This is my last comment for the year as we are off to spend Hogmanay as the guests of an Ambassador in Paris. Out of deference to my family, who have had the brunt of it these last few days, I am definitely not taking the laptop, so I will no longer be able to take part in the popular new bloodsport of proving your loyalty to the SNP by being nasty to Craig Murray.
My parting thought is that, as every year of my entire life, it has been a disastrous one for the Palestinians. Yet more land occupied, settlements built, homes destroyed, olive trees uprooted, shipping vessels sunk and yet another murderous onslaught on Gaza.
I warmly recommend this rare public appearance by Col. Larry Wilkerson, ex-Chief of Staff to Colin Powell and a fellow recipient of the Sam Adams Award for Integrity. His brief musings here on Israel and Syria come from a deep store of knowledge and a razor-sharp intellect.
Do have a wonderful celebration. The future will be good. We are closer to a transformational change in society than you may realise.
@Mark. I note that Oliver Stone, of JFK fame, is making a documentary on the events in Kiev that led to the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. He also concludes CIA involvement:
http://rt.com/news/218899-stone-kiev-massacre-cia/
https://www.911truthoutreach.org/557-news-releases/370-911-outreach-and-anatomy-of-a-great-deception.html
Yes thanks Peacewisher- I am sure the doc will be thought provoking and I hope compelling and provocative.
@peacewisher – BTW BTW ! The abstention wiped out the LAST remaining bit of credibility of the Liberals – they no longer have even a shred of raison d’etre – its like cameron has buggered clegg in public.
@Puzzled: Good point you are making about Clegg/libdems, and even more serious because this foreign policy decision goes against what the MPs voted for in October. However, not being picking up (yet…) in the media.
Craig, as soon as you said you were going to apply to be an SNP candidate I knew it was going to end in tears.
That said I’ve rejoined the Party in the great rush after the Indyref because I believe – with all their faults – they’re the best hope we’ve got to take forward the struggle.
Your position in answering “the question” in the negative was an honourable one, which I suppose tell’s you something about those who were prepared to answer in the positive never mind those who came up with the question in the first place!
However we are not up against “Honourable” forces – as you have pointed out yourself and perhaps the flexibility required by the Party is what is needed in the rough and tumble of the “war” ahead.
I’m not a “Party Animal” and I suspect you ain’t either, however I’m prepared to give them my money, conditional support and work to elect as big a pro-indepedence representation as possible – perhaps that’s where you should have left it as well?
Happy New Year to yourself and family, Craig, and all the regs on here.
Enjoy the break.
@Mark: Good analysis by Channel 4 after the British MPs voted overwhelmingly to recognise Palestine. Note the dark green areas on the map, and compare with current UNSC members:
http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-recognises-palestine/19039
“Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated publicly that Russia has learned that diplomacy with Europe is pointless, because European politicians represent Washington’s interest, not Europe’s”
This dangerous home-truth, & more, here;
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40587.htm
@Macky: in 2000, the EU was the only real resistance to US global domination. What a change! This was likely to happen though because:
1. Baroso hosted the meeting between Bush, Blair, and Anwar to declare war with Iraq in March 2003
2. Baroso subsequently became head of one of the EUs houses of government, a role which he held right through until earlier this year.
We all didn’t want Blair in the EU, but Baroso was arguably of like mind. Sarkozy was very pro-US, and so was/is Merkel. What would a Shakespeare play of political manoeuvring over the last 15 years look like, I wonder?
Thank you. The new year will be all the happier now we know you will never be a member of parliament either side of the border. You haven’t a cat in hell’s chance of winning as an independent anywhere in Britain, and no mainstream party will now ever accept you as a candidate. You show utter contempt for people who hold views that oppose your own. You have a massively inflated ego. How could you possibly represent those who didn’t share your minority views?
Normal people find you a pompous, self-righteous, establishment snob. Establishment people despise you. Your main support seems to come from a weird bunch of conspiracy theorists and a few other people who come across as being clones of yourself.
But you’re not going to listen to anyone else, are you?
@Macky: oh yes… there was also the coming of the Euro, and the nine, then twelve Eastern European countries, to help tilt the balance.
@Meg: at least he doesn’t try to sweep torture under the carpet. What is more important, to be a party animal, or have principles?
@Macky
“This dangerous home-truth, & more, here;” such as
“Putin should have hung Mikheil Saakashvili, the American puppet installed as president of Georgia by the Washington-instigated “Rose Revolution”, and reincorporated Georgia into the Russian Federation.”
If you ever needed evidence that Macky is just an old imperialist. BTW Georgia was incorporated into the Soviet Union not the Russian Federation – but I suspect Mack didn’t notice this through the tears on the saddest day of his life.
Happy New Year, all.
Cash surpluses from Christmas may be forwarded to Medical Aid For Palestinians:
http://www.map-uk.org/
Does exactly what it says on the tin, British-based, nonpolitical.
They’ll thank you.
@Meg McGarrin 12:10 pm
There you go, fixed that for you.
Happy New Year everybody, including Meg
Enjoy your grand soiree in Paris Craig, happy hogmanay to all here.
Meg go duff your cap and bend over to stick your head in the sand as you like gal. But beware, you will expose your backside to all comers. BTW sniping at someone who can’t hear or answer you is like spitting into an oncoming wind.
We can expect more war mongering and expansion talk by NATO, more would, could, should from the failed main parties, and possibly a postponed election should the 160 billion Cameron has siphoned aside for armaments, sit still you 13 million living in poverty, be grilling his backside, meaning us going to war.
leave with the never ending story of international spookies.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/inside-the-nsa-s-war-on-internet-security-a-1010361.html
Thanks for the link Mark G and Scouse Billy.
Sorry to disappoint Resident Dissident, but unlike you I don’t pick up on one point to disregard the other main points.
On this one particular pov, I actually agree with this comment somebody posted below the article;
“A Strategic error Paul??? What, Putin using the US’s own Rhetoric against it??? This may have been a strategic error in your eyes, but it was a clear sign to my thinking that Putin isn’t like America that would have gone for the throat first and opened itself up to world ridicule and condemnation. Putin, in one fell swoop kicked ass where it was necessary to prove the point needed. He made Cheney’s little plan for building a big syphon (pipeline) to run through Afghanistan from the Caspian Basin into a complete embarrassment for the US and exposed “Makemelooksvilly” as the Stooge he and his Crony’s are within a matter of hours and with minimum casualty’s… Too me that’s Statesman-like behaviour and it sure as hell pissed ole Dead Eye Dick off! What else ya got?
There is only one party that is playing by the Humanitarian Rule Book in this confrontation with NATO on Russia’s doorstep and it sure as hell isn’t Washington!”
Wishing Alex Polikhovich and other defenders of free speech and liberty all the best for the coming year.
http://imrussia.org/en/special-projects/2111-russia’s-political-prisoners-alexei-polikhovich
I hear the Dear Leader has excreted in public again. Apparently Labour is too leftwing. Incontinence the order of the day as I rofpmsl. Hear that, Scottish Labour, under your new Blairite lickspittle? You’re too leftwing. Get out there and invest in hedge funds immediately. Advertise your plans for all social support to be in future voluntary. And don’t forget to sell the NHS.
It’s a gift to the SNP. Don’t waste it.
Worm turning repeatedly here:
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/12/tony-blair-master-of-communication-claims-his-warnings-about-labour-were-misinterpreted/
But he’s made his point, even if he has then claimed, somewhat remarkably, that this wasn’t his point at all. Perhaps if he is proved right at the 2015 election he’ll claim his tweet that he fully supports Miliband and expects Labour to win was also misinterpreted…
“but unlike you I don’t pick up on one point to disregard”
A rather important point if you happen to be Georgian – you cannot define all those sovereign contries around Russia as Russia’s doorstep (or Nato’s for that matter) – they are sovereign countries who have earned their right to self determination.
You do seem the disregard the main point that the Soviet Union/Russian Federation/whatever you may call it today no longer has the right to continue to behave as an imperialist on its doorstep. Where would the doorstep finish – would you insist that Poland, Hungary and the Czexh Republic withdraw from NATO and the EU?
And lets us not forget all the other political prisoners held by Putin
http://imrussia.org/en/special-projects/2113-russia’s-political-prisoners-the-updated-list
Barroso was referred to earlier. He has now left his post in the EU (replaced by the well dodgy Juncker – tax dodging for big companies in Luxembourg) but before he went, he facilitated Israel’s entry, as the only non European country to do so, into this 77 billion euro scheme.
Nice one Jose Manuel. Free holidays in Tel Aviv for evermore – only joking.
Israel and EU prepare to sign science co-op deal
Top European official heads to Israel to meet with Netanyahu, launch controversial Horizon 2020 agreement
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-and-eu-prepare-to-sign-science-co-op-deal/
@Mary: Thanks for correcting the spelling. I didn’t realise that Israel were now involved in an EU project, but nothing new I guess after all that earlier police training on dealing with suspected terrorists. (or was that just UK, not EU?)
Taking a closer look at Res Diss’s freedom loving friends, Part 94:
That old Washington warmonger stooge, Mikheil Saakashvili, who almost singlehandedly sought to start WWIII, is currently on the run in the US from Georgian authorities:
“On 28 July 2014, criminal charges were filed by the Georgian prosecutor’s office against the former President Mikheil Saakashvili over alleged “exceeding official powers” during the 2007 Georgian demonstrations as well as police raid on and “seizure” of Imedi TV and other assets”
“In September, 2012, during Saakashvili’s presidency, a video taken inside Tbilisi prison Gldani #8 showing prisoners being beaten and sodomized was released to the public. Georgian Minister of Correction, Probation and Legal Assistance Khatuna Kalmakhelidze was forced to resign over the scandal. Human rights organizations including the U.N. Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement expressing outrage over the video”
@Herbie: I’m sure he’s not really “on the run”. With his extensive knowledge of Russia, he’ll probably be on a good salary as an advisor…
LOL. I meant that last remark tongue-in-cheek. However, it seems that he’s already doing just that… in fact he’s advising Albania:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albania-pm-seeks-advice-from-ex-georgian-president-saakashvili-1
Who recommended him? That experienced, well-meaning, and thoroughly decent man, Tony Blair…
Herbie
You miss the point – I hold no light for Saakashvili, but I do hold one for Georgia not being “reincorporated” back into the Soviet Union and for its continued independence and self determination (including prosecuting Saakashvili if that is what they want). It is quite noticeable how your anti-imperialism has such a blind spot and your desire to deivert when the behaviour of Putin and his cronies is under the spotlight.
Like you Craig I am going to enjoy some time with my family. Have a great time. To you Craig and to all the good people who comment on this blog. You know who you are. Though some appear to be wishing Happy New Year to people in far away countries who do not, as far as I know, comment here I noticed Habbabkuk, who has been making some sensible comments of late, wished everyone a Happy New Year. I reciprocate that message to one and all. For the sake of all the people who have died in senseless wars worldwide I want to wish everyone a Peaceful as well as Happy New Year (imagine a dove with a sprig of olive in its mouth). Let us all campaign against war in 2015. Then you can each be my friend.
@John. A happy new year to you, and sentiments echoed. War is the result of lies, if we want to get to the root, we should campaign for truth. I know that is impractical because lying seems to be part of the human condition, so its always un uphill struggle. As Tony Benn more-or-less said, each generation has to fight the same battle all over again.