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Monday 18 May 2009

Sarah McDermott | 19:09 UK time, Monday, 18 May 2009

Here's a taste of what's coming up on the programme:

From the web team:

Unprecedented scenes in the House of Commons today as a succession of MPs openly challenged Speaker Michael Martin to step down after an extraordinary personal statement to Parliament.

Political sketch writer Quentin Letts compared the Speaker's rocky ride to the launch of a European space rocket, in which everything looks fine at the start, all cylinders firing, but then starts to go horribly wrong, ending in an explosion.

On tonight's programme we will be asking if this is the nadir of modern Parliament, and what can be done to reverse the damage?

Plus Blood Sweat and Takeaways - at what cost is cheap food produced?

From top class restaurants to low cost supermarkets, we take it for granted that we can buy whatever food we want, whenever we want it. But would we feel the same if we knew the human cost of food production?

For a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Three documentary six British youngsters went to live and work alongside some of the millions of people working in South East Asia's food production industries.

Two of them will be joining us on the programme tonight to discuss what they found.

Join Jeremy Paxman then.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    I'm not really bothered who replaces Speaker Martin as long as they are fair and competent. I'm sure he's a decent bloke, but his performance this afternoon was enough to confirm to me that he simply isn't up to the job - especially at this time. It's got nothing to do with his background, as some of his supporters would have us believe. But to chair something like the House of Commons, you have to have some skills which he clearly lacks.

    I've seen a number of references to Oliver Cromwell today. Maybe we could do with someone like that again (if only for a short time). Or at least some way of enabling the Queen to dissolve Parliament otherwise than on the advice of the Prime Minister.

  • Comment number 2.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 3.

    No it is probably not the nadir (the lowest point, to save anyone else looking it up) of modern Parliament.
    If 'the honourable members' can be so creative with their expenses, it is possible that they have been really inventive with the real-money.
    Imagine how the rules may have been interpreted when it came to spending money on the huge multi-billion pound projects!
    And just where did all the money go on the multi-million pound cancelled IT projects?

    How to reverse the damage?
    Well, as soon as possible the people of this country need to elect a new parliament which will adhere to the following.
    Salaries automatically linked to the national average annual salary (say 3 times) - so that MPs work harder to improve the lot of the 'commoner'.
    Office expenses to be a fixed, non receipted amount.
    Office staff employed and paid for by Westminster.
    A fixed B&B allowance paid to those MPs qualifying for an overnight stay in London.
    Refund all travel expenses at the economy rate.
    No other expense claims allowed.
    In other words, take away ALL POSSIBILITY of MPs making 'mistakes' when claiming expenses.



  • Comment number 4.

    The Speaker's rocky ride.

    The debate seems to be about whether the Speaker should be held responsible for MPs' expense-bashing. The Line of command may need to be clarified and made transparent (meaning open to the public) to eliminate any 'special powers'. However, the Speaker had been criticised several times for excessive travelling and junketing at the public expense, not being any part of his official duties, and nearly always accompanied by his wife, who is not a state employee. So he certainly set the pace with his own profligacy in the use of public funds.

    The damage done by setting such a poor example cannot now be undone without major reform. This government, with the support of both major opposition parties, has been trying to force a culture of Equality/ Empowerment on the masses whilst hanging on to an anachronistic parliamentary system based on privilege for the honourable few.
    A complete change of culture and parliamentary reform is needed, and a good start would be the acceptance of Proportional Representation, which will provide a government based on overall votes cast by the public. This should encourage more independant candidates and may well lead to smaller majorities, which will help to encourage co-operation rather than contest. It should also have less MPs, do away with the 'two homes' controversy as candidates should be allocated regionally and most issues dealt with by electronic conferencing methods used by most large organisations. Even ganglionofone has stated his support for PR: really a big step forward for him.

  • Comment number 5.

    More campaigning by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ tonight. They should not take our money and use it for their latest hobby horse.

  • Comment number 6.

    Although I can see the logic of a PR voting system, I've always tended to favour our current First Past the Post system. As bad as the current system may be, the idea of the "tail wagging the dog" annoys me even more.

    It may be possible to come up with some sort of modified "top-up" system along the Scottish or Welsh lines (as opposed to Single Transferable Vote) which won't normally give very small parties too much power but would be somewhat fairer than the current system. Having said that, many European countries who use PR have far more corruption than we do, so the evidence doesn't support the idea that PR eliminates corruption.

    Another idea we might be able to import (from the USA this time) is the "recall vote", along the lines of the one that brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to power in California. I think the trigger level would need to be set quite high to avoid abuse, but it would certainly concentrate the minds of the worst MPs.

    Although I'm no historian, it seems to me that House of Commons' problem lies in its original purpose. Historically, it was there to vote taxes to the monarch and, in time and with the House of Lords, to check him/her and to raise grievances. The various bits (monarch, Lords and Commons) kept each other in check to some extent. It is on these "checks and balances" that the American system was based.

    But once the monarch's powers effectively transferred to the Prime Minister and the House of Lords was emasculated, what was left to check the House of Commons? Nothing, basically. One thing's for sure - having an election every 4 or 5 years is no longer enough of a check.

  • Comment number 7.

    "On tonight's programme we will be asking if this is the nadir of modern Parliament, and what can be done to reverse the damage?

    Is it remotely possible that all of these apparently self-destructive theatrics are really part of an elaborate, cunning plan? ;-)



  • Comment number 8.

    Oh, joy! "Newsnight" promotes a vacuous '´óÏó´«Ã½ 3' series...again.

    I logged on, here, half expecting a discussion of the issues raised by "The Trouble with Working Women" (on earlier tonight), seeing as it featured that great colossus, Justin Rowlatt, but no, we're required to endure a 'debate' with two 'British youngsters', sure to be, like, incapable of, like, stringing-together a, like, complete sentence, let alone a, like, coherent argument.

    Incidentally, I'd love to know the current audience figures for "Newsnight".

    I'm off to do something more productive with my life. I know, I'll read a newspaper and learn, in five-minutes' reading, far more than during a broadcast of "Newsnight".

  • Comment number 9.

    To continue on a sanctimonious note, some restraint from all of us in eating, drinking, shopping and everything else, including reporting, might go towards helping the environment, helping to share the world's resources and improve our characters. Cheap and cheerful?

  • Comment number 10.

    Why all the fuss about the speaker? He's small fry in comparison with those scum who have the power to legislate.
    Why should we trust any of them to act objectively when they have their fingers in the pot? How can someone forget they've not paid rates, or paid off mortgages, and put it down to poor business accounting sense, yet we have to trust what they say on significant world policy. A bit like the global warming nonsense, that has now become climate change. As we speak there is globally more polar ice than the 1979 to 2000 average! It's all a scam to raise money by taxation, or to raise money for lobby groups.
    I won't be scrapping my 21 yr old 'carry oodles of stuff' Passat estate, because it never costs more than £100 to get it through the MOT, AND it gets 62mpg on a run. Electric cars' batteries die after 2 or 3 years and cost many £000's to replace, and are not green to dispose of.
    Sorry I digress; back to the MP's:
    I have always queried how do they enter pariament as poorish peasants, and leave after a relatively few years service with a string of properties and lucrative jobs, and no doubt a significant pension? Abuse of the system is why.

    I hope the Guardian comes out with the cheating of that family, that liked to buy properties in Clifton. He needs to do time for war crimes as well in my oppinion.

    If I've said it once I've said it several times , Gordon Brown is like the Silver Surfer, he simply rode in on the crest of a wave when anyone could have prospered, and now the wave has broken and the tide has turned, he's off his board and drifting out to sea...

    What would I do?

    Create a new party
    "The Mandate Party" where most decisions would be made by secure electronic vote, call it popularist or whatever. Act only with the will of the people.

    It makes me sick to hear these current parties get voted in on one policy and claim it gives mandate for other decisions; like wasting money in this recession on lavish Olympics, and now there are whispers about world footie...
    I must stop whilst I puke...

  • Comment number 11.

    I thought Clegg came across as particularly smarmy and evasive. He should be pulled about his own dodgy claim which he paid back every time he appears on TV. As should Cameron and any other MP. How about a Bloomberg style ticker across the bottom of the screen detailing their claims as they speak?

    Surely any MP could propose a motion of no confidence. If, as we are continuously told there is a majority of decent MP's in Parliament then it is a simple matter to propose a motion of no confidence which would be backed by this honourable majority, an election can be called and the will of the people prevail.

    If this doesn't happen then it is self evident that we don't have a majority of honourable MP's. Sadly, I don't think it will happen as we do not have what amounts to honourable people holding the majority position. They're going to hang on for as long as they can to max out their milking of the system.

  • Comment number 12.

    I watched the fast food tuna report with interest and the discussion in the studio afterwards, along with the others. I think the two young and rather naive investigators in the studio need to be careful what they are wishing for.

    Having travelled extensively around India, Middle and Far East, you quickly realise that the vast majority of the world live as the tuna workers do, or worse, and we in the UK are the tiny minority exception with our comparative vast wealth. If we all want to get that ethical and pay much more for food (and everything else), have thinner margins and with it much lower wages to bring us into line with and help these other unfortunates, I suggest that it will in the end have little or no impact on them, at the same time as dragging us right down to that same level of poverty shown. Not really what Miss Naive and Outspoken from Surrey on the show wants me thinks.

    Let's see the young woman featured moaning and fainting then because she can no longer afford her private education, D&G sunglasses and Prada clothes at the same time as having to tan her own hide and weave her own cloth, as well as gut her own tuna.

    Can we also have some balance from the lefties at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ if they are going to run these pieces. They should also calculate numbers for what their wealth redistribution scheme would really mean when considered in the round. From what I saw only the woman representing the Supermarkets understood that aspect to it in the studio but didn't get the chance or would not dare to make the point.

    I suspect we may see the two young investigators change their mind then.

  • Comment number 13.

    With the appalling quality of the candidates presented by the parties resulting MPs resulting in illegal wars, economic collapse, expenses debacle and now Parliamentary officials colluding with MPs to allow them to over claim on their mortgages, how can we ever have confidence in our electoral system again? Politicians should not need scrutiny, they should have integrity and good judgement, they are sovereign and ensuring that is what we get must be part of the electoral system. I have been aware for sometime that all we are able to choose between is the least unsatisfactory candidate rather than someone of true excellence.

    I want to vote, but having looked at all the candidates in my area, they are all intellectual lightweights, by their own admission know nothing about current issues and only keen to "listen" as they put it. This is only half the equation and who we elect also need to have vision and ability to be able to do with integrity and competence. We seem to get yes men and women foist upon us; people who are prepared to compromise themselves to slavishly tow the party line and close ranks in time of difficulty rather than represent their constituents and the greater good of the public. I feel I am only able to choose the least bad of an incompetent bunch at election time. This is not acceptable.

    With 40% of people reported as wanting an active abstention option on the ballot paper, why are the Electoral Commission responding to public demand to ensure the integrity of our electoral system? I have looked at their Ballot Paper Design Report and Recommendations document and noted the comments on a None of the above option. I have never seen a more fallacious, unsupported and biased document which only consulted with political insiders undoubtedly keen to maintain the status quo rather than be faced with a result that the public think none of them are any good. I can only conclude that we have the same such people at the Electoral Commission too given the narrow selection of respondents they were bothered to ask about the issue. Of course the public should be asked and in large numbers. How much further does turn out and the integrity and competence of our politicians have to fall before someone addresses this central issue within Government?

    I want an active abstention option on the ballot paper, the "None of the Above (NOTA)" option so I can voice an opinion that none of the candidates are adequate should that be my view. Should NOTA be the winning 'candidate' the election should be re-run with the previous candidates barred from standing in the rerun. I appreciate that this may lead to some red faces amongst our political classes, but look what we have now. It's appalling. Is squeezing our lamentable political parties to find decent candidates really such a bad idea?

    I think Clegg and co need to think in broader terms when he is calling for electoral reform, but I do also agree that Proportional Representation would lead to better government as well as fair representation.

  • Comment number 14.

    While I am just as concerned as anyone else about my MP's use of tax payers resources, I am also equally intrigued by who benefits most from this slow drip of Daily Telegraph disclosures - as they would say on the 'Wire', follow the money, and perhaps also follow the lines of power.
    As this information would have been released in July under the 'Freedom of Information Act', though granted not in such detail about each miscreant MP's misdeamours, who really benefits by linking this information ahead of scrutiny, independent of MP's vested interest?.

    How much did the Daily Telegraph pay for this information or did it simply materialise in their mailbox as the result of the spiked conscience of a member of the general public/concerned whistleblower. Presumably the Daily Telegraph will have covered the legal bases on their procuration of this information and will be totally unaware of the disproportinate damage this will do the incumbent Government as opposed to the opposition parties, not to mention how the saturation headline coverage will improve their circulation figures.

    It is also striking how David Cameron has been so pro-active on this headline grabbing issue, when he was seemingly dumbstruck and incapable of positive action on the relatively minor issue of the global collapse of the financial system!.

  • Comment number 15.

    Esther Rantzen - why do you give credence to Rantzens desire to stand for Parliament? Just because she is a celebrity? She actually said we need distinguished and professional people (like her) as MP's to clear up the mess. That is patronising, elitist and arrogant? Who does she think she is? Does Rantzen think she's the solution to the deficit of democratic politics? Rantzen supported the Iraq War and the invasion of Lebanon. Rantzen has rubbished Jewish people who criticise Israel as we have every right to do. I hope parties like the Greens will get the protest vote. They have good progressive policies and lets face it people who support progressive policies have no space in this political system. Labour Party is internally completely undemocratic. People are disenfranchised at all levels.

  • Comment number 16.

    I wasnt too impressed with Clegg, but it was impossible to hear what he said because Paxman kept interrupting him. Paxman needs to be less aggressive. Its noisy, irritating, stressful and impossible to listen to, and I just wanted to switch off. Paxman comes across as arrogant. He's experienced enough a journo to ask searching & challenging questions without effectively harassing and harangueing the interviewees. Ditto when you have round table discussions and the journalist chairing doesnt stop people interrupting and all talking at once, so you can't even hear what they're saying, they cant make their points or finish them.

  • Comment number 17.

    WANNABES SCENTING VICTORY

    How painful to watch Clegg and Dave, BURSTING with suppressed self belief and trying to be commanding, masterful, resolute and all the other stuff they are really - not.

    They epitomise, the poor, needy ciphers that WE vote into Parliament under the rosette system. They are double-distilled dross, in that their political associates have elevated them from the Westminster pool of lesserdross to Uberdrossness.

    The Rosette system: Rosettes attached to humanoids are voted for. Winning combinations are returned to Parliament and to constituency duties (diluted by Party diktats.) The rosette is the dominant partner while, as we have seen, the humanoid rosette stand can, and does, get up to all sorts of aberrant behaviour - some of it eye-watering. Few voters take the trouble to assess the character of the rosette stand; they vote, in a trance, for the rosette.

    It is all so primitive. However, it sits well with bizarre religious beliefs and associated rituals; breathing smoke; drinking solvents and, inhumanly, annihilating foreign civilians for their own good (while demanding 'Human Rights' for the annihilators).

    This is not a problem of money-fiddling, nor yet of governance; it is a problem of primitive, juvenile self-deluded behaviour, on the part of Britain and her civilised, democratic millions.

  • Comment number 18.

    Excellent Newsnight tonight, I thought, with Jeremy finding just the right tone in his conversations with both the politicians and the young people who impressed me by what seemed like their truthful and real concern for the poor people they had worked with in South Asia.

  • Comment number 19.

    How can I contribute to Esther Rantzen's campaign?

    How about she starts a party with Martin Bell, say, call it the Integrity party and make sure its candidates are all educated professionals/business men/trades men who have had proper jobs and actually achieved something in their lives already, as well as being genuinely beyond reproach. I have a hunch they would do pretty well.

    Somehow we have to get away from the intellectual lightweights; career politicians and lawyers who only understand how to lie and spin but do or understand nothing of any practical consequence, including change light bulbs.

  • Comment number 20.

    How very ´óÏó´«Ã½ that stupid blood sweat and takeaways piece and program to be is.
    Typical waste flying people about on ´óÏó´«Ã½ expenses. The childish ones taken there sound like they had no experience of that sort of work here so they stood no chance. The west is lucky we do not have to work hard why do they not realise this already instead of their naive pay the poor little people more drivel.
    Company profit here is their and our pensions, their and our good life, never give it away. About as stupid and so called fair trade nonsense. Most people just want their goods cheaper, and will take it cheaper every time over throwing money away, only the fat rich and easy money earners have the luxury of such a blithe attitude to paying more for the same goods.
    Just a typical bleeding heart ´óÏó´«Ã½ attitude set out as the theme no doubt of the full programme. Waste of our taxed licence money on expenses to destroy more of the planet with wanton air travel.

    Let them eat tuna! (cheap as possible)

  • Comment number 21.

    Hubris reaches new heights. The Criminals are blaming the one lone cop on the beat for not having caught and arrested them for their crimes. And just when you think you've seen it all.

  • Comment number 22.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 23.

    Post 220536192009

    Pathetick serious sence of humour failure

    khan I have a ppp p please Auntie P.P. pretty please

  • Comment number 24.

    Young Tom on GMTV

    More Noggin than All our MP'S put 2gether

    Young Tom for Prime Minister.

  • Comment number 25.

    Auntie Beeb the Huge Pension Pot that our wonderfull mp's have access 2,
    thats OUR Money isnt it? CONsidering the amount of people in this country who have Lost theirs shouldnt our wonderfull mp's Lose theirs/Ours

  • Comment number 26.

    DEVOLUTION - GOOD SHOW?

    About 650 MPs make a mess of their expenses system.... and that of 60,000,000 others.

    Is this a coincidence?

    Are their apologies, and efforts to sort out 'the system' just a little too familiar?

    Many people outside the Houses clealry don't understand that the behaviour of parliamentarians is driven by, and constrained by, rules. So when MPs put on a show like yesterday it must surely have been for the cameras?

  • Comment number 27.

    Sorry completely off topic. Jean what do you think of this review and book? It seems to cover some of your views.

  • Comment number 28.

    27 Ecolizzy Interesting Article.

    Dangerous Water 2 Navigate without being Accused of being Racist (Smokescreen)(its a new Industry isnt It)
    Africa is A Wonderfull Place. Why would Anyone want 2 leave her?
    The Middle East is A Wonderfull Place Why would Anyone want 2 leave her?

    7/7 Inquiry out 2day?

    Our wonderfull? security? services? say that there are 2/4 thousand Terrorist Cells in the UK

    Question... Why are these People? still here? Who is Housing/Feeding/Clothing/Educating/Caring for them? IE who is Paying for Them?

    I Bear Closly In Mind One of My Daughters was on A School Bus in London on 7/7

    Our wonderfull mp's want me 2 pay for them and the above? MMMMM


  • Comment number 29.

    ecolizzy (#27) "..Jean what do you think of this review and book?"

    Not a lot from what I can glean from the review, and elsewhere.

    I take it you can

    David Coleman's (co-founder of MigrationWatch) work in demography or work in this field are my major sources for teh demography, Christopher Caldwell is a journalist.

    I don't think it's Muslims who are basically the problem (they are family people), it's what indigenous Europeans have been induced to do to themseves (like the Germans before and after WWII), to the of (some) venal others, which is the major problem in my view.

  • Comment number 30.

    Jeremy on top form with Nick Clegg last night...the public are bored and sick of MPs and their dodgy expenses. Loved Michael's report too :o) What's wrong with Esther Rantzen standing as an Independent? So what if she is a celebrity - she's fought for the public for years - whether it's for consumer rights or for charities, and she is more than worthy of standing for Parliament.
    Although the Blood,Sweat & Takeaways meant well, the general public don't really care that much - the most recent example would be Primark. Did the documentary showing the working conditions of the children making clothes or the pay really put people off? No.Instead we find htat they still make a huge profit and sales are up , even in one of the worst recessions since the Depression.
    A few may say they do care and they would pay more in front of the cameras, but in practice they do not care at all.

  • Comment number 31.

    SORT OF ECHO (27)

    We have lots of NHS rights, but my current brush with that 'organisation' (as concerned but insignificant other) indicates there is no right to understand or be understood.

    It occurred to me that now our military are into Human Rights (and by inference: the whole H&S circus)* will the multi-ethnic platoon (is that the word?) be ruled out due to risk of "Send three and fourpence, we're going to a dance?"

    Is the madness mine? Or might mad leaders be taking us pell-mell to a mad future? (What's that you say Speaker Martin - I struggle with Scots.)

    * Do squaddies have a contract and job description? Does it cover death as part of the job? Might that come under 'unfair contract terms' thus invalidating it?

    PS Jaded Jean. Did you catch the Today program? Mobile death units and additional millions of Jews killed. Your thoughts?

  • Comment number 32.

    29 JJ 2 Interesting Articles (where do you find this stuff)

    There Are 2 Types of Human Being on this Wonderfull Planet of Ours.

    Female/Male

    Which of the above is More Usefull/Less Destructive/Worthless/Useless.
    Split the 4 in2 2 (easy init)

    My Caper since before/during/after Conception Is That You/Me Never Ever Ever EVER Under Any Circumstances Raise A Hand 2 A Female/Woman.(Forget Race Religen culture etc)

    IF the Destructive/Childish/Worthless/Useless Variety of Human? Being? Understood/Understands THAT

    then maybe just maybe we could sort ourselves and the Planet out.

    With NewClear/Nuclear Power on the Rise on the Erect the AlterNative
    is ?

    Answers on A Postcard, Dont Post it 2 Your mp they dont have A Clue.

  • Comment number 33.

    'WE MUST END IT' (indeed)

    barrie (#31) "PS Jaded Jean. Did you catch the Today program? Mobile death units and additional millions of Jews killed. Your thoughts?"

    In brief:-

    Google 'producer-gas vehicles'.

    . a) It's a wonder there are so many left isn't it? and b) isn't it amazing what these 'forensic investigators' can unearth/'put together' over 60 years later? It's truly incredible.

    As always, the key relevant issue for us today is to ask: to what extent material was, and still is, used/abused for political-economic propaganda purposes.

  • Comment number 34.

    It is hard to believe that the political judgement of those in the Labour Party was that Martin could tough it out.

    It was never going to happen and you would hope that the solution will not be a quick knee jerk but to look at our constitutional arrangements to see how it was we got into this mess.

  • Comment number 35.

    H&S SAFETY AT WAR TRICKLE DOWN

    barrie (#31) As you no doubt heard this AM:

    "British forces serving abroad should be protected by the Human Rights Act - even when they are not at military bases, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Former head of the Army General Sir Mike Jackson discusses what the implications of this ruling could be."

    The hog-tying is getting more and more absurd. Note how prominent women/mothers figure (unwittingly no doubt) in all of this anarchism.

  • Comment number 36.

    #31 barriesingleton

    The important thing is the BNP and those of that ilk cannot be in the armed forces, or the police, so don't get excited.

    Yours, and others, posts about millions of Jews being killed are not unusual and show why that is very good thing that the BNP are kept out of those positions.

    Humanity emerged from a primordial soup and developed.

    The far right emerged from a 1930's moral and intellectual cesspit and stood still. The same arguments and self delusion appear to sustain you and fortunately you don't learn from your mistakes - though Hitler did see the Russians coming and took the easy way out.

  • Comment number 37.

    #33 Jaded_Jean

    "As always, the key relevant issue for us today is to ask: to what extent material was, and still is, used/abused for political-economic propaganda purposes."

    From the people who gave the world:

    Hitler was peace-loving
    There was no Holocaust - and would not be one should the BNP get into power.
    Race "realism"
    Eugenics

    My only concern is that a generation of protest voters don't understand that you people are quite serious about what you say and not some "Springtime for Hitler" appreciation group that has gone off the rails.

    By the way when you say "us" remember most people would get up and walk away from you once they knew what you were about.

    "Us" is quite offensive to the majority of the public.

  • Comment number 38.

    As ever I am intrigued how the Scarlet Pimpernel - McBride - is managing to stay off the media radar.

    If his "holiday" is being paid for by Labour that speaks volumes, as does their failure to encourage him to speak to the HoC committee interested in the email smears.

    If Brown goes, should it be shown he did know about the campaign, then Labour would have to go and the impending general election becomes bloodier and faster than many expected.

    Will Labour exist in twenty years?

  • Comment number 39.

    Speaker

    the opening presentation seemed a bit partisan- get the speaker out stuff. a touch of the Peter Cook judge summing up style?

    Tuna

    looked like a scene from brat camp. the single issue arguments are just teenagery.


    with that euro song compo and this bbc3 tie in NN is going for yoof market?

  • Comment number 40.

    thegangofone (#37) "Hitler was peace-loving"

    I remind you of a few well documented historical and contemporary facts:-

    1. Britain declared war on Germany (but not on the USSR which invaded Poland at the same time).
    2. Poland was, along with West USSR, the home of European Jews and Bolshevism.
    3. Even Stalin was trying to remove Bolshevism, why?
    4. .

    "It is untrue that I or anyone else in Germany wanted the war in 1939. It was desired and instigated exclusively by those international statesmen who were either of Jewish descent or worked for Jewish interests. I have made too many offers for the control and limitation of armaments, which posterity will not for all time be able to disregard for the responsibility for the outbreak of this war to be laid on me. I have further never wished that after the first fatal world war a second against England, or even against America, should break out. Centuries will pass away, but out of the ruins of our towns and monuments the hatred against those finally responsible whom we have to thank for everything, international Jewry and its helpers, will grow."

    Take the war against Iraq and the threats to Iran (and before that, Stalinist USSR). Why did Britain go to war against Iraq? Was it not fomented much like the war against Germany? Are not the very problems to which Hitler refered at the end of his life those which confront us today? Most recently it was presented as a war on 'Islamo-fascist' terrorism, but who are their mortal enemies and who are the latter's foot-soldiers?

  • Comment number 41.

    Always interested in how our print media works. The usual machinations from the fascist-left exposed a daily red-top printing lies then later retracting and apologising. The 'BNP will eat your pets' story should soon be doing the rounds shortly. We do love them smear stories. The fascist-left do really come up with them.

    Over the pond: A report from CNN with Cristopher Hitchens. Can't see this getting through but some are pushing for it i.e the usual crowd.
    A few months old so not sure how this is panning out.



  • Comment number 42.

    Just a few points re the Tuna cannery visit:

    With the 50% price fluctuation game of BOGOF in the supermarkets for tins of tuna, it would be easy to eake out 10p extra to go direct to the workers and dramatically improve their lot.

    More importantly something missed by all others AFAIK:

    Did you notice the size of the tuna being processed?
    No bigger than a decent mackerel.
    When I was a lad all picture books referred to tuna as being 100's of lb. So, if processing tonnage is currently up 20 fold for example, and fish are now between 1/20th and 1/50th of mature size, we are looking at between 400 and 1000 times the catch rate, no wonder we fish to extinction.
    Note all figures are ficticious and may be better or, as I suspect worse in reality...

  • Comment number 43.

    thecookieducker (#41) Interesting link, and to hear Judaism described as one of the three main religions alongside Christianity and Islam given the tiny Jewish world population compared to Hindus and Buddhists, and even more peculiar/hypocritical when one bears in mind the link off here. This is a battle for socio-economic hegemony which has morphed, and most Europeans don't see it for what it really is.


  • Comment number 44.

    with that euro song compo and this bbc3 tie in NN is going for yoof market?

    I believe the meedjah term is 'aiming for' which, in this targetphilic age may explain why it's perhaps best not used in this case.

    Still, I am sure we can ask all the new friends who have joined as a consequence of the last, recent, musical outing. So... guys.... guys?

  • Comment number 45.

    GOOD BUY EE GOOD BUY EE WIPE A TEAR FROM YOUR EYE GOOD BUY EE.

    TEA N SYMPATHY FRAE ME MMMMMMMMMM NAH/NO

    when's the rest going and the Pension's

    form A Q

  • Comment number 46.

    They all stand naked in this mess, friends to each other and yet they conspired to oust their fellow superior. My vote will go to the complete abolishing the democratic system sleazed with man-made laws suitable for them, as long it stays undetected. Not one parliamentarian should escape from the net, displace them punish them for theft, fraud and sinking the boat with all aboard.

  • Comment number 47.

    Newsnight 2night what a load of HITs

    No wonderfull eye dont bother

    I Pay You Pay who PayS

    You PAY

    You Pay if U Like

    Eye Pay For what I Like

    Eye Dont Pay for what I DONT LIKE.

  • Comment number 48.

    Mick the Mouth 1.4 M Pension + A seat, when/Where does the Gravy Endeath

  • Comment number 49.

    Young Soldier blown 2 bits, annual wage less than 15K, muppet mp Expences MORE Than 15K per Year. MMMMMMMMMMMM nice

    2/4 ooo

  • Comment number 50.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

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