gdp's Comments

Heresy Corner : Defending Obscenity

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 16:25:26 +0000

So fisting is now more acceptable than the utterance of certain words that lead to various "-ism" prosecutions. The rule of law is as prone as ever to high horses and the fashions of the chattering classes.

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Freedom of the Press - Whose Freedom Exactly?

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 21:32:47 +0000

The "freedom of the press" is under attack in the realm of the internet, where individual bloggers are not treated the same way as employed writers. This was shown in a recent libel case in America (although the losing blogger did appear to have a screw loose but did have the basis to start a proper investigative report). As for mainstream media holding establishment figures to account as in this https://www.judicialwatch.org/corrupt-politicians... I cannot see MSM in the US touching it as the media owners are the buddies of the establishment. A similar list in the UK would land the author in court with at best a super injunction, at worst a hefty libel penalty.

Heresy Corner : Why bankers used to be good

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:03:18 +0000

I have never understood why so many believe that we have to have a deity to enable us to treat others as they should be. "Do as you would be done by" is all that is needed. It covers the ten commandments and pretty much all else that one needs in morality and ethics. There will always be those that ignore real personal responsibility to other individuals and their society. Religion is but one way that people are coerced away from selfishness. Agnostics and raging atheists can easily be good members of society.

Heresy Corner : Charlie Hebdo

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 19:01:44 +0000

....there will be no intellectual progress Surely intellectual progress is precisely what the Islamic extremists are out to prevent?

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Down with Burglars! And Squatters

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:08:22 +0000

Making squatting in residential buildings a criminal offence This will be the raison d'être, commercial interests being given protection when they leave parts of their property portfolios vacant. This government only acts for the benefit of business interests, as did the last. This would perhaps be fine as long as there was balancing legislation to prevent residential property being left vacant, possibly bringing down rents (an aim in the changes to housing benefit). There would have to be joined up thought with other ministries to achieve this so it seems unlikely! What we do not need is any unforeseen circumstances such as resulted in the large scale demolition of vacant industrial and commercial properties following a change in the business rates rules. The supposed changes regarding householders and their rights against intruders is just a worthless sop to the Daily Mail so they can make the changes appear to be for the common man.

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Pseudo-Google Confidence Tricksters

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:42:33 +0000

It always amazes me that some people fall for this type of scam. As you point out the construction is atrocious, but then having employed people over the last twenty years I suggest that anyone now under thirty (including graduates) has trouble writing a correctly constructed sentence. Would anyone give this information to a doorstep caller, or in reply to a postal letter? There will always be fools, and therefore always be those that will take advantage of them.

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: The EU/US Social Model Ostrich

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:48:57 +0000

The. Money. Is. No. Longer. There. It never was there. That is the point. Predicated on growth that cannot be predicted and should in fact never have been expected. The trouble is that it was also the corporate financial institutions that built their own business model on the assumption of growth (or was it the assumption of government bailout?). In fact the whole capitalist structure requires growth to service interest, and why not when things are going well? Our corporatist state structures have, through subsidy, bailouts and bad regulation, distorted the capitalist system and themselves brought about the disfunction we see now. It is very blinkered and simplistic to see this as a left wing / socialist problem alone. The private pension providers have been equally as bad when it comes to pretty lies as have the public sector pension schemes.

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Waste Not, Want Not (much)

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:42:34 +0000

Anyone who feels able to throw away food has too much money. Why buy that tomato if it is destined for the bin, recycle or not?

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: The European Union on Mount Doom

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:49:48 +0000

the collective determination of the main British political parties to deny the British public a say on these momentous matters looks out of touch, if not oppressive. Who will sponsor a UN resolution to protect UK civilians during the revolution?

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Eurozone Crisis: The EU\'s Deep Problems

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:37:18 +0000

As usual, what did the Romans ever do for us....

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: UK Multiculturalism - now with Added Grammar

Sat, 8 Oct 2011 16:22:00 +0000

EDGWARE Road.

Heresy Corner : AD/CE: Does it matter how we label a date?

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:14:07 +0000

We are English (or you may be British) so we should use our own language to describe events and places. Far more worrying than all this BC stuff (although that does make me think of Orwellian distraction) is the BBC usage of train station instead of railway station. Now that is important!

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Bosnia: Dodik Plays the Angles

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:16:28 +0000

God, religion and diplomacy. What a mix. What about religion without faith? http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b014gk72

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : /blog/2011-speechwriters-guild-light-touch-speechwriting

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:21:39 +0000

I presume your last example went on even longer, as there is no full stop. Is anyone (even the British) taught how to write? Back in the sixties I had for a few years an extremely good English teacher. I can trace my attitudes to others' writing back to those days. He did not make me a good writer as I believe that is not something that can be taught, rather it is the rules (and when to ignore them) that are important to learn both for artistic merit and the avoidance of ambiguity. What I remember most is the insistence that sentences should be short, words chosen to be precise and waffle unacceptable. Is written English really a dead art?

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Foreign Policy Technique

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 10:35:00 +0000

I certainly agree with your perspective on engagement. What you do not seem to mention is the apparent dominance of trade as the arbiter of policy. We do seem to tolerate a good balance of payments situation regardless of (public) ethics. That is where views about corrupt policy start to appear. I am inclined to say fair enough, let it continue, choose a later time to wheel out morality. CC: only so much to say in any one piece! Good point. Trade too has both positive effects (opens things up, extends better practice - see China) but also disadvantages (elite get richer, wider corruption risks - see almost anywhere!)

Heresy Corner : What do do about Megrahi?

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:14:47 +0000

The appeal would have been too embarrassing for everyone concerned, especially the US authorities. This is not speculation.

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: 2367 Posts - 1,183,500 Words

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:00:50 +0000

Craig Murray is still free! (As are you of course.) I have always (well not long really as a recent discoverer) assumed that you wrote this blog in the interests of free information and proper thinking.

The World's First Diplomatic Blogoir : Blogoir: Frabjous Day: A-Level Results

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:23:35 +0000

Congratulations to all who passed A levels this summer. I presume that state education played no part in Crawf Minor's excellent showing?

Heresy Corner : Can TV shorten your life?

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:19:51 +0000

MSM never report science in a meaningful way. Do they think we are dumb or do they simply fail to give the correct reporter (science editor) the story? Is there any "research" to indicate how taking an interest in this kind of reporting leads to an early death? Does reading, a sedentary activity, lead to heart disease?

Heresy Corner : Do they want us to live forever?

Fri, 5 Aug 2011 10:44:32 +0000

I disagree. It introduces a degree of reality regarding personal responsibility.