CoffeeHousers' Wall, 3 November - 9 November

ChrisD

How about touching on the Quentin Davies attack on the commanders actually on the front line in a blatantly political attempt to cover his own government's short comings.
It was the most cynical and disgusting attempt to try and undermine the very soldiers who have to work with what they are given, not what they would like to have.
Its always worse watching this government deliberately spin and undermine anyone who disagrees with its message, when they are even less able to defend themselves because of the strictures placed them to remain loyal to this incompetent government. Brown didn't even think that the MOD was worthy of full time Minister in charge for long enough.

The lack of comment or rebuttal from the media and the opposition this weekend has been pretty sad to behold, especially with remembrance day looming.

Quentin talked about commanders choosing the wrong equipment for the daily tasks out there, as if there was an array of top notch choices provided now and they therefore must take the blame.

What he didn't mention was the fact that they don't have any choice but to use the Hercules and Nimrod, even with the safety concerns are were well documented.
Also the lack of helicopters meant a reliance on the snatch vehicle which should have been replaced ages ago with something much more sturdy to help withstand roadside mines.

Its one of the worst examples yet of this government's total dishonesty and lack of scruples when it comes to undermining those that speak out against them when all other avenues fail.

Wily Trout

Did anyone see the CNN report last week about the difficulties they encounter when trying to report in London? They set up a camera and were approached by the police. They showed their press cards and the police went away, only to be replaced by two bods in day-glo jackets, presumably from the Council, querying the Health & Safety issues of 'operating a tripod'...the CNN reporters were not impressed and went on to give a fairly depressing view of civil liberties in the UK. I don't think we see ourselves here in England quite as others see us these days.

mac

ChrisD: spot on. Disgraceful comments from a vain charlatan.

A first from Oxford, ex-FCO, ex-merchant banker and even a Spectator award as 'backbencher of the year': Davies has fooled a lot of people for a very long time.

I hope his diary includes an early visit to Stirling Lines . . .

mac

So, some local councils want staff to avoid using Latin terms:

The BBC's report (at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7705922.stm)
notes that the Plain English Campaign's spokesman "said the ban might stop people confusing the Latin abbreviation e.g. with the word "egg"".

Whaaat?!

Could these be the same people who have profited from 'education, education, education' since 1997?

Here's something else for Balls, Harman et al (sorry, make that 'others of similar view') to get their dogmatic, dumbing-down, 'progressive' teeth into - In the name of fairness and further improving such tractor statistics as government published SATS, GCSE and A level pass rates, let's legislate out of existence all words with more than 4 letters except, of course, for 'innit', 'dunno', 'wicked' and all longer words related to the benefits system and assorted civic rights (as in "it's my right", and " I want compensation now").

Simon Richards

Armed Forces Day is to be 27th June. I am quite sure that this date has been very carefully selected to coincide with the 2nd anniversary of the Glorious Leader's coronation. Then any good news stories emerging from the celebration of the hard work, bravery and dedication of the Forces can be conflated with the anniversary of the worst prime minister ever.

I only spotted the date because it is my birthday. Gordon's rise to power was the worst 50th birthday present I could have ever had.

Can we petition to get the Armed Forces Day moved so that no-one can make any political capital out of it?

Augustus

People love to knock the European Parliament, but on this occasion, credit where it's due. It has just recently done something splendid. To Beijing's fury it has awarded its prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Hu Jia, the human rights activist who was jailed this April for three and a half years by the Chinese authorities. Among his many 'crimes' is speaking out on the danger of Aids (a matter supposed to be a 'state secret'), campaigning against environmental damage and local government abuses, and passing on the details to foreign journalists.

The MEPs' decision does more than just recognise the bravery of one individual, however. It also calls attention to the systematic abuse of human rights; to the countless Chinese who lanquish in labour camps; to the way developers are allowed simply to force millions from their homes without compensation; and to the fact that more people are killed under Chinese justice than anywhere else. It also expresses disgust at the way Beijing casually broke its promise it made as a precondition of being awarded the 2008 Olympics - to show greater respect for human rights. While we in the West are far too busy doing business deals with Beijing, and trying to avoid upsetting it, three cheers for the MEPs for doing the right thing.

Anglica

But, Augustus doesn't the euSSR systematically abuse human rights? - ---

Isn't everything about them the very stuff of hypocrisy?

Paul B

Putting aside for a moment,over who should win , who will win, whom I want to win, I can only gape with opened jawed amazement, wonderment and admiration at the quite superb American Democratic system. These two men have been hard on the stump for at least 18 months -trying to convince citizens that they are the person deserving of their vote. They have had win the right to stand as the candiate in the primaries, now right up to the last moment they have both trekking around the US in a last ditch attempt to hoover up every last single vote. They have both imo- especially McCain on the first point- shown good humour, manners and respect. Obama`s Grandmother has died, it cannot be easy for him, but he deports himself with the innate charm & dignity that is part of the character of many Americans I have had the privelege of knowing.

The USA is a truly awe inspiring country in my book and I raise my hat to Uncle Sam.

I know that whoever wins tonight, is man that I can respect and he has truly earned the right to the Presidential seal.

Congratulation to both men & to the people of the USA for being a shining beacon for the rest of the world to look up to

Verity

I don't know, obviously, but this sounds like David Bowie singing, and it's certainly very professionally produced. The back-up is also clearly done by people with a lot of experience in the music industry. This is the best anti-BBC ad or commercial I have ever seen and deserves to go viral.

http://uk.youtube.com/user/Doitmyselfagain

Turn it up!

Aidan

Have you seen the news story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7708411.stm. DEFRA have issued a 26-page booklet advising cat owners on how to provide intellectual stimulation for their pets. Does Hilary Benn have nothing better to do?

Verity

As you will have gathered, I'm not intersted in rock music and didn't realise that the song in the anti-BBC snip wasn't written for the spot. But wouldn't they have had to get David Bowie's permission to use his voice on such a strong political message.

As far as I'm concerned, the mystery of who's behind it deepens. Too bad they misspelled 'sponsored', though.

Augustus

m'Dear Anglica, I totally agree with you about the EU generally. A confederation of puffed-up bureaucrats desperately striving to create a European political super-state out of an ever-increasing group of culturally diverse nations. I once voted for economic unity only to despair, as so many others have done, in seeing it develop into a political and constitutional nightmare of socialist rules and regulations, and a melting pot into which all manner of outsiders come unhindered together with their strange ways and customs. The nation state is to be dismantled for the convenience and self-interest of a left-wing bureacratic elite. what the next fifty years will bring I dare not imagine. But in terms of the Sakharov Prize, I could see something positive, a relinquishing of self-interest in favour of thumbing noses at almighty China and its continued human rights abuses. The more they are shown up for what they are, the better.

Brian in Brazil

Aidan (Nov 4 at 2:54 pm)

Can’t get through to your BBC link but the Mail Online has the story, complete with a brief outline of the ministerial instructions to dog owners.

We have four dogs. One of them eats at the table with us, because she feeds better that way. She is smaller than the others and she feels intimidated by them when they all feed together. Hilary Benn’s instruction manual, as reported in the Mail, tells us that eating at the table is liable to make her bark more. Is this what happens? No. None of the four bark very much at all and this little one barks even less than the others. This observation on its own is sufficient proof, I’d say, that the people who wrote the imbecilic instruction manual know very little indeed about dogs.

Hilary Benn also hints at the dire consequences of walking a dog “in the hot part of the day” (again, according to the Mail version), whatever that’s supposed to mean. We live in the tropics where it’s hot all the time, winter and summer, morning noon and night. But I'm not going to stop walking my dogs. At least they’re safe here from the incompetent bungler Hilary Benn and his crackpot gang of dog enforcers.

Anand the Cat

Brian in Brazil - Hillary's barking mad.

Also, I note that he didn't try to dictate about cats. What's the matter, Hillary? Ailurophobe tendencies?

We have laws against that in this country, my old mate.

Brian in Brazil

Anand the Cat

Ah but he did, didn't he? Dictate about cats, I mean. The ministerial instruction manual lays down pretty strict rules, I gather, about weight-watching for felines.

Anand The Cat

Well, Brian in Brazil, he did seem, very properly and in accord with the ways of the universe, to have indicated that cats should be catered to - barring becoming fat, which is the privilege of the women in the British Cabinet and theirs alone.

Cats should be positively encouraged to sleep up on beds, even if it means dislodging their food provider from a pillow.

Cats add as much to any environment by their presence as Gordon Brown or any broad-beamed lady Cabinet entity add charisma to a room by leaving it.

James

Verity - any comment from you on the American elections.

Your steadfast defence of Palin and willingness to quote unscientific right-wing opinion polls after every debate (that were proven utterly wrong) proved highly entertaining for a while.

A final statement of the absurd would be most welcome.

Verity

James - The Wall isn't used that much for political comments. The rest of the mag provides ample space for people with political opinions to post them. So your little damp squid went plop.

Simon

squid or squib?

Verity

I wrote squid intentionally.

Joe Camel

Dogs, cats, and now squids -- has the Wall been taken over by Animal Farm?

The Dandiprat

Squib pro quo innit?

The Dandiprat

People who say 'ecksetra' and write 'ect'.
How are we to explain them?

One has to wonder if they are equally as slipshod in matters of personal hygiene. Every one of them might use the same omnibus as oneself, chewing incessantly whilst listening on their apparatus, to Ms Gaynor and her sabre-toothed declarations.

Is there another word for 'Thesaurus'?

Tiberius

Lloyds HBOS again.

Previously, Brown championed the deal. Two days after the Glenrothes by-election, two former heavyweights of Scottish banks write to the HBOS chairman, stating that the deal is no longer in HBOS' interest. The story is broken by Robert Peston. The Labour spin machine is so far silent.

Discuss.

DSR

Posts 1, 3, 5, 11 (prime numbers incidentally) are more than a little political, Verity.

I'm wondering if this is squid or chicken.

Anglica

Dandiprat @: Dyslexicon?
...when Chinese revving Japanese motorbike having palm-sized electronic screening device being excellence for stupid english...

Verity

"Dogs, cats, and now squids -- has the Wall been taken over by Animal Farm?"

Posted by Joe Camel

Verity

The Dandiprat ponders: "One has to wonder if they are equally as slipshod in matters of personal hygiene." Or grammar, even.