I have a guilty political secret. I do not detest Gordon Brown. That is such an unfashionable opinion that I don’t really expect any comments at all to agree with it. And yes, I do realise that he went along with the Iraq War and all the other horrors of the Blair era. Interestingly, I don’t remember the question of what Gordon Brown really thought about Iraq ever being discussed; he deserves condemnation for having not tried to stop it, and perhaps he was indeed an enthusiast. And I am well aware that the Private Finance Initiative is a terrible disaster, and that he oversaw creeping privatisation in the health services, and – worst of all – the introduction of tuition fees.
And yet I cannot dislike him. Probably because I just know too many people who have known him through decades, who are themselves good people, and who like him. Around Edinburgh and Fife you will find it hard to find people who actually know him who share the hatred and contempt he seems to arouse among the political and media classes of London.
As a general rule I do not like or dislike people according to their politics, but rather according to the sincerity of their political beliefs and the goodwill with which they hold them. I am sure Anders Breivik is sincere in his political beliefs, but those are lacking in goodwill. Sincerity is not enough – humanity and inclusiveness are also important.
There are one nation Tories who seem to me perfectly decent people, genuinely trying to do good. I don’t hate them because their political conclusions on the best way to do good are different to mine. Gordon Brown I put rather in the same category – I feel he was trying to do good for ordinary people, he just got it wrong.
Blair is in a whole different category again – insincere, absolutely focused on attaining personal power, and with a Messianic belief that what is good for him must be good for the World. The Guardian is publishing some emails around the Blair Brown rivalry this week. I don’t care and won’t read them. But while I see Blair as quite properly damned for eternity to the seventh pit of hell, I don’t think Brown deserves anything worse than North Queensferry.
I have been in Ghana the last 20 days living in a house with no internet connection and working (extremely hard) in an office with virtually no internet connection – not enough to load WordPress. I hope to get more chance to blog shortly.
As you are saying Rehmat.
Nairobi attack: Israel takes lead role in advising Kenyan forces
Countries including Britain have offered help, and CIA also has officers in Kenya
Richard Norton-Taylor and Vikram Dodd
The Guardian, Monday 23 September 2013 19.20 BST
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/23/nairobi-attack-israel-advising-kenyan-forces
‘Israel has taken the leading role among foreign countries in aiding and advising Kenyan forces after al-Shabaab Islamist extremists attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, according to security and intelligence sources.
A host of other countries have also offered help, including Britain, which has resident MI6 officers in Kenya and special forces training their counterparts in the country.
Metropolitan police anti-terrorist officers are in Kenya to try to monitor the activities of suspects including Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of the 7/7 London suicide bomber Germaine Lindsay.
The CIA also has officers in Kenya. However, counter-terrorist officials pointed to Israel as the country that has built up extremely close security co-operation as well as commercial ties with Kenya over more than a decade.
Israeli officials kept a public silence about possible involvement in the mall standoff. However, a defence ministry official told the Guardian that a team from Israel’s elite counter-terrorism unit had assisted the Kenyan authorities in handling the hostage crisis.
An Israeli border police unit known as Yamam is specially trained in civilian hostage rescue operations.
An Israeli army spokeswoman responded to questions on Israeli involvement with a formula previously used with reference to covert Israeli activities, such as recent air strikes in Syria. “We don’t comment on foreign reports,” she said.’
We seem to have a large contingent there too. How much is the bill for accommodation and subsistence. All covert until now too.
Agree there Mark. And when and where did the ‘war on terror’ (or should that be war of terror?) arise. On September 11 2001 in New York of course.
As I write Obama is on the box speaking to the UN, demonizing Syria and Assad by repeating the CW lies. He has just quoted 9/11.
~~
Miliband has also been speaking. Very fired up and speaking for over an hour without notes. ‘Britons deserve better than this’ was the theme, ‘this’ being the ConDem policies of attacking the lives of the 99% and enhancing those of the 1%.
Agent Cameron and Lynton Crosby had better watch out.
Interesting little coincidence that Crosby and B.Liar share the name Lynton.
@ Mike / Glenn
To touch on 9/11 (briefly, I hope) it was not too long ago, when Bush the Evil, the greatest Satan there ever was, ruled the land, that leftists were only to happy to believe 9/11 conspiracies. Notably Michael Moore and his “Farenheit 911” propaganda film. The cherry on top of this vast conspiracy was Bush continuing to read the “Little Goat” story to kids after being informed of the first plane hitting; PROOF POSITIVE that he had foreknowledge of the dastardly plot.
Now that Obama, all sweetness and light and phony peace prizes, holds sway, no one dare question any official story concocted by propagandists and our benevolent authorities.
I totally reject the appeal, “just don’t go there at all, if you have a scrap of decency or humanity” an astoundingly cheap way of stifling debate on any matter. At the same time we’re constantly reminded we must never forget the victims, when it benefits one side or the other.
Re 9/11, in spite of the annual ceremony of reading victims names for hours on end, I recall exactly one victim’s name from that day: Todd Beamer of the “Let’s Roll” phrase. Plus the name of Mohamed Atta, one of the terrorists.
Mark @ 2:57
The supposedly benign UN ‘Agenda 21’ seems to have the US as it’s most cooperative test case.
They are just trying to help Nations cope with the challenges of resourceful living into the future. 🙂
NR: You think it’s a good idea to tell the bereaved of the Sandy Hook massacre, that they’re all faking it? Professional actors, putting on a show in an entirely staged event to hopefully get a gun ban? All their grief is false, and the whole thing was a made-for-TV drama?
That’s why I assert that going after the Sandy Hook victims is pretty despicable.
Somehow, you – and Mark (and perhaps the sainted Mary too, given her approval) – appear to be saying that all “conspiracy theories” are one and the same. All with equal merit, and it somehow shows inconsistency to have time for one supposed CT, while finding another utterly distasteful.
Poor old Mark felt himself too offended by this conversation and bugged out (which he announced AFTER having the last word – ‘natch!), but I know you’ve got a backbone, so let’s discuss this.
Michael Moore’s documentary about Dubbya was more about his adventures in Iraq, ramming through very questionable legislation, somehow portraying himself as the hero of the day when – even given the official line – he was a clueless incompetent. If you call such a portrayal “propaganda”, that’s your business. But you are very much mistaken in deliberately conflating this with any “9/11” conspiracy theory, “notably” indeed. *
Next, you say that “nobody at all” dares question any official story. Maybe you haven’t heard anybody at all, but that’s not because nobody’s saying anything, it’s because you’re not listening. There are plenty of people who still contest the official “9/11” theory, and a huge number – on the left – that question a great deal of Obama’s policies.
The generalisations you brought up are as sweeping as they are incorrect.
—-
* If you can tell me a single element in Moore’s documentary which can be considered elements of a non-official “9/11” conspiracy theory, please let me know. If you cannot do so, it would be honest of you to retract your comments. For instance, the reading of “My pet goat” was not presented as “proof” of anything except Dubbya’s stupidity and incompetence.
Sorry, I meant Mike in the above, not Mark, which I’d stated in error twice.
I also apologise to Mary for suggesting she agreed with Mike’s assertions (even though I’d put it down as “Mark”), when she was in fact talking on a different topic to a different person altogether. Sorry Mark & Mary.
Mark Golding, spot on again.
Since some power, probably the Russians, shot Israeli missiles from the skies of the Mediterranean, the evil axis of power is swinging due south to the African countries, starting with Somalia. This was planned for a long while right back at the end of January this year when UK citizens were instructed to leave Somalia. Barclays bank has announced stopping transactions between Somalia and other countries thus effectively stemming monetary exchange.
Join Mo Farrah and sign this important petition to change Barclays decision.
https://www.change.org/petitions/the-barclays-uk-decision-on-the-somali-msbs-accounts-barclays-to-reconsider-its-decision
“Rousseff had already put off a planned visit to Washington in protest at US spying, after NSA documents leaked by Snowden revealed that the US electronic eavesdropping agency had monitored the Brazilian president’s phone calls, as well as Brazilian embassies and spied on the state oil corporation, Petrobras.
“Personal data of citizens was intercepted indiscriminately. Corporate information – often of high economic and even strategic value – was at the centre of espionage activity.
Also, Brazilian diplomatic missions, among them the permanent mission to the UN and the office of the president of the republic itself, had their communications intercepted,” Rousseff said, in a global rallying cry against what she portrayed as the overweening power of the US security apparatus.”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/24/brazil-president-un-speech-nsa-surveillance
Yeah, but they’re just capturing the data, they aren’t reading it. 🙂
I wrote
And today I check and sure enough more observations over the last few days allow a much more accurate orbit determination and as of today, NASA removed 2013 RJ74 from the impact risk tables. It will approach no closer than about 9 million miles from earth. So everything happened as expected.
Nick Lomb of the Sydney Observatory wrote in 2007
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/2007/a-close-miss-expected-in-2029/
Well Nick that low probability doesn’t bother me but what does bother me is that apparently nobody ever got any follow-up observations (as Nick will well know). What’s so special about 2007 FT3 that it was impossibly lost during last close approach? Of course follow-up observations can confirm a hit instead of ruling it out.
Most likely there is nothing to this other than gross incompetence by astronomers and NASA (that’s the official explanation) . But I don’t like accepting they are that incompetent.
AlcAnon; Aren’t you sorry you didn’t screenshot the entry? Comets are often influenced by smaller bodies on their pathway, nudging them this way, then that. It would seem this new one is close enough for them to monitor. Manpower shortage? Incompetence? I can see that. The problem with secrets and conspiracies is exposure increases exponentially with each person who is jacked-in.
publisher of Mc Brides inside crapping on my erstwhile mates, Ian Dale in a scuffle with protester who’s dog bit him in the arse.
what wonderful publicity Ian, a little bit of common assault to stop a serial protester, what a show by the seaside…
Now we know why it was good to have him loose to Norman Lamb, mind that will change next time round.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/edp_columnist_and_former_north_norfolk_conservative_candidate_iain_dale_s_conference_fracas_1_2800457
Ben,
screenshot what entry? If you mean that the impact risk page for the new object http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2013rj74.html is now “404 Not found” that’s because there is now no impact risk and you should refer to http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2013%20RJ74;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=1#cad for the close approach data.
For 2007 FT3 NASA still have the page at http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2007ft3.html
The Telnet interface to the NASA Horizons system however just prints a blank line when asked to generate a future close approach table.
I do have offline copies of all the pages.
So to summarize the officially 10th most dangerous object to earth (Palermo Scale) is now just over a week away based on last known observations in March 2007 with a still unresolved potential earth impact. I expect them to lose objects a few metres but not 340m ones that close.
I have been patiently waiting since 22nd March 2007 for any updates. Getting impatient now!
“Ian Dale in a scuffle with protester who’s dog bit him in the arse.”
Damn. I went to have a look. But Ian Dale didn’t get bitten on the arse. The dog bit his own owner on the arse. Weird dog!
Over-excited probably. Like some commenters here, from time to time.
It is interesting the PHAS stop at 9-14-2013, AA
http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/Dangerous.html
Milliband says he’ll freeze energy prices for 20 months upon being elected. Does the PM have the power to do that? In any case, unless he says they’ll be returned to current levels, all that will happen is a massive increase before the election, followed by another 20 months later.
Ben,
2007 FT3 is in that list but the reason it doesn’t show up in close approach tables is because “Objects with very uncertain orbits are excluded from this listing”. 2007 FT3 is classed as condition code 9 which means very uncertain (due to stupendous incompetence by all concerned – remember that’s the official reason). Now they never used to exclude “condition code 9” objects from the upcoming close approach tables – after all these are the ones you are most interested in because you can’t rule out a hit without more data. I’m not sure when they started excluding this category.
@glenn 24 Sep, 2013 – 4:28 pm
I retract nothing. Here’s Christopher Hitchens on Michael Moore.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2004/06/unfairenheit_911.single.html
As to victims of Sandy Hook or any other tragedy, frankly I don’t give a damn, not when they’re being used as props to promote an agenda.
On the other side of the aisle, a right-wing radio host, Tea Party faction, was just expressing outrage over W Bush approving of Obama playing golf in a time of crisis. Then launched into unrelated, outright silliness claiming that W felt deeply the loss of each and every military casualty, personally called bereaved families and personally signed every condolence letter with his very own hand. While coldhearted Obama callously has his letters signed by the auto-pen, and probably does not call the families, though he couldn’t be certain on the last point.
In the words of Hillary, “What difference does it make?” There’s a dead loved one. If it were my loved one, I’d not care if the Commander in Chief shed tears or not. How about not placing them needlessly in danger in the first place. [What constitutes a needless or needful danger is another argument.]
Iain Dale Scraps With Protester At Conference
Nearly twice as tall as the OAP and still floored hiself, now that is the kind of fuckwit blogger giving internet a bad name. (freedom of expression, just not in my back yard)
“IWhat do you think of her recent comments, Fred?
Is demonizing the poor (something for nothing culture), and using words like ‘virus’ to describe her own countrymen/women not more reminescent of ’30′s Germany?”
Except she didn’t demonize the poor, she asked why rich people should be getting university fees paid for their children when poor people are begging at food banks. Why rich people should be getting free prescriptions while the disabled are losing their benefits. She attacked the Scottish governments policies of giving something for nothing to the rich at the cost of the poor.
She didn’t call anyone a virus either, you made that up as well. She described Nationalism as a being like a virus, you only need to look at 1930s Germany to see what she means.
She is the perfect example of British Nationalism. She would have been at home in 1930’s Germany. You are either deluded, or don’t own a mirror.
All pretence of socialism has been cast aside. Universalism? Binned. Trident? Keep that. Free prescriptions? Binned. Free bus travel for the elderly? Binned. Free education? Binned. Free care for the elderly? Binned.
No wonder you approve of her parties right wing, ‘One Britain’ policies. I am ashamed of what the Labour party has turned into.
Is Palestinian nationalism a virus too, or only the Scottish variety?
@ nevermind, do use a brolly when it rains cesium
Have you calculated the weight of a lead brolly? Only extreme bodybuilders have any chance of survival. 🙂
NR: Thank you for the reply, however – what Hitchens says might or might not be an interpretation of Dubbya’s demeanour upon being informed about the attack has precisely nothing to do with your assertion that Michael Moore made a pro-“9/11” conspiracy theory film. Absolutely nothing.
Hitchens made a bunch of dubious – not to say utterly idiotic – assertions, you might recall. Instead of quoting Hitchens as if it were received wisdom, I asked you to tell me where Moore’s film presents a “9/11” conspiracy theory.
So my challenge to you to either back up, or retract your claim stands. If you’d like to continue to do neither, that is of course entirely your business.
*
The “agenda” of the Sandy Hook massacre victims might be described as not wanting more families to have their children shot to pieces – literally so – while at school. Is that “agenda” so nasty, so underhand, that it deserves your scorn, suspicion and dismissal?
Oh yeah – you said you don’t give a damn about these victims. Huh. OK.
*
As for the teabaggers, please don’t waste time with this false equivalence BS – that tired old act is best left to the MSM who are far more practiced at it.
The Leader, as Scots see her.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/quoted-for-irony/
Nope they don’t either. They pump themselves so full of shit, that caesium probably is an antidote to clean up their system from swallowed/injected crap in their bid for body “beautiful”.
NHK World carried the domestic NHK feed with simultaneous translation during the start of the crisis. Local Japanese weather forecasts actually told people not to go out in the rain during the worst of the releases but if they had to go out to make sure they didn’t get wet…
“She is the perfect example of British Nationalism.”
No, she is not a Nationalist, she sees Nationalism as being like a virus, spreads like wild fire and does a great deal of harm to a lot of people. She is opposed to Nationalism.
I just told the truth about what she said because you had lied about it.
More Scots give their view on The Leader.
http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2013/09/24/you-are-a-virus/
Fedup 24 Sep, 2013 – 6:46 pm
“Iain Dale Scraps With Protester At Conference”
People are lining up to have a go at dale in the comments on his blog. He does himself no favour. Nor does his assistant who is attacking the literacy level of those judging him. It’s very funny. I don’t have faecebook or twatter accounts to sign in with or I’ld be tempted myself.
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2013/09/24/it-shouldn-t-happen-to-a-publisher-protecting-an-author-during-a-live-interview
So, is Palestinian nationalism a virus?