WHAT CONTRASTS....

So this is life for some Brits

And this is life for others

And justice for public servants is dependent on class

We take rather different attitudes to who can break rules and who can't.

And some people face this embarrassment...

...whist others are just this embarrassing.

MUNGUIN'S MIDWEEK MÉLANGE

Sarah Champion. Generous to a fault for our brave boys... She put her wreath on expenses.

Big occasions are glittering and star studded with the so-called great and the so called good.
No-one sees when you give a homeless soldier a few quid to help him out.

That's about how we see it.

We remember. It started just one day after the referendum.

Great speaker, friendly, sincere and  intelligent.
Good luck Chris.

Yeah yeah, whatever Ed.

Bye Danny

Nicola in our local food bank.

What is the sense of science that can put a man on the moon, yet is incapable
of putting a bit of bread on the table of every human being?

I wonder if this one was produced in England too...

Busy, busy, busy....

Just in case you thought that Rachel Reevese represented nasty, right-wing
Islington Labour, Johnny boy confirms that the unemployed
 are bugger all to do with Labour.

I'd not go in that place with my wallet in my back pocket
unless I could get a padlock for it and an AK49.

And today it was confirmed that there will be no change in the government of Israel.

So we can expect to see more of this kind of thing. We are sure that there are atrocities on both sides. (In which wars are there not?) But it seems to us that our media is reluctant to report anything from the Palestinian point of view. So here's a little balancing. There are any number of pictures of similar barbarity on the net.

So, now you know.

If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an accord with Israel. It's natural, we took their country. It's true that God promised it to us, but in what way does that concern them? Our God isn't theirs. There has been Anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They only see one thing. We came and we stole their country. Why should they accept that?
(David Ben Gurion. The first prime minister of Israel, quoted by Nahum Goldmann in The Jewish Paradox.)

DON'T WATCH THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE A BUCKET HANDY

It reminds me of John Major in the car driving past his old home, just like he was a normal person, only we all know he rehearsed seeing it four of five times before he got it right.

Seriously, I have rarely heard so much rubbish in my life. The Labour Party may well have been most of or all of what Murphy talks about once upon a time, until Mandelson, Brown and Blair got their evil Tory hands on it.

But a long time ago it ceased to bear any resemblance to what Jim is talking about here, particularly with reference to the poor... and all over the world, if you please. 

What, Jim, about the poor in Afghanistan and Iraq, who had their legs blown off in the wars you supported? What about the inquiry into these wars that you so strongly resisted? What about the poor in Palestine, the unarmed kids being shot by Israeli soldiers? 

And what about the poor in Scotland Jim, denied their desperately needed sickness benefits or on poverty wages on zero hour contracts, with you backing so many of IDS's vile policies? (And yes, I know Labour's stated policy is to get rid of zero hour contracts, but you you blow off about that you should probably tell all the Labour Councils that employ these contracts about that policy, becasue talking the talk is hardly enough when people are starving...)

If anyone believes any of this crap, then I suspect that they also believe in Professors McGonnigal and Snape and I'll look forward to seeing them on platform 9 3/4 where we can watch the cow jump over the moon together.
++++++++++

It's going to be printed for 5 days to judge its viability.
We should grab it ... or we will lose it
++++++++++

Ha ha ha...

PS: This is what we call a political meeting in Scotland

MORE RANDOM RAMBLINGS

One of the invitees to this wedding thingy they are having in London, England, is HM King Mswati III if Swaziland (pictured with President and Mrs Obama). His Majesty is one of the richest of the world's monarchs, has 14 wives, a fleet of luxury cars and rules over a country of 1.2 million people, more than 60% of whom live on less than €1 a day and are trying to cope with the world’s highest per capita AIDS infection rates. He has recently put down, with violence, an uprising of the people against him

Clearly the king is not related to the Windsors and so his invite, by the Duke of Rothsay, must mean he is a friend of Charles. He keeps some very odd company does that Charlie. His mother should warn him about speaking to nasty men.

***

The Independent is revealing the intimidation and detention of doctors treating dying and injured pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain.
At least 32 doctors have been arrested and detained by police in the last month in a campaign of intimidation running directly counter to the Geneva Convention guaranteeing medical care to people wounded in conflict. Doctors around the world have expressed their shock and outrage.
Doctors have even been arrested in the operating theatre while treating patients and others have been “disappeared”. The Crown Prince of the country is another of Charlie’s guests at the wedding. A man whose security must be paid for out of the money saved by slashing pensioners’ winter fuel payments.

***
Only the Daily Mail would come out with this. Across the top of its Home Page are pictures of a young soldier who fainted in the heat while wearing full dress uniform. What a damned shame. I’d love to see some of the fat drink soaked journos on the Mail stand up straight in the heat never mind with ridiculous uniforms on. Then in true tabloid form, having embarrassed the poor lad, they make a huge fuss of the fact that for once, just once, it was much hotter in England than on the Costa del Sol, the headline (more Sun than Mail) is “Wish you were here amigos?”

***
It seems that endorsements for Alex Salmond to be Scotland’s next First Minister are coming from every direction. The latest is Tommy Brennan, one of Scotland's great trade union leaders of the past. He cites Mr Salmond's goal of the re-industrialisation of Scotland with renewables energy technology.

Mr Brennan said: "Alex Salmond's vision for Scotland is one all Scots should support. I'm delighted to endorse him for a second term as First Minister. I remember only too well the pain caused by the de-industrialisation of Scotland under the Tories in the 1980s and 1990s, and believe that Alex Salmond's ambition to re-industrialise Scotland by leading the renewables energy revolution is an inspiring goal for young Scots and for jobs and industry in the 21st century."
Alex Salmond warmly welcomed his personal endorsement saying that it was wonderful that Tommy shared the SNP’s vision of Scotland leading the world in the green energy technologies of the 21st century.

***
The Telegraph reveals that Israel under Menachem Begin armed Argentina during the Falkland/Malvinas War of the 80s which established Mrs Thatcher as a war leader in the image of her beloved Winston. Apparently Begin saw a deal to sell the junta weapons, including air to air missiles, missile radar alert systems, fuel tanks for fighter bombers and gas masks, as a form of revenge for the hanging of a personal friend, Dov Gruner, by the British Mandatory Authorities in Palestine in 1947.

Ironically, the weapons which were dispatched from Israel apparently destined for Peru but were then transported on to Argentina, were probably paid for by our senior partner, the USA. I wonder if they knew.

Pics: The King of Swaziland with the Obamas; Injured protestor requiring treatment from the ever dwindling number of medics in Bahrain; Oor Eck basking in the praise of all: Menachem Began who armed the Argies as part of a personal vendetta of hatred against the Brits.

TERRORIST THREAT IN EUROPE GROWING

The Foreign Office has warned of a high level threat of attacks in France and Germany as it followed the USA, telling its citizens to take care when travelling.

The Foreign Office advice is that the attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

Apparently authorities in Britain last week intercepted an al Qaida-linked terror which would reportedly have been similar to the deadly commando-style raids in Mumbai.

On Tuesday night the Eiffel Tower had to be evacuated for the second time in 2 weeks following a bomb threat. On Friday, even Sweden announced it has raised its threat alert to the highest level ever because of an increased threat of terror attacks.

It seems that Osama bin Laden could be masterminding these latest plots himself.

The UK Home Secretary said Britain was working closely with other countries including the US on counter-terrorism. The USA’s advice included the warning that particularly vulnerable sites might be public transport systems and other tourist infrastructure.

We should all be a bit wary and keep our eyes open. Of course the smaller and more insignificant the town you live in the safer you are likely to be. But areas where there are likely to be large numbers of tourists, Edinburgh, Inverness for example are apparently most vulnerable.

Let’s hope that Mr Obama, the Palestinian President and the Israeli Prime Minister can sort something out that will bring forward peace in the near east very soon, and that we have the good sense to get ourselves out of Afghanistan in short order.

The plight of people in Palestine and Israel and the interference of NATO in Afghanistan together with the needless killings and torture of civilians there, are the main reasons that this terrorism will not go away.

WHY CAN'T THEY HAVE THE BEST NOW LIAM?

Just a wee thought crossed my mind the other day when I was listening to the news about Jock Stirrup and his employment situation.

I mean, the guy was supposed to stay till some time in the middle of 2011, but clearly the new minister for wars, Liam Fox, with his deep knowledge and understanding of all things military, much more for example than Mr Stirrup himself, who’s only been in the services since the late 1960s, has decided to sack him. Fox said he wanted "the best people to be in the appropriate posts".

Fair enough.

I don’t approve of this broke little country punching above its weight in military matters, poking its nose into all manner of things that don’t concern it, and about which it knows nothing. But I have always said that if, in order to give an impression of some semblance of importance, we have to continue to pretend that we still have an empire, we must always, always kit our men out for the job, provide them with the weaponry they need, the back office they need in logistics, etc, and the best possible management at all levels. In short, "the best people to be in the appropriate posts".

Now if Mr Stirrup is not the best that there is at the top, he should go, but surely now, today, this minute. Not in 5 months.

Firstly because the new Libtory government is conducting a strategic defence review, and it would be sensible to have the new man in post to carry that out... as he’s the one who will have to operate within the parameters of its findings.

Secondly because a man who has clearly been sacked and is working his 5 month notice, can have no real authority; no real respect. Everyone now knows that he doesn’t have the confidence of the government.

And thirdly, and by far the most important reason, because the guys out there in danger, doing the fighting, need the best NOW. Not in 5 months’ time.

Maybe someone can explain why they are not getting it.

And, while we are talking about our men getting the best, can we remind ourselves that Mr Fox has a rather dodgy record on expenses, and in particular a mortgage over claim of £22,476, and cellular phone bills of £19,000!!!!!!!!!...... He also has a record of breaking parliamentary rules over visits to Sri Lanka, and failing to declare interest in Sri Lanka in debates, which, big man that he is, he blamed on his staff. And rather dangerously for a War Minister, he has said: "Israel’s enemies are our enemies and this is a battle in which we all stand together or we will all fall divided." So we know where we shall be standing over the Middle East in future.

I hardly think that Mr Fox has demonstrated that he is the best we can have as our Defence man. He only got a reasonably senior brief because he stood for the leadership of the Tory Party and came third to David Cameron and David Davies.

I think he should resign with Mr Stirrup, as of tomorrow.


Pics: Liam Fox: You can tell a man by the company he keeps, and here he is with Mayor Giuliani and some old woman they picked up..... and poor old Jock, whom Liam thinks won't be up to the job in 5 months.

OUTRAGE IN DUNDEE AT ISRAELI ACTION

The brother of a Dundee man, missing after Israeli commandos intercepted a flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza, led a 200-strong protest in Dundee City Square last night.

Khalid El-Awaisi’s 21-year-old brother Ali was on board one of the boats boarded by Israeli troops early yesterday morning, with nine people reported dead.

Last night Khalid addressed local politicians, friends and activists gathered outside City Chambers to demonstrate against the Israeli action.

Khalid said, “Thank you all for having the heart to come out and say to Israel: No, enough is enough.

“Israel is now attacking international civilians in international waters and it thinks it can get away with it. This is what’s been happening for the last 40 years of the life of Palestine.

“We have to say no to Israel, our governments have to move.”

Ali El-Awaisi is the only participant from NE Scotland on the boats which were carrying about 10,000 tonnes of aid, including around £30,000 worth of goods from Dundee.

It is understood the Israeli navy boarded the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara in international waters, 80 miles off the coast of Gaza in the early hours of yesterday. Supporters of the aid mission said the Israelis then opened fire on some of those on board the ships.

Back in Dundee Khalid watched the action unfold on live footage from the boat his brother was on.

“I’m continuously watching it,” he said. “I heard the news at 2.30 this morning. I could hear the screaming and the shouting and the shooting.

“All of a sudden I saw my brother so that was uplifting, but then they cut the live feed so no one knows about the other ships.”

Khalid told the Dundee Courier last night he believed his brother would already have been interrogated by the Israeli troops.

He indicated that he had little faith in anything the Israelis did being fair or humane, or indeed to have any respect for international law.

Israel claimed its troops had been attacked and had returned fire in response.

Dundee’s Lord Provost John Letford showed his support for the El-Awaisi family at the demonstration, and condemned the Israeli forces. He said, “There’s no indication it (the aid flotilla) was anything but humanitarian, and this is an affront, but we’re really not in a position to do anything but voice our protest.

“Terrorism is unacceptable in any description. To shoot someone down who is waving a stick in my opinion is unacceptable.”

Yesterday’s demonstration was organised by activist group Tayside for Justice in Palestine, and group member Edith Constable paid tribute to the crowd saying: “It’s very short notice but it’s a credit to Dundee that we can do this sort of thing.

“This was a massacre of innocent people taking aid to Gaza. The UN states that only a quarter of what they need in Gaza actually gets through the blockade. We in Dundee have sent nearly £5000 to Gaza because innocent people are dying because of the lack of medical supplies.”

There were demonstrations across Scotland yesterday in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Aberdeen and Banff.

There will be a public meeting in Dundee University’s Tower Building at 6pm today to discuss further action and buses will be organised to take activists to a nationwide demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday. Protesters will march from the Mound to the First Minister’s residence to request further action from Alex Salmond.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already said Israel's actions had been "rightly condemned around the world".

Dundee West MSP Joe Fitzpatrick spent time with Khalid El-Awaisi and his sister Alla at the Central Mosque in Brown Street yesterday, trying to assist with the flow of information from the Foreign Office.

He said, “What I have been doing is working with Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie to get answers from the Home Office to try to find out what’s going on and we will also be raising it in the Scottish Parliament.

“But right now this family wants to know what’s happening to their brother Ali. The problem is there is no information about who has been killed or injured.”

Dundee West MP Jim McGovern and Dundee-based North East MSP Marlyn Glenn have also condemned the Israeli actions.

Barack Obama leaves Netanyahu to work something out and goes for dinner....alone

Binyamin Netanyahu was humiliated when, while meeting with the President of the United States in the White House, he refused to back down on his plans to build more settlement in occupied territories of the West Bank.

The United Nations, of which Israel is a member and the United States, which is a generous funder of Israel, have both demanded that no new homes be built on what the UN declare to be Palestinian lands. Mr Netanyahu disagrees, and his government has given the go ahead for a mass of building works.

So Mr Obama, faced with the immovable, left the meeting with Netanyahu and went to dinner. He invited the prime minister to stay at the White House, consult with advisors and “let me know if there is anything new”, according to a US congressman.

The Times reports that one Israeli newspaper called the meeting “a hazing in stages”, poisoned by mistrust. Another said that the prime minister had received “the treatment reserved for the President of Equatorial Guinea”. (I’m not sure why the President of Equatorial Guinea would get that treatment from the President of the USA. In fact, as a president and head of state, he is entitled by protocol to a better reception than a mere prime minister.

That aside, Netanyahu and team were sent off to the Roosevelt Room and after the president had eaten, had another brief meeting with Mr Obama. The prime minister also extended his stay for emergency talks aimed at restarting peace negotiations. However, with no progress being made he left for Israel with no official statement from either side.

It is an embarrassment that he had to return home isolated and embarrassed. He may have found George Bush a walk over. The current president is a different kettle of fish.

I try not to take sides in the Palestine-Israel affair, simply because it is too complicated for me to understand. What I can see is that, under the UN agreed situation Israel has a right to exist, and within its own borders be safe, so the shelling from Gaza and the intermittent attacks by suicide bombers are intolerable. On the other hand the Palestinians are treated incredibly shabbily by Israel and under Netanyahu, the situation has worsened. Starved of food and water, and essentials, including medicines, life, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, has become equally intolerable. Both sides are at fault, and unless something gives, it will only get worse.

I doubt that Netanyahu is an easy man to deal with. He is a hard line right winger. I imagine that his intransigence was less to Barack Obama’s taste than it had been to George W Bush’s. ‘Know thine enemy’, is a good maxim. Mr Obama has already shown that he does not suffer fools gladly. Clearly Mr N, didn’t bother to learn that, and has paid for it with a red face.

Pictured: The Israeli Prime Minister and President Barack Obama


....................