大象传媒

More on the Andrew Maguire and GATA story :-



Think GATA need to establish certainty about Mr Maguire and prove that he is a real trader.

Jim Rickards - Welcome to Pluto:-

On the theme of the seismic shift in party support I still maintain that Gordon has that bunker mentality where he seems to have no clear grasp that he and his party are in deep trouble.

Their vote is unlikely to rally and I believe they will have a torrid time in the last debate if the Lib Dems and Tories have done their homework.

If he really believes he is "the winner" on substance I would suggest that will last about another 48 hours with the public.

He is not going to learn to smile nicely and win over people who have been let down by an atrocious political record for thirteen years - nor is his sudden interest in electoral reform going to have a positive effect.

So if Labour emerge as third with the most seats and they can't cut a deal with the Lib Dems - nor renege twice on PR - then they have to go again to the polls knowing that they have totally lost the moral and policy debate and the high ground electorally.

Why could there be no National Government for a period whilst the country tries to resolve whether it would accept PR?

Naturally the cynical two larger parties may try fix the debate and squeeze the Lib Dems - but then that could backfire.

Channel 4 ran a piece on the champagne National Socialist Griffin and he was bankrupted after trying to engage in decadent capitalistic activity - namely doing up houses.

So under the rules can he be an MP if he has been bankrupted?

I tried to check the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill but could find no relevant piece of information.

In any event it does add to my view of the National Socialists as "replacement monarchs" who cite ideology purely as a mechanism to justify their existence as would be monarchs.

Is there any sign of more of the Labour old guard strapping on last minute parachutes as they approach what will probably be their last days in office?

I was surprised to still hear so many talking of NEW Labour as I thought they had been trying to slide back to the title Labour - possibly due to the volume of Union money that they rely upon.

"We hope to have an interview with SNP leader Alex Salmond

I can understand SNP's anger at being eclipsed from Election 2010.
We, the Great British Public, have all been treated to a continual analysis of only what the LIB-LAB-CONS are doing, saying and promising.

If thsi election is to result in a 'balanced' parliament should not 大象传媒 Newsnight and other media be giving a Proportional Representation to the other parties and candidates? And there is no way that the 7 minutes of sarcasic trivialisation of the BNP 'interview' by Paxo was a fair hearing.

In the age of Equality and non-discrimination
LET'S HEAR FROM THE MINORITIES

Interesting but what does this actually mean ?

"# To redraft the provisions requiring disclosure of short-selling positions and place them in a new part of the Handbook covering financial stability and market confidence;

# The imposition of financial penalties or censure on those who breach short-selling rules; "

TURBULENT PRIEST BROWN WAS 'CONNECTING' WITH THE PEOPLE ON RADIO4.

So primed with greetings and phrases, they kept leaking out. When he told an Iraqi born bloke about our dead soldiers it made me glad I'm not Scottish.

Meanwhile Dave looks like a pressure cooker with a brick on the vent.

As for Young Nick, what I say is: MIRIAM FOR PM!

LibDem "surge" leads to Tory led balanced HoC; a bit presumptuous of Cleggie to rule out helping a Gordi led Labour Govt; beginning to backtrack now; is Sarah Brown Gordi's keyworker? And isn't Mandelson enjoying himself?

There must be something better the SNP can do with 50k than challenge the 大象传媒 in court - well, the pretend scottish court anyway.

If Rab C Salmond were chocolate, he'd eat himself. Notice the head butting movements he makes when emphasising a point.

Is there something fishy about the SNP? Salmond, Sturgeon...

It's right, on reflection, to have such tight rules for the televised Prime Ministerial debates; any others I've seen, particularly those "referee'd" by Andrew Neil, Paxman and Krish descend precipitously into shouting match rammies. Do the politicos forget that voters are watching?

Some much needed sanity tonight with Paul Mason.

#45

kevseywevesey

As much as I do not share your sympathy for Enoch Powell's type of nationalism, you've stated your case with clarity and come up with an apt exposition of the differences between Marxistts, Labour Socialists, Tories and English Nationalists. You were also right in your defence of Jeremy. I suspect it was a premeditated set up to unsettle him but he managed to get the better of the Welsh bloke making him admit that they want even more money than they are already getting.

mim

SMOKE AND MIRRORS ARE ALIVE AND WELL (#8)

I read it as: "We have consulted with those concerned, and made changes that can be got round at the drop of a golf ball."

I must be the odd one out as I think Alex Salmon talks a lot of sense and why shouldn't we hear what the Scots think...I mean we have had one telling us all what to do for years and his mate, Tony he was a bit Scottish wasn't he?

There are few clans more Scottish than the Camerons.

HHhhmmm I remember the cuts and then interests rates shooting up to 15%



So how will this be squared?



Massive job cuts to keep down the rates? Or massive rate rises? Or bin men and carers swapping jobs or doing a job share?

Something will have to give as the country is broke

HUMBLE PUDDING (#13)

I regard Alex Salmond as clever and capable, but I do not think humility is high on his list of attributes. He is an irrepressible 'lad' and a scorer of petty points. Not always what you want in a leader.

HHHhhhmmm do I spot "sonofa" MaM is now MoC?

Another change of identity?! ; )

paul

the goldman emails are revealing?

some joke it would be cheaper for greece to get loans on a credit card than to go through the markets. while steffi points out that its safer to lend to iraq than greece.

if goldman 'lost trust' with its investors then there are 20 billion in positions they would have to unwind. Lehman 2?

MIXED OBSERVATIONS

The confrontation of 'authority' with Goldman Sachs is sooo reminiscent of the earlier confrontation with 'Golden Sacks' the tobacco barons. I suppose soulless greed-led deception, looks similar wherever it arises.

I notice Brown displays his 'social skills' by curling an arm right round the back of total-stranger women (unless they are plants of course). He is definitely several nuances short of a human.

Mandy's eyes went right down to tiny black dots, as he delivered the coup de grace to some 'worm'. "Adam - I am going to make sure that, at the end of this conference, A MEMBER OF STAFF will give you a copy of our manifesto." (Whiff of brimstone.)

Why haven't these men been sacked from the Foreign Office?



And Mr Noorani is described as in a senior position! If it had been an Islamic scholar or Imam or some Saudi leader, would they have been so quick to insult. They'd have a fatwa put on their heads!

As I've said before I'm a non believer, and I'm also pretty unhappy at the Catholic churchs behaviour. But it comes to something when our Foreign Office behaves in such a childish and insulting way.

Afterthought, Why is the 大象传媒 to afraid to publish names, when national newspapers do?!

Nothing on the Goldman Sachs trial ? Spent most of the afternoon watching it while doing a painting called: 'Ducked over by a ducking banker.' looked into their eyes as I applied paint just to make me more intense about what I was doing - make sure my drawing and application were accurate.

ecolizzy @ 17 - not the foggiest what you mean, sorry. This is my one and only identity. Except in rl when I turn into ....???
I am not religious but I am very tempted to pray incessantly for God to save us from the horrors of a Tory victory.

20

yes its an institutional collapse of 'customer service' at the FO under Milliband that is supposed to act on uk behalf abroad not indulge in student pranks. Who do they serve? the uk public?

the evidence that no good has come from their student rantings and personal philosophies show there is nothing good in them? reap what they sow.

clearly the Fo and Milliband are more interested in protecting these failures than doing a good job for the uk.

people of higher morality they pretend to be so why haven't they done the decent thing and resigned? is it that their view of themselves as superior moral beings is a self hypnotised hallucination?

IS THE 大象传媒 BASEMENT AS MURKY AS WESTMINSTER? (#20)

I get the feeling that the Kelly trauma suffered by the Beeb (which was only ONE bizarre episode in the reign of Tony the Great) has never left them. They seem frightened of their own shadow. Do they worship a severed head down there, or has Mandy threatened to throw them into the Murdoch Maw?

They seem to have settled for edgy son-et-lumiere, and Crikey Crick's cream puffs. Never Mind - Clegg will ride to the rescue.

LESS POSTURING ON EMPTY ISSUES BY CANDIDATES NEEDED

1) In order to save money, the UK's new Type-45 Destroyers and the planned 'big deck' aircraft carriers' are being built & intended to be commissioned into service without 80% of the basic, industry-standard weapons, defensive systems & sensors that their designers' originally intended- and that in other 1st world countries' navy's are mandatorily fitted to new Destroyers, aircraft carriers and similar surface combatants.....

Impotent, deliberately neutered and made-vulnerable aircraft carriers that are commissioned into the Royal Navy and tasked with defence of the realm and UK interests world-wide in the coming decades pose a far greater risk to the country than cancellation of the current carrier programme...
------------------
Imagine, several years down the road, the RN's new, DELIBERATELY BUILT WITHOUT SHIP SELF-DEFENCE MISSILE-BASED SYSTEMS, aircraft carriers are patrolling or stationed 30 to 50 miles off of an other-than-UK coastline (or even several hundred miles out at sea) and hostile state or non-state actors possess and deploy:

"Russia's Novator Experimental Design Bureau has developed a containerized version of its Club family of anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles", April 08-2010:

:

"...The new variant, the Club-K Container Missile System (CMS), is perhaps the ultimate concealed weapon as the entire system is housed, transported and fired using a standard 40 ft shipping container.

"Such a container, referred to in the shipping industry as a 'forty-foot equivalent unit' (FEU), provides a completely anonymous means to move and deploy the Club-K system.

"Novator's parent company, Concern Morinformsystema-AGAT, highlights the system's ability to be launched from land or sea by non-military platforms, with no obvious sign of the weapon's presence until it is fired (and within 20 miles of a targeted ship that is not fitted for 'Cooperative Engagement Capability'(CEC)*."

*

"Deadly new Russian weapon hides in shipping container", 26_04-2010:




==================

With the extended (and extending) ranges and improving capabilities of Russia's, China's and other countries' Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCM's) such as the SS-N-27 and its clones- and presuming that these ASCMs are loadable into the (apparently aggressively) widely-marketed converted shipping container ASCM launchers, and recognizing that railroad tracks and truck-traversing-roads typically parallel, or generally follow/regularly go near most countries' coastlines, it seems that countries with blue water navies- such as the UK- that in 2004-2005 reversed plans to provide their new surface combatants- such as the Type-45 Destroyers- with "Advanced Gun Systems" (AGS's) that are compatible with "Long Range Land Attack Projectile" (LRLAPs) and "Extended Range Guided Munitions" (ERGMs) ought to be rethinking their XX!##!**#X*XX!! decision....

How many hostile/potentially hostile countries with traversable shorelines and near-coast areas would not have roads and railroad tracks running close to their shores &/or through their near-shore areas??

Shores and near-shore areas of hostile, friendly, and neutral countries could become locations for state and non-state actors to position 'converted shipping container' ASCM missile launchers on a permanent or transient irregular basis...

The 13-14 mile maximum range standard-technology shells fired from Type-45's (chosen for cheapness) out-of-date technology Deck Gun compare badly to the 60-mile on up to over 100-mile ranges of the BAE Advanced Gun System (AGS) and "Long Range Land Attack Projectile" & "Extended-Range Guided Munition" shells originally identified in 2001-2002 & 2003 for fitting to Type-45's...

Apparently, the much cheaper low tech Deck Gun that has ended up being fitted to Type-45's instead of the AGS was chosen due to Treasury budget pressures of the 2004-2005 period....
=================

The UK and the Royal Navy need aircraft carriers: competently designed, technologically-capable ones- not 'purchase-vote scheme', make-work-project jokes:

IE: scandalously ill-equipped ships that end up significantly diminishing the country's standing and reputation for competence world-wide and make the country an international laughing stock (compared to countries like France which have plans to build aircraft carriers that are properly equipped and fitted out, likely nuclear-powered and- BIGGER- than the UK's planned carriers...)

2)The RN's Helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, the LPD's HMS Bulwark and Albion, the RFA's four Bay class LSD's, & other RN and RFA vessels that were built & commissioned between 1998-2010 were all built/commissioned without missile-based anti airborne threat defence systems; vitally important inter-ship & inter-squadron communications equipment; & without industry-standard sensor systems (needed for CEC) making these vessels hugely vulnerable to widely-sold & rapidly proliferating missile-based (& other) anti-ship weapons such as the Russian 'SS-N-27' sizzler...

3) Not only are there far too few Type-45 Destroyers being built for the Royal Navy- (6) instead of the urgently needed (14)- these warships' anti airborne threat missile system does not work:



[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]

4) In the late 1990's, the RN's (then) 3 Invincible class aircraft carriers had their obsolescent 'Sea Dart' missile-based anti airborne threat missile systems removed- & NOT REPLACED- in order to save money...

Despite many technologically proficient missile-based anti airborne threat defensive systems existing 1998-2010, the RN's (now only) 2 aircraft carriers have not had their removed-in-the-late-1990's Sea Dart anti airborne threat missile systems replaced: does this say 'responsible' govt policy??

In 2009 several in-service Type-42 Destroyers were subjected to the same indignities as the Invincible carriers- havng their Sea Dart anti airborne treat missile systems removed & not replaced, but these vessels remained in active duty...

鈥淩oyal Navy (Type-42) destroyers sail without (anti airborne threat) missiles鈥�, June 10-2008:


---------------

Rather than making a fuss over potential cancellation of an extensively flawed, dangerously economized warship build programme- the new aircraft carriers- why aren't candidates campaigning to have:

A) HMS Ark Royal & Illustrious AND the planned new carriers fitted with technologically up-to-date missile-based anti airborne threat defense systems AND fitted with with the communications equipment & sensors required for 'Cooperative Engagement Capability' (CEC); and

B) the 6 Type-45 Destroyers currently undergoing construction & sea trials FULLY FITTED OUT with the suites of weapons, defences, communications and other equipment that members of the MoD & Type-45's designers originaly intended for/identified for the Type-45 Destroyers; and

C) sufficient numbers of FULLY EQUIPPED Type-45 Destroyers to be built, IE: in addition to the 6 Type-45s under going construction/sea-trials, an additional 8 to 10, ASAP; and

D) an explicitly delineated, 10-year or longer 'capabilities plan' for the RN, that would have to contain a compressed build schedule for Type-45 Destroyers; comprehensively fitted, capable aircraft carriers; and a replacement class of vessel for the RN's Type-22 and Type-23 Frigates???



________________
Roderick V. Louis
Vancouver, BC, Canada
-------------------------------
Background information links:

"BAE SYSTEMS, LOCKHEED MARTIN TEAM TO OFFER U.S. NAVY 5-INCH PRECISION GUIDED MUNITIONS", 02_07-2008:













"The Cruise Missile Challenge: Designing a Defense Against Asymmetric Threats", May-2007:

[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]

"... The optimal sensor platform for (anti-ship) cruise missile detection, therefore, will be air-based...

"Even more importantly, air-based sensors can see over any obstructing terrain (such as high waves) that might otherwise be used to conceal a cruise missile鈥檚 flight path.

"An air-based sensor platform can also survey a wider area than a ground system, since it can see farther over the Earth's horizon than is possible from ground-level surveillance platforms.

"... the U.S. Navy's E-2D Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft



"are tasked with:

- "detecting and tracking airborne threats at the greatest possible distances, AND

- "with directing combat aircraft and anti-air (missile & radar guided machine-gun- rvl) batteries to deal with these air threats. The great advantage of... AEW aircraft is that they are already capable against (anti-ship) cruise missiles, an ability that only grows with time and upgrades...."

As well as holding the Catholic church to account, can we take a proper hard line against another dodgy institution please? Prince Charles' support for the merchants of Supplementary Complementary and Alternative Medicine is an utter disgrace and outrageous offence against decency. If he lacks basic critical thinking skills, I worry that the royals - including near-relatives like Cameron and Osborne - are very dangerous indeed.

20. At 7:48pm on 27 Apr 2010, ecolizzy wrote:

Why haven't these men been sacked from the Foreign Office?



--------------------------

I completely agree!

What I'm more interested in is what sort of ideology/culture has the Government established that would lead to these persons creating and distributing such puerile drivel.

Just who/what were these people pandering to?

The only person on here who has explained the intent behind such behaviour was 'Statist'.

This behaviour smacks of a concerted and direct attack against one of the few statist organisations that still exists in the West.

PS I'm not Catholic either.

#53 Go1 on 26th April in response to my #48 (visit to Darwin鈥檚 house and evolution) wrote: 鈥淪o you are more than aware that current scientific opinion shows that there is virtually no difference between the races genetically and that most differences are cosmetic due to climate adaptation?"

I am even more aware that there are huge differences within species: eg significant differences between groups of finches - due to different lifestyles - led to Darwin鈥檚 conclusion on Evolution.

There are vast lifestyle differences in the human species, and having been privileged to have lived and worked in countries with widely different cultures, beliefs and values I hope the human race will remain diverse.

Regrettably, our government (unchallenged by those in opposition) is determined to overwhelm our national English heritage with diverse cultures, beliefs and values, and with legislation on 鈥楨quality鈥� and non-discrimination, force us all into one overcrowded melting pot.

Homosap diversity should exist, flourish and evolve naturally within the individual cultures as with all other species on this planet and there are those of us who can not, and will not, be brainwashed into accepting cultures and beliefs that are alien to our nature - by the laws of UK or Europe. The laws of nature are 鈥榥atural鈥� and far stronger and we should accept that attempts to homogenise us all must result in continued strife and failure.

In 9 days time we can either CONFORM (as directed) - or VOTE RADICAL

#23 & 24 Yes JC and Barrie, it's pretty disgraceful of the FO.

I think it's all part of Labours edgy show, didn't they completely refurb at a cost of millions all the major departments of state?! Because they were stuffy and old, but they certainly did work, we were admired for our diplomatic skills, but not anymore.

I think the downright snobbishness, stiff upper lip and being very English was much better than this girly rubbish. No wonder we have no gravitas in the world anymore, with junk people like these.

Really interesting discussion last night Monday Jeanette Winterston, Andrew Roberts and Phillip Blond appreciated by me. Andrew Roberts pleasantly impressive did surprise me let's have more. Thought Jeremy's good-humoured pooh-poohing of JW's assertion that the Lib Dems will win the election outright (an opinion shared by me and no doubt many others) a mistake I think (possibly even a conravention of the beeb charter?). It should have been taken as a serious proposition. Phillip Blond's analysis correct I think my farthing's worth and right to stress the significance of all our elites discovered to be corrupt but it is more deep seated than merely that I feel and that the revolt, especially from the young, is really against the corruption of society as a whole and not just its elites. But it's not an anti-political revolt I feel, chiming with AR, and Newsnight to retain its impartiality shouldn't buy unthinkingly into that proposition currently being peddled by the Labour and the Conservative parties and by not a few pundits if only because it's easier to write about.

I spent three months from Nov 1987 to Feb 1988 travelling all around Aussie by train, unlike most people in the UK they are mostly not stupid ten bob fat cat potential Lib-Demmic supporters and it is no surprise to me that they are not going to swallow the eco-fascists Climate Change Scam without a fight.

#15 ecolizzy Your link on Pay Equality:
"The council had believed that refuse collection staff, who were on the same pay grades as the women, deserved special treatment, he added.
The tribunal decided the payments could not be justified since they were being paid to the men for turning up to work and doing their jobs properly, he said"

In the early 196os London Borough of Greenwich (then Woolwich Borough Council) were the first to apply Time & Method Study to refuse collection. We got criticised for paying bonuses of 25%, and council officials said it was unacceptable for a Refuse Vehicle Driver then to get a gross annual wage of 拢1,000!

The increase in productivilty and savings far outweighed this pay increase which was based on a full day's work at 33% above 'normal' work rate (in fact more than double previous productivity).

I assume the refuse collectors in the case raised were working on a similar Measured Work Incentive Bonus Scheme, contrasted with office workers (of either sex) with typical low productivities. The solution should have been to Time & Method Study the office workers (Organisation & Methods) and pay them a bonus based on output and productivity.

That's what is wrong, wrong, wrong with the obsession over 'Equality' unless it is applied to both Pay and Productivity, and proper Job Evaluation.

MORE THINGS IN HEAVEN AND EARTH THAN BIG PHARMA (#26)

I applaud putting the boot in to privilege MOC, but can't let your challenge to alternative medicine go unchallenged. Leaving aside the higher level of personal attention that tends to accompany a 'fringe consultation' (with associated placebo possibilities) I have reported the following here before: When my doctor retired, I asked how many he had referred to hospital as a result of alternative medicine. He replied 'zero'. It is my understanding that Big Pharma make a lot of people sick (even hospitalised) and also kill some. It is well known they routinely zombify the old. I think the foregoing should be factored in to any attack.

Funniest joke of the election so far!

Does he think we are thick?

my comments from mondays NN:

"to the SNP: you could use the 拢50,000 to set-up and run a Leader Debate website, with Leaders video debate including SNP, Greens, Ukip etc as well.*

by having the smaller party Leaders debating, it will shift the debate from the main parties - unless they join in. :)

---

why couldn't that teacher ask for help from other staff? A well run school would have had in preparation a stand-by teacher. I'm sure the other teachers would have preferred to be asked to help him, rather than see a colleague beaten down - and certainly more than seeing a pupil beaten unconscious."



*" gnuneo
07 March 2010 at 01:37

'kay, here's what SHOULD have been chosen.

a web forum, open for the public to read, with various sub-threads for the various discussion topics.

the 'posts' are recorded video segments from the Fuhrers, with a text version alongside. This allows the public to either quickly read it, or else view the clips to watch them, and catch them.... being completely open and honest, of course. ;)

the clips can be multiple loaded to create an apparent on-going discussion, ignoring any time delay effects.

alongside this there should be a discussion forum for the Public, who although not able to enter the debate directly, can comment, interpret and suggest ideas for the fuhrers, - who may even learn aspects of policy they and their advisers were not aware of before.

this seems to me to avoid ALL the problems of the televised debates (plus, such a format will be FAR easier for the other leaders to take part), AND provide for much greater scrutiny.

and it would also cost vastly less, and require much less media-whoring.

--darn, i've just managed to argue it down, as far as the Axis of Fuhrers are undoubtedly concerned... :("

from:

-------

#28: although i'm in broad agreement with you, you seem to make some oversimplifications?

firstly, "I am even more aware that there are huge differences within species: eg significant differences between groups of finches - due to different lifestyles - led to Darwin鈥檚 conclusion on Evolution."

yes - but there are FAR greater similarities than differences. A green-eyed child in a classroom/city/society of blue-eyed people, although different, is vastly closer related in every way to the blue-eyed people than say - the birds. Even though the birds also have blue-eyes.

the similarities between people are there, as are the differences. It depends upon which you look for - which depends upon what result you want to find.


"There are vast lifestyle differences in the human species, and having been privileged to have lived and worked in countries with widely different cultures, beliefs and values I hope the human race will remain diverse."

as do all sane people. But that diversity is also ALWAYS changing, evolving, responding, adapting - in every living culture. Its the same in language, languages still bringing in new words, creating new words, adapting words from surrounding languages, are still living, expanding, confident languages. Languages that cut themselves off, that attempt to *limit* the independence and creativity of those speaking the language, that attempt to draw artificial boundaries to prevent further adaptation and evolution - these languages become dead languages. Now is spring, which is a time for fertility and procreativity, to attempt to draw back into a mythical (in both senses of that word) 'universal English culture' is a recipe for sterility for a culture.

"Regrettably, our government (unchallenged by those in opposition) is determined to overwhelm our national English heritage with diverse cultures, beliefs and values, and with legislation on 鈥楨quality鈥� and non-discrimination, force us all into one overcrowded melting pot."

a culture is ALWAYS a "melting pot", even with the strongest 'social-conditioning' individuals will be individuals, and they will always transmit messages between each other. Whilst there IS a High-Modernist inspired attempt to crush REAL culture and homogenise everyone (helped quite a lot by so much media and economy being owned by so few companies and individuals), what is required for healthy culture in the UK is to *remove* the homogenisation (including your own desire to 'return' to a mythical English culture), and let the individuals and groups, self-defined, decide how they will celebrate their own sub-cultures. Goths, Muslims, EMOs, Punks, Ravers, Pensioners, Christians, Pagans, even Politicians and Bankers(!) - all should have the freedoms to express their choice of culture.

answer me this, with the implicit association you make with race and culture

...Is Dizzee Rascal Scottish?

--see? English culture is very much alive and kicking - we do not need to be told what we have to be to be 'included'.


"Homosap diversity should exist, flourish and evolve naturally within the individual cultures as with all other species on this planet and there are those of us who can not, and will not, be brainwashed into accepting cultures and beliefs that are alien to our nature - by the laws of UK or Europe. The laws of nature are 鈥榥atural鈥� and far stronger and we should accept that attempts to homogenise us all must result in continued strife and failure."

i have to say, reading this, - you are very confused. my apologies, no offence intended.

you claim to be in favour of diversity, yet you cannot tolerate it around you. You say you desire a "strong culture", yet you would isolate it because you fear adaptation. You want to impose a unitary 'Culture' based on some story-books (instead of the actual living English culture), and say that there can only be strife unless your cultural imposition is implemented.

the Greens are a political representation of the confident English Culture, that is secure enough in itself to be expansive, not to be afraid of immigrant culture, but to co-opt it into the ever expanding, ever more confident, ever more creative English/British Culture. They are the only party that are confident enough of us voters and our collective culture that they are not blaming the current ills upon 'Foreigners' - Global, European or immigrant. They are also the only party that will rebuild the UK's economy.

will you be voting for them - or the BNP?

"In 9 days time we can either CONFORM (as directed) - or VOTE RADICAL "

yes indeed.

BROWN SAYS HE WAS TAUGHT TO TELL TRUTH - BUT TO USE WEASEL WORDS?

I spotted one of those tricks we expect from politicians, today. But it was being practised by Manseman James G Brown - Moral Compass, 1st Class.

Brown, it transpires, does not RAISE taxes or LEVY them, he "BRINGS FORWARD", sort of implying they were not new, but taxes 'someone made earlier'. i think this might be the reason for what I have dubbed the 'Gerbil Shift' hand movement, where Brown appears to pick up to Gerbils 'here', and deposit them 'over there'. I think I must now rename the move: 'Bringing forward taxes'.

We waved goodbye to White Tony and got Brown Brown. What were we thinking?
Democracy isn't working.

#36: actually, the fact that you can say it openly, and we can read it freely, indicates that (*at last!!*) we at least have free speech - which is a primary need for Democracy. So in fact we are now *gaining* Democracy... ;D

34 MadnessOfCrowds

Funniest joke of the election so far!

Does he think we are thick?

------------------------------------------

A direct quote from your link.

'Eddie Izzard and David Tennant were among around 40 actors and entertainers who signed a public letter to say opposition politicians were "attacking the 大象传媒 to serve the interests of its commercial rivals".
The letter claimed the Conservative party's position "threatens to devalue not just the 大象传媒 itself, but our culture as a whole".'

OH THE IRONY!

They shouldn't worry their little cotton socks...as the 大象传媒 are working their socks off to ensure a hung parliament. Which must surely represent the best outcome for the 大象传媒's short/medium term future.

I value the future of the 大象传媒 as well...'but our culture as a whole' is a somewhat subjective point of view.

the Big 3(拢) are all arguing for cuts, yet the cuts will dramatically cut not only employment, which will increase benefits payments, but also dramatically cut spending on local goods and services from private companies. The private sector will be deeply harmed by those cuts, especially small and medium businesses, so not only are the Big 3(拢) NOT setting the conditions for growth from new industries, but they are also going to directly harm the EXISTING private sector.

no wonder they refuse to allow the other Leaders to debate - or to allow Public participation.

Robert Chote of the IFS was very impressive on NN tonight!

I wonder who he will vote for on May 6th....he's clearly undecided at the mo!

Thank you for grilling the 3 parties tonight about their undisclosed cuts/tax rise plans.

Please keep on this topic as it is so frustrating that the party spin machines are focusing on the 15-25% they have announced when it is of course the majority 75-85% they have not yet planned that is the key to a rational election choice.

#38

perhaps some at the 大象传媒 actually think a balanced parliament would be good for all of us?

of course, others in the 大象传媒 will have differing opinions. :)

FREI SPEECH MACHT NIX (#37)

There must be a term for a state that allows free speech and demonstration, but ensures their impotence. What about a Democastry?

A million of us marched against the war. Tony ignored us. IDS said 'vote' to his pathetic hundreds and LO! there was (and still is) war.

Incidentally, freedom of speech, on this forum, is open to curtailment on a whim. Have you read the rules Gnu? Blogdog has no favourites.

I think you might be confusing democracy with hypocrisy.

hey barry, #44:

imagine a UK where twittering was as prevalent as it is now, going to war by ignoring the *enormous* public opposition to this poodling to the insane right-wing Americans in the White House would have been vastly less likely.

and the discussion enabled between Citizens as equals by such forums as this, where deep discussion and analysis are possible, open to be read by the entire Society and easily distributed, have also had their own long-term effects.

with twittering, the deliberate propaganda put out on all media channels could have been dissected and discussed by normal citizens - and individual MPs targeted, as well as the obvious lack of choice.

the ability to transmit information easily, as equals, is one of the absolute basic rights Democracy must have. If it wasn't for the internet, we would still be reliant upon media Owners such as Rupert Murdoch for information about the World. Why are none of the big 3(拢) parties arguing for limits upon media ownership, to protect our Democracy they are so "proud" of?

as for this blog: i am free to go elsewhere, if i am subject to curtailment. And on the other hand, i would prefer to be warned if i were about to cross legal lines. :)


"I think you might be confusing democracy with hypocrisy."

the hypocrisy is weakening, and Democracy is strengthening.


.....IMHO. ;)

Hi All, something happened today which concerned me a lot. My girlfriend received her postal vote last week and she sent it off a few days ago. This morning, she received another letter asking her to vote ie she has been given the oppurtunity to vote twice. Now how can this be possible ? Anyone else had the same experiance? Thank you .

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#35 gnuneo

I suppose I should be flattered that you have commented on my post (#35)most comprehensively, but have failed to read it.

To start with, your comment 鈥渂ut there are FAR greater similarities than differences鈥� is supported by an example of eye colour. The significant differences in homosaps to which I refer are in culture and belief, not appearance or race.

You then spend a whole paragraph on the dynamics and evolution of language 鈥� not a topic that I mentioned, nor one on which I would disagree.

And your 鈥榤ythical鈥� English culture is no myth to those of us brought up before mass immigration, and did indeed allow individuals and groups to decide how they celebrated their own sub-cultures - including most of those on your list (Goths, Muslims, EMOs, Punks, Ravers, Pensioners, Christians, Pagans, even Politicians and Bankers) EXCEPT for the one that stands out like a burka in an English ballroom: it alone fails to 鈥榓llow others the freedoms to express their choice of culture鈥� but wishes to replace all others, like nature's cuckoo.

I鈥檓 afraid, like the typical English magistrate of yesteryear, I would have to ask 鈥榳hat is this鈥楧izzee Rascal鈥�? Is it a new craze of some sort?

Finally, let me help you over your confusion 鈥� not mine. I welcome diversity, having enjoyed it in many countries, and that is where it should remain.
If I want to see African or Indian Elephants I go to Africa or India and enjoy the diversities of nature in their normal environment and surroundings: I don鈥檛 want them invading my English backyard.

You ask who I will be voting for, but I was brought up never to discuss my religion or politics, so will simply repeat my advice 鈥� VOTE RADICAL!
(just for the record, there is no BNP candidate in my constituency)

#36 barrie Well observed! Reminded me of the management euphemism the 'Lateral Arabesque' for being sidelined, which we hope will occur, although to stick with your nautical theme, perhaps 'swinging the lead' is more appropriate?

"48. At 00:45am on 28 Apr 2010, indignantindegene wrote:

#35 gnuneo

I suppose I should be flattered that you have commented on my post (#35)most comprehensively, but have failed to read it."

i have definitely read it, however i may have misunderstood you, my apologies if so.

you wrote:
"To start with, your comment 鈥渂ut there are FAR greater similarities than differences鈥� is supported by an example of eye colour. The significant differences in homosaps to which I refer are in culture and belief, not appearance or race."

which is excellent, and i'm glad we agree. I guess i was replying to your earlier post on the topic:

"28. At 8:50pm on 27 Apr 2010, indignantindegene wrote:

#53 Go1 on 26th April in response to my #48 (visit to Darwin鈥檚 house and evolution) wrote: 鈥淪o you are more than aware that current scientific opinion shows that there is virtually no difference between the races genetically and that most differences are cosmetic due to climate adaptation?"

I am even more aware that there are huge differences within species: eg significant differences between groups of finches - due to different lifestyles - led to Darwin鈥檚 conclusion on Evolution. "

i guess it was the whole focus on Darwinian evolution, and the example of finches that led me to an erroneous conclusion regarding your views. My bad. Thank you for clearing it up.

"You then spend a whole paragraph on the dynamics and evolution of language 鈥� not a topic that I mentioned, nor one on which I would disagree."

no, it was an example *i* used, to clarify the issue by example. Glad you both approve and agree with what i wrote.

"And your 鈥榤ythical鈥� English culture is no myth to those of us brought up before mass immigration, and did indeed allow individuals and groups to decide how they celebrated their own sub-cultures - including most of those on your list (Goths, Muslims, EMOs, Punks, Ravers, Pensioners, Christians, Pagans, even Politicians and Bankers) EXCEPT for the one that stands out like a burka in an English ballroom: it alone fails to 鈥榓llow others the freedoms to express their choice of culture鈥� but wishes to replace all others, like nature's cuckoo."


...errr, what??

first of all, there has never been a single *English Culture* - it was ALWAYS a mixture of different sub-cultures, blending in and out, adapting, creating and recreating. For instance, is this mythic 'English' culture based upon landed aristocracy (ie 4 weddings and a funeral), or is it wider to encompass ALL who are part of Modern Britain? How are the working class (or would they be peasantry to you?) to be represented culturally? How about the long-term unemployed, the under-classes? What horrific Ideal do you have to fit everybody into a category? The individuals of a Society create it - a Society needs no control from a 'Bureau of Cultural Freedom'.

secondly, *every* sub-culture desires to have all others conform - who can doubt that Bankers would like *everyone* to conform to the Society the Bankers desire? Every meme wishes to be successful and expand, and Islam, like Secularism, Christianity and Hinduism, wants to be successful.


--and here in the West, we *like* our secular freedoms, as individuals. To attempt to deny the validity of Islam as a legal Religion, would also entail the expulsion of not only UK-born citizens that have converted into Islam, but also the expulsion of say Muslim women who have fled abusive husbands, to Lands that do not have our protections for women's rights. It would also require a definition that would exclude Christianity and Judaism, which in terms of theology are almost identical. Islam is no threat to us, unless we get scared and run back to religious intolerance and bigotry.

We are better than them - we can win in a Fair Fight. :)

"I鈥檓 afraid, like the typical English magistrate of yesteryear, I would have to ask 鈥榳hat is this鈥楧izzee Rascal鈥�? Is it a new craze of some sort?"

how strange - you have a young enough style to definitely know of Dizzee Rascal - if not from popular culture, then at least from NewsNight itself. Yes, its a "new craze". He might be Prime Minister one day, you know.


"Finally, let me help you over your confusion 鈥� not mine. I welcome diversity, having enjoyed it in many countries, and that is where it should remain.
If I want to see African or Indian Elephants I go to Africa or India and enjoy the diversities of nature in their normal environment and surroundings: I don鈥檛 want them invading my English backyard."

very poetic, but once again you are back to referring to animals when you are actually talking about culture. Are you also going to argue that we British did not teach much during our 'sojourns' in our Lands? Did we not only bring Railways (the better to transfer resources back to us cheaply), did we not only bring organisation and centralisation (the better to control the populations), but also we brought our Cultures? And now the reverse has happened - but not by invasion, not to invade and conquer, but to share, and grow together. You have a problem with Islam, but the best way to not have a problam with Islam is to live up to our expressed Rights, and to demonstrate that *our* system can provide a stable, well structured and enviable State.

Islam is only a religion - *we* are a Society. Don't be scared of them. :D

"You ask who I will be voting for, but I was brought up never to discuss my religion or politics, so will simply repeat my advice 鈥� VOTE RADICAL!
(just for the record, there is no BNP candidate in my constituency)"

you don't sound that "radical" to me. Which is a pity, as you seem a good writer.

peace and love. :wub:

ooops! - another "intentional error". ;)

"Are you also going to argue that we British did not teach much during our 'sojourns' in our Lands?"

should be:

"Are you also going to argue that we British did not teach much during our 'sojourns' in [i]other[/i] Lands?"

...just to keep you on your toes. ^_^ :whistles:

Mr Blankfein's Statement :-

Gordon Brown is in Glasgow today, leaving Peter Mandelson to run Labour's daily press conference in London,

How did that go, by the way?

I understand the ever savvy PM managed to bring up the thorny issue of who votes and for whom whilst digging another big hole. All over the news it was, but took me a while to find. The 大象传媒 site search is, as we know, often convoluted.

Meanwhile, here we are...

GOLDMAN SACHS AND WESTMINSTER ALLOWANCES

Just as the effete burghers of Britain are inclined to think Westminster has been rumbled and cleansed by the Telegraph's action, and ensuing exodus, might it be that Goldman Sachs is the diversionary sacrifice for global chicanery, variously reported, but never nailed? I am in no doubt that the Westminster Ethos runs deep and dark; just how deep and dark GLOBAL chicanery runs is something 'we don't know we don't know'.

One thing seems certain, our politicains are a long way from bright, and are further hobbled by ambition and party allegiances. If ever there was a time to "GO BACK TO BEING AN ISLAND, AND PREPARE TO SURVIVE" that time is now.

PS (Gnu #45) I hope you are right. But 'twitter' does start with 'twit'.

OH MANDY - YOU CAME AND YOU LEFT US ALL CRYING (#53 link)

The politician's logic trips so sibilant from the ever-pursed lips of Count Mandelson. It goes like this: "STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE ELECTION, CONCENTRATE ON VOTING OR THE RIGHT PARTY."

Can you see what it is yet?

WE DON'T NEED YOU TODAY - GO MANDY.

Enlightening the Moon with the heat of the Sun,
It seems quite vital and a bit of fun.
Watts' great horseman is over the lake
What kind of impact are we going to make?

mim

I saw it but I had trouble believing it. The man from the IFS was reasoned enlightenment and the politicians all hand waving waffle. And Liam Byrne now takes the title of the most smug minister since John Major. He has the provisional figures from the run to the 'review' but isn't going to share them. Reviews don't just materialise, there has to be a lot of research done first, so there must be some substantial indicators. He, and the rest of them, aren't going to say. The 'mushroom' election continues. The trouble is we are being buried in such a deep layer of manure we aren't going to see the light of day again. As a trailer for Thursday it was a pretty poor show.
More on the Thursday debate, if 'Smart Alec' Salmond has his way, there won't be one. I'm sure this is part of his master plan to dissaffect the English so much that they'll be more than happy to see the back of him and Scotland and give more power to his elbow when Scotland has it's independence referendum. Regards, etc.

when the cuts are announced there will be strikes in the uk like greece and portugal etc.

Does it really matter what the political parties or the IFS say about cuts and deficits? Isn't the reality it all depends what the bond markets allow the UK to spend? Is the electorate watching what is happening in Greece? Do they realise the extent of the exposure of the mainly German and French banks to the sovereign debt of Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy (100s of billions of Euros)? Do they understand the exposure of the Spanish banks to Portuguses soveriegn debt?

We are moving from a banking crisis to a sovereign debt crisis and are potentially heading back to a banking crisis caused by the exposure of European banks to sovereign debt. Apparently there is already a silent run on the Greek banks as the depoistors understand that the Greek governments depositor guarantee scheme may prove to be worthless.

I'd like tyo know what the expoure of the UK Banks (particularly RBS and Lloyds) is to the soveriegn debt of EU members. Where's the analysis from the media?

What I'd be interested in is some analysis on whether or not the ECB anbd Germay can stop the dominoes from falling. Or is the problem too big? If they don't intervene massively then we are looking at huge social unrest in the southern states of the EU. Of course, with free movement of workers, that has implications for Germany and the rest of the EU.

Will the UK be able be able to escape the increasingly negative sentiment towards sovereign debt? I suspect not. This is the reality the politicians and mainstream media are not talking about. It is fundamentally dishonest. Kirsty Wark's questioning last night on NN effectively amounted to asking the politicians about the size of the iceberg above the water.

As a couple of footnotes to my last post, have a look at how the shares prices of the main French, German and Spanish banks are doing.

Also, I wonder if the Cleggster will be grilled on Thursday night about his party's desire to join the Euro. I'd say that if they want us to join, they'll have to be quick while it is still there!

Don't worry Indi I know exactly what you mean by ENGLISH CULTURE, but no one under 40 has a clue.

How dare anyone say we've never had a culture, it's the same people who say there are no ENGLISH PEOPLE we are all immigrants. HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT? were they around to check on who lived here a few thousand years ago.

Yes we must be very closely related to the french, belgium and dutch as we were attached to them, but once we were an island, it took quite an effort by the Jutes, Saxons and Angles to invade, and they only did in very SMALL NUMBERS not like the MASS IMMIGRATION of today.

Two of my grandparents we have traced back 500 years, and one we don't know, and one a 1000 years. He came in with William the Conquerer and was a lord or somesuch, hhhmmm how the mighty have fallen. You can trace back royalty, so yes I have in my genes an immigrant of a 1000 years ago.

That's as long as there was no hanky panky along the way!
; )

62

given the last ice age would have made britain uninhabitable except maybe for woolly mammoths and polar bears it reasonable to assume most are migrants.

english is a feeling and that feeling belongs to fewer as time moves on. what does the somali or nigerian settler know of english feeling? Shakespeare talks of the loss of feeling in the Tempest with Ariel's and Caliban's reactions to foreign control of their island.

mass migration is used as a tool to smash the common feeling and fracture the unity of the state so the socialists can have their idols of brutalist nihilist 'fairness' [without good] and the oligarchs can have their cheap labour.

now the unity is gone to what could one appeal in a crisis? if one mentions country each thinks of their own not this island. we spend internal security billions on what is evidently an insurgency by those who share a common feeling among themselves enough to wage war.

the essential poverty in the uk is by the lack of the good society outlook that has been smothered by those who believe fairness or profit is the highest idea of the mind and act accordingly. They say that the good is a discrimination, a bias and thus 'bad' without seeing the irrationality of their statement and ignore their bias and discrimination for the inferior.

#61:

of COURSE we have an English culture - and that has only gone from strength to strength. Our music is global, our 大象传媒 is the BEST news channel in the world (well, NN & QT are exemplars anyway!), our cultural reach is extraordinary for such a small island with such a small population. What i meant was that our culture is highly varied, and always has been.

you refer to the saxons and jutes - the *name* "English" came from these immigrants, the "Angles" were yet another Scandinavian/north German group that invaded. The 'Britons' were the people here already.

the British Isles have been culturally and genetically enriched by immigration throughout most of its history - the danger is trying to run back to a mythical 'English' cultural paradise, that simply never existed.

and blaming immigrants for incompetent political and economic leadership of this country is disingenuous at best.


on the ongoing financial collapse of the global banking house-of-cards, was *anyone* actually convinced the banking sector had been 'cleaned up' for real? So is it any surprise that there is more to come?

ENRICHED? (#63)

Can you enlarge on the 'enrichment by dilution' theme, Gnu? I am especially interested in the modern, mass immigration, self-sufficient ghetto living, and deliberate resistance to assimilation with associated demands for 'rights'.

Is psychological pressure on a community, enrichment?

ENGLISH LANGUAGE?

Did anyone watch a programme some time ago about where the english language came from. I can't remember what the programme was called.

I can't remember the facts exactly. Someone said it came from a small region of the Netherlands, and they still speak the same form today, which is much like english, and can be understood by us.

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