´óÏó´«Ã½

UNSUITABILITY BROWN.

James Brown (he that is called Gordon) is not a statesman - he's an angry little boy. But he knows from his days in the Manse, he must be a GOOD boy; thus there are TWO Browns. For convenience I will call them Jekyll and Hyde.

When Brown became PM, Tony's Wars were Labour's wars, so they had to be 'supported'. The dead kept arriving. Jekyll knew personal letters of condolence were the proper thing (and would look good) but Hyde has no truck with such pathetic, pandering. Thus, when Jekyll writes, Hyde sabotages. Jekyll, left to his own devices, would know that a DICTATED (then typed) letter, checked for anything untoward, with an excusory preamble about his poor writing, and a hand-written opening and closure (proving the point) would be PRUDENT. Hyde, of course, sweeping such thoughts aside, makes the whole job seem irksome; he rushes poor Brown into crass error, and smirks all the way to the post box.

When the balloon goes up, Jekyll feels a personal phone call is required, but Hyde has him take a crass defensive stance against a woman who has just lost a son. Later, Hyde has Brown use that old Westminster ploy: 'defend the extreme case'. Brown says to the press: "I would never DELIBERATELY write something to give offence". TRUE - but INTENT was never the beef, was it!

Even the writing is fragmented. (I have read a 'professional' graphological character-analysis based on his black-blob marks. From what she wrote, I can hardly believe we are viewing the same hand.) And all this stuff about eyesight, does not wash, with regard to the underlying structure (lack of) in his writing, let alone failure to adopt an avoidance strategy as above.

Brown is STRUGGLING. At the Cenotaph he got so far in the ritual, then went blank. By my reading he knew he had to do something with his head but went for 'up' instead of down' (he makes a lot of equivalent, verbal clangers, at the dispatch box). Something is eating Brown - could it be himself? Every finger nail tells a story.

The Westminster/Party system, saw fit to elevate this wreck of a man to Prime Minister; World Prancer and Button Pusher 'In-Waiting'. I do not believe the ordinary citizen would be so unkind. Westminster is a soulless place.

The media, happy WITHIN THE LIE, argue over second-order factors - the politicians likewise. The truth is that Brown (through no choice of his own) has serious human deficiency; the current pressure is probably making this worse. In short order, he should be deposed, for his own, and for all our sakes. In the longer term there is a need to look at WHY we have a Westminster ethos that elevates the flawed, deluded and needy, to lead this country. FOR A RETURN TO NATIONAL SANITY AND CALM, THE 'WESTMINSTER ERROR' MUST BE ADDRESSED.

The place to start: SPOIL PARTY GAMES.

SUN SHADES

I hope that someone recognises and exposes how appallingly badly the Sun has behaved in view of its manipulation of a grieving widow to their own murky ends.

SHAME ON THEM!

LITTLE OLD TIME WASTER ME (#30)

If you had as much time to waste watching the box as I have, BYT, you would have seen a very feisty mother, in a long interview, who gives no sign of being manipulated by anyone - and said as much.

I have no time for the Sun (or trust in any news media) but predict the real Machiavellian stuff is going on in the Brown Zone.

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

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

THE LABOUR GOVT's DEFENCE SPENDING & (LACK OF) ARMED FORCES' PLANNING PRACTICES DURING THE LAST 12-YEARS SHOW AN UNDENIABLE PATTERN OF DELIBERATE NEGLIGENCE:

PART 3:

If its true that "... the (UK) armed forces... never really believed the prime minister was 'on their side'".... as Lord Inge was recently reported on Newsnight as alleging...

No wonder, considering the often astonishingly evasive AND NEGATIVELY BIASED testimony from apparently Labour-driven MoD officials and bureaucrats regarding defence-projects/acquisition programmes to Parliamentary oversight committees...

Such can be found in the January 15-2001 testimony of Sir Robert Walmsley and Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham to the Commons' Public Accounts committee:



Testimony shows that there were indeed plans within the MoD to commission new Type-45 Destroyers without any sonar fitted- in addition to their many other egregious lack of weapons systems & capabilities' deficiencies...

Testimony also shows how dangerously outmoded the STILL NOT REPLACED TODAY IN 2009 Sea Dart anti airborne threat system was in 2001...

One would expect that members of the MoD that were aware of hugely serious and highly dangerous equipment capability shortfalls would have been testifying loudly for immediate rectification- not attempting to defend irresponsible govt funding and acquisition policies- by trying to double talk committee members and avoid admitting how dangerous the equipment capability shortfalls were...

Parliamentary committees ought to be receiving their defence-acquisition issue briefs from impartial bodies such as what the US uses: its Congressional Research Service:



(type in a few search words like "aircraft carrier" or "navy" or "weapons programs" or "fighter aircraft"...

... and compare the wealth and scope of comparatively unbiased information being provided to US govt Congressmen & Senators about their country's defence-programmes and armed forces' capability requirements to the often drivelish, dangerously incomplete and inexcusably vague information provided to UK Parliamentary Committee MP's and Lords.... )

Sure, the armed forces don't trust the current govt... but appropriate structures that could take steps to rectify the factors that lead to this- such as Parliamentary Committees- don't...

This, in part due to Parliamentary Committees' shoddy and far from objective sources of armed forces' related information...

Without the provision to Parliamentary Committees of unvarnished, objective and in-depth information about armed forces issues/acquisition programmes/etc- these Committees will remain at best, impotent chair warming exercises- and unable to effect blatantly improper policy decisions of a sitting govt...




_________________
Roderick V. Louis,
Vancouver, BC,
Canada

I'm no fan of Gordon Brown's premiership or his policies, but I don't doubt that his heart's in the right place. Of course, that's not enough to make someone an effective leader, but I've found the media portrayal of him in the last couple of days over his handwritten letter quite distasteful.

IS BROWN'S WELL STOCKED LIBRARY MADE UP OF LARGE PRINT BOOKS?

There is much evidence that Brown is an avid reader, and none, that he requires large print books or, indeed, glasses.

He seems to prefer a black felt pen for notes to be read from a lectern or despatch box but, strangely, the size of the writing is such, that the broad line causes it to become mixed up with itself - clarity is lost. In light of this, that he should use it for personal letter writing, is highly idiosyncratic/ self indulgent - even bizarre.

Might the thick black line be more to do with the character of the user, than any pragmatism?

Who floated the idea that his eyesight, albeit confined to one eye, makes 'marks on paper' problematic? In passing, I notice he runs up steps and jumps onto the odd dais. Not typical of the partially sighted.
Could it be that No 10 is as unscrupulous as The Sun? Perish the thought.

#61
Brightyangthing
I'm up so everything is fine.
I don't particularly feel like talking about Richard Dawkins too much for the time being but will browse through the book to see what you mean about his attitude towards fence sitting agnostics.
With regard to what you have to say about all the elements playing a part in growth of the tallest tree, I would agree with you. My philosophy of life largely stems from the way I digested lessons learned both at home and in church and a few stories from my first class at school at the age of 7 about how each profession has a role to play in any society really. I do not know whether I do have a sensitive mind open to absorption of the most positive and valued ways of seeing other people/mankind but since childhood I've carried with me the importance of everybody's contribution to the wellbeing of the whole, be they surgeons, academics, road sweepers or healthcare assistants. I can't help it but I'm also extremely sensitive to the right of every individual to freedom as long as they do not infringe on that of mine, my friends or anybody else's in fact. This particular part of my life philosophy stems from the way I've absorbed some of the 10 commandments as present in the Bible. As shocking attempts have been made to restrict my freedom and which are now coming to light, I don't see how I can possibly start feeling sorry for the infringers on my basic rights and who thought they 'knew better' what's 'good for me' as a female while tramping all over my 'intellectual' interests and works.
I'm not sure whether you expected me to say what I really think or whether you would have preferred me to be a little more coy about it all but I am as I am and that's my answer.
Brightyangthing, it looks like you lead a fascinating life. I'm happy for you.
mim

barrie

Perhaps Gordon Brown's hand written letter writing is symptomatic of many people with " poor " eyesight having to prove just how well they can see. It is reminiscent of railway modelers with jam jar spectacles going in for super fine detail aspects which even people with 20 /20 vision can barely appreciate. Like you say in #1, far better to have a short handwritten intro and ending to an edited typed script, but take into consideration that Gordon Brown is probably too " blind " to read this Newsnight Blog for himself.

None of his cabinet ministers or advisers will have the heart to tell him what is actually going on in the real world and therefore he remains detached from reality. Of course the Corporate Nazi's now have an even bigger incentive to " get him " since he mentioned even the possibility of a tax on financial transactions at the G20 the other day.

I am afraid that I beleive that it is the mother who is muddying her sons memory, by cashing in on minor nothings to The Sun. I could repeat the issues and disabilities of Brown, but I needn't.

I agree with #11. This is an articulate, intelligent woman yes, but she is deeply grieving the loss of her son, distressed beyond imagining by his horrific injuries, taking (by her own account) prescribed tranqillisers and in no fit state at all to respond other than emotionally. She herself said that she went into 'autopilot' about the lack of helicopters during her conversation with the Prime Minister. To imagine that she is not being completely manipulated by the Sun for their own ghastly political ends is to be simply naive.
It seems that her son was very quickly taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital but that his injuries were so severe that he bled to death before he could be treated. My heart truly goes out to his mother. Treble shame on the Sun for manipulating her in this horrible way.
I think that Gordon Brown has come out of this with great credit. He may not be very good at spelling, but he is a basically decent man and I for one would rather have my country run by a decent though socially awkward poor speller than a slick, vacuous fountain pen wielding Tony Blair, or for that matter, David Cameron.

Excellent edition tonight, starting from Jeremy's coruscating interview with Mrs. Janes regarding THAT letter (it would have been far easier to have had a typed letter which GB signed at the bottom :p)

Eye-opening report by Paul on poverty in the UK and then the ensuing studio debate by Jeremy, Yvette Cooper & Theresa May on ways to tackle poverty.

:o)

I imagine there has never been a popular war. I assume that every single one of us want our boys to come home safely. I think it is natural to be frustrated with politics and our lack of influence upon it,ever diminishing, but this situation, like it or not, is not an episode of 'Strictly Come Dancing' that we can vote out the army simply because we are discomforted by death.
Our Army has a purpose. It is not the roll of Newspapers to castrate it. THE SUN says 'War is unpleasant boys, so we will use our headlines to get you home!'
How insulting to those men doing their jobs. They dont need The Sun to patronise them.
The tears of a Mother cannot end a war, nor the manipulation of journalists relieve anything of her pain.

# 3 BS

'.... and said as much'
I am too tired to try and be clever. We will have to agree to differ. I am a woman and a mother. I have suffered almost indescribable pain and loss. I am strong but I also know manipulative techniques from both sides. If you cut me I will bleed. I can make you bleed without a mark!
and
#8 BS

I have very good vision in both eyes, but I have a severe stigmatism in one eye. One eye ONLY works when the other is disabled, but after a few seconds sees PERFECTLY. I require slight magnification reading glasses (my house is littered with cheap ones - top notch specialist lenses for working on screen and paper - for almost everything from envelopes and recipe books to care labels in clothes.)

BUT
Put those same reading glasses on me as I dash up and down stairs and I will land a**e over *I* on and break my neck, or if driving, hit something kerbside.

I would like to meet the man or woman who seriously thinks Gordon Brown as an individual human being does NOT feel deep pain (onviously NOT as dep as the families/friends) at all losses? In a dark alley! Choose your weapon.

#12
indidea
Is this some kind of a joke? No 11 has not been let through yet and you're already agreeing with it. Who are you? JJ, keeping control of every living soul trying to have a say on these pages and beyond? Or are talking from beyond the grave having gained access by some kind of deity running the skies?
Gordon Brown decent? It's another joke on your part. He may not have wished to hurt Mrs Janes herself but I can assure he knows how to deliberately hurt others. And anyway, having made his appaling mistake in the letter, he should have written another one as it wasn't all that long. It would have taken him only 2 minutes to have done so. Having made the mistake, however, he is now getting what he deserves. Isn't it scandalous that young men need to spend pots of their own pocket money to buy protective and warm clothing, good quality boots and whatever else they need to buy from a very long list?

Just while I'm here. Is there really nothing the moderator can do about mimpromptu? She sounds like a nice person with with an interesting life but she seems to use this blog as her personal e mail service. Why is that? Isn't there a condition about comments being relevant?

Brightyangthing
Having said what I said at #9, I have completely abandoned diplomacy as far as the perpetrators are concerned.
You are more lucky than I am in having a husband as by not being definitively tied up with any, I am exposed to mad dreamers dreaming their wicked ways into my body & soul. But I am not prepared to change my make up for any bloke or any person in fact. Not even for any member of my own family. Luckily I don't have to reject them as they know me well enough not to even try too hard to change the premises of what I represent or stand for. Of course, we exchange views and I do listen to them as well as they listen to me but that's different. We love one another and respect one another. My family and I are largely of similar ilk anyway. I prefer to experience pain than to give in to brutal forces. I hope I've made it clear. I'll go as far as it takes in defence of my own basic human rights however painful it may be in the short term.

The moderators
If indidea can do it, why shouldn't I? His posts are imbued with round about messages of very personal/bodily nature indeed.

#17
Yep. you can ask!

That's because it is a free country.

I think there is a condition about being respectful to other posters.
Most of Mim's posts that I have read contain reference to news items of the day. If you don't like it, skim read or skip all posts with her name and any others you don't like.

Though I would warn against making snap judgements about people and perhaps missing something that might change your life.

Deary me mimpromptu. At the time when I wrote #12 there was a #11. But it has since been removed. I've no idea why. And at the time when I wrote #17, your # 16 had not been posted. Confusion reigns. I don't want to argue with you but I'm delighted that your comment #16 is at least relevant. Keep it up. We really don't want to hear here about the details of your life, however interesting and exciting they are.

Mim #9
Not a good night tonight. A bad accident on major road on my way in. A poor meeting and
...IT'S GOT TO BE........ PER ER ER ER ER ER ER ER FECT........

Indidea
Just wanted to add how much you might gain in showing a little tolerance even you cannot find a shred a of human kindness ( NOT overflowing in this case) for A fellow human being.

BTW, I too am mistified as to your reference to an as yet unseen post. A human error by any chance? How divine!

#21
Are you sure indidea that is what you mean? You can't live without my posts, you feed on them and you parasite on them. You don't seem to have anything else left going for you but dreaming of the impossible.
I would suggest you listen to Brightyangthing, the woman who until tonight was prepared to grant you a little bit of credit at least and now you've destroyed even that.

#22
Brightyangthing
I'm sorry to hear about the accident and your delay in getting in. You are fine yourself though, I hope. Well, you obviously are as you wouldn't be writing to me.
Since you are my main contact now here I'd like to post a ditty which is relevant time wise at least:

11 November

It is now the 11th of the month also 11th
In the order of things dictated by heavens.
And the movements of planets including the Moon
As well as the Sun that runs our gloom
As well as the joys bestowed on man
As well as the woman as part of the clan.

And here are some more comments on today's news and Newsnight's discussion on the subject of David Cameron's new proposals for the reform of the welfare system.
In principle, I would agree that it is very important for the local communities to have a much bigger say in the welfare of those vulnerable living locally. I haven't studied his proposals in any great detail so can't give a proper analysis of them but would like to make a contribution to what I think he is at least partially aiming at.
Having involved myself with a few homeless people around the areas of South Kensington and Putney, I have come to the conclusion that too many people simply pass by those homeless probably thinking that they are either good for nothing or that it is their own fault having finished in the streets selling The Big Issue. It turns out that some of them are there for all kinds of reasons which are not of their own making but who do not seem to have enough strength or determination to fight for their own rights. In other words, they are not pushy enough to be heard or considered as deserving help. I spoke to one of them this afternoon which had been noticed by a lovely English gentleman who walked to me and asked me some questions about the young man. Once I've explained the situation in broad terms he went out to see the young man but don't have the precise details of their conversation or helped offered. If more of us took a few minutes to talk to people like the young man and treated them as human beings deserving help and empathy, we could probably make quite a bit of difference to their future and wellbeing. One thing to do is for instance making suggestions of what they are entitled to or even try and speak on their behalf to the already in place institutions who are there to help but in the first place they need to be made aware of their existence.
If that's what David Cameron intends to happen as part of his new proposals, all credit to him. I also thought he was right about considering those supposedly not fit for work as fit for work and thus taking them off the incapacity benefits. We shouldn't let the 'nanny' state making vital decisions on behalf of perfectly capable and healthy individuals.

Broghtyangthing

In one of your posts you asked me why I could possibly be one of the eldest. Well, in terms of purely Zodiac terms Pisces are the last on the list with 20 of March as the last day of the Zodiac. That's what I mean as being one of the eldest - in terms of the stars, that is.

mim

I've listened to Nina Simone all night
And will continue to do so when light
And then again all night
Including once back on ice.

Nobody else until justice is done
With a few breaks to fan
My ears and my mind
Until the battle is won.

Gordon's the one in charge
It's up to him to barge
The madman out of the way
What is he? Made out of clay?

Does he have no sense at all
To keep the whole world enthralled
Witnessing the torture so cruel
Adding more oil to the fuel?

And where is Pete known as Mandy?
Licking a nice English candy
Or Russian perhaps on a boat
Not drowning yet, keeping afloat?

There is only one and one only solution
In unravelling the chain Gordon's keen to unravel
Stop the madman I tell you
It will be much better for you!

I've just learned from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ news website that following the sacking of Prof David Nut and resignation by Dr Les King last week 3 more science advisers have quit the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs. Their names are: Dr John Marsden, Dr Ian Ragan and Dr Simon Campbell.
In this case I would be on the side of Alan Johnson. It is fine for independent scientists to talk freely about their research and interpretation of it but once they apply for the job of a Government Adviser, I'm afraid it is my view that they ought to cooperate with the given Government in power. It is likely that the Government will soon change hands anyway and what then? It's not the question of bowing to some unjustified and unethical demands from the Home Office. In case of such disagreement an adviser should resign first and then speak out. Otherwise they are bound by rules and regulations of the post and although clearly Gordon Brown's Government has lost the plot not being able to control the events any more, I think Alan Johnson is right in justifying his original decision regarding the sacking of Professor David Nutt!

Brossen 35 yesterday - well said.

Celtic - thanks for the link, I'm duly shocked. Policy is indeed a dirty game as I also discovered - the speed with which Milliband picked up on the concept of 'local' a couple of years back was frighteningly indicative of him having seen the value of the concept to the corporate sector (i.e. carbon trading). P.S Please ignore unkind comments made by others, they are not justified, should not be allowed and definitely are not valid.

Re. Justin Rowlett - a couple of years ago when I first realised how ecology was being used as the next big money making scam, and somewhat irritated that Rowlett at the outset conflated the terms ethical and environmental, I sent a long epistle of dissent to him, including noting the tendency for inhabitants of the area he lives in to enter lucrative careers in TV journalism - do they move to the area before or after they take up their careers? I looked for the post just now to give you all a bitovalaff but JR's archive only goes back to Feb 2009.

Re. Entrepreneurial culture - this is what we are supposed to be aspiring to is it not? Who will maintain the physical structures once we have a new generation of entrepreneurs? A famous entrepreneur interviewed on TV - a) began by deceiving people (and revels in telling us so), b) doesn't believe in fixed prices, c) thinks tax havens are a just reward for the hard work put in by entrepreneurs - Do we really need to have these people on our TVs? I am trying to bring up my children to be honest, to have integrity (i.e. fixed standards/prices), and to pay their dues to society. It seems entrepreneurs do not have a concept of a society made up of different occupations all contributing to the existence of that society. Me, Me, Me, F, Me - that's all we hear nowadays. It's the same on the street and in shops. It's very reminiscent of a certain country that I have visited several times - a country that a recent nature programme tells us 'respects all life' - unless of course the life is of the low caste human variety!

"It is fine for independent scientists to talk freely about their research and interpretation of it but once they apply for the job of a Government Adviser, I'm afraid it is my view that they ought to cooperate with the given Government in power."

Mim you are the personification of postmodernism! :)

another sign of the times - corporations now take it upon themselves to not serve people who are deemed 'not nice'. Actually what this means is that we now have to defer to and subserve the corporate employee who has the power to serve or not serve. This is how Africa, Asia and Latin America work - you may be entitled to a good or service but unless you behave subserviently you can be denied access to that good or service on the whim of the person behind the counter. I was not allowed to use the word nice in English lessons at school - because it is a value judgement without value unless qualified by descriptors. Nowadays nice is a standard of non-humanity - outside the house everyone is a potential enemy, only the family counts now. The concept of public good, public sphere or common purpose have gone - now I wonder what the biological purpose of a culture is? hmmmm....

Its the 28th of February 1970 and women's groups from around the country have assembled at Ruskin College, Oxford, for the first ever National Women's Liberation Conference. A powerful, exuberant insight into the beginning of the Womens Liberation Movement.



here's one for kirsty [after she has made the tea of course!]

THERE IS A ROYAL PALACE WHERE BIZARRE RITUALS ARE PERFORMED IN 2009.

No - not Buckingham Palace! Have you all watched Freeview Channel 81, long enough to marvel at the heart (delete heart - insert bowels) of British governance (delete British - insert EU sector Z)?

The 'divisions' are a special delight. The camera views the semi-vacated chamber, sound on - but no commentary, SO reminiscent of the Big Brother House at four in the morning. I understand school children are taken there. But philosophy and psychology loom hardly at all in the Ballsian educational ethos - rolled out - going forward. So I doubt the children are led to discuss: WHAT KIND OF PERSON PUTS UP WITH SUCH TIME WASTING CHARADES?

I seem to remember they cut the hours when the ladies made demands to leave earlier. Chris Mullin seemed to think this made problems. I am moved to wonder how much time is absorbed in lobby-voting and other archaic rituals.

They all live within the Westminster Lie, and because they are voted-in as 'Party Favours' (rosettes) on whippable rosette-stands, there is insufficient backbone - individual or collective - for revolution to arise spontaneously. It is enough to start one dreaming of gunpowder.

ONLY HUMAN FEMALES FORM A GROUP TO MOVE INTO THE MALE DOMAIN (#32)

You avin a larf Jaunty?

I hear premature births are on the rise in UK. I also hear American women are doing very well in UK boardrooms.

I notice a tendency for women to delight in different activities and goals from men - unless coerced to believe that men have got all the good stuff.

I hold the view that any culture going against Nature will fail.

What no one has said with the regard to Jamie Janes is that one of the Red Tops also printed his name wrong.

But, as well know, there is an unwritten code amongst journalists in that they will never criticise other journalists.

------

american gunmen

the muslim angle seems a bit strained given every gunman who goes on a spree has 'warning signs' that were missed? the usa has these events quite often?

politics pen is

amateurs from the dog and duck give their opinions. what sht tv. put it on daytime.

In the Independent:

'In direct contradiction of the Government's position, almost half, or 46 per cent, of those surveyed held that the presence of British forces in the US-led war actually increased the threat of attacks in the country by creating anger and resentment among the Muslim population.'

Do half of the public believe that the security of this country should not be paramount and that nobody can allow a state to launch major terrorist attacks on us from their soil?

It is not a war on Islam and I don't believe the majority of Islamic voters in this country believe we are at war with them - though clearly those who do are the ones susceptible to extreme indoctrination.

As for those who suggest that if we pull out Afghanistan would not revert to extreme Taliban/al Qaeda policies are deluding themselves.

It makes practical sense that if nuclear Pakistan presses the border territories to increase its stability the terrorists can slip into a new haven in Afghanistan rather than flood the other way.

If they don't pursue the terrorists then Pakistan falls to the terrorists the problems are going to escalate globally.

I know that there are parallels with Vietnam but this is not a war you can just walk away from - thats what the mentality of those tired of seeing brave young people die reflects, but sadly I don't think they are right and the sacrifices are worth it.

#1 barriesingleton

"In the longer term there is a need to look at WHY we have a Westminster ethos that elevates the flawed, deluded and needy, to lead this country. FOR A RETURN TO NATIONAL SANITY AND CALM, THE 'WESTMINSTER ERROR' MUST BE ADDRESSED.

The place to start: SPOIL PARTY GAMES."

You want to "spoil party games" but then praise those like your National Socialist pals jaded_jean and Newfazer (Nick Griffin?) who promote parties like the BNP and then we lose democracy altogether.

If thats the plan then people should address whether they feel that those like Hitler in the past brought anything to the party other than seventy five million deaths and the Holocaust based on fallacious views and false science.

It says so much that the far right posters that pollute this page from time to time are always tangential for fear of revealing their true colours due to a lack of intellectual substance and moral courage.

#33 barriesingleton

"They all live within the Westminster Lie, and because they are voted-in as 'Party Favours' (rosettes) on whippable rosette-stands, there is insufficient backbone - individual or collective - for revolution to arise spontaneously. It is enough to start one dreaming of gunpowder."

There are those like your pal jaded_jean who have praised the policies of Hitler and the BNP.

As Johann Hari said the other "[Griffins] chief lieutenant for years was a man called Tony Lecomber, who was jailed for three years in the 1980s for plotting to blow up the offices of a left-wing political party. After he was released, he and a gang then beat a Jewish teacher unconscious. When he was freed after another three years inside, he was swiftly promoted through the BNP ranks. He was only ditched after he approached a Liverpool hitman to discuss how they could "take out" a cabinet minister. "

I am sure that that is not the kind of backbone you seek and that those recent offenders like Lewington (far right "tennis ball bomber") and the far right chap arrested in the North East promoting terrorism and holding quantities of ricin. Thats not what you mean.

You mean waffle inanely like a toothless sheep that does not have the gumption to identify what you would replace the parties with.....

Lord Haw Haw was a figure that seems to have been pushed into the background of history due to his treachery.

Is it time for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to look at at his trial and execution (he was hung by the neck I believe) in this anniversary year to see what we may learn about his role and impact?

What of those other British Nazis who were never prosecuted within this ccountry?

In the politics pen I could not restrict a wry smile when Mathew Taylor could not understand why one chap was unemployed.

Maybe it was because Labour did not regulate the banks properly.

Mandelsons attack on the Sun rings more than a little hollow.

But there should be concern about how Fox/Sky sides with big business and whips up hysteria, as with health care in the US and Obama being variously called a Hitler (!?) and a communist, that distorts a healthy democracy.

Also Fox have attacked the ´óÏó´«Ã½ for its non profit charter but so far as I know have a good relationship with Berlusconi where he controls the state and private media in Italy and strangles competition.

Does this reflect things about their strategies that are not readily apparent?

THE TACIT STATEMENT THAT IS APPEARANCE IN THE POLITICS PEN'

There is a resonance between my post #33 and the 'Politics Pen'. To my mind, participating in such a crass aping, of an already questionable format, conceived for another discipline (I comment as an inventor) speaks volumes about those who perform therein.

I wonder how many were approached and turned it down? That might well be a sharp measure of the 'state of Britain'.

#34 BS (and 32)

In need of some light relief, I opened this circular I had been sent this morning. I thought you might appreciate it.


One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men..... They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in..

They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colours. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

There was another line but it was so cheesy I couln't bring myself to forward it, so leave the ending Blankety Blank

Now, the clue being in my name,I intensely dislike these missives as they are totally one sided idealistic and ONE SIZE does NOT fit all. I will in a quiet moment rip it to shreds whilst aplauding all that is good and fair and wonderful but often DIFFERENT in all people, regardless of genetic make up.

Having lit blue touch paper, I shall now run like the wind back to a steaming computer (or two - currently doing a Rick Wakeman! - dropping oversized wooden spoon en route)

#44
Brightyangthing

Quite a bit to applaud you for in this post!

Hope you have an excellent and rewarding evening.

mim

TAKEN IN THE SPIRIT POSTED BYT (#44)

Doesn't read well. But then, those who 'haven't got any' are condemned to write 'a load of'.

With all that extra vocabulary too! (:o)