I had excellent news from my cardiologist yesterday. Ready to think about other things now. I am horrified by the continuing stream of ” royal” baby hype on television. Truly pathetic – is this 1313 or 2013? Who buys into this nonsense?
I thought the Lib Dem take on Trident missiles was hilarious. This small group of islands does apparently need to retain the ability to wipe out one third of the urban population of humankind, as a defence against something undefined – possibly people we invade getting too annoyed about it – and in order to increase our “influence” in the World. As we plainly have less influence than the Germans, who don’t feel this need for the power of obliteration, I do not quite see how this works. Nor do I see Pakistan, which does have nuclear weapons, as very influential. Nor do I quite understand how our influence can be increased by possessing something under effective American control. But there you are.
Anyway, the Lib Dems have come to the intellectually scintillating conclusion that we do need this world shattering power, but we don’t need it on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons or on Saturday mornings, which will be cheaper. Brilliant, and plainly does not dodge any big ethical or practical questions at all.
David Ward’s fourth day in the bastion of democracy and justice was also illuminating. From his West Bank Diary, again:
Today we meet Mark Regev, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Spokesman who once said “the test of democracy is how you treat people incarcerated, people in jail, and especially so with minors”. These words have to stand alongside the evidence we heard yesterday from an Australian lawyer who offers support to the Palestinian children who the IDF take by force in the early hours of the morning.
The young people, maybe 15 or 16 years old are blind-folded, handcuffed with cable-ties and thrown into the back of vans and often kept in this state for several hours. The children then find themselves without support from family or legal representation in an interrogation room without any advice on their rights.
The coercive interrogation that follows is often accompanied by verbal abuse and physical threats leading to a “confession” written in a language they cannot read.
It might be another 8 days before the young person appears in Court and this may be the first time they have seen their parents or a lawyer since they were arrested. The “crime” is usually stone-throwing.
A young Israeli accused of a crime would not be forcefully taken by the Military and would have the right to be accompanied to the Police station by their parents. The case would be dealt with immediately and the young Israeli would be entitled to full legal representation.
Today we shall see if Mr. Regev believes that his Government adequately meets his own test.
Mark Regev is on a par with Iraq’s Comical Ali as a source of enjoyment. This was his reply, from Day Five (ibid)
The message that was repeated was that the Israelis were willing to engage in negotiations “any time, any day” (* -K) and that nothing would be excluded from the negotiations. We pointed out that the expansion of the settlements and indeed so many of the hatred-provoking activities carried out by Israelis, that we had witnessed first-hand, did not provide any firm basis for negotiations.
The illegality of the settlements was refuted – “how can it be illegal for Jews to return to Hebron?” And most of the other activities such as child prisoners, the barriers and denied access were defended on the basis of security.
http://davidward.org.uk/en/article/2012/640678/david-ward-mp-s-west-bank-diary-day-five
* Except if the other side is there – K
I meant to give the link to the source of the stated Olympic legacy.
http://www.ukti.gov.uk/export/sectors/globalsportsprojects/olympics2012.html?utm_source=Homepagebutton&utm_medium=Advert&utm_campaign=2012legacy
Who they are
http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/keypeople/executiveboard.html
Could the poster at 12.44pm not patronize me by using the sexist term ‘my dear’. That I am certainly not.
Oops! The privatised water industry get worried about their asset (ie our water) being contaminated and give Fracker Gideon a warning. Frack off! I should hazard a guess that it was not in the plan.
http://news.sky.com/story/1117721/fracking-water-warning-as-tax-break-announced
Thanks Komodo, Mark Golding, Sofia for the links.
Poor David Ward, he is suffering because he has not genuflected low enough and he shall pay for his infraction. Although as outlined by Komodo, David Ward not committed any kind of “trope”, and only reaffirmed the sufferings, and has gone onto exploring the fact that those whom have suffered the most will always prove to be the most compassionate. Despite this David Ward has lost the whip, and this is telling of the extent of corruption that is currently surrounding the affairs concerning the running open sore on the buttock of humanity; the shitty strip of land.
Regards the EU and its current stance, as the US is heading down the U bend there will be more of an “independent Europe” approach to come. US sphere of influence, what influence?
Thanx for USA Today. We learn that Binney has not entirely shed his NSA brainwashing. He hasn’t realized that NSA interference in the privacy of Chinese civilians is just as illegal as NSA spying on US civilians. Article 17 is the best-kept secret of all.
Also notable is the absence of Russ Tice, who supplies crucial information about one purpose of NSA privacy crimes: blackmail and kompromat of public officials for positive deep-state control. It’s not just for vindictive prosecution of domestic dissidents. You can’t talk about the USA’s fake democracy yet, or how the Stasi pulls the strings.
Well well!
the usual anti-Israeli posts (time and effort no object!) but….silence about the 5 years handed out to Alexander Navalny ….in Moscow.
Still, it’s only just after noon UK time; I’ve no doubt I shall see lots of indignation and outrage by close of play this evening.
Indignation and outrage at the US and the West for having put Navalny up to it, I expect.
The US isn’t Detroit, Passerby. And Detroit’s in better nick than a lot of ME towns…
When the US heads down the U-bend, not only will it have a smaller military (maybe third biggest rather than second biggest after China) but its kit will be made somewhere else. I’ll believe you then.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_United_States_military_aircraft
No offence, and sorry to sound like the Senator for Pisspatch, AR (R) but them’s the facts.
[Mod/Jon: post just to attack another poster, removed]
Raises an interesting question, this:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/gaza-hamas-egypt-political-crisis.html
If the Gazans somehow get rid of Hamas, as at least some of them would certainly like to do, and if they had a democratic election, would Israel be any more likely to recognise the winner than it was last time?
This is a rhetorical question.
ROFL thanks for the smile Komodo. Further I agree about some of the cities in the mid east being in a far worse shape than Detroit. However, given the steady decline/deterioration of the US internal infrastructure and its increasing burden of keeping a large military, and the budgets thereof. Won’t you agree these are similar metrics to the USSR before its demise?
From Nevermind at 12h53 :
“Any self respecting country demanding a seat on the UN should have it examined. But they have to abide by the rules that exist, i.e. you are a country under UN rules if you have declared borders.”
________________-
I should have thought that the remaining Eminences would have become more cautious after the rebukes and corrections I have had to hand out recently to Herbie and Flaming June regarding certain points of international (and even UK) law.
Now it appears that Nevermind – perhaps emboldened by the “dissertation” he proudly informed us about recently – is having a shot at misleading readers.
I’m assuming that Nevermind is claiming that to be a member of the UN a state needs to have declared its borders (if he means something else, then he could perhaps express himself more clearly).
Now, if you consult the UN Charter itself, you’ll find a Chapter II, entitled “Membership”. The Chapter contains four articles, numbered 3 to 6.
Strangely, enough, none of those articles seems to mention the question of borders, whether declared or not.
~~~~~
I’m at a loss to think where else I might find international law on UN membership other than in the Charter, but I”m sure that Nevermind will be able to help me out and cite the international law which backs up his statement.
Thank you in advance.
I thought Michael Winner was dead.
Up to a point, Passerby, yes. But there’s a long way to go. If/when the US enters another of its cyclical periods of insularity, it will be able to cut out half the military/overseas interference budget and concentrate on internal investment and regaining a share of the consumer market currently lost to the Chinese. It has fracking as an energy backstop, and it will be less dependent on its desert friends. (Detroit will be treated as an awful warning rather than an inevitable process if they have any sense. Detroit has been dead for a long time – since the Orientals started building much better vehicles – its reflex convulsions postponed the official diagnosis.) I think business interests will determine the course of the next couple of decades in the US, rather than gung-ho Republican rednecks. But it might start quietly. And it still has to get worse before it gets better.
Crystal balls, maybe. But no harm in speculating.
Thought you might like to see this message from Michael Mansfield QC.
MICHAEL MANSFIELD QC ISSUES URGENT CALL FOR PERMANENT TRUTH COMMISSION ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF DR KELLY’S DEATH ~ IN MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO DR KELLY INQUEST CAMPAIGN SILENT PROTEST AT ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE, 18th JULY 2013.
There remain an increasing number of cases in which the truth has
yet to be uncovered. Lockerbie, Hilda Murrell, Lawrence, Pat Finucane, Dr Kelly
and many more. There is an urgent need for a permanent truth commission to
investigate these in the way the Hillsborough Independent panel did for the
families and friends of those 96 killed in football stadium disaster.
The manner and mode of Dr Kelly’s death along with the surrounding circumstances were not directly addressed by the Hutton Inquiry which was myopic. There has been no effective Inquest either which is yet another sleight of hand by the authorities. The reasoning is vacuous and arrogant. Basically no need.
Perseverance patience and persistence will win the day. The forces
of darkness bank on people fading away. But, then, they live on another
planet.
May the force be with you.
Michael Mansfield QC
14. Admission of Israel to the United Nations, General Assembly Resolution 273 (III), 11 May 1949:
In the fall of 1948, Israel had applied for membership in the United Nations but failed to win the necessary majority in the Security Council. In the spring of 1949, the application was renewed This time, armistice agreements having been signed between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, Israel was admitted by 37 votes in favour, 12 against, with 9 abstentions. The text of the Resolution of admission follows:
Having received the report of the Security Council on the application of Israel for membership in the United Nations,
Noting that, in the judgment of the Security Council, Israel is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry out the obligations contained in the Charter,
Noting that the Security Council has recommended to the General Assembly that it admit Israel to membership in the United Nations,
Noting furthermore the declaration by the State of Israel that it “unreservedly accepts the obligations of the United Nations Charter and undertakes to honour them from the day when it becomes a Member of the United Nations”,
Recalling its resolutions of 29 November 1947 and 11 December 1948 and taking note of the declarations and explanations made by the representatives of the Government of Israel before the Ad Hoc Political Committee in respect of the implementation of the said resolutions,
The General Assembly
Acting in discharge of its functions under Article 4 of the Charter and rule 125 of its rules of procedure,
1. Decides that Israel is a peace-loving State which accepts the obligations contained in the Charter and is able and willing to carry out those obligations;
2. Decides to admit Israel to membership in the United Nations.
Not sure if this link is up to date, you kinda lose track…
http://www.israellawresourcecenter.org/internationallaw/studyguides/sgil3i.htm
From the very excellent Scottish writer and activist, John Hilley.
The gist of his complaint to the BBC –
To BBC Trust (updated correspondence) on selective use of Iraq war death figures
Letter to BBC Trust requesting full consideration of complaint regarding BBC’s selective presentation of Iraq Body Count (IBC) figures and issue of editorial decision-making:
Ref: CAS-2109403-3PN7BB
To
BBC Editorial Trust
This is a formal request to have my second stage complaint considered by the BBC Trust.
Following my initial enquiry and a subsequent reply to the points raised, I believe that no serious or satisfactory consideration of my concerns has been offered.
The essence of my complaint can be gleaned from the correspondence to date, which reads as follows:
/..
http://johnhilley.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/to-bbc-trust-updated-correspondence-on.html
“There is an urgent need for a permanent truth commission…”
Waste of time; because when it reveals the boring truth the conspiracy theorists will still whine about cover-ups and whitewashing.
Jon:- By all means confirm that I’m nobody except who I say I am, sorry to disappoint certain people but that’s the boring truth as well.
Someone’s on the wrong side of ‘international legitimacy’, it seems.
http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/lecture-247240.aspx
Former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami thinks so, anyway.
Antisemite.
MIT, or the man behind the curtain?
As a professional law-enforcement officer of 25 years, I believe that the image that was portrayed by Rolling Stone magazine was an insult to any person who has every worn a uniform of any color or any police organization or military branch, and the family members who have ever lost a loved one serving in the line of duty.
Ignore the 4:02
MIT, or it’s handlers?
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/07/mit-swartz-intervene/
Another day, another thread derailed by the Murrayistas as they bore everyone to death with all things Israel.
Komodo is fighting allegations that he is obsessed with Israel, by becoming even more obsessed with Israel.
Meanwhile, Mary has done her usual routine, starting the day early with the usual “poor souls” posting from the BBC.
And Fedup/Passerby is banging on about the “shitty strip of land”.
Etc., etc.
You are perfectly at liberty to skip past my posts, Anon. As I usually do yours.
But today I am interested in who comes out of their holes to protest. Thank you for your support.
Phone a friend…
http://news.techeye.net/mobile/nsa-helped-build-android-source-code
BTW, any of the excrescences wish to add their congratulations to Craig on his recovery to those of the murrayistas? No? Poor show. Bad form.
I hope this is a trend…http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/19/us-russia-navalny-idUSBRE96G0WO20130719
“(Reuters) – Russia unexpectedly freed opposition leader Alexei Navalny on bail on Friday, bending to the will of thousands of protesters who denounced his five-year jail sentence as a crude attempt by President Vladimir Putin to silence him.
In a highly unusual ruling that points to Kremlin uncertainty over how to handle Navalny’s case and new protests, a judge approved the prosecution request to free him pending his appeal so that he can run in a Moscow mayor election on September 8.
The anti-corruption blogger will be unable to leave Moscow but hailed the decision, a day after he was convicted of theft, as a victory for people power. Experts said it was unprecedented for the prosecution to seek bail on such terms after sentencing.
I congratulated Craig on his recovery in the last thread, Komodo. Not that I should be taking any advice on “form” from the “ding-dong” brigade!
Habby @6.23am argues that there’s no reason Israel shouldn’t be a permanent member of the UN Security Council, because there are other dubious entities enrolled.
Not exactly the greatest defense one might make of Israel, but then I remember that Israel makes a similar argument when presented with evidence of its crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
The Israelis simply claim that because the US, Australia and Europe ethnically cleansed various unfortunate natives they came across then, Israel can do it too!
Nothing like embarrassing your friends, eh. Be interesting to see how well that works out.
“You are perfectly at liberty to skip past my posts, Anon”
An underused and highly underrated strategy, Komo 🙂
Komodo, why do you dignify the twerps with an answer?
These cretins are to be abhorred.
non-permanent member.
Let’s at least be grateful for that.
[Mod/Jon: unwelcome commentary on another poster, removed; please keep it constructive]