A Change of Political Climate 169


I just watched a recording of Westminster yesterday where Tory Minister Amber Rudd announced the government was rapidly dropping the subsidy for solar energy down to zero. Yet the government has just agreed to pay to the nuclear industry a subsidy that will dwarf, in real terms, all the subsidies ever given to the coal and renewable industries combined, and what is more will be paid to the Chinese and the French. I am lost for words.

Nor am I in any way pleased to be proved instantly correct, that Western governments view terrorist incidents like that in Paris primarily as a means to enhance their power and social control. The French government has immediately seized on the pretext to ban all demonstrations at the forthcoming climate change summit in Paris. Yet they have not banned gatherings of large crowds generically, for example at football matches.

Cameron’s announcement of 15% budget and staff increases for the security services was made immediately after the Paris attacks, but was plainly not something thought up in a few hours. The plans for mass surveillance had already been announced, and would have to be staffed. This kind of sickening political opportunism is the true disrespect to the innocent dead.


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169 thoughts on “A Change of Political Climate

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  • fedup

    about me, Kempe, Resident Disident, Anon1 and Alcyone,

    Roll call of tossers and suckups although missing are a few more. But given the number of the standard contributors the ratio of keyboard warriors “chaperoning this blog” seems to be on the rise!

  • lysias

    I guess, if you’re being paid by the number of comments you make, there’s no reason not to make stupid comments. Quite the contrary, in fact.

  • Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)

    Fedup

    Yup, the True Dissidents will soon be as numerous as the Eminences and Old Trolls, especially as some of the latter have retired, bloodier but wiser, from the field of battle. Even your buddies Passerby and Macky! 🙂

  • Ben-Outraged by the Cannabigots

    I understand your interest in it. Carbuncles and pimples occupy as much of your time as sebaceous cysts, pustules and boils.

    Karma is a bitch.

  • Mary

    I wonder if the trolls actually read the Business Insider article. The veneer of genteel respectability of the Tory partei is split asunder. It is shocking behaviour.

    ‘Since Johnson’s suicide, two women who were part of the RoadTrip campaign have alleged that Clarke “mentally abused” them and pressured them for sex, the Daily Mail reports.

    Business Insider UK has spoken to multiple Conservative Party members who allege it was common knowledge within the party that married Clarke used the RoadTrip project to target young women for sex.

    Baroness Pidding celebrating her elevation to the House of Lords with Mark Clarke in September photo

    In addition, the father of Elliot Johnson, Ray Johnson, wrote to Tory Party Chairman Lord Feldman earlier this week, alleging that young activists in the Tory party claim Baroness Pidding leaked to Clarke the names of RoadTrip members who complained in confidence about Clarke’s behaviour to Conservative Campaign Headquarters.

    You can read the full letter, which was published on political blog thebluegorilla, below:’

    links within
    http://uk.businessinsider.com/baroness-emma-pidding-house-of-lords-mark-clarke-bullying

    Mr Johnson is the father of the young man who committed suicide.

    His letter to Lord Feldman within:
    http://www.theblueguerilla.co.uk/2015/11/exclusive-dead-tory-activists-father.html

  • Republicofscotland

    The UN demanded that Israel comply with the international legitimacy’s resolutions on the occupied Syrian Golan, particularly the Security Council resolution no. 497 of 1981 that declared Israel’s decision to impose its laws and jurisdiction on the Golan as “null and void and without international legal effect”.

    The UN’s demand came during the General Assembly’s seventieth session held Tuesday at which the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved a draft resolution on “The occupied Syrian Golan”.

    An overwhelming majority of the delegations of state members voted in favour of the resolution, in whose preparation 35 states took part, which shows the great international support given to the issue of fully restoring Golan to the line of June 4th, 1967.

    The resolution provided that Israel immediately cancel its decision on annexing the occupied Syrian Golan and declared all the legislative and administrative measures and procedures that Israel has taken or will take to the effect of changing the features and the legal status of the Golan are “null and void”.

    These measures, the resolution said, constitute a flagrant violation of the international law and Geneva Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and have no legal effect.

    The resolution demanded that Israel desist from imposing the Israeli citizenship and Israeli identity cards on the Syrian citizens in the Golan and stop its repressive measures against its population, calling on all UN member states to not recognize any of the Israeli measures and procedures in the Golan that are in violation of the international law.

  • Mary

    From Medialens

    ‘How Israel pressures BBC into changing headlines
    Posted by The Editors on November 19, 2015, 9:26 pm

    By Amena Saleem

    In the early hours of 12 November, approximately two dozen Israeli gunmen, one disguised as a pregnant Palestinian woman, others wearing fake beards, invaded a hospital in Hebron and gunned down a 28-year-old man.

    In a rare burst of reporting on an Israeli atrocity, the BBC ran an article on its website headlined: “Israelis shoot dead Palestinian in Hebron hospital raid.”

    It was a straightforward headline which summed up the story. But later in the day, a different headline appeared above the report, reading: “Israelis in disguise raid Hebron hospital, seizing suspect.”

    As is standard practice for the BBC, the amendment was not noted at the bottom of the page, so newcomers to the story would not have known the headline had been altered.

    It was spotted, however, by the watchdog Media Lens, which posted a screengrab of the two headlines on its Facebook page, asking: “What happened? Pro-Israeli flak? Bending to pro-Israeli pressure?”

    These questions are even more pertinent in the light of a documented exchange which took place between the BBC, the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) and the Israeli embassy in London at the beginning of October about another of the broadcaster’s headlines.’

    Read more.

    https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/amena-saleem/how-israel-pressures-bbc-changing-headlines

    The screengrab of the two headlines
    https://electronicintifada.net/sites/electronicintifada.net/files/styles/original_800w/public/151119-bbc-headline.jpg?

  • Ben-Outraged by the Cannabigots

    Following the adoption of the resolution, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari said in a statement that Syria maintains its right to restore the occupied Golan fully and with all legitimate means enshrined in the UN Charter and the international law.

    He added that the UN member states’ support for the resolution sent a clear message to Israel that it is merely no more than an occupying authority and that its occupation and human rights violations are unacceptable and must end immediately.

    Thanks Ros

  • Alcyone

    Mary, can you produce a similar round-up or executive summary (using your best secretarial skills), for us on the Kingdumb of Saudi Arabia. Steno C&P allowed.

  • ------------·´`·.¸¸.¸¸.··.¸¸Node

    While so many Israel defenders are around the blog tonight, let’s remind them of what they are enabling. Here you go, guys, this one’s for you. Couldn’t happen without your help. Are any of you parents? Just think about it – you are fighting for this behaviour to continue. Are you proud of yourselves?

    An Israeli army officer who fired the entire magazine of his automatic rifle into a 13-year-old Palestinian girl and then said he would have done the same even if she had been three years old was acquitted on all charges by a military court yesterday.
    [….]
    A recording of radio exchanges between Capt R and his troops obtained by Israeli television revealed that from the beginning soldiers identified Iman as a child. In the recording, a soldier in a watchtower radioed a colleague in the army post’s operations room and describes Iman as “a little girl” who was “scared to death”. After soldiers first opened fire, she dropped her schoolbag which was then hit by several bullets establishing that it did not contain explosive. At that point she was no longer carrying the bag and, the tape revealed, was heading away from the army post when she was shot.
    [….]
    Capt R claimed that he had not fired the shots at the girl but near her. However, Dr Mohammed al-Hams, who inspected the child’s body at Rafah hospital, counted numerous wounds. “She has at least 17 bullets in several parts of the body, all along the chest, hands, arms, legs,” he told the Guardian shortly afterwards. “The bullets were large and shot from a close distance. The most serious injuries were to her head. She had three bullets in the head. One bullet was shot from the right side of the face beside the ear. It had a big impact on the whole face.”
    [….]
    After the verdict, Iman’s father, Samir al-Hams, said the army never intended to hold the soldier accountable. “They did not charge him with Iman’s murder, only with small offences, and now they say he is innocent of those even though he shot my daughter so many times,” he said. “This was the cold-blooded murder of a girl. The soldier murdered her once and the court has murdered her again. What is the message? They are telling their soldiers to kill Palestinian children.”

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/nov/16/israel2

  • Mary

    From the report on the collapse of HBOS.

    ‘Mr Green said the FSA was “misguided” when it took the decision not to take action against Andy Hornby, HBOS chief executive from 2006 to 2009.

    Mr Hornby is currently the chief operating officer at betting firm Gala Coral. Following publication of the report, Gala Coral said Mr Hornby had been a key member of management for five years.

    “During this time he has played a central role in the transformation of the business and has earned the continuing support of our colleagues, management and shareholders,” it said.

    Lord Stevenson is one former HBOS board member who regulators should consider banning, the report said Image

    Other former HBOS executives in the frame include Lord Stevenson, who is a non-executive director at the bookshop Waterstones, and Mike Ellis, the former group finance director at HBOS and now chairman of the Skipton Building Society.

    Lindsay Mackay, the head of HBOS’s Treasury division from 2004, could also be banned. He is currently a director of Alpha Bank.

    James Crosby, HBOS chief executive from 2001 to 2006, has retired. He gave up his knighthood in 2009, and surrendered part of his pension.

    Eight former non-executive directors of HBOS – who were criticised in the report – said they disagreed with its findings.

    The eight, including Lord Stevenson and Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone, said the report had downplayed the “unforeseeable” effects of the financial crisis.

    “The report does not contain evidence that would justify any further enforcement action against executives,” they said in a joint statement.’

    HBOS report: 10 executives could face ban
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34858996

    Just history now. Mostly down to Gordon Brown.

    HBOS: Another debacle that will cost the taxpayer billions http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4624558/HBOS-Another-debacle-that-will-cost-the-taxpayer-billions.html

  • Alcyone

    Excellent guess Rosy.

    An element and ring of truth resonates evn better within humour.

    Don’t subjugate yourself by comparing your wit to Habby’s, at any level on any subject, at any time.

    Let the day go…

  • Alcyone

    Good sign, Rosy, you’re feeling protective of Mary. Are you going to pick up your courage and send her a message?

    Btw, I’m busy worshipping Tesco’s pistachio gelato, a taste too refined for a pedestrian like you.

  • Republicofscotland

    Oh far be be it for me to cross swords with a disciple of the “world leader”

    But lets see does Krishnamurti have sense of humour.

    Here are some of his sagacious words, forgive me if I don’t buy the book, just yet.

    It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

    If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem.

    Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.

    Hmm, not many laughs their then, but then again maybe Krishnamurti’s books are comical, lets see shall we.

    Freedom from the Known, nope it doesn’t sound funny, lets try again, The Ending of Time, hmmmm…very depressing indeed, one last go, On love and Lonliness, errm I think not.

    What I did notice however, is that Krishnamurti’s written more books than Barbara Cartland, by the looks of things, no mean feat I might add, but I hear that Cartland’s are more interesting.

  • Alcyone

    Excellent Rosy! I am very glad you have the Krishnamurti bee in your bonnet!! Now I’ll let you have a scoop of my Pistachio gelato. 😉

  • Ben-Outraged by the Cannabigots

    “but I hear that Cartland’s are more interesting.”

    Don’t shoot the messenger, itc Krishnamurti. He can’t address every putative adept who gets him wrong. It’s like fundamental christians who misinterpret the Nazarene to an egregious degree. He himself points out that hypocrisy is humanity’s biggest boil on the ass. He also says those persons have their reward in this life, and shouldn’t expect more.

  • necro-nonce nation

    Nice work by Corbyn, invoking universal-jurisdiction law. Now if he really wants to see elite panic, he’ll remind us of Britain’s accession to the Rome Statute. The US can protect Britain from the ICC Prosecutor at great cost of its world standing but the real threat is complementarity, the UK’s obligation to prosecute or extradite.

  • Ben-Outraged by the Cannabigots

    “You’re the one scooping your pistachio gelato, didn’t your mother tell you you’ll go blind if you keep doing that.”

    Ouch.

  • nevermind

    yes fed up, I second your point, this bilge is regular, happens every month, roughly.
    Some single cell amoeba gets all exited and huffs and puffs, resulting in hot flushes and irrational outbursts.

  • BrianFujisan

    MARY

    you bear a couple bits of sad, “alarming” news –

    “Cracks in bricks at core of Hunterston nuclear reactor” OMG It’s on My River.

    Nevermind Too @ 1;50

    “It is sad that Ms Sturgeon is even entertaining the idea of ‘bombing those who are left in Syria, Mary, agreed.”

    Salford Lad too @ 1;30 –

    Strange that Nicola Sturgeon should be influenced by the warmongering hysteria induced by the MSM in reaction to the Paris atrocities. Only Jeremy Corbyn alone has kept a cool head despite pressure from even his own MP’S.
    Beat the drum and whisle the Fife and we all march off to war. The return is a rag tag and bobtail of shattered lives and limbs.

    Well said All, i sincerely hope SNP are jesting about this
    or i shall be at the ensuing protests..WTF are they playing at

    Then on the Happier Side

    Salford Lad Again @ 1;30

    “Scotland yesterday was the recipient of Syrian refugees,flown in from abroad.”

    We Warmly welcome them – To My River – Rothesay on the isle of Bute, River Clyde

  • lysias

    But this kind of thing really does turn people away, and discourages those who might have something valuable to contribute.

    That being, of course, the point.

  • Bert

    Dear Craig,

    have you never heard of a ‘false flag’?

    Some of us where suspicious from the outset. How convenient for Teresa May’s snooper’s charter. Of course they will use it to expand their power and control over us. As Noam Chomsky pointed out: “Remember, any state, /any/ state, has a primary enemy: its own population.”

    We are the enemy because we can down them creeps at any time; all it takes is one wrong push and we will explode in miserable their faces.

    Bert.

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