DAVID TRIMBLE ON THE SLAVE TRADE

David Trimble on Question Time, 30 November 2006, when asked if Blair was right to express “deep regret” over the African slave trade (and if he should now apologise for the present unpleasantness in Iraq):

 

“I think the question of apologising for slavery was just quite stupid, because what we did, what Britain did 200 years ago is, it stopped the slave trade, and it was the first major country to do that.  And we did it, actually, by unilaterally intervening on all other nations – we sent the Royal Navy out to stop the trade, not just to stop British merchantmen doing it, but to stop all other countries doing it.  And we did that without asking their leave and we did it for the good, and I think that’s a hugely important point which should be celebrated.”

The full programme can be viewed here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/default.stm
2.12.06 20:34


PITY THE POOR POLITICIANS

There have been reports in the media over the last few days that some of our poor, bedraggled, beleagured MPs have been writing to the Senior Salaries Report Board begging for a modest 66% pay rise.  Do you realise that a backbench MP only gets paid a measly £60,277 a year, plus expenses?  How's a guy supposed to live on that?  Even the Prime Minister only gets paid £187,611 a year - hardly worth getting out of bed for.  It's no wonder some of them are having to take second jobs to make ends meet.  Says Michael Portillo: "And then people get upset that they are doing more than one job...  If you want MPs to live on their MPs' salary you are probably going to have to pay them more."

Of course leaving aside the fact that there are some people in Parliament who I don't necessarily want to carry on living (no names, no death lists), I don't mind if some of them do actually manage to get part-time jobs out in the real world, providing it doesn't interfere with their main jobs - at least that way there's a chance of them doing something that contributes to the economy.  On the other hand, a lot of these guys seem to be getting second jobs as company directors "working" for firms who feel the need to try and get more political influence.  Not exactly productive work.

Here's a revolutionary idea.  Maybe if they really tried, MPs could learn to live within their means.  I know it would be rough trying to scrape by on £60,000 a year (plus expenses) but...  I dunno, I've just got a feeling that with a bit of self-discipline and financial prudence it should be just about possible.  I mean you don't need to eat caviar every single day, do you?  I know high-class prostitutes are expensive, but you don't need to see one every night, do you?  And surely it's possible to get by with only one new car a year?

Here's an open invitation to any MP who happens to read this: I'll swap your income for mine, and see who gets on best.  I'm reasonably sure that I'd be OK on £60,000 a year, even having to live in London.

Maybe I should just run for Parliament - now there's an idea.

 
4.12.06 20:58


MY KIND OF POLITICIAN

Of course not all politicians are scumbags - only the successful ones.  Here's a rare example of a politician who is both intelligent and interesting.  He actually reminds me a bit of myself. 

American Libertarian Party member Dick Clark gives a basic introduction to Libertarianism, touching on economics, law and order, defence, the ecology and personal freedom.  He maybe ideolises early American history a bit, but he talks a lot of good sense and he manages to keep a 45 minute lecture interesting.  He'll never be president.

 

 

 
5.12.06 11:01


KNIFE "AMNESTIES" ARE A WASTE OF TIME - OFFICIAL!

Remember the much-trumpeted knife "amnesty" a few months ago, during which the police collected tons of scrap metal, while being cheered on by their empty-headed supporters in the media?  Well, it seems the BBC Breakfast News has done a bit of investigative journalism for a change, and used the Freedom of Information Act to force the Metropolitan Police to disclose an internal report on the "amnesty" (Operation Blunt) which basically states that the effect on knife-related crime was both negligible and temporary.  It seems there was a very slight dip in the knife crime rate in May and June (which may not even be related) and then things went back to normal.  The full story is here: 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/6215340.stm

As predicted by myself at the time, loads of non-violent people got rid of old cutlery they didn't want anymore, while the criminals had a good laugh and carried on with business as usual.

I hate to say "I told you so," but...

Actually, who am I kidding?  I love being able to say "I told you so."

I TOLD YOU SO!

 
7.12.06 19:29


****ING CHRISTMAS IS COMING

As long-time readers (both of them) will know, this is really not my favourite time of the year.  It's called a holiday, but what it really is is a mad consumerist stampede in which millions of people knock themselves out running around the shops spending money they often can't afford to spend on presents that other people quite possibly don't even want - and you always seem to end up on Christmas Eve still looking for something for one person - you haven't been able to come up with any ideas what to get them, so you end up just desperately buying any old piece of **** and hoping that'll do.  Watch out for news reports about people getting themselves into more trouble with credit cards and store cards in a couple of weeks.  Not to mention the **** displays of Christmas lights put up by ****ing local councils at the taxpayers expense, the "festive" TV scheduling and the endless irritation of Christmas music being played over and over again in supermarkets and department stores.  Is it any wonder that the murder and suicide rates typically go up this time of year?  And all this is done in the name of an old-time mystic who seems to have favoured leading a very simple life.  If Jesus came back during the Christmas season in any typical Western country, he'd think he was seeing a vision of Hell.

Having said all that (and you know I'm right), someone's sent me a link to an online advent calander which I like, despite being a devout athiest.  Do not click on this link if you find the human body offensive - but if you're a red-blooded male, or a lady who likes to look at other ladies, enjoy:

http://www.julekalender2006.leithoff.dk/

 
11.12.06 13:18


THE IPSWICH MURDERS

There's definitely something about this time of year that brings the freaks out of the woodwork.  Dominating the news for the last few days has been the series of murders in Ipswich - at least five women killed so far, all prostitutes.  Possibly one or two others who haven't been missed yet, a lot of prostitutes lead unstable lives.  Hopefully the sicko or sickoes responsible will be caught before anyone else is killed.

Of course prostitutes in Britain are particularly vulnerable to these kind of attacks, for two reasons. 

One, brothels are illegal, so the only place most hookers can ply their trade is on the streets at night.  If our society didn't take such a nonsensical attitude to sex for money, prostitutes would be able to work in a nice secure environment, instead of hanging around dark streets and getting into strangers' cars.  This would also have the side benefit of the trade being conducted more discretely, out of sight of people who are made uncomfortable by that kind of thing.  Common sense, really.

Two, another thing which is currently discouraged by our society and political elite is self defence.  In most of Europe you can buy all kinds of defensive weaponry to protect yourself with.  Over here most of it's illegal, especially the non-lethal stuff like pepper sprays and stun guns.  Of course if you're not bothered about the law, you could try ordering something like that from a company based on the Continent - like these guys - but you'd be taking a big risk in respect to the police and customs services.

The BBC website has a link to some advice on personal safety, most of it irrelevant to this current situation.  This particular quote stood out: "If someone tries to take something from you, it may just be better to let them take it rather than to get into a confrontation and risk injury."  And if they want to take your life?  Despite police warnings to stay off the streets, prostitutes are going to continue working out of economic necessity.  Some might be tempted to tool up with a knife, cosh or some similar useful item.  Says the website: "You can use reasonable force in self-defence. You are allowed to protect yourself with something you are carrying anyway (for example, keys or a can of deodorant), but you may not carry a weapon."  What a country - it would be unsporting to prepare in advance to protect yourself from a mad psycho killer, wouldn't it?  I don't know how much use keys or doedorant would be in a situation.  I've been trying to think of any other potentially useful items that people might carry routinely.  Years ago I used to be in the habit of carrying an el cheapo 110 camera with a built-in flash in my jacket pocket - you know, just in case I got a sudden urge to take a picture of any of Manchester's famous beauty spots.  It did occur to me as I was walking home from work one dark winter night that if anyone had a go at me I could point the camera at them and use the flash to dazzle them, giving me time to leg it - and I can do a four minute mile if I'm scared enough.  So you never know what you might be carrying that could prove useful in a situation.  It just needs a bit of imagination, doesn't it?

Of course people wouldn't have to come up with these kinds of improvisations if our masters in Parliament could just see their way clear to repealing some of the more ludicrous pro-criminal laws that they've lumbered us with over the last few decades.  But I don't see that happening for a while yet.

 
14.12.06 16:17


21 DECEMBER 1981: IN MEMORIUM

To the heroes who "died" on Gauda Prime twenty-five years ago today:

Blake...

Soolin...

Dayna...

Tarrant...

Vila...

Slave...

... and the other one.

Collectively known as:

They shall always be remembered (or at least dismembered).

But rest assured, they shall return.

Incidentally, the character pictures above were shamelessly right-clicked from Ellen Ripley's B7 site:

http://www.domicilium.com/loganandglitz/tv/g-blakes7.htm

 
21.12.06 01:02


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