What comes out to me from the “Black Spider letter” correspondence of Prince Charles published today is how utterly obsequious Tony Blair and New Labour ministers were to him. No sign whatsoever of radicalism from the former “People’s Party” as they fell over to ingratiate themselves with the heir to the throne. I rather enjoyed Charles quite sharp tone to Blair.
I am fundamentally opposed to the existence of the monarchy. It will hopefully be replaced by a better system, but no human system is perfect. Given that we have a monarchy at present, you will perhaps be surprised to learn that I do not see anything wrong in Charles’ letters, which put forward views which are much what we would have expected him to hold. Of course there is interaction between the monarchy and government, and of course we should get rid of this hereditary element. But Charles’ lobbying is hugely less damaging and pernicious than the corporate lobbying I witnessed throughout my Whitehall career. At least Charles is not lobbying them for corporate advantage and giving large political donations at the same time.
While in my view he did nothing wrong in writing the letters, he and government are both very wrong in arguing they should be private. It is when it is secret that such attempts to wield influence between two branches of government – and monarchy is a branch of government – can be most simply perverted to ill ends. That such publication will not occur again because government has legislated to keep it secret, is an example of the privileged arrogance that prevents this from being a genuine democracy.
Altogether not that big a story and it gives Rusbridger and the Guardian the chance to pose as radical. I find the fact that what is published is so anodyne and unobjectionable rather suspicious – what has not been published? Rusbridger is of course the editor who complied enthusiastically with a GCHQ instruction to smash the Snowden hard drives. The existence of other copies does not justify this any more than it justifies book-burning.
By coincidence, a very worthwhile article by Michael Gillard that had been excised from the net has recently been republished, setting out how Rusbridger in 2002 conspired with Andy Hayman of the Met to bury an investigation into police corruption, including the burglary of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. By a further coincidence I was having a pint with Laurie Flynn in Sandy Bell’s four days ago.
Hayman went on to be the promoter of the stream of lies about the murder of Jean Charles De Menezes and the publicist of numerous fake terrorist plots, before having to resign in a scandal involving nubile police officers at public expense in tropical islands.
Rusbridger and his extraordinary wig go on and on as a pretend opposition outlet, their reputation much dented by recent hysterical unionist output which exceeds the Daily Express. But Rusbridger’s continued usefulness to the establishment is not in doubt. The pose of publishing the most harmless of Prince Charles’ letters does little to help a threadbare disguise.
“Someone. Teach him how to copy and paste a link.”
———————
I have demonstrated frequently enough that the links posted by the Eminences often do not bear out what the Eminence is claiming. The Eminences seem to rely on the average reader not actually reading the link.
I should not wish that to happen with any link I might supply. Much better to put the full text in front of people’s noses!
RepublicOfConfusedThought
“The Royals should have no say as to when and how a government is formed at Westminster,nor should they have the right to dissolve a government.”
——————–
But it’d be OK for a President to have such a say and to dissolve a govt?
Silly!
It is heartening to know that we are in touch with each other.
eg
Media Lens Message Board
Michael Gillard on bent cops, the ‘Untouchables’, investigative journalism and The Guardian (2001)
May 14, 2015, 8:12 pm
Has this been posted yet?
https://bristle.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/michael-gillard-on-bent-cops-the-untouchables-investigative-journalism-and-the-guardian-2001/
Craig Murray linked to it here.(link to Born Kneeling)
I have not read all of it yet but it seems like it would be of interest to the board.
“When the Guardian newspaper in the UK lost two of its award winning investigative team few people noticed. But behind this seemingly ordinary happening lies a tale of police letters, denials, security services and off the record briefings … by Michael Gillard.”
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1431630753.html
Don’t cry for me Crioatia! So funny.
Perhaps someone can help me with the following?
I have noticed that Owen Jones dedicated his recent book “The Establishment – And how they get away with it” to
“George, with all my love”.
In the acknowledgements, Mr Jones thanks a number of people for their help, including again the said “George”, but unlike with those other people, he does not give George’s surname.
My question is : who is this “George”?
Is he Mr Jines’s boyfriend by any chance?
re Owen Jones and “George” – au travail, Marie!
Put your Jewish-grandfather-sniffing-out talents to work in a good cause! 🙂
“I shed tears being deeply moved by what I saw in those ordinary Russians and tears for what I felt had been destroyed in my country. We Americans have lost our sense that we are good or even perhaps again could be. We have accepted that we are bad, that we kill all around the world, that we hate ourselves and our neighbors, that we fear, that we live in a climate of race war, that we are despised for all this around the world.”
Read at Macky’s link (9.16 pm) when F. William Engdahl last wept.
But if you think that parade in Red Square was a unique event, think again. Putin in Moscow walked with thousands who had lost relatives and carried enlarged photos of their bereaved, but in all cities throughout the former USSR similar marches took place. This is Petersburg’s immortal regiment parade. You only need to see the first minute to realise why Russians (our biggest allies in WWII) will never succumb to the yoke of Nazism or Imperialism. What a disgrace that the west failed to pay tribute to the vast price ordinary Russians paid to defeat the Nazis. I wonder why?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPQaiMRSFtc
“What a disgrace that the west failed to pay tribute to the vast price ordinary Russians paid to defeat the Nazis. I wonder why?”
Those defeated Nazis are now running Washington, London and Brussels?
Anyway.
Looks like they’re about to lose again.
Let’s hope Kerry’s crawling to Putin in Sochi is a sign they’ve learnt a lesson.
Wouldn’t bet on it though.
For information purposes: Jeff Beck – A Day In The Life (Live at Ronnie Scott’s)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHHY3eRUMsM
Herbie, where Kerry goes the leaders should take heed. Not long after he was dining with Bashir Assad and wives America through NATO was creating devastation in Syria. In the last seven days he has sat with the main Saudi prince (who the Yanks have encouraged to deplete weapon stocks at the expense of Yemeni civilians). This means the Saudis have less defences should NATO attack them for this genocide (remember that’s what happened against Saddam) and a need to buy more weapons from the war-mad west.
Kerry has also sat with Lavrov in Russia. I have no idea what Lavrov told him but he did not look a happy bunny and instructed Poroshenko not to break the ceasefire in Ukraine. Nonetheless they did again yesterday. So he is a liar or has no control over Poroshenko, or Poroshenko has no control over his armed forces – the ones we and the Yanks are over there to train to be better killers.
http://en.hunternews.ru/?p=1211
I read body language and Lavrov has scared the shit out of Kerry.
Yeah. Does rather look like the malignant House of Saud is for the chop.
Ironic eh.
I’m not sure they have any defences, even at the best of times.
It’s simply a question of withdrawing support.
Head girl, Nuland, looked like she got her fat ass whupped as well:
She’s not at this important meeting, but she was certainly in the US delegation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IauZx0k-RUk
Kerry’s Sochi Visit: Is the US Backpedaling on Crimea?
At the end of the day, what we saw with Kerry in Sochi was the inevitable result of failed US policy
http://russia-insider.com/en/john-kerry-crimea/ri6907
“Labour’s new motto: F..k You Jack I’m alright.”
Or, to(mis)quote Bob Dylan, “It’s alright ya, I’m only bleeding (you all dry)”.
A relatively benign posting this time Craig. As I’ve noted elsewhere, I agree, Charles’ lobbying is nothing on what happens with commercial and other elite interests and nothing like as sinister or damaging. The letters really aren’t as damning as some feared, and others hoped! If the Tory government and the Guardian were to publish all correspondence from such commercial and wealthy political interests to the Government of the day, this would certainly be much more worthwhile and would definitely be damning, but will never happen.
This is really indicative of the sheeple menatlity and what enlightened people are up against. This is a petition I could not possibly sign. The BBC is owned and governed by neocon-Zionist money. It is a false flag for the brainwashed to become more brainwashed. However the petition is being signed at a rate of knots. Please! I despair!
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/uk_media_loc/?sXKedbb
Herbie, by now you should decipher the events in a matter of seconds.
1- Red square remembrance march, Russia shows off her prowess.
2- the pusillanimous corporate media wax lyrical about; old, rusty, out of date weapon systems frighten no one!
3- Kerry is there to talk
Remember as per the fishwife protocols; play down any real threat and play up any imaginary threats. Russia has just reminded the bullies, Russia can bite back (although this point is disputed in many levels, as per fishwife principles). Hence the pacification mission and a quick pep talk about friendships!
Putin made a mistake the first time around, and he paid for it; Russia getting sanctioned.
In 2003 Putin could have made a difference and it would have been so different now, but he sat by and bought into the arrangements. He clearly overlooked the PANC clearly calling for; “fluid alliances” ie to be friends when the situation calls for and can always go back to enmity later!
Looks like Habba got bored with the JimmyGiro stuff, and is now back to posting from different ISPs.
I love the smell of a police state in the morning.
There are huge demos planned against these vermin.
Fact is that only 34% of those who could be botherd to get off their arses voted for the present government.
That leaves an awful lot of very pissed-off people.
Be afraid, Habba & Co, be very afraid.
Yup. We’re definitely in Phil territory now.
Everybody must have gone to be early last night, including me. I was out dining with a French friend last night and we got talking about the Mistral contract. Last I heard France had come up with a plan to sink them in the ocean since Russia had built the hulls they could not sell them to a third party. My friend was unaware of this.
Now the news is that France wants Russia to accept less than what they stuck up front and allow them to sell the helicopter carriers elsewhere.
http://rt.com/news/258805-french-mistral-termination-offer/
The lesson for all countries is: YOU CANNOT DO HONOURABLE BUSINESS WITH FRANCE!
It’s still a mystery why the troll (of the multiple IP addresses/e-mail addresses) is tolerated on this blog. He certainly persecuted me for a long period and I am not exaggerating. Now I see him as an irrelevance who just distracts and diverts.
Special Branch
What went on behind the scenes leading to the cancellation of the conference at Southampton University.
Special Branch collusion with Southampton University security
April 15, 2015
Peter Salmon / Undercover Research Group
http://undercoverresearch.net/2015/04/15/informal-special-branch-collusion-with-southampton-university-ex-cop/
Reply from Hampshire Police to a FoI request for information. They need more time to reply.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/264039/response/652172/attach/3/HC%2000972%2015%20Extension%20Letter.pdf
Background on the conference cancellation.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/did-israel-lobby-bullying-and-threats-push-univ-southampton-cancel-conference
Opinion/Editorial
Will Israelis filmed killing Palestinian teens on Nakba Day get away with murder?
Olivia Watson
14 May 2015
Israel is using lethal force as a matter of policy.
http://electronicintifada.net/content/will-israelis-filmed-killing-palestinian-teens-nakba-day-get-away-murder/14520
‘On 15 May 2014, an Israeli Border Police officer took aim at Nadim Nuwara and pulled the trigger of his M16 rifle.
The live bullet struck Nuwara, 17, in the chest and exited through his back, killing him at the scene. CCTV cameras captured the shooting, allowing for detailed forensic video, sound and spatial analysis to be used to identify Nuwara’s killer. Despite seemingly clear evidence, systemic impunity for Israeli military violence continues to be an obstacle to justice for Palestinian families living under prolonged military occupation like the Nuwaras.’
I see Greece is really worrying Noddy (14 May, 2015 – 9:14 pm.) Always accusing others of cutting and pasting he’s dropped in a great dollop of bullshit he thinks should worry a country determined to oppose austerity.
Methinks he has wind that BRICS has invited Greece to become the sixth member of that group. Greece, which honourably paid debts to Europe run up by its country’s former capitalist bankers is considering this offer.
Perhaps Greece, like the People’s Republic of Novorossiya, will nationalise its bank. Perhaps it might start issuing currencey with some substance behind it.
Debating openly in universities is now a thing of the past. Thanks for the Southampton University links Mary.
@RepublicofScotland “In reality no modern democratic society can continue with the Ruritarian notion..”
“Tyranny is wont to occur not less but more frequently on the basis of polyarchy [rule by many, i.e. oligarchy or democracy] than on the basis of monarchy.” (St Thomas Aquinas, “On Kingship”). Modern examples: (1) Away with the Kaiser and in with the Weimar Republic, and thereafter Hitler. (2) Away with the Tsar, and in with Kerensky and thereafter Lenin. (3) Away with 20th century Muslim kings and in with Ba’ath, neo-Communist or Islamist dictatorships (I wonder how many Iranians would prefer rule by the Shah – one Iranian told me that the 1979 Islamic revolution is now referred to as “The Big Mistake” – yes, it was rather, wasn’t it.)
Blow it out of your elbow Rene! Then there are the members of the flat Earth society, not forgetting those seeking to join unicorn taming classes.
“The Big Mistake” for whom?
Iranians at the start of the Saddam imposed war on them could not so much as manufacture barbed wire. They were a third world country in shambles and going nowhere fast under the yoke of tyranny of the Shah the US sponsored charge hand who ruthlessly went about suppressing any kind of political/commercial/academic progress. This suited the West just fine.
Today Iranians are a the vanguard of innovation and are self sufficient, that is despite the Draconian sanctions that are in direct contravention of human rights; “free trade”.
The fact that Iran has far, far less than 748 internal spy agencies to spy on her own population ought to be sufficient grounds to conclude Iranians are ahead of UK (another monarchy) when it comes to freedom index.
“Today Iranians are a the vanguard of innovation and are self sufficient, that is despite the Draconian sanctions that are in direct contravention of human rights; “free trade”.”
This is true of other countries. It was true of Libya (one of the best socialist countries the world has ever known) until NATO whowed it what democracy is all about. It appears to be true of North Korea, another country without a Rothschild central bank. So stories are made up to discredit it the latest being about a top general being publicly executed with anti-aircraft weapons for falling asleep at a meeting.
It does not mean these countries will not be taught what the western concept of democracy means, unfortunately. When justice eventually prevails Gaddafi, Saddam and Ceausescu will not go down in the history books as tyrants, but as those who opposed the tyrants.
The Yankee-doodle-dandy empire is on its last legs. It only knows who to destroy and steal. It does not know how to be an honest broker and build. It is the bully in the world’s school playground. Why can we Brits support this evil empire?
Corrections.
“This is true of other countries. It was true of Libya (one of the best socialist countries the world has ever known) until NATO showed it what democracy is all about.”
“The Yankee-doodle-dandy empire is on its last legs. It only knows how to destroy and steal. It does not know how to be an honest broker and build. It is the bully in the world’s school playground. Why can we Brits support this evil empire?”
Abe Rene
Quoting Aquinas in defense of monarchy. Hilarious. Perhaps you have a handy quote from Henry 8th that supports the basic principles of religion.