Tuesday 30 March 2010

THE ANSWER IN A VERY NUTTY NUTSHELL

"Tony Blair is on the campaign trail today - but is he an asset for the Labour party or a liability?"

As Britain slept, a form of governance congealed in the Westminster Citadel that is now led by a deluded 'Man of the Manse' waving a broken 'Moral Compass' in self-affirmation. In recent time, this sham-man has drawn to his side two Machiavellian sham-acolytes and between them they have conjured up the greatest sham of them all: Tony Blair.

THERE is what is wrong with Britain.

Does the fact that BBC News carried Blair's entire speech today show where the Corporation's editorial political sympathies lie?

Paul, what are you doing? You are tinkering with the fringes. Go to Manchester, where they cleared one of the largest industrial sites in Europe, Trafford Park, and replaced it with a shoppong mall. Go to Meadowhall Sheffield, another mall, which was once British Steel, and the centre of the British tool indusrtry. Go to West Yorkshire which was the centre of the British machine tool industry.

Tracey Emin, and Margate ? You cannot be serious. You need to get out more I think.

TONY'S RETURN TO SEDGEFIELD (whence he fled, mid-term)

"Closed minds close off the future" orated Orator Blair - and then he paused, a long pause, while the small people understood the import of his words.

It just never occurred to him that the true import is this: a million minds were closed to 'Tony's War', and they came onto the streets to tell him. Yet war was still their future - they could not close off the Blair Ego - AND IT IS NOW THEIR PRESENT.

What a bloody - blood-soaked - megalomaniac.

'Tony Blair is on the campaign trail today - but is he an asset for the Labour party or a liability?'

Depends who you ask I guess? Sadly, many people won't look at what New Labour's policies actually did to the UK, they'll just listen to the nice (nefarious) rhetoric.

My view.

Who wrote the speech? Why don't more look behind the curtain?

Demographics. 'It's the birth-rate and differential fertility - stupid'.

In a liberal-democracy that translates into ...something unpostable, and the psychopaths know it, and exploit it :-(.

#3 Ha,ha, Hugh that only gave work to foreigners who built the places, and knocked the previous buildings down.

And are now full of all those consumable goods, that provides work and jobs for China and India etc.

Where do all us plebs get the money to spend in them? I hate those places, and am constantly amazed how many people are in them spending money when I see them on TV.

I can assure you Margate is as dismal as it appears on camera. There is no work there, businesses after the war did move there, because of the very low wage related to the farm labourer wage. But these businesses went abroad, and now only immigrants pick the veg.

Although I must say there is a huge market in Londoners coming down to gentrify the place now the high speed line is nearby. So yet again the working man will miss out! Around the new Turner centre, there's all these lovely little bijou shops and continental cafés popping up, to serve them. Oh and there's a huge drug problem there, as there is in many towns in Kent, including my own.

Who cares about Blair? We know what he did, we know what he's doing now; unlike Caroline Flint the vast majority of us do not view Blair as an "international superstar", more like an arriviste on the make; how anyone can view his endorsement of Brown as an advantage is soup splutteringly crass.

Was Michael Crick just a wee bit envious of C4's 3 Chancellors debate? It comes to a pretty pass when a publicly televised economic debate is dissed as "Oh so very civilized"; then Jazza proceeds to hold a bargain basement debate with the three main parties' second stringers and actively turns it into a clamourous rabble; so that's the kind of civilized debate NN likes?

Well done, C4; disappointing again, NN; and Tony, back to the personal wealth creation programme, there's a good loon.

Justin Rowlatt wants some comments on immgration, well here's some from the trashy newspapers.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262242/Woman-stunned-Romanian-immigrant-living-shed-does-recycle.html

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2911175/Suns-massive-poll-highlights-voters-anger-over-immigration.html

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2912750/Sun-immigration-survey-day-2-Violence-on-the-streets.html

Scaremongering or truth, who knows these days! : (

I thought Paul Mason's report was even more thought provoking because it showed the poverty of Britain's economic prospects to be all pervasive; not just in the once great heavy industrial centres of Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester... but also in Margate, Stoke and Port Talbot; in fact, anywhere outside of the London Pale.

We announce new activity in the North East - a Japanese company; we announce new windfarm manufacturing project - a German firm; we cannot yet kick the habit of doling grants to foreign companies to prop up our basket case economy in the short term; but kick the habit we must.

A recovery to what was before is not going to happen; a renaissance of something that has the beginnings of a balanced, British-based economy that produces goods and a sense of achievement for the majority of people is required.

This has nothing to do with British jobs for British workers and everything to do with British based businesses thriving.

The government doles out our money to Siemens; yet British businesses struggle to obtain capital from banks majority owned by the taxpayer.

Rule Britannia!

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

If Saint Blair of Iraq speaks for Gordon Brown who would speak against him is one line of thought - though I was wondering whether the former having lost his bid for the EU Presidency would not have a run at the institution of Pope with that post looking a bit rocky right now.

There are positives - Honest John Major once spoke up for Gordon Brown and that must not displease Cameron and distress Brown as that is like one of the icons of political mediocrity trying to help the fallen and lost Brown on his way. So he has another endorsement that distracts from that.

The negatives though must include the fact that if Blair is still honoured then he is still a valid Labour political force and as such would be open to the query of his admonishment of the FSA for wanting to "regulate perfectly respectable banks" I believe the phrase was. Was that in retrospect the best approach. His old refrain that "his only regret was that he did not go further" should make people grimace at what might have happened if he had. Also there is his proposed attitude to Iran that is also highly questionable.

Also his credibility with "poor people" must be questionable.

You imagine him on the run down estate and a resident says "we have terrible housing problems" and he responds "Me too! Managing 73 properties when you are trying to bring peace to the Middle East is a nightmare!".

Are Labour lost souls that have found that they have been propelled through life and are now post-Socialist and post-Blairite and found that Brownism is more of a cross strategy of McCavverty's cat and Mr. Micawber i.e. it is not strategy at all but a kind of philosophy of malaise?

All that recommends them is that they are not the BNP so I for one assume Margaret Hodge will whup Griffin and that once the light of truth is shone on the council members they will lose ground.

Dyslexia and church bells can make Barnbrook cite murders that never happened - it still makes me laugh.

There is talk of cuts and deficits and whether Trident should be scrapped on cost grounds or nuclear proliferation signals or both or neither as the world is changing unexpectedly quickly.

But what of the US where change could mean, despite health care bills, START treaties and prrogress in AfPak that we could have a President who does the right thing and loses to the Fox/Palin/GOP/Tea Party conglomerate at the next election.

As an aside you do wonder why, as the corporations now get the same rights as a citizen in terms of funding, they don't just merge.

But seriously Palin's comments on the NHS and universal health care and anything to the left of her as "communist" must raise the question of whether the US could lurch into a cross between the McCarthyite era of smears and something from the Crucible.

As we have seen with the wild comments that have stimulated low, but unacceptable, levels of violence following the health care bill things can take on a momentum of their own.

If they keep talking the talk would they walk the walk?

Would they sell a Trident replacement and would Nato survive if everybody except the US is considered "communist".

I wonder whether the Tory David Cameron, that NHS loving subversive who is backed by News International, admires the narcissist Palin?

#8ecolizzy
"Justin Rowlatt wants some comments on immgration, well here's some from the trashy newspapers."

I got the impression that Justin Rowlatt didn't want to keep hearing what the public had to say on immigration, just like the main parties.

We may be able to get some interest from G01, who says he likes 'facts and democracy' but froths at the mouth about Hitler, the Holocaust and BNP.

@ Ecolizzy #8 - What's trashy about The Daily Mail? Our very own Jeremy and Emily write columns in them!

OMG - you're going to have Sinead O'Connor on? WOW!!! I look forward to seeing her on screen :o)
(Hadn't realised she is still singing)

Here's an article about her views on the Pope's apology....
https://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/24/world/la-fg-sinead-qa25-2010mar25

Of course we can't go back to the "old days" of 60's and 70's industry. Who wants to ? Antiquated plant, producing antiquated materials, by antiquated methods, But somebody ,somehow, has to come up with some manufacturing of substance. Who is making the windmills, the wavegenerating plant, our high speed electric traction units and rolling stock, our electric cars, and when will heavy goods vehicles come into the equation ?

If we are to compete in a European, or even world market place, "cottage industries" no matter how many spring up, do not have the substance to effectively support an export market individually.

The debate about how we divide what money we have is interesting but introvert. When is someone going to break from the pack and give us some hope that "Our Government" has an inkling of what the plan is for the long term.

We had our Empire, our Colonies, our industrial revolution. Been and gone. We tried finance which worked for a time, but the lucky numbers won't come up again, So where do we go from here ?

It no longer takes months for a letter to come from China, we can fly round the world in a long weekend, we have computers that generate 3D imagery in an instant, imagine what Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Telford, Stephenson could have done with that

One thing is for sure, they would not be smacking each other with their handbags on NEWSNIGHT.

#13 errata That was Paul Mason who kept being told 'What's Wrong with Britain' and I don't think Tracy Emin's new art gallery will solve it.

In the Independent 'You can both go hang, say voters' :

'The ComRes survey suggests the mood of the nation is one of "a plague on both your houses" as Labour and the Tories struggle to inspire voters ahead of a general election expected on 6 May. According to the poll, the Tories have halted a recent slip in their fortunes and now enjoy a seven-point lead, up two points on last month. They are on 37 per cent (no change), Labour on 30 per cent (down two points), the Liberal Democrats on 20 per cent (up one point) and other parties on 13 per cent (up one).'

So does Michale Crick think that despite this close margin with two soft votes for the leading two parties we could suddenly see a dramatic sea change as the volatile public mood swings behind one or the other - or the Lib Dems? I just can't see Labour credibility surviving much longer as the hard questions get asked.

A plague on both your houses shows why the concept of the two party-first past the post system is flawed not only in terms of fairness but also in terms of how it satisfies the aspirations of the public. It does not allow the granularity of political expression and the long run replacement of failing parties.

Take a look at the US and how extremely polarised that is becoming.

The system must be able to translate the will of the people expressed in votes into a coherent expression of government.

I notice Turkey is abolishing visa's from several middle east countries, so that those people can come and go more easily. If and when Turkey joins the EU will that mean anybody from the middle east countries will be able to walk in here to avail themselves of any service, or drop a bomb or two?

THE VITAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR POLITICIANS AND A LITTLE BROWN BISHOP

I have heard Ed Miliband say, AS IF IT WERE AN ASSET, "I am an optimist"!
And now Blair is doing the optimism thing. I regard it as a negative attribute.

Far more to my taste, is the position of Desmond Tutu who declined to be an optimist, preferring the wiser position of "A PRISONER OF HOPE". Nice!

Another bill from european immigration, how long do they work here, six months, a year just to get the insurance number?

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/165761/Brits-forking-out-for-EU-migrant-workers-to-have-babies-in-UK

And before you all shout about pensioners in Spain, I understand that we have to pay for their care as well. ; )

Do you think the mothers will qualify for our full state maternity benefits as well? And will the babies born and living in europe also qualify for child benefit?

Do other countries pay out all these benefits as we do? I can never find out enough about europe, any suggestions?

Am heir to Blair? No way! He's a one off and should stay that way.

The biggest trougher of them all he should have stayed well out of the way.

His hypocritical attempt to appeal to the ordinary man in the street whilst stashing away his millions in reward for being a puppet of the US raging war in Iraq does make me feel rather sickly.

He only reminded us all of what a sham his whole New Labour movement turned out to be. That will be his legacy. A big sham!

#5 statist

"My view.

Who wrote the speech? Why don't more look behind the curtain?

Demographics. 'It's the birth-rate and differential fertility - stupid'.

In a liberal-democracy that translates into ...something unpostable, and the psychopaths know it, and exploit it "

For those that don't speak far right psycho-babble you are supposed to be drawn into the intriguing la-la land where all Jews are "psychopaths" and Hitler was a peace lover. Birth rate and demographics are short hand for race and multi-culturalism. There is a Jewish "hegemony".

Yet the BNP found they could not muster any kind of scientific or legal or philosophical opposition to the EHRC on their requirement that they comply with racial law. That's because their views are based on a cult-like rhetoric and not on fact.

Similarly there is as much chance of a class action on the "Jewish hegemony" as there is of flying pigs barrel rolling over the next BNP conference-in-a-field. There is no basis to their views and they know it.

If you ask them to put up the best you get is some wild fantasy statistics about how successful NYC Jews are and of course they are so sound no court or scientific journal would even contemplate them.

Its the sort of thing that led Von Bruun to shoot dead a security guard at a US Holocaust Memorial - he is a former American Friend of the BNP.

As with Hitler there are no facts on offer. It was just hysterical hyperbole that the Jews were parasites and "an internal economic and political threat" but trying to find facts to prove that would be like the proverbial search for WMD in Iraq.

That said if you are into evil cults then surely the far right "explications" are for you.

By the way that poster has commented that Leninism and National Socialism are very similar.

The Russians have just banned Mein Kampf as it depicts Russians as sub-human and they lost some 22 million to the Nazis.

Hitler liquidated the NKPD in Germany.

Lenin's attitude to the middle class was largely to shoot them.

The BNP are trying to woo the white middle class. They are "not a Nazi Party" - but many of their members are National Socialists who admire the BNP. Brons used to do the odd Nazi salute when they were the National Front.

OK, so perhaps I should have said that if you are into evil cults with no intellectual coherence whatever then the far right is for you.

But remember that they don't do natty little flags and suchlike as their Hungarian Nazi partners in Europe do.

AT THE DROP OF A BOMB (#18)

You have a winning way with words Lizzy!

Will such freedom of movement, via Turkey, be established while Saint Tony is still here? I can just see the future scriptures telling how he was lifted up to heaven on a pillar of fire.

Amen to that.

NO IDEA IF THIS IS TRUE BUT IT MAKES YOUR EYES WATER. (#20)

https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2010/03/20/tony-blair-gets-paid-for-his-role-in-the-zionist-conspiracy/

Perhaps I should write the 'Little Black Book of Blair' to be circulated to primary schools as a cautionary tale?

THAT'S A BIT MORE WRONG WITH BRITAIN PAUL!

Turkey in Europe.

According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News, the magazine was “launched on behalf of the patrons of Turkey in Europe who are Michael Gove MP, Dr Denis MacShane MP and Graham Watson MEP.”

#23 Well Barrie I spotted this little gem on a blog. And feel it will be happening soon, as we are under orders from the USA for Turkey to join the EU. So if Turkey is allowing other middle eastern people in, they will end up here soon won't they?

I was thinking of the situation when the A8 countries joined. Suddenly a lot of Russians and Ukraines were going to Poland etc. and seeking asylum and getting passports. So guess what they ended up here and in other richer european countries. I've sat in our local hospital with two very smart russian women waiting for their NHS treatment, oh and with translators as well.

25. ecolizzy 'I was thinking of the situation when the A8 countries joined. Suddenly a lot of Russians and Ukraine's were going to Poland etc. and seeking asylum and getting passports.'

There were stateless Russians in the Baltic states when the USSR 'collapsed'. East Europeans have lower fertility figures than we do, much lower. Their welfare state was also nobbled in the interest of their freedom.....

The vast majority of educated people today don't appear to know what an argument is. Nor do they appear to know how to productively discuss and change (their) behaviour.

Why is this so?

In what way did Newsnight consider Nigel Griffiths MP qualified to supply a critique of George Osborne's economic policies?

https://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/241973/MP-Nigel-Griffiths-Bid-to-silence-News-of-the-World-over-House-of-Commons-office-sex-revelations-rejected.html

WELCOME TO THE LOOBY-LOO CARE HOME!

Free at the point of need;
Free at the point of use.
Even though you've paid already
We'll even throw in free abuse.

Frederick Forsyth’s article on the dangers of vote splitting (tactical voting) may be sound mathematically, yet those commenting strongly defend their democratic right to vote according to their choice, irrespective of outcome. Stoic or Stupid?

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/ourcomments/view/165261

I’m happy to find myself in agreement with Go1 at #17 !

However the percentage levels of public support for the political parties quoted in the Independent survey will not translate into the same ratio of MPs for the reasons stated by Forsyth and because of our unfair ‘first-past-the-post system’.

It seems that Lib-Dem and UKIP are the only parties that campaign for a change to Proportional Representation, but only UKIP is pledged to protect us from even more control from Europe and from continued high levels of immigration.

To avoid the undesirable effects of tactical voting the voter really needs local polls in order to decide whether voting for a minor party may inadvertently favour the election of the Nulabour or Tory candidate, and if so, then vote Lib-Dem in order to get PR on the agenda. A hung parliament may well give more voice to the smaller parties or even result in a GE re-run if the no-majority parliament it is too unstable.

Perhaps we should encourage our local newspapers to conduct polls in order to assess the scope for, and likely effects of, tactical voting in our own constituencies?

(tactically)Spoil Party Games

Tonight, he finds the beginnings of a sustainable economy at Emma Bridgewater's booming family-owned pottery in Stoke, at a London dotcom where they have invented an alternative to banking, and in Margate, with artist Tracey Emin, who believes that a new art gallery soon to open there will transform the place.'

Does this tell us something positive or does it just say something about the way that some 'interesting' people think/talk these days? Should one encourage 'interesting' people, or should one be critical? Is the latter against national 'House Rules, and if so, what might the consequences be of not breaking them?

BREAKING NEWS FOR ECOLI ZZY!

Turkey is indeed in Europe!

Turkey would be a valuable asset to the European Union in so many ways; the people are friendly, hospitable and energetically entrepreneurial by nature. Turkish people have a deep pride in their country and their culture but also have a world view which is pragmatic.

I realize that people with limited contact with Turkish people in the UK may see them only as kebab shop workers; but that's a bit like saying, from a Spaniard's point of view that Brits are either ancient crumblies or drunken oiks, based on their experience in Spain.

I would urge anyone who has doubts about Turkey and its people to visit Istanbul; only then will you realize how much of our own history and culture has been shaped by this fascinating land.

It really is high time to cease with the peddling of immigration as the source of all our problems; this one issue zealotry is pointless and rather unbecoming of a nation whose infrastructure, starting with the navvies of the Industrial Revolution, through the Afro Caribbean workforce essential for the maintenance of the NHS to the industrious application of Polish builders and plumbers - not forgetting the ubiquitous Asian run convenience store - has clearly been dependent on immigration for its sustainability.

The Scottish Daily Express? Jings, crivvens and help ma boab!

What is the point of Sinead O'Connor?

I remember now! She gave birth to John Connor, who saved the world , protected by Schwarzenegger, in the Terminator films.

But she wasn't real then, either.

"What is the point of Sinead O'Connor?"

In this instance she provides a hook for yet another paedophilia story.

33. kashibeyaz 'What is the point of Sinead O'Connor?'

Are you perhaps a settler/foreigner?

.."Britain's challenge today is not a 20th century one and its politics cannot afford 20th century political attitudes," [Tony Blair]...

isn't tony's attitude is a timeless one? Me me me.

which attitudes is he talking about? his market fundamentalism? his Religious fundamentalism? his regime changitis?

what is tony's political philosophy? He is still a patron of JNF a position which looks impossible to reconcile with human rights for all.

..Blair is exploiting a little-known loophole in UK company law to keep his finances secret. He would normally have to publish company accounts detailing the millions flowing into his various commercial ventures. But he has set up a complicated artificial structure to avoid doing so. ..

perhaps its best summed up with

..Blair is ineffectual. One senior Palestinian told The Sunday Times: “Everyone is very kissy-kissy with him on both sides because he is the former British prime minister. But, behind his back, both Arabs and Jews laugh at him...

https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6962649.ece

OR PUT THE OTHER WAY ROUND (#32)

"a nation whose infrastructure, starting with the navvies of the Industrial Revolution, through the Afro Caribbean workforce essential for the maintenance of the NHS to the industrious application of Polish builders and plumbers - not forgetting the ubiquitous Asian run convenience store"

Long before we had the wisdom to avoid the mayhem of multiculture, we applied the cleverness of seamanship and armaments, to the business of acquiring our own 'Untouchables'.

Would that we had been vehemently isolationist, with a strong work ethic and respect for ALL endeavour. (And would that we had been wise enough to elevate those with integrity and honour, rather than juvenile charlatans.)

THAT'S A BIT MORE WRONG WITH BRITAIN PAUL

'Tracey Emin, who believes that a new art gallery soon to open there will transform the place.'

Like to know how? 80 million was spent on the massive The pUblic gallery in Sandwell and I see no change to the deprivation.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stopped_time3/4461216953/sizes/o/

Have to admit seeing Tracey being interviewed about her life somewhere else on the Beeb clearly she has been through a lot and I kinda changed my mind hearing some of that. Didn't realise her state of mind had been such.

UK to rule out national gas storage to secure supply

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/7536076/UK-to-rule-out-national-gas-storage-to-secure-supply.html

the government is reckless to believe the market will 'sort it out'. it just goes to show the market fundamentalism that caused the financial crash is still alive and well in the govt.

39. flicks 'Didn't realise her state of mind had been such.'

Really? If I didn't know better I'd ask 'have you not seen her art'?

As pointed out before, she's been abused, along with many others, and it had nothing to do with rogue Catholic priests. Perhaps you don't appreciate how extensive all this has been?

ONE MIGHT ALMOST BELIEVE THE ANTICHRIST IS AMONG US (#37 link)

Blair now defies description on any human scale. He is Monkey. He is The Joker. I had recently pointed out that, in the 'global arena' nothing short of global dominance will serve the megalomaniac mind. Blair is in no position to dominate militarily, nor even to start a new religion (much as he would like to) so he sets out to nefariously unite the globe under a rag-bag of vague imaginings (always his best trick) WITH HIS NAME AT THE TOP.

There is a horror in my viscera. That Blair is INVITED to assist Labour has a 'terrible aspect' all of its own. Brown's desperation has driven him to make a Faustian pact; he has opened a portal - will it ever close? What else will come through?

' Netanyahu can tolerate only a certain amount of international isolation, especially if he wants real American support on Iran.'

The Times 30 March 2010

Let's hope recent events aren't a contrived spat to cover a strike on Iran. :-(

42. barriesingleton 'ONE MIGHT ALMOST BELIEVE THE ANTICHRIST IS AMONG US'

The problem is that many people find such people very attractive/charismatic, even when their faults are pointed out. They make 'good' leaders and are recruited/fielded as a consequence. Really good leaders are, of course, 'dull', like good husbands, wives, partners.

So....what's to be done, oh wise one? ;-(

#32 To Kashi from ecoli, (*yes I was ill for a month after catching that in Turkey)

Turkey has only a toe hold in europe! ; ) The rest is asia minor if I remember my geog probably, but it was a long time ago. When will people like you realise it's not the quality it's the quantity!

I've nothing against Turks, there's some down my road, with 7 kids, and a couple of kebab shops in my town, *for this reason, I don't visit them tho! ; )

I travelled over half of Turkey in '67, probably long before you were born, so know something of the country and it's culture, as you say fascinating, don't assume only you know things. I even saw the reputed first glass made by Turks. Even then it was a modern country, Ataturk did a good job.

I don't object to immigration, I object to mass immigration, and the social problems it brings through overcrowding. I also loath the labour parties attitude of changing the demographic of my country. If brits all went to Turkey we would fit in one corner of it, we are a tiny island that at the moment can only feed 32% of the population. What do you think is going to happen here if people keep flooding in?!

Do you want to live cheek by jowl? I certainly don't, I don't want concrete everywhere, I want my green and pleasant land back, but it's rapidly disappearing in the south east I can assure you.

45. ecolizzy It is not yet clear to me whether kashibeyaz's posts can be trusted as objective and impartial.

Given recent Middle Eastern and local economic events (and exasperations) I suggest this too deserves a critical reading. A lot of people just don't seem to see that what they are advocating is wrong, and why it is wrong.

My God!....what a debauched bunch they all look!

The discussion with John Prescott, Eric Pickles and the Liub Dem was a shambles. Hopelessly chaired by Gavin, hardly a single sentence could be heard and pathetic political points scoring. Newsnight should avoid populist, cheap, pseudo political kids debates

The orange faced, ozzie accented "Bliar" comes back to the UK to back the dishonest Brown. He unintentionally reminds the electorate of the war he instigated under the cover of a lie and for which the electorate has not yet forgiven him and his arrogance. Brown must be desperate to involve this old adversary once again: the act may backfire in Brown's face of course and bring to the surface the dislike of this man by the voters and so taint Brown. I know it did for me. I'm also not surprised that Blair took no questions from the press after his address in Sedgefield. After all, he's not being paid to do the speech, so I doubt he could be bothered to think up answers for awkward questions.

Here's a question which has been asked several time sbefoe, but still has not been answered.

If 'education, education, education' is so central to New Labour's idea of equality, why is it that the Jewish populaton of the UK is so highly represented in postions of economic and political power, even though it only comprises only half a percemt of the UK population? Why is it not equally matched by the British Chinese population, which comes top in all our measures of attainment in schools and also comprises half a percent of our population? What's more, given that the Indian Britain comes a close seoond in attainment, but comprises about 6 or 7 times the base rate of the above two popualtions, surely British Indians should be far more salient? Forget about non Jewish White Britons.

In the absence of a good explanation for the gross over representation of British Jews in positions of economic and political advantage, how can New Labour credibly assert that opportunity truly is a function of attainment through merit/education and equal opportunity?

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

A1 report from Paul Mason. Very thought provoking. Put the idiotic antics of Prescott, Huhne and Pickles into perspective.

This 'debate' was a complete rammy. I missed much of the content due to lack of control or intervention of the Chair. If the delegates are allowed to squabble among themselves like kids in a playground, don't bother to televise!

I have had to stop watching the program tonight ,Esler was so busy shouting down any attack on blair,that he let them all shout at once,and achieved nothing ,exept to show his bias for new labour.Doesnt he know we will be voting for Brown (old soviet style socialism )he was rubish and should be sacked.

No wonder we have a broken and rude society with 'leaders' such as Prescott, Pickles and the lib dem guy behaving like 3 squabbling kids. What an example to give to us all. Why bother voting if this is what we get. In fact my kids at 8 years old and even when they were in the difficult 'Kevin' teenager years showed more respect for others than these 3 did tonight. Its a disgrace, in fact I think they should apologize to the viewers. Gavin Esler should have sorted them out, thats a chairmans job. One person speaks at a time and the others listen. I was disgusted at them all.

Ha ha ha @ tonight's "bunfight" with Prescott/Pickles/Huhne....reminds me of the school playground :p

Great to see Sinead O'Connor on air - she raised some very salient points. Point is, all allegations against clergy should have been dealt with by the police/civil authorities and not the Church itself.....and it's true, none of the clergy had anything more severe than a telling off......

Simon Johnson on 'Morning Joe'

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/simon-johnson-bailed-out_b_519015.html

The wake up call has yet to happen.

Also wanted to add that Paul's report was first-rate :o)
Good to see that "maximising profits" is not the mantra of a really successful business.....

COMMERCE, WITH A WISE ETHOS, DOING 'WHAT NATURE WOULD DO'.

Well bless me - I could have written the script. (And I would have been pilloried for a fantasist.) Fingers crossed that Harvard Business School Rules have finally bitten the dust.

As for Our Tracy, and: "Art leads commerce": all I can say is, if Britain can prosper, making two legged chairs and upside-down toilets; plumbing with no hole in the pipes and houses with one wall, then Tracy is the prophet of the age.

#46 Dunno about Kashi Stat. I thought he was from Turkey and just popped in and out of the NN blog at times.

But like Go1 he rarely reads or replies to any comment one makes.

#58 Hhhhmmm Mistress, yes it was good to hear those men not worrying about maximising profits, but does that creat any jobs for others? The woman in Stoke had the right idea, she employed 160.

I think it's a great shame we lost the potteries, the stuff made abroad is absolute rubbish compared to english bone china. But us brits must always buy cheap, can't be doin' with any of that high quality stuff, it just about describes us these days. ; )

#29

Singie

You like talking about male and female 'things', the animals inside us on one hand and on the other the importance of wisdom, etc.

What I find extremely difficult to believe is how pathetic a lot of you, 'men', are!

mim

Pop diva Sinead O'Connor has found something new(ish) to be histrionic about, even in the face of rational explanations.

One has to ssk why now?. Really, look into it, and Islam, and Baathism, and Hitler and Stalin etc.

They're all statists, they were all Catholics. The Catholics ran The Inquistion too. In the wake of the greatest financial meltdown of all time focused on NYC's Wall Street, the consequence of massive deregulation aka anarchism, go on ask: 'why this attack on regulation par excellence now'? ;-)

IT would appear that Paul Mason has totally missed the point about why British industry has declined to it current level. The fact remains that THE COST OF LIVING in the UK is far too high to give us any realistic chance of competing in a global economy. At present British people on low wages are subsidising all the foolish ten bob fat cats on 40k a year with a 30k credit card debt and telephone number mortgage. House prices need to fall by up to a half, likewise transport costs need to fall by implementing a substantial reduction in road fuel duty. Cut through all the false economic growth inspired alleged Health & Safety measures introduced since the beginning of the 1990s. Rip out all the fuel wasting roundabouts that now litter our vital trunk roads ( up to 1 litre wasted for every HGV passing over them ), raise the HGV " A " road speed limit to 50 Mph and scrap the motorway fuel wasting EU speed limiters.

Of course all the little Hitler's who dreamt up or support all the false economic growth policies will scream like children, but we have to release our nation from the clutches of their combined false economic growth quasi-religions. We simply can't afford to go down the low carbon road as prescribed at present at the cost of 20% extra on our energy bills.

There would appear to be nobody out their with a clear plan for the future, art galleries and the like won't solve anything. Likewise niche markets in tourism or theoretically collectable pottery you can take onto the antiques roadshow in 50 years time and be told that its worth a fortune.

It would appear that we do have a chance with Nissan investing in eclectic cars, but the end product looks too aerodynamically designed to prove practical for general family usage. I believe that the Chinese already have a cheap practical electric family car ready for the market.

Our country and our people can never prosper as long as mainstream politicians cling to the stock market parasite inspired quest for false economic growth. We need to get back to an economy based on real cash money not credit speculation and hidden asset inflation. However, I suspect that no current leading politicians would be prepared to bite the bullet and let the stock market totally crash and Nationalise all the Banks, picking up the FTSE companies who default on their loans at the same time. The future is small business collaborating for the common good of our society in a true free market, free from the influence of the Corporate Nazi Corporate Multinational Cartel.

#62

and it may have something to do with your 'Englishness' as well

BLAIR WAS 'OZZIE' AT THE START BUT SOON LOST IT (#49)

Despite some idle BBC type characterising Blair's weird accent as 'mid Atlantic', it was really a sort of strangled Strian. The fact that it then faded, meant it was PUT ON by bogus Blair, demonstrating that his juvenile credentials are STILL intact. Millions of deluded voters put this man in charge of this country.

THAT'S ANOTHER THING WRONG WITH BRITAIN PAUL.

56. Mistress76uk 'Great to see Sinead O'Connor on air - she raised some very salient points. Point is, all allegations against clergy should have been dealt with by the police/civil authorities and not the Church itself.....and it's true, none of the clergy had anything more severe than a telling off......'

Doesn't the Jewish community 'hush up' crimes by rabbis for much the same reason? In fact, mentioning any offences by Jews to those outside the community can get one into very serious trouble can it not?

Yes I also want to congratulate Paul on his reports. He hit the nail on the head tonight, its the abuse of centralised power whether it be governments, Corporations, Unions, Investment Bankers, Racists, any situation where the 1% abuse the 99%. Having spent my career at an American company that really did distribute power and act socially responsibly until the greedy board decided otherwise in the last 10 years, the American led model of volume, greed and destroy all competitors has triumphed. Anyone living outside the City of London has seen and felt the economy crumble since the 60's, Maggie accelerated long term decline, even though she intended otherwise and seemed to improve it short term. Swathes of the UK never recovered from the 80's de industrialisation, and come on, we knew deep down that you can't survive on credit cards, inflated house prices, call centres, shopping centres and a few bankers trying to tell us they were helping us all by spending their bonuses and feeding the economy. It was like medieval monarchs throwing the serfs a few crumbs.

AND ANOTHER THING (#66)

At Chilcot, Blair sounded like Tony Bloke, the way he always sounded - except for the terror-tightened throat.

No way he could have absorbed a new accent since.

IT WAS PUT ON BECAUSE LITTLE BOY BLAIR IS - LITTLE BOY BLAIR.

He's NOT the Messiah . . .

Well done Paul for a thought provoking piece on the future of our economy. I think you hit on some of key themes underpinning the political stalemate rather than focusing on an overtly political piece or one that just points out the obvious (ie manufacturing jobs have gone east)- this is good journalism. That we need to re-think the capitalist assumptions - not to abandon them but to re-invent, and here the notion of optimum not maximum is a powerful idea that that open up a range of different models. Your points about how this optimum capitalism mixes profit, values, place and community would need a longer piece but again is spot on.

A more political angle would ask why China is the most successful growing economy today (and what we can learn from this)- its not just cheap labour as Africa has that. China also has a different re-invented capitalist model that is tuned to its historical position with a mix of profit, community and place - with the crucial addition of a strong industrial strategy. Labour has made some weak moves in this direction, but we need more of it.

#64 there is a lot in your comments that I completely agree with. The Chinese and Indians, even the Americans must laugh all the way to their next expansion when they see our little hitlers, wealth destroying transport and Health & Safety nonsense and waste. I would add one other topical waste. I keep waiting on the politicians telling us WHY it is that not cutting public expenditure waste too quickly helps the recovery. Its because we have too many people employed in the public sector in the first place, doing jobs that are not needed or can't be afforded, and they would be on the dole not spending money to help recover growth. This is not a political point, its an economic one.

'Iyad Allawi, the man who won Iraq's parliamentary elections, has accused Iran of trying to prevent him from becoming prime minister.'

Some time back didn't the US DoD have a report that suggested that Allawi, then the US "favourite" had undue links to Iran?

Is there unreported subtext here about what is going on in Iraq?

Tony Blair praises Gordon Browns actions on there being a financial crisis and with stunning honesty does not decide to deploy any answer that may have illuminated how we came to this pass.

Was it the light touch regulation and putting a muzzle on the FSA?

Does he really, really hate being abroad earning money and having 73 properties. That really makes him a lot different from the Toffs.

If he spends a lot of time in the US with his Republican friends does he get frisked a lot as he is a "communist" NHS lover?

The fact that Blair took no questions speaks volumes but they may try an eve-of-election appeal to the Tory Barbour crowd.

#67 statist

"In fact, mentioning any offences by Jews to those outside the community can get one into very serious trouble can it not?"

Well that's not you is it as you always used to provide lots of false stats on the Holocaust to show it never happened - but always let yourself be described as "agnostic" on the Holocaust.

I suppose the neutral observer may conclude that your praise of Hitler says something.

I doubt that Catholics will be drawn into your far right web of lies but that is for them.

#64 brossen99

"Of course all the little Hitler's who dreamt up or support all the false economic growth policies will scream like children, but we have to release our nation from the clutches of their combined false economic growth quasi-religions. We simply can't afford to go down the low carbon road as prescribed at present at the cost of 20% extra on our energy bills."

Unless you conclude that a greater than 2 degree average temperature rise may start to threaten economic and social stability globally and ultimately human survival.

But anyway thankfully you aren't rattling on about National Socialism as an alternative - though you don't supply an answer just a lot of frothing.

It was low quality froth but there was plenty of it!

#63 statist

"Pop diva Sinead O'Connor has found something new(ish) to be histrionic about, even in the face of rational explanations.

One has to ssk why now?. Really, look into it, and Islam, and Baathism, and Hitler and Stalin etc.

They're all statists, they were all Catholics. The Catholics ran The Inquistion too. In the wake of the greatest financial meltdown of all time focused on NYC's Wall Street, the consequence of massive deregulation aka anarchism, go on ask: 'why this attack on regulation par excellence now'? "

The fact that you are trying to exploit a piece on child abuse speaks volumes about your cynicism and empathy.

Its also clear that there is no valid connection between Islam - that you usually try to slate - and Hitler.

Stalin was of course Russian Orthodox.

The crash had damn all to do with the Jews any more than it had to do with people with predominantly brown eyes.

Its probable that any reader of your post would just conclude that you are bizarre but in case they don't lets consider that admire Hitler and have some totally unsubstantiated ideas on race and you would like to do away with democracy and its associated freedoms.

That paints a fuller picture.

#60 ecolizzy

"But like Go1 he rarely reads or replies to any comment one makes. "

You aren't reading the whole page then.

I still laugh frequently at your statement that you didn't like to visit London due to the racial mix.

How London must mourn their loss!

I also seem to recall suggesting that as London house prices subsequently rose perhaps you should suggest what other cities you did not like visiting. It might have helped their prices.

Perhaps you did not read that post.

69. barriesingleton 'He's NOT the Messiah . . .'

Why do you always go for the puppets rather than the puppet-masters?

I reckon Cleese and friends may be living to regret their youthful anachistic swipes.

@ Statist #67 - ALL crimes should be reported to the police/civil authorities regardless of whatever religious persuasion they may be.....

Are you referring to the fictitious "Libbre David" by any chance? It is a mistranslation from a Talmudic forgery which has been going the rounds for over three hundred years...

#50 statist
"If 'education, education, education' is so central to New Labour's idea of equality, why is it that the Jewish populaton of the UK is so highly represented in postions of economic and political power, even though it only comprises only half a percemt of the UK population?"

You talk and talk and talk and never put up do you.

If you believe that there is a Jewish hegemony then why don't you get off to your lawyer - the BNP have a QC on their books though I think he was a tax specialist - and take your case to the EHRC?

You admire Hitler and people fell for his arguments though it was pure rhetoric without a trace of facts.

There is nothing in your vague "highly represented" notions any more than there used to be in your old posts as jaded_jean where you suggested that the Holocaust was "made up to put people off statism".

With total seriousness you went on to suggest that the people who had done it were themselves quite like Hitler and they themselves were statists too.

Do you have dyslexia like the BNP's Barnbrook and live close to church bells that chime before you make posts - apparently that was what made him cite local murders that never happened.

#30 indignantindegene

"if so, then vote Lib-Dem in order to get PR on the agenda. A hung parliament may well give more voice to the smaller parties or even result in a GE re-run if the no-majority parliament it is too unstable. "

I can't speak for the Lib Dems but I would not be surprised if their candidates did not want the votes of those of the un-constituted BNP and English Defence League activists.

If you are thinking PR would help the BNP no it would not. It would allow, in all probability, that they could voice their concerns about immigration level and differentiate themselves from the invalid racist views of such as the BNP.

Bear in mind that the BNP could not even muster a defence to the EHRC legal requirement to the law that "they had been meaning to change for years" and hence the EHRC was a "sniveling quango".

That's almost as consistent and convincing as your arguments.

#45 ecolizzy

"I don't object to immigration, I object to mass immigration"

But you used to say you don't like the racial mix of London. So its not unreasonable to assume that race is an issue for you.

You also used to say that you like organisations with "English" in the name like the English Defence League" and you have visited the BNP website.

Well you are just totally broad minded and not a self-avowed racist like them - except that they are going to change their racial biased membership constitution and they are "not a Nazi party".

Nobody should make that kind of association in their mind.

I thought Paul Masons piece deserved a lot more time perhaps even a mini-series as the issues for Britain are huge.

There wasn't the time to explain the assumptions and how valid they were or were not.

Nor was there the time to look at those that prescribe no change in strategy like, I think, the Institute of Directors economist on manufacturing.

I thought the O'Connor interview was not unfair to her but given her background and reliance on various reports it could have been brought out better whether she was right, as I suspected, or whether the slick Vatican spin doctor was right.

The bottom line to an outsider is that the Catholic Church has been foot-dragging on this for decades.

GO1 #75

You must be pretty stupid if you believe that Wind Farms can cut CO2 emissions when all the evidence from both Denmark and Germany proves that despite theoretically producing 20% of electricity demand wind farms haven't saved a single gram of CO2. In fact Germany has had to open new fossil fuel power stations to prevent the chance of power cuts, probably made worse by the fact that Germany also backs up Denmark.

I realise that you and most in the Civil Service have been infiltrated and brain washed by the eco-fascists but the just two measures I suggest on transport above #64 could cut transport CO2 by at least 5%.

This is a bit long but its quite important from the HuffPost:

'Johnson, the co-author of the forthcoming "13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover And The Next Financial Meltdown," former IMF chief economist and HuffPost contributing editor, said that, even more than a year after the financial crisis, the banking sector is undiminished.

Here's Johnson:

"We don't need these particular banks and we definitely don't need these bankers. Remember they managed their way into an enormous crisis that cost us trillions of dollars. And yet we kept every one of them in their jobs, we kept their board of directors, and they got to keep heir bonuses, their pensions, their empires. In fact, they're bigger now than they were before and they're more powerful now than they were before the crisis."

When the discussion touched on Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) latest financial reform bill, one MSNBC anchor jokingly asked, "We're going to have reform, right? And it's all going to be OK? There will not be another meltdown right?

"No, unfortunately," Johnson said. "I wish that were true."

The next crisis will come sooner rather than later, Johnson said, unless the nation's largest banks are broken up and some sort of Glass-Steagall-type approach is taken to separate commercial banks from investment banks. '

So well said Vince Cable on chopping the banks down to size but I would still like to hear more from the Lib Dems on regulatory reform - and the other parties - because it neeeds to happen.

Go Barak, go Barak, go Barak!

Only a couple of years old but:-

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8582554.stm

#86 Ha,ha, tell me about it b99! The ones off the Kent coast have been repaired at least three times, with replacement gearing I believe, at a cost of millions. And of course not producing power, I wonder if all these repairs and non blowing days are factured into the cost of this "green" electricity! And not to mention all the back up power stations that will be needed, as you say about Germany.

ecolizzy #87

I flushed out said Scottish wind farm problem story on a BBC search attempting to find out some info on the alleged Siemens new wind farm factory. Nothing doing, but a Guardian article alleges that the 700 million investment will create 700 jobs, with 1500 possible in the supply chain, probably mostly overseas sending components for assembly here. It is also alleged that GE is to set up a wind turbine plant creating a thousand jobs direct, although it would appear that neither project is for definite. The prospect of 20% on our energy bills is a massive price to pay for only 2000 jobs, and in total Wind farms can never create the number of alleged low carbon British jobs deluded Brown attempts to claim.

48. At 10:58pm on 30 Mar 2010, paulwenman wrote:
Newsnight should avoid populist, cheap, pseudo political kids debates

Sadly that ship is well over the horizon, its passing marked by the absence of circling pigs.

HHHmmmm our carbon footprint is not going to shrink anytime soon b99! I know they keep bringing in these "green schemes" but with a growing population and an extra 150,00 babies a year, they are the biggest carbon footprint maker! But somehow we ignore all that, 'cos there's no profit to made out of that. Oh but then perhaps there is! More consumers!!!

https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2009/aug/04/population-climate-change-birth-rates

The gearing all came from a scandanavian country and cost about 3 million each!

When I was a kid, we lived in a mill town. We had mill chimmneys belching out smoke, every house burnt coal, giving off smoke. In winter there were frequent fogs/smogs . If you went out you were covered in soot. In summer, if you were lucky, on a few days the sun got to shine through.

Not seen a fog nor smog for years, nobody burns coal, is CO2 something different? If it is heavier than air, and soluble in water, why does n't it flow to the sea and dissolve?

Are there any chemists out there to give a nice simple explanation

WHAT IS THE TALLY OF SUCCESS IN GOVERNMENT SCHEMES? (wind posts)

The wind turbine subsidy always made it suspect - should we follow the money?

And wasn't it recently announced that some 'cohesion' initiative, costing zillions, had achieved nothing?

And it was always clear that Tony Baloney thought computers were literally MAGIC - hence a lot of bum IT (and more money to follow).

The truth would seem to be that - as one might expect from a quick glance round the Chamber-Pot - Westminster is not at home to Mr Competence. But these ciphers WILL NOT BE TOLD and are DESPERATE TO STAMP THEIR NAMES ON 'HISTORY'. We have the 'wrong kind of governance'.

SPOIL PARTY GAMES.

COAL AND CO2 (#91)

When the planet settled down after the last cataclysm, the Coal was underground and the CO2 above and (in recent centuries) lowish.

We (man) have made a dramatic shift of Carbon, as CO2, into atmosphere and oceans, but the time-scale is too short to pronounce on the effect, particularly as other changes are occurring, some known some not (Think Rumsfeld). With so many variables, to draw accurate conclusions is impossible. Direct correlation of apparent warming with raised CO2 is highly questionable.

79. Mistress76uk 'ALL crimes should be reported to the police/civil authorities regardless of whatever religious persuasion they may be.....'

In the UK, each year, the British Crime Survey suggests that about 12 million crimes are committed, 6 million of which are recorded by the police, 1.2 million of which are detected and about 600,000 are prosecuted, resulting in 120,000 Community sentences and 80,000 custodial sentences. There are many reasons why there is a large discrepancy between the number of allegedly committed crimes and the number of individuals being processed by the police, courts and prisons etc. One is evidence sufficient to secure a conviction. Another is that many communities try to deal with problems themselves. That's a fact of life. The numbers being bandied about have been allegantions, long ago, and in an area where, relative to the role of religion in the culture, the frequency was very low. So why all the attention now? It's a smear. Who benefits?

Should Israel obey international law? Should the Wall Street/City banks who profited from millions of unsuspecting, trusting citizens get away with further milking of the public and Public Sector?

This why one shold be very wary of being roped into other people's religions as 'useful idiots'. It's happened before, and it's still going on today. :-(

Business will seek to run state schools after shift in political attitudes
https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7082058.ece

‘Although both the Government and the Conservatives say that organisations driven by profit should not run schools, both have created a path for them to enter the sector. Governing bodies of new, or existing, schools can appoint a contractor to operate the school on their behalf — a model used widely in the US.’

I repeat the key sentence...

‘Although both the Government and the Conservatives say that organisations driven by profit should not run schools, both have created a path for them to enter the sector.’

They speak with fork tongue.

...as ever Statist, your analysis and explanation of motive behind all this is absolutely spot on (aka free-market anarchism). I’m getting quite good at spotting this agenda behind almost every news story now.

Gove and Balls really give me the creeps...they both look like they’re on steroids!

And just to emphasise my previous post...

Isa savers ‘cheated of billions’ by banks
https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/savings/article7082138.ece

Free-market anarchism is cheating everyone!

93. You will find variation (+/ 1-2 million) in those ball-park figures year on year over the past decade or so, the point is to note the marked differences between a) alleged crimes and b) police, court and disposal agency (prisons and probation) figures. People make all sorts of claims/allegations, and some people account for many alleged and actual offences. Some jobs are more at risk of allegations (and offending) too, because of he nature of the job itself.

What warrants close attention are the figures that I and others have presented here and in earlier posts about inequality. If equality of opportunity is presented as a political reality or even just as an aspiration, and figures reveal marked discrepancies between observed and expected rates by group, this will come to the attention of people one way or another, as that's the way that rational people are trained to observe. That is, it's the essence of the scientific method to assume randomness and to sample what is observed and test for systematic departures from what is expected. That's how one identifies 'lawful' processes at work.

Abuse people for pointing this (and its ramifications) out, and one abuse rationality itself, with what should be obvious, anarchistic, consequences. :-(

FORKED TONGUE

Brown just explained the points system of immigration.

1/ WE WILL LET IN the ones who have the skills to do the work we want done.

2/ 'WE DON'T NEED' the rest.

Brown avoided the use of: "We will not let them in". That might sound like discrimination?

@ Statist #94 - so who does benefit from the "smears?" Could it not be that the victims were too scared to tell the civil authorities or that they were ignored even if they did complain? Even in last night's report it was highlighted that victims had to undergo an oath not to tell anyone about any abuse they suffered with the threat of excommunication......

:p all religious institutions suck.