Friday's prospects
- 23 Nov 07, 11:25 AM
Dan Kelly is today's programme producer - here is his email to the team. What else should we look into?
Brown under fire
It's been a truly terrible week for the Government but are they just the victim of events or is the truth more damaging for Number 10? To what degree can Gordon Brown - and in particular his actions as Chancellor - be blamed? From the anger of former Defence Chiefs, to Northern Rock and the data security breach, we hope to look in detail at how he contributed to his own misfortunes.
Sweat Shop allegations
Martin Shankelman has a special investigation into a small business in the South east of England which has been accused of exploiting migrant labour and running, in effect a sweat shop.
Social Networking Sites, Personal Data and the Consumer
Social Networking sites are facing a backlash from members for advertising tactics which, in effect, track peoples' personal activities. These tie-ins can though benefit users, both in terms of convenience, and, often, price. Up until now, most of us have chosen consumer convenience over privacy when asked to give up personal details on the web, but could this be about to change?
Other ideas, guest ideas, treatments?
Dan
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The SNP has just won the Lochee local government by-election in
Dundee - with 49% of the votes.
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Why no football? Surely there might be a great chance to interview the new Celtic chairman Dr John Reid MP about how England might fit into the proposed celtic cup tournament that will go ahead with Scotland, Wales,
Northern Ireland and Eire in 2008?!
Failing him why not Charlie Wheelan, Derek Draper & Ed not on the Balls?
Breaking news in Scotland is that the SNP have just won the Lochee
local government by-election with
49% of the votes in a Labour area.
Perhaps the most cutting comment in the Lords from one of the defence chiefs was the comment that Brown only ever attended MOD briefings
when jobs at Rosyth involving his constituency were involved. That
could be read as being behaviour
worthy of a diligent local MP or
less charitably as the actions of a pork-barrel politician who struts the world stage talking about the educational needs of children even though the harsh reality is that his own political base is heavily linked to producing weapons of destruction.
Is this perhaps why he is supporting a Trident upgrade which no-one here really wants, but which may bring a boost to BAE systems who run Rosyth?
And why the bribery case is dropped?
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This explains a lot, including the recent data SNAFU:
A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element has been named Governmentium.
Governmentium (Gv) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every action with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause an action that would normally take less than a second to take over four days to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 4 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium...an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
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QUESTION FOR MR BROWN AND HIS TEAM
Today, we sentence 80,000
a year to custody (80% of which average 3 months), and 120,000 are given community sentences (but nearly double that number are supervsied by probation each year). As different ethnic groups offend at different rates (Blacks in the government 16+1 ethnic coding scheme being 6-13x over represented depending on the offence) what must the future look like? The USA is way 'ahead' of the UK in this sort of criminogenic/demographic decline. In 2003 it had 6.9 million in its criminal justice system (about 3% of its adult population). If the UK goes this way (which it surely will through more extra-EU immigration in the future, along with higher birth rates in BME groups, and pressure on
Muslims to become secular), can we expect a dramatic rise in the number under supervision and in custody (i.e up to 2-3% of our population), or must we adapt and tolerate a lot more offending behaviour in our midst? Is this why our schools are being pressured to be 'inclusive' and foster 'social cohesion'? Is this why the anti-prison lobby (The Penal Consortium) is getting such a hearing from goverbment? Is this why the 'leaving' age is being raised to 18 (i.e. in an effort to keep more off the streets during the higher risk years)?
Is this a price that we can afford to pay for liberal democracy, 'the free-market economy' and do we have any choice given our committment to sex/race etc equality in the FCHR within the Lisbon Treaty? It looks bleak to me.
/blogs/newsnight/2006/06/exclusive_ken_calls_for_illegal_migrant_amnesty.html
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Ed (#3), we already have the Anarchism which you crave. Ironically, it's how the free-market operates in practice (the most recent architects being Thatcher's and Blair's backers). Hayek's 'The Road To Serfdom' was anti-government so we should try to see Thatcher & Blair as anarchists and Human Rights/feminism as self-destructive demographic forces.
"By the end of the 1970s Benn had migrated to the left-wing of the Labour Party. Benn attributed this political shift to his experience as a minister in the 1964-1970 Labour government. Benn wrote:
As a minister, I experienced the power of industrialists and bankers to get their way by use of the crudest form of economic pressure, even blackmail, against a Labour Government. Compared to this, the pressure brought to bear in industrial disputes is minuscule. This power was revealed even more clearly in 1976 when the IMF secured cuts in our public expenditure. These lessons led me to the conclusion that the UK is only superficially governed by MPs and the voters who elect them. Parliamentary democracy is, in truth, little more than a means of securing a periodical change in the management team, which is then allowed to preside over a system that remains in essence intact. If the British people were ever to ask themselves what power they truly enjoyed under our political system they would be amazed to discover how little it is, and some new Chartist agitation might be born and might quickly gather momentum.[10]"
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FIRE UNDER BROWN
Surely it is now all too apparent that government is not about managing the affairs of this country in the best interests of its people, but managing news, presentation, opinion, headlines and placement of funds to the best advancement of the party, in terms of power retained, and of the leader and higher officers in terms of ego and βlegacyβ. By the time political advantage has been attended to, there is far less time, effort or money left to actually add value to British life. Political parties βchoose their ownβ; not for ability and diligence in the business of bettering lives, but facility in βadjusted speechβ, persuasion, defence of the indefensible, obfuscation and loyalty; this last being loyalty to party β not to voters.
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Ed (#3), we already have the anarchism which you crave. Ironically, it's how the free-market operates in practice (the most recent architects being Thatcher's and Blair's backers). Hayek's 'The Road To Serfdom' was anti-government (not just anti-Soviet/Nazi big government) so perhaps we should try to see Thatcher & Blair as akin to that other Blair Trotskite who wrote '1984' vilifying statism. anarchists, human rights, feminism etc are all self-destructive demographic forces.
"By the end of the 1970s Benn had migrated to the left-wing of the Labour Party. Benn attributed this political shift to his experience as a minister in the 1964-1970 Labour government. Benn wrote:
As a minister, I experienced the power of industrialists and bankers to get their way by use of the crudest form of economic pressure, even blackmail, against a Labour Government. Compared to this, the pressure brought to bear in industrial disputes is minuscule. This power was revealed even more clearly in 1976 when the IMF secured cuts in our public expenditure. These lessons led me to the conclusion that the UK is only superficially governed by MPs and the voters who elect them. Parliamentary democracy is, in truth, little more than a means of securing a periodical change in the management team, which is then allowed to preside over a system that remains in essence intact. If the British people were ever to ask themselves what power they truly enjoyed under our political system they would be amazed to discover how little it is, and some new Chartist agitation might be born and might quickly gather momentum.[10]"
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I cannot help but remember what a former Manager once told me, "Norman - make sure you do everything correctly 'cause as sure as God made little green apples - when a new person takes over your job - you will be caught out!"
Gordon Brown was Chancellor of the Exchequer for 10 years, and I feel sorry for Alistair Darling 'cause he has been landed with 'whatever' mistakes Brown had made and ultimately - will 'carry the can' - which is totally wrong!
I simply cannot accept that Gordon Brown did not know about the looming crisis with 'Northern Rock' and on what authority had the Chancellor to underwrite Northern Rock to the tune of Β£24 billion using taxpayers' money ?
This 'rescue package' will eventually result in a 'Cavalier attitude' by Financial Institutions - knowing full well the BoE will 'sort the problem out' !
There were plenty of markers in the FT a month before the 'Northern Rock' crisis exploded to indicate - 'something' was about to happen in the Banks borrowing system and the Sub - Prime Market : and I sent two emails - one to Declan Curry on Breakfast TV .. and the other to 'World Business Report' before Breakfast TV commenced at 6am - but didn't even get a reply
WHY?
.....
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No 8 asks "WHY" - it's a big word.
Sadly this country runs on βsub-prime hypocrisyβ sustained but unsustainable. Government is a self serving charade, business is subversive, law is about tidiness β not justice and education is to serve work rather than life. Our βDefence Industryβ sells attack weapons for obscene profit, we solve arguments with bombs and we elevate hollow, needy individuals to supreme power. Weep Britain.
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Adrienne,
Terms, my dear, terms.
"Ed (#3), we already have the anarchism which you crave."
I'm not at all certain I crave anarchISM. I do find the idea of anarchy to the present obsessive (and rationally/objectively impossible) control-freakery which you yourself seem to advocate.
Humans are not fit to run the world. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who can see beyond hubristic anthropomorphism. In fact, I think the likelihood of our survival as a species is inversely related to our desire to control our situation.
"Dam my rivers and I'll salt your crops;
Cut my trees and I'll flood your plains.
Kill 'pests' and, by God, you'll get a silent spring!
Go ahead -- save every last baby's life!
I'll starve the lot of them later.
When they can savor to the full
The exquisite justice of truth's retribution.
Wrench from my earth those exponential powers
No wobbling Willie should e'er be trusted with:
Do this, and a million masks of envy shall create
A hell of blackmail and tribal wars
From which civilization will never recover.
"Don't speak to me of shortage. My world is vast
And has more than enough -- for no more than enough.
There is a shortage of nothing, save will and wisdom;
But there is a longage of people.
"Hubris -- that was the Greeks' word for what ails you.
Pride fueled the pyres of tragedy
Which died (some say) with Shakespeare.
O, incredible delusion! That potency should have no limits!
`We believe no evil 'til the evil`s done' --
Witness the deserts' march across the earth,
Spawned and nourished by men who whine, 'Abnormal weather.'
Nearly as absurd as crying, 'Abnormal universe!' . . .
But I suppose you'll be saying that, next."
Ravish capacity: reap consequences.
Man claims the first a duty and calls what follows Tragedy.
Insult -- Backlash. Not even the universe can break
This primal link. Who, then, has the power
To put an end to tragedy? Only those who recognize
Hubris in themselves.
-- Garrett Hardin
Salaam/Shalom/Shanthi/Dorood/Peace
Namaste -ed
Within a computer, natural language is unnatural.
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Ed (#9) "the present obsessive (and rationally/objectively impossible)
control-freakery which you yourself seem to advocate"
Your link was to an essay on Taoism and AnarchISM so my choice of terms
was correct.
If 'sex and drugs and rock and roll', flower-power, anti-fascism, feminism, civil/human/equal rights, population control and immigration have all just been elements of a Trotskyite/New Left Cultural Marxist (PC) corrosive strategy to dissolve the Keynesian buttress against the collapse of capitalism, i.e. the planned part of the mixed economy, I say 'be careful what you wish for' as unbridled capitalism is just a step on the way to the very control-freakery you appear to abhor. Ask who would run that (look at who ran the IMF, World Bank in the 40s and recenly). People laugh when the HAMAS Charter makes reference to the protocols of the Elders of Zion, but forgery or not, this goes way back and the reality is that in the 20th Century there WAS a clear conspiracy to rule the world. It was Bolshevism, and it resulted in WWII, with Hitler declaring it a war on Jewish Bolshevism, and in his Poltical testament that it would happen again. I think this is, at root, all a matter of brain gender and the politics which come with it as a function of group differences.
Once one has variation (diversity) maintained by gene barriers, the yin-
yang (anima-animus) idea goes out the window as far too simple. There is variation in this balance by individuals and families sustained by endogamy. See #408 & #409:
/blogs/newsnight/2006/06/exclusive_ken_calls_for_illegal_migrant_amnesty.html
But you are right, who, these days, would ever vote for Vogons? It is also considered anti-Semitic to suggests that the Jews might be benefiting from post WWII de-Nazification propaganda (largely via the partially implemented, seeming Soviet driven, Morgenthau Plan). But isn't that antipathy precisely how the insidious Cultural Marxism/anarchism which I've asserted the post war generation has been used as 'useful idiots' to promulgate would work?
Are you absolutely sure that you haven't been covertly conditioned by
Schantmanites/Neocons over the years to perceive any form of government as 'obsessive (and tionally/objectively impossible) control-freakery' so you too can be used along with 'sex and drugs and rock and roll', Civil/Human Rights, immigration, etc in bringing about the fall of that buttress against the collapse of capitalism, the Keynesian mixed economy, so the New Left can realise their Marxist-Leninist dream of power for them and serfdom for the rest.
Whilst the USA/UK basks in the glorious warmth of the 'free-arket',
labelling all who resist its attractions tyrannical state capitalist sponsors of terrorism, Mr Sarkozy seems to be doing his level best to engineer less 'control-freakery' across the channel, just as Keith Joseph/Margaret Thatcher did here in the 1980s. Over there, the minions of the Vogons cry:
"We're the human stones ready to be lobbed at the government. We're the last line of resistance to protect France from neo-liberalism, capitalism and the end of society,"
It's interesting to note that Poland's new PM is also opting out of the Fundamental Charter of Human Rights in the EU Reform Treaty, although as shown recently by members of our astute European Scrutiny Committee, there may be no such opt outs - the red-lines may just help get the Treaty passed some of the less astute gate-keepers.
How many Poles and other A8 economic migrants stop off in France, Belgium, Germany for work? I'm surprised there's anyone left to do any work in Poland if there were 700,000 Poles of voting age just in London last summer given there are 25 other states to work in ;-). This all happened at the beginning of the C20th....
I could just be paranoid, but see Vladimir Bukovsky's (or Anatoliy Golitsyn's earlier warning's) on the EUSSR. With China having a population 10x that of Russia, a booming NEP, much of the West's manufacturing base, eugenics policies and a higher mean IQ, why would anyone think that we've seen the last of communism? Western populations are heading towards extinction with their below replacement level TFRs and differential, dysgenic fertility. Meanwhile, it is fine for some minority, colonising groups (protected by Race Relations
legislation), to preach equality, especially if they are able, through
loosley knit group networking to help each other in the job market (think about all of the phone ins, international charitable political causes (which create well paid jobs and contacts), NGOs, and TV production companies). They could easily siphon funds from the much larger, gullible exclave population and distribute the proceeds amongst themselves equally, if they could not be readily identified as members of a small specific enclave other than by blood/genetic lineage (which is privileged, personal information but uniquely guarantees safe haven in a second home country). One
just needs to look for statistical over-representation. Muslims are a
major threat because they are potentially serious competition as a new enclave. Hence, I suggest, the so called 'war on terror', mainly to discourage their migration given their higher birth rates and antipathy to usury?
Have a look at Kevin Macdonald's work.
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Adrienne,
"Are you absolutely sure that you haven't been covertly conditioned by
Schantmanites/Neocons over the years to perceive any form of government as 'obsessive (and tionally/objectively impossible) control-freakery' so you too can be used along with 'sex and drugs and rock and roll', Civil/Human Rights, immigration, etc in bringing about the fall of that buttress against the collapse of capitalism, the Keynesian mixed economy, so the New Left can realise their Marxist-Leninist dream of power for them and serfdom for the rest."
In a mouthfull, no.
And the works of Thomas Jefferson,
"But it is not by the consolidation, or concentration of powers, but by their distribution, that good government is effected. Were not this great country already divided into states, that division must be made, that each might do for itself what concerns itself directly, and what it can so much better do than a distant authority. Every state again is divided into counties, each to take care of what lies within it's local bounds; each county again into townships or wards, to manage minuter details; and every ward into farms, to be governed each by it's individual proprietor.
Were we directed from Washington when to sow, & when to reap,
we should soon want bread.
It is by this partition of cares, descending in gradation from general to particular,
that the mass of human affairs may be best managed for the good and prosperity of all."
-- Thomas Jefferson
That's where my brain got washed.
Salaam/Shalom/Shanthi/Dorood/Peace
Namaste -ed
You are the only person to ever get this message.
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Ed #12) Apologies for the earlier typos, most of which are easy to spot and correct. When reading this Bukovsky link:
please consider the projected population growth for London over the next 30 years by local authority, ward etc - it's almost exclusively BME. Then look to the civil disorder in their home countries, the absence of democracy and the levels of cognitive ability/levels of self-control required to make democracy viable. Think of the recent cases of electoral fraud. Then consider the Regional Assemblies plan and fragmentation (Balkanisation) of the UK in pursuit of the EU and its Reform Treaty.
An already shrinking indigenous population is being progressively driven out of the big cities and that which can't flee is now having to compete with a massive influx of economic migrants from the A8 and elsewhere.
The Jefferson quote is inspiring, but remember, Jefferson was a great supporter of the French Revolution and its Jacobins, it's said he didn't anticipate the Reign of Terror:
Perhaps what's happening today here and in the USA is equally at odds with the ideals of The Founding Fathers? This, I suggest, is the self-interested work of an enclave which has, and will continue to cause, misery, whilst they prosper.
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Below is a timely illustration of how the above mentioned insidious, but systematic bias/censure operates in practice. See the second link in particular. If the likes of Griffin and Irving are indeed just "a couple of scoundrels", surely they make this manifest, in which case they should be ENCOURAGED to espouse their views before some of the most educable people in the country? What should make people very suspicious is that there is ANY demand to censure/censor them?
Perhaps Newsnight cold invite Dr Lewis onto the programme to explain his reasoning? Newsnight could ask him how, as a politician, he thinks he would fare if others lobbied to prevent him from speaking?
"Dr Lewis, MP for New Forest East, said he was resigning his life membership 'with great sadness'.
In his resignation letter, he said: 'Nothing which happens in tonight's debate can possibly offset the boost you are giving to a couple of scoundrels who can put up with anything except being ignored.'"
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Adrienne,
"The Jefferson quote is inspiring, but remember, Jefferson was a great supporter of the French Revolution and its Jacobins, it's said he didn't anticipate the Reign of Terror:"
Indeed, Jefferson was an eyewitness to the revolution, and with some connivance from the Court, regularly entertained the revolutionaries at his table. In Jefferson's own autobiographical narrative,
"May 18. The pecuniary distresses of France produced this year a measure of which there had been no example for near two centuries, & the consequences of which, good and evil, are not yet calculable. For it's remote causes we must go a little back.[see link for full text]....Bailly went to him, gathered from him some scraps of sentences, and made out an answer, which he delivered to the audience as from the king. On their return the popular cries were "vive le roy et la nation." He was conducted by a garde bourgeoise to his palace at Versailles, & thus concluded an amende honorable as no sovereign ever made, and no people ever received.
And here again was lost another precious occasion of sparing to France the crimes and cruelties thro' which she has since passed, and to Europe, & finally America the evils which flowed on them also from this mortal source.The king was now become a passive machine in the hands of the National assembly, and had he been left to himself, he would have willingly acquiesced in whatever they should devise as best for the nation. A wise constitution would have been formed, hereditary in his line, himself placed at it's head, with powers so large as to enable him to do all the good of his station, and so limited as to restrain him from it's abuse. This he would have faithfully administered, and more than this I do not believe he ever wished. But he had a Queen of absolute sway over his weak mind, and timid virtue; and of a character the reverse of his in all points. This angel, as gaudily painted in the rhapsodies of the Rhetor Burke, with some smartness of fancy, but no sound sense was proud, disdainful of restraint, indignant at all obstacles to her will, eager in the pursuit of pleasure, and firm enough to hold to her desires, or perish in their wreck. Her inordinate gambling and dissipations, with those of the Count d'Artois and others of her clique, had been a sensible item in the exhaustion of the treasury, which called into action the reforming hand of the nation; and her opposition to it her inflexible perverseness, and dauntless spirit, led herself to the Guillotine, & drew the king on with her, and plunged the world into crimes & calamities which will forever stain the pages of modern history. I have ever believed that had there been no queen, there would have been no revolution. "
And, in conclusion, he writes, " Here I discontinue my relation of the French revolution. The minuteness with which I have so far given it's details is disproportioned to the general scale of my narrative. But I have thought it justified by the interest which the whole world must take in this revolution. As yet we are but in the first chapter of it's history. The appeal to the rights of man, which had been made in the U S. was taken up by France, first of the European nations. From her the spirit has spread over those of the South. The tyrants of the North have allied indeed against it, but it is irresistible. Their opposition will only multiply it's millions of human victims; their own satellites will catch it, and the condition of man thro' the civilized world will be finally and greatly ameliorated. This is a wonderful instance of great events from small causes. So inscrutable is the arrangement of causes & consequences in this world that a two-penny duty on tea, unjustly imposed in a sequestered part of it, changes the condition of all it's inhabitants. I have been more minute in relating the early transactions of this regeneration because I was in circumstances peculiarly favorable for a knowledge of the truth. Possessing the confidence and intimacy of the leading patriots, & more than all of the Marquis Fayette, their head and Atlas, who had no secrets from me, I learnt with correctness the views & proceedings of that party; while my intercourse with the diplomatic missionaries of Europe at Paris, all of them with the court, and eager in prying into it's councils and proceedings, gave me a knolege of these also. My information was always and immediately committed to writing, in letters to Mr. Jay, and often to my friends, and a recurrence to these letters now insures me against errors of memory."
I must admit to being a moral child of Mr Jefferson.
Salaam/Shalom/Shanthi/Dorood/Peace
Namaste -ed
History, n.:
Papa Hegel he say that all we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history. I know people who can't even learn from what happened this morning. Hegel must have been taking the long view.
-- Chad C. Mulligan, "The Hipcrime Vocab"
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