I used to discuss foreign affairs with Tony Benn over tea in his kitchen in Holland Park when I lived a short walk away. I get a mention in his later published diaries in this regard. I was therefore saddened to hear his son, Hilary, at Labour Party Conference today align himself with the establishment in a way much more in tune with their aristocratic ancestors.
Benn was sending out neo-con friendly signals like there was no tomorrow. The first came from the very start, when he paid unnecessary and fulsome tribute to the really horrible wee Dougie Alexander who had “served his constituents extremely well”. That really was a pathetic lie. Wee Dougie paid no attention whatsoever to his constituents and took them entirely for granted. Labour’s lack in Scotland of any foundation in the people was what made it so easy for us to topple the Labour monolith.
Benn went on to advocate the “Responsibility to Protect”, the Blairite code for supporting United States military and especially bombing missions abroad. The thesis that Western bombing improves and stabilises countries appears tested well beyond destruction, but the neo-cons stick with it because of the corporate interests it does so much to boost.
Benn disgracefully then called in the body of little Alayn in argument for bombing Syria. He even noted that Alayn had fled Kobani, which “the BBC had reported as almost completely destroyed”, without mentioning – as the BBC did not mention – that some of that destruction had been caused by repeated American bombings of Kobani.
I am sorry that Tony’s son turned out to be a vicious, warmongering, lying, neo-con bastard.
No doubt I should also mention that the particular views of Enoch Powell to which my accuser takes such offense were that the assassination of Airey Neave (as well as of Lord Mountbatten) was the work of “the Americans” and of MI6.
That’s one of the weaknesses of the Excellences – they never know how to leave well alone and they invariably over-reach themselves.
I take offence at many of Enoch Powell’s views, Lysias.
How about you? 🙂
Peter Beswick,
Do you find facts and truth unhelpful?
I find ignorance far more dangerous.
Do you think your own cryptic and often confusing posts more helpful than truth and facts?
Bully for you Peter,if so.
Jives
There is a place for the truth and facts but when someone is struggling, burdening them further is not helpful. It is harmful.
Or do you think it helpful for a patient who wakes up from a coma after attempting suicide with paracetomol and thanks the doctors and nurses for saving their life only to be immediately told the fact that there is nothing more they can do as the damage is too extensive and the patient will die within 2 to 4 days.
Or do you think it helpful if the truth is not used as a blunt instrument and a kinder more compassionate approach may be more appropriate?
Russia Today reports:
“1 in 3 ‘Syrian’ refugees have fake IDs, German authorities admit”
Practically a third of asylum seekers coming to Europe have forged Syrian passports and IDs to make naturalization easier, the German government admits as it deploys troops to handle the refugee crisis.
Some 527,000 migrants have arrived in Germany this year. About 30 percent of these pretending to be Syrians come from different countries, Tobias Plate, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said on Friday.
The explanation is rather simple: asylum seekers from Syria are registered quicker. Official data suggest 87 percent of Syrian refugees get asylum in Germany. So the business of forged Syrian passports and IDs being sold for less than $1,000 apiece is flourishing.
The most recent EU stats estimate Syrians make up about 20 percent of refugees coming to the EU, but at some border crossings 90 percent claim to be from Syria.
The scale of the ‘phenomenon’ implies there are more than 150,000 refugees who have just entered Europe, whose true identities is a mystery to the authorities.
[…]
https://www.rt.com/news/316570-eu-false-syrian-refugees/
“18.00 news Radio Scotland …Lead story John MacDonald’s speech, no mentionof the 1700 jobs loss at Redcar during bulletin
18.00 news Radio 2…….lead Story ….Redcar
18.30 ITV news. Lead story Redcar.”
__________________
Clydebuilt, what do you expect from that unionist radio station that was only founded in 1978, prior to that it was slotted inbetween radio 4 programming.
It doesn’t represent Scotland’s views, not in my opinion anyway, and I know plenty folk who feel the same way, about it.
Along with the BBC in Scotland not BBC Scotland, they both constantly spew unionist propaganda.
Republicofscotland
And you might well have added “and it shows!”. 🙂
Having said that, Harold Wilson – an economist – more or less ran economic policy (despite not being the Chancellor) until the advent of Roy Jenkins. And not with the happiest of results.
Peter Beswick,
I wholly disagree.
Give people the facts and truth so they might make more informed and real choices in their situation and future.
What Ishmael,may i respectfully suuggest,needs more than anything now is less foggy vagueness and possible confusion.
Truth and facts enable clarity and awareness.
Our Transatlantic Friend usually replies to me within a matter of minutes.
Strange he’s taking a while to answer this question of mine:
“I take offence at many of Enoch Powell’s views, Lysias.
How about you? 🙂 “
“Having said that, Harold Wilson – an economist – more or less ran economic policy (despite not being the Chancellor) until the advent of Roy Jenkins. And not with the happiest of results.”
_______________________
Wilson also had a sense of humour, espoused by Corbyn today.
Wilson said, probably with a rye smile.
“This party is a moral crusade, or it’s nothing.”
Wry…not rye….duh,
@ Spencer-Davis & Babblebollox
I am sure Washington has some stooge in mind for the position of next President of Syria and the imposition of a Central Bank to facilitate the looting.
Their plans have been upset by Putin and they are throwing their rattle out of the pram.
Tough ordure.
Jives
I could be wrong but I dont think there is the remotest possibility the the poor soul you have targetted has anything to fear from the security services. That is his fear and you helped him by telling him that he could well be right.
Do you know much about surveilance and what kind of operation would warrent a year long commitment from a spook who spook who hasn’t goy around to debriefing his target yet.
The spook is in in deep, his face known to others, they haven’t used different people like the local council would to trap a benefit cheat suspect they have dropped a one on one in, someone with undoubtedly a legend and back story but he hasn’t revealed it yet after 12 month.
Or there is mental illness at work, confirmed by the poor soul and other pointers to make very clear to even the most stupid on here that he is not well.
And you tell him he has every need to worry based on what? Something you read or saw on telly? You didn’t help you made the situation worse.
Jives: “Truth and facts enable clarity and awareness.”
“Truth and facts”? Like telling someone that yes, it’s quite likely that some shadowy government team is following them around – following them personally, putting investigators on their tail, stopping vans outside their house all the time, filling their house with bugs – you call that “truth and facts”?
Employing some spook to frequent a boozer, just on the off-chance they can spy on the “target” – you think that’s particularly likely?
Give me a break. It’s far kinder to inform them (and I use that term advisedly) that they are worrying about nothing, that the state has no particular interest in them, and that they should see innocuous events for what they are. Those are the “truth and facts” which might actually help someone suffering from paranoia, you idiot. Not encouraging their delusions, and fueling their needless fears.
Peter Beswick,
Oh for goodness sake…WHO have i targetted Peter??
I merely pointed out the facts and truth about the extent and tactics often employed by the spooks.
This could well actually help with anyone who thinks they may be getting targetted rather than their own paranoia-which is one of the first things spooks the world over do.
They play on your paranoia,its a classic MO.
Do you not recall Craigs ‘muddy footprints in his flat’ thread from a few weeks ago??
It may be possible that my approach of rationally detailing truth and facts could even help alleviate Ishmael’s (or anyones) sense of confusion.It might even help dismiss paranoia as a possibility by focusing on reality.
If you really think im targetting him…well…ive nothing further to discuss with you.
Glenn,
But that’s Pamglossian naive nonsense.
You simply dont know why,what,who someone is/does simply because they post on a blog.
Very simplistic and naive Glenn.
^
Panglossian..
@Ishmael
“Off topic. Anyone know a good way of finding out if a house has been bugged? strange “electrical installation” van/vans turning up at very odd times. “
Ishmail get one of these bug sweepers.Cheap at the price.An alternative is to bug those who
are bugging you that is what I would do.You could get someone to build you the Dave Lawton
Four mile Microphone. They don`t like that.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/bug-sweeper-gg95d
The Gestapo was in fact quite small. (In 1939, it had 20,000 members. In contrast, the Stasi had 102,000 full-time employees to cover the far smaller territory and population of East Germany.)
It succeeded in large part because it succeeded through propaganda in persuading most Germans that it was omnipresent.
Salford Lad
You’re not on form this evening, are you.
“@ Spencer-Davis & Babblebollox
I am sure Washington has some stooge in mind for the position of next President of Syria and the imposition of a Central Bank to facilitate the looting.”
________________
May I just tell you that Syria already has a Central Bank?
It’s been around for about 60 years.
Hence your comment about Washington “imposing” a Central Bank on Syria is either factually wrong or perhaps – to be generous for once – a very clumsy use of your native language.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for the “looting” you refer to, perhaps you should ask yourself whether the family firm of Assad & Sons (Est. decades ago, Torture, Murder and Despotism our Speciality, Barrel-bombing by Special Arrangement) hasn’t been doing its own little bit of looting…..
“I take offence at many of Enoch Powell’s views, Lysias.
How about you? 🙂 ”
__________________
How about it, Lysias?
Thanks for your post about the Gestapo, however.
Jives: “You simply dont know why,what,who someone is/does simply because they post on a blog.”
Have you actually read his posts of these many long months? Good grief, WTF is wrong with you?
Putin’s speech at the UN earlier.
http://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/files/gastatements/70/70_RU_EN.pdf#page=1&zoom=auto,-40,797
Glenn ^
Yet more staggeringly naive guff.
So,because you have read someone for months on a blog you think you know the score about them??
Jeezo mate,ive got a nice bridge for sale if youre interested..?
And furthet Glenn,kindly dont distort my words.
Where exactly did i say the spooks were definitely targettiing him??
Read back..i merely pointed out with the ever increasing reach and budgets its POSSIBLE any of us could be of interest.
Habbabkuk: “That is the sort of post I would have expected from Fedup, Macky or Giyane but not from you – and therefore it disappoints.”
I’m sorry – I did forget to include chickenhawks, armchair warriors, and the like. I’m sure there’s never been a war that Anon1 etc. didn’t love, and equally sure he’d never consider serving himself in combat, nor want his family to do so. I’m also quite positive Anon1 sneers at anti-war movements, sucks up to power, likes repression and prejudice of every sort – unless it involves himself. Like all worthless cowards, he only favours conflict with vastly weaker countries too.
Tony Benn was against all of these things, which is why the Anon1’s of the world cannot see anything good in him.
Peter Beswick,
Same applies to you Peter
Kindky dont distort my words.
Nowhere have i said they were definitely targetting Ishmael,i simply pointed out these days its possible ANY of us could be of interest to the spooks.
Dave Lawton
Or leave them in place, get an unregistered phone, never switch it on in the proximity of your regular phone get as many phones ( unregistered pay as you go) as you need and post/give them to the people you want to contact, tell them the rules, never say or text anything that may identify you, make sure you are not being observed when you use the phones, alternate between differnt sims always try and use them at different locations Get an unregistered internet pay as you go dongle never use in the proximity of your regular server or phone, never use it in a computer that can reveal yours or other users identity (a clean machine). Get some encryption software. Pay cash for everthing never give your true ID. Use internet cafes and public phone. Drop paper and photographic stuff in dead letter boxes.
Or let them hear and see everything you do, not very nice I know but its a fact of life.
Spooks gotta spook. What else are they to do with their time? They have all the resources for paying high salaries the taxpayer backs with his aching back.
Same in the US with MJ eradication teams. Now that it’s legal they have to keep busy. One of the rules is that plants can’t be visible to the public. So we build barriers at our expense (chain link or whateves) cover it with shade cloth around the sides and even over the top.
Why? Choppers fly over and if the shade is not fastened, the tactic is to hover until the prop wash reveals the cache to the crew.
No problem. They are the Public. They saw it. Warrants issued. Locks cut. Plants stolen for a better use. It’s the democratic way.
Thanks jives. I’m really not that important but the points you made (though obvious) certainly did help a little…
And as for being worried? No because I am not THAT important even if they are “out to get me” Truth is I should be quite happy in some ways. The people living on the margins around the world rely on the gaps created by local dissent within empire/totalitarian states. Ie some other poor sod is not being oppressed…And that’s a good thing..