DULCE ET DECORUM EST

 

I’ll have no truck with the ceremonies in London where royals and political leaders gathered to pay their respects to people who died in a war that ended at 11 am 100 years ago today (and in the many conflicts since).

Not because I think we should forget war, and most assuredly not such a stupid pointless war as the one from 1914-18 that killed so many millions of people and wrecked the lives of countless more, because we should never forget this kind of monumental folly.

No, rather we should remember and learn from them.

But I want nothing to do with this tra la la, because that is what it will be. There’s no learning to be done. Just the Brits showing off their ceremonial prowess.

The “great and the good” will be there in their expensive black clothes, looking suitably solemn, many of them wearing the “exclusive” poppies that posh people seem to get a hold of. And they will bow their heads in a show of respect for the dead. The dead that they, or their ancestors or predecessors, sent to war, sometimes arguably justifiably, and sometimes most definitely not.

All the remembrance has taught us nothing because, of course, it is rarely the sons of the great and the good (with a few honourable exceptions) that end up in the firing line.

Then, once the ceremony is over, those and their likes will retire to the Foreign Office, mix with minor royalty and doubtless sup taxpayer-funded drinks. Duty done for another year.

Now all of that is fine… or it would be, if along with appearing at the Cenotaph* and looking sad, they would take action to ensure that those who did not die in their many and various wars, but who came home with horrible injuries to body and mind, and the families of those who did perish, were looked after by a grateful state.

Like so much else in this country, remembrance and the poppy have been devalued by politicians who use them as a political tool. If you don’t wear a poppy you are not patriotic. You don’t support ‘our brave boys’. Be ashamed.

Incidentally, funds raised by the Scottish Poppy Appeal are directed to:

• Providing direct financial assistance to ex-Service men, women and their dependents in Scotland.
• Funding an advice service, including pension claims and appeals.
• Supported employment for veterans with disabilities.
• Grants and research for ex-Service organisations that deliver specialist services to veterans in Scotland.

All very worthy.

But my question is, why has this ever been necessary?

Are we not told over and over again what an important state Britain is, and how we punch above our weight and gain respect from countries all over the world for doing so?

Are we not one of the richest countries in the world?

So, why oh why are people who are sent by the government to do Her Majesty’s bidding and who come home less than whole, not looked after by that rich above-weight-punching government?

I can only presume it’s because that government is too busy doing up palaces, paying for weddings of nonentities and continuing to punch above its weight LONG after it had any right to.

It’s not me who should be ashamed.

So, I’ll take no lectures on respect for troops from any of them.

Today I HAVE been thinking about the unimaginable conditions that these men, and possibly a few women, had to endure in France. I’ve read some poems and listened to memories of people like Harry Patch, who was, I think, the last surviving British soldier from the 14-18 war, and who spoke with such horror of what he, at 16, had had to witness. And I wonder how that could possibly have happened, and worse, still be happening.

I’ve thought too about the people who, because of war today, are starving and dying of completely or avoidable curable diseases in Yemen, of the scenes of destruction we have witnessed so recently in Libya and Syria and of the ongoing misery in Palestine.

For all the remembering that they do, they never seem to learn.

…And then I’m reminded that Bonespurs Trump wouldn’t brave the rain to show some respect for Americans who died in France.

(*I chose the Cenotaph ceremony because that is where the people who make decisions on wars, their funding and their aftermath, will be gathered. Not in Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast. And not in any of the towns and cities across Britain.)

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I’M TELLING; WE’VE BEEN PUSHED AROUND BUY THE BIG FOREIGN BOY

Boris Johnson‏Verified account@BorisJohnson

FollowFollow @BorisJohnson

After more than two years of being ruthlessly pushed around by the EU, it is time for the UK to resist.

WHAT?

OK, so in my world (and clearly that isn’t the world of Eton, Oxford, Bullington Club, Westminster, and the Daily Telegraph), you haven’t been pushed around. And by “you”, I guess I mean England (and Wales) and your government.

You guys in the Tories decided to offer a referendum as a way of ensuring that people who disliked Europe would vote Tory and not UKIP in 2015. And to an extent, it worked.

Largely due to the UK voting system, your 11.3 million votes got you 331 seats, where are UKIP’s 3.8 million votes got them just 1 seat. Fair, huh?

Having got that far your right wing pushed Cameron to go ahead with the referendum, and he did, but in the absolute certainty (in his head) that he would win. And because of that certainty, he refused to allow any preparation for a possible no leave. Nothing.

When Nicola Sturgeon suggested that he just might lose, he told her not to be silly. Girls in politics, huh? What’s the Eton world coming to?

So, when the result came in Dave fled for the hills,  beach, leaving whoever was his successor to pick up the pieces with not one single plan having been made. (It is worth noting here, however, that Theresa May had been the Home Secretary in the run up to the referendum, and so she knew that that was the situation when she applied for, and then got, the job.

Now a sensible government would have planned for both conceivable results. This would have meant in short order they could have put together a set of detailed pre-prepared proposals for leaving the EU, including how they would deal with the vexed (nigh insoluble) question of the Ireland/UK border, mindful of the conditions of the Good Friday Agreement and international trade laws regarding borders at the end of jurisdictions.

Replying to @BorisJohnson

After 2 years of the EU responding to our decision to break up something we helped build with them, by giving us a range of Brexit options which we’ve rejected, it’s time you accepted that your whole plan is doomed to failure…

 Femi

I mean you must that thought that through, right?

No?

Ah! Oooooooo K.

Not unreasonable the EU was pressing for some details as quickly as possible. Uncertainty affects both sides in these matters. And they undoubtedly thought that a country like Britain would ahve had plans in place. Of course they would…

Somewhat optimistically, on March 31 2017, your prime minister triggered article 50 in a communication with the EU and shortly thereafter the UK’s Secretary for Brexit was invited to meet with the appointed negotiator for Europe.

There we have a picture of David Davis and his bag carrier grinning like Cheshire cats and Monsieur Barnier and his assistants looking rather less cheerful. Could be because while the EU three had clearly done their devoirs,  David’s homework had, just as clearly, been eaten by the dog.

No wonder you were home for lunch.

And that has been the pattern ever since, only interrupted for the period when your prime minister decided that, contrary to all her previous protestations, she was going to waste a month of precious negotiating time on holding a general election.

That just might have been acceptable if she had made a better job of appealing to people that she could do the job, but as it was, she lost her majority and was obliged to pay a bribe of £1 billion of OUR money to secure the voted of a minority party of religious bigots and retain her position.

Because it is a group of 27 nations, each with a vote (and a veto) on the final deal, the EU has operated on a fairly strict set of rules. There has been no doubt from the first day of negotiations that the “four freedoms” which are the founding principles of the EU are not up for negotiation. Freedom of movement of goods, finance, services and labour makes the EU what it is.

They’ve told the UK time and time again you cannot cherry pick.

Britain’s always reminded me of a bloke leaving the golf club but saying that he wants to be able to come in to the bar on a Friday for a pint with his mates, play a round of 18 on a Wednesday afternoon, oh and bring the other half in for a meal in the restaurant from time to time, all the while avoiding the annual fees and disregarding the management committee’s rulings.

The UK, on the other hand, is a group of four (five including Gibraltar) nations, none of which needs to be listened to at all (and one of which has grubby little beard snacking tea boys telling it to shut up).

The UK really needs to understand that the EU operates differently from Britain. I suppose you could call it democracy.

Your trouble is that within your own party, never mind any of the other parties in the Commons, you have divergent groups.  Remainers, reluctant leavers, and the hard right who genuinely seem to think that Beelzebub himself is in charge in Brussels. So whatever Soubrey and her like wants, you can guarantee that Rees Mogg and his band will want the exact opposite.

Then you have to add into that mix, the DUP. Bought and paid for with British gold, they will support you, but only if they get THEIR way on everything and no one ever crosses their blood orange red lines. And their way is, well, pretty extreme and definitely weird and based on a hatred of Europe that may be something to do with the religious makeup of some of the southern countries.

So basically your lot has made a complete pig’s mouth, erm I mean, ear, of the whole thing. No more and no less than we would have expected from a bunch of over-privileged underachievers.

We have now five and a half months till our leaving day and the UK still has no position that it can put to the EU and that Barnier can be fairly sure will pass through the UK parliament and therefore which he can recommend to the member states to go back and vote on.

And you think you’ve been pushed around. If I were Barnier, I’d have pushed you under this bus.

Lord, Boris, you really are a tosser.

 

 

 

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

So, Björn Ulvaeus is anti-Brexit.

And Benny Andersson has previously warned a right-wing party in Denmark not to use Abba music in political campaigns.

But no one yet knows how they feel about the Maybot stumbling about on stage to Dancing Queen

Musicians obviously have the right to be consulted about who uses their music. The Foo Fighters kicked off in 2008 when John McCain and Sarah Palin used their track at a rally.

Trump recently used an Adele song at a rally which drew this strict retort from her management: “Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning.”

This is maybe something all politicos might think about before they appropriate someone else’s music. Not everyone wants their music associated with a particular cause, whatever it is. Permission should always be obtained in advance of use. Remember it says somewhere on all discs: “Unauthorised public performance, broadcast and copying prohibited”

But, I think, if I were May, I would get in touch with these two and see if they would allow her to use this…

Even if not, just listen to these voices…

HAPPY JULY 4

Two hundred and forty-two years ago, meeting in the Pensylvania State House, the 13 North American colonies of Britain declared themselves to be independent states.

They never looked back and all this time later they are still celebrating that action as the right decision. 

So, on the 4th of July 2018, we wish the USA all the very best, and of course an especially happy Independence Day to Munguin’s friends over there. (We have many American readers, but Danny and Jon are the main contributors, and we are grateful for their input, so special words of thanks to them).

Ruth Davidson used a Shakespearian quote to insult him.  I prefer something more Scottish from our Bard. What about: “Thou pickle-herring in the puppet-show of nonsense”?

The current president is just a blip. (Well he’s obviously a lot more things, but what I mean is he is temporary.) Hopefully, though, people will remember what a clown he was and how the rest of the world laughed at him and they will resolve to vote more carefully in future. Mrs May can be grateful that whilst she is an utter laughing stock, she is infinitely less important in the scheme of things than he is… and Donald has certainly “Trumped” her as the world-class eejit. She’s merely a third-rate eejit.

Trump: Will you be my bromance, buddy?  Macron: (to self… Oh, Lord this is embarrassing) Erm, je suis vraiment désolé. Je ne comprends pas un seul mot d’anglais. En tout cas, qui êtes-vous exactement? Et pouvez-vous arrêter de me tenir la main, idiot en orange ?

Anyway, forget about him tomorrow, Americans.  Enjoy the fireworks and the feasts and have a great day.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, the boot will be on the other foot and our friends in the States will be wishing us the same thing.

**********

Talking of Trump, Justice Secretary, Humza Yousaf wrote to the Treasury asking that they pay for any security expenses of having Trump in our country. They invited him, not us. He has no official business in Scotland. 

He has received an answer in the affirmative from the Rt Hon Truss. Of course, it seems to me to be particularly bad manners to write to someone by their first name, and sign with your full name, and even worse, your style.  And what is all the numbering of paragraphs about?

Who on earth does that?

Truss was herself, the English Justice Secretary. Fortunately, Humza doesn’t have to dress himself up like some pantomime character to do his job.

WELL, THERE’S A THING…

Mrs May and I agree.

Chemical weapons are abhorrent. They must NOT be normalised.

That said, I have some questions for her.

1. Will she agree with me, and many others, that Saudi Arabia’s use of phosphorus bombs in Yemen is abhorrent and that it must be stopped?

2. Should we stop selling weapons to Saudia Arabia, and instead bomb their facilities in order to stop them using chemical weaponry against kids in Yemen?

3. Is the difference that Mrs May sees between the regimes in Syria and Saudi anything to do with the fact that Bashar Assad, although a medical doctor, is only a commoner, whilst Salman and his crown prince are royal personages and personal friends of the Saxe Coburg Gotha family?

4. I can see that there is a certain logic in by-passing the United Nations in matters like this. After all, Russia would certainly have used its veto, which would have made the exercise utterly pointless. But does this mean that the current set up of the UN is de facto useless?

5. If so, would it be sensible to reorganise the security council so that say, no countries were permanent members and that none had a veto? A majority could carry the day?

6. In the absence of taking any steps to modernise an organisation which, of course, is vastly out of date in its structures, based as they are on a post WWII world,  would it be acceptable for countries other than the USA to take action without the UN’s approval on the basis that the US-UK (they nearly always act together) or France (a little more independent, depending on the president), might veto what THEY want to do?

7. Mrs May and her cabinet and backbenchers have made much of a new global Britain taking back control from dreaded foreigners. Is that control to be taken back and given to parliament in London, or to Mrs May, based on the somewhat dubious tradition of the royal prerogative? And, will Mrs May also take back control of the defence and foreign affairs briefs from Washington?

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

FollowingFollowing @realDonaldTrump

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

8. One reason that was given for the UK action being taken without parliamentary debate was that it would have spoiled the element of surprise. Is Mrs May unaware that there are people in Moscow and Damascus who read the daily outpourings of the boy president in Washington and who, therefore, were not prepared for the ‘nice and new’ missiles heading their way? (PS: Can you have “nice” missiles, and does anyone actually use second-hand ones?)

**********

 

 

RANDOM THOUGHTS

 

Nope, mate. You hold all the cards.

Well, you and Arlene, of course.

Proud of punching above our weight in a lot of things, but clearly not kids’ poverty. Ex-communist countries like the Czech Republic, Estonia and  Slovakia are doing better!

I see these Britain First people speak really good British.

Not sure there are a lot of people who are fit to walk in the footsteps of Mr Mandela.  But Trump’s not fit to walk in the footsteps of Atilla the Hun!

Oooops. Forgot, huh?

What with that and apprenticeships pensioners won’t need a pension to live on…

…which is just as well, given that you couldn’t live on it…

…however, fortunately,  important people don’t have to.

Ring any bells as to which country they are talking about?

And that’s serious stuff…

Unlike this tube with his kilt on backside fore. What a wally.

 

 

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