The BBC Radio 4 definition on 12.3.19: "The Backstop is the mechanism designed to fulfil the pledge made by the UK and the EU that the Irish border will remain open after Britain leaves. It will kick in if a trade agreement with Brussels was not reached at the end of the post Brexit transition period. It is contentious because it involves, in part, Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK temporarily remaining in a customs union with the EU."
Journalists, like Jeremy Vine, have described it as ensuring a "no wall between the ROI and NI. ... there must be no physical border. It leaves NI closer to the EU and the ROI than the UK."
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
Monday, 1 April 2019
Friday, 20 November 2015
Switzerland's values v UK/France/US values
Corbyn is NOT a warrior, NOT a warmonger. He does NOT believe in upping the violence to turn friends into enemies and, then, with more retaliation from our side, making even more ferocious enemies. Make the UK like Switzerland - famous for non aggression, for being revenge free and, with a first class rail network. What a fine example for us to follow, James, my friend! (James Morris, my MP)
Switzerland never attacked Egypt in what the UK, France and Israel called the 'Suez Crisis'.
Switzerland never ousted democratic Prime Minister Mosadeq in Iran.
Switzerland never ousted democratic Allende in Chile on another 9/11. This time, 1973.
Switzerland never ousted Saddam from Iraq in 2003 or the Taliban in 2001, only to find that the Taliban popped up again, al Qaeda was reinvigorated and Islamic State also rose like a phoenix out of the ashes of our own making in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
Switzerland did not remove Gaddafi from Libya to make things worse for the people there.
Switzerland is not part of the crusader ("if you are not for us you are against us" GW Bush) coalition of the willing to oust Bashar al Assad from Syria.
Non-aligned Switzerland does not get attacked, bombed and hated for killing our fellow humans 3,000 miles away.
Switzerland is morally strong on the world stage.
UK/France/US is militarily strong on the world stage.
Switzerland is morally strong on the world stage.
UK/France/US is militarily strong on the world stage.
Monday, 10 November 2014
UK Collusion in Gazan killings
from: thewallmustfall@riseup.net
*On trial: Anti-Nato protesters who demanded Barclays divest from the arms trade*
Barclays Bank will be back in the spotlight today at Newport Magistrates Court, when 4 activists stand trial on charges of aggravated trespass. The activists were arrested when they occupied the Newport branch of Barclays as part of the anti-NATO week of action organised by Stop NATO Cymru at the beginning of September. The trial is set to last for a day and a half. All defendants have plead not guilty to all charges
On Friday 5th September this year, scores of people occupied the bank on Newport high street. They held banners calling on Barclays to divest from the arms trade and to stop investing in Israel's war crimes.
The protest was part of a campaign, called for by Palestinians in Gaza,[1] aimed at persuading Barclays to pull its money out of Elbit Systems, Israel's largest military company which manufactures the unpiloted drones used to bomb Palestinians in Gaza.
During July and August 2014, 2,150 Palestinians were killed as Israel carried out another massacre of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza strip. Entire neighbourhoods were destroyed and mosques, market places, UN relief compounds and schools were deliberately targeted. There was no safe place for the 1.7 million people in Gaza to take shelter from the Israeli bombardment. Israeli drones, carried out over 800 major strikes.
Barclays has been condemned in recent years for its excessive use of tax havens, for creating a special 'tax avoidance division', for paying well below the nominal UK rate of corporation tax and manipulating the Libor rate. But this protest was more reminiscent of those which plagued Barclays through the 1970s and 1980s when the bank was heavily invested in apartheid South Africa.
The activists claim that Israel's drone programme is dependent on the investments of companies like Barclays. They called on customers and staff to boycott Barclays, just as anti apartheid campaigners did over
30 years ago.
The occupation of Barclays had been timed to coincide with the NATO summit. Elbit's drones are also used by NATO members. The company is part of a partnership manufacturing the Watchkeeper drone for use by the UK military.
*Campaigners will hold a demonstration outside Newport Magistrates Court on Monday morning in support of the defendant. The four defendants are due in court at 10am. *
For more details or to interview the defendants please email thewallmustfall@riseup.net or call07907385974.
*On trial: Anti-Nato protesters who demanded Barclays divest from the arms trade*
Barclays Bank will be back in the spotlight today at Newport Magistrates Court, when 4 activists stand trial on charges of aggravated trespass. The activists were arrested when they occupied the Newport branch of Barclays as part of the anti-NATO week of action organised by Stop NATO Cymru at the beginning of September. The trial is set to last for a day and a half. All defendants have plead not guilty to all charges
On Friday 5th September this year, scores of people occupied the bank on Newport high street. They held banners calling on Barclays to divest from the arms trade and to stop investing in Israel's war crimes.
The protest was part of a campaign, called for by Palestinians in Gaza,[1] aimed at persuading Barclays to pull its money out of Elbit Systems, Israel's largest military company which manufactures the unpiloted drones used to bomb Palestinians in Gaza.
During July and August 2014, 2,150 Palestinians were killed as Israel carried out another massacre of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza strip. Entire neighbourhoods were destroyed and mosques, market places, UN relief compounds and schools were deliberately targeted. There was no safe place for the 1.7 million people in Gaza to take shelter from the Israeli bombardment. Israeli drones, carried out over 800 major strikes.
Barclays has been condemned in recent years for its excessive use of tax havens, for creating a special 'tax avoidance division', for paying well below the nominal UK rate of corporation tax and manipulating the Libor rate. But this protest was more reminiscent of those which plagued Barclays through the 1970s and 1980s when the bank was heavily invested in apartheid South Africa.
The activists claim that Israel's drone programme is dependent on the investments of companies like Barclays. They called on customers and staff to boycott Barclays, just as anti apartheid campaigners did over
30 years ago.
The occupation of Barclays had been timed to coincide with the NATO summit. Elbit's drones are also used by NATO members. The company is part of a partnership manufacturing the Watchkeeper drone for use by the UK military.
*Campaigners will hold a demonstration outside Newport Magistrates Court on Monday morning in support of the defendant. The four defendants are due in court at 10am. *
For more details or to interview the defendants please email thewallmustfall@riseup.net or call07907385974.
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
Believe the Bible, act militarily and get most of the ME for yourself. Simple!
The Bible says in Joshua ch1 v4 that Yahweh gave the land from the Mediterranean to the Tigris and Euphrates; from the cedars of Lebanon to the deserts of Sinai - ALL to Israel.
Should there not be another smart, quick, 6 Day War to claim this territory, as well? After all, Israel/USA/UK is the biggest military alliance and power bloc in the world. WE rule the world. And, we have three lots of magical nuclear weapons to use, too. Just nuke the nations that get in our way. How could we possibly lose?
Truly believe the Bible, claim its promises and get blessed with more land and oil fields and untold riches!
Should there not be another smart, quick, 6 Day War to claim this territory, as well? After all, Israel/USA/UK is the biggest military alliance and power bloc in the world. WE rule the world. And, we have three lots of magical nuclear weapons to use, too. Just nuke the nations that get in our way. How could we possibly lose?
Truly believe the Bible, claim its promises and get blessed with more land and oil fields and untold riches!
- Unfortunate proof that this one, like fanatics of any persuasion, has left his sanity and humanity behind.
- There are some problems with your suggestion, Tim.Firstly, a country should only go to war as last resort, when diplomacy has failed and all other options are closed and the country’s freedom and survival is at stake. It is easy to bang the war drum, especially for politicians who don’t have to do the fighting. Short war or long war, people die and get hurt in war, as any soldier knows. Before the UK went into Afghan, a Scottish MP reckoned we might go in and out of Afghan “without a shot being fired”. At the time I said to myself, Is this idiot for real? Has he not studied the history of that country? Would he be so eager if he had to be the first onto the battlefield? Has he got a clear objective and does he understand the nature of the people we would be dealing with?Secondly, it is still the Wests’s policy that they will never be the first to instigate a nuclear attack. Our “nukes” are a deterrent, only to be deployed in self defence. Fortunately we control our nuclear arsenal responsibly. The principle of mutually assured destruction kept us from the brink during the Cold War. Even the Communist leaders were not that crazy. However if Iran gets nuclear weapons is there any doubt that the fanatically religious ayatollahs would use them – definately against Israel, and very probably against the USA, for starters?Thirdly, the likelihood of a joint tripartite military operation between the USA/UK/Israel is pretty low, if not non-existant. Despite his public assertions Obama does not “have Israel’s back”. He has lied consistently to US citizens over many scandals, he has purged the US military of senior officers who do not toe his political line, and he has supported the Muslim Brotherhood & other jihadist groups since day one of taking office. In fact, if you go back to the Suez Crisis in 1956, the Israeli/UK /France operation was scuppered by the US, who forced them to withdraw.When the Yom Kippur War broke out in 1973 the UK immediately froze all ammunition and spare parts deliveries for Israel’s tanks, which then were mostly British second hand Centurion tanks, at precisely the moment when they would be needed. That vulnerability was the catalyst for General Tal to be given the project to develop Israel’s own MBT, the Merkava. In the long Israel can only count on itself.Israel would get lip service for a military operation from the US & UK politicians but probably not much else. Robert Spencer & Pamela Geller, who are human rights champions, were banned from the UK not because their presence “would not be conducive to the public good” as Theresa May claimed in her banning letter, but as it turns out from Foreign & Commonwealth Office documents released to them for their legal appeal against the ban, because they were too supportive of Israel.War is sometimes a necessary evil, but there is always a price to be paid and we should never glibly propose it if we are not the ones who would have to fight it.
- Tim Weller, dare I hope you are being sarcastic?
- You’re absolutely right about Joshua. Your enemy reads the Torah, too. That’s one of the reasons they want to kill all of you, so their will not be a second party to that covenant.
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Who has done the most subjugating?
Mr/s B Parsons believes that the EU is subjugating the UK. We entered into it voluntarily after a referendum and send representatives to its Parliament every five years.
Over hundreds of years, the UK acquired domination and control over fifty countries by force of arms and kept them subjugated by military power. We also controlled all the major sea lanes of the world.
All this set a very bad example to Germany that was very late in the game of conquering or claiming nations to build an empire. Yet, remarkably, those fifty countries still fought for us to stop Germany taking our world control off us in 1914 and 1939 (better the devil you know than the devil you don't know). To this day, the US/UK, with NATO, remain as the world's dominant power bloc. Germany is the dominant partner in the EU and Angela Merkel of Germany is the highly respected senior partner in the EU - but, by constraint and not coercion.
Over hundreds of years, the UK acquired domination and control over fifty countries by force of arms and kept them subjugated by military power. We also controlled all the major sea lanes of the world.
All this set a very bad example to Germany that was very late in the game of conquering or claiming nations to build an empire. Yet, remarkably, those fifty countries still fought for us to stop Germany taking our world control off us in 1914 and 1939 (better the devil you know than the devil you don't know). To this day, the US/UK, with NATO, remain as the world's dominant power bloc. Germany is the dominant partner in the EU and Angela Merkel of Germany is the highly respected senior partner in the EU - but, by constraint and not coercion.
Sunday, 28 October 2012
The problem of Israel - an outpost of the loathed USA
The problems that I have with Israel are these:
As last night's film showed, it is a mirror copy of the West, in particular the USA from whom it gets so much funding and enthusiastic support from the powerful Israeli lobby in the corridors of power. There are many US companies in tiny Israel. I feel the UK is the 51st state of the US and Israel is the 52nd. Both countries are swift to carry out the wishes of
the USA in the Middle East. As a result, both the UK and Israel incur the wrath of the vast majority of the populations of the Middle East who are horrified by the West's and Israel's attack, invasion and occupation of first Afghanistan from 7 October 2001 and then Iraq from the 19 March 2003. I include Israel with the West and NATO because, as I say, it looks and feels like a very powerful Western nation. They even speak the most impeccable English, too!
While Israel continues, by its own tragic admission in last night's film, to be "surrounded by enemies", it is a failed state. It can make the desert bloom but it cannot turn enemies into friends. It cannot turn the victim mentality of the Palestinians into bosom buddies. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" is beyond its comprehension. It simply takes yet more land in the West Bank for itself, feeling that is fair enough when it gave up Gaza. But that was without the agreement of any Palestinian. And what was left behind was razed to the ground to prevent the hated Palestinians from benefiting in any way!
In addition, the abysmal track record of who does the most killings puts Israel at the top of the league. Its might is right, shoot first ask questions later tactic means it simply ratchets up the loathing. The occasional extra-judicial killings by Mosad don't exactly help, either. Those of us who want to be proud of Israel, continue to observe their answer of aggression to every problem, in utter amazement at such a foolish and counter-productive policy. For them, it is always war, war and never jaw, jaw. Lots of military aggression against the Lebanese and Palestinians but not lots of talking or acts of sacrificial giving or sharing of the land. Now, threats against Iran to wipe their nuclear installations off the face of the earth. No balance of terror is allowed by Israel; only they are allowed to place Iran and Syria under the threat of nuclear annihilation, with the blessing of the USA. All their wars have got them absolutely nowhere. It has not given them the peace and security that other Western nations enjoy. Israel and the West are not respected by so many in the Arab world.
Yet, knowing all of this, many evangelical Christians look upon Israel as the apple of God's eye. It doesn't say much for God!
As last night's film showed, it is a mirror copy of the West, in particular the USA from whom it gets so much funding and enthusiastic support from the powerful Israeli lobby in the corridors of power. There are many US companies in tiny Israel. I feel the UK is the 51st state of the US and Israel is the 52nd. Both countries are swift to carry out the wishes of
the USA in the Middle East. As a result, both the UK and Israel incur the wrath of the vast majority of the populations of the Middle East who are horrified by the West's and Israel's attack, invasion and occupation of first Afghanistan from 7 October 2001 and then Iraq from the 19 March 2003. I include Israel with the West and NATO because, as I say, it looks and feels like a very powerful Western nation. They even speak the most impeccable English, too!
While Israel continues, by its own tragic admission in last night's film, to be "surrounded by enemies", it is a failed state. It can make the desert bloom but it cannot turn enemies into friends. It cannot turn the victim mentality of the Palestinians into bosom buddies. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" is beyond its comprehension. It simply takes yet more land in the West Bank for itself, feeling that is fair enough when it gave up Gaza. But that was without the agreement of any Palestinian. And what was left behind was razed to the ground to prevent the hated Palestinians from benefiting in any way!
In addition, the abysmal track record of who does the most killings puts Israel at the top of the league. Its might is right, shoot first ask questions later tactic means it simply ratchets up the loathing. The occasional extra-judicial killings by Mosad don't exactly help, either. Those of us who want to be proud of Israel, continue to observe their answer of aggression to every problem, in utter amazement at such a foolish and counter-productive policy. For them, it is always war, war and never jaw, jaw. Lots of military aggression against the Lebanese and Palestinians but not lots of talking or acts of sacrificial giving or sharing of the land. Now, threats against Iran to wipe their nuclear installations off the face of the earth. No balance of terror is allowed by Israel; only they are allowed to place Iran and Syria under the threat of nuclear annihilation, with the blessing of the USA. All their wars have got them absolutely nowhere. It has not given them the peace and security that other Western nations enjoy. Israel and the West are not respected by so many in the Arab world.
Yet, knowing all of this, many evangelical Christians look upon Israel as the apple of God's eye. It doesn't say much for God!
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Continuous at-sea deterrent
" ... can my right hon. Friend confirm the absolute centrality in his thinking of the fact that we need to maintain a continuous at-sea deterrent?" James Morris MP
" Dr Fox: I have absolutely no problem in agreeing with my hon. Friend about the importance of continuous at-sea deterrence." Secretary of State for Defence
Our continuous at-sea deterrent, the Trident submarine, is essential for a great superpower and sea power that we always have been and always will be. We only, in the last fifty years, graciously and generously gave away the biggest and longest lasting empire in the history of the world and, therefore, we need to continue to punch above our weight.
The UK is as important as the US, of course and, as they have a continuous at-sea deterrent, so must we. We are the unofficial 51st state of the USA, we have a special relationship with them that means what they do we must do. Our big friend always knows best and we must continue to follow where they lead. We can't have some well-meaning types saying that we should think for ourselves and be independent of the USA.
In addition, of course, our continuous at-sea deterrent has prevented war and attacks on our land since the 2nd World War. Our continuous at-sea deterrent impresses our enemies like al Qaeda and the Taliban and shows them what a rich and muscle flexing and aggressive nation we are. We deserve to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council, for ever - thanks to our power and might in the world, reinforced by our continuous at-sea deterrent.
After all, we can't have the UK becoming like Norway that is notorious for its diplomacy and peace-mongering in attempting to settle the wars between Israel and Palestine and the recently ended violence in Sri Lanka.
Saturday, 12 July 2008
The religious and political right is invariably wrong, hypocritical and inflamatory!
Our right wing governments and electorates love to assume that we are going to be attacked at any time. We love to have enemies, too. Both help to justify our armaments, our aggression and our attacks. Tough, hard, bellicose stances by our leaders always attract the love of the electorate and their votes. Our most outstanding post-war prime ministers have been our great war leaders, Churchill, Thatcher and Blair. Eden is discredited. His right wing Conservative Party Cabinet who, with France and Israel attacked Egypt, failed to get the agreement and support of the USA and so lost the war.
For 63 years, the right in the US/UK/Israel first invented and used, and then maintained the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world. The right wing democracies soon made the Bomb too destructive to be of any practical use. Yet, even so, our side came the nearest to using them in 1962 after our side provocatively put Jupiter missiles in Turkey near the border with the Soviet Union - our number one enemy. The political and religious right wingers worked hard to persuade Kennedy to use nuclear weapons - for a second occasion being the first to use them. A more right wing, Republican president, might not have resisted their demands to nuke the evil, Communist Russians.
Our side has always been the most bellicose in word and deed in attacking countries with Communist rulers or, governments with militant, Islamic tendencies that refuse to behave like we do in the world. Well, when you have all earthly power, of course might is right and you have a duty under God to make other nations as blessed and democratic and as Christian as yours!
Our side has tried hard to make more user friendly battlefield nuclear weapons that could be of practical use in our wars around the world. We have always made the running in finding new ways to spend our one-off wealth on ever more sophisticated and wonderful conventional and nuclear weapon systems, eg Polaris to make us independent of the US, Cruise missiles, star wars, renewing Trident - and all when the US is our best and closest buddy; and, the only country with whom we have a special relationship.
We don't believe in balance - only imbalance in favour of the US, UK, Israel! The other side gets it in the neck from our invasions, attacks and occupations if the other side, our enemy, try and correct the imbalance to make for less aggression by our side. Our behaviour around the world in attacking countries without nuclear weapons, sends the powerful signal to them that they must have the Bomb to prevent them from being attacked - and attacked by us; us who are always right and righteous and well intentioned and always know what is best for everyone else!
Our right wing electorates in the world's super-power bloc, love hard, tough, warring leaders to throw their weight about and to command the love and respect of the electorate. Democracy means war, aggression and war crimes - even from 1945 - by the great, outstanding and upstanding democracies! Right is wrong - for both our right wing political leaders and the right wing Christians who are right in there, whispering encouragements in their ears.
For 63 years, the right in the US/UK/Israel first invented and used, and then maintained the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world. The right wing democracies soon made the Bomb too destructive to be of any practical use. Yet, even so, our side came the nearest to using them in 1962 after our side provocatively put Jupiter missiles in Turkey near the border with the Soviet Union - our number one enemy. The political and religious right wingers worked hard to persuade Kennedy to use nuclear weapons - for a second occasion being the first to use them. A more right wing, Republican president, might not have resisted their demands to nuke the evil, Communist Russians.
Our side has always been the most bellicose in word and deed in attacking countries with Communist rulers or, governments with militant, Islamic tendencies that refuse to behave like we do in the world. Well, when you have all earthly power, of course might is right and you have a duty under God to make other nations as blessed and democratic and as Christian as yours!
Our side has tried hard to make more user friendly battlefield nuclear weapons that could be of practical use in our wars around the world. We have always made the running in finding new ways to spend our one-off wealth on ever more sophisticated and wonderful conventional and nuclear weapon systems, eg Polaris to make us independent of the US, Cruise missiles, star wars, renewing Trident - and all when the US is our best and closest buddy; and, the only country with whom we have a special relationship.
We don't believe in balance - only imbalance in favour of the US, UK, Israel! The other side gets it in the neck from our invasions, attacks and occupations if the other side, our enemy, try and correct the imbalance to make for less aggression by our side. Our behaviour around the world in attacking countries without nuclear weapons, sends the powerful signal to them that they must have the Bomb to prevent them from being attacked - and attacked by us; us who are always right and righteous and well intentioned and always know what is best for everyone else!
Our right wing electorates in the world's super-power bloc, love hard, tough, warring leaders to throw their weight about and to command the love and respect of the electorate. Democracy means war, aggression and war crimes - even from 1945 - by the great, outstanding and upstanding democracies! Right is wrong - for both our right wing political leaders and the right wing Christians who are right in there, whispering encouragements in their ears.
Might is right for the right, who are always right and blessed of the Lord. They are the righteous of the Lord, after all!
Thursday, 8 May 2008
9/11 - Tutu called it a criminal act
'Time' magazine wrote: "If you want to humble an empire it makes sense to maim its cathedrals. They are symbols of its faith ... The Twin Towers and the Pentagon ... are the sanctuaries of money and power that our enemies may imagine define us. But that assumes our faith rests on what we can buy and build, and that has never been America's true God."
However, I think it is what a nation does and not its spiritual or Christian faith beliefs that defines it and that it is judged by. "By their (rich) fruits shall ye know them", declared the Lord and Master of a higher proportion of Americans than any other nation. Riches for the richest nation on earth is contrary to the teaching and practice of their Lord and Master, who had no permanent home but was an itinerant preacher. Riches that have come from an abundance of its own natural resources, certainly but also by decades of running the world's structures and systems for its own material and military advantage.
It is richly ironic that for the nation that is fullest with the Lord's disciples should be the most powerful economically and militarily. This is completely contrary to the life and teaching of the Man for Others, the Servant of all and who came into Jerusalem for the last time not on a war horse but, non-violently, on a donkey.
America's true God is not the God, Jesus, of the Sermon on the Mount and who told the disciple Peter to put away his sword. It is, in fact, the wealth and vast military power that enables it to show that might is right on the world stage by keeping the weak and powerless, like Jesus, well under its dictatorial thumb.
The Anglo/American/Israeli hegemony is well and truly in charge. Indeed, Israel is the regional super-power and is funded by the devout US. Yet, the Jew who was the founder of America's Christian faith rejected the Devil's offer to give him all the kingdoms of the world if only he were to bow down to him. The most devout nation on earth, with its closest allies - the UK and Israel - has warmly embraced that offer! It has fallen at the feet of the devil. It is a fallen nation. Its crimes of aggression that come out of its empire, its imperialistic nature, its colonial ways, invite a similar response from the victims of its false God of money and power. For America's victims, revenge is so, so sweet.
However, I think it is what a nation does and not its spiritual or Christian faith beliefs that defines it and that it is judged by. "By their (rich) fruits shall ye know them", declared the Lord and Master of a higher proportion of Americans than any other nation. Riches for the richest nation on earth is contrary to the teaching and practice of their Lord and Master, who had no permanent home but was an itinerant preacher. Riches that have come from an abundance of its own natural resources, certainly but also by decades of running the world's structures and systems for its own material and military advantage.
It is richly ironic that for the nation that is fullest with the Lord's disciples should be the most powerful economically and militarily. This is completely contrary to the life and teaching of the Man for Others, the Servant of all and who came into Jerusalem for the last time not on a war horse but, non-violently, on a donkey.
America's true God is not the God, Jesus, of the Sermon on the Mount and who told the disciple Peter to put away his sword. It is, in fact, the wealth and vast military power that enables it to show that might is right on the world stage by keeping the weak and powerless, like Jesus, well under its dictatorial thumb.
The Anglo/American/Israeli hegemony is well and truly in charge. Indeed, Israel is the regional super-power and is funded by the devout US. Yet, the Jew who was the founder of America's Christian faith rejected the Devil's offer to give him all the kingdoms of the world if only he were to bow down to him. The most devout nation on earth, with its closest allies - the UK and Israel - has warmly embraced that offer! It has fallen at the feet of the devil. It is a fallen nation. Its crimes of aggression that come out of its empire, its imperialistic nature, its colonial ways, invite a similar response from the victims of its false God of money and power. For America's victims, revenge is so, so sweet.
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