The Dysfunctional United Kingdom 2388


Recently an Angus mother of three infant children was separated from them and jailed for ten months for over-claiming £10,000 per year in benefits. Meanwhile the Duke of Westminster evades £3.6 billion in inheritance tax through a transparently fraudulent use of trusts which “have the option” to give the money to someone else instead.

The United Kingdom is a socially backward and sometimes vicious polity, an island which prides itself on the state enforced conservatism which allowed it to evade intellectually motivated reform and retain a historical legacy of gross injustice and privilege.

For historical reasons land reform is an immensely popular cause in Scotland, and one of so many areas where SNP timidity is a deep, deep disappointment. The fact that they are covered in buildings does not make the vast London estates of the Grosvenors any more acceptable than the unnecessarily empty Highland estates where golden eagles are destroyed so the chinless wonders, hedge fund managers and sheikhs can blast away at tame grouse.

The late Duke of Westminster is characterised as a “philanthropist” by mainstream media even though the percentage of both his income and his wealth he gave to charity was less than most ordinary people’s mite, myself included, and I am willing to bet that what he did do, was tax-deductible. That a parasite who sat on £9 billion of unearned money in a country where disabled people commit suicide from poverty, and who got two O levels from Harrow, was Prince Charles’ closest friend, cuts through the lying propaganda about the Royal family we are constantly fed.

The political class have a deliberate will not to enforce inheritance tax on the super wealthy. They have a political will not to tackle landlordism, which as it affects both residential and commercial tenants is a fundamental malaise of the British economy. Neither problem is technically difficult. The problem is that the political class as a whole are in the pockets of the super-wealthy, promote their interests and ache to join them.

Which is why in the UK it is important that the threat to them posed by Corbyn is maintained, and why in Scotland it is essential that the SNP membership now push their own leadership into bold action on fundamental land reform and Independence. To call the current SNP approach to both issues desultory would be excessively polite.

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2,388 thoughts on “The Dysfunctional United Kingdom

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  • michael norton

    Dangerous Dogs Act has never worked – Andrew Rosindell MP
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37141437
    The Dangerous Dogs Act has “never really worked” because it only deals with certain breeds, a Tory MP has said as he called for a review of the law.

    Andrew Rosindell, a Staffordshire bull terrier owner, said resources should be used to deal with any dangerous dogs, not just the four banned breeds.

    His call follows the death on Thursday of three-year-old Dexter Neal, who was mauled by an American bulldog in Essex.

    His uncle Ashley Coe wrote on Facebook of the “absolutely devastating loss”.

    Describing Dexter as his “darling nephew”, he wrote in his post: “I can’t even begin to describe the state we are all in.”

    Very, very sad.

  • michael norton

    Two persons killed by dogs in one week in the United Kingdom.

    In 2014,
    sentencing guidelines in England and Wales were changed to raise the maximum jail sentence for a fatal dog attack from two years to 14.

    How many get 14 years – not one I’ll bet.

    It is long past time to call for restrictions on dog ownership.
    In the parks near me , women walk with ten or more dogs at a time, how can they possibly control that number if something kicks off.

    • Habbabkuk

      “In 2014,
      sentencing guidelines in England and Wales were changed to raise the maximum jail sentence for a fatal dog attack from two years to 14.

      How many get 14 years – not one I’ll bet.”
      _______________________

      You would probably win that bet – for the simple reason that, as you yourself note, 14 years is a maximum sentence. Maximum sentences and maximum fines for that matter are rarely imposed for first offences whether one is talking about murder or the non-payment of the TV licence fee (to take examples from the ends of the spectrum).

  • michael norton

    U.K. not so dysfunctional – low inflation – low number of jobless – less public debt

    The United Kingdom’s borrowing hits lowest level since 2008 as BREXIT BOOM continues
    BRITAIN’S public borrowing has fallen to its lowest level since 2008, in yet another blow to predictions the economy would be hit by a vote to leave the European Empire (EU).
    http://www.express.co.uk/finance/city/701891/UK-borrowing-hits-lowest-level-since-2008-as-Brexit-boom-continues

    The public finances were in surplus by around £1billion last month, after being in the red by around £7.8bn in June, official figures revealed today.

    Public sector borrowing is now at £23.7bn for financial year-to-date, down £3bn down from the same period last year and the lowest since 2008,the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed.

    • Habbabkuk

      I must admit that you are doing a good job of exploding that foolish generalisation that the UK is “dysfunctional”.

      As every state, the UK does some things badly, could do some other things better and does a lot of things rather well.

      • Alan

        “As every state, the UK does some things badly, could do some other things better and does a lot of things rather well.”

        Yes, look, GCHQ have once again saved us from a terrorist attack that nobody but them knew was going to happen:

        http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/702150/UK-GCHQ-hackers-spies-Islamic-State-ISIS-terror-attack-snooping-emails-phones

        We should be glad that they intercept all our email and texts. Forget that crap about your home being your castle.

      • michael norton

        We do seem to be quite good at building aircraft carriers
        but why did we ditch the harrier jump-jets?

        • Je

          The aircraft carrier saga is a tale of utter incompetence and waste. And we haven’t seen the build quality yet. If its anything like HMS Astute…

          Selling the Harriers to the US for almost nothing was part of that incompetence.

          • Republicofscotland

            Je.

            Not forgetting the scraping of our eyes in the sky the Nimrods.

            But hey Westminster is about to spending billions on renewing Trident, a panacea, to cure all the ails of the dis-United Kingdom.

      • Republicofscotland

        Habb.

        I didn’t realise how gullible you are, agreeing with Michael, who links to the Express newspaper.

        The dis-United Kingdom could be literally sinking, and the Express I hesitate to use the word newspaper, would put out a story along the lines of Great Britain the first country to become a submersible, another great achievement. ?

        • Habbabkuk

          Well, if the UK was “literally” sinking that would imply the landmass was going down by “x” centimetres a year.

          Now, for all I know, it may be the case but I would suggest you should not worry too much about it.

          If, however, you are using “could be sinking” in a metaphorical sense then I would suggest that it *could indeed be sinking but that, on the other hand, it could equally well not be sinking at all.

          Beta minus.

          • Republicofscotland

            Habb.

            Eight lines of incoherent drivel, and not one mention of the Express rag, my god man, I never thought you’d be a defender of such a poor excuse for a newspaper.

            Have you been at the prosecco again?

  • michael norton

    Hinkley Point C

    Chinese media labels Britain ‘China-phobic’ over stalled Hinkley Point C nuclear fiasco
    https://www.rt.com/uk/356461-china-hinkley-nuclear-deal/

    Beijing says Britain’s concerns over Chinese involvement in the Hinkley Point nuclear project are “China-phobic.” It said the UK would be “foolish” to turn its back on relations between the two countries, news agency Xinhua claims.

    If I was Boiris I tell them “China we no longer want your involvement in our strategic infrastructure”
    Particularly as it is so cheap to borrow money, why would we even need chinese money?

  • Anon1

    Just been looking at the medal tables. Azerbaijan has 6.5 times as many medals as the entire Indian subcontinent of 1.75 billion people (almost a quarter of the worlds population) combined, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

      • Anon1

        I was going to say that these nations should be pushing for cricket to be included in the Olympics.

        Mountaineering sounds like a good one. An all-nation assault on K2 with Gold for the first to reach the summit. Should be exciting.

        • Anon1

          The arabs might win a medal if falconry were included. If the trainer and the animal can effectively win gold in Equestrian then there’s no excuse not to include falconry. It should be an Olympic sport and might hone their skills away from slaughtering bustards in Pakistan.

  • michael norton

    BREXIT – Project Fear

    Brexit Armageddon was a terrifying vision – but it simply hasn’t happened

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/20/brexit-eu-referendum-economy-project-fear

    Unemployment would rocket. Tumbleweed would billow through deserted high streets. Share prices would crash. The government would struggle to find buyers for UK bonds. Financial markets would be in meltdown. Britain would be plunged instantly into another deep recession.
    Remember all that? It was hard to avoid the doom and gloom, not just in the weeks leading up to the referendum, but in those immediately after it. Many of those who voted remain comforted themselves with the certain knowledge that those who had voted for Brexit would suffer a bad case of buyer’s remorse.
    It hasn’t worked out that way. The 1.4% jump in retail sales in July showed that consumers have not stopped spending, and seem to be more influenced by the weather than they are by fear of the consequences of what happened on 23 June. Retailers are licking their lips in anticipation of an Olympics feelgood factor. The financial markets are serene. Share prices are close to a record high, and fears that companies would find it difficult and expensive to borrow have proved wide of the mark. Far from dumping UK government gilts, pension funds and insurance companies have been keen to hold on to them.

    So when are the bad-times going to kick in R.O.S. ?

    • Anon1 - WE did NOT let YOU doon

      Emergency budgets and house price crashes. Wasn’t the state pension supposed to disappear? And WTF happened to WW3?

      All transparent bullshit, seen off by the good people of the UK (excepting Scotland and places like Quislington). Scotland has particular form in falling for this bullshit.

      • nevermind

        calm down dear, relax, everything in good time, soon the pop tart victim, well its not mental health, is it? will be in charge of the US and everyone is betting their last dusty dirty bombed sheets on her doing the decent thing and bomb some more refugees into Europe.

        patience your arse, Anon, it might never happen.

        • Anon1

          I recall before the Brexit vote you were so confident of a Remain victory that you were bragging about Frau Merkel’s EU “punishing” Britain by “forcing” it to accept more so-called refugees.

          Unlucky, old pal. You lost and we’re moving on from your failing experiment to pastures new, while you can go down with France, Greece and the rest of the sinking ship. Ta-da! 😀

          • Republicofscotland

            You’ve just slammed the door shut, on a consumer market that has in excess of 500 million customers, wow, now that’s great business acumen. And for what reason? Because the Tories don’t like to be told what EU laws need to be added? That’s part of the regulations to be allowed access to millions of customers.

            Still there’s an silver linning on every cloud as they say, if Scotland votes for independence, and remains in the EU, there is the possibility of capital and jobs moving North, as Scotland would be the nearest English speaking nation to the EU. I’m sure I’ve read articles that some firms are registering in the Republic of Ireland, now as a precaution.

          • Anon1

            “Still there’s an silver linning on every cloud as they say, if Scotland votes for independence, and remains in the EU, there is the possibility of capital and jobs moving North, as Scotland would be the nearest English speaking nation to the EU”

            LOL. A lot of “ifs” there. Keep dreaming about your independence in the EU. Lol, rofl, etc.

          • Habbabkuk

            Ros

            “You’ve just slammed the door shut, on a consumer market that has in excess of 500 million ”

            ______________________

            Oh, so you know the outcome of the exit negotiations already, do you?

            Please share your clairvoyance, do!

          • Republicofscotland

            Habb.

            Well it’s certainly not going remain as the status quo, is it?

            No, I think not.

          • Anon1

            “You’ve just slammed the door shut, on a consumer market that has in excess of 500 million customers”

            Pure Remainiac bullshit.

          • Alan

            RoS says “Still there’s an silver linning on every cloud as they say, if Scotland votes for independence, and remains in the EU, there is the possibility of capital and jobs moving North, as Scotland would be the nearest English speaking nation to the EU. I’m sure I’ve read articles that some firms are registering in the Republic of Ireland, now as a precaution.”

            As you say the Republic of Ireland is the nearest English speaking nation to the EU. What makes you think the Irish will allow Scotland to take that away from them?

      • michael norton

        Chicken Boy George has threatened the pensioners with a punishment beating if they dared to go against him and vote for BREXIT.
        That shameless clown should be dragged before Parliament to beg for mercy for the ghastly lies he espoused
        and the terrible threats of impending doom, how can a chancellor talk down his own country, surely that is treason?

        • michael norton

          Brexit pushes Opel to cut staff hours in Germany
          German carmaker Opel plans to cut its workers’ hours this year because it expects Brexit to hurt its UK sales.

          A spokesman for Opel said about 5,000 workers at its Ruesselsheim and Eisenach factories would be affected. Opel is owned by US car giant GM.

          The pound has weakened against the dollar and euro since the UK’s 23 June vote to leave the EU, adding costs for firms exporting to the UK.

          The UK is the biggest market for Opel’s Insignia and Corsa models.

          The Opel cars are sold under the Vauxhall brand in the UK.

          The spokesman did not specify how many fewer hours Opel staff in Germany would have to work.

          In late May the pound sterling was worth $1.46 and €1.3, but now it is worth $1.3 and €1.15.

          http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37133037

          I think Germany is going to miss us.

        • Anon1

          Agreed. And Carney as well, the shameless little git.

          Its not so long ago these people paid the ultimate price for their treacherous behaviour. It might seem extreme to us in this day and age but you can now see why.

    • nevermind

      i@m still in and my neighbour has an Irish grand dad, so he is in. Article 50 willnot be triggered because Mrs. May might overlook the principal support needed by a vote in Parliament which will not happen soon as it is too embarrassing to see 100 Tory MP’s vote against Brexit.

      So fear not Michael many more bragging points to be made soon, but you are still in the EU, so relax, free movement for you and everyone else in Europe is guaranteed. Who knows Nissan and Vodaphone might even decide to stay if the UK pays their due debts of 29 billion and is prepared to pay for their access to the single market.
      That must be a welcoming thought for you and on the issue close to your heart, dogs, they are still quarantined for rabies, so there two positive things to feel good about this weekend.
      So ten lashes to every dog owner with his canine off the lead, or a £1000 fine. what do you say?

      rejoice Michael, don’t worry about the pound or pension funds or immigration, we need immigrants because nobody else is guaranteeing pensions here. Forget about tax havens billions bypassing the exchequer, that’s just how it is, nobody you support will change anything about it.

      except the chap who hasn’t lost any elections since he got elected party leader. Oh and they do hate him winning, everyone hates him because he will change their comfy snitching and cheating ways.

      • Anon1

        LOL. Are you reffering to our Jeremy? Guaranteed Tory landslide at the next GE and then they can get to work on sorting out the NHS (at last). That will be Jeremy’s legacy.

    • fred

      “Brexit Armageddon was a terrifying vision – but it simply hasn’t happened”

      Has the NHS been paid that extra £350 million a week it was promised if Britain voted for Brexit yet?

      Or has that simply not happened as well?

      • Anon1

        You could pay £700 million extra into the NHS and it would be swallowed up instantly. Jeremy will provide the Tory majority necessary for total NHS reform.

        #ToriesForCorbyn

        • Habbabkuk

          That is correct.

          What is not generally known is that

          1/. even the 1945-50 Labour govt was preoccupied with the likely cost of the NHS

          and

          2/. those who were less preoccupied were less preoccupied because they thought that NHS expenditure would reach a peak (and then plateau and, possibly, even decrease) once the “existing stock” of illness and disease had been dealt with/eliminated.

    • Republicofscotland

      “Some caveats are in order. It is still early days. Hard data is scant. Survey evidence is still consistent with a slowdown in the economy in the second half of 2016. Brexit may be a slow burn, with the impact only becoming apparent in the months and years to come.”

      _______

      Michael.

      The above is from your link, I might add, that not much has changed YET, as article 50 hasn’t been triggered. The dis-United Kingdom economy is predominantly built on consumer buying power, I wonder what consequences will occur in the form of tariffs to trade with the EU, will be imposed. Will prices rise? Will capital take flight to remain in the EU market? Those are just two of the many questions we don’t know the answers too until article 50 is triggered.

  • michael norton

    honky dory
    http://www.euronews.com/2016/08/19/volkswagen-workers-face-cut-in-hours

    Things not so honky dory in the Eurozone these days.

    France is a bloody mess,
    Greece is a bloody mess,
    Italy is a bloody mess,
    Belgium is a bloody mess,

    now the Germans thought they’d be smartie pants and fiddle their figures but they got caught.

    Volkswagen is to cut working hours for more than 10,000 workers at its Wolfsburg base.

    Output will be reduced at two more German sites.

    • michael norton

      I wonder if the Germans will refuse to deal with the United Kingdom
      now we are sailing away to FREEDOM?

      • neverminbd

        You are still here Michael and subjected to EU laws, as it was before they allowed you to move a pencil, you are still paying into the EU and your MEP’s are still drawing their wages and pensions from the EU.

        They did tell you last week that nothing would happen until 2019, maybe by then Tata will produce steel or has raided the pension fund, a la Phillip Green.

        But Brexit has busted the flush for UKIP, failing to stay afloat, they have now nothing better to do than to interfere on blogs airing their homophobic rants.

          • Republicofscotland

            Michael.

            Only the unionist parties Michael, and Patrick Harvey of the Greens, who I might add is a fine orator.

            I might add, Michael your manner appears a tad homophobic, which shows your ugly side, and it’s not a pretty sight I’m afraid.

        • michael norton

          Revealed: How the Kinnocks have enjoyed an astonishing £10m ride on the EU gravy train

          http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1192894/Revealed-How-Kinnocks-enjoyed-astonishing-10m-ride-EU-gravy-train.html#ixzz4HtI67P00
          Neil and Glenys Kinnock received more than £10million in pay, allowances and pension entitlements during their time working at the European Union in Brussels.

          The astonishing figure can be revealed after a Mail on Sunday investigation into the couple’s lavish lifestyle funded from the public purse.

          This is one of the main reasons for leaving the E.U.

        • Anon1

          “Subjected to EU laws” sounds about right. It’s just that most people don’t relish the thought as much as Nevermind.

    • michael norton

      ROS forget the tories.
      This is people in SCOTLAND ( virtually free of tories) who want to ram this LGBTI shit down school childrens throats.
      What’s next sex with children?

      I had to look the term up, Australian, apparently.

      • michael norton

        Director of the Equality Network Tim Hopkins said: “The event today is themed around the vital importance of making our education system LGBTI-inclusive, to address prejudice and ensure that LGBTI young people know that their identity is fully respected and valued.

        “We also very much welcome the Scottish government’s commitment to bring our gender recognition law up to international best practice, and we look forward to helping the government ensure that Scotland retains its place amongst Europe’s leaders on legal equality for LGBTI people.”
        Pure Filth

        • Anon1

          What the fuck is wrong with these people? It’s a matter of life or death now, this leftist pincer movement of extreme minority enablement and advancement combined with mass-migration of third worlders who hold completely different values. What can possibly be their aim other than the complete destruction of Western civilization?

          • MJ

            “leftist pincer movement of extreme minority enablement”

            Much more sinister than that. Why were Obama and Cameron simultaneously pushing the issue?

          • bevin

            “What can possibly be their aim other than the complete destruction of Western civilization?”

            Maybe to get out from under the bombing that the “west” inflicts upon their countries; and seek shelter in the only places on earth where they are likely to be spared the barbarities of the ‘jihadist’ terrorist militias that the ” west” organises to create mayhem in every country whose government refuses to kow-tow to the Empire.

            They sure as hell wouldn’t be leaving their devastated homelands to cosy up to racists and bigots in cold countries, full of unemployed workers.

      • Republicofscotland

        Well, Michael Scotland is an open and inclusive society, unlike South East England, where the word refugee or immigrants, is frowned upon, but I do agree that children don’t need to be hampered with that type of teaching. They’ve enough to learn as it is.

        I am however more surprised that you didn’t link to the Express newspaper, (aka the gospel truth) like you do for everything else, I’m sure they could’ve made a bigger meal out of it.

        As for forgetting the neferious Tories, I think not.

        • michael norton

          The Nationalists, he said, had become the most extreme left-wing party in Scotland, but that could not continue indefinitely.
          “They’re anti-austerity, they’re anti-Trident
          and pretty much on every other trendy issue they go for the left-wing view,”
          Malcolm Rifkind

          • Republicofscotland

            “Malcolm Rifkind.”

            __________

            Michael.

            Don’t make me laugh, Thatcher’s man has as much credibility North of the border, as the current govenor general David Mundell, and he has none.

            You obviously don’t know too much about politics North of the border, consulting your crystal ball (the Express) has damaged your credibility.

        • Alan

          Have you ever been to South-East England, RoS, and actually talked to the people? Until you do, please stop quoting press BS. And before you ask, yes I have been to Scotland, many times, and have a few friends up there.

          • Alan

            @RoS You base all your claims about SE England from who got voted in but:

            Only about 32% of the people bother to vote these days. What that means is about 68% of the people are NOT represented, so why don’t you just give it a fucking rest with your anti-English BS?

          • Habbabkuk

            Alan

            You may perhaps not be aware that “Repiublicofscotland” is English (not Scottish) and lives in England (not Scotland).

            He is – to use Orwell’s term – an example of “transferred nationalism”.

      • John Spencer-Davis

        Hopefully, next is a realisation that it is not our business to hate people and be violent or abusive to them or discriminate against them on grounds that their sexuality or their gender identification is different from ours. That’s all the LGBTI communities ask: it’s not that much, really.

        • Anon1

          “That’s all the LGBTI communities ask: it’s not that much, really.”

          It’s gone a bit further than that. All these minority rights movements have become radical ideologies. They achieved equality long ago.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Ģo on God Blow all our Tents Away…I think we have survived your storm at We fest xx

    • michael norton

      This year’s theme is inclusive education in support of a campaign for a Scottish Government commitment to tackle high rates of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in the country’s schools.

      In June, a £20m funding boost was announced for projects which fight against inequality and discrimination in Scotland.
      http://stv.tv/news/west-central/1364609-thousands-take-part-in-glasgow-s-pride-celebrations/

      Organisations including the LGBTI Helpline, Equality Network, Inclusion Scotland and the Scottish Refugee Council have benefited from the additional funding.

  • bevin

    You can go home now Habbakuk, with Michael Norton and a well tanked up Anon 1 here, your can take a well earned rest. Read a book, perhaps or take in a lynching in Hebron.

    • Republicofscotland

      Bevin.

      Or perhaps he could relax and watch a few Saudi beheadings on his tv, I recall the followers of fashion in a sense, would drag a sofa out onto a hill and watch Gaza burn, whilst enjoying a cool glass of amber nectar.

      I bet the Express newspaper didn’t quite catch that story.

  • Doug Scorgie

    Habbabkuk
    August 20, 2016 at 16:40

    “Well, if the UK was “literally” sinking that would imply the landmass was going down by “x” centimetres a year.”
    ……………………………………………………………….

    Actually Habbabkuk England is sinking but Scotland is rising due to a geophysical process called isostacy.

    • glenn_uk

      It’s true – isn’t Cornwall sinking by around 1″ a year, while John O’Groats is rising by the same amount? A point halfway between would not be moving at all, IIRC.

      • fred

        No. It’s caused by post glacial rebound. The parts of Britain covered in ice during the last ice age were pressed down under the immense weight, it is still recovering.

    • Alan

      https://geographyas.info/coasts/sea-level-change/

      “In the UK, the east coast is at a particularly high risk of a) being flooded and b) being destroyed. In fact, we know that sections of the east coast have already been destroyed and we’re fairly sure it’s because the sea is rising and the land is sinking. While the northern parts of the UK are experiencing an isostatic rebound and are rising above sea level, the east coast is sinking and the water along the east coast is rising. This is resulting in more coastal flooding and erosion along the east coast which is destroying it at a concerning rate. Obviously there’s a lot people living along the east coast but what’s more concerning is the fact that there’s a lot of power plants situated along the east coast and four of them are nuclear power plants (there’s also two deactivated nuclear plants). Even if we know that those plants are going to be destroyed by coastal erosion, there’s not a lot we can do to prevent an accident since these things stay dangerous for many thousands of years after they’re deactivated.”

      Hinckley Point Nuclear Power Station Habbakook? Stupid Idea! Ask a geologist!

  • michael norton

    £80m of cocaine found on fishing trawler near Falmouth, CORNWALL, England, United Kingdom ( dysfunctional)
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-37141811
    Mike Stepney, from the Border Force, said: “This is one of the most significant drugs seizures ever made in the UK.

    “By working closely with the NCA and other partners, we were able to intercept this vessel before it could deliver its £80 million cargo to the UK”.

    Mark Harding, of the National Crime Agency, added: “A seizure on this scale is likely have a significant disruptive impact right along the supply chain, leaving criminals with large debts to be covered.

    • nevermind

      The City of London runs on it, Michael not just some prole PR agency working for tatcher. the whole of the financial cockspur, that’s just how it is, pressure from investors and feeeeling good about loosing a few billions of somebody else’s money.

  • John Goss

    Thanks to all who supported the Big Ride on behalf of Palestine. Angela Martin has put together a video of the start of the ride and the demonstration outside the drone-engine factory, UAV Engines Ltd, Shenstone. It is less than twenty minutes long but if you cannot watch it all I urge you to watch Dr Mona el Farra statrting at 14.25 minutes in in which she explains how some of the money has been spent.

    https://vimeo.com/179375571

  • RobG

    This week the BBC covered the Labour hustings in Nottingham. It was all very BBC Stalinist, with Jeremy Corbyn debating a non-entity called Owen something or other. At the end of the debate we had a Ceaușescu moment, when the host of the programme, Victoria Derbyshire, asked the undecided section of the audience to rise from their seats and stand by the candidate they now supported. Almost to a man and woman, they all got up and stood beside Corbyn…

    https://youtu.be/k4op7Dqi3t4?t=1h50m27s

    (in case the link doesn’t work properly, it comes 1hr 50 mins into the programme)

          • nevermind

            And I would say that NATO has failed to keep up the pretence, its turned into a political military alliance that performs the wishes of its greatest member. NATO was no conceived to be expansionary aggressive, that;s what it has become.
            Calling for NATO to be replaced by our own EU peace and defence force is not an inconceivable idea, nor is it new.

          • Paul Barbara

            And Putin is 1,000 times more intelligent than May (or any other silly born prat of a puppet leader we can deploy).

          • Habbabkuk

            I would also say that she is much more intelligent than Republicofscotland, who in turn believes (erroneously) that he is more intelligent than Boris Johnson.

          • michael norton

            One of my long time friends has Islamaphobic Theresa May as his M.P.
            he says she is mostly highly thought of by her constituents.
            He also believes she was probably the best choice as m.P. following the BREXIT choice the |United Kingdom, has made.
            We shall see.

        • RobG

          Michael, if you’re not familiar with it, I would strongly recommend that you read Shirer’s ‘Berlin Diary’, which covers the rise of the Nazis in 1930s Germany.

          Then, of course, Shirer went on to write ‘The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich’, which is widely acknowledged to be one of the best accounts ever of the Nazi era.

          I first read that book about four decades ago, and I now find it more relevant than ever.

          That’s a sad indictment of the human condition.

      • Alan

        Actually, my favourite anti-Nato site is this: Hey for the hell of it, I’m going to post it in full.

        http://www.stopnato.org.uk/research/america.htm

        Were it not so terribly dangerous and distressing, the sight and sound of America post-911, wailing and rending its garments over the “terrible, unimaginable loss” of that horrid day, it would be outrageously amusing.

        Since 911, it has been virtually impossible to listen to any news broadcast that does not have at least one item about the casualties of 911, the babies born into the families of the victims, the terrible loss felt by those left behind. Now, it is not as though I am saying that such “human interest” stories are necessarily inappropriate. What is totally beyond comprehension (to the rational and reasonable) that all the millions (that’s right, millions) of relatives of the millions of casualties (collateral or otherwise) of US and US policies have no right to similar feelings of outrage, pain and loss.

        From 1945 on, the US has accounted, directly and indirectly, for far and away more casualties worldwide than all the “axes of evil” and “evil empires” in the post-WWII period combined. Granted, America has not in every instance directly massacred all these myriad innocents. However, in addition to the carnage directly caused by the US the numbers of those who have perished at the hands of America’s “willing executioners” are huge and growing. It is totally beyond question that American foreign policy has repeatedly and continually groomed, schooled and supported many of the most repressive despots, dictators and regimes in the post-WWII world.

        America’s schizophrenia comes from the fact that, possibly due to its deeply embedded racism, many if not most Americans believe that they are a species apart. Occasionally, at least in the minds of the American Anglophiles, this extends as well to the British (the white, Anglo-Saxon Britons that is) and, of course, Zionist Israelis. Most Americans are fully convinced of the innate goodness, generosity and benevolence of their nation and its entire work. This is merely a sign and symbol of the pitiable dearth of learning and erudition among average Americans.

        Though America arguably has the best post-secondary education money can buy, the education of most Americans is so terribly narrow that, outside of their own narrow area of specialization, Americans are morons. Liberal education (along with just about everything else ‘liberal’) has become anathema in the US. As with just about everything else, Americans value only that which can directly be shown to be monetarily advantageous. Since a wide knowledge base presents no direct monetary advantage (an erroneous assumption widely accepted in the US, there is no demand for such education.

        That American policies can only be positive and beneficial is taken for granted by most Americans. That totally ignores the fact that, if the rest of the world were to take America at its words and emulate (or attempt to) America’s profligate lifestyle, the world economy and ecosystems would collapse in remarkably short order. On the one hand, the pablum peddled to the somnambulant American public is that all of our various foreign interventions, incursions and invasions are undertaken to “spread democracy” and “American values” worldwide. However, the reality of American foreign policy is 180° in opposition to its stated aims. Examine the shameful behavior of the various proconsuls in the UN (American) satrapy of Bosnia. Yes, by God, we will teach these heathens what democracy is! When we disapprove of what is broadcast in that satrapy, the proconsul and his UN bullyboys simply seize or destroy the offending facilities and arrest or execute the personnel. When an election in that devastated region fails to produce the proper result, again the proconsul (with the obvious support of America) simply unilaterally overturns the election results and installs whatever pro-American quisling it decides is most amenable to American control and instruction. This is democracy?!?

        Another conspicuous example of America’s schizophrenia is demonstrated in America’s stance on ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘genocide’. Accusations (baseless) of such ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘genocide’ formed the basis for America’s 79 day gang rape of Yugoslavia. However, ask any American (of course, Native Americans excluded) how America ‘developed’ from a fragile strip of 13 Atlantic coast colonies to a continent spanning entity. They will look at you in moronic bewilderment. When you suggest America itself may be the prime example in recent times of ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘genocide’, you will be verbally (if not physically) attacked, derided as ‘anti-American’ or, Heaven forbid, a ‘radical’. The fact that American politicians fall all over themselves to rush to the aid and defense of one of the regimes most obviously engaged in ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘genocide’ (Israel), simply does not seem to register.

        This is not to say that genocide and ethnic cleansing should be tolerated or excused. However, if we are to be consistent and principled, then it is axiomatic that America is far overdue for a thorough and honest re-examination of its own history and behavior. Any such re-examination will be uncomfortable, distressing and disturbing to American who truly believes in the oft stated principles Americans repeatedly say they hold dear.

  • michael norton

    Explaining his support for Mr Smith, he said the pair had agreed on the “big issues”, such as opposing the Iraq War.

    • Je

      Except Owen Smith didn’t. He just claims to. He said this in 2006:

      “We are making significant inroads in improving what is happening in Iraq.

      “I thought at the time the tradition of the Labour Party and the tradition of left-wing engagement to remove dictators was a noble, valuable tradition, and one that in South Wales, from the Spanish Civil War onwards, we have recognised and played a part in.”

      He didn’t know whether he would have voted against the war, as the previous MP Llew Smith did.

      • Paul Barbara

        And Smith shows how little he knows about the Spanish ‘Civil War’; it was not about removing a tyrant, it was about defending a legitimate government from being overthrown by a Fascist dictator.
        I’d like to see that jumped-up ‘Big Pharma’ lobbyist and war-monger fill the Ruach Church (4,000 capacity) like Jeremy did last night!

    • michael norton

      Spineless, incoherent, incompetent – and how Owen Smith’s house of cards is collapsing

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3751067/DAN-HODGES-Spineless-incoherent-incompetent-Owen-Smith-s-house-cards-collapsing.html#ixzz4Hx1Na8A2
      Just before departing for the summer recess, a group of Labour MPs stood on the House of Commons terrace discussing the impending leadership contest.
      ‘We’re going to have to bite our tongues quite a bit over the next few weeks,’ said one modernising former Labour Minister. By that, he meant they would have to suppress their lingering doubts about Owen Smith – and his efforts to ingratiate himself with Jeremy Corbyn’s Left-leaning base – in a desperate bid to arrest their party’s death spiral.
      They can stop biting their tongues now. There’s no longer any need to maintain the pretence. Owen Smith has blown it.
      Owen Smith is not that candidate. He has run a spineless, incoherent, incompetent campaign.
      As a result, Corbyn is shambling along to another victory.

      Fascinating write up,

      makes you wonder why the Blairites are still bothering?

    • michael norton

      Commenting on recent reports of the US transferring its nuclear weapons stationed in Turkey to Romania, Russian political scientist Andrei Manoilo told Radio Sputnik that while Washington may be very eager to do it, in reality there is no chance of this happening, and here is why.
      The US would be keen to evacuate its nuclear weapons from Turkish territory, but they simply have no opportunity, Professor of Political Science at Moscow State University and a member of the scientific advisory board to the Security Council of Russia Andrei Manoilo told Radio Sputnik.
      “To be able to transfer nuclear weapons from one NATO base to another, there should be a corresponding NATO decision as it is part of the potential of the allied group of NATO,” the political scientist explained.
      Such a decision should be made in Brussels upon the request of Washington, he further said. But while it is not very difficult for the US to enforce such a decision, how would the US possibly remove its nukes as all the air and ground movement in and out of the base has been blocked after the failed coup attempt in Turkey.

      None of the US aircraft are allowed to take off from this base as the airspace is fully blocked by the Turkish Air Forces, Manoilo said. It is equally impossible to transport the nukes on the ground.

      So while the US is desperate to get control back over its nuclear arsenal, it has no actual opportunity to do so.

      According to the political scientist, the base has become a bargaining chip in relations between Washington and Ankara.

      “The discrepancies between Washington and Ankara are profound and the Incirlik base has become a bargaining chip in the conflict between Presidents Erdogan and Obama,” he said.

      US ‘Does Not Need to Store’ Nukes at Incirlik Since It Has Nuclear Subs
      “The trace of the US in plotting the coup attempt in Turkey is only too clear. And Erdogan’s decision to block the base, from which, as he claimed, the aircraft of the coupists took off from, is blackmail,” he said.
      http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160820/1044459759/us-turkey-incirlik-nukes.html

  • Silvio

    Orlando False Flag: The Clash of Histories: New book released to expose the Orlando night club shooting as Operation Gladio goes global. You will never understand the behind the scenes machinations of global geo-politics unless you are aware of how easily false flag operations can and are being used to steer popular opinion in desired directions.

    From a book review by Canadian media critic Barrie Zwicker:

    The new book is divided into three parts. Part 1 is “What Really Happened in Orlando?” Part 2 is “Historical Context: Contesting the Narrative.” Part 3 is “Islam, homosexuality, and Cultural Politics.”

    To me the strongest chapters in Orlando are the two longest ones. They’re long because both offer historical context, a somewhat global overview and much supporting evidence. The first, in Part 1, is Robert David Steele’s “The Orlando Mass Casualty Event: A False Flag Drama, Atrocity, or Hybrid?” The other, in Part 2, is Joachim Hagopian’s “Orlando’s Geopolitical Context: The Empire’s Post-9/11 Hegelian-Style Warfare Against Both the World and American Citizens.”

    Steele, a veteran of the CIA who outgrew it to become a leading proponent of an “open source world,” lists 70 Orlando anomalies. Like most if not all lists, his includes some overlappings and a couple that IMHO don’t belong.

    But 65 or so keepers nail Orlando as fake. For instance: no abandoned cars at the club, no ambulances, non-existent doctors, the laughing winking cop, the high fives, and crisis actors taking “victims” toward, rather than away, from the nightclub. The surreal fakery being determined, the remaining questions suggested in his chapter’s title, are large.

    One of the most intriguing ideas for me is in his point 18: “Media-Based Evidence of Complicity & Cover-Up?” He suggests the mantra “love is stronger than hate”—highlighted just three days after the events by the biggest names in Broadway—may be one appropriated to serve the NWO agenda: essentially “Don’t rebel, stay submissive.” Steele urges viewing the video.

    https://truthandshadows.wordpress.com/2016/08/06/barrett-anthology-orlando/

    • Habbabkuk

      It is nonsensical to claim that Operation Gladio is “going global” for the simple reason that the original Gladio no longer exists (because the reason for it no longer exists) and that there is no such thing as a Gladio B outside the fevered imagination of ConspiraLoons and sundry obsessives.

      Sorry, but there it is.

    • lysias

      For as long as the original Gladio existed, it was a secret, its existence denied. So why should we believe any claims now by the same NATO governments that Gladio no longer exists?

      The fact that the USSR no longer exists has not prevented NATO from surviving and even expanding. So why should it have a different effect on Gladio?

  • Habbabkuk

    Haven’t heard the USS Ronald Reagan mentioned recently on here.

    Surely it’s time for an update.

    Does anyone know anything? 🙂

  • Mark Golding

    Food for Thought – The Dysfunctional Elite:

    The sick are the great danger of man, not the evil, not the ‘beasts of prey.’ They who are from the outset botched, oppressed, broken those are they, the weakest are they, who most undermine the life beneath the feet of man, who instill the most dangerous venom and skepticism into our trust in life, in man, in ourselves…Here teem the worms of revenge and vindictiveness; here the air reeks of things secret and unmentionable; here is ever spun the net of the most malignant conspiracy – the conspiracy of the sufferers against the sound and the victorious; here is the sight of the victorious hated.>/b>

    Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche – 15/10/1844 – 25/8/1900

  • Habbabkuk

    It seems to me that the enthusiastic peddlers of conspiracy theories (aka “ConspiraLoons”) fall into a couple of broad categories.

    Firstly, there are the opportunists, the opportunism often being of a reputational and therefore essentially economic nature. These are the people who profit from a sad event to rush into print with a theory unsupported by anything other than conjecture and certainly unsupported by the facts on the table. Good examples are those people who rushed into print almost before JFK’s body had grown cold.

    Then there are what I would call the “innocent boys”: these are adults who strive to recreate in their grownup world the excitement and mystery of a good whodunit. And who, indeed, can blame them for seeking to spice up a world which is so grey and unexciting for most of them? These are the people whose beards remain immune to Occam’s razor.

    Thirdly there are some who seek to distinguish themselves from the masses by claiming superior insight into the world as it “really is”. Not for them the commonsense of those they often grace with the words “sheeple” or “peeps”; it is only they who have the perception to clearsightedly penetrate the clouds of mis- and disinformation put out by the hidden true rulers of the universe.

    And finally, there are of course those who fall into none of the above categories and whose motives must, therefore, be considered s more sinister……

    ++++++++++++++++

    Comments welcome, especially by those regulars who might wish to claim membership of any of the above four categories.

    • Trowbridge H. Ford

      I don’t fit into any category as far I can determine.

      Didn;t rush to judgement about the rogue CIA plot to kill JFK. Just when it was occurring I had a violent argument with a Canadian historian about LBJ not being behind it which I still adhere to.

      And all I have gotten for such efforts is more serious efforts to hurt me.

      No need to heat up the current covert world as it is already red hot.

      Don’t consider myself to be a genius. Just a dogged searcher, hoping to inform a most uneducated world about what is going on.

      I seek the truth in all this dirty work.

  • Republicofscotland

    SNP Alyn Smith, (remember his wonderful oration at the EU? Yes so do I), well he’s attempting to push Google and its maps in particular to show Israel’s illegal wall, around Palestinian territory.

    Smith who sits in the ( EPAFC) European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee claims the absence of the seperation barrier, appears deliberate and excessive. The illegal wall will eventually run 400 miles, cutting of thousands of Palestinians from their families, making the East Berlin wall look like a white picket fence.

    Of course the Geat Satan (consecutive US governments) has played its part in Googles lack of clarity. In 1997 a US law banned detailed satellite imagery of Israel. However Google’s Street View, wasn’t covered by that law.

    Google appear to be following the USA’s lead, by using a low resolution, so no one can make out the two metre high razor wire, nor the electrified fences, nor the 60 metre wide exclusion zones.

    In 2004 the International Court of Justice, ruled the wall was illegal.

    • Habbabkuk

      I take it you have written to both google and your local MP (giving your correct name and address of course) to protest?

      If not, why not?

      I will remit you the postage if you are short of funds.

      • Republicofscotland

        Habb.

        I think it’s only fair that the matter has been brought to light, one can never be too sure of what kind of illegal actions, if any, are going on in an Apartheid state like Israel.

        We’ve seen in the past extreme measure to subdue and persecute sections of a society, Alyn Smith like many others realise, the only way to bring pressure against such actions is to highlight there use.

        I’m sure you’ll agree.

        • Habbabkuk

          I should certainly agree that anyone in your position should not content himself with just posting away on here but should also take the trouble to protest chez Google.

          Unless of course you’re not really bothered and are just posting away to pass time….?

  • Habbabkuk

    To return briefly to the “original” Operation Gladio certainly existed but exists no longer:

    given the international (including military) context in which it was set up and its purpose within that context, what exactly are the reasons why some commenters on here still get so exercised about it?

    • Loony

      Operation Gladio was a clandestine operation.

      Given that clandestine essentially means secret then it is obviously not possible to know whether or not there are similar current operations in place. Consequently your claim that such operations no longer exist is pure speculation.

      • Habbabkuk

        Thank you for that, Loony, including your observation that Operation Gladio was clandestine. Of course it was – no point making the potential enemy aware of your plans, is there.

        My “speculation” is no more speculative than the speculation that it still exists, surely?

        Think about it.

    • bevin

      Because it maintained, armed and strengthened Nazi networks.
      There are many other reasons-most of which have to do with constitutional rules, international law and democracy but you would understand none of them, since you are consistent in your support of fascist governments (eg Israel) and paramilitary terrorist militias (Al Nusra. Al Qaeda, Daesh.)
      No doubt you don’t understand why people would object to putting Nazis on the payroll either, but you are aware that there are popular prejudices against it.

      • Habbabkuk

        To claim that the aim (or even the consequence)of the original Gladio operation was to maintain, arm and strengthen Nazi networks is simply nonsensical.

        Hardly likely, surely, that countries which had spent years either under Nazi occupation or fighting the Nazis should subsequently aim to strengthen any remainng Nazi networks?

        Your comment is typical of the guff the Soviets were putting out during the Cold War and is, accordingly, worthless propaganda for a system which has, thankfully, been tossed onto the refuse dump of history 🙂

  • Republicofscotland

    Speaking of the Great Satan (US governments) in this article, which contains information from cables sent between Washington and Westminster, we find out that the US would’ve been pretty annoyed, had Scotland sent Trident packing in the event of independence.

    They make clear that America was keeping a close eye on preeeceding, far more than just David Cameron pushing a note into Obama’s hand at short notice at a press conference, which said SNP and Scottish independence bad, Westminster and Tories good.

    One can only hope that Scotland gets another chance, and upsets the Great Satan in the process, when it comes to Trident, and its removal.

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14695583.Alex_Salmond_slaps_down_US_embassy_over_secret_Trident_cables/

    • Paul Barbara

      Yep! And the Yanks are very proficient at rigging elections (or Referendums – though they don’t ‘do those’ in the States, as far as I know), so probably assisted quite a bit if, as I and many others suspect, the Referendum was rigged).
      I still disagree with the desire of many Scots to remain in the EU, but it’s up to them if they get independence and decide that they want to remain part of a totally unelected, unaccountable Bankster and Corporation led part of the NWO One World Gulag plans.
      ‘The foolish sheep chooses his own butcher’.

  • Habbabkuk

    Of course only a fool or a knave (or both) would fail to understand the essential difference between the wall and fences which separated the two parts of Germany and the wall and fences separating Israel from the West Bank and Gaza.

    In the former case, the aim was to stop citizens of the absurdly named “German Democratic Republic” escaping to freedom (or, if you prefer, exercising their right, acknowledged in international human rights instruments to freely enter and leave their country).

    In the latter case, the purpose was and is to stop Israeli men, women and children being blown up or shot to death by assorted Arab terrorists.

    Hope that helps?

    • Republicofscotland

      Habb.

      May I remind you the 400 mile long wall that divides Palestine is illegal, in the eyes of the International Court of Justice, get it ? It’s illegal.

      Unfortunately the poor Palestinian people who’s lands have been violenty usurped from them, have nowhere to escape too.

      The illegal wall, runs twice the lenght of the 1949, armistice Green line, re my first comment on Google and the illegal wall conveniently missing from their maps.

      Google failed to provide a response, on the matter.

      • Habbabkuk

        Feel free to remind me of whatever you like, RoS.

        However, given its source, I cannot promise you I shan’t forget again quite quickly.

        • Republicofscotland

          Whilst we’re on the matter Habb, I do hope you can clear this little rebus you presented in your earlier comment. I’ll remind you.

          You said.

          “In the latter case, the purpose was and is to stop Israeli men, women and children being blown up or shot to death by assorted Arab terrorists.”

          Now I can understand that sentence from your point of view, however can understand it from this point of view.

          Arab terrorist, could equate to oppressed Palestinians, attempting to reclaim their land on which their mothers, sisters and brothers were killed by a usurping force.

          Now going by your Arab terrorist quote, I’d be grateful if you’d tell me if those fighting Putin in the Ukraine over the annexation of Crimea, by Putin are terrorists, after all the same principle applies does it not?

          Thanks in advance.

      • Habbabkuk

        Do you feel it is also illegal, RoS, for Arab terrorists to cross from the West Bank and Gaza into Israel on order to blow up or otherwise kill Israeli men, women and children?

        No? Thought not! 🙂

        • Republicofscotland

          Habb.

          Don’t be silly, of course no one wants to see anyone die on both sides, unfortunately however, when you seize lands through a bloody onslaught, there’s bound to be thoughts of retribution.

          A two state solution is the answer, something if your honest enough could’ve been implimented by now, and it could’ve saved lives as well.

          Washington and Tel Aviv, however won’t muster the political will to make it happen. I also accept that Palestinians need too move towards accepting the two state solution as well.

          • Habbabkuk

            Your first para is the typical weasel response whenever terrorism comes up. It says in essence that terrorism is terrible but might nevertheless be justified. Beta double minus for originality.

          • Alan

            “It says in essence that terrorism is terrible but might nevertheless be justified”

            So was it justified at the King David Hotel?

          • Republicofscotland

            Habb.

            You can be very obtuse at times, you know fine well I’m not justifying terrorism, I was stating why the attacks occur.

            You however didn’t even acknowledge the sentence on the two state solution, so in reality, it is you who is putting your head in the sand, hoping the building of an internationally illegal wall will solve the dilemma, it will only attract international condemnation.

          • Republicofscotland

            Michael.

            Another silly comment, did you perhaps glean that information from the Express, I’m sure Richard Desmond will be pleased that he has at least one useful idiot reader.

  • Republicofscotland

    A study published by the Journal of Epidemiology, has shown a link in the deaths of men by suicide between the years 1965-1974 which they think could’ve been exacerbated by the rise of Thatcher and her terrible slash and burn policies of the 80’s and 90’s.

    The study claims that during Thatcher’s unholy tenure as PM, a jump of 30% in the rates of suicides from men born in between the years mentioned.

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