Monday, 23 Mar, 2009
presents Newsnight tonight.
Our Economics Editor Paul Mason begins his tour of countries formerly behind the Iron Curtain in Latvia tonight. There the end of easy credit and a housing boom has left the emerging middle class high and dry. Eastern Europe faces a slump on the scale of the 1930s as the newly emerging market economies wither under the onslaught that stronger countries can for the time being still weather. But what happens in the Eastern bloc could actually have an impact on all of us. Find out how tonight - and follow Paul's progress through Latvia, Ukraine and Slovakia on his blog.
Back in the UK, Ken Clarke waded in over the weekend to say that the all-important Tory Inheritance Tax promise was no more than an aspiration, political code among the cynical for 'we probably aren't going to do it after all'. The firmly in the next election manifesto and would be honoured come what may. End of story?
Well perhaps not. As the bill for the economic rescue packages mount, there's a growing political acceptance on all sides that high taxes or austerity will be required once the current crisis is over in order to balance the books. Our Political Editor Michael Crick reports on what that means for the next election campaign if no-one can convincingly promise anything but a long miserable slog out of recession.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury Secretary today announced his latest . Put simply that means that a whole lot of those sub-prime mortgages that kicked off the credit crunch in the first place will soon be sealed in concrete and buried deep under ground for a thousand years. And thus set free, the banks will start lending again. It all sounds good but will it work? And, perhaps just as importantly, will the Obama presidency stand or fall on how effective the plan is in rejuvenating the US economy?
All that and IPL cricket too. That's Newsnight at 10:30 on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳2.
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Mar 2009, JunkkMale wrote:When I were a lad, working in advertising, we had a contingency with the media for all our airline clients, that meant that when a tragic air accident took place, any ads featuring planes were pulled.
We also tried to avoid ads (even less easy in these more price volatile times) that used words like 'crash'.
Purely commercial, with a bit of PR sensitivity thrown in.
So I have to say that, on today of all days, I did rather wonder at the mindset of those who figured a small aircraft visual AND the word crash were appropriate.
Unique.
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:and
Did Monty Slater appreciate the fine print do you think? How 'naieve' can the public be?"
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Comment number 3.
At 23rd Mar 2009, dennisjunior1 wrote:Ian (Jeremy)
End of story?
No....It is not the end of the story regarding the "campaign" for the Tory Party in the United Kingdom....
~Dennis Junior~
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Comment number 4.
At 23rd Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:MP EXPENSES CASE
This is yet anotter example of where legality will prevail over venality I suspect. McNulty will no doubt have been advised that this perk is something which was acceptable in the boom days, but that now that those days have gone, whilst still legal, it's politically unacceptable. Yet another instance of the tide going out leaving some exposed who are probably no worse offenders than their peers?
What it highlights is just how far we've come in a venal game where one has to appreciate (or, more likely, financially afford/have free access to) the finer verbal points of the law to benefit. Any which has managed to eugenically breed for more feminised, higher mean verbal, ability, will do well in such a culture no doubt. Equality has nothing to do with it.
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Comment number 5.
At 23rd Mar 2009, MrUnstoppableOne wrote:In reference to the bailouts, the US Treasury and Obama:
Nope the investments and neutralizing won't work. They just dropped a enormous bailout plan that absolutely did nothing for the common folk or the nation as a whole. As we have seen the same results across the globe with these bailouts and pumping money into a system that is corrupted or broke.
Investment alone will not work! What’s needed is a gradual change of the social consciousness, making it planetary, global, and integral. Arranging ourselves to be connected properly in a mutual way and reciprocal way of altruistic connection like one global village is vital.
This global crisis has revealed to us that we are interconnected and interdependent like cells in a body we call humanity. One global village. To the point of the butterfly effect.
The moment has come when we start studying what is the global integral world that the world is shifted to in our generation, what is the connection between us, and we start to understand everyone is a guarantor for the other today. The moment we start going in this direction the world will get better because we will already been in line with Nature's general law.
Currently our egoistic connections in humanity are in imbalance with the law of Nature which is altruistic. Where all parts work not for themselves but for the well being of the whole. This isn't utopia, this is the law of Nature. And we must come in balance with it. Simply said our good future depends on us correcting our egoistic connections in humanity or the global crisis will expand to other areas of our life and worsen.
We need a global solution to fix this problem. Today, however, it is very unlikely that Obama’s advisers are ready to hear about the laws of Nature. Apparently, the world must suffer several more blows in order to hear the truth. Hence all those who hope for positive changes behind these various shifts of money have failed expectations ahead of them! Obama's presidency standing or falling depends on him along with others starting a global reconstruction of people’s perception of the world.
The situation in the world can only be improved by studying the essence of the global world and educating all of humanity about a new attitude to the world - the world as one whole. If we create a system of global education about the global world, then the whole world will immediately feel that it is congruent to the general law of Nature and everyone’s hopes will come true!
We have to pay attention to a completely different direction. To our attitudes and our connections. Everything depends on the right connection between people. Once the change starts there everything will fall in line. Its us that corrupts our social systems and not that the systems need changing. We do.
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Comment number 6.
At 23rd Mar 2009, David Mercer wrote:The Tory's £1million pound hike in the inheritance tax limit was always a potential petard (as in 'hoist by'). For married couples it was worth £2million and as such a millionaires' charter. The much delayed response by Darling was that the existing limit for couples was £600,000; ample for even the most affluent middle class.
The disaster then for Labour was that Brown panicked. His reputation for steadiness was destroyed overnight.
Now the boot is on the other foot. The arguments are still the same, will the Tories favour millionaires or us, but this time it is the Tories who are panicking. It will be interesting to see where the fall-out lands this time!
Looking more widely, the media seem to pessimistically assume that there is only a dosnside to what is happening; and it has to be admitted that the short term looks pretty gloomy.
But the shock to the systems offers an invaluable opportunity to change our economic futures for the better. Even at the most pragmatic level there is a chance, if governments buy the toxic asstes at the correct (heavily discounted) prices, that we will see them make a profit: allowing a long overdue substantial redistibution of wealth!
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Comment number 7.
At 23rd Mar 2009, ecolizzy wrote:And why Newsnight are you discussing Latvias economic problems, and ignoring our own home grown ones?
And I quote...
"For example between the first quarter of 2005 and the last quarter of 2008 the number of UK born, aged 16 and over, in employment fell by about 230,000 while the foreign born increased by nearly one million"
From the latest research by Migrationwatch...
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Comment number 8.
At 23rd Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:Nice enough man, commanding, and credible, but given his entourage and campaign team, is he a placed product whose job it is to pacify/placate those who were lulled into the sub-prime scam in the first place, and do they appreciate that they will be paying in the long run (or at least, their kids will be)?
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Comment number 9.
At 23rd Mar 2009, tawse57 wrote:If these free-loading fat-cats (No, not bankers but MPs) actually had to commute for an hour in their car or on public transport, and pay the costs themselves, then they would realise the hassle, stress and cost that tens of millions of us suffer each and every day.
I doubt they would last one commute yet alone doing it twice a day five days a week for, well, the rest of their working lives. Perhaps then they would do something about our shoddy transport network. I doubt it.
Saying that these MPs work long hours as some kind of justification for, in McNulty's case, 60K of Public money is just an insult to the millions of us who work long hours and then have to drive congested roads home or, worse, travel on buses and trains late at night only to get home exhausted, get a few hours sleep and then begin the process all over again.
Labour is no different now to the last months of the Major Government when the Public were tried and angry with all their snouts in the troughs. George Orwell was so right - perhaps a statue of him on the vacant Traflagar Square plinth would be a reminder to politicians, of all colours, that eventually the ballot box becomes a politician's slaughter-house!
Speaking of snouts in troughts - watching the TV footage from the US of US Citizens seeking out and protesting outside the homes of AIG execs who have taken huge bonuses is fascinating. What a 'wonderful' democracy the US is - can you imagine the reaction of Brown and Mr. Plod if a few hundred of just began protesting outside Fred's house demanding he gave the money back?
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Comment number 10.
At 23rd Mar 2009, crystalmasters wrote:Fairy Tales Do Come True!
Ok,Jeremy- its time to 'fess up
I caused the credit crunch
-check the blog-
myspace.com/crystalmasters
crystal x
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Comment number 11.
At 23rd Mar 2009, barriesingleton wrote:ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE (#8)
"Nice enough man, commanding, and credible" (Sounds like Tony.)
Blair was (is) an actor. He was (is) an actor playing Tony Blair: good Christian man, communicator and statesman. The actor HIMSELF I will not describe - I don't need to, and the Blogdog is over-fed anyway.
Obama is frighteningly like Blair. Another guy with troubled beginnings, hence a gnawing need for status and adulation, who has taken to the stage. The script said 'play it cool' so Obama laughed and joked - actors are not that bright you know; they only ACT bright. It was the same with Tony. They share the ability to make empty rhetoric sound like cogent argument (print in out and read) and are both cursed with charisma.
Does Obama know he is acting, or has he fooled himself too? From time to time Tony was unable to avoid the truth - it showed in his face and demeanour. Watch the man. Perhaps Steve Croft (JJ link) marked a beginning.
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Comment number 12.
At 24th Mar 2009, doctormisswest wrote:"Everything depends on the right connection between people."
as in ..."I really like..."; "h/she's rearlly NICE"
simply in-group/out-group by another name, my friend
the truth is that to create a global culture of peace and unified identity, albeit within a glorious celebration of natural diversity, will take millenia - so it is more logical to focus on sorting out what it is to be a nation within a global economy before embarking on 'the global village'. letting thousands of criminals enter the country ie. people who believe they have a right to take up residence regardless of legislation saying otherwise, is not an effective way to build a future on trust
no. 9 - that's more like the truth! it's time we started regulating work conditions - I can see two externalities in my current role that mean society basically subsidises corporations - necessary pre-clocking on preparations - why are these in unpaid time? and low wages - parents have to foot the bill for housing (for those still able to live at home) as wages don't cover the cost of it! but for some reason, remuneration at the top end, which is several hundred times that at the bottom end, is deemed fair
"But the shock to the systems offers an invaluable opportunity to change our economic futures for the better. Even at the most pragmatic level there is a chance, if governments buy the toxic asstes at the correct (heavily discounted) prices, that we will see them make a profit: allowing a long overdue substantial redistibution of wealth!"
more pie in the sky - in reality, property is being bought up by people from other nations - whilst the government could have taken the logical step to buy up repossessions and restore much needed council/social housing, instead it bought bank debts that will remain just that, debts, for decades to come, and at the same time has allowed properties to go on the global market for a song. net result - those who built this country on prudence have subsidised, through lost interest, the wholesale purchase of the UK by foreign capitalists who have not the least intention of living in a 'global village' but rather wish to build dynasties out of their family funds.
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Comment number 13.
At 24th Mar 2009, Mistress76uk wrote:Absolutely brilliant Jeremy - my favourites were on with him tonight - Irwin Stelzer/Michael C/ Danny Finkelstein & my favourite sport - cricket too! Poor Paul got carted off to Riga - the worst hit EU country in the Credit Crunch. :p
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Comment number 14.
At 24th Mar 2009, JunkkMale wrote:1. At 6:10pm on 23 Mar 2009, JunkkMale
A little intrigued as to which set of rules require moderation to be awaited this long, especially when all I was doing was commenting on the tastefulness of the graphic design and text in light of airborne events yesterday.
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Comment number 15.
At 24th Mar 2009, barriesingleton wrote:THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A LITTLE LONGER (#12)
Isn't the Silverback Gorilla 'paid' many times more than the downtrodden, omega-male, destined to live a short life of sickness and misery?
While we assume we are anything more than capriciously modified animals, I don't see any number of millennia putting us right.
There is, in man's innate inquisitiveness, the seeds of his downfall. We are born embryonic and live as children. Hence, 'clever' will always be more enticing than wise. (You only have to listen to supposed adults debating the deliberate intake of ethyl alcohol.) In between drinking bouts, we are clevering ourselves to extinction.
Only some Quetzalcoatl from the skies, could turn mankind into something approaching worthwhile. Till then we shall remain (to misquote 'The Guide') "Mostly Harmful."
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Comment number 16.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:doctorisswest (#12) "in reality, property is being bought up by people from other nations - whilst the government could have taken the logical step to buy up repossessions and restore much needed council/social housing, instead it bought bank debts that will remain just that, debts, for decades to come, and at the same time has allowed properties to go on the global market for a song."
A good way to break up Britain in pursuit of the , don't you think? ;-)
Oddly, the PRC, N Korea and CIS/SCO states are not members of the SI.......In fact, it appears they may be still at odds with NATO.
They don't like Trots.
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Comment number 17.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:doctorisswest (#12) "in reality, property is being bought up by people from other nations - whilst the government could have taken the logical step to buy up repossessions and restore much needed council/social housing, instead it bought bank debts that will remain just that, debts, for decades to come, and at the same time has allowed properties to go on the global market for a song."
It's a good way fo them to break up Britain in pursuit of the , don't you think? ;-)
Oddly, the PRC, N Korea and CIS/SCO states are not members of the SI.......
In fact, it appears they may be still at odds with NATO.
They don't like Trots. Like Stalin, they think they are always up to no collective good.
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Comment number 18.
At 24th Mar 2009, thegangofone wrote:#17 JadedJean
Stalin probably thoroughly enjoyed having the Nazis shot as they retreated from Stalingrad having murdered millions of the "inferior" Slavs and Jews. Then he had a lot of the heroes who defeated the Nazis shot later.
Meanwhile Hitler had plenty of his own people shot for failing and retreating.
Not a lot of loyalty amongst the comrades.
Seems the Nazi notion of racial purity did not live up to reality.
As for Trots for you people just about anybody is a Trot, particularly those who "paint Hitler as darkly as possible for party political reasons".
But I am sure if you stick to mentioning Hitler a lot, stress your race "realism" and your love of planned economies, your confusion about the Holocaust and the desirability of eugenics to you you will attract psychopaths who don't really care who they shoot.
Perhaps thats why the Twickenham Green murderer; the Baby P batterer , the paedophile wannabe nail bomber and the great wannabe Lowestoft "SS" train station bomber all offended within a year or so.
Very sad people with more than a hint of failure in their outlook.
Do you think Nick Griffin is a bit of a Trot?
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Comment number 19.
At 24th Mar 2009, thegangofone wrote:#7 ecolizzy
"And why Newsnight are you discussing Latvias economic problems, and ignoring our own home grown ones?"
Because Eastern Europe's economic problems could severely impact Britain later, duh!
Do people who accept the tosh of the far right have to have a ceremonial lobotomy or do they go for Pavlovian shock treatments?
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Comment number 20.
At 24th Mar 2009, thegangofone wrote:The goose steppers are so out of time that they could almost save us the trouble and create a link to some Lord Haw Haw recording.
Its all rather like the needle got stuck anyway.
Then everybody is happy as if I recall correctly (can't be bothered to look it up for the sake of the goose steppers) he was hung as a traitor.
Anyway when the supposed revolution comes 99.9% of the population will be classified as "Trots" and dealt with.
Heck of an election strategy.
By the way I wonder if the far right will start genetically screening members for racial purity.
Wonder what happens if they are found not to be pure?
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Comment number 21.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:thegangofone (#18)
"Stalin probably ..."
"Seems the ..."
"for you people just about..."
"Perhaps thats why ..."
I don't take what you write very seriously because it's littered with invective, speculation, irrational connections, and generally reads like the rants of an ill-educated, disturbed adolescent.
In time, moderators will treat it the same way I suspect. In the meantime, I guess it serves as an illustration of what's wrong in our culture.
I, and others have tried to provide helpful, critical feedback, evidently to no avail.
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Comment number 22.
At 24th Mar 2009, bookhimdano wrote:shh don't mention israeli crimes in gaza. maybe no one will notice.
will anyone ever ask brown blair or cameron why they are patrons of a 'charity' that has discrimination polices that would be illegal in the uk?
frank gardiner on five live described Contest 2 and the 'shared values' agenda as something created by people living in a westminster bubble?
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Comment number 23.
At 24th Mar 2009, leftieoddbod wrote:Labour...pigs in trough? The Tory party are SUPERPIG
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Comment number 24.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:bookhimdano (#22) I woul;dn't be the first to suggest that the holocaust guilt-trip (and charges of rises in anti-semitism) which is periodically rolled out by Israel and her lobbying friends abroad is used to deflect criticism of its acts of aggression/expansion/oppression in the Middle East. I'm sure there's far more to the exploitation than that too.
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Comment number 25.
At 24th Mar 2009, thegangofone wrote:#21 Jaded_Jean
Just stress to the moderators that if they "paint Hitler as darkly as possible" they are Trots and hint at what solutions you would like to employ to deal with Trots. You are that subtle. Sure they will be impressed. Can't think why they don't listen to you.
I would not say I was the literary hero of Newsnight, but I don't write like you as I not pompous and arrogant - and of course I am not pretentious.
But thanks "for making me smile" as I am sure it makes you "feel ... a little ... well ... like" Lord Haw Haw actually.
Its good that you do actually listen sometimes and have cut that amateur dramatical interpretation of an intellectual giant rubbish. All very quintessential.
You are so intelligent you can mention your love of Hitler style planned economies; eugenics; haze about the Holocaust; race "realism" etc and quite seriously expect the 99.9% of the sane UK population who abhor your views to be impressed.
Yet you always try to be tangential. For instance you are not a Nazi or the BNP but would like to see BNP coverage on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳.
As ever though the important thing to you and your ilk is to use as many words as possible without actually saying anything.
By the way Newsnight how about a piece on Serge Klarsfeld "The hunt for the last Nazis"?
The propagandists on this page are still "confused" about whether the Holocaust happened.
By the way I think North Korea is often described as Stalinist and not Trotskyite.
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Comment number 26.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:thegangofone (#20) "By the way I wonder if the far right will start genetically screening members for racial purity.
Genetic screening is one for many reasons.
Are you tacitly referring to Israeli or just to the Israeli Right of Return criteria? Is either racist in your view?
What about ? Are such investigations 'anti-semitic' in your view?
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Comment number 27.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:thegangofone (#25) "By the way I think North Korea is often described as Stalinist and not Trotskyite."
So is the People's Republic of China. Old Labour tried to implement the core elements of this (cf. Clause IV). New Left New Labour and the Conservatives (and Neocons in the USA) have been anarchistically taking all that apart.
The Cold, Korean and Vietnamese and the Iraqi wars (amongst others) were fought against Stalinist, centrally planned, democratic-centralist economies/regimes.
Anarchists/Trots opposed/fought Stalinists in the 1920s and 30s, in the USSR, in Spain, and elsewhere. The Anarchists/Trots were disproportionately Jewish.
Do you get the picture, and perhaps better understand now why the Axis Powers in teh 1930s signed a pact to resist the spread of Jewish Bolshevism, and how that (rather worryingly) relates to the current economic crisis and past 'war on terror'?
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Comment number 28.
At 24th Mar 2009, bookhimdano wrote:the word anti semitic is just a race based insult. ie looking at things from a racial agenda and using a racial based language.
the ground they do not want to stand on is human rights for all.
basically standing up for human rights for all is called anti semetic by those in love with their racial based vision.
there is a battle over the soul of israel on this topic which is why 'pro human rights for all' jews are being attacked on the streets by those jews who prefer their more discriminatory ideal of a state.
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Comment number 29.
At 24th Mar 2009, thegangofone wrote:#27 JadedJean
What colour is the sky in your world?
Clearly you are a fanatic but for the benefit of the rest of the world ...
If somebody were say a fascist but found that actually they were 50% Jewish then are they 50% Trotskyite or 50% Bolshevist?
Clearly a farcical notion just as it would be for democrats to take the view that Nazis were disproportionately German and therefore all Germans are Nazis.
Genetic variation is greater within a race than it is between races.
Today we live peacefully with Germany and I have enjoyed the company of nearly all the Germans I have met. Your views are firmly rejected there.
They have better laws to handle those like yourself, presumably and regrettably a Brit or sorts, who is "confused" about the Holocaust.
Thats why I support the idea of legislation to prevent lies being told about the Holocaust. I have also said that if somebody with your views were in a position like the NHS (doctor etc) who having read your rants would trust you with an ethnic minority patient)? Should the ban on BNP (and associated similar views) be extended? You are a glowing advert for that proposition.
Also I don't think people would describe China as Stalinist today. Its in transition.
Finally don't worry about being better understood.
If you mention Hitler in the first line I am sure readers will move on down the page. It says everything that needs to be said and they know what they need to know. But you are always reluctant to name your own ideology, party and whether Hitler is a hero to you.
Because you are a coward.
Meanwhile I assume those of similar views in the BNP are concerned that Hitler had a war machine and they have a caravan that gets ripped apart if people find out where they are.
Not exactly the SS are they? Do they have drills I wonder to lie down flat on the floor of the caravan in case they are seen?
Wouldn't you and your comrades be better with toy soldiers and beer?
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Comment number 30.
At 24th Mar 2009, thegangofone wrote:#22 bookhimdano
"shh don't mention israeli crimes in gaza. maybe no one will notice"
There is no relationship between the Holocaust and any crimes committed in Gaza.
One does not justify the other and the attempt to portray anybody who accepts the Holocaust as an Israeli lobbyist is ludicrous.
The majority of the people in this country accept the Holocaust happened and they are not Israeli lobbyists.
If somebody commits a crime then they should be pursued because of their crime and not their race.
But enough of race "realist" gibberish.
Jaded_Jean
"Genetic screening is one for many reasons."
As devoid of meaning and value as anything else you say.
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Comment number 31.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:bookhimdano (#28) "basically standing up for human rights for all is called anti semetic by those in love with their racial based vision."
It's the which disturbs most people. It's as if those concerned don't see it either, i.e. that they have a blind-spot to their hypocrisy which is strikingly narcissistic/psychopathic.
This is what intigues me, as it's also something which is at the heart of epistemology, ie. the non truth functionality of the psychological (intesional) verbs of propositional attitude (think that, believe that, know that etc). The intensional idioms resist logical quantification and substitutivity of identicals salva veritate which is the sine qua non for rational inference. Rather frighteningly, there are lines in the New Testament about this and viper's brood etc! I seriously wonder whether this was, perhaps, an old pre-scientific reference to a higher than usual prevalence of Axis II Cluster B Personality Disorders in this inbred group? Overall, the prevalence of these disorders is quite low, but they do appear to have a genetic compenent and they do ppear to have attracted an unusual amount of interest in NYC/USA. Those with these disorders cause disproportionate damage to others through lack of empathy and sometimes, violence. It is always only a small subset of any group, but some groups may have a higher prevalence than others. I suspect a geographical marker for this would be concentrations in certain professions? This is something Hare as suggested too.
The intensional idioms are understandably also the vehicles of spin par excellence which is why Behaviour Analysis and extensionalism eschews them (cf. Skinner and Quine). This work has also been under attack by Jewish intellectuals for decades, and quite vitriolically too at times (see what I have said elsewhere about NCAH, CYP21, C6p21 and extreme stress responses, could this be related?).
I am genuinely puzzled by these extreme reactions given that extensionalism is essentially the language and method of science and rational analysis. I find this very worrying, but suggest there must be a rational, biological, explanation/way of managing it.
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Comment number 32.
At 24th Mar 2009, ecolizzy wrote:#19 the gang of one.
"And why Newsnight are you discussing Latvias economic problems, and ignoring our own home grown ones?"
Hhhmm looks as though other bloggers here haven't even mentioned the Latvian question!
Because Eastern Europe's economic problems could severely impact Britain later, duh!
Yes I can see that Eastern Europes economy will have a massive affect on us. Number one, we will have to contribute more to the EU economy to support Latvia, and others. We will get even more legal immigrants and their relatives from Latvia. The consequence will be for us, less work for Britains born here, and less money for our own people as the money will have to swell the EU coffers first.
Do people who accept the tosh of the far right have to have a ceremonial lobotomy or do they go for Pavlovian shock treatments?
Hhhhmm I wouldn't describe Nicholas Soames and Frank Fields as very far right, would you?
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Comment number 33.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:tehgangofone (#30) "There is no relationship between the Holocaust and any crimes committed in Gaza.
One does not justify the other and the attempt to portray anybody who accepts the Holocaust as an Israeli lobbyist is ludicrous."
It happens. They also try tu quoque.
If you listened to the now incumbent PM of Israel on Newsnight during the Gaza invasion, you may recall him trying to excuse Israel from charges of war crimes on the grounds of Britain bombing Dresden in WWII. He was righly told that by today's laws that would have ben classed as a war crime too.
The reality is that Israelis/Jews do make reference to the alleged holocaust in order to justify all sorts of behaviour. is an example.
The worrying thing is that there are well documented cases where some of these anti-semitic attacks and slurs have been carried out by Jews themselves. In such cases, you might ask what their motive was. Is there any advantage to be had from being perceived as a persecuted group/person?
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Comment number 34.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:thegangofone (#30) "If somebody commits a crime then they should be pursued because of their crime and not their race."
But for most crime (other than crimes against the person which is a small part of the crime rate, but a growing one) the perpetrators are not seen. So how can they be pursued? Police go on risk factors, or priors, one of these is race (see Home Offce figures and risk factors).
If the likelihood of a claim is higher in one group more than another, insurance premiums go up in the first group as a function of risk. The same goes for risks for diseases, crime and educational attainment. This is just basic risk assessment and management. Whether you like it or not, ethnic groups are not at equal risk for any of the above. That is a fact.
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Comment number 35.
At 24th Mar 2009, bookhimdano wrote:30. tgo
There is no relationship between the Holocaust and any crimes committed in Gaza.
One does not justify the other and the attempt to portray anybody who accepts the Holocaust as an Israeli lobbyist is ludicrous.
you read all that out of MY post. [no 22]
how imaginative of you
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Comment number 36.
At 24th Mar 2009, JadedJean wrote:thegangofone (#30) "The majority of the people in this country accept the Holocaust happened and they are not Israeli lobbyists.
Only 0.5% of the UK population is Jewish and although eligible to move to Israel as citizens, they are not Israelis. Israel is a military ally of the UK, and Britain supports Israel. The point you appear to miss is that if people feel sympathy for Jews/Israelis because of what is alleged to have been done to them in the distant past, but the same sympathy is not extended to Muslims/Arabs because there was no such alleged persecution, it's quite possible that Britain could be misperceived as favouring Jews more than Muslims in the UK and wider world even though Muslims comprise a much larger proportion of the UK population as citizens.
It is for this reason that some Britons and Amercians (including some Jewish Britons and Americans I hasten to add) look upon the so-called 'war on terror' and 'clash of civilizations' with great suspicion and ask to what extent this really serves the political/hegemonic/economic interests of Zionist Israel and its large lobby of Jews in the USA.
"Genetic screening is one for many reasons."
Are you really incapable of reading done for the typo one?
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