The Sunday Rumble: 28.8.16

The irony is simply too, too delicious:   As Booker explains in The Telegraph, with a fairly straight face, three of the 'managing board' of the EU met last week on the island of Ventotene off the Italian coast to try and work out what the E(dis)U is to do in the face of Brexit.  Ventotene was once a prison in which one of the main founders of the E(dis)U, a certain Altiero Spinelli, was once imprisoned by Mussolini.  This gentleman drew up a master plan for the formation of a New Europe which was to be kept secret until the last moment when it was near completion and could be revealed to the people of Europe.  Post war, he worked closely with Jean Monnet and such was his influence on the development of the Europe we know today that the main office block housing the European parliament is called the Altieri Spinelli Building.  What is kept very discretely in the background - you would never hear mention of it via the BBC! - is that Spinelli was and remained all his life a rabid communist.  It is also indicative of the, er, 'democratic' nature of the E(dis)U that only three European leaders were invited to this meeting to decide future plans - well, I mean, who gives a toss what the Greeks think! - the Kaiserin, of course, and her French poodle, Presidente (soon to be ex-Presidente!) Hollande and Matteo Renzi, the Italian PM of the next European country to go bust who actually owns the wretched little Island.  Not very democratic?  Well, that's how they do things 'just over there'!  (Cue: incoming 'SoD' - take cover!)

 

By Jove, Winnie, that's the way to go to war:   I was amused at the review of a book on Winston Churchill recently reviewed in The Mail.  It concentrates on the time after Gallipoli when he was forced to resign.  Rather than lurk about on the backbenches he volunteered for service on the Western front.  The officers and men of the Royal Scots Fusiliers must have been a bit bemused when he "arrived mounted on a black charger, followed by a gun carriage laden with his belongings — among them a full-sized bath and a boiler to heat the water."  He also ensured that his wife kept him well supplied with at least three bottles of brandy every ten days.  Despite all that, Churchill never shirked going into 'no man's land' which he did on at least 38 different occasions.  Worth reading the entire review.

 

Sorry, sorry but it is a holiday weekend:   Yes, I know, I am a dismal failure but I have been somewhat occupied today.  I shall make up for it tomorrow with my Monday Funnies which I can promise you will reach new depths heights!

 

No more rumbles today

 

Comments

[Loz]

The incoming landed on the other thread below. Feel free to copy paste it up here as it chimes as well with your rumble above.

Have you read it yet? It's only 40 pages ffs, I've re-read it in the time between it hitting your doormat and now (while doing a full time job)!

Here's a quote to spur you on: from Sir John Byng, commander of the wooden tops and designated winner of the battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Boot, to Sir John Colborne, the actual winner of the battle of Waterloo: -

"How do you fellows like our getting the credit of doing what you did at Waterloo? I could not advance when I did because all our ammunition was gone."

SoD

[Loz]

Here we go ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cabinet-and-the-civil-service-told-to-make-a-success-of-brexit-a7213806.html

The Brexiteers split into the Judean People's Front, the People's Front of Judea, and The Popular Front (our favourite, "he's over there"), and everyone's not even back from holiday yet.

By the time the Tory party has finished with itself over this, Corbyn's labour will look so much better it'll be running the show.

SoD

[Whitewall]

"A master plan for Europe". The Frankfurt School all over again? What to do about Brexit? Copy it.

[TheBigHenry]

"..., he was very different to the Winston Churchill we know today"

He was "different to"? Is this proper English at The Mail?

[Loz]

18.5 billion - and rising - reasons why the EU and the Euro aren't going to disappear any time soon: -

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ed0a3b4a-69e5-11e6-a0b1-d87a9fea034f.html#axzz4Ie1AAdak

SoD

[TheBigHenry]

SoD,

Name one :)

[Andra]

Not much of a rumble. More like a low moan.

[Doonhamer]

A little island off Italy was not safe enough. They had to meet on a ship just off the little island.
What's the betting that no poor suffering refugee children were allowed anywhere near this ship?

[Whitewall]

"A dismal failure"? David, there is nothing dismal about you....