"The Metropolitan Police wants to buy £3m of handheld units for law enforcement agencies that would be capable of capturing facial, iris and fingerprint biometrics as well as reading chips held on credit cards and passports."This country really has a problem with freedom.
"the Schools Secretary revealed a softer side yesterday when he admitted he has spent his life battling a stammer"A "softer side", don't make me laugh. Ed Balls was quite rightly described as a "bully" recently and he has very dubious connections to the putative Labour smear campaign that was unveiled earlier this year.
"A Bankruptcy Foretold: The UK’s Implicit Pension Debt
Nick Silver
This paper argues that government debt levels should be calculated in line with
generally accepted accounting practice. As earned pensions obligations are included
under generally accepted accounting practice, any earned pensions obligations of the
government should be counted as debt. The UK government’s debt will therefore be
much higher than the official figure which has profound implications for fiscal policy."
"Scientists using a network of ground sensors emplaced in Antarctica say that NASA satellites have overestimated the amount of ice that is melting and running off into the ocean from the polar continent.
...
The WAGN boffins say they are sure that recent figures for ice loss calculated from GRACE readings have been overestimated, but they are not yet sure by how much. However, they say that there is no dispute about the fact that ice is disappearing from the antarctic sheet - this process has been underway for 20,000 years, since the thickness peaked during the last "glacial maximum".
"The published results are very important because they provide precise, ground-truth GPS observations of the actual rebound of the continent," said Vladimir Papitashvili of the Antarctic Earth Sciences Program at the National Science Foundation, which supported the research."
"That this House recognises that there is a climate emergency and that the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate represents the greatest threat that humanity faces; further recognises that the world is already above the safe level of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration for a stable planet; further recognises the need to reduce this level to 350 particles per million or below; believes it is impossible to predict how close the world is to dangerous tipping points and that action to reduce emissions now is worth considerably more than doing the same later; further believes that immediate action is required to enact a program of emergency measures with substantial emissions reductions in the short term of the order of 10 per cent. by the end of 2010; further believes that the majority of money spent on reviving the economy should be on green measures and that at least two hours of prime time television per week should be used to explain the gravity of the crisis to the public; further believes that unabated coal and domestic flights should be phased out by the end of 2010, that a speed limit of 55 miles per hour should be introduced and investment made in energy efficiency and renewable energy, public transport and the retro-fitting of efficient insulation to existing housing stock technologies leading to the creation of a million green jobs by the end of 2010; and further believes that the introduction of such measures would send a positive signal to other countries leading up to the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen and beyond."
"I challenge - and there are other scientists who can also challenge - the 'Climate Wars' programme producer to a public televised debate with himself or any scientist they want to put forward."
"Withdrawal rings my bell. I have a fantastic idea. Why not create a free trade bloc of EU Nations. We could call it The Common Market. No MEPs or commissioners or freeloaders or presidents. Just trade reps from each country. Now, is that a good idea? It's what we all voted for in the 70s!"A comment by OldRightie on Muffled Vociferation; works for me too...
"38. The scheme for the new institutional arrangement under the Convention will be based on three basic pillars: government; facilitative mechanism; and financial mechanism, and the basic organization of which will include the following:(a) The government will be ruled by the COP with the support of a new subsidiary body on adaptation, and of an Executive Board responsible for the management of the new funds and the related facilitative processes and bodies. The current Convention secretariat will operate as such, as appropriate.
(b) The Convention’s financial mechanism will include a multilateral climate change fund including five windows: (a) an Adaptation window, (b) a Compensation window, to
address loss and damage from climate change impacts, including insurance, rehabilitation and compensatory components, (c) a Technology window; (d) a Mitigation
window; and (e) a REDD window, to support a multi-phases process for positive forest
incentives relating to REDD actions.
(c) The Convention’s facilitative mechanism will include: (a) work programmes for
adaptation and mitigation; (b) a long-term REDD process; (c) a short-term technology
action plan; (d) an expert group on adaptation established by the subsidiary body on
adaptation, and expert groups on mitigation, technologies and on monitoring, reporting and verification; and (e) an international registry for the monitoring, reporting and verification of compliance of emission reduction commitments, and the transfer of technical and financial resources from developed countries to developing countries. The secretariat will provide technical and administrative support, including a new centre for information exchange."
"Many dystopian novels have, as part of their premise, a tyrannical government that hides from public view information and opinions that could embarrass the authorities. In Fahrenheit 451 an elite squad of “firemen” go around burning down any house down which is discovered to contain books. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, the newspaper archives are altered retrospectively to ensure the state’s narrative is maintained. Some say that in the information age such restrictions could never be enforced.Read more at Behind Blue Eyes.
In reality, the government does not need to go to any effort to hide the truth or subversive texts. All it has to do it ensure that sufficient numbers of people are not interested in the world around them. Make sure enough people get a shit education so that they grow up lacking curiosity in the way things work, make sure enough people are comfortable with their mundane existences, make sure that mass entertainment is sufficiently banal to stop people from opening their eyes and engaging their brains. As long as the number of people who can be bothered to keep themselves informed and are experienced enough to be able to form their own opinion is kept small enough, who cares what those people think?
If you want “power” in this country, you don’t need to have the best thought-out policies, you don’t need to be the brightest mind. This is socialism’s legacy: a nation so ill-educated that many haven’t even heard of the classics, where vast swathes of society don’t have to engage their brain to feed and clothe themselves, where generations of parents don’t feel the need to encourage their children to explore the world. This country is no longer run by a patrician elite, but by a cynical class of populist authoritarians who pander to every ignorant desire of the largest minority. Britain is a tyranny of the ignorant."
Oh for heaven's sake. I learnt the "Couldn't put Humpty together again" line when I suppose I was under the age of two and it hasn't traumatised me, although I am not too fond of hard-boiled eggs.
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Made Humpty Dumpty happy again."
"A hardline Islamist group in Somalia has begun publicly whipping women for wearing bras that they claim violate Islam as they are 'deceptive'.Sharia law in action, still sanguine about when the Archbishop of Canterbury says that Sharia Law is "unavoidable", when Lord Phillips, The Lord Chief Justice says that there was no reason sharia law's principles could not be used in mediation and when Stephen Hockman QC the former chairman of the Bar Council said that "legal reforms to incorporate Islamic principles are inevitable. He warned that 'otherwise we will find there is a very significant section of our society which is increasingly alienated, with very dangerous results. '"?
The insurgent group Al Shabaab has sent gunmen into the streets of Mogadishu to round up any women who appear to have a firm bust, residents claimed yesterday.
The women are then inspected to see if the firmness is natural, or if it is the result of wearing a bra.
If they are found wearing a bra, they are ordered to remove it and shake their breasts, residents said."
"TB is getting sick to the back teeth of Labour, and their stooges, attempting to create scandal around who the tories sit with in the European Parliament. The audacity that they have in these attacks can quickly be exposed with Google and rather appropriately given today’s attempt at journalism from the Observer – Wikipedia.
The Labour Party sit with the European Socialists grouping (PES), a bunch of nuts lefties that make Blair and Brown look slightly to the left of Hannan. Labour can try have a half-hearted smear attempt at the tory groupings, but it is a national embarrassment that the governing party of the day consort with communists, terrorists, murderers, anti-semites and 9/11 deniers.
Oh you didn’t know this? Well it’s not like it’s reported by the main stream media. Dan Hamilton wrote a great piece a few months ago and TB would like to share some of what he exposed. Lets just have a quick peek at a couple of Labour’s friends in Europe shall we...
First up we have former Italian Communist Party officer holder and Josef Fritzel look alike Giulietto Chiesa. A member of the Communist Party until 1991 Chiesa has since made a name for himself not only blaming Russia’s invasion of Georgia on European countries but more significantly as an extremely vocal 9/11 denier. His documentary Zero, as well as various essays and TV appearances have suggested that the US government was behind the planning and execution of the attacks. This lunatic is now the official European spokesman for the 9/11 Truth Movement.
Who else are close allies of the Labour Party in Europe?
How about Proinsias De Rossa, ever heard of him? Well he is a murdering terrorist who is linked to the killing of six British Policemen. This former IRA man originally joined the Communist and Allies group before transferring to the PES and taking an active role in the drafting of the European Constitution. What do you expect from a Labour Party who didn’t bat and eyelid when their guest Martin McGuinness was allowed to stroll around the Grand Hotel in Brighton almost 25 years to the day the IRA had murdered so many there.
So many loons to choose from, but TB’s absolute favourite scumbag has to be Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper the leader of the Polish Self-Defence of the Republic Party, who Labour sit hand in hand with in Europe.Where to start with their leader and the sleaze, the criminal activities and the general insanity of the man. Another former communist, he has done time for assault and even demanded sexual favours for jobs in his office. Famed for throwing hecklers onto piles of manure according to the BBC, the "chorus of his party song is: This land is your land, this land is my land, we won't let anyone punch us in the face.”
Perhaps most worrying is Lepper’s honorary degrees from the anti-Semitic Interregional Academy of Personnel Management. To give you an idea where these guys are coming from, their honorary professor is the white supremest David Duke.
So next time you hear some Labour tool having a go at tory allies, tell them to go take a long hard look in the mirror and then behind their own shoulders.
The hypocrisy is sickening."
"A sexually explicit illustrated Book of Genesis by controversial artist Robert Crumb, which features Bible characters having intercourse, has been condemned by religious groups.
The book, which is released this month, carries the warning "adult supervision recommended for minors", and is described as "scandalous satire" by its publishers.
It includes graphic illustrations of Bible characters having sexual intercourse, and other scenes depicting naked men and women as well as "gratuitous" depictions of violence."
"If you do not review the decision you may run the very serious risk of legal challenge in addition to the moral objections that I make.Why is free speech so anathema to so many on the left of British politics?
"In my view, your approach is unreasonable, irrational and unlawful."
"In Britain we face the prospect of more frequent droughts and a rising wave of floods,"It's all rubbish Gordon, the Man Made Global Warming con is unravelling and when the people work out how they have been lied to they will be very, very angry.
"The extraordinary summer heatwave of 2003 in Europe resulted in over 35,000 extra deaths.
"On current trends, such an event could become quite routine in Britain in just a few decades' time. And within the lifetime of our children and grandchildren the intense temperatures of 2003 could become the average temperature experienced throughout much of Europe."
"Jack Straw tried to prevent MPs' expenses claims from being published because he did not want the public to find out about renovations to his own home, documents seen by The Sunday Telegraph suggest. "Jack Straw denies the story of course, but who would you rather believe Slippery Jack or The Telegraph? Easy one, no?
"Gordon Brown has revealed that he is partial to a chocolate biscuit, after he was accused of sidestepping a question during an online chat.24 hours to make his mind up over which biscuit he prefers; isn't great to have such a decisive man at the nation's helm?
The prime minister said he had missed a question about his favourite biscuit during the live web chat with the parents' website Mumsnet.
He used the social networking site Twitter to reveal that he likes "anything with a bit of chocolate.""
"Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has compared his justice secretary's actions to the principles of Indian peace champion Mahatma Gandhi.Words fail me, I just wish they would fail Alex Salmond as well.
It comes in the wake of the decision to release the"
"HUMILIATED former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith faces being hauled before a judge as Whitehall’s whistleblower vowed to prosecute her over Commons expenses.Thoughts anyone? In my opinion Jacqui Smith like the other Labour MPs and Ministers who have been investigated, found wanting but never had serious action taken against them, will walk away unscathed and financially rewarded.
Home Office mole Christopher Galley will meet fraud lawyers on Tuesday to bring a private prosecution against the disgraced ex-Minister.
The meeting comes as Sunday Express research reveals Ms Smith, and her porn-watching husband Richard Timney, are in line for a "600,000 pay-off if she loses her seat at the next election.
Under House of Commons rules, not only will shamed Ms Smith qualify for pension and severance pay but so too will her husband, who has worked as her parliamentary aide for 12 years.
In a final insult to taxpayers, the payout would include an incredible "500,000 pension pot for Ms Smith and a "33,000 "golden parachute" payment.
Liberal Democrat pensions expert Lord Oakeshott said: "Ms Smith is a teacher. How would you explain this in an ethics lesson: "I"ve been caught cheating on my expense claims. If I say sorry I don"t have to repay "100,000 to the public and I can just retire with a "500,000 pension pot from the taxpayer." "Redditch pensioners on a pittance of "92.25 a week will know exactly what to do if Ms Smith brazens it out at the ballot box at the next election.""
"Kenyan-born US Senate hopeful, Barrack Obama, appeared set to take over the Illinois Senate seat after his main rival, Jack Ryan, dropped out of the race on Friday night amid a furor over lurid sex club allegations."Cold someone point out to me where Barack Obama denied this claim (stated as fact) at the time...
"Claim 1: According to Ibrahim Hooper, the organization's communications director, "CAIR has some 50,000 members." Fact: An internal memo prepared in June 2007 for a staff meeting reports that the organization had precisely 5,133 members, about one-tenth Hooper's exaggerated number.
Claim 2: CAIR is a "grass-roots organization" that depends financially on its members. Fact: According to an internal 2002 board meeting report, the organization received $33,000 in dues and $1,071,000 in donations. In other words, under 3 percent of its income derives from membership dues.
Claim 3: CAIR receives "no support from any overseas group or government." Fact: Gaubatz and Sperry report that 60 percent of CAIR's income derives from two dozen donors, most of whom live outside the United States. Specifically: $978,000 from the ruler of Dubai in 2002 in exchange for controlling interest in its headquarters property on New Jersey Avenue, a $500,000 gift from Saudi prince al-Waleed bin Talal and $112,000 in 2007 from Saudi prince Abdullah bin Mosa'ad, at least $300,000 from the Saudi-based Organization of the Islamic Conference, $250,000 from the Islamic Development Bank, and at least $17,000 from the American office of the Saudi-based International Islamic Relief Organization. "
"President Obama recently shifted authority for approving sales to China of missile and space technology from the White House to the Commerce Department -- a move critics say will loosen export controls and potentially benefit Chinese missile development.See the second part of my piece earlier today for an explanation of the Maoist reference...
The president issued a little-noticed "presidential determination" Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. "
"Who said Gordon Brown crumbles under questioning? The PM jammy dodged inquiries about his favourite biscuit as he took part in a live web chat.An alternative way of looking at this story would be that the great fearty that is our Prime Minister is so scared of upsetting any more voters or so removed from normal conversation that couldn't even say what type of biscuit he preferred. I bet Peter Mandelson would be far readier to let the public know what he likes to dunk in his tea.
Mumsnet users speculated that it might be Garibaldi or Nice. Another asked whether he dunked.
But Mr Brown was having none of it and left the hour long session with the question unanswered. "
"Which public figure can be quoted as having said something bigoted and disgusting and it doesn’t matter whether he did or not because he might have? Who can Big Media brand a racist without checking the facts? Who has to prove he did not say something racist, rather than the accuser proving he did?"Somehow I doubt that the BBC will ask any similar questions... This is a must read article as it explodes many myths about "right-wing shock jocks" that the BBC and other left-wing media are keen to spread.
"In 2007, Nobel Prize winning US scientist James Watson was quoted referring to research suggesting that black people were less intelligent than other races. His comments caused a storm of controversy, Watson was condemned.
Although he apologised for the offence he caused, his public engagements were cancelled and he left his British speaking tour in disgrace.
Meanwhile, right wing websites hailed him as the new Galileo - a martyr to political correctness that was concealing the fact that there is indeed evidence that shows different races score differently in IQ tests. But are the tests biased? Is race really a scientific category at all?
In this documentary, part of the season Race: Science's Last Taboo, Rageh Omaar sets out to find out the truth, meeting scientists who believe the research supports the view that races can be differentiated as well as those who vehemently oppose this view. By daring to ask the difficult questions, Omaar is able to explode the myths about race and IQ and reveal what he thinks are important lessons for society."
"This new season of programmes sets out to explode some of the myths about race and science and to cast light on the history and consequences of scientific racism.So that's settled then. I wonder how Channel 4 stand on the accepted fact that Black athletes are naturally better runners than White athletes; is that racist science as well?
The Season debunks the myths about science and race – science has been misused to legitimise racist beliefs and practices – these programmes are the antidote to that.
Season roundly dismisses the ideas: that race is a predictor of intelligence; that racial purity has scientific benefits and that any one race is superior to another."
"British prosecutors were told more than two years ago that they had sufficient evidence to charge two Libyans over the killing of WPC Yvonne Fletcher, according to a leaked report.So why was there no attempt to prosecute? What possible reason could there be? You guessed it:
A senior lawyer carried out an independent review of the case on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), in which he said Matouk Mohammed Matouk and Abdulgader Mohammed Baghdadi could be charged with conspiracy to cause death.
Both men played instrumental roles in organising the shooting at the Libyan embassy in St James’s Square, central London, in 1984, the report said. "
"The secret report, which was commissioned by the CPS on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, was completed in April 2007, just six weeks before Tony Blair, the prime minister at the time, held a controversial meeting with Colonel Gaddafi in Libya. The meeting formally opened trade links between Britain and the north African country. "
"Almost half of hospitals fail to meet fully the core standards of care despite a decade of Government investment in the NHS, according to the health regulator’s annual report."Envy of the World"?
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) warns today that more than 40 health trusts are at risk of being refused new licences to operate, which will be issued next April. "
"From The Green Book:"Claims must only be made for expenditure that it was necessary for a Member to incur to ensure that he or she could properly perform his or her parliamentary duties."
"Claims should be above reproach and must reflect actual usage of the resources being claimed."
"Members must ensure that claims do not give rise to, or give the appearance of giving rise to, an improper personal financial benefit to themselves or anyone else."
"Members are committed to openness about what expenditure has been incurred and for what purposes."
"Individual Members take personal responsibility for all expenses incurred, for making claims and for keeping records, even if the administration of claims is delegated by them to others."
From "The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament":
"Holders of public office should take decisions solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends."
"Members shall at all times ensure that their use of expenses, allowances, facilities and services provided from the public purse is strictly in accordance with the rules laid down on these matters, and that they observe any limits placed by the House on the use of such expenses, allowances, facilities and services."
"The financial crisis would not have been as severe had there been more women in top City jobs, MPs have heard.This smacks of Harriet Harman's line that the financial crisis probably wouldn't have happened if Lehman Brothers had been called Lehman Sisters. Of course this shows how out of touch with City reality so many people are. Alex masterley:
Investment banker Ros Altmann also warned MPs that current measures used to recruit executives need overhauling to ensure more women land senior posts.
A more cautious approach, rather than an "alpha male" one, would also be beneficial, Professor Charles Goodhart of the London School of Economics said. "
"...if Ms. Harman had done her research, she would have discovered that the systemic disaster that is the credit default swap originated from the derivatives team run by the ever so definitely female Blythe Masters (great name for a senior swaps dealer: you couldn't make it up, sheer nominative determinism). Indeed, during the boom years, the lefty feminist press made a great song and dance about the fact that her team booked $4 trillion of the things every year."
"Mr. Baron: Will the Minister address this matter seriously and urgently? Answers to written questions show that between 1997 and 2000, for each page of primary legislation, there were 14 minutes of debating time on the Floor of the House. In the three Sessions ending in 2006, that figure had halved to seven minutes. We need either to increase the amount of time we have to scrutinise legislation, or to introduce less but better legislation."Averages are perhaps not the best way to look at this matter." but they are more informative than bare total time figures.
Barbara Keeley: Averages are perhaps not the best way to look at this matter. I looked at recent Bill Committees, including the Equality Bill. It had six hours of debate on Second Reading, seven hours of evidence taking and 38 hours of scrutiny sessions in Committee—a total of 51 hours—and it will have further time on Report. Before that, there was extensive written consultation, which brought in 4,000 responses. It is an excellent Bill, and there has been a great deal of scrutiny."
"Sir George Young:... When will the Chancellor present his pre-Budget report? In 2007, it was on 9 October. When he does so, will he be as open with the public about the tough decisions that lie ahead of us on public spending as my party was at our conference last week, and will he confirm that there will be 9 per cent. cuts in departmental cash limits as recently revealed? Can the Leader of the House also give an indication of when the parliamentary calendar for next year will be published? The arrangements around Easter will be of more than usual interest.And answer came there none. One might be forgiven for thinking that the Labour government were putting off the pre-Budget report for as long as possible...
Ms Harman:... The right hon. Gentleman asked, too, about public spending, and there will be a debate on the economy next week. No doubt, the Economic Ministers leading for the Government in that debate will make it clear that, although there are encouraging signs of recovery, the economy remains fragile, and that although the recession is abating, we are not yet out of the woods. To pull the plugs, therefore, on important capital investment and support for people who become unemployed will not, I am sure, be part of the agenda to be set out next Monday."
"Just one in six incapacity benefit claimants 'is genuine' as tough new test reveals TWO MILLION could be cheating"Actually to be fair The Mail probably realised this already, so maybe the prize should go to those who though the Work Capability Assessment would show anything else.
"The Arctic Ocean could be largely ice-free and open to shipping during the summer in as little as ten years' time, a top polar specialist has said."Ice free by 2019, scary.
"Scientists in the US have presented one of the most dramatic forecasts yet for the disappearance of Arctic sea ice.Ice free by 2012/13.
Their latest modelling studies indicate northern polar waters could be ice-free in summers within just 5-6 years. "
"0827So she broke the rules "honestly" or the Standards Commissioner just did not "make any judgement about her honesty"? I suppose when you are in Jacqui Smith's position you have to take what small victories you can.
Yesterday on Today, John Humphrys interviewed Harriet Harman about MPs' expenses, and they discussed the case of the former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. Ms Smith has been in touch with us to complain that we had made a mistake. In the interview we stated that "the Standards Commissioner himself found that Jacqui Smith had not been entirely honest in what she told us, and she had broken the rules." Today is happy to clarify that The Commissioner did find Ms Smith had broken the rules, but he did not make any judgement about her honesty."
"For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures.This news that negates much of the Global Warming hysteria of the past 10 years was not deemed worthy of being headline news.
And our climate models did not forecast it, even though man-made carbon dioxide, the gas thought to be responsible for warming our planet, has continued to rise."
"The Arctic Ocean could be largely ice-free and open to shipping during the summer in as little as ten years' time, a top polar specialist has said."
"Anybody wishing to report a suspected case of benefit fraud can e-mail benefitsfraud@redditchbc.gov.uk or call the fraud hotline on 01527 534 164 at any time.
Callers are asked to provide as much information as is known for the case to be investigated as fully as possible."
"Tony Blair, the favourite to become Europe’s first president, is believed to have accepted tens of thousands of pounds from a steel billionaire campaigning for Ukraine to join the European Union.Words fail me.
Victor Pinchuk, who is championing the country’s bid for EU membership, has already hired Stephen Byers, the former Labour cabinet minister, to press his case. He reportedly paid Blair to give a keynote speech in Ukraine.
...
Blair’s commercial activities and links to key business figures such as Pinchuk will come under scrutiny in any campaign for the EU presidency. The details of the role and contract of employment for the presidency are expected to be discussed by Gordon Brown and other leaders this month.
Pinchuk founded Yalta European Strategy (YES) to campaign for Ukraine to join the EU. Byers, the former trade secretary, is chairman of the board. Blair attended the annual YES meeting in the Ukrainian city of Yalta last year, giving the main speech.
Blair also attended an event sponsored by Pinchuk at the Davos summit in Switzerland this year, along with Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson and Bill Clinton. He was not paid for this event.
A spokesman for Blair confirmed he was not paid for the Davos event but would not comment on the Yalta appearance. "
"1205 The first question is from Tory MP Ann Winterton - about the Lisbon treaty. Is the PM obliged to put the objectives of the EU ahead of those of the UK? Mr Brown, unsurprisingly, says he is not."That's odd, because I have raised this point several times previously: most recently here regarding Peter Mandelson (and on several previous occasions) and also here regarding Leon Brittan, here regarding Neil Kinnock and others. You might also be interested in The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament that has some rather interesting requirements that often seem to be ignored.
"When the Lisbon Treaty comes into force the European Council will become a formal institution of the European Union. As the United Kingdom member of that institution will the Prime Minister confirm that he is bound by its rules and is thus obliged to further the objectives of the European Union in preference to those of the United Kingdom?"
"We joined the European Union in the 1970s, we hold by our obligations to the European Union but that does not prevent us representing the national sovereignty of this country."Does that answer the question asked? I think not...
"Ann Winterton: ...
When the Lisbon treaty comes into force, the European Council will become a formal institution of the European Union, and the United Kingdom will be a member of that institution. Will the Prime Minister confirm that he is bound by its rules, and is thus obliged to further the objectives of the European Union in preference to those of the United Kingdom?
The Prime Minister: ... We joined the European Union in the 1970s, and we hold by our obligations to the European Union, but that does not prevent us from representing the national sovereignty of this country."
"In his speech Mr Bukovsky referred to confidential documents from secret Soviet files which he was allowed to read in 1992. These documents confirm the existence of a “conspiracy” to turn the European Union into a socialist organization."Do read the whole piece but here is a long extract to give you a flavour:
"The idea was very simple. It first came up in 1985-86, when the Italian Communists visited Gorbachev, followed by the German Social-Democrats. They all complained that the changes in the world, particularly after [British Prime Minister Margaret] Thatcher introduced privatisation and economic liberalisation, were threatening to wipe out the achievement (as they called it) of generations of Socialists and Social-Democrats – threatening to reverse it completely. Therefore the only way to withstand this onslaught of wild capitalism (as they called it) was to try to introduce the same socialist goals in all countries at once. Prior to that, the left-wing parties and the Soviet Union had opposed European integration very much because they perceived it as a means to block their socialist goals. From 1985 onwards they completely changed their view. The Soviets came to a conclusion and to an agreement with the left-wing parties that if they worked together they could hijack the whole European project and turn it upside down. Instead of an open market they would turn it into a federal state.
According to the [secret Soviet] documents, 1985-86 is the turning point. I have published most of these documents. You might even find them on the internet. But the conversations they had are really eye opening. For the first time you understand that there is a conspiracy – quite understandable for them, as they were trying to save their political hides. In the East the Soviets needed a change of relations with Europe because they were entering a protracted and very deep structural crisis; in the West the left-wing parties were afraid of being wiped out and losing their influence and prestige. So it was a conspiracy, quite openly made by them, agreed upon, and worked out.
In January of 1989, for example, a delegation of the Trilateral Commission came to see Gorbachev. It included [former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro] Nakasone, [former French President Valéry] Giscard d’Estaing, [American banker David] Rockefeller and [former US Secretary of State Henry] Kissinger. They had a very nice conversation where they tried to explain to Gorbachev that Soviet Russia had to integrate into the financial institutions of the world, such as Gatt, the IMF and the World Bank.
In the middle of it Giscard d’Estaing suddenly takes the floor and says: “Mr President, I cannot tell you exactly when it will happen – probably within 15 years – but Europe is going to be a federal state and you have to prepare yourself for that. You have to work out with us, and the European leaders, how you would react to that, how would you allow the other Easteuropean countries to interact with it or how to become a part of it, you have to be prepared.”
This was January 1989, at a time when the [1992] Maastricht treaty had not even been drafted. How the hell did Giscard d’Estaing know what was going to happen in 15 years time? And surprise, surprise, how did he become the author of the European constitution [in 2002-03]? A very good question. It does smell of conspiracy, doesn’t it?
Luckily for us the Soviet part of this conspiracy collapsed earlier and it did not reach the point where Moscow could influence the course of events. But the original idea was to have what they called a convergency, whereby the Soviet Union would mellow somewhat and become more social-democratic, while Western Europe would become social-democratic and socialist. Then there will be convergency. The structures have to fit each other. This is why the structures of the European Union were initially built with the purpose of fitting into the Soviet structure. This is why they are so similar in functioning and in structure.
It is no accident that the European Parliament, for example, reminds me of the Supreme Soviet. It looks like the Supreme Soviet because it was designed like it. Similary, when you look at the European Commission it looks like the Politburo. I mean it does so exactly, except for the fact that the Commission now has 25 members and the Politburo usually had 13 or 15 members. Apart from that they are exactly the same, unaccountable to anyone, not directly elected by anyone at all. When you look into all this bizarre activity of the European Union with its 80,000 pages of regulations it looks like Gosplan. We used to have an organisation which was planning everything in the economy, to the last nut and bolt, five years in advance. Exactly the same thing is happening in the EU. When you look at the type of EU corruption, it is exactly the Soviet type of corruption, going from top to bottom rather than going from bottom to top.
If you go through all the structures and features of this emerging European monster you will notice that it more and more resembles the Soviet Union. Of course, it is a milder version of the Soviet Union. Please, do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that it has a Gulag. It has no KGB – not yet – but I am very carefully watching such structures as Europol for example. That really worries me a lot because this organisation will probably have powers bigger than those of the KGB. They will have diplomatic immunity. Can you imagine a KGB with diplomatic immunity? They will have to police us on 32 kinds of crimes – two of which are particularly worrying, one is called racism, another is called xenophobia. No criminal court on earth defines anything like this as a crime [this is not entirely true, as Belgium already does so – pb]. So it is a new crime, and we have already been warned. Someone from the British government told us that those who object to uncontrolled immigration from the Third World will be regarded as racist and those who oppose further European integration will be regarded as xenophobes. I think Patricia Hewitt said this publicly."
"in a new speech, Charlie Bean says forget about the bit about making the banks flush with cash. No that isn't the point at all. The idea is to boost the value of gilts, forget about the idea of filling the banks with cash equivalent reserves, apparently that was not the point at all, even though that was what they said in March."
“I think Merkel will be satified with the Sudetenland, I don’t believe she will make further demands.”Can one take the 1938 parallels too far?
"If the president (of the Czech Republic) is obstructing the democratic process and opposing the decision of parliament as well as the will of the people, he is moving beyond the law and will need to face the consequences," a German diplomat told The Sunday Times.
"The Prime Minister has called for a “fresh openness” to mental illness across our society in a message to mark World Mental Health Day.Quite right too.
World Mental Health Day was started by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992 to promote greater public awareness and understanding of mental health and mental illness.
Mr Brown said the Government was implementing a five-year plan to offer help to those suffering from mental health problems."
"1.PROMISE BROKEN. Mr Obama said he would "not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days". But the "sunlight before signing" promise has already fallen by the wayside with Mr Obama signing three major bills without public scrutiny.Well done USA taken in by a well dressed, good-looking, conman; but don't be too upset the UK fell for Tony Blair before you. However some of us were warning you...
2.PROMISE BROKEN. Mr Obama repeatedly said he would negotiate health care reform in televised sessions broadcast on C-SPAN, the public service network. Instead, he his approach has been no different from his predecessors, holding talks behind closed doors at the White House and Congress."
"...after years of research, Derby historian Ron McKeown claims that global warming is not our fault.Very interesting indeed.
"I'm not expecting my ideas to be very popular," said Ron. "I am just voicing the conclusions that my research has naturally led me to."
...
But Ron does say his studies imply that man's impact on global warming is fairly minimal in relation to other environmental influences, over which mankind has very little control.
His findings can be read in his booklet, The Man-Made Global Warming Debate and Historical Contradictions.
It follows on from his publication, The Rivers of Time, in which he investigated the role played by the Derwent and Trent rivers in the development of the region.
Ron collected his evidence by examining local maps, documents and artefacts recovered from archeological digs in the area, many dating back to Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Viking times. According to his data, there have been huge changes in the local landscape with water levels rising and falling significantly over the years.
Ron is particularly interested in evidence which suggests that large areas of Derby and its surrounding areas were once covered with water.
Ron believes Derby was originally created on land around Markeaton Brook which was more like a river than a brook at the time.
"My findings have led me to suggest that our climate has always fluctuated and that the earth has had periods when its climate was much warmer overall.
"So global warming, melting ice caps and higher sea levels may not be just a modern phenomenon," he said.
Ron speculates that there could be several factors which contributed to Derby's watery past but he is convinced that, at times, the world's temperatures were much warmer than today.
"In the past, Britain was described as the bread basket of Europe with two harvests a year.
"This implies a much warmer climate.
"It is possible that we are just emerging from a little ice age, which has misled scientists into believing that the earth should be 'naturally' cooler than it is at present.
"Temperatures will always fluctuate as a result of many environmental factors of which man is just one.
"I would go as far as to suggest that man's activity throughout the 19th and 20th century, coupled with relatively frequent volcanic activity has actually been keeping the planet uncommonly cool."
He goes on to explain his belief that layers of dust and pollution over many years may actually have insulated the earth from the heat of the sun's rays.
Ron's booklet on the evidence for his theories and on Derby's landscape though the ages can purchased from Darley Park Tea Rooms or by contacting Ron at www.derbyheritageforum.co.uk.
THE MAN-MADE GLOBAL WARMING DEBATE AND HISTORICAL CONTRADICTIONS
BY: Ron McKeown.
PUBLISHER: Tranters, Markeaton Printing Works.
PRICE: £3.50."
