Armagheddon again

Just to say that I think it is yours truly who refers to Armaghedon. I too have noted with some concern that Olmert is taking a break.

I may be wrong but has not Israel already taken action against some sites in Syria.

Exactly what are we doing to prevent Turkish incursions into Northern Iraq. This is a sovereign country with an elected parliament and we, with our American allies, apparently are doing nothing to prevent such actions.

Maybe if David Miliband did more in his job as Foreign Secretary instead of attempting to take over as leader of the country we might just be able to say something to China over their abuses of people and the internet.

Armagheddon II

#160

I could not agree more with your comments.

Like yourself I have pencilled in the period after the American election in November and the inaugeration of the new President.
I do not agree with your comments re. Mrs Clinton, I cannot see her as being the Obama running mate.

However, as you quite rightly say it is probable that an attack will take place by Israel. I hope that I am wrong, but I somehow don't think so. Armagheddon, that will shut everybody up, how on earth will the NHS cope.

New PM

What change exactly. Surely if he were he to become leader he would have to call an immediate General election, an election he may actually win, because surely the conservatives would not want to take power now.

So, labour win with a hugely reduced majority, they may even be a minority government. Miliband would then soon have to come to the country again, probably within the year.

The Tories would be in turmoil because they have invested so much in Cameron and he failed. So, there is just the chance that we would have to have coalition governments, labour with the SNP, labour with liberal democrats, Conservatives with liberal democrats, who knows? The possibilities are endless. What fun the political commentators will have. We may even end up with a government of national unity!

In the meantime the deaths continue in our foreign wars. Bring the troops home, they will be needed to keep everything under control.

PMQs

#140

I do not blame just labour MPs.

David Davis resigned over the issue of 42 days. He has shown the way to others, if you so disagree with what is going on in parliament and feel that your electorate is no longer being represented then get them to endorse you.

If I was David Cameron at the next PM question time then I would not bother to ask any questions!

In fact MPs might as well show their disdain by not even bothering to turn up. When the Speaker says questions for the Prime Minister, then just get up and walk out. You might as well you never get an answer anyway.

The only questions he does answer are the planted ones where he can make announcements of government 'successes'. Oh, and to announce the names of all those poor souls who have paid the ultimate price for the appalling decision to go to war. An illegal war!

This is the worst parliament for at least a hundred years and it is about time that it was shown the door. Go now, all of you, just go.

Who will pay

When will heads roll in the banking sector.

People seem to want the rewards for success but are unwilling to accept that they have to shoulder the responsibility for total abject failure.

The issue is that the problems exist from top to bottom. People did as they were told and now the price is being paid.

People have shirked their responsibilities and anybody who knew anything should have spoken up. Where exactly were the whistle blowers.

We know of one famous trader who ended up in jail over the demise of a very famous bank, when can we expect the boys in blue to be visiting some head offices to find out exactly what has been going on?

Armagheddon

Hey intelligent ones. Go to your local library and look up Hansard for the period around August 1914.

Why?

Because you will see that just after the Great War was declared they went on holiday. Yes, I did not know either. The war was so irrelevant that within a matter of days parliament adjourned. There was no more threat of civil war in Ireland, that had been delayed because of the crisis.

Look into the mobilization of the belligerent nations and who do you think mobilized first. Why it was the great Winston Churchill who did not disperse the Royal Navy after a review, just in case you understand. The navy started the blockade of Germany the day that war was declared.

I could go on but be afraid, very afraid, because the politicians will do anything to save their skins. They have failed.

We are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and training troops all over the world to do our dirty work. The world is slowly spinning out of control and the Armagheddon some of us expect is soon to be upon us.

War coming

David Milliband writes in the Guardian. Is he making a play for the leadership? Who knows, who cares?

The important issue is the complete failure to agree on World Trade. People who went to Seattle all those years ago will have their way, globalization is on the wane, protectionism is going to surge.

I know let's have a consultation on whether or not you want to lose your job. Let's build some aircraft carriers so as to prepare for war. We must be prepared. As for nuclear weapons if parliament had not voted to fund the programme all those scientists would have to be paid off. What does happen to nuclear scientists when we have no nuclear weapons, they get transferred to designing and constructing nuclear power stations?

There is a dark cloud on the horizon, the storm clouds are gathering and it will not be war as in WWI, or WWII, it will be different but the way we are going is just so like the days leading to the Great War. The politicians have failed and I don't think they have a clue.

I know that I may be seen as going over the top with my prediction but whoever thought that the destruction of the World Trade Center would happen. When the American election is over the politicians will have to deliver, only they won't be able to, all this talk of change, you cannot be serious.

What is the Point

Now my father was never what I would regard as political. He just did what he did well.

What I will say is that he was conceived out of wedlock and born in 1914 to a mother who lived in a poor house in Newton Abbot, in Devon.

He had a very hard upbringing by relatives in Plymouth.

Why am I telling you this, because when he retired from the Royal Navy in the mid sixties he received an MBE from the Queen and he had the rank of Lt. Cmdr.

Exactly which politician or political party enabled this man, brought up in poverty and hardship, to give me and my brothers and sisters the advantages which accrued to us.

I will say to you that nobody helped him, and there were millions like him, he did it because of duty, it was what was expected. He was a hard man but honest and fair, as honest and fair as it was possible to be.

He was on the Dorchester as she finally sank the Bismark and he watched sailors dying in their hundreds as she sped away leaving the German sailors to die a slow and terrible death. Images which stayed with him until the end of hs life.

Where am I going with this, you might ask. I will tell you.

We are coming to the end of the good times. People fought and died for me and my generation and we have seriously lost the plot. This is just so pathetic with politicians still sending young men to their deaths in foreign countries. With an economy which is soon to implode, where we have means testing of the poor, the old, and the infirmed. Where a labour government has to get everybody back to work. This is obscene, government has failed. Totally, miserably, abjectly failed and we do nothing but write our blogs.

This why I am getting angry. Because of the realisation that I have to keep asking of myself, what exactly was the point of all the deaths, all the wasted lives. It is not about poverty, we don't have the faintest idea about poverty, I mean real poverty, not only financial poverty but poverty of the soul. We have just so lost the plot.

Brown Out

TWTWTW

The difference is that That Was was original to many of us. I wonder what a David Frost in his prime would do to Gordon Brown in an interview now.

Surely the same applies to Jeremy Paxman, I wonder why we no longer see the real interviewers. The long interviews where the likes of Tony Blair could tell us that he is a straight sort of guy.

Is this not the problem for frglee #40 in an earlier posting. You see Gordon was the Chancellor when Blair was PM, he could have stopped the Iraq disaster if he had any guts. If he confirmed that the exercise had his full agreement and that for all subsequent actions he takes joint responsibilty, then my own personal view wil still not change.

He should have spoken out against the war. It is not good enough for any of these people to still be in control. They have blood on their hands and no amount of trying to change the agenda will work. The sooner they are tried for an illegal war, a war of aggression and war crimes then the sooner we can move on. Until that time I will never forgive them for what they done in my name.

French Philosopher

#26, Griffin

Obama in disguise, Obama in disguise cried Griffin in mock anger. You have it wrong again I am afraid. Obama is Griffin in disguise. There is only one leader of the free world. Obama is a johnny come lately to the cause. Nobody will admit to it but where Griffin leads others follow.

Mind you I am reminded of the French philosopher who saw a crowd in the distance shouting and waving flags.

He, because all philosophers are he, turned to his colleague and said 'I must find out where they are going so that I can lead them'.

MacMillan moment

What on earth is going on.

There were some exceptional postings on the previous blog 'What's said and what's not' and I am not at all surprised that they have all disappeared. I wonder if they will ever come back or are they like the PM e-mail link, temporarily taken down, but never returned.

What will become a problem for all those supporting the PM is that their words will come back to haunt them.

For example, the politicians now talk about the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. However, what they do is to preface the comments by referring to combat troops. So, beware they are talking about combat troops.

The same applies to Gordon Brown, I am just getting on with the job. I think that we are going to get a MacMillan moment, you know the one where he was so ill that he had to go, to be replaced by the wonderful Alex Douglas Home.

If only there was a satirical programme like That Was The Week That Was where we could all have a good laugh, it is much better then being driven to tears by all the shinanigans going on.

Bring back the postings because I will have my worst conspiracy theories completely vindicated.

Titanic

This suggestion is beyond belief. Only a complete imbecile would attempt to buy votes in this way. It will be a disaster, why should the taxpayer bail out people who have over-extended themselves.

In 1928 the first cracks in the stock market in the USA began to appear and action was taken to correct the situation. it only delayed the inevitable collapse.

Similar actions are being taken to protect the financial institutions and the result will be the same. Financial ruin for everybody rather than the relative few.

If we are to live by the market then the market must decide. The only way people will really learn is by being taught a lesson. The medicine will be even more unpalatable next year, the inevitable correction will happen and the pain will be worse the longer it is delayed.

Abandon ship while we can, this is worse than the Titanic.

Titles

Thank goodness Hilary Clinton will not be President.

1. There is already President Clinton, who continues to be called Mr. President.

2. Hilary Clinton was the First Lady.

3. We would have had Mr and Mrs Presidents Clinton.

4. Now with Hilary as President it would have to be Mrs President Clinton and Mr President Clinton.

5. Or would it be Mrs President and the First Gentleman.

You can see the problem, thank goodness she did not progress. It would have upset all the conventions.

6. Mind you do we in this country still not have a problem with gender, Chairman, Chairwoman, Chairperson, Chair, Priest (surely women priests in the C of E should be called Priestess or is that too heathen). Oh the problems of being old and the conventions of identifying females in a title.

7. Everybody should just be addressed as Guys, as in Hi Guys how are you today.

The evil day approaches

1. Some commentators keep saying that nobody saw this coming, the economic depression. Well may I refer Bloggers to my blog of 10 July 2007 and tell me that nobody could it coming

http://terrygriffin.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html

2. Now I know that I got something wrong, the date of the next election but Gordon really should have followed my advice, it may not have been better for him but it would have been for us.

3. I did send this Blog to a local newspaper and if my memory serves me well it was printed so it is in the public domain for those who want to search for it.

4. I am not right every time, nobody is, but please do not insult my intelligence by repeating the myth that nobody saw these events coming.

5. The problem lies with the whole of the capitalist system, it always was constructed to eventually fail. The evil day is fast approaching when the truth will be revealed!

Thinking time please

1. I must admit that when I was in paid employment some of my colleagues used to get slightly fed-up with me. The reason being that to them I did not actually do anything.

2. I used to just sit in my seat with no papers in front of me apart from a note pad which I used to occasionally put some words on. You see I was thinking.

3. Thinking of ways to improve the efficiency of the department. Thinking of ways to get data into a format that others can utilize.

4. The problem is that we seem to ahve something called a work ethic, which to many people means that something must be produced. That there has to be something which has fundamentally changed.

5. I contend that poeple ought to be able to sit in their work place and not be criticized for thinking, not actually producing anything.

6. Some would say that you can think outside of the office, I think anybody who suggests this is wrong, unless it it is in the context of evening classes to gain knowledge. Why should people have to take their work home with them.

So, more thinking time please, and paid thinking time at that!

End borders

The last few comments have also surely raised the issue of terminology. Are the insurgents in Iraq really freedom fighters. Do people who will kill really want freedom from occupation.

Surely, for many the problem goes back to the imposition of nation states after WWI. This policy of borders and freedoms for minorities is surely a major contributor to the malais of the world.

Why is there a border between Englnd and Scotland? What is the point of it. England and Wales? Why and we can extend the same argument around the globe. There seriously should be no different countries.

Imagine the savings if there were no countries. No borders to violate, how much longer must there be this total insanity of different countries, as soon as you think about it the more insane it becomes.

One world, one people, one language, guess which one?

If you want to know how bad our involvement has become then go to the Channel 4 news at seven today with reference to our involvement in training various military groups, particularly in Kenya, be proud very proud because just imagine what training we are giving to the Iraqi army!

Freedom of Speech

To #418/9

Many thanks for your comments.

You are of course quite right about Special Forces because they do sign contracts before entering the service.

This is the problem. If you sign the contract then you are bound by it. If you do not sign then you will not be able to join the service. So you sign.

However, if you are told to do something that really is unaccpetable should you remain silent. Does not the contract become unenforceable. Should you remain silent.

I even have problems with the result of the Max Mosely case. How much freedom of speech are we prepared to lose, under privacy 'laws'.

Freedom of Speech

I wish that there was some reference on these sites to plagiarism. Should we acknowledge the source of the comments we make.

If we use somebody as the source of a point for discussion then surely there should be some sort of cross referencing to the originator.

I have made reference to the fact that labour lost in Glasgow East by 365 votes, a vote for every day of a year which Gordon is our PM.

I have made reference to the Titanic and sinking ships.

Now his policies are going up in flames like the pier at Weston-Super-Mare.

Finally, if we are not to use our real names because of fear from the moderators #365 then may I humbly suggest that you go and Google the name of my son, Ben who has had a high court injunction taken out against him by the wonderful MoD and wonder why freedom of speech must be preserved at all cost.

Abandon Ship Gordon

I wonder when the national media will pick up on the removal from command of Captain Jeremy Woods who was captian of HMS Cornwall at the time of the capture by Iranian forces of sailors and marines based on the ship he commanded.

Apparently, the MoD has issued a statement along the lines that he 'has been removed from command'.

Now I wonder why the MoD do not issue a statement to the effect that Gordon Brown has been removed from command, because it is obvious that he should be.

When there is failure it is the captain of the ship who pays the price, some choose to go down with their vessel, others take the option of getting into the lifeboat.

Sorry Gordon but what are you going to choose? Because if you go down with your ship then please do not take me with you.

The Navy as usual have standards, standards which have been lost to many in our society. So Gordon are you going down or are you going to abandon ship.

Not in my name

#242

From #200 thank you very much for not including me in your list.

What I wonder is why do people not put their real names to their postings.

Exactly what is it that they fear to divulge.

Do not e-mail Gordon Brown because he only wants to listen to his own voice telling us that he listens, he feels our pain, that we are hard working/pressed families, that he is making the tough decisions blah blah blah we will get through this with him as leader

Well when will the killing stop Mr Brown, just when will the killing stop, and I don't mean just our soldiers, I mean the innocent civilians, the women and children. You see I have a problem because I want to know how many of 'the enemy' have we actually killed with our lethal disproportionate weaponry. Is nobody ever captured, nobody injured, what is happening Mr Brown, what is happening in my name T. A. Griffin.

Tony Blair speech to the Troops

Can I give you a quote from the Tony Blair speech to the troops in Iraq which was made on 29th May 2003:

'And I just wanted to say to you, because I know people back home, you know you will read lots in the media and the newspapers, I just want to say this to you. People back home are incredibly proud of what you have done. You have made this whole country, our country, hold its head up high, and I think that is a wonderful, wonderful achievement. It is your achievement and thank you.'

Now I know that speech was made by Tony Blair and he led us into the war, but Brown supported it by paying for it. He is culpable.

The point is about the reports now coming out about a parliamentary committee being 'possibly misled' by the military about mistreatment of civilian detainees. I am sorry Gordon but how can we really be proud that we have lost hearts and minds in Iraq because of what has been going on.

It is not the economy stupid that many of us are concerned about it is about the wars in Iraq and Afganistan. Enjoy your holidays Gordon but will anybody else take on the responsibility for explaining yet more deaths of our soldiers. The truth is out there and as we find out that truth the worse it will get for you and other labour MPs who have got us into, not only a military escapade that we cannot win, but also an economic one. We cannot win either, we are defeated.

Gordon the Titanic leader

A question to Gordon Brown. If people from around the world phone you up and ask for advice on economic affairs what advice do you actually give them?

A. How to fool the people into paying huge amounts of extra tax and get nothing to show for the money taken from them!

I would love to ask our great leader a couple of questions but unfortunately as I reported earlier the PMs e-mail site has been down for some time and looks as though it will never see the light of day ever again. The site went down in late June but apparently we can use the new 'twitter' service. What twit thought that one up.

I have another problem, Tony Blair was the PM and Gordon was the Chancellor, responsible for the economy. Tony apparently as PM had nothing to do with the economy, thatbwas Gordon's job.

So what exactly is Gordon doing getting involved in the economy of the UK, surely that is the job of Alastair Darling, or what is the point of Darling. Actually with action man Gordon what is the point in anybody else doing anything at all, if they succeed it is because of Gordon, if they fail it is down to them.

I really cannot wait for the impending cabinet reshuffle, now that is when we find out who the real supporters of Gordon are. Talk about the Titanic! Where is the orchestra?

Crimes in Iraq

What I want to hear from Gordon Brown relates to the treatment of civilian detainees by elemnets of the British army in Iraq.

Apparently Parliament has been looking into the treatment of prisoners and have found that the wonderful Ministry of Defence have been somewhat economical with the truth.

Now some of us have thought the same for some time, just look at the the cases brought to Courts Martial and the fact that one soldier admitted an offence and others were cleared.

Now we are being told that training was not all that it should have been. I hope that there is not going to be a huge cover-up over this because surely we are not going to be told that we did not know what was going on because only an idiot would insult my intelligence.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany many pleaded ignorance or that they were following orders. This is no defence. Britain is guilty as charged, as are the leaders, not only the military leaders but also the political who must haved quizzed the military and received answers that they wanted. If they did not ask the questions then they are also guilty.

Now the MoD are now probably going to plead that there is an inquiry into the death of at least one Iraqi and therefore they cannot comment! This is not acceptable. Who runs this country, Gordon Brown, elected memebers of Parliament or the Ministry of Defence? I think I know the answer , do you?

Gordon Brown

All I can inagine is a famous Liverpool comedian saying 'calm down' 'calm down', only trouble is this is serious.

Please do not insult my intelligence by even hinting that Gordon Brown has a mandate. I did not vote for him, he was not leader of the labour party when the last general election was held with a Tony Blair who was 'going to serve a full term'.

Now I know Tony Blair served a full term as far as he was concerned insomuch that he has now resigned from Parliament, therefore did he always intend to leave after only a few months?

Gordon Brown is not the legitimate Prime Minister of this country, he knows it, I know it, and everybody else does as well. Anybody who thinks Gordon has any legitimacy is deluded and as so many labour MPs now come on to the media saying that Gordon is the legitimate PM is deluded.

They all deserve to lose their seats because the only way to rid ourselves of Brown is to vote all labour MPs out of office because I can't vote Gordon out. QED If I was a labour MP I would prepare to sign on at the dole office and I can't wait until the staff quiz you like they are going to quiz us. Mind you they will be able to plead delusional tendencies!

Pareto efficiency

I don't think even David Cameron actually wants an election until Gordon Brown faces total and abject defeat, not only for him but also his party.

Just like Germany and Japan in WWII it is only by total defeat that change came come about. We need new labour to go down just like the original liberal party was defeated after WWI. It was the liberals who contributed to the wiping out of a generation of good men, men who died for nothing, it is the same in Iraq and Afghanistan. Labour has taken us into a trap, we will lose, there will never be an end.

After their ignominious defeat labour will split, just as the lib dems will, there is no future in either party. As for the conservatives they will have England and the Nationalists will have Wales and Scotland, the United Kingdom will split of that I have no doubt!

In 1928/1929 weak politicians made terrible decisions which cast the world into a Great Depression, do not think that it will never happen again. Boom and bust was never going to happen again, yet where are we, in boom and bust!

With the conservatives they will implement what is known as Pareto efficiency into the economy, where it is impossible to make at least one person better off without making anyone worse off.

Now I do not mind a government attempting to end poverty, but not at the price of making me impoverished, that is plain crazy, and I know of nobody who will willingly vote in any party that makes that promise. Where is the alternative, I can't see one, enlighten me please.

Diego Garcia

What research can uncover!

On the wonderful internet you have access to the Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, Vol E-8 Documents on South East Asia, 1973-1976 of the US Department of State. Why is this interesting in the context of the disaster which is Gordon Brown, because it refers to the situation of Diego Garcia, which is where suspects were transferred to as admitted to by Mr Milliband, our illustrious Foreign Secretary.

I could copy you the whole document but I refer to article 3 and this I will quote in full:

'Although they invisage the agreement on Diego Garcia as a confidential diplomatic exchange, the Ministers expect the the existance of that agreement to become public. This could evoke adverse reactions from the soviets, the Indian Ocean littoral states, and the Arabs. The latter might conclude that the presence of US forces was directed at them presenting an obvious and serious risk to the possibility of the situation in the area. The Ministers are therefore interested in coordinating with the US the way the Diego Garcia matter is presented publicly in both countries'.

Now that in itself is quite interesting, well it is to me anyway so read on to Article 6:

'The agreement itself should be a confidential exchange of diplomatic instruments but with both sides acknowledging its existence. The agreement, among other things, would provde for the operation and joint use of Diego Garcia facilities in exactly the same way as US bases in the United Kingdom are covered. This would mean that HMG would be able to assure parliament that Diego Garcia remains UK sovereign territory'.

Now, with the admission by Milliband you wonder why some of us are appalled at our complicity in extraordinary rendition. America has fractured the agreement and accordingly it must be withdrawn with immediate effect and all American forces withdrawn. Now, if we were to act like men instead of mice then I may, just may, begin to support our pathetic Prime Minister. Show some back bone Brown and kick out the Americans from our sovereign territory.

Brown looking for a job

When Gordon Brown fails to save the country from its economic fate and he has to have an election what can we expect. The good times are just around the corner, please let me finish the job. I won't let you down.

What then, a government of national unity to save us from our fate?

If he says one more time that he feels my pain then I will scream. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king, trouble is we are no longer blind, and Gordon is and never was a leader. I would not follow him over the top.

Gordon Brown is no action man, he has a future job alright, signing on as disabled at the employment office and being told you are quite fit for work, go get a job, that's what we are going to be told so what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Exit from Iraq

I have just listened to part of the Gordon Brown speech to labour party activists. He is beyond belief! I am sure that when Hitler was in his bunker he was saying exactly the same. I am here to lead the country through difficult times! We can still win the victory which we so deserve. You are volunteers working for nothing.

What amazes me is that nobody any longer refers to cash for honours, loans made to the labour party, the court judgements which have found ballot fixing. Could it be that because these 'tools' are no longer available that parties which could rely on the votes are no longer getting them.

Is Gordon Brown so clearing up politics that labour will never have any power again? Were things actually far worse than anybody ever thought.

Another soldier killed in Afghanistan yet where were Gordons regrets.

Every day more shame, more disgrace, look at extraordinary rendition which Milliband had to admit to, look at torture in Guantalamo Bay, an American base in another foreign state, Cuba. What exactly are they doing in Cuba, surely measures must be taken to close the base. This is shameful and we are as complicit as anybody. Announce our complete withdrawal from Iraq, and do it now! We were always the problem and never the solution, there is evidence that since our retreat to the airbase thankfully very few soldiers have died. Proof if any was needed that so many soldiers and innocent civilians have died in vain.

My Suggestions

Every body seems to be saying in code there is no alternative to Gordon 'I feel your pain' Brown. I am not in pain, I am so sad that it has come to this!

What alternatives should there be.

Integrate Health with Social Services.

Give money for education directly to schools.

Abolish National Insurance.

Implement a flat rate tax, with nobody receiving less than £15,000 paying any tax.

Abolish all tax allowances.

Abolish Capital Gains Tax completely.

Treat all gains as taxable income.

Bring back Exchange Control.

My task is to stear the economy through these difficult times, this I promise I will do because I feel your pain.

Oh, and we can't afford the war in Afghanistan or the continued occupation of Iraq.

Harriet Harman

Another example of possible chicanery. Was there a recount, a waste of time and effort. But what happened there was a delay in the time it took to announce the result, a disastrous result. So, when was the result announced, too late for the English national papers to include the result and comments in their daily editions.

Oh, this cannot get any worse, or can it. As I have said before Brown must go but who will replace him. Oh, apparently we have a new Deputy PM, it is Harriet Harman. Should I book my flight to get out now? At least she isn't Scottish!

Great. Everything is great. No it isn't because we no longer live in Great Britain we live in Britain. We are not Great British we are British. A small point I know but the United Kingdom is finished, give me a referendum so that we can get freedom from Scotland, I want to be English.

Brown Out

What becomes obvious is the chicanery of this governmnet. An election held in haste just after parliament rises for the summer recess.

I will be listening with interest to any government spokesman/woman who will dare to face 'the team'.

'It is unfair to blame Gordon Brown' says Douglas Alexander. Is that not the problem! I do not blame anybody, what I do want the chance to do is to hold people to account. I personally think that my local MP is a failure, he does not represent me and I want the opportunity to vote him out. I am not alone.

Brown makes an announcement about troops in Iraq, when will he come onto our screens expressing regret about the recent death of another soldier. Does he not deserve to be mentioned in parliament or will Gordon the Brave wait until parliament reconvenes to read out a long list of the dead. How can this man take a holiday, who will run the country in his absence! The problem for Gordon, we can get on without you, you are not irreplaceable.

Go Gordon, go now please and put us and you out of our misery.

Brown out

There is even some significance in the SNP majority, 365 votes. A vote for every day of the year. Every day that we have to continue with the totally abject failure known as Gordon Brown.

I am no Johny come lately on this but surely every diehard labour party supporter knows that Gordon Brown lacks any legitimacy. He always has and he always will. He took over a result of a coup and he lacked the guts to face the electorate.

Gordon Alexander highlighted on the BBC the collective responsibility of government, accordingly all labour MPs are guilty. Guilty of accepting Gordon as PM.

For me it was and continues to be the war in Iraq which is the deciding issue. For others it may be the economy, or Europe, or the environmnet, or the problems of MPs pay and allowances, it is a combination of issues, the list is without end.

The war in Iraq was and is a disaster, we have lost and retreated to the airport. No amount of 'spin' can change that. No amount of wasted lives in foreign places can change that. Blair got us into it, Brown paid for it, and they should both be out, Blair is gone, but Brown remains, a stain which cannot be removed.

I have said before about our freedoms, about the use of injunctions to silence informed debate, and I hope that soon we all will be given the chance to get labour out of office. The trouble is what is on offer as an alternative?

This will now be judged the worst parliament, not only of the 21st century but also the previous one. The days of a UK parliament are nearing the end, the break-up of the United Kingdom will be in my life time. It is time for freedom for England. An English parliament now, 365 votes, a vote to remind Brown every day of his failure.

Lose your Money

I have a brilliant way of losing your capital.

Am I right in saying that if you purchase a Gilt Edged stock currently priced at £125 with a maturity date of 2015 then in 2015 the wonderful government will give you £100 guaranteed, no quibble!

Now I know that you will have received your six monthly income payment but for all the income you receive you will be guaranteed to lose £25 of your capital.

You will also have been taxed on your income at the appropriate rate of interest. You cannot of course offset your capital loss against any gains because gilts are exempt from any CGT?

So this is a ticking time bomb because too many inexperienced investors do not calculate the yield to redemption rather than the straight yield. Wonderful things governments who need to borrow money, they have to bid for your savings just like anybody else.

Peston Blog

A very good idea?

Why not reimpose Exchange Control for all countries, through the UN.

Am I right in saying that the Exchange Control Act was abolished by the new Tory government when they took over in 1979. Was there the 25% Dollar premium applied to any US shre holding. Banks also had to make monthly returns, whatever happened to all the administrators.

The ECA was brought in during a war and surely we are being told that we are in a war now, the war against terror. So, bring in a global Exchange Control Act.

Furthermore, let's have true transparency in the Stock Market. A list ought to be made available of all transactions, who is buying, who is selling, the number of shares bought sold, held, and any futures, options etc.

As for you Robert maybe we ought to be told when you were told something which you then report on and claim as an exclusive.

Who are they

#117. Nick Robinsons Newslog

Exactly what do you mean that 'they' had better have a look a look at TAG ie me.

Who exactly are they that you refer to. You ought to see the comments of mine which are moderated out. You do not have a clue.

What I would ask anybody to do is to try to find out what injunctions have been taken out this year by the MoD and their lawyers.

Not only against any individual but also against the media for reporting on some, let us say, interesting cases involving the wonderful, totally beyond any criticism, best in the world, Special Forces.

Now surely this cannot be moderated out, or can it!

Interesting or what

Soldiers of the Queen have always been able to take orders from foreign officers but they did not have to, that is the difference.

May I suggest that you investigate the role of the Australian SAS who have been operating in Iraq. They have to have an American with them so that they can say that the American has arrested or detained any prisoners because under Australian rules the 'prisoner' has to be followed throughout their period of arrest or detention to make sure that nothing illegal is done to the prisoner, for example something akin to torture like waterboarding.

As for the the woman reported on the Today programme being detained under the terrorism act, is this not proof of many of my comments relating to some of our freedoms being eroded. What sort of country have we become. No criticism of the armed forces allowed, national security being compromised and did anybody else not hear the appalling Balls comments to Parliament, blah blah blah don't want to compromise any future proceedings blah blah blah an absolute disgrace to the role of a supposed minister of state.

The other issue you may want to keep an eye on is the Abbott amendment to the Abortion laws extending them to Northern Ireland, let's see the DUP reaction to that one. Wonder what will happen to the 42 days detention.

Stock Lending

I was involved in setting up banking and investment systems in Central European countries in the early nineties and it became obvious to me that short selling shuld be made illegal.

This would reduce the income to pension funds who benefit by lending the stock who receive payment from the short sellers for lending the stock, even if it results in the share prices of the stocks they hold being reduced.

Therefore it is not the short selling it is the lending of stock to the short sellers which could be ended. The pension fund trustees can do this by simply not allowing their stock to be lent. Trusstee approval has to be given before this process is entered into. So, if you are going to achieve anything then stop this practice immediately.

There should also be an investigation into the Contracts for Difference, this is nothing short of gambling and must not be allowed.

I do know that the Inland Revenue does not look favouably on trading by pension funds and they should enforce trading rules with an iron fist.

Request for an Inquiry into Iraq

You are of course absolutely correct in your analysis. However, for as long as we have a world with countries and borders then I think you will agree that regime change is illegal. So is a war of aggression.

Iraq was not a threat to us, what I would say is that the problem was that the west was made to look impotent. Fance and Germany had substantial investment in Iraq, look at oil for food programme and wonder if there was any corruption.

We now know that Bush offered Blair a get out which he declined, for what reqason we do not know or understand. Surely he would have spoken to Brown or did Brown do one of his now famous Pimpernel acts, they seek him here they seek him there but that elusive Brown could not not be found. That is one of the major issues that I have with him, I personally think that Brown is well, gutless.

Our soldiers have been let down, not only by the politicians but also by their senior officers who seriously should have refused orders. The soldiers signed up to fight for their Queen and Country, not on behalf of a disastrous American foreign policy.

There must be an inquiry immediately. The inquiry into Bloody Sunday has still not reported but that should not be allowed to be used as an excuse for not holding an inquiry into the disaster in Iraq. I think you will find that this government has even had to change Military Law so that soldiers can no longer refuse to accept oders from officers of a different country to our own, I may be wrong but I don't think that I am.

email the PM

I thought I would let everybody know that on the 23rd June the PMs wonderful email the PM was 'temporarily suspended' for maintenance work. It is still not back up. It is not the email service that needs maintenance it is our war leader Brown.

You seriously could not make it up. Contact the PM with your opinions. As sson as we do down goes the site. He really ought to read your site Nick, he may learn the truth because as we all know 'The Truth is out here'

Give us a Republic

I have never felt so sad about the future for the people who inhabit these islands. The future does not look good so who would think that what these countries need is a Campaign for Freedom. The restoration of some freedoms we have lost and to give us freedoms which we have never had.

The monarchy is an anachronism and when the Queen eventually passes away then we must have a Republic. we can continue with the royalty for ceremonial purposes but we must have an elected President. We are nothing but a banana republic as it stands and there must be change.

Ooops have I suggested some sort of treason? If so then take me to the Tower.

Who runs this country

I wonder if we could have confirmation of the rumours circulating that our wonderful war leader did not allow a rescue operation by the SAS to go ahead in respect of the five hostages in Iraq.

It will not be a question of we do not remark on the operations of Special Forces because surely it would not breach NATIONAL SECURITY if we were told the truth. The operation did not take place! But was it planned but not enacted.

I personally despair of Gordon Brown. What is the point of him continuing as our Prime Minister. How can he say anything about any regime when I personally believe that he took over as a result of a coup and he has not come to the electorate. He lacks any legitimacy. This is not good enough!

He paid for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and I regard him as just as much a war criminal as any other tyrant.

No doubt this will be moderated out but we seriously must stop thinking of the SAS as special. A recent trial held in camera should be reported on. It is unacceptable for this so one sided reporting of our military to go ahead, what is the government afraid of, who runs this country, the government or the military.

Price of Fuel

With regard to the 2p fuel tax and the conservative proposals can I have some thoughts on this.

Let's say that people are paying over 110p for their fuel. It is even more but this is an example. So, that is the price when petrol is about $150 per barrel. So, when the price of a barrel falls to, let's say $100 per barrel and the price at the pump should be for arguments sake, 75p per barrel.

So, surely the government should put on taxes so that the price at the pump will be 110p per barrel. We seem to be 'willing' to pay 110p so in order to maintain the efforts to reduce petrol consumption we should pay this price, it will raise taxes but that is surely better than contributing to the profits of the petrol companies.

Oh, and please don't call me stupid for this idea because I think you will find it will be government policy before the blink of an eye, and you read it here first.

Equitable Life

I invested in Standard Life back in 1979, a thirty year Endowment Policy where I pay about £180 p.a. where the return is guaranteed to generate £13,000 to pay off a mortgage. A very fair return I hope you will agree.

I considered investing in Equitable Life but the returns were actually higher. Why would I not have invested in Equitable Life, because I thought that the returns were not realistic. I had a choice, same as all investors have. I will never agree that the taxpayer should compensate for every poor investment choice. Nobody was forced to invest.

Finally, if they had made excessive profit would they have complained. If somebody 'invests' in the stock market or financial products nobody says thet have made too much money. You cannot have it both ways!

Exeter Unitary Bid

Good grief. What an absolute shock. The Boundaries Committee agrees with T A Griffin of Salmon Pool Lane. How much has this fiasco actually cost. Can we now expect to see the Exeter City redundancies. How many people have been employed by the council to put forward the big plan. How can the Chief executive and other senior officers continue in their positions, they are untenable. They must resign, and resign now. They surely can no longer have the support of councillors after such a dramatic failure of policy.
400 hundred years of history was never a valid argument. Maybe we should also see the resignation of all those councillors who mistakenly supported these proposals.

Rivers of Blood

I thought personally that the actions of the speaker over the third question to Gordon Brown were indicative of how awful parliament has become.

I distinctly wanted to hear what Gordon Brown was going to say about Camerons 'allegations'. Let me say that Gordon was going to bring in the old red herring about proof. Where is your evidence!

Cash for honours, where is the evidence?

Loans to the labour party, where is sufficient evidence to bring a case?

Tony Blair, and the Eccelstone affair, I'm a straight sort of guy!

Robert Maxwell, ah his involvement in bringing the courts into play when any allegations were made.

The labour party and its financial problems!

The FSA and its acknowledged failures over Northern Rock!

Weapons of Mass Destruction!

The problems over extra-ordinary rendition, torture, the appalling loss of life, the oil for medicine project, the failure to act over Dafur, Burmah, Zimbabwe, Ahh...

We are seeing the end game, it is nearly all over, the world is ungovernable, parliament is beyond redemption, the Queen has ruled over a country in terminal decline, during her time on the throne we have lost an Empire and have got embroiled in a war we cannot win, Afghanistan and a war where there is blood on the hands of all of us, Iraq.

Please do not forget we are subjects of the Queen, soldiers sign an Oath of Allegiance, they defend Queen and Country. Where are they when we need them, Iraq and Afghanistan. It is time to bring the troops home to do what they are paid to do, defend the UK!

Could we say that Enoch Powell was right in one respect, the streets of London are now running with blood, the blood of our young people.

Surgeons

Please note that what you say is perfectly valid. However, there is a problem.

When working in the City a team of fund managers were responsible for the investment policy of a bank. The good performance was down to them. However, because they were good they were headhunted to other firms.

However, the original bank was still able to market themselves based on the performance of the now departed fund managers.

Surely the same problem applies to a brilliant surgical team at a hospital. They get expertise, they have built up a brilliant reputation and then, they are persuaded to go to another hospital. Do you follow the surgeons to their new hospital, which may well be in the USA, Australia or New Zealand.

Answers on a post card to Gordon Brown. He knows all about building up a good team.

The End of Lisbon

This surely must be the end of the whole process. When will the political elite acknowledge the end for the Treaty of Lisbon.

The problem is that Britain has ratified the Treaty and therefore will now say that what other countries do is irrelevent and we will go ahead with the project.

The die is cast. The people no longer know their place. They will eventually revolt. The whole process of government is being challenged and the truth will never go away. The game is over.