´óÏó´«Ã½

SURELY MAGIC OBAMA HAS IT ALL IN HAND?

And Westminster with a new Speaker - well - there's the answer.

Broadband for all - online answers to crime, health and poverty - sorted.

Newbury has an excellent local newspaper. If they get short of money they can convert to 'bank' status. That seems to work.

"We are watching the pictures of demonstrators - thousands of men and women - in London protesting at the outcome of the G20 -

They are on the streets despite the threat of a clampdown by the various police forces of the victorious/ unelected PM Gordon Brown."

Iran /UK less than half a dozen words difference now. Well apart from they had an election.

So let's not get too sanctimonious


Local newspapers tend now to be owned by the major media so many seruptitiously toe the establishment line now.

Others run so many adverts from the Local authority, they are 'bought' and paid for.

Celtic Lion

"Carter was the first chief executive of Ofcom, the communications regulator, and has a reputation as a hard-working technocrat. One minister said: "He is a serious grown-up. He did a brilliant job forming Ofcom into a highly respected organisation."

Brown said: "As both a chief executive and industry regulator, he has an enviable track record in the private and public sectors and will bring his considerable qualities and experience to the work of government."



Pointingly, Peston asks today 'Should we trust the regulators?'

A 'serious grown up'. So serious that there was talk of withdrawing to a 'back-room' - evidently he escaped.

It appears that New Labour surrounds itself with spin-doctors. How are they 'serious grown ups'? Why does anyone take anything that these people say seriously?

"Mr Netanyahu said that if Israel received international guarantees in advance that the new nation would have no military, and if Palestinians recognised Israel as specifically Jewish, he would support the establishment of a Palestinian state."

How about if we define Europe and the USA as 'specifically Christian'?

talking of voting systems that would shame a banana republic will the uk postal ballots be cleaned up?

Ann Widdecombe will give the house virtue regardless if they like or not?

Bercow will give them humour.

a woman suits the british psyche better which, deep down, is all about pleasing mother [or nanny] and where the pain of a good tongue whipping by a dominatrix figure is seen as a pleasurable correction for the soul?

Will Cameron pledge to drop the Iraq War whitewash when they win (or create a coalition with the Lib Dems) and have a full inquiry?

The listening Brown and Labour have heard the people - but as ever take their own arrogant path that they think will draw a line under the episode. More probably this will be the like Poll Tax - something that is not forgotten and exemplifies the failings of the governing party.

Has any more emerged about Von Bruun in the US - the crazy that killed a security guard at a Holocaust museum and had links to American Friends of the BNP?

Has Griffin condemned the senseless killing and the rabied views of the lunatic?

bookhimdano (#6) "a woman suits the british psyche better which, deep down, is all about pleasing mother [or nanny] and where the pain of a good tongue whipping by a dominatrix figure is seen as a pleasurable correction for the soul?"

Oo err..now you've asked for it. That's almost sure to trigger an inspired tirade from the NN guardian of political correctness.

Local Papers;
After years of just a free paper, which cannot be contoversial for fear of offending the adverisers on which it depends, a paid for local paper was started a year or so ago. So far this paper (although one in a national stable of papers) has addressed local issues that the local ´óÏó´«Ã½ avoids.
There has be good coverage of planning, the recent gerrymandering of local government, contentious changes to school admissions policies, and attempts a academistaion of perfectly Ok schools. Even a very honest writer on local eateries.
If we were solely dependent on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ we would just get there regurgitating og police PR handout, tales of misfortune & scrotery and little heartwarming bits of trivia

On Iran, I would like to think we are on the brink of change for the better and greater personal freedom in that country. However, I am reminded of 20 years ago when, as in idealistic 19 year old, I watched as communist regimes fell across Europe and mass demonstrations started in Beijing. We all thought that regime would follow those in Europe.

It all turned out very differently there of course, and there is plenty of scope for something similar to happen in Tehran yet.

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

Hi,

you are not covering the 'secret' inquiry into the Iraq war tonight, lots of hot air in protest in the Commons -will this translate into action. No. why not? because the labour MPs who know this is wrong, will put their Party and their careers ahead of their own country.
If this incorrect, ask them to prove by doing something, not just taking part in a cathartic exercise to appease their own consciences and look good for the camera.

re local papers,

in my area one of the papers still makes money out of vulnerable women whose services are advertised in the back pages and the other one doesn't, in keeping with the stance taken by the group that owns it.
worth covering perhaps when discussing local newspapers incomes?

Iterested in the slight about who the next Mouthpiece will be

cant be any Worse than the last one can he/she

(I wish I was a complete and utter Failure 1.7 M Pension, stick the lordship)

Iraq noninqueery = money doon the drain

so much for oh gord's openess and transparency

I dont think I will Ever have 2 eat my own head

As far as the Speaker election goes, no one who voted in favour of keeping MP's expenses secret should be allowed to run. Neither should anyone who has been on the fiddle. That only leaves Richard Shepherd and Sir Patrick Cormack as far as I can work out.

That really does emphasise what a shabby crew they all are. How can you have anyone with a dubious past doing this job? Why not wait until after the election then at least there could be someone untainted elected.

IRAQ INQUIRY

Barrie

This yours, as they say a day is a long time in politics.

/blogs/newsnight/fromthewebteam/2009/06/friday_12_june_2009.html

Can't decide whether it was goldy and tinny or just an aberration

Celtic

Iran: I realise that Kirsty Wark's guests were in St Andrews and New York respectively, but does she have to SHOUT her questions?
- Microphones save you all that hassle.

Michael Crick has the right idea. Much better delivery.

THE JOYS OF DEMOCRACY AND FREE SPEECH

Those fool Iranians! One million in the streets and the leadership paying attention? British democracy would never stand for it. When a million of us stood in the street, our democratically elevated PM, Tony Blair, just ignored us. Hoorah for freedom! We must bomb them immediately.

PS I notice Bob Ainsworth (is that Bob as in: "bob and weave"?) is now calling Iraq a 'conflict' - no longer a war. The Falklands was a 'conflict' too. Might it be that secret enquiries are to do with 'conflict resolution' rather than war crimes?

To my surprise I thought the young Asian Labour candidate fitted the bill of what people would want to see.

Plain, honest speaking, intelligent and representative.

I suppose the fact that he could also see the threat of the evil BNP was a bonus and swayed my vote.

How long before we get rid of this ludicrous "men in tights" rigmarole and seek a more genuine democratic expression that will preserve us from those that seek tyranny.

So, Parmjit Dhanda, M.P., believes the election of two B.N.P. members shows Britons' disengagement with politics. This is classic arrogance from our elected 'betters'. As vile as the B.N.P. are, the fact some M.Ps. cannot grasp how a vote for them could be based on a sound understanding of British politics shows how much they deserve our contempt. A vote for the B.N.P. may be one based on a narrow range of issues, but the issues may be or feel pertinent to the voter and the voter is entitled to vote how he/she wishes. Every vote is valid and should be accepted. To any M.P. reading this: get some help if you don't understand this.

go1 at 7: we don't use the term 'whitewash'...its very non PC. We use the term 'cover up'...The goosestepper holocaust deniers are everywhere these days eh...i walked into an empty room the other day and spotted half a dozen Nazies...longest 30 minutes i've had for a long time!

Police brutality?... not a Rodney King moment this but Shami has already uttered her usual preditable nonsense - as seen on ´óÏó´«Ã½ news.

What has Mugabe, Armadinnerjacket and Brown got in common?

Answer on a postcard. The non-randomly picked card gets to spend a week at a Berlusconi owned Italian Villa (if Tony and the wicked witch aint using it)

Where, where, where is McBride?

He must have so many tales to tell. Perhaps the Telegraph may be in profit from the expenses story and feel like further investment.

Meanwhile Brown has made knee jerk proposals on parliamentary reforms and now is seeking an image consultant.

Iraq War Whitewash, Hutton, 10p, ban regulation, McBride, expenses, party funding "scandals", ID cards, 42 days, failure to decide on what to do about the House of Lords and so on and so on.

The consultant must be on for a bonus that would make Fred Goodwin blush.

It was a very pleasant change to hear an American commentator saying his country would not judge or interfere with Iranian matters. In contrast to the strident and bombastic bigots that usually issue forth nonsense from the USA on your programme, this mild sounding man seemed almost angelic.

There are maybe a million or more people on the streets of Tehran protesting, it reminds me of the enormous crowd I was amongst during the large anti-Iraq-war demo in London. But nevertheless, we don't know what's happening in other parts of Iran. We don't get told that, and Iran is an extremely large country. It's possible that the majority of people who are against Ahmadinejad happen to live in Tehran, for all we know, and in the rest of the country they support him. I wonder also, what proportion of Iranians have access to the internet, mobile phones, twitter, and that sort of thing? I'd guess that only the richer faction of Iranians have those, so it's possible that those are the sort of people who are protesting, and the majority of poorer people aren't, for whatever reason, possibly because the majority of them voted for the incumbent.

Speaker: Ann Widdecombe seems the best by far.

Iraq war enquiry: By choosing to have a secretive establishment enquiry, Gordon Brown has made himself look worse, and annoyed more people, than if he chose not to have an enquiry at all. Has he completely taken leave of his senses?

I really can't imagine any of those five as Speaker. It needs maturity and experience as well as obvious strength of character. Oh for the days of Betty Boothroyd!

Choosing a Speaker
==================

It seems that having a temporary speaker for the few months until the next election would cost us up to £2.1 million in pension fees. How on earth does that fit alongside the reason for getting a new Speaker???

(Speaker Martin's pension as an annuity has been valued at £2.1m, being a minimum 50% of salary with no minimum term. That would surely be more than every questionable expense claim from all MPs for several years!)

WESTMINSTER

The lynch-pin is monarchy. The whole show is feudal. Good management of a country, in the interest of its people, is 'something entirely different'.

barrie (#19) "I notice Bob Ainsworth (is that Bob as in: "bob and weave"?) is now calling Iraq a 'conflict' - no longer a war. The Falklands was a 'conflict' too. Might it be that secret enquiries are to do with 'conflict resolution' rather than war crimes?"

A very astute observation. I wonder if the people involved appreciate that this denial is characteristic of a culture which is willingly subjecting itself to 'cognitive dimming' and an increaed inability to accurately self-observe, report and constructively act?

No doubt many will tell themselves that it's just urbane expression, but it is in fact negative reinforcement at work, i.e. a preference for relief from the aversive because it's hard work, shaping people further towards becoming ever more insensitive to what's .

Strugglingtostaycalm (#21) The views I have heard expressed by the elected BNP MEPs have all been very sensible, and I suspect these are widely shared by much of the (male, gentile) White British population. What the BNP MEPs have been drawing attention to is a subtle discrimination against White British gentile males by ommission. Opposition against them counts on the self-interest of those whose interests are being promoted at the above group's expense. This is why some once refered to the machinations of Social-Democrats (see the Socialist International today, remembering that the Bolsheviks were originally the Russian Social Democratic Party) I suspect. Whilst most of these movements are not homogeneous and don't bear up to very close scrutiny, we should be concerned about our continued drift towards this anarchistic destruction of Britain. There are over 700 million Africans and nearly a couple of billion South Asians, each continent characterised by much lower mean IQs (by two standard deviations and one respectively), so unless there's a dramatic curb on immigration from these continents (and Frattini is planning for more not less) which is visibly enforced in practice it must be the case that Britain will, socially, and economically, become more like those continents at the expense of the welfare state and (falling) population. Those arguing against this don't see what is going on because they are, sadly, nice but dim.

VERBAL SLEAZE FROM MANSE-COMPASS PRESBYTERIAN MAN.

At #19 above I posted: PS I notice Bob Ainsworth (is that Bob as in: "bob and weave"?) is now calling Iraq a 'conflict' - no longer a war. The Falklands was a 'conflict' too. Might it be that secret enquiries are to do with 'conflict resolution' rather than war crimes?

Since that post, I have registered that 'it's official'. Bluster-Brown is also using 'CONFLICT' as opposed to 'WAR'. Could we have some competent comment on the linguistic nicety in use here? I feel sure it was a war when we were bombing the proverbial out of them.

thegangofone (#20) ""How long before we get rid of this ludicrous "men in tights" rigmarole and seek a more genuine democratic expression that will preserve us from those that seek tyranny."

A confused question once again. What, rather ironically, characterises your posts is a abject failure of discrimination. You are so wrapped up with what you think is equality and democracy that you don't make even basic discriminations which are required for intelligent judgement. That is, you are in fact celebrating/promoting stupid behaviour but can't see it. That's social-fascism at work.

BASICALLY NORMAL PEOPLE (#28)

I had a 'racist' chat with a retired teacher - much my age - at a suburban garden gate, on a sunny morning; we made no plans to attack or deport anyone. (:o)

I think I coined the 'inverse taboo' recently. These are cultural-norms as artificial, toxic, and - it seems - persistent, as Dioxins and other man-made chemical mistakes. Unless we take note of NATURAL IMPERATIVES
(as I type, a very earnest Miliband-D thinks he is grappling with VITAL FACTORS) and shape our culture to harmonise and resonate with them, and to fortify them; EVEN forty Milibands with forty 'mops' will never 'sweep it clear'.

We swept away 'the last (positive) taboo' long ago, but have installed INVERSE TABOOS in their place, espousing all that is aberrant. What a phenomenal cock-up! (And Miliband et al have no idea of such things.

post 21 yes its a case of sticking on our currant crop of plonkers rodders.

Barrie 27 Feudal 2 you and me may be differant PS I only Smoke when I'm on Fire.

A Elk I mean An Elk oops No I mean Ann Wit gets my Caper because its Interim.

barrie (#31) "And Miliband et al have no idea of such things."

His father did. The Western 'communists' of the New Left were/are Trotskyites/Social-Democrats (social-fascists). They erode the state spinning it as 'state-capitalism', they don't build states up. Anything which helps their anarchism is embraced. This is why Stalin purged the ECCI (Comintern). This is why WWII came about. Germany wanted Britain to help her fight the Comintern and international Bolshevism, not Stalinism, instead, Britain attacked her. Why? Stalin wanted to work with Germany too but .... how did that happen? Who fomented that? Why?

dAllan169 (#32) Please drop the word-salad and write clearly. We know you can do it. ;-)

JJ fair comment I am a lazy Git why write a Thesis of a billion words when it can be dun in Phrase or a ryme, frugal prundant, dont mention Dear expensive PruDance to 2 dear VERY EXPENCIVE gordon. (it will cost U not Me) :) eh? (:

JJ got 2 go will get back 2 u

(ant beeb may be scared of my last)

Suppose that everyone has conveniently forgot that Anne Widdicombe was the home office minster who kept pregnant women prisoners in chains to give birth. Hardly a key qualification to become the speaker in the parliament of an alleged civilised country ?

#24 Hattie

"There are maybe a million or more people on the streets of Tehran protesting, it reminds me of the enormous crowd I was amongst during the large anti-Iraq-war demo in London. But nevertheless, we don't know what's happening in other parts of Iran. We don't get told that, and Iran is an extremely large country. It's possible that the majority of people who are against Ahmadinejad happen to live in Tehran, for all we know, and in the rest of the country they support him. I wonder also, what proportion of Iranians have access to the internet, mobile phones, twitter, and that sort of thing? I'd guess that only the richer faction of Iranians have those, so it's possible that those are the sort of people who are protesting, and the majority of poorer people aren't, for whatever reason, possibly because the majority of them voted for the incumbent."

There is much analysis about the Iran situation. Some of it reflects your comments exactly. The election result may be entirely accurate.

The Western media inc NN have become absorbed in a small Tehran media bubble. Much of Iran is poor and peasant population. These are the supporters of Ahmadinejad. A large proportion of the population the media nver canvassed for their opinion.

Concentrating on the the middle class, twitters, bloggers, mobile users of the capital city. Those who have direct access to the media being the voice that is heard.

We shall have to see. One potential problem is now the vote WILL be rigged to fit in with the Tehran minority and the western media requirements for another 'people's revolution'.

Millions more Iranians effectively losing their vote. Que cera cera.

Celtic Lion

Why on earth is the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s budget being cut and diverted to ITV etc? Surely ITV/local papers etc are all SUPPOSED to be COMMERCIALLY run - so why should the taxpayer be liable for it?

As for local papers - I don't know anyone who reads them - they are just a waste of money and waste of paper, so not only is it harmful to the environment, it is wasting public money too. It is bad enough that the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s budget has been cut, particularly in the area of News (remember 2007?) - why isn't it being invested in that? And will we ever have any documentaries by Attenborough et al or will we be subjected to dumbed down quiz shows/reality tv (which is going down the drain too)/some other rubbish?

What makes it even worse is that MPs seem to have limitless expenses and get away with it. They seem to be the only ones with pay rises!

brossen99 (#37) "Suppose that everyone has conveniently forgot that Anne Widdicombe was the home office minster who kept pregnant women prisoners in chains to give birth. Hardly a key qualification to become the speaker in the parliament of an alleged civilised country ?"

You don't have much direct experience with the CJS do you? I suggest you look into this more carefully. Female prisoners can be very destructive, especially towards themselves and their own best interests. Female ofenders are often accurately described as more 'mad' than bad. :-(

Iran:- Lots of people out making a lot of noise. Some people die when they're out excitedly making lots of noise. It happens here all the time here. Given some in the West have a vested interest in seeing Iran dramatically change political course, the media here should be far more even handed or we will doubt what else they're reporting. The fact that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ has been banned from so many places in recent times is bad for Britain.

Mistress76uk (#39) "What makes it even worse is that MPs seem to have limitless expenses and get away with it. They seem to be the only ones with pay rises!"

MPs are like women/feminised males and many (not all) Jewish people. MPs love drawing attention to themsleves (it's their narcissism, they are made that way). They'll do almost anything to get attention whilst denying thsi is what they do. MPs haven't quite got around to going about with no pants on yet, but it probably won't be long!

There are only about 650 MPs, so what else can explain all this fuss about their trivial expenses? The bill to the taxpayer amounts to peanuts in the grand scheme of things. We give that much away to all sorts of lost causes almost every day and nobody gives two hoots. It's just a subterfuge because they can't manage the financial service crooks (see Peston on regulators). In fact, they can't manage anything. They live in Oz.

People need to get a grip, but they can't as most are pretty stupid - they can't help that. People have no sense of perspective any more because so many are so stupid. If it isn't MPs and their expenses, it's something equally trivial grabbing their attention.

I reckon we've got a pandemic of Attention Deficit Disorder and narcissism. It all follows from dysgenesis. ;-)!

We should stop exporting democracy everywhere - it's like Swine Flu!

#40 JJ

If said women were " mad " they should have been in a mental hospital, ( like all too often other prisoners ) but my memory suggests that some of the said chained mothers were in for things like not paying their TV licence. Suppose at least the " ´óÏó´«Ã½ " think it was OK then ?

Me #37

I believe that Tory Widdicombe also voted FOR the Fox Hunting Ban, all the evidence suggests that like many other politicians she cares more about animals than people.

brossen99 (#44) "If said women were " mad " they should have been in a mental hospital, ( like all too often other prisoners ) but my memory suggests that some of the said chained mothers were in for things like not paying their TV licence. Suppose at least the " ´óÏó´«Ã½ " think it was OK then ?"

Sadly it doesn't work like that. Even for males, a very large proportion have diagnosed Personality Disorders. These Axis II problems do not render them unfit plead. They are legally responsible for their actions, hence they go to prison.

The media is not to be trusted. Surely you know this by now? At the moment it's trying to whip up a 'revolution' in Tehran/virtual reality. Trouble-makers they are. Who knows what Israel and NGO bloggers are up to. The media is always making out that convicted offenders must be treated better. They haven't a clue. Media's full of Trots/anarchists/'sisters'. ;-)

post 37 civilised country? what planet u livin on mate

DIGITAL BRITAIN

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ being 'sold off'? Yet more predatory fragmentation of the state in favour of the free-market by a parchuted in New Labour spin-doctor.

Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Trust, spoke sense today. If the licence fee is to be taken away from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ it should be given back to the public.

Predation of the Private Sector on the naive public via anarchistic New Labour is chutzpah incarnate, second only to that of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats ;-).

JJ Re your 48 dont worry 2 much about New Labour They are Finished

Dont give them Any Money, you know what I am saying

Easy init

Pay tony blair and others pensions cut my head OFF ie over my dead body

dAllan169 (#47) "post 37 civilised country? what planet u livin on mate"

Perhaps he just means that , which presumably makes them proletarians rather than peasants?

The trouble is, as we don't have much manufacturing industry anymore (80% of the economy is Service Sector based) what are they all doing?

´óÏó´«Ã½ News just had on...... The ´óÏó´«Ã½ also had a person on saying we should stay out of the Iran events.

For the benefit of viewers, should there not have been some edgy graphics highlighting Dan Senor's history and affiliations (and the other person's)?

When is the next plane 2 Bhutan? JJ (No nu labour there is there?)

dAllan169 (#52) has given New Labour a red card, just as UNITE has. The trouble is, as healey once said to the rebels, there is nowhere to go. That's how we ended up with the SDP and Liberal-Democrats and ultimately, how New Labour came about as a clone of the Conservatives. Everyoine has been scared off Old Labour by fabricated horror stories of the evils of statism, be that in 1030s Gemrany or the USSR. A dictatorship of the prolelariat doesn't mean one's ruled by the underclass, it just means that workers (which include teachers, doctors etc) get to elect representatives. The problem is now our skewed demographics resulting in an anti-elitist underclass cutting off its nose to spite its face. We can thank Blair, Miliband and the New Left for that, its driving force being half a generation of tilted birth rate via education, education, education on t op of Thtacher's which has dumbed down the population via increasing differential fertility. People won't see how this fed libertarianism, i.e anarchism, i.e those who just sought to profit via the free-market from an incease in ignorant consumers.

´óÏó´«Ã½ Iran

John Simpson said the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Persian service was receiving mobile phone pictures etc "showing the full extent of what was going on".

My mobile is a phone doesn't take pictures. So we are getting the full extent of what is going on by people with a newer phone then me.

Would the ´óÏó´«Ã½ please be able to show us the 'full extent' of what is going on in the villages, in the countryside where the people, who may be like myself, and aren't really bothered about the latest consumer toy, live and work.

Anyway I found these of street violence which has been shown on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ news. Hope it doesn't spread and gets brought under control. What sort of country is this?

[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]


What's this Twitter it seems Demi Moore likes to use it.

Celtic Lion

53 JJ Beginning 2 get your drift on a lot of issues.

Nulab have twisted spun Skewed bent everything they have touched even if Pigs fly (politicians LY/Fly) I wont believe/trust a damn thing that any of them say/spray 2 the point of they wont get any fun/funding out of me.

Dear prudance/gordn Can U get Blood from A Stone? TRY It m8 Just TRy IT

JJ #48

Following on from the 'digital Britain' thought. I think the question should again be "Who gains?".

I live at the bottom of the Wish Valley. Analogue TV reception is acceptable but I don't watch very much so I'm not particularly bothered. In three years from now analogue in this region will be switched off. Ok, so it's digital terrestrial - except that it needs a better signal than I get here, so that's a non starter. Fine, let's do satellite. Why should I have to pay for all the 'commercial' channels I never watch? Freesat then, except in a couple of years time when the (TPO) oaks across the road have grown a little higher I won't be able to do that either (the dish is already attached to the highest point of teh building). Broadband? Don't make me laugh - download speed is usually around 1/2meg here. BT say I should get 7meg but the problem might be (only might be their overhead line from the pole to my house, they would replace this but it would cost me £400 to do it. So no TV for me in digital Britain.

Announced yesterday analogue radio is also for the chop - RADIO! Here we go again, it has at last been admitted that DAB is a failure, the expected take-up isn't happening. Why? Because it doesn't work except in ideal conditions, I have one room upstairs in this house where reception is possible, everywhere else it sounds like Donald Duck gargling. WiFi then - see above. The government seems to have failed to understand radio. It's the thing in your car, the thing in your pocket, the thing in the bathroom. The REAL people's voice in this country (sorry NN, it ain't TV). It's everywhere; informing, education, amusing. And we are going to lose it.

I don't live in some out of the way cave half way up a mountain near Fort William, this is a busy, thriving village in the 'priviledged' saouth east!

If all these 'improvements are so obviously to the disadvantage of the consumer why is it being pressed ahead with against all advice? Because someone is making money. They are making money out of selling off the vacant frequencies, out of all the new transmitters and all the new receivers. Oh yhes, and it's an extra six quid a year on all the pensioners' telephone bill for the land line they depend upon for contact and help in emergencies.

Now I ask again - WHO GAINS?

(I apologise for any typos I might have missed, but I am bloody cross!)

More.

Could it possibly be that there is a parallel here with Hattie's (#24) thoughts on Tehran? Is it being engineered that only those in the major conurbations will have access to information, the rest of us being effectively disenfranchised? Neutralised?

NewFazer (#56;#57) Fascinating stuff. Here's some figures on I guess we can't count on you peasants in any anti-anarchist revolt then?

PS. Speaking of volatile people (not that I blame them having seen 'Team America'), don't mess with any !

PPS. Why aren't they in the SCO?