Argentine aggression and colonial ambitions are getting bolder

The problem I have with the current UK position on the Falklands is you just can't see it going well.

The underlying problem is the rabid aggression from Argentina against the inhabitants of the Falklands.

UK policy should be to reverse this misunderstanding, as its the well of future disputes.

The Foreign Offices policy of not upsetting anyone just isn't working and isn't going to work.

Saying No to reinforcing hopeless situations

The last time it was necessary to say no to sending good resources into a hopeless situation.

It looks like George Osborne has learnt this lesson from the Euro. We have the Germans suddenly wanting to be all chummy with us so that we will sell out children into more debt to provide more money to burn on the Euro bonfire.

The time has come to say No and to keep repeating it.

Let Nick Clegg take his fortune and fat Euro pension and burn it on the funeral pyre of  the Euro - no other British tax payers should be required to.

HEADQUARTERS FIGHTER COMMAND ROYAL AIR FORCE,  BENTLEY PRIORY,  STANMORE,  MIDDLESEX.  SECRET                                                      May 16,1940   Sir,               I have the honour to refer to the very serious calls which have recently been made upon the Home Defence Fighter'Units in an attempt to stem the German invasion on the Continent.   2,         I hope and believe that our Armies may yet be victorious in France and Belgium,  but we have to face the possibility that they may be defeated.   3.         In this case I presume that there is no-one who will deny that England should fight on,  even though the remainder of  the Continent of Europe is dominated by the Germans.   4.         For this purpose it is necessary to retain some  minimum fighter strength in this country and I must request that  the Air Council will inform me what they consider this minimum  strength to be,  in order that I may make my dispositions accordingly.   5.         I would remind the Air Council that the last estimate which they made as to the force necessary to defend this country  was 52 Squadrons,  and my strength has now been reduced to the  equivalent of 36 Squadrons.   6.         Once a decision has been reached as to the limit on  which the Air Council and the Cabinet are prepared to stake the  existence of the country,  it should be made clear to the Allied  Commanders on the Continent that not a single aeroplane from  Fighter Command beyond the limit will be sent across the Channel, no matter how desperate the situation may become.   7.         It will, of course, be remembered that the estimate  of 52 Squadrons was based on the assumption that the attack  would come from the eastwards except in so far as the defences  might be outflanked in flight.   We have now to face the  possibility that attacks may come from Spain or even from the North coast of France.   The result is that our line is very  much extended at the same time as our resources are reduced.   8.         I must point out that within the last few days the  equivalent of 10 Squadrons have been sent to France,  that the  Hurricane Squadrons remaining in this country are seriously  depleted,  and that the more Squadrons which are sent to France  the higher will be the wastage and the more insistent the demands for reinforcements.   9.         I must therefore request that as a matter of   paramount urgency the Air Ministry will consider and   decide what level of strength is to be left to the   Fighter Command for the defences of this country, and will  assure me that when this level has been reached, not one  fighter will be sent across the Channel however urgent  and insistent the appeals for help may be.   10.        I believe that, if an adequate fighter force is  kept in this country, if the fleet remains in being, and  if Home Forces are suitably organised to resist invasion,  we should be able to carry on the war single handed for  some time, if not indefinitely.   But, if the Home Defence Force is drained away in desperate attempts to remedy the  situation in France,  defeat in France will involve the  final, complete and irremediable defeat of this country.                         I have the honour to be,                                  Sir,                                 Your obedient Servant,                                                                                 Air Chief Marshal,                              Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief,                                 Fighter Command,Royal Air Force.

H/T http://www.battleofbritain1940.net

Left wing utopia loses its beloved helmsman

Maybe #RedEd should apply ?

PS See also http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com/

And there's more !



How can we have ignored such a genious all these years ! Of course you just need to ask the workers to work harder - that's it. I see it now.

Prime Minister Cleggie

I was going to title this Prime Minister Miliband, but I think the best way for #RedEd to play his cards would be to make Cleggie PM. I'll outline that as option 1 and the more likely Prime Minister Miliband as option 2.

Option 1: Labour offer the Lib Dems a coalition lead by Nick Clegg which would include all scroungers from the minor parties in an unexploded coalition. Why allow Cleggie to be PM ? Because it adds to the temptation, strokes Lib Dem egos even further, and provides a human shield to soak up the blame for the disaster that is bound to follow.

This can happen now - the Lib Dems and parliamentary arithmetic could change coalitions. though the procedure for getting one party out of power to imposing another might be rather difficult. ( Would a vote of no confidence force what exactly ? The PM can no longer ask for a dissolution of parliament in this session ).

Option2: The Lib Dems revolt - desperate to re-establish their brand and wingers and moaners on behalf of any cause that has votes attached to it before the nightmare (for them) of the 2015 general election. Clegg gets deposed and the new chief whiner phones #RedEd up to offer to make him PM. #RedEd is stupid enough to say yes.
We have a rainbow govt of all the vested interests just at the time that our credit rating gets blown away and we can't borrow any more money to bribe them with.
Chaos - with ministerial broadcasts from Ed Miliband to explain it - ensues.
(Time to leave the country ).

Neither of these two options is as unlikely as many of us would like to believe..

I guess a minority Conservative govt is perhaps option 3 - but given that most of the key things ahve now been done that require legislation that might not be too bad.

But just to warn you - you might wake up one morning and discover Cleggie is PM under our current crazy parliament term limits.

The end of the beginning

So I am still asking what to think.

There a lot of smoke and misdirect out there. Many parties are finding aspects of the 'veto' last week convenient to play up. I'm not going to list them as they are all over the press.

If these events have a significance they are the El Alamein of the battle with the EU.

A victory, after so many retreats and defeats, but nothing like a war won.

In Churchill's words perhaps "the end of the beginning".

The problems are obvious. Cameron acted as he did as he had a shot gun forced to his back and needed to be seen to play along. Initially the Lib Dems were in on this, but then due to the extremist nature of Lib Dem Europhilia and hatred of the UK as a sovereign state had to move their position to one of shock.

Whilst his Eurosceptic credit was up - Cameron slammed the door on a referendum. ( Even if he wanted one he couldn't deliver as the Lib Dems won't allow it ).

In the mean time over in the technocrat lead European Empire the debt implosion is getting worse and worse. Greece, Portugal & Ireland are condemned to austerity without hope of parole. Italy may soon join them as its EU enforced governor tries to do his Brussels master's bidding.

Germany refuses to accept its responsibility for the currency union fiasco and trade imbalances its set up.

The one thing they can all agree on is the need for a scape goat - and that's going to the the UK and the city of London in particular.

Things are going to get nasty, very nasty indeed.

And the truth is still Cameron is no Churchill. He's a manager not a leader.

He looks good against the incredible weakness of Labour, and he has the tactical political instincts of Machiavelli - but still he has no political soul.

So has any of this made me want to renew my Conservative party membership ? Well I thought about it, but the truth is given the crisis and the threat a half backed veto just isn't serious.

There are fundamental problems with our relationship with Europe. One of the key ones is other European countries lie and cheat openly - flouting the law and treaties they have signed. This is not the sort of organisation that the UK can share its sovereignty with.

Politically there needs to be one clear objective - the return of the pooled sovereignty from Brussels and a set of bilateral treaties in its place which are government by world courts.

Now I know there are lots of people in the Conservative party who believe this - its just this isn't Conservative party policy and is very unlikely to become so.

The Eurosceptic movement has a very long and bloody battle ahead of it that may last life times.

Given this time scale decisions on political allegiance don't have to be limited to who would win the next election, but to who might deliver the ultimate goal.

Update: That didn't take long, Benedict Brogan is forecasting that Cosnervtaive MPs are about to be sold short to save the Coalition.

Ok so the Euroquislings are upset now ( took a while )

All those who gained from the UK being sold out to Brussels ( or Frankfurt ) have suddenly realised being a Quisling may not be so good for them after all.

The temper tantrums are in, about 24 hrs late, inclining all the usual suspects:

Nick Clegg ( a bit staged )
Red Vince ( still trying to time that shock resignation right )
Michael Heseltine( only time he gets out is to stab his party in the back )
Paddy "sanctimonious as ever" Ashdown
Little #RedEd as his 6th form debating chums in the Labour club (notice interview on the telly in the jumper his mother promised would make him look such a smart boy on the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation ).

and of course the entire BBC ( more evidence of why the BBC needs to be broken up - not that you need any more ).

However we still can't be sure what the actual game being played is. The delay in Nick Clegg's save himself reaction suggests some sort of a deal has been done to allow David Cameron to save himself from his party, just as Nick Clegg is given the right to go on anti-Tory manoeuvres to save his own position.

If so its the #EuroQuislings who will have the last laugh, and England that will pay and suffer.

Why aren't the Lib Dems more upset ?

This is the Dog that did not bark in the night question.

One answer is that they have been forewarned and know how this will all play out now that Cameron has established his euro sceptic credentials.

Sorry the cynicism is back.

Hold on - here comes the Lib Dem backing both sides ... that's a bit better.

Well an apology is in order

I have to say ( and did in the last post ) that I never thought David Cameron would do it.

But he has finally used the veto. So I owe him an apology and am happy to give it here. Sorry Mr Cameron.

But there is much much more to do. The UK needs to line itself up with the world and not old sick Europe. All the people who moaned about our not being in the Euro are going to go into over drive now.

But remember we import more from the EU than we export.

We are net contributors to the outrageous EU budget.

Along with the French we are a key military power ( just ).

We must not sell ourselves short. Though the predictable hedging of bets from the Labour party suggest there are many would would like to see just that.

Now how about that referendum ?

David Cameron must have a very low opinion of the voters

This "I'll veto any treaty not in Britain's interests" thing is fooling no one David. We can all see your spin on the betrayal of UK interests.

If not then can I suggest the following moves:

Unilateral withdrawal from the Common Fisheries policy and Common Agricultural policy might convince us of your good faith ( breaking treaties seems easy for the Euro countries for whom the law is just their flexible friend ).

We recognise weasel words when we hear them and only accept actions now - after 13 years of Blair & Brown ( and not a little Clegg and the two face lying Lib Dems who admitted to the US Embassy how their position kept changing to avoid letting the people vote ).

I was planning on taking some time to think about my political future, but I wonder if I really need it.

Bah humbug

Kids - why haven't we got our Christmas tree up yet ?

MiaS - because its the 6th of Dec - thats 19 days till Christmas then 12 days of Christmas and the trees not staying up that long.

Kids - Aarrr

MiaS - Bah humbug.

( My guess is I'll only be able to hold out for a week. )

This looks like required watching

Now I know Robert Peston isn't everyone's cup of tea - but the idea behind this BBC program looks like its worth a watch.

See The Party's Over: How the West Went Bust tonight at 7PM.

The BBC seem to be making some, belated, effort to convey economic reality to the country ( a sure sign of how desperate things are ) - as this follows Nick Robinson's interesting series on public spending and Evan Davis the UK economy.

I think this in part helps explain why the earth hasn't opened beneath George Osborne - the public is sobering up from Labour reckless debt fuelled binge of irresponsibility.

Update:

Part of the way through Peston's first episode and I think I see where the BBC is going with all this. Its free markets that are to blame - not the every increasing expansion of the state. All Reagan & Thatcher's fault - very predictable ( but I suppose I didn't), very left wing.

I suspect it may also become the BBC's received view on things very quickly.

It is very important that those of us on the right refute this sort of sixth form socialist groupie half baked analysis.

I see Will Hutton giving the professional left wing failures view on things. As its the BBC he's just an expert - no hint of his political ideology is given though conversely ideology (evil) is ascribed to those on the right.

Shed love

The men in sheds thing is moving forwards, perhaps in part fuelled by the success of the Aussie inspired Movember thing - combined with the idea that men's health is better served by sheds where men can tinker rather than being nagged by health professionals / wives idea. Just another thing that we can also thank those who used to good a cricket for.

The Daily Telegraph is going shed nuts right now - key articles:

Every man feels a yearning to live in a shed - Christopher Howse
Why every man needs time in a shed - Stephen Adams and James Orr
Where men go to shed their inhibitions - Matthew Norman

And let us not forget the keepers of the sacred Shed fire ( two words that perhaps need more separation ) Uncle Wilco (Readersheds - my shed was in here somewhere but lost my password years ago ) and Alex (Shedworking & in who's book this author's humble shed features ).

MiaS is happy to recommend sheds to all owners of a Y chromosomes - even socialists ( pretty sure George Orwell had one once ), if the can get over the private property hurdle thing.

If you're not planning a Shed yet - its time to start thinking about it.

Remember thanks to the shed movement you can sell this idea to her indoors by explaining it as a men's health thing. There has to be a article in Good Housekeeping somewhere which you could use - they love all that "Men are useless about talking about health and their problems" & "how to get your man to the Doctor" type of thing. Tell her is the latest thing in men's health ( it is - but your probably not about to form your own tinkering collective, but by the time that's been figured out you'll already have established the facts on the ground - or the corner of the garden at least. )

Remember Christmas is coming up ....

Scab

Given all the Bonfire of the Vanities style rage being used against Jeremy Clarkson for being a prat and saying some ill judged things on TV this week, you would think there would be more focus on words that are intended to cause harm being used.

Specifically the term Scab.

An official for Unison has sent an email round which included the following ( reported by Sky news and in the Daily Mail ).

To the small minority of UNISON members who refused to respect the democratic decision to strike, and went in to work, I say two things.

First, you were wrong. What you did was immoral and unacceptable and you should be ashamed. Whatever reason you thought you had to let your colleagues down it was not a good reason. It will (if you are a decent person) be difficult for you to look into the eyes of colleagues who gave up a day’s pay to defend our pensions, knowing that you were prepared to let them make that sacrifice for you.

It may be unpleasant to be called a “scab” but it is more unpleasant for those of us who take strike action to know that there are a minority who refuse to accept democratic decisions. If you cross a picket line you are a scab. There is no other word for it and it is one of the worst things that can be done.

Secondly, there is still hope for you. Should further strike action be necessary (as I fear and expect) then you will have an opportunity to redeem yourself by taking the right decision next time. Please think carefully about this and never again make the mistake of crossing a picket line.

Its a clear case of bullying and intimidation. In any other context ( race relations or other equality areas the police would be involved ). It comes close to inciting violence.

Clarkson was an idiot - who perhaps deserves to be taken down a peg or two, or even sacked. But what this unchastised Unison official did is far worse, and far more likely to result in violence and bullying.

Its time we agreed not to use words like scab.

If Unison can't get its members to support its coarse of industrial 'action' then its going to have to accept it can't act in unison after all ...