“That one can convince one’s opponents with printed reasons, I have not believed since the year 1764. It is not for that purpose that I have taken up my pen, but rather merely to annoy them, and to give strength and courage to those on our side, and to make it known to the others that they have not convinced us.”
G.C. Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799), courtesy of 'Deogolwulf'
4. Has just contributed to the massacre of 70,000 Brits in excess deaths, 60,000 of which occured in the three months of the first wave of Covid, 3 times the rate the Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe managed in any three month period in WWII.
Meanwhile, Norway's excess deaths fell during the same three month period, so much so the only industry Norway had to bail out was the funeral directors because not enough people were dying ...
5. Has 1.4 million staff, the 5th largest employer in the world after McDonald's, Walmart, the US DOD, and the Chinese Army, yet still doesn't have enough doctors and nurses. So Brits wait weeks to see a GP, months to see a consultant, and years to have an operation, and the Nightingale hospitals have to be dismantled because there are no doctors and nurses ...
When, oh when, will Blighty yield up a pol, just one pol, who's honest and courageous enough to tell the Brits the emperor has no clothes? That the NHS is broken by design, and failed in practice?
A mini-Auschwitz operating in plain view, like the BBC, another state failure, harbouring the celebrity paedophile Jimmy Saville in plain view for three decades.
The "R.I.H." in my title stands for 'Rest In Hell'! And I sincerely hope - alas, I don't 'do' praying! - that you share your space there with the late, and equally vile and treacherous, Kim Philby. Did both of these despicable traitors truly believe that Soviet Russia was the idealistic heaven the world was waiting for? That Stalin and his henchmen were the saviors of Mankind? If so, they were both as stupid and ignorant as they were treacherous!
Sweet Mother of God, I didn't think it possible to trump Liam Halligan's leftist blue socialist diatribe, but here it is from Tim Stanley. And remember, these two write for the Daily Telegraph, the broadsheet of the Right ...
I just vomited in mouth a little at the warm up ...
First, Brexit makes the argument for social democracy, and its construction, a little easier. Many Tories wanted to leave the EU as a means of reducing the size of the state; recall Mrs Thatcher’s warning at Bruges in 1988 that Britain hadn’t defeated socialism at home only to have it imposed from overseas. But Brexit in practice is so disruptive that it justifies more state intervention, not less. No-deal preparations hinged on the Government promising to subsidise affected industries, and a mix of Covid cash and redevelopment money might soften the blow of compromises made in the trade deal for fishing towns.
Then this ...
State aid played a big role in the talks because the economy is changing and the UK wants the flexibility to support emerging industries (the plan seems to be to turn the Highlands into Cape Canaveral). Remainers were also wrong when they presupposed that liberation from regulatory alignment would mean Britain will weaken its rules: to assuage those very fears, the Tories are talking about strengthening them, starting with animal welfare. The tone of our politics is shifting to the centre‑Left, towards themes of solidarity and investment, and Boris Johnson won his majority because he moved with it, offering a brand of patriotic social democracy that isn’t a million miles from Old Labour.
"The plan seems to be to turn the Highlands into Cape Canaveral?" WTF is he talking about? Who's going to be in charge, Dido Harding? Would you get into a rocket designed and built by Dido Harding?
The "tone of our politics is shifting to the centre-Left", "solidarity and investment" comrade, mixed with a "brand of patriotic social democracy", like a blend of Old Labour and fascism.
And then the absolutely clear admission of the exact benefit of Maggie's Single Market, Four Freedoms, and State Aid rules, with the ECJ as judge and jury: The constitutional gap filler against rampant statism, collectivisation, socialism, and ludicrous "popular will" that have destroyed states the world over throughout history ...
New Labour’s gamble that Europe would quietly impose social reform that English voters might otherwise stonewall was naive; in a series of essays for the London Review of Books, Perry Anderson has built the case for the opposite. Among the revelations is that the founding judges on the European Court of Justice included fascist collaborators, that the ECJ’s landmark case asserting the supremacy of European law was in protest at an act of nationalisation, and that the court has ruled against the interests of trade unions. The effect of “constitutionalising… issues like the permissibility of state aid”, writes Anderson, has been to protect judicial decrees “against any ordinary exercise of the popular will”, a legal barrier to democratic socialism.
And I said this 5 years ago, as y'all know, bloody plagiarist Stanley - Sue Grabbit & Runne have been informed ...
Secondly, just as Brexit is a chance for Britain to become more like Britain, it could help Labour rediscover itself.
As BoJo starts the decline, old Labour will complete the fall ...
But the referendum summoned ghosts of a time when Labour MPs were pro-world and romantically in love with their own country. As Peter Shore said in that famous Oxford debate of 1975, the pro-Common Market position was a vote against Britain’s ability to run itself.
"The pro-Common Market position was a vote against Britain's ability to run itself". Well there it is, what I've been saying for 5 years (Sue Grabbit & Runne better accept "no-win-no-fee" terms on this one). That's why every poll since Theresa May took charge has been pro-Remain: The Brit people can see they've been conned and made a horrible mistake, the rotten political class is worse than it was when Blighty joined the EU.
But so much for Tim Stanley's "popular will" now though, eh? The chance for the Brit peeps to enact their will and swallow their pride - no chance. Now the Brexiteers have conned their way past the Brit peeps there's no more "popular will" allowed.
Like the German election of 1933, once in there's no more elections.
Liam Halligan logs the whole money tree forest in one fell swoop. Do you think he's running for parliament in the next election?
As follows: -
Levelling up, eh? ...
Average annual earnings are 30pc higher in London than the UK average, and 50pc above those in the North East. GDP per head in the UK’s 90th income percentile region is 2.25 times higher than the 10th percentile part of the country, compared with 1.7 times in the US and 1.6 in France. On this standard regional inequality measure, Britain is the most imbalanced developed nation on earth.
A half-baked argument that hides two inner inconvenient truths.
Firstly, America achieves comparatively low regional disparity by the purest of Thatcherite doctrines: Norman Tebbit's "On yer bike!" principle. Look at the regional populations of the states ...
Many are simply empty if there's no productive base. Americans don't expect handouts to stay put. If there's no work they hitch up their trailer if they're working class or fly coast to coast if they're middle class, and go where the jobs are. The best leveller-upper known to economics: mobility of labour.
Also, looking at the regional income disparity between US states, one wonders if Liam is telling porkies about America's imbalances being less than Blighty's? ...
One heck of a spread. New York second from the top at $85k per person, Arkie at fiftieth on $42k. But do we see JK with his begging bowl out and shoved under the swamp's nose? Liam doesn't publish his figures for claiming that Blighty is the "most imbalanced developed nation on earth", so we don't know.
But accepting Liam's claim that the US is less imbalanced than Blighty, he should be endorsing "On yer bike!" Thatcherite labour mobility to match the American solution he himself quotes!
Secondly, France. Who wants to be like France, FFS!? Well, only a died in the wool blue socialist would want the state at 60% of GDP, feeding off the deficit teat of German debt worthiness. QED on Halligan and the Johnsonite Tory party's political colours.
I mean, did Blighty do Brexit to be more like France? How extraordinary: Brexiteers voted to leave the EU states in order to become more like the EU states!
And remember, we aren't feeding off the deficit teat of German debt worthiness. Our limit before the market turns on Blighty's debt is considerably lower than France in the Euro system. Blighty's magic money forest is not augmented by Teutonic budget surpluses.
In Stuart Sweeney's book "The Europe illusion", he illuminates the contribution to faith in socialism that was made in the 1945-75 era by the Marshall plan. Blighty took 25% of the cash, more than Germany and France! The latter day magic money forest got a boost, fuelling expectation that the state was the infinite be-all-and-end-all of free consumption and investment.
But at least the Marshall Plan boost was real! In exchange for handing over Blighty's empire, Uncle Sam gifted Blighty with a massive dollop of wonga - and unwittingly fueled faith in socialism in his "special relationship" pal. Brexit Blighty has no equivalent to France's Teutonic underwriter or the Yank backhander of yesteryear.
But then Liam opines ...
But can this Johnson government afford it? ...
The Government borrowed £285bn between April and November, three times the previous nine-month record. With new restrictions set to remain in place until spring, after mass vaccination, borrowing could soar well over £400bn during the 2020/21 fiscal year. Since April, VAT receipts are 42pc down on the same period in 2019, while furloughing, benefits payments and business support grants mean spending is 39pc up.
UK government expenditure has risen more as a share of GDP than any other large European economy.
Well if Blighty can't afford the state spending splurge he just espoused, why go on about it?! In fairness to Halligan a half decent socialist would simply have missed out the affordability to avoid the risk of appearing incoherent. So Liam just goes straight for incoherence!
Then this ...
In tackling this policy conundrum, ministers should remember that how money is spent can be even more important than how much.
Sweet Mother of God! How is it possible that someone can still believe that politicians are some kind of Bill Gates, Alan Sugar, or Richard Branson: super-CEO's filtered up as winners through and through the operational Olympics of the independent sector to the medals podium? The pols and their acolytes in the civil service, public sector, and welfare state haven't run so much as a ruddy whelkstall in the free market, let alone bestrode the podium! Yet Liam thinks a quick word of reminder from him, "Do it right, alright", and all will be well. F. F. S. !!! No pol, ever in human history, has ever outperformed the operational Olympics of the independent market sector for the money. They will never "Do it right, alright", otherwise we'd all be celebrating Venezuela, the former Soviet Union and Ost Bloc, or North Korea. Somewhere there'd be some state whose pols had got on the podium with the super-CEO's, but there are none!
And then, bursting with re-envigorated "You don't wanna do it like that, you wanna do it like this" energy ...
... Liam decides he knows how to "back winners", and lays on thick his own "How to do it right, alright" ...
The Midlands and North, in particular, suffer from ghastly bus and train links. So, finally scrap – or at least put on ice – the vastly overpriced HS2 North-South super train and upgrade local commuter services into cities like Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.
As working patterns change post-Covid, they’ll continue to be used far more than intercity routes.
Build better links between our big Northern cities – revamping the West-East trans-Pennine line, from Liverpool to Newcastle and Hull, creating a growth centre to rival London and the South East.
Widen Manchester’s “Castlefield corridor”, a mile-long train bottleneck that has blighted the Northern capital for decades. The vital Birmingham to Coventry corridor could be similarly eased, cheaply addressing capacity constraints that have long held back the UK’s second city.
And how about finally electrifying the rail network across the North and Midlands, much of which still relies on slow, infrequent diesel trains, many using rolling stock made from converted bus carriages?
The second thing is to more obviously align Brexit with levelling up. Outside the EU, the UK regains control over billions of pounds of “cohesion fund” spending, which can tackle regional inequalities. Free of Brussels’ state aid rules, government can back industries of the future, not least artificial intelligence and biotech.
Did Harry Enfield's character ever have such a real world instantiation as Liam and the army of blue socialists now upon us?
Then he begins the round off with a drop in tax, as if yet another magic money forest had sprouted from the earth ...
We need to hear much more about freeports and enterprise zones, low-tax jurisdictions bringing investment and prosperity to deprived areas – again, only possible outside the EU. And what about research and development tax credits and other post-Brexit regulatory tweaks, again with a regional focus?
Btw, if freeports are so great, why not make the whole of Blighty a freeport? Why not do the full Singapore-on-Thames and get GDP per capita up to $65k across the board ...
The finale being an "all things to all men" flourish of incoherence ...
Finally, ministers need to emphasise that genuine, sustainable growth is driven, above all, by the private sector.
Infrastructure projects, while seeded by central government, should be largely financed by commercial infrastructure bonds. High-speed broadband rollout is vital – and again, private sector players have a huge part to play. More housebuilding is vital too, not least social housing – once more, harnessing both private and public sector funding.
While levelling up costs money, the emphasis must be on tax breaks and vigorous supply-side reform.
And what if the private sector tells you to stick your blue socialist French model up your arse and does a runner, Liam?
What are you gonna do then?
Hand over to the Labour party and the true red socialists to finish the job, that's what you're gonna do, Liam.
Just like the 1970's, but it's ok, I won't say I've been telling you so since June 23rd 2016.
At last, at last, just as I was worrying that I might die before my country regained its independence, we managed to break free! For me, it truly is the very best Xmas gift I could wish for! No more of those snooty, Brit-hating French telling us what to do, or those haughty Germans telling us what we must not do! After what seems like forever, we are free again! Yes, of course, we will almost certainly make 'a pig's ear' of it because that is the traditional British way - just check our exceedingly chequered history! But, they will be our mistakes, our errors and now we will be free to correct them through the Parliamentary system which we developed on our own to suit ourselves. Positively, the very best political Xmas present I have ever received, apart from the German surrender 10 days before my Birthday in 1945!
Finally, my very best wishes to you all and I hope you enjoy an excellent Christmas!
So Brexit Blighty has got its new names from the world's media: "Plague Island", and "The Dirty Man of Europe". ("The Dirty Man of Europe" is actually an old name from 1975 when Blighty joined the EU, our beaches were so filthy and our air pollution so rancid after 30 post-war years of Westminster being in charge, hence the name was coined. Back to the 70's eh? It's ok, I won't say I told you so) ...
For those outside the DT's paywall, here's the gist ...
The Spanish newspaper, ABC, tied Britain's isolation to Brexit. France also jumped on this bandwagon; a piece in Le Figaro said: "Ten days from Brexit the UK has effectively been cut off from Europe ... in a disastrous foretaste of what could happen with the scheduled divorce of 31 December."
Likewise, a headline in regional newspaper Sud Ouest read: 'Cut off from the world, the UK fears chaos'. And, on the French radio station, France Info, one journalist said Britain's isolation "is concentrating British minds on the consequence
And by George and all the Saints, here's the Graun actually criticizing Blighty's state, out of whose arse the sun normally shines ...
No paywall on the Graun, you can read the damning truth of Brexit Blighty garnered from the world's media in that article.
Where to go? What to do? Well good old Gibraltar looks like it's been smelling the coffee since 23rd June 2016, and a prosperous and free future for its citizens is just a few negotiation days away - while the rest of Blighty sinks into oblivion ...
They're joining the Schengen zone, so they don't have to show their passports at the border or get a visa, they can move freely into Spain and Europe's leading states. Freedom and prosperity in one hit, what we used to have ...
Spanish newspaper El País reported on Tuesday that Gibraltar and Spain are close to a deal that would allow for free movement across the border, with Gibraltar entering the Schengen space.
Ironically, the change forced by Brexit would bring Gibraltar closer to the EU than ever, with UK visitors still required to show their passports on arrival in the territory, while anyone crossing from Spain into Gibraltar or vice versa would walk through an open border.
How long before the rest of Blighty falls apart: Northern Ireland folding into the Republic of Ireland, and Scotland joining the EU directly?
When her Maj asked, "Give me three reasons why Blighty shouldn't do Brexit?", I replied, "The prosperity of Blighty, the unity of Blighty, and peace in Blighty".
It helps that the news is so depressingly repetitive that I don't really read or watch it anymore. The Memsahib and I stay at home as much as possible and confine ourselves to peeping through the curtains from time to time to confirm the world is still 'out there'! Of course, Boris continues to suffer non-stop 'incoming' and no doubt he has committed many an error but would any other politician do any better? Imagine if 'Jezza' and his Marxist fanatics had been in charge - "Oh the horror, the horror"!
It is some slight comfort that Xmas is almost here to lighten the gloom. However, what I fear is next year. We still have a couple of months of winter to get through and then, although the weather will begin to improve, nothing much else will! That's when the wailing and the shrieking will reach new heights.
In the meantime, keep safe and well, my many e-friends, where-ever you are.
I apologise for my absence and, of course, it was not SoD's fault at all, In fact, he has been an absolute diamond in making all the arrangements, legal and religious for the funeral of the late 'Auntie Babs'. He's a cracking good lad and I am exceedingly grateful.
Of course, what with all that plus this bloody 'Covid-thingie' I confess I am not particularly up to date with all those "Events, dear boy, events!" The only thing that is manifestly clear is that next year is going to be sheer, unmitigated hell! Mind you, we need to remind ourselves that we have been through sundry hells, many a time and oft', and we always stagger out of it eventually - just in time for the next one!
Over this coming weekend I promise to try and catch up with politics, local and international, and offer you my opinion - "a poor thing, Sir, but mine own!" Mind you, I am being dragged out tomorrow at the crack of dawn to assist the 'Memsahib' in her final Xmas shop. Such fun!
Well done, Boris, you have led us to the very edge of true independence from the EU. All you have to do now is step off the edge and pray the 'chute opens! Needless to say, the Euro fanatics in Brussels will do all they can to ensure that it does not but we have faced off an intensely hostile Europe 'many a time and oft' in our history, so nothing new there! If, as they probably will, things become a tad rough, just console yourselves with the thought that the insufferable, jumped-up midget who runs France will no longer have any direct say in our affairs.
I never thought that we would escape but the door to freedom is about to open!
I think I mentioned earlier that we have suffered a death in our family - no, not me! - and that has caused 'SoD' to drop everything and rush down here with his lovely lady. He is, of course, 'Mr. Organisation Man' and I thank God for it because I am utterly useless! Anyway, life is a tad complicated right now but as soon as possible normal service will be resumed.
Alas, the death has been announced of one of my boyhood heroes, Chuck Yeager, the first man to 'break the sound barrier'. As a 'nipper', I was fascinated by high speed planes and the race for one of them to travel faster than the speed of sound. As The Telegraph puts it in its obit of this courageous man:
A B-29 bomber carried the X-1 26,000 feet (7,925 m) over California's Mojave Desert and let it go. Neither Yeager nor aviation engineers knew if the plane - or the pilot - would be able to handle the unprecedented speed without breaking up. But Yeager took the 31-foot X-1, powered by liquid oxygen and alcohol, to Mach 1.06, about 700 mph at 43,000 feet, as if it were a routine flight.
Later, I was 'gutted' to witness the death of another of my heroes, John Derry, the de Havilland test pilot, whose aircraft disintegrated after he broke the sound barrier at the Farnborough Air Show. Truly brave men, all of them.
If my memory serves, which alas, it frequently does not these days, I think that recently I moaned that I had lost interest in reading - which to me is the equivalent of losing a leg - or two! Thus, I am delighted to inform you - because I know how y'all worry about me! - that this afternoon I picked up a book and restarted reading again!
I would dearly love to tell you that it was a magnificent but deeply complex classic on philosophy but, alas, it was the exact opposite. It was the latest Jack Reacher thriller written by that brilliant - and British! - scribbler, Jim Grant a.k.a. Lee Child. Nobody does 'crash-bang-wallop' thrillers better than him.
The Australian army is a magnificent fighting force admired and respected world-wide. It is, therefor, an even more bitter blow that their reputation has been besmirched by the activities of some out-of-control idiots - and criminals! - in a sub-section of their Special Forces. Obviously, the main victims were those who were shot in cold blood but the subsidiary victims of those crimes are the honourable soldiers who took no part in the illegal killings but who have now been sullied by the incident.
We in Britain have suffered similar humiliations. The reputation of my own Regiment, of which I am inordinately proud, has been similarly besmirched from time to time by the rash actions of some individuals in various scenarios. Even so, those of us who were not thereshould hesitate before delivering judgments. Members of both our Parachute Regiment and the Australian SAS are hand-picked for their natural (some might say 'un-natural'!) belligerence which in a war can be exceedingly useful. Alas, so many of the operations required of them these days take place in civil situations falling short of outright war which leaves them subject to all and sundry to voice their opinions of the right and wrongs of their actions.
I hope and trust that the Australian authorities will act with care!
That means, of course, that my postings here may become even more erratic over the next few days! Alas, his visit has coincided with the death nearby of an exceedingly elderly lady who was, sort of, family. Don't ask me to explain "sort of family", it's all somewhat complicated and totally tedious! However, the fact is that 'SoD' was very fond of her and is thus very upset.
I have never quite believed that a Brexit deal would be struck and judging by today's headlines the chances are now vanishingly tiny. Frankly, I will be delighted because I just know - don't ask me how?! - that any deal agreed to by mini-Macron and his ilk would be bad for Britain. They always have been and always will be! Assuming Boris doesn't 'lose his bottle' it could be all over by the New Year. Yes, "there may be troubles ahead" but Boris should bear in mind that they will be nothing compared to the 'scheisse-feste' that will descend on his blonde head if he keeps us inside that European farrago!
Needless to say, as a lover of irony, I will be delighted to toast our escape with a glass or three of the finest French champagne!
Any nation existing for centuries between Russia and Germany is bound to develop an ingrained awkward streak. Such a characteristic is essential lest it be 'squidged' into non-existence. Poland is the perfect example, as the dim, dumb European hegemony is becoming aware as it tries to inflict its bullying ways on what it thinks are its vassal states. Big mistake when it comes to 'plucky, little Poland'! Apparently the Brussels mafia is attempting to claim the right to financially penalise any EU member state who fails to abide by EU standards. Who decides what these 'standards' are, why, the Brussels apparat, of course!
Is there anyone in Britain who fails to be grateful to the majority of British 'Peeps' who had the intelligence and the guts to vote to walk out of that evil hegemony? God knows, we have made some colossal errors in our history but from time to time we get things right. Jolly good show!
Just skipped over, "move along, nothing to see here". Guess we'll never know if it was gaff, volte face, or contradiction, that's the price you pay for having a lamestream media at best, leftist propaganda broadcasters at worst, and everything in between.
I get the feeling we're gonna have some quality gaffing from Joe "America First" Biden over the coming years, might even knock this old "Ooops, what a give away!" gem off gold place on the podium! ...
This damned 'Covid-thingie' is going to take a lot of nations to the edge of political and economic disaster! Perhaps the biggest bloc of people at risk are those inside the European dis-Union. This puffed-up farce of a 'Union' has never been convincing except to the idealistic dupes who dreamed it up and the blood-suckers who live off it. It never was a true union, just a German racket and a French illusion! Now, this pandemic, and the economic catastrophe that will accompany it, will be rather like one of those monstrous storms that hit islands in the Gulf of Mexico so regularly. It will be doubly unfortunate that this will occur just as we British tip our hats and bid them adieu and auf wiederSehen! They truly never believed that we Brits would leave which tells you all you need to know about their ignorance of British history. In my 81 years of life, two events stand out for me as proud epitomes of the British character - declaring war against Hitler and leaving the EU. Both were at the express behest of the British people, not just their leaders.
Sorry, sorry, sorry to have gone on 'the missing list' - again! - but the reason I have said nothing for so long is because I had nothing to say! And yes, I do know that in certain quarters that situation will have been welcomed. Also, by way of warning, I should make clear that I do not have that much to say now! Well, I mean, what is there to say in this tedious, boring-snoring world? The only light entertainment is to watch Boris and his gang emulate the clowns normally to be seen at the various travelling circuses that tour the country this time of the year. Is there anyone outside of the Tory party who finds Boris even slightly credible as a national leader? The man is a stuttering, stammering buffoon who makes Donald Trump look like a World Leader!
Alas, I must finish this monologue of doom 'n' gloom with an even more worrying thought - the worst is yet to come! The damage inflicted on our economy, and eventually on our society, is going to be cataclysmic. It will test our civic structures to the very limit. Will we stand the test? Alas, I can't pray, all I can do is hope! If history is any guide then I think we will stagger through it but it could be tough going!
And, yes, I do know that 'it's being so cheerful as keeps me so young'!
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