Links

Mike has a great post up 'Voices From Israel, Voices from Lebanon, Voices of Sanity' which includes a some great links ~ one to Wafa Sultan on Al Jazeera. Her interview in Arabic is a rare voice of dissent on Al Jazeera.: video of Wafa Sultan

"The American Israeli Patriot came across the web site: Lebanon's Voices, the stories of Lebanese who didn't have full time Hezboo propagandists working on their behalf in the lamestream media. Patriot highlights the story of a family in Tyre, who wanted to evacuate but were forced back into their home at gunpoint by the "freedom fighters" of Hezbollah"

Really good read.

Now Ive run out of time! But Rottweiler Puppy is back covering Jack Idema.

Labelling

Headteacher who never taught again after daring to criticise multiculturalism

"His crime was to publish an article in The Salisbury Review in 1984 doubting whether the children in his school were best served by the connivance of the educational authorities in such practices as the withdrawal of children from school for months at a time in order to go ''home" to Pakistan, on the grounds that such practices were appropriate to the children's native culture. In language that was sometimes maladroit, he drew attention, at a time when it was still impermissible to do so, to the dangers of ghettoes developing in British cities....

...Around the same time, the man who was then mayor of Bradford, Mohammed Ajeeb, is adamant that he did the right thing in calling for Mr Honeyford's dismissal. Mr Ajeeb recently said:

"I had no doubt in my mind that the man was a racist and I insisted he must go."....

"Last week, 22 years on, he was finally vindicated. The same liberal establishment that had professed outrage at his views quietly accepted that he was, after all, right"

"Miss Kelly's speech comes two decades too late to save the career of Mr Honeyford. And asked last week whether the minister's speech would change anything, Mr Honeyford shrugged resignedly and said it was too late for that, too. He remains, understandably, bitter about the whole episode. He had been striving to do his best for very disadvantaged pupils, and was branded racist for doing so, and made to live like a fugitive for many years. Asked whether he was impressed by Miss Kelly's recent speech, he said that she was only a politician, a bird of passage, minister of education one day and minister of communities the next, and like all politicians liable to say whatever was fashionable or useful to her career at the moment"

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has slammed the media over its coverage of the Lebanon conflict. Pretty refreshing to hear from someone in government over the MSM misdemeanors and attacking their 'sloppy reporting'

"Speaking in Brisbane, Mr Downer criticised local and international media for sloppy reporting and failing to check facts.

In particular, he singled out the London-based Reuters news agency over an incident in which a photographer deliberately manipulated a digital image so that the effects of an Israeli bombing raid over Beirut were exaggerated.

The news agency later admitted the alteration, quickly withdrew the image from circulation and the photographer, a stringer, was sacked.

But journalists’ reporting of the conflict also came under fire from the Foreign Minister.

He accused “some of the world’s most prestigious media outlets” of falling for a hoax in their reporting of an alleged aerial attack on a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance by Israel.

“After closer study of the images of the damage to the ambulance, it is beyond serious dispute that this episode has all the makings of a hoax,” Mr Downer said.

“Yet some of the world’s most prestigious media outlets, including some of those represented here today (Monday), ran that story as fact - unchallenged, unquestioned.”"

There's a definite Friday drinks theme to this post.

Steve (Pub Philosopher) has written a great piece for The Sharpener

“Until you stop the bombing, gassing, imprisonment and torture of my people we will not stop this fight.”

His people? Khan was born in Leeds and his parents were from Pakistan. What made him decide that Iraqis, Afghans and Palestinians were his people?


Ohhhh for Crying Out Loud indeed. The comments are funny too.

"but you see, there are only losers, mainly innocent Lebanese civilians"

And someone should buy Drinking from Home a beer for successfully getting under the media's thick skin

Plus

All Your Fakes Belong to Us

Bigots

When young muslims set out to kill and maim infidels in the name of their religion, we have to understand their background, understand their anger, take their bigotry on the chin and be reminded over and over again that we are a wonderful 'multi cultural society', getting along so very nicely.

If families react on a plane to what they perceive to be a threat, in the wake of another islamic inspired terror in the skies episode and a general climate of fear, they are immediately condemned as hysterical ignorant racists and an evil bigoted mob. The word of two - that their actions had done nothing to merit such attention guvnor - now carrying more weight than that of a whole plane full of passengers and crew. Just as well we dont have air marshalls really.

You could hear the knives sharpening way before this. Certain elements on the Left have been impatiently waiting for an opportunity to scream racist.

So far they have been disappointed. In light of the hideousness of the events last summer and subsequent scares the British public have shown nothing but patience and tolerance whilst muslim leader after muslim leader blames anyone but themselves and drums home the far more 'important issue' of islamophobia as a way to shut down any legitimate debate, whilst bigoted muslim leaders and fascistic muslim crowds incite murder on Londons streets with little action taken, demo after demo condemns police actions for trying to prevent another atrocity and the spotlight continues to focus less on condemnation of murderous actions and more on excuses - a legitimate result of Blairs foreign policy in Iraq...and then Afghanistan...& Israel.

Equally the British public have not overeacted in any way to travelling on public transport.

"The mere prescence of Asian people on a flight is probably not enough to cause such reactions, since if that was the case then we would be seeing cases like this day in, day out"

The reactions of passengers with families in a situation of heightened security - and just as likely with good reason as not - are being lauded as an example of 'loathesome bigotry' (Sasha Mimic in this weeks Metro, no link).

The hysterical overreaction of the bigot labellers is out of proportion. Its ironic given that this is what they accuse the passengers of. And basically its a form of racism in itself. It will do nothing to reassure the public and it will deepen rifts.

Beware the fury of a patient man.

A young man who attended the infamous gym frequented by the July 7 bombers stated he was very worried by what was going on in the gym but did not wish to talk to anyone for fear of being labelled a racist. Had he spoken out it is unlikely the police would have done anything other than confirmed this for him.

Labours New Anti Multi Culti Commission

Kelly in multi-culturalism plea

"Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly has called for a "new and honest debate" on the value of a multi-cultural society in Britain. Launching the Government's Commission on Integration and Cohesion, she warned there was a danger that communities were becoming increasingly isolated from each other. "We have moved from a period of uniform consensus on the value of multi-culturalism to one where we can encourage that debate by questioning whether it is encouraging separateness," she said at the launch in south London"

God the Left are slow. Re-read 'we have acknowledged multi culturalism is a fiasco and we arent sure how to dig ourselves out of the mess we have created. Does anyone have any ideas?'

Love Affair With Terrorists

"Ask Bombed Out Residents in Lebanon"

Is this one of the many villages we were led to believe Israel was shelling for no other reason than to inflict maximum carnage on innocents? Where all those killed were randon 'Lebanese villagers'?. The BBCs love affair with terrorists knows no bounds.

Al-Manar Hitzbollahs own TV station (since flattened in the war Israel 'lost') used to broadcast a quiz show called The Mission where each weeks contestants competed for cash and a chance to win a virtual trip to Jersualem (whatever that is) by answering questions on the Arab Israeli conflict.

American officials dubbed the programme "Name Your Favourite Terrorist". Whats this then? "Ask a Terrorist"?

Meet Lina:

"During Israel's recent bombardment of southern Lebanon she spent some time with her mother, brother and four sisters in the Bekaa valley.

Her father, who is a member of the Hezbollah movement, stayed in the town throughout the five-week conflict, as did many other Hezbollah members.

His job was to supply Hezbollah guerrillas fighting Israeli forces at the battlefront after the Israeli army crossed into Lebanon following the capture of its two soldiers.

"We had no direct contact with him, but we got news from other people that he was OK."


and meet Fairuz:

"My friend came back to town to get something, and when she saw me on my veranda she was astonished anyone was still in al-Khiyam with the bombing"

Do send in your questions.

Lisbon August 20th

The 'mini Christ' overlooking the harbour, 'Bairro Alto' neighbourhood which kicks off at midnight with a glass of port, a random tourist at the 700 year old catholic monastery 'Jeronimo' (where Vasco de Gama is buried), locals at cafe, pastry makers on a break at the packed out cake shop Pasteis de Belem (Lisbon is famous for cake).

"As moderates we will do all we can to fight extremism. We hope the government will join us in this, not just by changing the rules on hand luggage, but by showing itself as an advocate for justice in the world."


So says MP Sadiq Khan, who was among those who signed an open letter to the British government designed to deflect attention away from their own failures to address the problem of Islam .....and back onto British foreign policy. The BBC prefering to focus on the 'lighter' elements of their argument noting their (utterly insincere) 'we will do all we can' disclaimer - whilst essentially legitimizing terror as an 'understandable' reaction to government actions you don't like.

It is time to kick these leaders, who have been cossetted and pandered to, back into the reality of how democratic processes actually work. As an MP, Sadiq Khan made a gross error of judgement on this. Todays leader comment in the Sunday Times:

"We already have a generation of disaffected Muslims who see any excuse, whether it is war in Iraq, Afghanistan or Lebanon, as a reason for killing their fellow citizens. The government has commissioned studies on combatting the problem, so far with little tangible impact. Tony Blair has been wooing Muslim leaders, too often the radicals rather than the moderates, although this policy seems to lie in shreds as they moan about wars in the Middle East inflaming Islamic youth. They are perfectly entitled to be angry about these conflicts, but that anger should be expressed through the democratic processes of demonstrations and elections"

Or frankly kick these groups out altogether. They've achieved nothing. I for one have had enough. How do I, incidentally, address this grievance I have with them? Would they care to suggest any recourse to action?

Sadiq Khan, for example, utterly belittles the terror threat when he speaks of 'changing the rules on hand luggage'. Had any of that hand luggage been responsible for the grotesque mass murder of men women and children he could not have been so flippant. He assumes no responsibility for atrocities committed in the name of Islam by members of his community, whilst condemning the West for what he views as our failures in the name of western values: 'no you started it!'. He is ignoring the fact that muslims live in denial with many believing 9/11 was a set up and only adds to this ridiculous smokescreen when his fellow muslim leaders insist the perceived failure of this country to back a call for ceasefire in Lebanon was seen to have gone hand in glove with the latest terror threats. How can that be? This operation has been planned for months - well before the current conflict even showed signs of breaking out. These disingenuous muslim leaders are allowed to deflect what is a clear issue with Islam by insisting the police produce real facts and make the case stick - the burden of responsibility placed firmly on anyone else. Forest Gate, I want to shout at them, was a real time reaction to a piece of horrifying intelligence from a member of the muslim community who alleged an attack was imminent. It was not the result of months and months of intelligence gathering that spanned the globe. I cant believe people are deliberately this thick so draw my own conclusions. Not just limited to muslims:

From dear sweet 'Jenny' at the New York Times website: "Yet another summertime plot by the right wing to boost their poll numbers. Bush has no credibility and neither does Blair. Theyve pulled this stunt before".

Many other similar points of view expressed at the same website. Perhaps she would care to explain this 'stunt' to the relatives of those killed on July 7.

And so Jenny and her ilk align themselves with the fascists.

"So they pretend that Islamism doesn't exist or rationalise it as an understandable, if regrettably bloody, critique of Anglo-American foreign policy, as if what we are up against is the armed wing of the Liberal Democrats. I wonder how many explosions it will take to blow their comfort blanket away" Nick Cohen (hat tip DfH)

The letter was universally condemned. Thankfully. But we still have to endure the incessant whining that the real terror threat is from our security services and the police. Sandmonkey puts this into some perspective.

Muslim communities are adept at highlighting the strain they feel they are under and issuing veiled threats. So here's one in return. The tolerant British public might not continue to be quite so tolerant.... if the comments section at the BBCs Have Your Say is anything to go by. Click on 'most recommended' at "Is British Foreign Policy fuelling extremism?"

"Dr Mohammed Abdul Bari said the community supported curbs on terrorism, but warned of "a distance" growing between them and the police" in response to aggressive signs of growing anger. (A 'but' again). But hey, thats ok because apparently violence and aggression is a legitimate form of protest when you are really, REALLY hacked off. Though this attack isnt a patch on liquid bombs aboard transatlantic planes the muslim community will permit us to excuse such aggression, correct? This equally well illustrates the growing distance between the muslim 'community' and the rest of the UK. A direct result of the muslim 'community's' propensity to wallow in self pity and fuel hatred ALL ROUND.

In another Times piece Portillo underlines the devisiveness of Lefty inspired collective guilt syndrome:

"So those who argue that Britain has brought terror to its shores by supporting George W Bush should admit that we have imported it unwittingly by recognising our obligations to Commonwealth countries such as Pakistan, by pursuing liberal policies on immigration, by extending asylum to those who faced “persecution” without much reflection on why they found themselves in that position, and by ignoring the activities of “dissidents” based here, despite warnings about them from allies such as France and Saudi Arabia.

More uncomfortably still for those who argue the simplistic anti-Bush line, Britain could be an Al-Qaeda target precisely because it is a nation divided and given to self-flagellation. After the Lockerbie bombing it fell to me as a transport minister to meet some of the grieving relatives. One man who had lost his daughter told me that he blamed airport security, not the terrorist. Even allowing for his suffering I can make no sense of the remark, but it seems to typify a misplaced magnanimity that springs from unwarranted collective guilt"

The Times concludes in the leader piece (finally sounding like a paper talking to the masses at war incidentally):

This low-level war is going to take a huge effort of will and courage. It is going to mean applying what may seem illiberal measures in order to save lives. In return, the state must exercise massive restraint and not abuse that responsibility. But the real key is for Muslims to realise that their future lies here and to embrace British values and reject violent Islamist theology. The country may indeed be in its greatest danger since the second world war, as John Reid, the home secretary, said last week. But as Britain prevailed then, so it will again.

The link was added by me obviously...I FULLY support the 90 day detention proposal and hope that the police investigations into the current terror plot were sufficient to glean enough evidence to put before the CPS to gain convictions ~ in addition to averting the threat. Especially since the arrests included the British operative Al Qaeda leader. Besides - maybe if 'we' start to lose some freedoms 'we' will actually appreciate them.

*****Thanks to Maggie in the comments I should indeed draw attention to Sir John Stevens comments today and to the home secretary who per the same BBC link above stated:

"he would not question the motives of those who signed the letter, but said it was a "dreadful misjudgement if they believe that the foreign policy of this country should be shaped in part or in whole under the threat of terrorist activity".

Mr Reid told the BBC: "No government worth its salt would stay in power in my view, and no government worth its salt, would be supported by the British people if our foreign policy or any other aspect of policy was being dictated by terrorists.

"That is not the British way, it is antithetical to our very central values. We decide things in this country by democracy, not under the threat of terrorism."

Sir John Stevens - former Metropolitan Police Commissioner on Sky:

"When will the muslim community in this country accept an absolute, undeniable and total truth to a real and obvious threat ...that islamic terrorism is their problem - they own it- and its their duty to eradicate it"

Quite! All round. Stop apologising - and stop cossetting and accommodating 'moderate' muslim views where they are far from moderate and clearly anti democratic.

*****Update. The Washington Post KIDS itself and its readers, getting it totally and unhelpfully wrong:

"In one of Europe's largest Muslim communities, young men face a lack of jobs, poor educational achievement and discrimination in a highly class-oriented culture".

Absolute rubbish! The latest crop were university educated, one of the July 7 bombers worked in a school...all are afforded the same opportunities as everyone else in a country with low unemployment, steeped in multiculturalism and political correctness.. one of the most tolerant societies in Europe:

"63% of all Britons had a favourable opinion of Muslims, down slightly from 67% in 2004, suggesting last year's London bombings did not trigger a significant rise in prejudice. Attitudes in Britain were more positive than in the US, Germany and Spain (where the popularity of Muslims has plummeted to 29%), and about the same as in France" according to the Pew poll.

Wakey wakey Washington Times. Or is that you (much like the NYT) conveniently prefer to believe otherwise of the UK??

and finally....(Hat tip JOnz in comments)...Rod Liddle on the BBC getting it wrong amongst other things

"You never usually hear the term “British-born” in domestic news reports, as in, for example: “The prime minister, the British-born Tony Blair, today resigned.”......

......

Later various British-born community leaders appeared on the news to simultaneously condemn the alleged terrorists, sympathise with their real anger and hint darkly that maybe the fuzz had got it wrong again.

A chap from the increasingly gobby Muslim Public Affairs Committee insisted that while murdering thousands of innocent people was unquestionably wicked, if the rest of us didn’t begin to appreciate just how very angry — justifiably angry — were many young British-borns, more terrorism was likely to occur.

This strikes me as being a few yards short of a full, unequivocal, condemnation. If we reassure them that we do indeed understand their anger but nonetheless do not agree with their views, will they cease attempting to board aeroplanes with soft drink bottles full of nitro?"

Britains Al Qaeda Leader Seized

The media has been barred from publishing any further details or probes on the suspects for fear they will jeopordise potential trials. However:-

"SECURITY sources believe that a man arrested in last week’s anti- terror raids in Britain is Al-Qaeda’s leader in this country.

Home Office officials say that one of those arrested is suspected not only of masterminding the foiled plot to bring down up to nine transatlantic airliners, but also of involvement in other planned atrocities over the past few years.

They believe that he was instrumental in sending the ringleader of at least one previous British terror plot for training at a camp in Pakistan last year. He is described by counter-terrorist officials at MI5 as the senior figure in a British terror network involving Kashmiri, north African and Iraqi cells".

"The thwarting of the alleged plot has, however, failed to quash continuing fears among counter-terrorist experts. Senior security officials have briefed ministers that a “second phase” of attacks may be about to be launched....

...the terrorist group was planning two large-scale attacks this autumn. The FBI has assigned 200 agents to follow up any leads that come out of the British investigation".

4 Terror plots have been foiled since July 7.

2 Dozen jihadi networks operate in this country.

"In a state of civil seige. Lets stop pretending"

Free Speech for Some

Here's another example of free speech being eroded.

"HSBC bank has been found guilty of racism after one staff member overheard another say she hated foreigners.

Supervisor Debbie Jones' remarked that she supported politician Robert Kilroy-Silk because he wanted to 'get rid of the foreigners'.

But her comments were made in earshot of colleague Ruby Schembri, a 35-year-old Maltese national, who reported the incident and took the bank to an employment tribunal claiming race discrimination.

Mrs Schembri told an employment tribunal that she was in the branch office close to her home in Welwyn Garden City, Herts, when she heard Miss Jones talking to assistant manager Rosemary Johnstone in April last year, just before the general election.

She said: "Debbie asked Rosemary if she supported the Tory or Labour party and bluntly stated 'I am against immigration'."

This woman is entitled to her opinion. She is being criminalised for expressing a privately held opinion. Her crime is that she is not expressing her opinion as covertly as George Galloway or as eloquently as any other MP who suggests immigration is an issue.

The radical hate preaching Imams make their animosity towards the British and West plain for all to see. The latest crop of terrorists were all capitivated by the likes of Al Muhajiroun a militant organisation headed by radical cleric Omar Bakri, based out of Walthamstow. Freely allowed to preach outright hatred...one if its lieutenants Abdul Muhid was arrested and charged for calling for the slaughter of British troops in Iraq and that homosexuals be thrown off cliffs ... the case was later dropped. The results of such slow to react decisions here are playing out on the news at the moment. Many of those arrested came from Walthamstow.

However if you happen to be a white 'lower middle class' woman expressing a privately held point of view then all hell breaks lose.

There is a special status given to minorities, radical hate preaching Imams and the likes of British MPs such as Galloway who regularly spout anti-Jewish anti West diatribes freely at political rallies (thinly disguised, in Galloways case as 'anti Zionist', so he can get away with it). yet an ordinary member of the public is held up in court and fined for expressing a privately held point of view.

The liberal elite are penalising the lower middle class/anti immigration contingent who will, without being able to express themselves properly, start to use their vote to do so.

Then the Left wonder why the BNP are gaining a foothold.

Galloway alienates Students Union

In the Evening Standard tonight (no link) they are reporting that Galloway is no longer Mr poster boy for the normally stridently left wing National Union of Students. Thats an achievement even by his standards!

In declaring at the pro Hitzbollah rallies that "Hitzbollah has never been a terrorist organisation" the students decided he had gone too far. They noted the opposite - that Hitzbollah has been implicated in numerous attacks ....specifying the 'bombing of the Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in 1994 in which 94 people died'. (I'm not clear as to whether they made mention of the 'if the Jews all gather in Israel' remarks from Nasrallah).

They are writing to the Respect party to 'denounce its stance on the Middle East'.

Commendable. Some elements of the Left it seems are realising that the likes of Galloway and Respect on the left of the politocal spectrum are an embarrasment - and more importantly a destructive evil prescence here.

Galloway and Respect are furious.

"The executive of the NUS has shown itself to be as out of touch with public opinion and I must assume student opinion in this country as Tony Blair"

"It has chosen to play puerile politics by attacking the most outspoken anti war MP at a time of crisis"

Oh the sweet irony!

The Sun reports that one of the terror plot suspects met with George Galloway many times.

"TERROR suspect Waheed Zaman met controversial MP George Galloway many times, his sister said last night. Safeena, 24, said of her 23-year-old brother: “He saw it as his duty to stand up for his community and that’s what led him to know George Galloway. He has a lot of respect for him and has met him many times.” A spokesman for MP Galloway, above, said: “Waheed Zaman is not a name that George is familiar with. He is not known to him on a personal level.”

So George Galloway is a terrorist's pin up. What a shocker. After all Galloway speaks their language.

'His community'? What better example to prove yet again the absolute failure that is 'multi culturalism'. The Left have a lot to answer for.

This is the second time the UN have acknowledged Hitzbollahs actions but the first time ive actually seen this almost in a top paragraph of the BBC webpage. As opposed to buried at the bottom after a slew of Israel bashing. Perhaps the effect of so much adverse publicity this past week care of bloggers?

"The UN's human rights chief, Louise Arbour, meanwhile, has condemned both Israel and Hezbollah for the suffering inflicted on civilians in Lebanon and northern Israel.

"Israeli attacks affecting civilians continue unabated," she told a special session of the UN Human Rights Council.

"Also unrelenting is Hezbollah's indiscriminate shelling of densely populated centres in northern Israel which has brought death and destruction. There have also been repeated allegations of Hezbollah's systematic use of civilians as human shields," she said.

Obviously it goes without saying that her remarks are somewhat dim - this is war after all - and one which came about largely due to UN failures. But Im particularly impressed with the use of the word 'affecting' for Israel which isnt as strong as 'systematic' - usually Israels preserve. And Hitzbo get more of an evil aggressor labelling on this occasion.

We are all Hizbollocks

c/o Drink Soaked Trotskies for War

in relation to the above sorts of placards waved globally last weekend.

'Drink Soaked' comments on the terror arrests yesterday:-

"Islamofascists disrupt my travel plans - Well, I wasn't going to post again for a while, but those non existent terrorists that Blair invented have struck again - or rather have been stopped from striking again thankfully.......This all seems a counter-productive effort really. I mean actually arresting them before they actually carry out the attack may alienate these oppressed young men and further radicalise them. Not to mention that their civil rights have probably been infringed in the process of the investigation"

I think Bush should note its not "islamic fascists", the hip term is "islamofascists". I know he's trying to sound as cool as Tony but he never quite nails it. I think it was Julie Burchill the excellent left wing columnist who first coined the phrase....

also:

Harry’s Place: "The plot to blow up planes somewhere between the UK and US gets fed through the Stoppervision logic machine at Comment is Free (The Guardian). … It’s early days yet but further examples of Stopper logic attempting to minimise this story gratefully received in the comments box".

"Stoppervision Logic". LOL

Stoppervision Logic is as follows:

"By the way, has anyone noticed the full ground invasion of Lebanon? I thought not. It's funny how these terrorist 'threats' seem to knock other more important stories off the news agenda".

Your attention

No this guys is not dead. He is posing for the New York Times.

c/o DSD









and in other news.....



A harmless little cricket match played by Israelis in Scotland fast becoming a bastion of jew hatred - has become the latest crazy focus of the bigoted Left in a concerted hate campaign.

Check out the comments section in which one of the perpetrators excuses anti-semitism because theres a war on.

One match was cancelled after pressure from this groups of bigots. However said bigot was left a little disappointed when the RAF came to rescue up in Scotland - again.

"I've been informed that Israel's 5-8th place semi-final has gone ahead today. This time it's not just behind closed doors, but at RAF Lossiemouth. So yet again, our military bases are being used to help Israel.The point cannot be lost though, that extreme lengths had to be gone to in order to accomodate Israel"

see Drunken Blogging for all details.

WTF? Its a CRICKET match people. Israel are hardly world series players in this sport - not that that should detract from the match or the fact that this does NOT constitute a legitimate or worthy form of protest - but even less so given its lack of headline grabbing world news appeal - this is nothing more than petty nasty jew bashing organised by you know who. For the sake of it. Galloway would be proud of his countrymen.

"CHURCHILL did not win the war by kowtowing to pettifogging bureaucracy. He smoked that cigar wherever he pleased, and puffed its cloud with the insouciance of a man who knew he was in charge.

But then the Greatest Englishman only had to deal with the likes of Hitler and Stalin; he had the good fortune to live in the days before the Scottish Parliament and its enforcers, the environmental health inspectors of the City of Edinburgh Council

Indeed. Hitler and Stalin were nothing in comparison to the self styled charmless unscrupulous and stupid lefties and do gooders of our times, to borrow somewhat from the author of this piece.

Pre NaziLeft, the licencing laws were often ridiculed for their strictness ~ but they were only born out of a desire to have Englishmen focused before war broke out. Had this not be the case you could pretty much guarantee some snivelling lefty do gooding bigot would have insisted the laws be put IN place – and as always without consulting the wider public on laws that curtail their basic freedoms. The government has little think tanks, scientists and survey groups that act on our behalves nowadays.

I admire Spain's approach. Apparently they have introduced a smoking ‘ban’, which applies only to those bars that want to undertake it. Something which I argued for (only over at A Tangled Web as I recall!) but which seemed utterly beyond the comprehension of most little lefties. After all its democratic for a start. It allows bars to decide whether or not to apply the non smoking regulation as long as they clearly advise their customers by some kind of signage. If so much of the population is allegedly in favour of the ban – and speaking to some friends they would welcome it but aren’t so fussed – then surely there is an argument for a similar Spain style ban here. In other words there is a ‘market’ for it. And its democratic.

There is no argument though. Churchill stood more of a chance defeating the combined evils of Nazism and Communism then we do of defeating some of the unscrupulous charmless and stupid elements of modern day leftyism.

Elements of which have crept into the touchy feely Conservative Party - whose latest antics by the way, suitably enough for all their allying with the left, include changing the Conservative logo from a torch (symbol of FREEDOM) ……to a tree. And no I dont think, even as a great English oak, its a good indication of whats to come.

Incidentally I wonder did Margaret Thatcher or Elizabeth I need the assistance of David Cameron style positive disrimination for women - fast tracking them to the Cabinet? OK Elizabeth acquired her position by birth but she still had to carve her own way through the politics of the time. I'd rather the Cabinet were stacked with talent than bitching females all vying for his attention reliant on their gender rather than their talent.

As Mel Smith said pointedly in the article in relation to the play joykillers not the Tories: “Do these people have any self-respect?"

The City Councillors reponse was he would ‘have to live with it’. Applies more generally don’t you think?

Former Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu praises Tony Blair's handling of the Middle East crisis.

Surprisingly enough covered by the BBC.

"Mr Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister between 1996 and 1999, said he believed Mr Blair had correctly judged the situation, "that this is not a local conflict between two tribes".

He said Hezbollah regarded Israel as "the first step on the way to an Islamic empire" and "would not last a day without Iran, where its fighters are trained".

Leadership tested

"It is a mad wisdom and it should not be dismissed because it's mad, just as Hitler - he started off as an attack on the Jews and this is the same thing," he said.

"Tony Blair understands this. Some of the chattering classes do not. They learnt nothing from history. They really think it is a problem with Israel.

"Mr Blair is doing a great deal. He's standing up for his beliefs - he is nobody's puppet.

"He genuinely understands what is the correct picture. He is getting attacked from every side. That makes him more of a leader, not less so.

"Leadership is tested in doing the unpopular things - not going with the flow."

As I mentioned a few posts below - I completely agree with him. I have a great deal of admiration for Mr Netanyahu's forthrightness in media interviews. Opinion keeping me sane.

(Peace to Israel)


cartoon c/o Melbourne Age via Harrys Place (click on cartoon to enlarge)

"More than 900 Lebanese, most of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict, the Lebanese government says. More than 90 Israelis, most of them soldiers, have also been killed" the BBC

So...according to the BBC and the Lebanese government no Hitzballah soldiers have been killed? Israel have missed every single Hitz guerilla out there but Hitzballah have been reasonably successful??

Perhaps more accurately:

"Israel's attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 617 people, including 524 civilians, 29 Lebanese soldiers and at least 53 Hezbollah guerrillas" the Washington Times

And thats still probably very conservative since we already know that Hiztballah blend into the background and don't wear uniforms:-.

source ~ photos that damn Hitzbollah



We know they have uniforms though. When they parade around like Nazis and the world gazes on absent mindedly.

The BBC and msm in presenting these figures give a terror organisation that openly calls for Israels destruction the moral high ground. The figures are presented to skew the bias and present Hitzbollah as a morally superior organisation.

Israel should work harder to present the facts. It is losing the propaganda war. The same absent minded populations with nothing to say on Holocaust denial - reach out for their papers and buy into all the fiction.

Israel needs our support.

Sky have a decent pictorial mini history of Hitzballah to remind us (if required) that Israels previous attempts at capitulating to Hitzballah have only led us to the present day conflict. They are now justifiably fully engaging these terrorists who have been cossetted by the Lebanese government.

"In 2005, Lebanon's prime minister-designate Najib Miqati rejected international demands for the disarming of the Hizbollah militia.The group remains the most powerful military force in the country"

Reuters Photo Edit

...Reuters have pulled a photo of Beirut because it was photoshopped to skew the impression of Israeli air strikes....isnt it great that we can rely on our news outlets for such balanced reporting?

***update - Im not sure if this is old blog news or not but whilst googling the Reuters photo fixes (see J0nz in comment section here for second one..) I came across this blog discussing another photo fix..

And turns out Power Line link to Drinking from Home who has covered photo staging extensively...(small blog world)

Blair

I enjoyed Blairs speech. I like Blair. (Not all of his decisions the ECHR for one and certainly not his party of choice). But I do admire the guy.

It was a forthright speech and he was statesman-like in delivering it. Far far outshining anything Bush has ever had to say and nailing the issues with more clarity. Blair has also had to forcibly get a grip on that left wing party of his and given that we are living under the socialists at the moment I often stop and consider what a bonus it is that (a much maligned) socialist leader of the left is standing firm on priniciple on this issue. Maligned by the right because he is of course a socialist leader of such stature that the Tories have had no answer to him and maligned by the left because basically he is a Tory. Nevertheless at a time when we could have been under some nutjob commie, here we have a leader that makes clear his position on Israel. On democracy. On supporting our values. On reaffirming the problem of islamism. On daring to suggest that pernicious forces are at work globally formenting anti western opinion.

For this reason the MSM, lefty liberal elites and the usual smattering of lefty academic boneheads completely missed the beat, no doubt purposefully and chalked his speech up to some 'apology' for invading Iraq. Its not that they dont get it. These particular lefty elites simply dont like to be told by a man with right wing principles. Theyll pretend otherwise. And after all this is a leader on his way out - which makes this a media bloodsport. This country excels at tearing leaders to pieces. And the more Blair defies them the more they bay.

Fact is though ive yet to hear any western leader tell it like it is and in the face of such stiff global and local opposition. Kudos Mr Blair.

Some notable excerpts:


"The purpose of the provocation that began the conflict in Lebanon was clear. It was to create chaos and to provoke retaliation by Israel that would lead to Arab and Muslim opinion being inflamed, not against those who started the aggression but against those who responded to it."

The point is this. This is war, but of a completely unconventional kind.

9/11 in the US, 7/7 in the UK, 11/3 in Madrid, the countless terrorist attacks in countries as disparate as Indonesia or Algeria, what is now happening in Afghanistan and in Indonesia, the continuing conflict in Lebanon and Palestine, it is all part of the same thing. What are the values that govern the future of the world? Are they those of tolerance, freedom, respect for difference and diversity or those of reaction, division and hatred? My point is that this war can't be won in a conventional way. It can only be won by showing that our values are stronger, better and more just, more fair than the alternative. Doing this, however, requires us to change dramatically the focus of our policy.

Its strategy in the late 1990s became clear. If they were merely fighting with Islam, they ran the risk that fellow Muslims - being as decent and fair-minded as anyone else - would choose to reject their fanaticism. A battle about Islam was just Muslim versus Muslim. They realised they had to create a completely different battle in Muslim minds: Muslim versus Western.

This is what September 11th did. Still now, I am amazed at how many people will say, in effect, there is increased terrorism today because we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. They seem to forget entirely that September 11th predated either. The West didn't attack this movement. We were attacked. Until then we had largely ignored it"

Yet despite all of this, which I consider virtually obvious, we look at the bloodshed in Iraq and say that's a reason for leaving; we listen to the propaganda that tells us its all because of our suppression of Muslims and have parts of our opinion seriously believing that if we only got out of Iraq and Afghanistan, it would all stop.

And most contemporaneously, and in some ways most perniciously, a very large and, I fear, growing part of our opinion looks at Israel, and thinks we pay too great a price for supporting it and sympathises with Muslim opinion that condemns it. Absent from so much of the coverage, is any understanding of the Israeli predicament..."

Why are we not yet succeeding? Because we are not being bold enough, consistent enough, thorough enough, in fighting for the values we believe in.

Note to the thick non elite lefty who might not get it: That doesnt mean we are not succeeding because we went into Iraq. It means we are not succeeding because we dont believe in ourselves, in democracy.

Read the comments at JPost. Mostly all good. Though this one caught my eye:

Blair's speech? Nothing new

Francois - France
08/03/2006 14:17

What is new here? nothing! Premier Blair met Mr. Bush ten days ago and now he says what the US tell him to do as usual : after the Iraki disaster, this? I do believe Mr. Blair is a masochist... Poor UK : In France, we preferred yje UK when it was idependant! Concerning the conflict itself, I do not take sides : both the Israelis and their opponents are completely mad : let them shoot at each other if they wish so, but I wish they'd spare the kids, the women and the elderly!!

'Nothing new', 'independent UK', 'i do not take sides'....This from a man living under Chirac? LOL!