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566 thoughts on “A Good Idea

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  • Ba'al Zevul (Whose Dog Are You?)

    Loosely linking the topic with some of the foregoing, this from Albania;

    http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/tony-blair-s-albania-adventure-fails-to-take-off

    Notes:
    (1) Blair apparently offered to join with the World Bank in leveraging WB cash getting EU membership for Albania. But “The World Bank does not have a contractual relationship with Tony Blair’s team in any of the of the Global Network countries”

    (2) UN intervention in Kosovo was justified by the existence of a largely Albanian-speaking population there. Russian intervention in Crimea is not justified by the largely Russian-speaking population there.

    ““I am here because I believe in this country, its people and the vision of progress that has been laid down for it,” Blair said.”

    Really.

  • fred

    ‘But I only said “Breathtaking hypocracy”. Obama said the rest, and he’s the leader of the free world and a nobel lauriate.’

    Don’t care who he thinks he is Sofia, he can’t come in here using words like that or he get moderated. He didn’t have the audacity to say what he did in the park this morning did he? Deserves all he gets if he did.

  • Mary

    Sorry Sofia. Yet the posts deconstructive of others for no good reason remain. Why for goodness sake?

  • Mary

    I notice that Habbabkuk has switched from attacking Doug all the time to attacking Herbie. Pathetic. Chin up Herbie and take no notice.

  • nevermind

    This from Ukraine’s Sheva, apparently a close neighbour to Ms. Timoshenko, as yet I have not found out why she is posting on the canaries footie forum, or whether she is posting on other footie forums. Gosh they do like their football in the Ukraine.

    To the issue, in her post she talks of one or two ‘lost’ rockets, which, if its true that they are som ewhere ready and equipped, would make the agreement with the west obsolete.
    As Ms. Timoschenko is in germany for medicals, they might as well ask her about it, as such ‘loose missiles’, canons are so passee. So mif the resident snoop please could forward this, much obliged…

    ‘Wasn’t really intending to post any more on here but it might be wise to throw in a few thoughts from the ‘horses mouth’ and correct some of the stuff gleamed from the Internet searches.
    Yulia, who is she:
    OK as a former neighbour, not on speaking terms as such, I can tell you that she doesn’t consider herself Jewish , is that what was implied?. She is as Ukrainian as they come, although her gran was of Jewish decent. What is 100% true, is that she is from Dnipropetrovsk and that has the worlds biggest Jewish Centre , so to be a Jew there is if anything a bonus! BTW she does have a very big support, she is the strongest man in politics’, but is having serious medical attention in Germany ATM. Yulia is a friend of the west, she paid a heavy price in the Orange Revolution by trying to please the West and keeping the gas flowing to your homes. She is standing for President and Putin would not dare cross her.
    Does she have a nuclear weapon up her sleeve? Well lets put it this way. Dnipropetrovsk built the rockets and weapons that armed the former USSR, its still there and still builds rockets. Ukraine as you all know or should do, agreed to give them up in the 90,s, although 1 or 2 went missing!!……………I’m told this, but can’t confirm, so don’t lose any sleep. It does however have a lot of dirty stuff hidden and stored that I do know and it is not safe.
    What else that I can say, without being arrested!. …. Head of armed services resigned cos the soldiers didn’t shot back in Crimea, although they were humiliated in their own country and needed to respond. However Russia knows it will pay a price but for now it fills its boots . Putin will take what he can get and a bit more, its his mission. If only for a strong Western leader this would not happen and we could all sleep better. Thatcher was so admired in Russia and Ukraine, Reagan was great to. As I’ve said before, never show weakness to a Russian, Never. I believe the US knows this well, but the EU seems to be a bit soft. Not seems , are!. Also let me say this. When Putin and Russia says, we won’t invade into Eastern Ukraine, its best always to expect the opposite. Hitler said the same and what did he do, that’s right, dropped bombs on Kiev and Ukraine lost 12 million lives, thereon.
    I guess you have heard of all the cash and gold being found in the former Governments safes, millions in cash and gold. I will without doubt be putting in a claim to the new energy minister for the return of several thousands of $ stolen from me.
    Someone said, ‘Oh what can we do’. Well there’s a big Ukrainian movement in the UK and worldwide, commonly known as ‘LondonMaiden, ParisMaiden etc. These people have left Ukraine, something like 7 millions in as many years and they through Facebook, lobby governments and highlight their experiences of life in Ukraine and what can help change things. Its an very powerful protest that points the finger in the right places. Its 100% peaceful as was the protests in Ukraine for 10 years before they were attacked,… and dignified.
    Mostly Russians/Ukrainians east and east get on. Don’t buy into all this Western Ukrainian Fascists, clap trap, haven’t you ever heard of Putins ‘Hitler Youth’, if you want a fascist look over there, but in reality there’s not much difference to eastern Europe and 70’s England. No ones going to change my opinion because I have lived in all regions, including England and within my family we have some very bright scholars who can dissect and explain the Ukrainian/Russian history in the most minute details. There’s just to much conspiracy flying around today………. The tensions have been artificially created to serve Mr Putin’s plan, its no secret, however if he carries on invading, there will be a massive backlash which will effect all of Europe.
    Lets pray for peace but get ready for some pain. ‘

    http://services.pinkun.com/forums/pinkun/cs/forums/4/3058327/ShowPost.aspx#3058327

  • Tony M

    Sounds totally phony Nevermind, threats, lies. Some sort automated bot, I wonder which NSA/GCHQ program this one originates from.

    Her neighbour, but not quite on speaking terms, oh dear!

    Not to worry she’s sending her bill to the new Energy Minister. I wonder if Res Diss, Anon, Kempe, habbaduk and friends know too to send their invoices there.

    Some popular movement, it’s reduced to spamming football forums.

    Loves Mrs T too.

  • nevermind

    Indeed Tony, she’s rattlin the sabre and never answers questions, sounds familiar doesn’t it?
    I invited her here, but she must have flinched reading sockets replies to Mary and others.

  • Mary

    The t—l should get his facts straight. The Meningitis B vaccination programme has not been decided upon unless Mr Unt has been on the phone to him and has told him differently.

    ‘The JCVI says this is subject to the vaccine being made available by the manufacturer Novartis at a cost effective price. This means that further negotiations are still required before these recommendations become reality. The committee previously suggested in an interim statement for consultation last July that the vaccine would not be cost effective at any price, prompting protests from doctors, scientists and parents.’
    http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/03March/Pages/Meningitis-B-vaccine-may-be-available-on-the-NHS.aspx

    The vaccine is given in two, three or four doses according to the age of the child.

    ~~

    The greater epidemic is obesity in childhood and alcohol abuse costing £millions to treat and causing premature death.

    The ConDems were going to introduce alcohol unit pricing but fell prey to the lobby of the brewers and distillers, the Portland Group. I received a mealy mouthed reply from my MP who was actually a junior health minister at the time. The same applies to the processed food industry who products contain high levels of salt and sugar. Their lobby group is high powered too. It is shameful.

    Overweight ‘being seen as the norm’
    Being overweight is increasingly seen as the norm, England’s chief medical officer says.
    Sugar tax may be needed.
    MPs told Two million ‘may need weight op’

    Fergus Walsh Medical correspondent
    ‘Scandal’ of liver disease inaction 17:04 UK time, Tuesday, 25 March 2014
    The lack of action to tackle liver disease in the UK is “scandalous” according to a group of MPs.
    Watch Fergus’s report

    Both items on BBC website page.

  • Mary

    s/be

    The greater epidemic is obesity in childhood and adulthood….

    The same applies to the processed food industry whose products contain…

  • ESLO

    @Sofia

    “Bless you. You seem to have some kind of psychic powers there, ‘cos I didn’t return till half an hour ago. I’m curious to know how I was being “so defensive” about a post that I was not to read for another eleven hours.”

    Apologies – my comments should have been aimed at others in the collective who were being defensive on your behalf.

    “As for your accusation that Orlov writes extreme nationalists/racist material. Can you point out any of his writing that can be interpreted in this light. Thanks.”

    I already have – once on this thread and also on a previous thread on Putin – seek and you shall find.

  • Ben

    “Let’s just say there are some words we can’t say any more, such as the type of demolition the WTC was.”

    Shhhh. That’s proprietary info.

  • Jemand

    “Fact is that the rising islmophobia in Europe is the common thread running through this network and our BNP, national front and Oooops, Likud are all part and parcel of it.”

    Fact(s) is :

    1. The use of the term “Islamophobia” and other pseudomedical cliches is intended to mark opponents with the stigma of mental illness or an irrational personality in order to isolate them from subsequent discussions. Commonly used by unprincipled people with diminshed capacity to reason and argue their own views.

    2. It is an utter nonsense to regard that popular religious beliefs, and in particular a certain religious belief, has absolutely no bearing on the wellbeing of a host society. If all religions are the same and all religions are inherently good, who on this blog will come to the defence of the indefensibly moronic Scientology?

    3. New Left propagandists will take isolated incidents of right wing criminality and minor electoral advances, lump them together as evidence of a coordinated movement/conspiracy, and megaphonically demand that legal and public policy measures be implemented to curtail the growth of public sympathies for right wing causes… Meanwhile, they ridicule similar observations about the fast growth of a violent religion with a violent past, currently engaged in myriad instances of political violence around the world – by labelling those observations as proof of the mythical disease of “Islamophobia”.

  • Mary

    Obama in in Saudi Arabia today apparently to mend fences following the West’s failure to attack Syria as the Saudis wished. Amazing to witness such grovelling.

    Can Obama Saudi visit stem deteriorating ties?
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26758648

    I don’t think that there’s much going on in Obama’s head at the moment.

    and Kerry visits Jordan.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26747094

    ‘US Secretary of State John Kerry has interrupted a trip to Europe to press the Palestinians and Israelis to extend their peace talks as a deadline looms.
    Mr Kerry flew from Rome to Jordan’s capital, Amman, to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He also spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’

    Note that Palestinian prisoners are being used by Israel as bargaining chips in the negotiations. Obscene.

  • Mary

    Good piece from Ken Loach. He must feel lonely. Few people of his calibre and principle remain.

    Labour is part of the problem, not the solution
    Its rhetoric may be softer than the Tories’, but the party still puts profit before people. Left Unity offers a new voice

    Ken Loach
    The Guardian, Thursday 27 March 2014

  • Sofia Kibo Noh

    On Dec. 17 2013, Yanukovych signed an agreement with Russia for $15 billion in loans over five years. Russia also agreed to reduce natural gas prices to the country by 33 percent. Furthermore, Russia did not require Ukraine to change any of its laws or join the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia in order to receive the loan.
 Opposition leader and genius Vitali Klitschko, had this to say about the deal with Russia: “They have given up Ukraine’s national interests, they have given up Ukraine’s independence, and they have given up perspectives of better life for all Ukrainians.

    Instead of this Ukrainians have been bounced, at a cost of $5 billion from the struggling US taxpayer and an initial $5 billion from austerity blighted Europeans, into the most savage austerity and loss of sovereignty yet. All cheered on by our leaders and their grovelling corporate media lackeys. Thanks guys ( oh, allright……and Victoria, Catherine and all)!

    “…what is also clear is that the only winner in Ukraine is austerity, Fascism, the IMF, and, of course, the world elites.”

    http://www.altheadlines.com/the-winners-of-the-ukraine-revolution-austerity-fascism-and-the-eu-13254473/

  • Mary

    I always read Linh Dinh on Dissident Voice and look at his photographic output which is illuminating.

    He describes what has been going on in Ukraine in his usual graphic style and concludes –

    [..]Not wanting to be accused of killing his own people, Yanukovych left his police unarmed during most the protest against his regime, and this decision cost him everything in the end. Now, the same restraint is being shown by the Venezuelan government as it is being roiled by a series of violent, American-funded and orchestrated protests that also includes sniper fires. The CIA’s well-worn playbook should be all-too-familiar by now, but since Americans are always being transfixed by the latest celebrity ass or asshole, they never notice the blood on their hands.

    Soon, however, there will also be blood on their faces, if not gushing from their bloated bellies, for this American government will not be so gun-shy when faced with the sort of civil disturbances it is so prolific at fomenting worldwide. As the world’s most promiscuous employer of violence in all its forms, micro, massive, generational, bank-enabled, smirkingly personal or drone-fired, invisibly, from the sky, Uncle Sam will not hesitate to puncture or crush anyone’s helpless body, and he won’t give a rat’s ass for world opinions.’

    http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/03/ukrainian-lessons/

    Linh Dinh is the author of two books of stories, five of poems, and a novel, Love Like Hate. He’s tracking our deteriorating social scape through his frequently updated photo blog, Postcards from the End of America.
    http://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.co.uk/ (link)
    He was born in Saigon, Vietnam in 1963 and came to the U.S.in 1975.9

  • John Goss

    “1. The use of the term “Islamophobia” and other pseudomedical cliches is intended to mark opponents with the stigma of mental illness or an irrational personality in order to isolate them from subsequent discussions. Commonly used by unprincipled people with diminshed capacity to reason and argue their own views.”

    Quite right Jemand. Those of us old enough have seen it all before, the denigration of whole races of people with derogatory names like “wog” “nigger” “chink” “wop” “Iti” “Frog” and so on. We fought racism once and nearly beat it. The war goes on.

  • John Goss

    And by the way Jemand, the term that should be condemned is “Islamists”. That equates with all the derogatory terms mentioned above. There is no more to be feared from Islam than any other religion. Furthermore there is probably good and bad in all religions (not so sure about Satanism). What is worst with slinging this mud about like “Islamists” is that governments are doing it. The BNP was bad enough.

  • John Goss

    Mary, thanks for the Ken Loach link in The Guardian. I am going to this historic first conference tomorrow in the hope that out of it, in due course, will spring a new political morality. I hope that the day will come too when children are taught in schools, this is what the BBC reported during the Iraq war, and this is what happened. This is what the BBC reported about the Ukraine coup, and this is what happened. I still have faith that the planet can be saved from a grass-roots movement.

  • John Goss

    I suppose I ought to rephrase “saved from a grass-roots movement” to “saved by a grass-roots movement” but I knew what I meant.

  • guano

    “It is an utter nonsense to regard that popular religious beliefs, and in particular a certain religious belief, has absolutely no bearing on the wellbeing of a host society.”

    Jemand. 100% positive effect, 100% agree with you, and the more the ozies moan, the more they need to wake up out of their apartheid misery.

    If they find some MH370 wreckage, are they going to box it up and send it back to Malaysia. Nutters, the lot of them, except you brother.

  • Ba'al Zevul (Liberté, Egalité, Shopping Malls!)

    3. New Right propagandists will take isolated incidents of Islamist criminality and minor electoral advances, lump them together as evidence of a coordinated movement/conspiracy, and megaphonically demand that legal and public policy measures be implemented to curtail the growth of public sympathies for Islam as a whole… Meanwhile, they ridicule similar observations about the encouragement of a violent religion with a violent past, currently engaged in systematic repression and ethnic cleansing at home and subversion around the world – by labelling those observations as proof of the mythical disease of “Antisemitism”.

    Reads just as well, as far as I can see, Jemand.

    “Jemand”…btw, anything to do with Yemen?

  • John Goss

    Typical Kempe diversionary tactics. Read it again and see what’s wrong with your statement.

    “Not wanting to be accused of killing his own people, Yanukovych left his police unarmed during most the protest against his regime, ”

    I think you’re bright enough to work it out.

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