Tuesday 18 August 2015
NBC
Invests $200m in BuzzFeed
The decision
by NBC to invest big time in Buzzfeed had been rumored for some time
but the staggering size of the commitment just underscores what I
referred to in my last article.
The media
moguls are not making significant inroads into the new mediums
whereby the youth (especially the youth) of today are getting their
sources of key information.
I said that
it was my belief that the days of the media moguls are nearly at an
end.
I should
have qualified this by saying the 'old' media moguls.
Buzzfeed
certainly will give NBC a footprint it was hitherto unable to obtain
– being seen as 'old school' but even with such a 'new' portfolio,
independent trail blazers will continue to evolve to offer a variety
of online access services, entirely free, which are already leaving
behind entities such as Buzzfeed.
I will just
give one example of this:
One of the
main problems has always been the useage of copyright material.
Independent
media services are starting to offer free access to archives of
materials to freely download for unrestricted useage. This, I believe
will become even more common in the future. I would go even further
and say that these same outlets will also offer editing and
broadcasting software to facilitate the capabilities of any 6th Grader to both download, edit, remodel and podcast materials for
educational and other non-profit purposes, without any red tape.
This is
already creating a revolution in schools which have in-house
technology to take advantage of such new facilities provided by (as yet) a limited number of major world media organizations.
There are
many more new developments which the 'old school' media moguls simply cannot stop –
like King Canute attempting to turn back the tide – so, in
desperation, they will attempt to buy up those identified as
'trail blazers' in the belief that they can at least manage the
direction (and impose costs) of such access – rather than allow it to be simply
'given' away.
There is no
doubt that such investments will have an impact on the availability
of 'free' news (as the ultimate aim of the moguls is to charge for
all content on as many mediums that they control.)
Already we
can see how they are blocking out public service entities – such as
PBS from mainstream (lower income and poor) access.
Even the
British BBC (the mother of all propaganda networks) is being
threatened with extinction. Recently a former Conservative Minister said that the National Licence
fee to support this public service network should be abolished or, at
the very least, refusal to pay it be decriminalized.
It is
through this licence fee that the BBC retains it's position as the
country's only Public Service Network, independent of commercial (big
business) control.
The BBC has
been instrumental in the development of 'independent' or State
broadcasting services worldwide and has contributed enormously to the
fabric of social, political and economic development in many parts of
the world, something it could never have achieved as a commercial
controlled body.
Organizations
like CNN, even today, are not as highly rated, worldwide, for intelligence, accuracy and fair coverage as is the BBC.
When you
hear a Conservative (Republican Party) Minister encouraging decriminalization of refusal to support the only British media public asset with a global footprint, you
really do need to think carefully about what is the ultimate
objective.
[Lord Coe is reported to have declined an offer made by British Premier David Cameron to Chair the BBC Trust. As the Mafia always say, when you want to 'hit' someone you really love (and it's just 'business') don't let it appear that it was you who sent them to 'sleep with the fishes.' No doubt Coe was appreciative of what the true nature of such an appointment would entail so he respectfully declined the offer - at this particular juncture in time.]
All governments want their own local and national media services to be compliant and servile so that they serve the policy interests of commerce.
It's only foreign media services which are to be criticized as 'unfree' (!)
[Lord Coe is reported to have declined an offer made by British Premier David Cameron to Chair the BBC Trust. As the Mafia always say, when you want to 'hit' someone you really love (and it's just 'business') don't let it appear that it was you who sent them to 'sleep with the fishes.' No doubt Coe was appreciative of what the true nature of such an appointment would entail so he respectfully declined the offer - at this particular juncture in time.]
All governments want their own local and national media services to be compliant and servile so that they serve the policy interests of commerce.
It's only foreign media services which are to be criticized as 'unfree' (!)
The problem
for the BBC is that it failed to evolve with the times and it's
present woes, I contend, are a direct result of this inability and of
it's past effectiveness - or success - as a vehicle for social and political change.
No
government want's an independent media service (see my last article
about independent thinkers) as such is too threatening to short-term objectives pursued by big business and commercial media outlets -such as
CNN, Fox, MSNBC.
For example,
CNN are running an Anti-Slavery Campaign – a rather unusual move
for a network which never reports on slavery and slave wages in
countries such as Brazil, China, and anywhere else global companies
have outsourced jobs from the U.S. to maximize their profit to a
minority of shareholders – at the expense of impoverishing U.S.
citizens back home.
Likewise CNN
will be amongst the last of the networks to back non-slave wages in
the U.S. (a fair minimum wage of at least $15 an hour) because their
commercial backers will simply not permit it to happen – until,
like the already mentioned Canute, they can no, longer 'stand in the
doorway' and block the inevitable 'winds of change' (Bob Dylan, The
Times They Are A Changin'.)
So, back to
Buzzfeed, yes NBC's investment of $200 million dollars is significant – but only because it
emphasises the desperation of the 'old school' to retain control and
direction of a rudderless, sometimes also anarchic and unpredictable
global media craft.
As more and
more digital media entities from developing countries enter the
global information stream, can the 'old school' 'freeze' them all out
and impose a new order?; only time will tell - but I think you already
know the answer.
Bob Dylan,
The Times They Are A-Changin' 1964:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article4490827.ece
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/598809/Michael-Gove-decriminalise-TV-licence-fee
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_waves
Lord Coe 'will not run' for job as BBC Trust chairman
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28538620
Monday 17 August 2015
The
Iran Nuclear Deal
Understanding
Political Opposition
-From
an Independent Thinker-
someone
who is not
being
paid
to
write
about
it
[A
Critique For Everyone To Despise]
I have
been asked many times, '' why write blogs for free when you can earn
money by writing for a well-known publication?;the public don't care,
they are all sheep, at least with payment for feeding their stupid
minds [the daily mirage - propaganda] you will get something out of
it.'' ''They (the general public) are not worthy of the truth –
because most are too lazy to go out and 'fight' [protest] or even
cast their vote in it's defense.''[paraphrase]
No matter
where you are in the world today – the U.S. Russia, China, Iran,
Africa or North Korea, an independent thinker writing an article or
blogging is probably the most dangerous profession to be in this
world.
Challenging
a status quo was always a hazardous profession, in any country.
The days
of the media moguls controlling what you think has nearly ended –
which is why governments have, in desperation, attempted to bring in
worldwide legislation restricting or firewalling access to the
internet – with the intent to ultimately charge you for download
and content, even if, like now, you are accessing it (almost) for
free.
So, if
you really want to be a futurist activist, get ready to build an
'AlterNet'.
Public
service, not journalism, was my first choice for work.
I am not
talking about the public service where you sneak in under pretence to
undermine the organisation or company whose confidential data you
have sworn to protect only to release it under the banner or
subterfuge of 'public interest' because you found something you
didn't politically agree with in your job, 'woke up' suddenly and
decided that Joe Public was your real 'boss' and that you were it's
last line of defense in the known universe.
Whistleblowing
in Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are a certain death sentence,
dismissal or indefinite solitary detention in their equivalent of
Fort Leavenworth, in all of the above countries. In Arab and African
countries, like Saudi Arabia, that would be some rat hole prior to
public execution. In Saudi Arabia, where we (the United States, the
'free' world and it's public representatives) have over decades, all
endorsed their evolution and perfection of mediaeval Koranic
punishments – including stoning to death, crucifictions, public
executions in ''Chop Chop Square''(Saudi Arabia) whistleblowing would be regarded
as 'the work of the Devil' punishable by death. I'll leave it to your
imagination what the Muslim fanatics in the certain Arab lands have devised in law as
'punishments' for 'independent thinking' 'crimes' such as 'being a
Christian' or 'converting out of Islam' (apostasy) or speaking out
against 21st century feudal Muslim rulers or dictators and their families,
and the mediaeval Koranic laws, suitably adapted for Arab tribal
useage, which guarantee them infinite perpetual rule over the
ignorant.
[The most recent dictator of Egypt has just introduced such tyrannical laws, just to keep up to date with his counterparts in the region.]
The worst
crime you can commit today therefore is to be an independent thinker.
It's The Lobby Groups, Stupid!
The
Jewish Lobby, the Muslim lobby, the Arab lobby, the Iranian lobby, the GM Monsanto
lobby, the Chicken lobby, the Drug Companies lobby, the Oil cartels
lobby, the Armaments Industry lobby, the Private Healthcare lobby,
the No Corporation nor Personal Tax lobby, the White Anglo-Saxon
Protestant Lobby, the Irish Lobby, the Catholic Mafia lobby, the
Racist Lobby, the Black Caucasus lobby, the Chinese lobby, The Asian
lobby, the Neo-Nazi lobby, the Tea Party lobby, the Christian
Evangelical Lobby, the Satanists lobby, the White Christian lobby,
they will all get you on something if you stand in their way or don't
get on your knees to genuflect to their Mammon, deity or Devil-God.
So you
really can't win. With ignorant politicians and their lobby masters
in the U.S. cracking whips in opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and
ignorant politicians and religious fanatics in Iran preaching as
much hatred against the United States as anywhere else in the Muslim
world, there is no 'right' choice, there is no 'wrong' choice, since
no path will, for example, bring all wars to an end with no further
loss of life, ever, on earth.
(If you
fail to appreciate the latter it's not a problem. It is written for
a particular mindset from a particular point in time, and no
apologies are offered here for this personal perspective.)
So, you
see, there really is no 'Peace' choice in the Iran nuclear deal.
Let's just call it a 'temporary cessation' of hatred, murder butchery
and senseless slaughter, to the short-term benefit of the non-nuclear
and nuclear armaments industries, in one small corner of the planet -
which is a more apt description – if the Iran nuclear deal is
either agreed or rejected:
I have
thus managed to satisfy the 'blood lust' of all sides – by agreeing
that a deal or no deal is...... irrelevant....... in the longer scale
of things......... for all sides, but at least it represents (maybe)
a temporary cessation in bloodletting by all the parties in conflict
over resources and territory, in this part of the jungle.
With such
'bright' options for the future from the mainstream media on all
sides, I think I'd prefer to take my chances being hated or despised
by all sides than endorsed by any one.
They all,
like children, play their games, then manipulate a picture of history
to suit their lies.
So my
advice to you is to be an independent thinker. Consider it as
today's equivalent of 'urban guerilla' or 'jungle' warfare - minus
the physical weapons of war.
There are
probably about 250 million of you out there who think likewise.
(On the
brighter side, if united, it's more supporters than ISIL/ISIS has,
worldwide!)
Don't
worry too much about making your way through the mainstream media
jungle – or clawing your way over dead bodies to the top of the
pile – just do the right thing.
I endorse
the Iran nuclear deal for one very simple reason:
I've
heard so much hate (and ignorance in the extreme - many just one can short
of a six pack) spewed out against it – with no viable alternative
– except more hatred, insanity and war – that, given it's a
choice of two evils, anything else, has to be fractionally better.
©Patrick
Emek, August 2015
Friday 14 August 2015
Get Consumer Updates by E-mail
Download PDF (312 K)On this page:
- Breakfast doesn’t have to mean traditional breakfast foods.
- Give kids foods they like.
- Make healthy trade-offs.
- Take growth and activity levels into account.
- Don’t take, “Mom, I don’t have time for breakfast” as an excuse.
- Prep the night before.
- Use the Nutrition Facts label and ingredient statement when you shop.
When kids skip breakfast, they don't get what they need to be at their best, says Adler. “Growing bodies and developing brains need regular, healthy meals,” she says. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, studies show that school children who eat breakfast perform better in the classroom.
As with other meals, it’s a good idea for your kids (and you) to eat a healthy balance of fruits and vegetables, proteins, grains and dairy—not just for breakfast but throughout the day.
Here are Adler’s seven quick and easy breakfast tips to ensure your children start their day off right.
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Breakfast doesn’t have to mean traditional breakfast foods.
Anything goes, as long as you maintain a healthy balance. So if your kids want a change from cereal and eggs, think about serving left-overs from last night’s dinner. There’s nothing wrong with tuna fish with celery on a whole wheat English muffin or a turkey sandwich to start the day.back to top
Give kids foods they like.
It’s neither necessary nor effective to feed them foods they dislike. Do your kids turn up their noses at vegetables but love pizza? Left-over pizza with a whole-grain crust and veggies works for breakfast, too. Or make muffins with zucchini and carrots, and spread with peanut butter or almond butter for protein with a glass of milk. Your kids love sugary cereal? Mix a little bit of that cereal with a whole-grain, nutrient-packed healthier brand of cereal. “Nothing has to be off the table altogether, and sometimes just a taste of something your kids like is enough to keep them happy,” Adler says.back to top
Make healthy trade-offs.
Keep in mind that nutritional balance is key—not just for one meal but for foods eaten throughout the day. Not enough vegetables in the morning meal? Prepare extra carrot, celery, and broccoli sticks with a hummus dip as an afternoon snack.back to top
Take growth and activity levels into account.
Growing bodies need nourishment. And if your kids are physically active to boot, they need plenty of calories to keep them fueled. Adler says that having a breakfast that contains protein, fat and carbohydrates helps children feel full and stay focused until lunch. Protein choices might include an egg, some nuts, a slice of deli meat or cheese, or a container of yogurt.back to top
Don’t take, “Mom, I don’t have time for breakfast” as an excuse.
Remember, eating on the go doesn’t have to mean forgoing breakfast. Make sure your kids grab a piece of fruit on the way out the door, and hand them a bag of nut-and-fruit trail mix or a whole-wheat tortilla spread with peanut butter or almond butter and a carton of milk. “A fruit-filled shake with milk or yogurt takes only a couple of minutes to drink,” Adler says.back to top
Prep the night before.
Morning is a busy time for everyone—you included. So take ten minutes to think ahead and prep for breakfast the night before. Chop up fruit to layer in a yogurt parfait or add to cereal. Cut up vegetables for an omelet. Mix up muffin or whole-grain waffle batter, cover, and put in the fridge. Get out a pan for pancakes or a blender for smoothies. Put a bowl of nut-and-fruit trail mix on the table for kids to grab a handful as they walk out the door.back to top
Use the Nutrition Facts label and ingredient statement when you shop.
“The label makes it easy to determine the amounts of nutrients your kids are getting and to compare one product to another,” Adler says. Make sure your children get nutrient-dense foods that are low in salt and added sugars.This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
August 13, 2015
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Tuesday 4 August 2015
Anonymous
Some
decades ago, I was in Portugal as part of an Atlantic Council
delegation.
We
were entertained by the British Ambassador not at the Embassy but at
another very imposing building in the heart of Lisbon.
The
Embassy was, at that time, being refitted, so it was not possible for
the Ambassador to receive us there.
The
building was very beautiful and quite imposing architecturally.
Our
host for the evening, highly apologetic for the absence of the
Embassy, told us that, as recompence for the loss, he had chosen this
imposing establishment as venue.
None
present could have been less impressed when the Ambassador outlined
it's very colorful history.
Until
about a century ago, it had been a high-class Bordello providing
discrete entertainment for Portuguese and other noblemen at residence
in Lisbon.
At
that time I had been reading about the life of William de Vere because M ** whom I knew, was a distant relative.
Before
time hopping I will just relate a story from that evening.
Over sherry, a senior Portuguese Minister (who will remain, by me,
anonymous) told us the following story:
One
night, at about 2.30-3.00 am. the Portuguese Prime Minister was
awoken by his Aide- de-Camp to let him know that the British Prime
Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was on the telephone requesting to urgently speak
with him. For the life of him he could not think why the BPM would
chose such an unruly and highly uncivilized hour for parley.
He
took the call as courteous as one can be at an hour when other
activities are usually more pressing than semantics with a British
politician.
It
was the time of the Falklands Crisis and Britain urgently needed to
use South Atlantic Portuguese territory for refueling en-route.
It
was a request to use Portuguese territory both for stopover and
refueling.
'Of
course you can use our facilities Prime Minister, but tell me this,
why has it taken you so long to call?' was the response. [''The Anglo-Portuguese
Treaty of 1373 between Portugal and England, is the oldest
alliance in the world that is still in force'' and before this
telephone call, Britain had never requested from Portugal any
assistance nor provision under the terms which it operates for both
parties.]
Back
to William de Vere.
If
you have not already seen the film 'Anonymous' written by John
Orloff and directed by Roland Emmerich, I highly recommend it.
Shakespeare
is more enigmatic a character than the romantic literature of today
portrays and markets him and his works for popular consumption
worldwide.
Nowhere
in Europe will you find any plaque nor house nor residence with a
dedication to William Shakespeare or that he stayed there in passing.
The
fact is, Shakespeare never left the confines of the British Isles.
So
where then did he amass such wonderful bountiful knowledge about
subjects, characters, politics and even short cuts to exotic
destinations on the continent, in very fine minute?
It
was, as Orloff rightly allures to, either in the 16th
century brothels straddling the River Thames or chit chat from
mariners in the same whilst on shore leave - themselves having sailed the Seven Seas that, if
he did indeed write the works, William Shakespeare got all the
material for his masterpieces.
(Shakespeare
never gives credits to anyone so we must accept his knowledge as
'self-taught' – or must we?)
Most
of Shakespeare's work is 'off-limits' to children below the ages of
11 as most plays are filled with such x-rated material that, if
translated into modern language format, such would not be published by
many mainstream publication nor media outlets in the United States,
if submitted for the first time, today (!)
And
now I am coming to the intriguing part of the story:
Orloff's main argument in the film 'Anonymous' is that the plays and sonnets themselves
are the work of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.
Fortunately
his film 'Anonymous' was U.S. released and Emmerich does not really take
to heart (nor care about) the British media critical reviews. If he
had, they would not have disappointed. Almost without exception his
film met with very frosty acclaim on the English side of the
Atlantic. Such was to be expected as he and Orloff had just
'assassinated' an icon of British literature with the upstart
inference that, well perhaps Will Shakespeare wasn't quite that
saintly enigmatic icon the British have been making him out to be for
the past 400 years – indeed perhaps he (or it) is just a very
clever (I would even say brilliant) money-spinning deception.
Shakespeare
has no pedigree, no legend, and this in itself (as I have always
explained to the kids) is the clue or key to solving the mystery.
A
bisexual Shakespeare ( Edward de Vere) who spent his life chasing very young
boys and girls in the brothels of London (or indeed, in the case of
de Vere, exclusively 'procured' – or in today's language 'trafficked'
- in the finest of residences on the continent) is not as appealing
nor socially (nor financially) acceptable as the very refined
educated gentleman with highly conservative civic and deferential
values to King, Queen and country, as William Shakespeare is promoted
to be, to an international audience, worldwide, by 'the
establishment.'
One
thing my experience has taught me:the Anglo-Saxons (like many other races) love to hide
things - then pretend they never existed(!); the more titillating or
controversial they are, the harder a job you'll have discovering the
truth.
Emmerich
is a genius in his own right so the 'establishment' had some
difficulty debunking his production as the work of a 'crank'. If all
else fails, just ignore the bugger (!); the film will soon go away –
to be forgotten on the 'scrap heap' of undocumented history. This,
then, was how the game was played.
Shakespeare
is within the holy of holies - the inner sanctum – so fasten your safety belt for
a rough ride if thou dare speakest 'au contraire' of 'The Bard' (!)
During
the Summer holidays I used to take the kids to the Natural History
Museum in Kensington – a short bus ride down the road from where we
were based.
There
used to be an iconic dinosaur skeleton, affectionately known as
'Dippy', on display in the front podium.
On
one occasion when one of the kids remarked how wonderful 'Dippy'
'looked' for his or her age of sixty five million years some smart
ass almost spoiled the day with the acerbic remark that it wasn't
real, just a fake dinosaur.
My
comment was that, whether real or not, I agreed that it certainly
looked great for it's age (!); and all was forgiven (!)
©Patrick
Emek, 4th August, 2015
The reviews 'Anonymous' received were, for me, highly reminiscent of the reception which Dr Joseph Goldberger had when he proved that Pellagra was a result of diet deficiency. Dr Goldberger was only vindicated a decade after he deceased - too late for the 100 000 victims whose lives were needlessly wasted as a result of racism, pride and bigotry. Few were willing to acknowledge the truth - even with proof - as the cost of implementing reforms were too high for a (mainly) Southern society convinced that it was a Northern 'conspiracy' against the Southern way of life by an 'outsider' [Dr Goldberger was Jewish, and, even worse for Southern bigots, a New Yorker (!)]
The reviews 'Anonymous' received were, for me, highly reminiscent of the reception which Dr Joseph Goldberger had when he proved that Pellagra was a result of diet deficiency. Dr Goldberger was only vindicated a decade after he deceased - too late for the 100 000 victims whose lives were needlessly wasted as a result of racism, pride and bigotry. Few were willing to acknowledge the truth - even with proof - as the cost of implementing reforms were too high for a (mainly) Southern society convinced that it was a Northern 'conspiracy' against the Southern way of life by an 'outsider' [Dr Goldberger was Jewish, and, even worse for Southern bigots, a New Yorker (!)]
The
Bisexuality of Shakespeare's Sonnets and Implications for De Vere's
Authorship
Read More: http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/prev.2010.97.5.857?journalCode=prev
Read More: http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/prev.2010.97.5.857?journalCode=prev
http://www.academia.edu/7314863/THE_SHAKESPEARE_IDENTITY_PROBLEM
http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/good-will-shakespeare-edward-de-vere-courtier-creative
Print book
Language: English
Publisher: México : Frente de Afirmación Hispanista, 2007http://www.angelfire.com/geek/shakespeare/devere.htm
http://humphrysfamilytree.com/deVere/17th.earl.oxford.html
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ahnelson/oxital.html
http://www.jmcgowan.com/pellagra.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goldberger
http://history.nih.gov/exhibits/Goldberger/docs/pellegra_5.htm
Thursday 23 July 2015
Jeremy
Corbyn & The Battle For The British Labour
(U.S. 'Labor') Party Leadership
I
had taken up a long-standing invitation to visit ********* at his
beautiful quaint home – **** Manor – in Cambridge.
I
decided to let the train take the strain as we were intending to get
some pub grub and pork belly at one of his favorite local dens.
It
was a very beautiful Summer's day.
He
collected me from the station and we spent the sweltering morning
walking the lengths of his inner courtyard and gardens while he gave
a few tips on elementary botany for the layman and introduced me to
his treasured plants and flowers, each by nomenclature.
As
we strolled through the gardens I recalled a similar residence in
Malta I had, many years ago, been invited to lunch at. The one in
Malta was likewise breathtaking and I remember that the proprietor of
the property told us that Her Majesty The Queen had actually stayed
at this residence when she once visited the island. I cannot recall
whether it was a stay for a few days or just a visit to the property
to marvel at it's equally beautiful gardens.
(What
I can now say is that our visit to Malta was hosted by Frank Salt
Properties and this is the first opportunity I am taking to say thank
you to Frank and his Staff for being such wonderful hosts, providing
the warmest of hospitality and personal guides during our stay on the
island.)
The
setting for ****** residence in Cambridge could not have been more
perfect.
For
many years ******* had been trying to persuade me to move to
Cambridge on the grounds that there are a better intellect class in
residence here (and maybe one more to my liking?) than 'the jungle'
where I was residing. He even had somewhere in mind for me to
reside.
Sadly
when you get too used to 'jungle life' it's very difficult to adapt
to 'normality' and I think I would have ultimately found myself
infinitely bored in the beautiful picturesque settings I was now
enjoying (!)
Over
lunch we discussed politics and some issues which did not appear in
two of my books nor interviews but were nonetheless very topical.
After
that we drove to see his primary and secondary schools, all hallowed,
oaked and silent in
the blistering heat of a very lazy day, with not a soul in sight just
a few lovers strolling by the banks of the glistening and sparkling
undulating waters.
I
am not one of the world's greatest botanists but I think they were
willow trees lightly dipping their boughs into the slow-flowing
streams, hardly a gust in sight.
I
will not give the exact circumstances nor location where I met Jeremy
Corbyn just suffice to say that he had just come from seeing his son,
then a Cambridge undergraduate. (His son graduated about two years
ago.)
We
spend the better part of an hour - just us - nobody else – chatting about
everything.
Out
of respect, I did not draw him into a discussion about any major political
issues but we talked a lot about education in general and the (then) topical issue of climate change, the ongoing drought in Cambridge and it's effects on local farming.
This
was not my first encounter with Mr Corbyn. Many years ago - perhaps as
many as ten - I was debating with the same on BBC World Television about
terrorism in the Philippines.
As
I recall there was a third person partaking that BBC Panel debate.
I
never agreed with Mr Corbyn's politics - which I am familiar with over
many years - but at least he stands for something he believes in.
There
are very few (perhaps a handful) of British politicians who are but
'party lackeys' - and all his rival contenders for the Labor Party
leadership fit into this bag - with lots of room to spare for many many
more of them.
They
are all so dull and so predictable - the Socialist 'Nomenklatura' 'Class'
in British Politics.
Jeremy
Corbyn is the Socialist equivalent of Margaret Thatcher (and I did
meet Margaret on many occasions.)
He
is feared by the Labor Party nomenklatura because he actually stands
for 'genuine' Socialist values – as opposed to their sham and
deceitful politics - all carefully managed to fool the general public
into believing that they represent 'the ordinary' folk.
I
would not vote for Jeremy - but I respect the fact that he actually has
something he treasures and genuinely believes in contrast to the
'Judases' now desperately seeking any and every nefarious and
perfidious means to scuttle his bid for the Party's leadership.
In
one sense he represents the political antithesis of Margaret Thatcher
but in another he likewise shares her 'conviction politics' and is
motivated toward a grander (utopian?) vision of mankind's existence,
under a (rainbow) socialist umbrella.
Perhaps
that is what British politics desperately needs - a real genuine
alternative so that people can at least have a real genuine choice to
vote on at a general election.
The campaign against Mr Corbyn has almost reached hysterical levels - with
the end of the world being predicted if he is elected Labor Leader.
They
have even dusted down the ghosts (and literally, guns) of old,
rehabilitated Mr Blair and put him in the sparring ring to add the
'coup
de
grâce' as
Corbyn lies pummelled and bleeding on the ropes from the blows and
the knife wounds inflicted by Brutus et al.
It's
unlikely that he will succeed in his bid for leadership of the
British Labor Party as every political 'hitman' (or 'hitperson' as
the politically correct Socialists would prefer to say) from the four
corners of the British Isles has been press-ganged into service to
'get Corbyn' at any and at all costs.
As
all those plotters against Corbyn, without exception, 'lie with dogs'
(as the saying goes) I
have no doubt they will all, ultimately, 'get up with fleas' (!)
©Patrick
Emek, July 24th, 2015
Wednesday 15 July 2015
Today, after two years of negotiations, the United States -- together with our international partners -- has achieved what decades of animosity has not:
A comprehensive, long-term deal that will verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
This deal shows the real and meaningful change that American leadership and diplomacy can bring -- change that makes our country and the world safer and more secure.
We negotiated from a position of strength and principle -- and the result is a nuclear deal that cuts off every pathway to a nuclear weapon.
I want to make sure every American knows what this deal means and how it works. Take a look here.
Because of this deal, Iran will not be able to produce highly enriched uranium or weapons-grade plutonium, the raw materials necessary to build a bomb. Here's why:
Under this deal, Iran will reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium by 98 percent, remove two-thirds of its installed centrifuges -- the machines necessary to produce highly enriched uranium -- and store them under constant international supervision.
To put that in perspective, Iran currently has a stockpile that could produce up to 10 nuclear weapons. Now, its uranium stockpile will be reduced to a fraction of what would be required for a single weapon.
Under this deal, Iran will modify its nuclear reactor in Arak so it cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium -- and all spent fuel from the reactor will be shipped out of the country indefinitely.
This deal is not built on trust -- it's built on verification. Under this deal, we will, for the first time, be in a position to verify that Iran is meeting all of these commitments. International nuclear inspectors will have access to Iran's nuclear program -- where necessary, when necessary. This is the most comprehensive and intrusive verification regime that we have ever negotiated. If Iran tries to divert raw materials to covert facilities, inspectors will be able to access any suspicious locations.
As Iran implements this deal, it will receive gradual relief from sanctions. If it violates any aspect of this deal, sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy will snap back into place.
Learn more, and get additional context, right here.
That's the deal.
It has the full backing of the international community. Without it, there'd be no agreed-upon limitations on Iran's nuclear program and other countries would feel more compelled to pursue their own programs, threatening a nuclear arms race in the most volatile region of the world.
Put simply: No deal means a greater chance of more war in the Middle East.
That is why it would be irresponsible to walk away from this deal. Moving forward, I welcome a robust debate in Congress on the details of this deal. As Commander-in-Chief, I am confident that this deal will meet the national security interests of the U.S. and our allies. So I will veto any legislation that prevents the successful implementation of this deal.
Our differences with Iran are real, and the difficult history between our nations cannot be ignored. But it is possible to change. The path of violence and rigid ideology; a foreign policy based on threats to attack your neighbors or eradicate Israel -- is a dead end. A different path -- one of tolerance, and peaceful resolution of conflict -- leads to more integration into the global economy, more engagement with the international community, and the ability of the Iranian people to prosper and thrive. This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction.
We should seize it.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House
The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111
Every once in a while, a photo
comes along that has the ability to shift not
just how we see our
place in the universe, but how we see ourselves -
not just as
Americans, but as citizens of Earth.
This is one of those photos, and
I hope you'll share it with someone today.''
More soon --
John
Dr. John P. Holdren
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy The White House  |
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