CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE FOR ONE SECOND WHAT THIS IS LIKE?

TRY TO IMAGINE IT, AND IF YOU  STILL WANT TO CRITICISE FRAU MERKEL FOR WHAT SHE DID WITH REFUGEES, WITH ALL ITS ATTENDANT PROBLEMS, ASK YOURSELF "WHAT WOULD I HAVE DONE?"

EVERYTHING I TOUCH TURNS TO ASHES, AND YET, I'M STILL HERE... HE HE HE HE HE HE HE

Another only partly human Tory made the headlines today as three top English judges (including their Lord Chief Justice)  ruled that his department's withholding of council tax relief in two cases, was illegal.

One was in the case of  a disabled 15 year old whose grandparents (his carers) needed a room for his equipment, and for an external carer to sleep in overnight on occasion. The second was a rape victim for whom police had built a safe room to protect her from a violent ex-husband, who beat her and threatened to kill her.

The disabled lad, being cared for by his grandparents suffers from a rare disorder Potocki-Shaffer syndrome, which renders him unable to walk, talk or feed himself, and has left him doubly incontinent. 

For heaven's sake, is it not enough that a couple of grandparents have to cope with these situations every single day in life, without being obliged to go to court to stop a lying cheating weasel of a secretary of state trying to reduce their benefits and make their lives just that little more difficult? 

Mr Duncan Smith wasn't overly inclined to speak to the Press about his loss in court, so much so that he made his chauffeur (paid for by us) drive him to a side entrance so that he could avoid them. Unabashed by yet another failure, and utterly mindless of the strain on vulnerable people, he intends to take the cases to the Supreme court. And this despite the Lord Chief Justice being one of three judges to rule on the case.

It's odd that everything Duncan Smith has touched has failed... from trying to appear educated, and being discovered to have lied about his university and management courses, to his disastrous leadership of the Tory party, and Betsygate. 

His tenure of the DWP has been a catalogue of catastrophe with each of his initiatives failing, computer software costing millions being found to be utterly useless, missed targets for introducing his half witted policies and failures meaning that people have been left waiting for weeks for benefits that they needed, the latest controversy over women's pensions. And of course the thousands of people who have died after being told that they were perfectly fit for work.

He's a one man walking disaster and killing machine. Maybe they should send him to Syria, he could put ISIS members on one of his schemes. 

He's certainly seen off far more Brits than they have!

Seriously, you have to wonder why Cameron continues to employ, at such a high level, a man who has been a failure in everything he has tackled.

What hold does he have over Cameron?

Who knows. Of course, it's worth remembering that he was party leader (with access to whips' records) in early days of Eton Boy's membership of the Commons, before his rise to the leadership. Maybe in that there lies the key. Lord Ashcroft's stories may be mild fare compared to what IDS can reveal.

Here, for your enjoyment is the Tory Party's list of Collective Nouns.

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS....

Audition for a horror film?

The speech sounded like Tony Blair, or his people, wrote it.

It's pretty logical, isn't it?

However, because British Bombs are dropped with British Values, they won't cause any problems at all. And they are so clever, these bombs, that they know not to kill innocent children.

Or peace, really?

People say the Qur'an is full of violence and hate, and there's a lot of that in it, but no so much as in the Bible, it seems.

Syria: Not going to win any tourist prizes, is it?
Bound to make them tow the line though, huh?
I mean it would work here wouldn't it?

Well, of course it wasn't. Christians don't kill millions of Jews, disabled people, homosexuals nor do they idealise exclusively blond super people, but it's worth remembering that when muddle headed morons like Trump demonise all Muslims. "You ain't no Muslim, bro".
Someone might have said to Hitler: "Sie sind kein Christ, Bruder"

Not-so-smart bombs, clearly dropped by anyone other
than Mr Fallon's team.

Led by the BBC. That bastion of decency and fairness.
How are the charter renewal negotiations with the English Culture Secretary going? 

That's a thought...

That's the kind of face you get, if you lived the kind of life he led.

Serves the bastard right.

Oh ...and veterans have been protesting about the war by throwing their medals back at Downing Street, but strangely, there appears to have been very little coverage of it on the BBC. (As I don't watch tv, I've relied on Twitter for this information. But I've checked and there is nothing in their website at the time of writing).

Medals returned to Downing Street...

TODAY IS THE DAY ... LET'S HOPE PARLIAMENT MAKES THE RIGHT DECISION

This blog has from time to time been accused of being 'peacenik' or pacifist.

In my opinion it is nothing to be ashamed of, and I make no apology for it. I'd certainly rather that than be a warmonger.

There are, I have no doubt, times when war is inevitable, but in view of what war does to its participants and to innocent bystanders, it seems that every other possible solution must be addressed before bombs start falling.

That is true of any war. Even in a clear cut situation where there is one enemy to defeat, a clear plan for defeating "him" and a simple exit strategy.

The current conflict in Syria seems to me to be as complex as it can be. 

There is not one enemy. There are a bunch of disparate groups who want to overthrow the Assad regime (as there were in Libya). 

Among them, of course, are Daesh, without a doubt an evil and wicked organisation. But who funds Daesh? And who arms them? Who provides the bombs to blow up Russian Airlines, Beirut buildings, French theatres, Tunisian beaches, and in what way are they allied to Al Qaeda, or Boko Haram, or the group that was responsible for the hotel bombing in Bamako?

What do the other groups consist of? George Galloway talked about them as being a mixture of fanatical Islamists and not quite so fanatical Islamists. Some, as he said, who would only chop half your head off! 

The results of our last escapade.

Cameron talks of 70,000 ground troops who are ready to fight for Assad on our side. But to which groups do they belong? Are some of them people that will only chop of half your head? And I've not heard one other commentator agree that there are 70,000 of them. And one suggested 700 might be nearer the truth. How can we go in to a war situation with such unreliable knowledge about the ground force back up?

And we have to know if it is true that Daesh are selling stolen oil to Turkey (our ally)? Is it true that Saudi (our ally) is funding them? And if it is where does that leave our moral case for being on the same side as these countries which are aiding the "enemy". Could a war be avoided if we insisted on "following the money", and starving the rebels of funding?

And why did Turkey (our ally) shoot down a Russian (our ally) plane for trespassing for 10 seconds over its territory? Are they not supposed to be allies too? Will they shoot down British planes if they make an error for a matter of seconds?

And if and when it is all over... in ten years' time... what will be the settlement?

You see, as I understand it, we want rid of Assad, but our allies, the Russians, want Assad to stay. So do their allies, Iran.

Homs

All of us allies will have to contribute to a massive rebuilding plan for Syria.

Will we be happy to pay for reconstruction under Assad to please the Russians, our ally) or will we bow to the demands of the Americans (our ally) who will may want to replace him?

Too many questions. Not sufficient answers.

Cameron is not a man to be trusted. He seems to feel that it is Britain's duty to keep its place in the world by getting involved. More of less regardless of the outcome. I suspect he worries that America may favour the French in the future if Britain doesn't get involved. Once again, it's all about status and Empire for the likes of him... and his comments to Tory backbenchers yesterday about the fact that those of us who are much more cautious about sending our soldiers to die and to kill others, many of them civilians, children even, are terrorist sympathisers, was him at his revolting Flashman best. 

I'm no terrorist sympathiser Cameron. You on the other hand are a warmonger.

Cameron's really not prime ministerial material and we await an apology form him, although I see he has refused to oblige.

I hope he remembers our warning when the inevitable retribution occurs.

STOP THE WAR

I watched both Jeremy Corbyn and Stewart Hosie on the Marr show today. I thought both of them made perfect sense.

If the United Nations means to tell countries that they can bomb Syria, then they should leave them in no doubt that that is the resolution of organisation's aim.

There was the same sort of situation over the Iraq war with the English Attorney General telling Blair first that the resolution passed DID NOT and then, two days later, DID authorise military action. 

It was never totally clear but with the passage of time it seems to have been agreed that the war was illegal.

If there is no doubt about the intention this time, let us have confirmation in a proper resolution authorising war.

Fallon, on the same programme, gave a performance that was described here by Craig Murray. His interview was a tissue of lies, start to finish and far less plausible than either of the two opposition parties.

The ex-Ambassador to Syria has also rubbished the claims of the government.

War should never be contemplated until every other possibility has been explored and attempted. And even then, it should be remembered that it comes with consequences, and massive expense in terms on people's lives and of course money, which we are told we don't have. Involvement will surely bring retaliation...and why wouldn't it?

As Stewart suggested, why don't we follow the money, and the oil; cut the supply chain, which I would bet we are a part of (we export billions of pounds worth of weapons to Saudi every year, and have done so for a very long time. Until they started slaughtering the population of Yemen recently they seem not have used the weapons...)

Isil doesn't manufacture sophisticated weaponry...what would they do if they couldn't get any more guns; any more ammunition?

War, any war, is indescribably terrible and will always have repercussions. It must be the very very last resort. 

Don't read any further if you have a weak stomach. A couple of these photographs are pretty graphic. But this is what war does.

There are some very big business names that will do nicely from another war.

Send Cameron to fight one to one with the head of Isil?

Amazingly, there are members of the shadow cabinet who want to use this situation to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn.

Who supplies ISIL?
Who's regime is closest to Isil's?
And who supplies them with arms?

It's not unfair or unreasonable that those who want war should go fight it.
Same here. They can line up behind  Cameron.

Of course, few in the PLP give a stuff about what conference for the membership think. That's why they are so angry with Corbyn for asking them.

The ridiculous claims that no civilians would be injured are farcical and insult our intelligence. Have they forgotten that we read Twitter and Facebook?

And what about the refugees we will create as we bomb cities to the ground?

Fallon, Cameron and Benn may not mind having this on their consciences. I do.

You must be ashamed to Hilary, Tony

Even Tory Matthew Parris agrees.

WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? ANTI SNP HEADLINES!

A man who might be expected to know something about the area.
But as Craig Murray will tell you, they never listen to people who know anything about anything.

Aye, so you will be.

Playing soldiers while other people suffer.

What would a country like Saudi Arabia need £3.9 billion of arms for?
Oh yes, ISIS.

I wonder if he has worked that out yet.
And worse, whose side he will be on when it's all over.

If only you would lead.

Sums him up. Please, I want to be Winston Thatcher and
 Margaret Churchill all rolled up with Tory Blur.

For those who have a passing interest in the truth, Alex Salmond did indeed unveil his portrait today in Edinburgh at lunch time.

He had attended First Minister's Questions in his capacity as a MSP, and afterwards hosted a reception for veterans. He also briefed MSPs on the Syrian situation. 

He knew about the Syrian situation, you see, because he himself had been briefed the evening before by the Cabinet Office (along with some other Privy Councillors), of exactly what the Prime Minister would say. There was no need for him to be in Westminster.

It should also be noted that when The Prime Minister makes a statement, the leaders of the opposition parties are required to give a response. That would be Mr Corbyn first  (not Hilary Benn), then Angus Robertson (not Alex Salmond). That's the way it is done. You'd have thought they would know that kind of thing.

The Prime Minister has said that a debate will be held next week on whether or not to go to war.

Mr Salmond's duties in Scotland were pre-existing. The notice of the Prime Ministerial statement was made latterly.

It says something for the state of the press and of the opposition parties that the best that they can do to fight the SNP is to tell half truths and apply innuendos to the comings and goings of Alex Salmond.

Perhaps if there were a policy or two from the opposition parties in Scotland... and I mean policies that don't fall to pieces within an hour, the newspapers would be able to propose a better and brighter future for us under Labour or the Tories.

 As it is, of course, all any of them can do is bleat SNP bad.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

So that's worked out well for us, hasn't it?

Quite a lot better for "them".

Well, it's not like we weren't warned.

Yes, we know.

And when you're sanctioned you don't like it.

Yes, turned my stomach too, or would have if I could have forced myself to watch all the hypocrisy

Be nice to leave you behind. You look charmless.

Well you can trust Queen Michelle to do the right thing by Scotslan.. by Michelle.

The Scotland Bill. Off to the bars  and stagger in at 7.30 to vote, hic.
Who cares what the haggis have to say?

I could work big time on that deficit Gideon.

Underwater hair-dryer comes to mind

No bloody wonder. 

Yes, this is hard hitting. Sorry. It's a dead kid.

But it's not just the West that has casualties.

And for the life of me I can't see this wee lass in Isis, can you?

It doesn't detract for a second from the horrific grief now being suffered by the families of the Parisian victims. 

But Syrian grief is every bit as painful as French grief.

Just geographically farther away from us.