I am an unrepentant enthusiast for the European Union, indeed a European Federalist. I think the freedoms of movement of people and goods within the EU are the most profound political achievement of my lifetime, and have made the world a very much better place.
I am therefore flabbergasted by the group of unpleasant elitist bastards who apparently will lead the pro-EU campaign for the referendum. How could anybody wishing to win a vote believe that a Board including Peter Mandelson and Danny Alexander is going to help? While the appointment of Lord Rose seems to confirm belief in the “Michelle Mone theory”, that selling knickers grants universal expertise.
Most egregious of all, the Executive Director is Will Straw, whose main qualification is that his father is a war criminal. Founder of the rabid anti-Corbyn website Left Foot Forward and every bit as Atlanticist as Liam Fox, Will Straw is as insanely pro-United States hegemony and as ultra-Zionist as only an extreme Blairite can be. He really is a deeply unappealing figure.
I have no doubt they will be flooded with corporate money. But what I want to know is this. If this referendum is supposed to be a democratic exercise, where every citizen is equal, what grants this self-serving sample of the metropolitan elite the right to nominate themselves as the In campaign? I don’t see how any decent person can have anything to do with them. Having had a lot of respect for Caroline Lucas, I must say if she really is going to work alongside Will Straw then my respect for her is going to plummet.
Child Killed and His Cousin Seriously Wounded Amidst Settlers’ Cry “Die” and “David Red Star” Ambulance Deliberate Delay
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
https://shar.es/1utIfm
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Their funders
http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3030&Itemid=178
Free movement of the rich flitting from one second or third home, ‘in the sun’ with VIP airport and customs handling, to another, is a great boon, EU bureaucrats and Polly Toynbee love it. Who doesn’t look with favour of the prospect of upping sticks and going to live in a strange place, where a unknown language is spoken, severing links with family and friends, giving up that sense of belonging and home. Migration -may they make it compulsory. Don’t look on at cattle class economic migrants forced to roam, now you can and may well have to, join them.
These ‘benefits’ of the EU are simply hypothetical sloganeering they do not register with most people as such, if they’re even aware of them. Was it really was such another world before the EU, in which people couldn’t apparently leave the country, any country, at all under any circumstances, or travel abroad for work, pleasure or study? How grim, it’s almost like eastern Europe, checkpoints, marching troops, slavering dogs in the snow. Kafka’s Das Schloss, and that was just going out for some milk and fags. You’d think there would have been a greater stink instead of all that hippy hippy shake and hey hey we’re The Beatles. What enlightened, emancipated times we live in. Join the EEC and see the world.
As far as employment rights, are there many large, medium or small UK employers who do not compel workers to sign an opt-out of the 48-hour max working week as a condition of employment in the first place? It seems the rule rather than just exceptions.
I’m sure too there are many cases where EU product or safety standards are lower than previous BS ones.
An elitist project offering nothing, taking much, from the mass of the people.
BREAKING NEWS: RobG to sacrifice wine for rest of year, and help the UK economy, by buying T-shirts for his friends.
Read more:
Nye Bevan “Vermin” Quote T-Shirt: An abridged quote of Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, given during a speech at the Bellvue Hotel on 3 July 1948, two days before the National Health Service came into being at Park Hospital in Manchester. The full quote: “That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin. They condemned millions of first-class people to semi-starvation. Now the Tories are pouring out money in propaganda of all sorts and are hoping by this organised sustained mass suggestion to eradicate from our minds all memory of what we went through. But, I warn you young men and women, do not listen to what they are saying now. Do not listen to the seductions of Lord Woolton. He is a very good salesman. If you are selling shoddy stuff you have to be a good salesman. But I warn you they have not changed, or if they have they are slightly worse than they were.
http://entertainment.guardianoffers.co.uk/i-dd-rm001189-xac/nye-bevan-vermin-quote/?utm_source=merchandising&utm_medium=labour&utm_campaign=nye%20bevan%20vermin
Having moved on from the jeering at Jeremy, the corporate media are now lining up to have a go at John McDonnell. I have just heard ‘Tomorrow he faces George Osborne for the first time. That will be a severe test for him.’ LOL
An example.
http://news.sky.com/story/1568434/shadow-chancellor-defends-economic-u-turn
Lysias, I could be wrong, but i’m unsure whether Assange has access to the roof at all, without stepping out of the flat’s front door. I know for sure there is a small balcony, deemed unsafe due to various death threats he has received.
Anyone up to date with the diplomatic negotiations behind the scenes?
I expect Craig is, though he may not be at liberty to discuss this openly.
I reckon Assange will in fact appear at the Cambridge event as there seems to be a certain momentum. I do hope he will have a haircut before that though. More than his hair growth, I am interested in his personal growth during the period. I would encourage him to write about this but guess the time is not right as he is bound to be misinterpreted, even quoted out of context. What a life.
The disbanding of the uniformed police is a complete red herring.
“The latter wouldn’t surprise me in the least. I’d be worried were I Assange.”
H, Assange doesn’t need any more paranoia, surely.
Anyway, I seriously doubt the possibility of his abduction — it would cause a massive international diplomatic stir of humongous proportions.
About the GBP 5.9m aborted deal with Saudi Arabia, they must pay more than that for there monthly prostitution bill and certainly for their Scotch Whiskey bill!
Bevin 3;28 –
” In fact the Ukrainian crisis is a very good example of the EU’s corruption. ”
Good point, reminds me of Nuland, and the U.S $5 bn..And, her Don’t Give a Damn about the E.U, Such as her being caught mouthing off with expletives about the EU’s irrelevance on the phone
Long live the European Song contest..it beats everything EVEN DTRH. LOl’s
“In the meantime perhaps you can tell us what possible motives the Donbas people or anyone siding with them would have for shooting down this airliner?”
Certainly. They thought they were shooting down a Ukrainian transport plane, they announced on twitter that they had shot down an AN-26 then deleted it when it emerged they had shot down a Malaysian civil airliner.
C. Gordon Tether silenced.
http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/28th-december-1974/4/sir-the-phasing-out-of-c-gordon-tether-by
All publishing houses were warned not to publish his booklet “Great Common Market Fraud.”
There was a limited edition published by the Underground press.You would think it was France
during WW2 not 1979
There’s been another major ‘nuclear event’ in the USA, the third one this year.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/08/world/st-louis-girds-catastrophic-event-underground-fire-burning-since-10-get-near-cold-war-nuke-waste-cache
(Ironic that a Japanese news agency is covering it)
I know I get criticised for linking to Veterans Today, which is mostly a conspiracy theory site, but these radiation readings are accurate…
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/10/03/your-radiation-this-week-no-24/
North America is being fried, both from Fukushima and America’s lunatic pursuit of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy.
And the sickest/darkest thing about all this is that cancer treatments are now a multi-billion dollar industry.
Beam me up, Scotty…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZaYEniPaJg
Coup after coup it has become a never ending addiction.
John Pilger on the American Empire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPExU_VixfQ&feature=youtu.be
The Stupidest Post by a Troll.
We now have a winner:
“Given the size of the population of the State of Israel compared to the populations of the Arab “states”* surrounding it, it could be argued that that ratio is distinctly to the disadvantage of the State of Israel.”
(For those who missed the occasion of this drivel from the Dead Sea: it had been pointed out that Palestinian casualties, caused by settler lynch mobs and Israeli policemen, far exceed the number of Israelis attacked by angry Palestinians. And the above was the clever response.)
http://angryarab.blogspot.ca/2015/10/these-are-names-and-ages-of.html
“They thought they were shooting down a Ukrainian transport plane, they announced on twitter that they had shot down an AN-26 then deleted it when it emerged they had shot down a Malaysian civil airliner…”
And the Air Traffic Control tapes confirm this, Fred, do they? And the US satellite monitoring? Or do we just have alleged tweets, instantaneously deleted, to go by.
I hope that you are sitting down Fred, because this may shock you but you have to be told: governments lie, the US government lies like hell and fascist coup governments don’t even consider telling the truth.
Israelis have killed 25 Palestinians in two weeks
“The latest death brings the total number of Palestinians killed to 25 since the beginning of October. On Sunday, Israeli forces shot dead a 13-year-old boy during clashes south of al-Bireh in Ramallah district, medics said. The child, identified as 13-year-old Ahmad Sharaka, was shot in the neck with a live round, medics said.He was also the third 13-year-old to be shot dead by Israeli forces in the same time period.”
Israeli mob violence against Palestinians
“Israeli society is already a heavily armed society. In 2013 about 160,000 permits were issued for private citizens to carry firearms, and 130,000 for organisations.” “Indeed, on 9 October, a mob of right-wing Israelis formed to hunt Arabs in the streets of Jerusalem and beat them to death. They planned their route to areas where Arab cleaning crews would be employed in order to assault them, and asked passers-by for the time, looking for people who answer with an Arab accent. The police was unable or unwilling to cope with the dimensions the mob.” “This mob mentality is not new. Mass arming of the population and mobilisation against the common Arab “enemy” have been commonplace and were among the tools which were used to take over territory, to win wars and build a stable (albeit unequal) political regime.”
130 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the last week
“In fact, there have been more than 130 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the last week, according to the PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department.”
Posted by As’ad AbuKhalil
Selling off the family silver, cont’d
Were Joe and Josephine Bloggs offered participation of the final sell off? No.
Royal Mail: Final stake sale raises £591m
13 October 2015
The government says it has raised £591.1m from selling its final stake in Royal Mail at 455p a share.
The money was raised from selling a 13% stake in the business, while a 1% stake was awarded to Royal Mail workers.
The sale means the government has received a total of £3.3bn from the Royal Mail privatisation.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34514024
At least Thatcher included ‘Sid’ in her days.
Here collections of post have been much reduced, deliveries, including all the junk mail, get later and later and there is a new postman almost daily. Unlike the postmen of yore who we knew by name and with whom we became friends, the young ones who come do not communicate as they all seem to be using earphones and now come in brand new vans rather than walking the round.
The cost of posting even a small parcel is unbelievable. A letter 1st class is now 63p (12s 8d pre-decimal if you remember 🙂 )
Universal delivery will probably be abandoned and even the postal service will disappear in the end.
A member of the self appointed elite for sure.
Alex Deane, a smooth operator, seen regularly on Sky News.
His Linked In entry going right back to Cambridge Union Days>Cameron>John Howard>Webber Shandwick>City of London>FTI
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ajcdeane
‘About
FTI Consulting is a global business advisory firm that provides multidisciplinary solutions to complex challenges and opportunities. With the full power of our unique depth of thought combined with the global expertise of leading professionals, we are committed to protecting and enhancing the enterprise value of our clients. Learn more about our global capabilities, experienced leadership, and expertise.’
His CV on that site
Alex Deane
Managing Director
Expertise
Media & Presentation Training
Media Relations
Public Affairs
Corporate Communications
Alex Deane is a Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting and is based in London. He is part of the Public Affairs practice, and its Corporate Communications practice in EMEA.
Mr. Deane has more than 10 years’ experience in advocacy and has worked with numerous high profile individuals and companies in a senior advisory capacity. He joined FTI Consulting in 2014, and works with professionals from across the firm, advising clients from the Healthcare, IT and Communications, Engineering, Energy, Chemical and Financial Services sectors. Prior to joining FTI Consulting he served as Head of Public Affairs at another leading multinational agency.
A Cambridge graduate, Mr. Deane practiced as a barrister for several years. He served as the founding Director of Big Brother watch and often appears in the media as a political commentator; he is a Sky News regular and a BBC Dateline London panellist.
An active member of the Conservative party since 1995, Mr. Deane served as Chief of Staff to David Cameron and Tim Collins during their respective periods as Shadow Secretaries of State for Education in opposition. In 2007, he was asked to serve as an adviser to the Liberal Party’s campaign for re-election at the federal polls under John Howard.
Mr. Deane is an elected Common Councilman in the City of London, the famous “Square Mile”, home of Britain’s financial centre, serving on the main decision-making body, the Policy and Resources Committee.’
Nuff said.
His latest appearance on Sky News.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1444773553.html
FTI. American of course. Cornered the market? Revenue. $1.76billion. A Davos attendee.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTI_Consulting
De Gaulle said ‘NO’ and vetoed the UK membership. De Gaulle/France was anti-American.
Alcyone
” Assange doesn’t need any more paranoia, surely.
Anyway, I seriously doubt the possibility of his abduction”
__________________
Don’t worry, that’s just our Transatlantic conspiraloon chirruping away from the sidelines again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: in writing the above I declare myself fully aware that the T.c. will probably regale us with an anecdote about a CIA/Mossad/MI6 abduction as soon as he checks in later today 🙂
Bevin
“The Stupidest Post by a Troll.
We now have a winner:
“Given the size of the population of the State of Israel compared to the populations of the Arab “states”* surrounding it, it could be argued that that ratio is distinctly to the disadvantage of the State of Israel.”
(For those who missed the occasion of this drivel from the Dead Sea: it had been pointed out that Palestinian casualties, caused by settler lynch mobs and Israeli policemen, far exceed the number of Israelis attacked by angry Palestinians. And the above was the clever response.)”
_______________________
Well, Bevin, you are within your rights to consider that post “stupid” but it would be helpful if you told us why. I note that you have not contested the underlying idea based on population sizes.
Osbourne got his hands on the £30Billion Royal Mail Pension fund, which then went on to the Debt as a liability. Live now pay later. Osbourne associate’s made £Millions from the RBS sell off. His best man and brother in law bankers. His father in law is a consultant making £Millions from HS2. A subsidised ‘white elephant’ with no business case. Not enough (subsidised) customers. It will make journeys throughout Britain longer. Cost £70Billiion of borrowed money. It will put more people on the roads (cheaper) in the congested south, and more people taking flights (dearer) in the North.
HS2 and Nuclear power station just a Westminster and associate’s gravy train which will be over budget and over time. There are much cheaper safer alternatives.
“Ken2” (is there a “Ken1” on here? Lord deliver us….):
“De Gaulle said ‘NO’ and vetoed the UK membership. De Gaulle/France was anti-American.”
_____________________
Firstly, thank you for keeping your post focussed and not cluttering it up with half a dozen unrelated subjects as you usually do.
Secondly, De Gaulle was so anti-American that he stood firmly behind the US during the Cuban missile crisis.
There are few older postman because they can’t keep up the pace. The walks were extended with privatisation, started later and there is a day off. Terms and conditions changed.
Mary
“A letter 1st class is now 63p (12s 8d pre-decimal if you remember 🙂 )”
________________________
Yup, Mary, that’s what happens when you get older – everything was so CHEAP then! and of course the summers were always so sunny!! 🙂
Just for the record, the UK letter rate is not out of line with that of most Western European countries and the letter delivery service (including Saturday deliveries) is much better than in some of them.
De Gaulle also stood with the US against the Suez Crisis.
Britain/France/US have caused the crisis and devastation in the Middle East with the irrational support of apartheid Israel and Oil. 7Million European immigrants in ‘Israel’ 7Million Syrian refugees. Exchange. Britain/France/US give them but they don’t want them back.
“I hope that you are sitting down Fred, because this may shock you but you have to be told: governments lie, the US government lies like hell and fascist coup governments don’t even consider telling the truth.”
______________________
And only “Bevin” and a few select like-minded people can discern the truth, of course.
“Ken2”
“De Gaulle also stood with the US against the Suez Crisis.”
______________________
Are you on medication, Ken?
De Gaulle had no political standing at the time of Suez.
Torture made some self-appointed elite individuals in USA very rich ~ £52+Million, but now they are being sued by survivors.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/10/13/psychologists-sued-after-afghan-detainees-death-accused-of-experimental-torture.html
. . .it all stemmed from an AQ document, captured by UK police in 2001. . .
Back on topic, on the EU, I’m entirely neutral. . . but some context is missing from the debate. . .
On the whole you could give the EU the classic Douglas Adams analysis of “mostly harmless” – considering that much of the ‘effects’ of the EU that you read about in the DailyWail are from the entire institutional trilogue, with the Conseil and the Parliament especially guilty for occasional wacky positions. This doesn’t get enough mention.
The Member States don’t always see eye-to-eye with COM, as COM isn’t as highly and simply focussed on winning the next election in their state as they are, but (surprisingly, still) on long term careful balanced multi-annual planning (very Soviet!) with admittedly a corporate input, but with some treaties remaining to uphold, a bit.
As for “UK leaving”, well that’s entirely a choice for the citizens to make but everyone seems to be forgetting the very strong US influence on kick-starting the EU institutions.
I guess the EU is not so much a ‘self-appointed elite’ but another US ‘democracy’ outreach project. Similar to how UK Journalism/Politics has been ‘nobbled’ by US bridge projects/Fulbright et al. fostering closer alignment between America and their agents. The EU WAS an American project. . .
These fertile US National Endowment for Democracy type plan at the beginning to strengthen of democratic institutions around the world got off to a great start, investing and co-opting the elite & royals of Belgium, NL etc who coincidentally started Bilderberging and the very deep state GLADIO pillar that was built all at about the same time. The War was Cold. The US planning was impressive, still not all unravelled by historians. This similarly doesn’t get enough mention or analysis.
I don’t quite see how the UK would corporately be allowed to leave?
After all – the seed for the ENTIRETY of the modern catch-it-all ‘eavesdropping’ was inserted into COM debate initially by the UK delegation quietly into an afternoon session of the dull Agriculture & Fisheries Committee of the Conseil, allegedly. Now look at the billions of cross-pond work-items that that has led to! Surely the UK wishes to perpetually pee inside the tent?
Churchill was an alcoholic, McMillan had mental health ssues, Wilson resigned rather suddenly, Healey was an admitted compulsive liar. The ‘winter of discontent’, Thatcher was deranged over 3 million unemployed and interest rates at 15% Blair/Brown are war criminals. Osbourne/Cameron sanction and kill the vulnerable.