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Paul Mason's Idle Scrawl

Labour launches corruption crackdown...er, abroad

  • Paul Mason
  • 12 Jul 06, 05:01 PM

Emails have begun to land in my inbox about tomorrow's launch of the Development White Paper by UK aid ministry DFID. The White Paper was flagged up as being due, but not until next week and the paranoiac blogger in me is wondering why it has been rushed forward to tomorrow.

The contents of it are likely to be controversial, signalling as they do a turn away from stimulating "supply of democracy" - i.e. consultancies going in to developing world and redesigning entire legal systems - towards "demand for democracy". This inevitably involves DFID giving money to groups in civil society it believes will demand democracy and fight the horrendous corruption that exists in government in countries less fortunate than the UK.

No doubt this will involve financing newspapers that ask awkward questions about alleged government malfeasance; likewise even , who have been known to be on the front line of asking questions about, for example, positions in the legislature of these benighted countries being traded for cash.

Meanwhile, here in Britain, while a major department of state gets ready to teach the world about good governance, news has just broken that Lord Levy, the Prime Minister's personal envoy to the Middle East, and the man in charge of Labour fundraising, has been in connection with the 1925 Honours Act and the 2000 PPERA.

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Supporting "demand for democracy" sounds like British taxpayer funding of political organisations in foreign countries. Its not hard to see how some countries will see this as subversion, as it quite clearly would be. ( Unless I've misunderstood you post. )

Paul - why not publish the emails you have coming in in full if they are from the government ?

We in America should demand that the Republicans and Democrats clean up their acts because they are corrupt. We in America should do this by voting Libertarian and/or Green.

  • 3.
  • At 10:37 AM on 11 Aug 2006,
  • Sharon Reeves wrote:

One thing that worries me, with all the things that are being banned from planes at the moment. What about watches that have the facility to become remote control. Will these be checked.

  • 4.
  • At 02:12 PM on 06 Apr 2007,
  • Lionel Tiger wrote:

With new technologies, the war is not won by soldiers, it is won by hearts and minds. The power of fascist propaganda generates hostility. Political leaders sow the seeds and reap the rewards. Spoil these crops, and the harvest will wilt. Weapons and firearms are useless, ineffective and dangerous in this war of minds. Money, the currency of universal undefined power just gets into the wrong hands, and divides the people, it fuels the fire. Democracy needs the means of freedom and open debate. Opponents must be transparent and credible. Popularity is no indicator of justice. Personal self preservation will always predominate. Minds must be educated and informed with impartiality. Unbiased media must win against fascist propaganda. Multiple media and holistic reporting. This must be promoted. Take the holistic approach and don't make simple reactions to actions.

Corruption within the UK government is so rife that it damages ordinary peopl's rights and rights are property so that makes many of those in Government terrorists according to the Terrorist Act 2001. The terrorist Act 2001 defines a terrorist as a person who threatens to damage or actually damages property, rights being property and the possesions of those to whom they belong. Affects on Common Law rights are tradable therefore the Governments is in serious financial trouble and corruption shall bring them down very soon.

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