case will no longer be heard by the IPCC because now he has resigned he is no longer subject to IPCC rulings.

    How convenient.

  • Colin Carr

    Just spotted this on the Indy website,-

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/exclusive-police-secretly-handed-the-fbi-evidence-on-babar-ahmad-while-claiming-their-own-case-against-him-was-collapsing-due-to-lack-of-evidence-8199824.html

    So the Gestapo were passing the information to the Stasi in order to say they didn’t have it, and the CPS consequently were unable to build a case against Babar Ahmad. Enter the Feds, who can request extradition on no more than a ‘good faith belief’ without supporting evidence.

    What a complete mockery of justice. This is one of the things that creates ‘terrorists’ – the system being rigged so they don’t have a prayer using legal means to defend themselves.

  • Mary

    St Theresa gets her finger out.

    A Home Office spokesman, meanwhile, welcomed the decision and said it was “working to extradite these men as quickly as possible”.

    Thank God there are still people like Mr Watkin.

    Mr Watkin told Channel 4 he had spent £250,000 of his own money fighting the extradition treaty, with he and others having budgeted £150,000 for the Ahmad case and spent £20,000 so far.

    “For me it is about the extradition treaty. I am opposed to the treaty 100 per cent. It should be torn up because it is completely one-sided,” he said.

    /..
    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/01/babar-ahmed-no-evidence-terror-uk-prosecution_n_1929492.html?1349112866&utm_hp_ref=uk

    “British people should be subject to British law. I am an international businessman and I always stand up for the rights of people who are getting abused.”

  • doug scorgie

    Globalresearch.ca
    Syria FSA Terrorists Behind “False Flag” Attack against Turkey
    German State television channel ZDF

  • John Goss

    Mary, it makes you want to cry. The cynical decision of Theresa May and her hand-picked Justices to deliver the verdict on the Islamic Holy Day. She is as sick as Hilary Clinton.

    A Node, I don’t believe in capital punishment, but a very witty comment in a moment of sombre thought.

  • John Goss

    Quite right Mary. Here’s another one. Yesterday was National Poetry Day on the theme of Stars. My contribution:

    The sycophant

    Justice Phillips in your ermine gown
    you really look the part,
    establishment’s own sycophant,
    a venerable fart.

    Justice Phillips in your cloistered world
    made only for the rich,
    with tightly-knit embroidery
    it only takes a stitch,

    Justice Phillips, in your toadyness,
    to stitch-up a good man,
    with tightly-knit embroidery,
    regrettably you can.

    Justice Phillips, it’s regrettable,
    Assange regrets it too,
    but sad regrets are coronets
    to sycophants like you.

    Justice Phillips, you are leaving us
    while Julian remains,
    it must be really paining you
    for all your toady pains.

    Justice Phillips, I hope Qatar gets,
    right up your beakish nose,
    a country full of sheikhs and slaves,
    and oil-rich slimy toads.

    John Goss

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jeetJTfzUoU/St_0zoNNF1I/AAAAAAAAGV8/jM3Sl79eqM0/s400/LordNicholasPhillips-LordChiefJustice-President-SupremeCourt-UK.jpg

    He’s a star all right. A star of ill omen.

  • Brian Spencer

    @Mary 5 Oct, 2012 – 3:18 pm

    Difficult to believe that much of the 17 page judgment in the Dr Kelly judicial review hadn’t already been typed prior to the Hearing! Interesting too that supposedly one judge was considering the application but on the day of the Hearing it was a different judge. The Judicial System moves in mysterious ways …

  • Mark Golding - Children of Conflict

    Craig said, ” In terms of content it is impossible to distinguish what either of them is actually proposing on taxation policy. What comes over to me is the lack of any divergence from a neo-liberal economic model.”

    I realised not one word was uttered on the American peoples welfare!

    What of our own welfare? Welfare? What welfare!

    Ordinary British people are known for their generosity towards vulnerable people in our society. This includes the needs of the disabled and our underprivileged, distressed and abused children. Such benevolence and kindness is reflected in the hard work and dedication of certain charities including Children in need, Mind and the Disability Alliance.

    Since the government coalition was formed in 2010 it has relentlessly created a ‘them and us’ culture when it comes to the ‘social insurance scheme’ we all pay into called ‘welfare’- originally designed as a buffer system whereby the government undertakes to protect the health and well-being of its citizens, esp. those in financial or social need because of illness, catastrophe or unemployment.

    It is clear this coalition government is dismantling the contributory principle and projecting through the MSM that the welfare system is a form of charity thus encouraging a public resentment in order to save a great deal of money that is needed to bail out financial mistakes, world conflict and protection of British interests abroad.

    Shortly after the formation of the Coalition Government in May 2010, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, laid the foundations for one of the most radical programmes of reform to the welfare benefits system since its
    creation. Since this time, the Government has initiated £18 billion* worth of cuts to the benefits system. At the same time, it has reduced funding settlements for local authorities across the country. The fallout of these cuts is becoming more evident as councils look to raise eligibility criteria for social care, increase charges for services and in many cases even close them down. As the Coalition’s programme of spending cuts and welfare reforms have become clearer and more defined; so too has the impact on disadvantaged and incapacitated people and their families.

    I believe through my limited research that 500,000 people will lose their Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in 2013, 36 per cent of people will lose their Incapacity Benefit by
    2014. I cannot conceive how many people will suffer from these budget-driven changes, and what this will do to their household income and quality of life?

    The House of Lords recognised the severity of the coalition’s Wefare Reform Bill and made a number of critical amendments (i.e. preventing the abolition of ‘crisis’ loans, Community Care Grants and charitable grants). These were overturned by invoking an archaic resolution (circa 1671) called ‘financial priviledge’ which states that the Lords cannot rule on bills of ‘aids and supplies’ – raising tax and spending it.

    I agree with the BMA in it’s analysis of Welfare reform as ‘pain but no gain’ together with the ongoing dismantling of our NHS system precipitate a government induced national paroxysm if we, the people, still exist into April 2013.

  • glenn

    Jay wrote, 5 Oct, 2012 – 2:42 pm
    “A young adult may be heterosexual, but maybe a gay obsession could enter his mind and effect his thinking and alter his persona.”

    I can’t believe anyone still thinks rubbish like this. A Decent, God-fearing, Straight young lad (or girl for that matter) gets all confused somehow with the homo-sexshall propaganda and turns gay. Riiiiight.

    What do these pro-straight, anti-gay people want – gays to be thrown into jail again? Outlaw everything, drive it all underground again? Are they actually stupid enough to think there will be less gays about if it’s not to be discussed?

  • JimmyGiro

    Glenn preened:

    “I can’t believe anyone still thinks rubbish like this. A Decent, God-fearing, Straight young lad (or girl for that matter) gets all confused somehow with the homo-sexshall propaganda and turns gay. Riiiiight.”

    What if about 1,000,000 boys were prescribed Ritalin every week, to effect that result?

  • Mary

    Terrible anti-Abu Hamza hate propaganda on BBC tonight. Ms Bruce said that he had been portrayed in the media as a ‘pantomime villain’. (She spat out the word ‘terrorist’ when referring to him.) Unbelievaby, then followed a series of photographs doing exactly that with strange lighting effects emphasizing his hook and his missing? or damaged left eye.

    Then followed a report from their correspondent Mark Easton. Oh dear, so wearing, what a terribly long time this decision had been in coming etc. Followed by Nazaz from the Quilliam!! Foundation on the attack and so on.

    Much the same followed on BBC London News, but even more vitriolic.

    PS Nawaz has been on a panel at the Frontline club along with Aaronovitch. Link within this little chat. I have not listened to the recording.
    http://www.frontlineclub.com/events/2012/10/first-wednesday-22.html

    Natalie Stanton‏@AverageNat
    Fascinating talk at the Frontline Club on Islam and freedom of expression. Good job, particularly Majid @QuilliamF and @daaronovitch.

    4hQuilliam‏@QuilliamF
    @AverageNat @daaronovitch thank you, Maajid is @MaajidNawaz

  • glenn

    Abe wrote, “One commentator on the BBC news channel said that Obama was out of practice regarding debating skills, since for four years he had only spoken to deferential audiences.”

    Then that BBC commentator should be fired for ignorance and stupidity. S/he obviously knows zero about American politics, the way Obama has been treated by every single Republican in the house, the Senate, to the point where he is interrupted with a screamed, “You lie!” by a hysterical, finger-pointing teabagger Joe Wilson, while giving a joint address to Congress. Totally unprecedented. The stated intention of that gummy freak Mitch “Bitch” McConnell (minority leader of the Senate) was that they would block everything Obama wanted to do regardless, to make him appear a failure.

    But what’s the point of my bringing up examples – instead of believing stupid, lazy statements such as Abe quoted, why not do a search like this:

    http://www.bing.com/search?q=obama+heckled

    It would appear that he’s very used to addressing a disrespectful audience!

  • glenn

    JimmyGiro: Last time you said I “minced”, this time it’s “preened”. How old are you – 13 maybe? These school-yard homophobic slurs make you sound like a petty minded, bigoted simpleton.

    Seems you can’t stay on topic either. What do you blame for your homosexual tendencies then, Jimmy-boy? Was it the ritalin, or the gay propaganda?

  • Mary

    Later on the 6pm news, there was a scare story that Britain could go dark in 3 years’ time. Guess who came on? Angela Knight late of the Banking Association and now with Energy UK. She still has that unfortunate habit of sounding patronising and looking snooty. It turns out she is now their Chief Executive. Bad move Energy UK.

    Energy UK has been formed by merging the Association of Electricity Producers, the Energy Retail Association, and the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy to form an organisation of over 70 members

    http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/about-us/about-our-staff.html

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