I presume we're all in unanimous agreement that those £3 PB tories who helped elect Corbyn should be taken outside & shot?
I wasn't one of them - and was agnostic on whether it was worth doing. But in the end the £3 PB Tories (or any Tories come to that) had no impact on the outcome. That was already settled by the crazy decision to take pity on the old Lefties so they at least had an invite to the party. Except everyone seemed to have forgotten why they weren't invited before. Because they drink all the booze, grind fag ends into the carpet, piss in the front garden, whilst waving their todgers to the neighbours, shag your girlfriend on the sofa - and then set up a squat. The people who had forgotten that lesson from history are the ones who should be shot.
1. Funded by $400m from the Bank of Mosul, slavery, the sale of oil on the black market and the sale of cultural artifacts
I) No mention of private (and semi private) donations from countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia? Both allies who should be under some Western influence? In fact there's a list of over 40 countries financing ISIS apparently: https://www.rt.com/news/322305-isis-financed-40-countries/ II) Yes, oil sales - apart from donations the only 'renewable' source of funding for an organisation that has to continually pay its fighters.
2. Sale of oil to the black market. Unfortunately there are very evil people in the world and they don't all wave black flags
Quite. “Turkey has turned a blind eye to this and may continue to do so until they come under pressure from the West to close down oil black markets in the country's south.” Where there is buying and selling, somewhere that oil acquires legal status before it reaches the consumer. We need a crackdown so not a drop is bought from ISIS. What's the point of bombing them and buying oil from them at the same time? http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-10-01/who-buying-islamic-states-illegal-oil
3. Injured being treated in the field / in their camps
5. Press gangs, Arab militants, naive idiots from the West Quite, but they are getting to and from by being waved over the Turkish border with a nudge and a wink - and back the other way.
As for the naive idiots aspect, why are ISIS allowed to recruit with impunity on (US based) social networks? Whereas hours before the Paris attacks, an Anonymous-linked group called 'Report ISIS accounts' aimed at exposing accounts used by ISIS was removed by facebook and its administrators banned.
6. A lot of it is captured
And most of it is from complete interchangeability between ISIS, Nusra, and so-called 'moderate groups', hence ISIS now having US anti-tank missiles as well as endless fleets of US provided Toyota trucks. I hardly think they were captured. The moral being if you want to defeat an organisation, stop dolloping weapons all over the place.
But I guess, if you want, you can answer "the CIA" to all of the questions instead
Married couple who planned terror attack in London were arrested after asking for advice on Twitter about where to target, court hears.
LOL.
I actually have some affection for this type of terrorist.
So fecking stupid they couldn't possibly do any harm, except to them themselves. Like that suicide bomber in Yemen a few weeks back who blew his own bottom half off and stayed alive for a few minutes so everybody could point and laugh at him.
Married couple who planned terror attack in London were arrested after asking for advice on Twitter about where to target, court hears.
LOL.
I actually have some affection for this type of terrorist.
So fecking stupid they couldn't possibly do any harm, except to them themselves. Like that suicide bomber in Yemen a few weeks back who blew his own bottom half off and stayed alive for a few minutes so everybody could point and laugh at him.
Patrick O'Flynn @oflynnmep 3m3 minutes ago Monday's Corbyn doesn't back shoot-to-kill terrorists, Tuesday's does. Best hope that under a Lab govt any attacks come on a Tuesday then...
Married couple who planned terror attack in London were arrested after asking for advice on Twitter about where to target, court hears.
LOL.
I actually have some affection for this type of terrorist.
So fecking stupid they couldn't possibly do any harm, except to them themselves. Like that suicide bomber in Yemen a few weeks back who blew his own bottom half off and stayed alive for a few minutes so everybody could point and laugh at him.
To comprehend how bad Corbyn has been as leader is to picture the Hindenburg meets Chernobyl meets England's rugby team at the World Cup meets the Battle of Zama meets Tron 2.
Tron 2 made a large profit, is one of the best-looking films going, had a comprehensible plot, a lovely in-joke as Bridges riffed off the "Dude", and a good climax (bridges vs bridges on a bridge!). If it had sorted out the CGI recreation of 1980's Jeff Bridges instead of the uncanny valley version and made the boring bits less boring, it would have been much better... but even taking those bits into account it was never less than OK.
I've just realised I don't know how to end this jeremiad. So I'll
Married couple who planned terror attack in London were arrested after asking for advice on Twitter about where to target, court hears.
LOL.
I actually have some affection for this type of terrorist.
So fecking stupid they couldn't possibly do any harm, except to them themselves. Like that suicide bomber in Yemen a few weeks back who blew his own bottom half off and stayed alive for a few minutes so everybody could point and laugh at him.
Have you ever seen the film Four Lions?
No, what's it about?
Four incompetent Islamist Terrorists from Sheffield.
One of my favourite films. (One character in the film is like someone I know in real life)
I presume we're all in unanimous agreement that those £3 PB tories who helped elect Corbyn should be taken outside & shot?
I wasn't one of them - and was agnostic on whether it was worth doing. But in the end the £3 PB Tories (or any Tories come to that) had no impact on the outcome. That was already settled by the crazy decision to take pity on the old Lefties so they at least had an invite to the party. Except everyone seemed to have forgotten why they weren't invited before. Because they drink all the booze, grind fag ends into the carpet, piss in the front garden, whilst waving their todgers to the neighbours, shag your girlfriend on the sofa - and then set up a squat. The people who had forgotten that lesson from history are the ones who should be shot.
All the £3 Tories did was give Corbyn Labour party a £3 donation.
Married couple who planned terror attack in London were arrested after asking for advice on Twitter about where to target, court hears.
LOL.
I actually have some affection for this type of terrorist.
So fecking stupid they couldn't possibly do any harm, except to them themselves. Like that suicide bomber in Yemen a few weeks back who blew his own bottom half off and stayed alive for a few minutes so everybody could point and laugh at him.
Have you ever seen the film Four Lions?
No, what's it about?
Four incompetent Islamist Terrorists from Sheffield.
One of my favourite films. (One character in the film is like someone I know in real life)
Giles Dilnot @reporterboy 36s37 seconds ago Never in watching Commons proceedure have I seen the Lab front bench so isolated physically by numbers on it, or those sitting near it
If only NPxMP was NPMP2 then he'd be sitting on the front bench most likely.
If UKIP win in Oldham West it will get them back on the agenda, something they have singularly failed to do since the election and Nigel's "resignation" farce.
Good luck to them I say, and if I lived up there as a Tory voter, I would definitely be looking to vote UKIP to keep Labour out. Even if that meant Labour dumping Corbyn sooner rather than later. He is an extravagance that the nation cannot afford. A pacifist leader at a time of war. Any other Labour leader would be asking about defence tomorrow and why the government have cut defence spending so much in the last 6 years when the threat of terrorism and radical Islam has only increased in that time. Corbyn can't and the government get away with slashing our defence budget at the worst possible time.
Defence is the one area where we do need to say "fuck the deficit".
The sort of defence we need against terror is not numbers or cost based. More money might help if put in the right places. We need more intelligence and more special forces. By their nature, special forces are a rare breed and difficult to increase. We can however intensify the training and abilities of our regular light infantry forces.
If I were a Tory in Oldham I would stick to voting Tory. Politically we should be aiming to keep labour in their civil war, not encouraging them to see the light. I imagine a lot of Labour voters will staynat home, but they have been mode than happy to vote for a left wing MP in the past and a Corbyn sympathiser.
Well, folks, I decided to grow up. I will miss the antifrank name though - it's a part of my history.
Some years ago Nick Palmer, I think it was, asked who frank was and what you had against him. Or something to do with postage? I don't think we got an answer. Thinking about it maybe it's best to retain a degree of mystery.
Well, folks, I decided to grow up. I will miss the antifrank name though - it's a part of my history.
Some years ago Nick Palmer, I think it was, asked who frank was and what you had against him. Or something to do with postage? I don't think we got an answer. Thinking about it maybe it's best to retain a degree of mystery.
I presume we're all in unanimous agreement that those £3 PB tories who helped elect Corbyn should be taken outside & shot?
I wasn't one of them - and was agnostic on whether it was worth doing. But in the end the £3 PB Tories (or any Tories come to that) had no impact on the outcome. That was already settled by the crazy decision to take pity on the old Lefties so they at least had an invite to the party. Except everyone seemed to have forgotten why they weren't invited before. Because they drink all the booze, grind fag ends into the carpet, piss in the front garden, whilst waving their todgers to the neighbours, shag your girlfriend on the sofa - and then set up a squat. The people who had forgotten that lesson from history are the ones who should be shot.
All the £3 Tories did was give Corbyn Labour party a £3 donation.
Well, folks, I decided to grow up. I will miss the antifrank name though - it's a part of my history.
Hello Mr Meeks !
What happened to antifrank :O !?
Under the patio. Don't tell the authorities.
Why that name out of interest? Who was 'frank'?
The origin of my name was guessed once, by TSE - and, I think, by others privately. It has nothing to do with anyone or anything called Frank. It's derived from a term ("anti-franking") used in a technical and extremely dull aspect of my work - a joke against myself if you like.
Well, folks, I decided to grow up. I will miss the antifrank name though - it's a part of my history.
At least we no longer have to fear you meeting frank.
I suspect the tension that originally led to someone choosing such a handle for a political blog is unavoidably unresolvable and has a political dimension to it.
I'd go 1/2 that Frank is Alastair's Father.
Sorry Alastair
Quirky usernames bring out the amateur, armchair psychologist in me.
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
How did you change your username? I have tried to update mine but it is greyed out.
You have to apply to the site authorities, who can do it for you. I hesitate to start an avalanche of requests, so they aren't overwhelmed. I would guess that they would want to avoid having to do lots of frivolous name changes.
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Cameron has many faults, but when it comes to things like this, doing the formal occasions etc, he is exemplary. I never see him, like for instance Brown, and think he is embarrassment to Britain.
Well, folks, I decided to grow up. I will miss the antifrank name though - it's a part of my history.
Hello Mr Meeks !
What happened to antifrank :O !?
Under the patio. Don't tell the authorities.
Why that name out of interest? Who was 'frank'?
The origin of my name was guessed once, by TSE - and, I think, by others privately. It has nothing to do with anyone or anything called Frank. It's derived from a term ("anti-franking") used in a technical and extremely dull aspect of my work - a joke against myself if you like.
"Anti-franking" is a notoriously difficult technical/legal provision in pensions law. One looks up the definition of the verb "to frank" in a regular English dictionary in vain.
@jonwalker121: Ian Austin condemns people who say UK foreign policy has "increased, not diminished" threat to UK - he's quoting Corbyn's planned Sat speech
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
I find it appropriate and well said. I find most of Cameron's public utterances appropriate and well said. Pity there's more to being a PM.
Spiegel magazine has named the man arrested in Germany in connection with the Paris attacks as Kamal A, 29, and his two female companions as Lava M, 28, and Didem A, 32.
They were arrested after an employee at a local supermarket saw the group and believed she recognised the man as Salah Abdeslam, the suspected Paris attacker who is on the run, the magazine reported on its website. It is not currently clear whether the arrested man is Abdeslam using an alias or the arrests are a case of mistaken identity.
How did you change your username? I have tried to update mine but it is greyed out.
You have to apply to the site authorities, who can do it for you. I hesitate to start an avalanche of requests, so they aren't overwhelmed. I would guess that they would want to avoid having to do lots of frivolous name changes.
Nevermind then. It's merely the fact that I have moved house so am no longer "of the Vale"
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Cameron has many faults, but when it comes to things like this, doing the formal occasions etc, he is exemplary. I never see him, like for instance Brown, and think he is embarrassment to Britain.
I never thought of Brown as being an embarrassment to Britain: I don't think he was competent as Chancellor and I don't think he should have been Prime Minister, but I never doubted that he was an oddly sincere man trying his best at a profession he was ill-suited for (contrast to Corbyn, who *will* be an embarrassment if he gets elected)
But Cameron is very good at the ceremonial part of the job: on his good days as good as Blair, and more sincere.
@jonwalker121: Ian Austin condemns people who say UK foreign policy has "increased, not diminished" threat to UK - he's quoting Corbyn's planned Sat speech
He does? Iraq, Libya, Syria? Does anyone actually think that it hasn't increased it? I'm genuinely baffled.
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Cameron has many faults, but when it comes to things like this, doing the formal occasions etc, he is exemplary. I never see him, like for instance Brown, and think he is embarrassment to Britain.
I never thought of Brown as being an embarrassment to Britain: I don't think he was competent as Chancellor and I don't think he should have been Prime Minister, but I never doubted that he was an oddly sincere man trying his best at a profession he was ill-suited for (contrast to Corbyn, who *will* be an embarrassment if he gets elected)
But Cameron is very good at the ceremonial part of the job: on his good days as good as Blair, and more sincere.
I don't doubt Brown was trying /sincere, but he just ballsed up so many occasions. Corbyn on the other hand is worst of both worlds, he will balls stuff up and also has serious issues with fitting in with any "establishment" type stuff e.g Privy council.
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Cameron has many faults, but when it comes to things like this, doing the formal occasions etc, he is exemplary. I never see him, like for instance Brown, and think he is embarrassment to Britain.
I never thought of Brown as being an embarrassment to Britain
Not even when he was chasing Obama through the UN Building kitchens for a meeting?
"Anti-franking" is a notoriously difficult technical/legal provision in pensions law. One looks up the definition of the verb "to frank" in a regular English dictionary in vain.
How did you change your username? I have tried to update mine but it is greyed out.
You have to apply to the site authorities, who can do it for you. I hesitate to start an avalanche of requests, so they aren't overwhelmed. I would guess that they would want to avoid having to do lots of frivolous name changes.
Nevermind then. It's merely the fact that I have moved house so am no longer "of the Vale"
Presumably, if you don't live on the very watershed, you are still in some sense of a second Vale
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Nice message, terrible handwriting! Does that really say "solidaires"?
Makes me feel better about mine (the missus says I should have been a GP not a lawyer!)
Anecdotal I know, but I wouldn't be too sure about an Oldham defeat being fatal for Corbyn. I was speaking to a Corbynite friend the other day (yes, I do have one), and his comment on the possibility of defeat there was "funny things happen in by-elections".
That analysis might well be a delusion upon many other delusions but if typical then Oldham could easily be wafted away as an aberration. MPs might take a different view but they still won't move until the party can be relied on not to make the same mistake again.
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Cameron has many faults, but when it comes to things like this, doing the formal occasions etc, he is exemplary. I never see him, like for instance Brown, and think he is embarrassment to Britain.
I never thought of Brown as being an embarrassment to Britain
Not even when he was chasing Obama through the UN Building kitchens for a meeting?
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Nice message, terrible handwriting! Does that really say "solidaires"?
Makes me feel better about mine (the missus says I should have been a GP not a lawyer!)
Gordon Brown would have filled the entire book with marker pen scribble.
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
Cameron has many faults, but when it comes to things like this, doing the formal occasions etc, he is exemplary. I never see him, like for instance Brown, and think he is embarrassment to Britain.
I never thought of Brown as being an embarrassment to Britain
Not even when he was chasing Obama through the UN Building kitchens for a meeting?
Anecdotal I know, but I wouldn't be too sure about an Oldham defeat being fatal for Corbyn. I was speaking to a Corbynite friend the other day (yes, I do have one), and his comment on the possibility of defeat there was "funny things happen in by-elections".
That analysis might well be a delusion upon many other delusions but if typical then Oldham could easily be wafted away as an aberration. MPs might take a different view but they still won't move until the party can be relied on not to make the same mistake again.
Isn't it obvious? They'll blame the candidate for being too Blairite.
Anecdotal I know, but I wouldn't be too sure about an Oldham defeat being fatal for Corbyn. I was speaking to a Corbynite friend the other day (yes, I do have one), and his comment on the possibility of defeat there was "funny things happen in by-elections".
That analysis might well be a delusion upon many other delusions but if typical then Oldham could easily be wafted away as an aberration. MPs might take a different view but they still won't move until the party can be relied on not to make the same mistake again.
Meacher left a 15,000 vote majority (or 34% if you prefer)
One of the great myths about Britain today is that our island nation status somehow prevents the country being successfully infiltrated on a large scale.
Dair, are you talking in the abstract here? To me, the lack of English Channel refugee boat sinkings and the concentration on Calais indicated that our weak point, such as it was, were the various trains and especially lorries using that point of entry. Also, although illegal migration through Calais does come with a fatality rate, I'm not sure how that compares with the fatality rate one would expect from clandestine boat crossings, which I would imagine to be higher. I guess the lack of boat crossings may be reflective of a somewhat lower risk / reward balance for get out of France compared with, for instance, getting out of Libya.
The only figures I have been able to gauge are that Libya -> Italy boat journeys during 2015 have carried in the ball park of a 1.5-2% fatality risk to the individual per successful crossing.
My point was that the UK does not have effective control of its maritime borders. It's not even close and it's not even funny, given the claims made by the UK Government. The situation is so bad that the Scottish Government now has a superior patrol capability to the Royal Navy.
We are spending fortunes on pointless Aircraft Carriers with no aircraft, hugely expensive and pointless Type 45s and a unproven concept in Global Combat Ships.
Meanwhile the entire coast of the UK has armed protection from a grand total of THREE offshore patrol vessels.
Size of French army 115,000 including 8500 from paris fire brigade (wiki) UK army 83,000. So there only seems a small discrepancy In terms of front line fast jets the French will have about 100 more than us in 2019. The f35 and the aircraft carriers have a lot to answer for.
Comments
They can't win the seat, but they can influence the outcome.
I actually have some affection for this type of terrorist.
So fecking stupid they couldn't possibly do any harm, except to them themselves. Like that suicide bomber in Yemen a few weeks back who blew his own bottom half off and stayed alive for a few minutes so everybody could point and laugh at him.
#SaveJez.
EDIT Great minds....
Patrick O'Flynn @oflynnmep 3m3 minutes ago
Monday's Corbyn doesn't back shoot-to-kill terrorists, Tuesday's does. Best hope that under a Lab govt any attacks come on a Tuesday then...
I've just realised I don't know how to end this jeremiad. So I'll
One of my favourite films. (One character in the film is like someone I know in real life)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESOhN-SaH-s
*I saw Birdman last week. Was good. A bit too clever but still good.
"He is not fit to be our leader or in any serious position in this country," says shadow minister about Corbyn. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34844762 …
Giles Dilnot @reporterboy 36s37 seconds ago
Never in watching Commons proceedure have I seen the Lab front bench so isolated physically by numbers on it, or those sitting near it
If only NPxMP was NPMP2 then he'd be sitting on the front bench most likely.
What happened to antifrank :O !?
Never in watching Commons proceedure have I seen the Lab front bench so isolated physically by numbers on it, or those sitting near it
http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/11/hours-before-paris-exposing-isis-recruiters/#
If I were a Tory in Oldham I would stick to voting Tory. Politically we should be aiming to keep labour in their civil war, not encouraging them to see the light.
I imagine a lot of Labour voters will staynat home, but they have been mode than happy to vote for a left wing MP in the past and a Corbyn sympathiser.
https://twitter.com/MattChorley/status/666611217323204608
But they don't, and won't
And now he's going to be frank.
#Brexit https://t.co/uFeuDFswJc
I'd go 1/2 that Frank is Alastair's Father.
Sorry Alastair
Quirky usernames bring out the amateur, armchair psychologist in me.
"...The people of the United Kingdom stand with the French people in shock, sadness and grief. We fly the Tricolor as a symbol of solidarity, because we know our shared values - liberte, egalite, fraternite - will triumph over the evil found in Paris last week. Nous sommes solidaires avec vous. Nous sommes tous ensemble. David Cameron, November 2015..."
But they deserve it.
I put about 10 seconds thought into it, tbh. I'm not very creative under pressure.
IIRC, I was sitting in a Kathmandu cafe reading "the ascent of Rum Doodle" at the time.
https://www.pensions-pmi.org.uk/news-and-publications/pensions-terminology/?p=6
But Cameron is very good at the ceremonial part of the job: on his good days as good as Blair, and more sincere.
https://t.co/kU2SfScrkS https://t.co/Aefw20pE8n
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/6228290/How-did-Barack-Obama-and-Gordon-Brown-spend-15-minutes-in-a-kitchen.html
Makes me feel better about mine (the missus says I should have been a GP not a lawyer!)
That analysis might well be a delusion upon many other delusions but if typical then Oldham could easily be wafted away as an aberration. MPs might take a different view but they still won't move until the party can be relied on not to make the same mistake again.
We are spending fortunes on pointless Aircraft Carriers with no aircraft, hugely expensive and pointless Type 45s and a unproven concept in Global Combat Ships.
Meanwhile the entire coast of the UK has armed protection from a grand total of THREE offshore patrol vessels.
UK army 83,000. So there only seems a small discrepancy
In terms of front line fast jets the French will have about 100 more than us in 2019. The f35 and the aircraft carriers have a lot to answer for.