Nigel Farage: Another Sound Man

Zerohedge.com today reports a speech in the European Parliament from Nigel Farage of the UK Independence Party.  "Common criminals" he called them.  Robust I think.

Here's the link.

I should be interested to hear anyone's attempt to refute the substance of this speech.

Until the next time

Pussy Riot & Tsar Valdimir

Tsar takes the salute

Picture source

Today I received an invitation from AVAAZ to sign a petition in support of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot whose members have been quite outrageously sentenced to two years' imprisonment for a protest made in a church.

Apparently there have been proposals in the European Parliament (that oh so unimpressive body) that sanctions be applied to the Russian elite; not a bad idea they appear to be a pretty dubious lot one way and the other - BP, never averse to making money gave up the Russian scheme as a bad job and I suppose that there may well have been many others who have experienced that peculiar poker-faced obstructionism that seems to flourish there.

Anyway Tsar Valdimir has continued to support the appalling Bashar Assad offering weasel words about "a political settlement" which puts him beyond the pale as far as this writer is concerned.

Here's a link if you feel inclined to offer your support to Pussy Riot.

Enemies of the State: Pussy Riot

Picture Source

Until the next time

European Stuff

On 9th November, European President Herman van Rompuy gave in Berlin, the annual "Europe Address."

In the opening part of his speech he said:

"What is more, today is 9 November, a day of such exceptional significance in 20th-century German history. With its times of darkness but also of course with the joy of the fall of the Berlin Wall, so close to where we stand. The "Wall of Shame", the very antithesis of the legacy of Greece: democracy. At school I learned of Pericles' famous formulation of democracy in which "the affairs of State are not the privilege of the few but the right of the many"."

This is really rather tragicomical isn't it? Or have I missed something? Of course no-one except a few eccentrics I suppose, would like to see the re-establishment of the DDR for example and its repellent leaders such as Walter Ulbricht, nevertheless it was of course (in English) The German Democratic Republic, so as with the "Democratic Republic of Congo" in the words of Private Eye: "that's alright then."

Near the end of the speech Mr van Rompuy said:

"We have together to fight the danger of a new Euro-scepticism. This is no longer the monopoly of a few countries. In every Member State, there are people who believe their country can survive alone in the globalised world. It is more than an illusion: it is a lie!"

Very good Mr President; whilst I accept that Norway is a special case, owing to its oil wealth, good management and a small population, as I write this I am looking at Lake Geneva; I see no oil rigs and the desperate state of the Swiss economy (thanks of course to the Swiss population's democratic obduracy with regard to joining the EU) would of course be immediately ameliorated were the Swiss to sign up (ho ho). In this part of France, many of the French would simply love to have a job across the border - as many do.

According to XE.com, the Euro stands at 1.34049 Swiss francs. A year ago the rate was 1.50. As Bliar once remarked it is essential to be "at the heart of Europe." I wonder did anyone ask him why?

So Mr President I don't agree: it isn't a lie - at least in many cases - excepting of course those who have crucified themselves with the Euro - Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and of course Ireland. Of course the Euro isn't directly to blame for the world economic crisis, caused by greed and over-confidence and in certain cases I believe criminal activity, but membership of the currency with its strict rules (now largely ignored) cannot be helpful.

As for Ireland, the BBC report on rumours, not denied by the Irish government, of the country seeking bail-out from Brussels, includes some comment by one Joe Lynam in which he says:

"Now that talks have begun with Eurogroup officials, Ireland has the embarrassment of pressing ahead with day-to-day management of a country still officially Europe's third richest [...]"

Where did he find that piece of information I wonder? The table in this Wikipedia piece gives far more realistic numbers; especially interesting are the figures for GDP per capita for those non-EU members, Norway and Switzerland.

They cannot survive alone in the globalised world, can they Mr President?

Until the next time

UPDATE

Here's the latest from the BBC on the Irish economy and Europe.

Double Standards Day

I'll begin with the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court.

Miss Sotomayor's story is akin to that of Miss Condoleeza Rice, a classic example of the American dream. From a very tough and poor background, she has risen high in the US judicial system, a tribute both to her hard work and dedication and to a society where such achievements are possible.

All well and good, but this does not in my view entitle her to spout rubbish. She said in 2001; "[A]wise Latina" with "richer life experiences" would reach a better decision in court than a white man." Now then suppose that I, who would be described in the US as a "white Caucasian male" were to opine that I, as said white male would reach better decisions than a black man? Imagine the row!

Double standard.

Next we have the tale of the rather unpleasant commercial supremo of Formula 1 motor racing Mr Bernie Ecclestone. Last week in an interview, Mr Ecclestone said he admired a dictatorial approach citing the example of Herr Adolf Hitler who, Mr Ecclestone said "got things done." The result of this politically inept statement was of course outrage despite the truth of the statement. As usual when political correctness raises its head, then truth of course has no relevance. Had Mr Ecclestone chosen Josef Stalin as his model I doubt that there would have been a fraction of the outrage - sadly - if any at all. Marshal Stalin certainly "got things done" and managed to murder many more people than did Herr Hitler - who incidentally was a great admirer of Stalin.

Double standard.

Finally I come to the British National Party, that recently won two seats in the European Parliament. I carry no torch for this shower which I consider to be rather repulsive on the whole.
Nevertheless, Mr Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP intends to challenge government attempts to exclude his party from various European Parliament activities. This article includes the following:

Under new guidelines, agreed by David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Griffin and Mr Brons will be isolated and kept at arms length from the world of officialdom and diplomatic socialising.

"Officials will not engage in any other contact with elected representatives of any nationality who represent extremist or racist views, unless specific permission has been granted to do so on a particular occasion," a government spokeswoman said.

The article also reports that unsurprisingly the two BNP MEPs were not invited to a champagne reception hosted by Baroness (Glenys) Kinnock, the wife of the famous windbag Neil (now Lord) Kinnock. Mr Griffin said he didn't care about this and described Baroness Kinnock as a "political prostitute" rather unparliamentary language but I had to smile. The Kinnocks have trousered a fortune thanks to their activities in Brussels.

Why double standards in this case? Simple: either you have democracy or you don't; I daresay that there is a variety of loonies and eccentrics who are members of the European Parliament - of course they are 'OK' because they are left wingers! The "great and the good" the so-called "liberal democratic consensus" cannot bear the fact that the electorate might choose to vote for individuals with whom they do not agree or of whom they disapprove, but of course they are always happy to say "we have a clear mandate" when it suits them. If the BNP is elected then its representatives should have access to all the things that are available to any other member of the parliament.

Until the next time.