THE NEW YORK TIMES: Barring last-minute snags, the deal would bring to an end a prolonged battle that began after the WikiLeaks founder became alternately celebrated and reviled for revealing state secrets in the 2010s.
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, agreed to plead guilty on Monday to a single felony count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security material in exchange for his release from a British prison, ending his long and bitter standoff with the United States.
Mr. Assange, 52, was granted his request to appear before a federal judge at one of the more remote outposts of the federal judiciary, the courthouse in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a brief court filing made public late Monday. He is expected to be sentenced to about five years, the equivalent of the time he has already served in Britain, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the terms of the agreement.
It was a fitting final twist in the case against Mr. Assange, who doggedly opposed extradition to the U.S. mainland. The islands are a United States commonwealth in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — and much closer to Mr. Assange’s native Australia, where he is a citizen, than courts in the continental United States or Hawaii.
Shortly after the deal was disclosed, WikiLeaks said that Mr. Assange had left London. Mr. Assange is scheduled to appear in Saipan at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday and is expected to fly back to Australia “at the conclusion of the proceedings,” Matthew J. McKenzie, an official in the Justice Department’s counterterrorism division, wrote in a letter to the judge in the case. » | Glenn Thrush and Megan Specia, Glenn Thrush reported from Washington, and Megan Specia from London. | Monday, June 24, 2024
WikiLeaks’ post on X here.
Julian Assange leaves UK after striking deal with US justice department: It is anticipated the WikiLeaks founder will plead guilty to violating US espionage law at a hearing in Saipan and will be allowed to return to Australia »
‘No one should judge’ WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for accepting deal, Australian MP says: Labor’s Julian Hill says prime minister Anthony Albanese deserves ‘enormous credit’ for pursuing the resolution of Assange’s case »
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Monday, June 24, 2024
Farage Is Putin Apologist, Ex-Chancellor Philip Hammond Says
Holy Humanist: Nuriyah Khan’s Thoughts on Islam
Slur by Francis Lays Bare the Church’s Contradictions on Homosexuality
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The pope used homophobic slang and cautioned prelates about admitting gay men into seminaries. But ordination has also long been a refuge for gay faithful.
When reports spread that Pope Francis had used an offensive anti-gay slur while speaking to Italian bishops at a conference last month, many Catholics were both shocked and baffled. How could a pope known for his openness to and acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. people use homophobic slang and caution prelates about admitting gay men into seminaries?
But the question, and the apparent inconsistency in Francis’ messaging, reflect the deep contradictions and tensions that underlie the Roman Catholic Church’s and Francis’ relationship to homosexuality.
The church holds that “homosexual tendencies” are “intrinsically disordered.” When it comes to ordination, the church’s guidelines state that people with “deep-seated” gay tendencies should not become priests.
Yet ordination has also long been a refuge of sorts for homosexual Catholic men, according to researchers and priests, who say that at least thousands of clergymen are gay, though only a few are public about their sexual orientation because of the stigma it still carries in the church. » | Emma Bubola and Elisabetta Povoledo, Reporting from Rome | Saturday, June 22, 2024
When reports spread that Pope Francis had used an offensive anti-gay slur while speaking to Italian bishops at a conference last month, many Catholics were both shocked and baffled. How could a pope known for his openness to and acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. people use homophobic slang and caution prelates about admitting gay men into seminaries?
But the question, and the apparent inconsistency in Francis’ messaging, reflect the deep contradictions and tensions that underlie the Roman Catholic Church’s and Francis’ relationship to homosexuality.
The church holds that “homosexual tendencies” are “intrinsically disordered.” When it comes to ordination, the church’s guidelines state that people with “deep-seated” gay tendencies should not become priests.
Yet ordination has also long been a refuge of sorts for homosexual Catholic men, according to researchers and priests, who say that at least thousands of clergymen are gay, though only a few are public about their sexual orientation because of the stigma it still carries in the church. » | Emma Bubola and Elisabetta Povoledo, Reporting from Rome | Saturday, June 22, 2024
Barefoot Contessa Makes a Greek Salad | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network
Princess Anne Admitted to Hospital after Head Injury
BBC: The Princess Royal has been admitted to hospital after she suffered a minor head injury and concussion on her estate in Gloucestershire, Buckingham Palace has said.
Princess Anne, 73, is expected to make a full and swift recovery after an incident at her Gatcombe Park estate on Sunday, a statement said.
Sources suggest her injury is consistent with an impact from a horse's head or legs.
"The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the Princess for a speedy recovery," the statement added. » | Sean Coughlan, Royal correspondent, Monday, Jun 24, 2024
Princess Anne, 73, is expected to make a full and swift recovery after an incident at her Gatcombe Park estate on Sunday, a statement said.
Sources suggest her injury is consistent with an impact from a horse's head or legs.
"The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the Princess for a speedy recovery," the statement added. » | Sean Coughlan, Royal correspondent, Monday, Jun 24, 2024
Holy Humanist: Sick of Sinning | The Power of Religious Indoctrination
Jun 23, 2024 | “Join me in conversation with Jennifer Graham as we unpack her fascinating and enduring life story, delving into the power that religious indoctrination once held sway over her.
Jennifer grew up in South Africa under the oppressive apartheid government and gave her life to the Lord early in life. As cognitive dissonance began to set in and the claims of Christianity fell apart, Jenn eventually de-converted. She let go of her limiting beliefs and discovered a sense of empowerment leaving it all behind.
Many thanks to Jennifer for sharing her story!" - Nuriyah
For those wishing to do so, Nuriyah Khan’s work can be supported on PayPal here.
Jennifer Graham’s book, An Immoral Proposal, is available on Amazon. – Mark
Jennifer grew up in South Africa under the oppressive apartheid government and gave her life to the Lord early in life. As cognitive dissonance began to set in and the claims of Christianity fell apart, Jenn eventually de-converted. She let go of her limiting beliefs and discovered a sense of empowerment leaving it all behind.
Many thanks to Jennifer for sharing her story!" - Nuriyah
For those wishing to do so, Nuriyah Khan’s work can be supported on PayPal here.
Jennifer Graham’s book, An Immoral Proposal, is available on Amazon. – Mark
Sunday, June 23, 2024
The Conservative Party Is FINISHED For Good. Here’s Why. | Aaron meets Peter Oborne
June 23, 2024 | The Tories are going to lose the upcoming General Election. It looks as though this loss will be their worst loss in over a century. So, how did the Conservative Party find itself in this situation? How did the so-called ‘most successful political party in the West’ lose itself?
To discuss this, Aaron is joined by Peter Oborne, self-proclaimed Conservative and former chief political correspondent for The Daily Telegraph.
Jon Danzig: MPs Who Voted against Brexit
Jun 23, 2024 | Today is the 8th anniversary of the EU referendum that took place on 23 June 2016.
After the referendum, the new Brexit Prime Minister, Theresa May, was in a hurry to get the UK out of the EU. She wanted to trigger the Article 50 notice-to-quit the EU without the involvement of Parliament. Campaign supremo Gina Miller stopped her, by taking the UK government to the Supreme Court, and she won.
After the referendum, the new Brexit Prime Minister, Theresa May, was in a hurry to get the UK out of the EU. She wanted to trigger the Article 50 notice-to-quit the EU without the involvement of Parliament. Campaign supremo Gina Miller stopped her, by taking the UK government to the Supreme Court, and she won.
Ex-Muslim on Why He Left Islam & the Horrors of the Iranian Regime
A Cardiologist’s Top 3 Supplements for Heart Health | #shorts
Churchill's Zurich Speech, 19 September 1946
Aug 29, 2016 | "We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living.
The process is simple. All that is needed is the resolve of hundreds of millions of men and women to do right instead of wrong, and gain as their reward, blessing instead of cursing."
The process is simple. All that is needed is the resolve of hundreds of millions of men and women to do right instead of wrong, and gain as their reward, blessing instead of cursing."
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill's Speech in the University of Zurich, 1946
Mar 2, 2013 | The term "United States of Europe" was used by Winston Churchill in his speech delivered on 19 September 1946 at the University of Zürich, Switzerland.
In this speech, given after the end of the Second World War, Churchill concluded that: "We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living.
Auf Deutsch:
Im September 1946 rief Winston Churchill in einer Rede an der Universität Zürich dazu auf, „eine Art Vereinigte Staaten von Europa" zu errichten. Im selben Jahr fand ein Kongress der europäischen Föderalisten in Hertenstein in der Schweiz statt. Dort wurden zwölf Thesen verfasst, die als Hertensteiner Programm zur Grundlage der europäischen Arbeit der Nachkriegsjahre und zugleich zum politischen Gründungsdokument der Europa-Union Deutschland wurden. Ziel ist bis heute eine auf "föderativer Grundlage errichtete, europäische Gemeinschaft"
Source/Quelle: Wikipedia.org
In this speech, given after the end of the Second World War, Churchill concluded that: "We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living.
Auf Deutsch:
Im September 1946 rief Winston Churchill in einer Rede an der Universität Zürich dazu auf, „eine Art Vereinigte Staaten von Europa" zu errichten. Im selben Jahr fand ein Kongress der europäischen Föderalisten in Hertenstein in der Schweiz statt. Dort wurden zwölf Thesen verfasst, die als Hertensteiner Programm zur Grundlage der europäischen Arbeit der Nachkriegsjahre und zugleich zum politischen Gründungsdokument der Europa-Union Deutschland wurden. Ziel ist bis heute eine auf "föderativer Grundlage errichtete, europäische Gemeinschaft"
Source/Quelle: Wikipedia.org
The Man Softening the Ground for an Extremist Germany
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Björn Höcke has done more than take the far right into the mainstream. He is tilting the mainstream toward the far right.
From the small stage of a pub in a wooded town of eastern Germany, the right-wing ideologue Björn Höcke regaled a crowd of followers late last year with the tale of his imminent trial. He faced charges for saying “Everything for Germany” at a political rally — breaking German laws against uttering Nazi slogans.
Despite that approaching court date, he looked down at the crowd, and gestured to them with an impish grin. “Everything for?” he asked.
“Germany!” they shouted.
After a decade of testing the boundaries of political speech in Germany, Mr. Höcke, a leader of the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, no longer needed to push the limits himself. The crowd did it for him.
That moment crystallizes why, to his critics, Mr. Höcke is not simply a challenge to the political order, but a threat to German democracy itself. » | Erika Solomon | Erika Solomon reported from Halle, Germany, and the state of Thuringia in eastern Germany. | Sunday, June 23, 2024
From the small stage of a pub in a wooded town of eastern Germany, the right-wing ideologue Björn Höcke regaled a crowd of followers late last year with the tale of his imminent trial. He faced charges for saying “Everything for Germany” at a political rally — breaking German laws against uttering Nazi slogans.
Despite that approaching court date, he looked down at the crowd, and gestured to them with an impish grin. “Everything for?” he asked.
“Germany!” they shouted.
After a decade of testing the boundaries of political speech in Germany, Mr. Höcke, a leader of the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, no longer needed to push the limits himself. The crowd did it for him.
That moment crystallizes why, to his critics, Mr. Höcke is not simply a challenge to the political order, but a threat to German democracy itself. » | Erika Solomon | Erika Solomon reported from Halle, Germany, and the state of Thuringia in eastern Germany. | Sunday, June 23, 2024
Senior Tories Line Up to Denounce Nigel Farage’s Defence of Putin’s War
THE OBSERVER: Conservatives are desperate to halt the rise of Reform UK, which is splitting their party in two
Rishi Sunak and a string of senior Conservatives have condemned Nigel Farage for claiming the west provoked the Russian invasion of Ukraine, amid a growing internal Tory battle over how to deal with the Reform UK leader.
The prime minister accused Farage of playing “into Putin’s hands” after he made the claim in a BBC Panorama interview on Friday, in which he linked Nato and EU expansion to the conflict in eastern Europe. Tom Tugendhat, the security minister went further, telling the Observer: “It doesn’t matter whether you’re Jeremy Corbyn or Nigel Farage – if you parrot the Kremlin’s lies, you cannot be trusted with our national security.”
Home secretary James Cleverly also criticised the comments, adding that Farage wanted to “destroy our party”. Ben Wallace, a former defence secretary, described Farage as a “pub bore”. Labour leader Keir Starmer also condemned Farage’s comments as “disgraceful”. » | Michael Savage, Policy Editor | Sunday, June 23, 2024
Rishi Sunak and a string of senior Conservatives have condemned Nigel Farage for claiming the west provoked the Russian invasion of Ukraine, amid a growing internal Tory battle over how to deal with the Reform UK leader.
The prime minister accused Farage of playing “into Putin’s hands” after he made the claim in a BBC Panorama interview on Friday, in which he linked Nato and EU expansion to the conflict in eastern Europe. Tom Tugendhat, the security minister went further, telling the Observer: “It doesn’t matter whether you’re Jeremy Corbyn or Nigel Farage – if you parrot the Kremlin’s lies, you cannot be trusted with our national security.”
Home secretary James Cleverly also criticised the comments, adding that Farage wanted to “destroy our party”. Ben Wallace, a former defence secretary, described Farage as a “pub bore”. Labour leader Keir Starmer also condemned Farage’s comments as “disgraceful”. » | Michael Savage, Policy Editor | Sunday, June 23, 2024
Starmer’s Growth Plan ‘Doomed’ without Access to EU Markets, Warn Economists
THE OBSERVER: Labour leader told if elected he will have to rejoin the customs union to meet party’s manifesto pledges, while 56% of voters say Brexit was bad for economy
A Labour government under Keir Starmer will fail to maximise the UK’s economic growth unless it takes the country back into the European Union’s single market and customs union, leading economists and diplomats have said.
The warnings come as an Opinium poll for the Observer finds that 56% of voters now believe Brexit has been bad for the UK economy as a whole, compared with just 12% who believe it has been economically beneficial.
Some 62% of people questioned also believe Brexit has contributed to higher prices in shops, against 8% who think that it has had the opposite effect. » | Toby Helm and Phillip Inman | Saturday, June 22, 2024
This is precisely what I have been saying on this forum, and in many comments elsewhere, since the very beginning. Even Economics 101 teaches us that one cannot expect economic growth when walking away from the largest single market and customs union which this world has ever known, and which is on one's doorstep. Where is your growth going to come from? A nation should do the bulk of its deals with its nearest markets whenever possible.
The idiots who pushed Brexit clearly had never heard of the adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’! Moreover, those right-wing loons failed to understand that one of the Single Market’s founding architects was no other than Margaret Thatcher herself. (She must be turning in her grave!)
We can all thank Nigel Farage for the lunacy that was, is, and will forever be Brexit. He screwed up big time. And Cameron did for running scared of him, too. The Tories screwed up under Cameron, and have screwed up ever since as well, truth to tell.
The best thing Farage can do now is hang his head in shame. Perhaps, as a face-saving measure, his American chum will give him sanctuary in Florida. – © Mark Alexander
A Labour government under Keir Starmer will fail to maximise the UK’s economic growth unless it takes the country back into the European Union’s single market and customs union, leading economists and diplomats have said.
The warnings come as an Opinium poll for the Observer finds that 56% of voters now believe Brexit has been bad for the UK economy as a whole, compared with just 12% who believe it has been economically beneficial.
Some 62% of people questioned also believe Brexit has contributed to higher prices in shops, against 8% who think that it has had the opposite effect. » | Toby Helm and Phillip Inman | Saturday, June 22, 2024
This is precisely what I have been saying on this forum, and in many comments elsewhere, since the very beginning. Even Economics 101 teaches us that one cannot expect economic growth when walking away from the largest single market and customs union which this world has ever known, and which is on one's doorstep. Where is your growth going to come from? A nation should do the bulk of its deals with its nearest markets whenever possible.
The idiots who pushed Brexit clearly had never heard of the adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’! Moreover, those right-wing loons failed to understand that one of the Single Market’s founding architects was no other than Margaret Thatcher herself. (She must be turning in her grave!)
We can all thank Nigel Farage for the lunacy that was, is, and will forever be Brexit. He screwed up big time. And Cameron did for running scared of him, too. The Tories screwed up under Cameron, and have screwed up ever since as well, truth to tell.
The best thing Farage can do now is hang his head in shame. Perhaps, as a face-saving measure, his American chum will give him sanctuary in Florida. – © Mark Alexander
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Holy Humanist: The Dark Side of the Ottoman Empire: Janissaries & Eunuchs | #short
Does Sugar Make Us Stupid? | ARTE.tv Documentary
Dr. Ellie Phillips: Dental Care – This Damages Your Teeth and You Would Never Expect it!
Dr. Ellie »
5 Things You Do That Keep Dentists in Business: These habits can cause a surprising amount of damage to your teeth, experts say. »
In Trump We Trust: Religious Right On Crusade to Make Their Man President
THE GUARDIAN: America’s evangelicals sense a chance to impose a radical agenda and resist what they see as a tide of liberal secularism
God’s army is on the march. And many of its foot soldiers are wearing “Make America great again” regalia, sensing that their unlikely standard bearer, former US president Donald Trump, is once again close to the promised land.
“I do not believe that America can survive another four years of Joe Biden,” Ralph Reed, founder and chair of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, told a gathering of the religious right in Washington on Friday. “I haven’t felt this way since Jimmy Carter was president.” The audience burst into knowing laughter.
Reed promised they would knock on 10m doors of Christian and conservative voters in every battleground state, make 10m phone calls, send 25m text messages and put 30m voter guides in 113,000 churches, producing “the biggest turnout of Christian voters in American history”. » | David Smith in Washington | Saturday, June 22, 2024
Christ Almighty! Which version of Christianity do these dimwits follow? Considering a man as leader of their group, a man who allegedly worshipped "pussy", is hardly a suitable man to follow in order to establish God's kingdom on earth! These nincompoops need to take stock! – © Mark Alexander
God’s army is on the march. And many of its foot soldiers are wearing “Make America great again” regalia, sensing that their unlikely standard bearer, former US president Donald Trump, is once again close to the promised land.
“I do not believe that America can survive another four years of Joe Biden,” Ralph Reed, founder and chair of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, told a gathering of the religious right in Washington on Friday. “I haven’t felt this way since Jimmy Carter was president.” The audience burst into knowing laughter.
Reed promised they would knock on 10m doors of Christian and conservative voters in every battleground state, make 10m phone calls, send 25m text messages and put 30m voter guides in 113,000 churches, producing “the biggest turnout of Christian voters in American history”. » | David Smith in Washington | Saturday, June 22, 2024
Christ Almighty! Which version of Christianity do these dimwits follow? Considering a man as leader of their group, a man who allegedly worshipped "pussy", is hardly a suitable man to follow in order to establish God's kingdom on earth! These nincompoops need to take stock! – © Mark Alexander
DJ Khaled : Wild Thoughts | Official Video | ft. Rihanna, Bryson Tiller
Why is Bread in USA so Bad & Unhealthy? Shopping with Dr. Dhand
Great video! I know from personal experience that what you have stated in this video is absolutely true. On the whole, what Americans consider bread is soft, spongy, and unhealthy. And, as you say, full of unhealthy ingredients. And this is the cr** that our UK, pro-Brexit, brain-dead government wants to foist upon us Brits! Garbage, in other words! However clever Americans might be, or can be, one thing is for certain: they cannot teach the world how to eat healthily. – © Mark Alexander
U.K.’s Richest Family Found Guilty of Exploitation but Is Acquitted of Trafficking
THE NEW YORK TIMES: A Swiss criminal court handed prison sentences to members of the Hinduja family for exploiting domestic workers at their villa in Geneva.
A Swiss court on Friday found members of Britain’s wealthiest family guilty of exploiting domestic workers at a luxury villa in Geneva, but acquitted them of the more serious charge of human trafficking.
Prosecutors had charged four members of the family — Prakash Hinduja; his wife, Kamal Hinduja; their son Ajay Hinduja; and their daughter-in-law Namrata Hinduja — with trafficking and exploiting several workers from India.
They were accused of confiscating the employees’ passports and forcing them to work 16 hours a day or longer without overtime pay in the villa. Lawyers representing the Hindujas had denied the allegations.
The court on Friday sentenced Prakash and Kamal Hinduja to four years and six months in prison, and Ajay and Namrata Hinduja to four years, according to news agencies. It also ordered them to pay about $950,000 in compensation, as well as about $300,000 in procedural fees. Najib Ziazi, a business adviser for the family who also faced charges, was found complicit in the exploitation. » | Isabella Kwai, Reporting from London | Friday, June 21, 2024
Related article here.
A Swiss court on Friday found members of Britain’s wealthiest family guilty of exploiting domestic workers at a luxury villa in Geneva, but acquitted them of the more serious charge of human trafficking.
Prosecutors had charged four members of the family — Prakash Hinduja; his wife, Kamal Hinduja; their son Ajay Hinduja; and their daughter-in-law Namrata Hinduja — with trafficking and exploiting several workers from India.
They were accused of confiscating the employees’ passports and forcing them to work 16 hours a day or longer without overtime pay in the villa. Lawyers representing the Hindujas had denied the allegations.
The court on Friday sentenced Prakash and Kamal Hinduja to four years and six months in prison, and Ajay and Namrata Hinduja to four years, according to news agencies. It also ordered them to pay about $950,000 in compensation, as well as about $300,000 in procedural fees. Najib Ziazi, a business adviser for the family who also faced charges, was found complicit in the exploitation. » | Isabella Kwai, Reporting from London | Friday, June 21, 2024
Related article here.
Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum: Addressing Poor Circulation: Ayurvedic Strategies for Today
'Complete Nonsense!' | Bill Browder SLAMS Nigel Farage for Justifying Putin's Invasion of Ukraine
Lebanon: Robbery of the Century | ARTE.tv Documentary
Michal Lambert: CLACTON - Charity Shops, Mobility Scooters and Lost Hope
Jun 22, 2024 | This week I visited Clacton-on-Sea, the town which voted 73.04% in favour of Brexit and where Nigel Farage is standing in the coming general election.
Clacton is a small seaside town of 50,000 population. The town centre is shabby and neglected. The people in Clacton appear to be poor and deprived. It is evident that many people are overweight, no doubt because of poor diet, and many are dependent upon mobility scooters.
There are eleven charity shops in the town centre. There are homeless people in the town who clearly need help.
Clacton voted overwhelmingly in favour of Brexit and yet it seems clear that they have suffered from its consequences. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is standing for Parliament and could well be elected on 4th July as the MP for Clacton. It is very doubtful how keen he will be to devote time and attention the poor citizens of Clacton, though.
About Clacton… As you said, it’s not Bel Air or Knightsbridge. Nor, as a seaside town, is it Nice! The descriptors that immediately come to mind are depressing, sad, shabby, and, in parts, tacky. Clearly, the town has seen its best days.
But in fairness to Clacton, it is surely not alone. So many towns up and down the country look sad these days. Shopfronts right and left are so often boarded up. Brexit has taken its toll, of course; but so has the Internet with online shopping. When visiting a town outside of London or the home counties, salubriousness is not to be expected anymore, and if it is found, one must be surprised. – © Mark Alexander
Clacton is a small seaside town of 50,000 population. The town centre is shabby and neglected. The people in Clacton appear to be poor and deprived. It is evident that many people are overweight, no doubt because of poor diet, and many are dependent upon mobility scooters.
There are eleven charity shops in the town centre. There are homeless people in the town who clearly need help.
Clacton voted overwhelmingly in favour of Brexit and yet it seems clear that they have suffered from its consequences. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is standing for Parliament and could well be elected on 4th July as the MP for Clacton. It is very doubtful how keen he will be to devote time and attention the poor citizens of Clacton, though.
About Clacton… As you said, it’s not Bel Air or Knightsbridge. Nor, as a seaside town, is it Nice! The descriptors that immediately come to mind are depressing, sad, shabby, and, in parts, tacky. Clearly, the town has seen its best days.
But in fairness to Clacton, it is surely not alone. So many towns up and down the country look sad these days. Shopfronts right and left are so often boarded up. Brexit has taken its toll, of course; but so has the Internet with online shopping. When visiting a town outside of London or the home counties, salubriousness is not to be expected anymore, and if it is found, one must be surprised. – © Mark Alexander
Friday, June 21, 2024
Kettensägen-Präsident in Berlin | DW Nachrichten
Dr, Suneel Dhand: How I Stay Away from Doctors & the Scam Medical System
British Billionaire Hindujas Sentenced to Jail in Swiss Exploitation Case
THE GUARDIAN: Prosecutors claimed four members of family underpaid staff and gave them little freedom to leave Geneva mansion
A Swiss court has handed jail sentences to four members of Britain’s richest family for exploiting Indian staff at their Geneva mansion.
The Hindujas, who were not present in court, were acquitted of human trafficking but convicted of other charges on Friday in a stunning verdict for the family, whose fortune is estimated at £37bn.
Prakash Hinduja and his wife, Kamal, were each sentenced to four years and six months in prison, and their son Ajay and his wife, Namrata, received four-year terms.
The case stemmed from the family’s practice of bringing servants from their native India and included accusations of confiscating the staff’s passports once they had arrived in Switzerland. » | Agence France-Presse in Geneva | Friday, June 21, 2024
Hinduja Family.
A Swiss court has handed jail sentences to four members of Britain’s richest family for exploiting Indian staff at their Geneva mansion.
The Hindujas, who were not present in court, were acquitted of human trafficking but convicted of other charges on Friday in a stunning verdict for the family, whose fortune is estimated at £37bn.
Prakash Hinduja and his wife, Kamal, were each sentenced to four years and six months in prison, and their son Ajay and his wife, Namrata, received four-year terms.
The case stemmed from the family’s practice of bringing servants from their native India and included accusations of confiscating the staff’s passports once they had arrived in Switzerland. » | Agence France-Presse in Geneva | Friday, June 21, 2024
Hinduja Family.
Let’s Try and Make This World a Better Place by Being Tolerant and Accepting. There Is Far too Much Strife in the World Today. This Is Indeed Troubling.
Mark Alexander: I get many visitors to this website. And for that, I am truly grateful. However, I feel that I need to clear up a few important facts about this website. They are:
This website should be considered a moderating influence. Extremes in politics almost always lead to no good place. The Twentieth Century taught us this clear lesson.
From time to time, this website shows gay material. However, the massage should not be misunderstood. This website does not promote the gay lifestyle; rather, it promotes the tolerance of the gay lifestyle (within reason). And therein lies the difference!
This website promotes peace and security.
This website promotes freedom of choice, even if that choice might be perceived by some as being unhealthy. Personally, I believe in small government. I do not believe that it is the government’s responsibility to interfere in lifestyle choices, even if those lifestyle choices are deemed by some to be unhealthy. To allow the government the right to intervene is a slippery slope indeed.
This website promotes freedom of choice.
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
This website should be considered a moderating influence. Extremes in politics almost always lead to no good place. The Twentieth Century taught us this clear lesson.
From time to time, this website shows gay material. However, the massage should not be misunderstood. This website does not promote the gay lifestyle; rather, it promotes the tolerance of the gay lifestyle (within reason). And therein lies the difference!
This website promotes peace and security.
This website promotes freedom of choice, even if that choice might be perceived by some as being unhealthy. Personally, I believe in small government. I do not believe that it is the government’s responsibility to interfere in lifestyle choices, even if those lifestyle choices are deemed by some to be unhealthy. To allow the government the right to intervene is a slippery slope indeed.
This website promotes freedom of choice.
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
Der Bundestag gedenkt der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus
Britain Betrayed? How Dark Money Corrupted Brexit | DISPATCH | Full HD UK Politics Documentary | Reupload
Jun 20, 2024 | Brexit was presented as a populist revolution against the élite. But in the years since the referendum, a group of men deep in the heart of the British establishment have been carrying out a coup of a different kind – using Brexit to try and turn Britain into a low-tax, low-regulation, high-finance utopia. This revolution is funded by dark money – cash from unknown sources – which has been flooding into the British political system through mysterious front groups, opaque offshore firms, clandestine digital campaigns, and corporate lobbyists in disguise.
Today, dark money and shadowy influence-operations continue to push an agenda that is anything but popular, and is deeply undemocratic.
In this film, we follow the dark money trails to find out: who are the men who bought Brexit, and what is their vision for Britain’s future?
This documentary was first released in 2021.
With a general election coming up, we, the electorate, have the opportunity to punish severely the bastards who have ruined the British economy. Don’t allow yourselves to be fooled by sweet talk by loudmouths! Kick the bastards into the long grass! – © Mark Alexander
Today, dark money and shadowy influence-operations continue to push an agenda that is anything but popular, and is deeply undemocratic.
In this film, we follow the dark money trails to find out: who are the men who bought Brexit, and what is their vision for Britain’s future?
This documentary was first released in 2021.
With a general election coming up, we, the electorate, have the opportunity to punish severely the bastards who have ruined the British economy. Don’t allow yourselves to be fooled by sweet talk by loudmouths! Kick the bastards into the long grass! – © Mark Alexander
Bloomberg Originals: Why the UK's Economy Stopped Working
Rejoin Majority Are Being Gaslighted by Politicians
Question Time | Election Leaders' Special | 20th June 2024 (Day 29)
Jun 21, 2024 | With just two weeks until the general election, Fiona Bruce presents a special two-hour edition of Question Time. The four leaders from the country’s biggest political parties will each face 30 minutes of questions from an audience of voters in York. That’s Rishi Sunak, prime minister and Conservative leader, Sir Keir Starmer, who leads Labour, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, and the Scottish National Party leader John Swinney MSP.
Copyright (C) BBC, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Worldwide, 2024. If you would like me to remove this video, please contact me, not YouTube.
Should you wish to do so, you can donate to the YouTube channel, Political TV, here.
Copyright (C) BBC, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Worldwide, 2024. If you would like me to remove this video, please contact me, not YouTube.
Should you wish to do so, you can donate to the YouTube channel, Political TV, here.
French Election Becomes ‘Nightmare’ for Nation’s Jews
THE NEW YORK TIMES: An attack on a 12-year-old Jewish girl is inflaming an already tense and divisive situation.
The alleged rape last weekend of a 12-year-old Jewish girl by boys who hurled antisemitic abuse at her has ignited simmering tensions in France over attitudes toward the largest Jewish community in Western Europe.
President Emmanuel Macron, a centrist whose decision to call snap elections this month shocked even his closest allies, responded by denouncing the “scourge of antisemitism” in French schools. The prime minister, Gabriel Attal, urged politicians to “refuse the banalization” of hatred toward Jews, a thinly veiled attack on Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the ardently pro-Palestinian leader of the left who on June 2 called antisemitism in France “residual.”
There were more than 360 antisemitic episodes in France in the first three months of this year, or an average of four a day, an increase of 300 percent over the same period last year, the government said. In the most recent one that shocked the country, the three boys are said to have dragged the girl into an abandoned building where she was repeatedly raped and insulted.
The three boys, ages 12 and 13, one of them previously known to the girl, are being investigated for rape, death threats and insults “aggravated by their link to the victim’s religion,” a prosecutor’s statement on Wednesday said. Two of them have been placed in pretrial detention, it added. » | Roger Cohen, Reporting from Paris | Thursday, June 20, 2024
The alleged rape last weekend of a 12-year-old Jewish girl by boys who hurled antisemitic abuse at her has ignited simmering tensions in France over attitudes toward the largest Jewish community in Western Europe.
President Emmanuel Macron, a centrist whose decision to call snap elections this month shocked even his closest allies, responded by denouncing the “scourge of antisemitism” in French schools. The prime minister, Gabriel Attal, urged politicians to “refuse the banalization” of hatred toward Jews, a thinly veiled attack on Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the ardently pro-Palestinian leader of the left who on June 2 called antisemitism in France “residual.”
There were more than 360 antisemitic episodes in France in the first three months of this year, or an average of four a day, an increase of 300 percent over the same period last year, the government said. In the most recent one that shocked the country, the three boys are said to have dragged the girl into an abandoned building where she was repeatedly raped and insulted.
The three boys, ages 12 and 13, one of them previously known to the girl, are being investigated for rape, death threats and insults “aggravated by their link to the victim’s religion,” a prosecutor’s statement on Wednesday said. Two of them have been placed in pretrial detention, it added. » | Roger Cohen, Reporting from Paris | Thursday, June 20, 2024
Rishi Sunak Suggests Young People Might Face Sanctions for Refusing National Service
Jun 21, 2024 | Rishi Sunak has indicated that young people might face restrictions on access to finance or driving licences if they refuse to do national service, as he faced a TV quizzing from voters.
Asked during a BBC Question Time special what sanctions people could face for declining to take part in the Conservative policy of compulsory national service for all 18-year-olds, the prime minister pointed to 'driving licences, or the access to finance, all sorts of other things' Rishi Sunak floats sanctions on young people for refusing national service
Who’d want to be young in Sunak’s Britain? Sanctions for the young people who refuse to take part in national service, and they won’t be allowed to smoke a cigarette while doing it, either! Kill for your country, and perhaps be killed, but don’t expect to be able to enjoy a smoke, because cigarettes might kill you in fifty years’ time!
Kick this arrogant and petulant little pip squeak out of Number 10! Send him packing. – © Mark Alexander
Read the Guardian article here.
Asked during a BBC Question Time special what sanctions people could face for declining to take part in the Conservative policy of compulsory national service for all 18-year-olds, the prime minister pointed to 'driving licences, or the access to finance, all sorts of other things' Rishi Sunak floats sanctions on young people for refusing national service
Who’d want to be young in Sunak’s Britain? Sanctions for the young people who refuse to take part in national service, and they won’t be allowed to smoke a cigarette while doing it, either! Kill for your country, and perhaps be killed, but don’t expect to be able to enjoy a smoke, because cigarettes might kill you in fifty years’ time!
Kick this arrogant and petulant little pip squeak out of Number 10! Send him packing. – © Mark Alexander
Read the Guardian article here.
Thursday, June 20, 2024
After Over 1,000 Deaths: How to Make Hajj Safer in Extreme Heat? | DW News
Are these deaths truly Allah's will? – © Mark Alexander
George Michael, Aretha Franklin : I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) | Official Video
Make Smoking Cool Again! It Really Is Anyway
Sklaverei in Italien | ARTE Re:
Jun 20, 2024 | Yvan Sagnet hat der Sklavenarbeit in der italienischen Landwirtschaft den Kampf angesagt. Der gebürtige Kameruner stand früher selbst auf den Feldern und pflückte für wenige Euro Tomaten. Seitdem kämpft er für die Rechte der hunderttausend Arbeiter aus Afrika und Osteuropa und gegen die Caporale, die kriminellen Arbeitsvermittler.
Yvan Sagnet nennt sie Sklaven: hunderttausende Erntearbeiter aus Afrika und Osteuropa auf Italiens Feldern. Ohne sie würde in Italien keine Tomate, keine Orange, keine Olive geerntet werden. Doch sie werden ausgenutzt, leben oft unter menschenunwürdigen Bedingungen, hausen in Ruinen und sogenannten Ghettos.
Im Jahr 2011 stand Yvan selbst auf den Feldern nahe der süditalienischen Kleinstadt Nardo und pflückte Tomaten. Vier Tage lang füllte er unter Schmerzen die 350 Kilo Kisten. Er verdiente 14 Euro am Tag. 10 musste er an den Caporale zahlen, für Transport, für Wasser. Caporale heißen die kriminellen Arbeitsvermittler, die die Männer kontrollieren und ausbeuten. Nach einem 14 Stunden Tag in der Hitze und unter Schlägen blieben Yvan nur 4 Euro. Er organsierte einen Streik, den ersten der Erntearbeiter. Mit Erfolg. Seitdem kämpft er für ihre Rechte und gegen die Caporale, die ihn deswegen immer wieder mit dem Tod bedrohen.
Trotzdem hat er nun „NoCap“ gegründet, eine Organisation mit der er Produkte zertifizieren will, die unter ethisch korrekten Bedingungen hergestellt wurden. "Re:" begleitet Yvan Sagnet bei seinem Kampf.
Reportage (D 2018, 30 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 24/11/2024
Es ist herzzerreißend, daß Menschen in der heutigen Zeit so schlecht behandelt werden. Sicherlich können wir im Namen Jesu Christi besser als dies tun. Überall in Europa, inklusiv Großbritannien, werden arme Immigranten wie Sklaven behandelt. Die Sklaverei muß neumals bekämpft werden und einmal schlußendlich ausgerottet. – © Mark Alexander
Yvan Sagnet nennt sie Sklaven: hunderttausende Erntearbeiter aus Afrika und Osteuropa auf Italiens Feldern. Ohne sie würde in Italien keine Tomate, keine Orange, keine Olive geerntet werden. Doch sie werden ausgenutzt, leben oft unter menschenunwürdigen Bedingungen, hausen in Ruinen und sogenannten Ghettos.
Im Jahr 2011 stand Yvan selbst auf den Feldern nahe der süditalienischen Kleinstadt Nardo und pflückte Tomaten. Vier Tage lang füllte er unter Schmerzen die 350 Kilo Kisten. Er verdiente 14 Euro am Tag. 10 musste er an den Caporale zahlen, für Transport, für Wasser. Caporale heißen die kriminellen Arbeitsvermittler, die die Männer kontrollieren und ausbeuten. Nach einem 14 Stunden Tag in der Hitze und unter Schlägen blieben Yvan nur 4 Euro. Er organsierte einen Streik, den ersten der Erntearbeiter. Mit Erfolg. Seitdem kämpft er für ihre Rechte und gegen die Caporale, die ihn deswegen immer wieder mit dem Tod bedrohen.
Trotzdem hat er nun „NoCap“ gegründet, eine Organisation mit der er Produkte zertifizieren will, die unter ethisch korrekten Bedingungen hergestellt wurden. "Re:" begleitet Yvan Sagnet bei seinem Kampf.
Reportage (D 2018, 30 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 24/11/2024
Es ist herzzerreißend, daß Menschen in der heutigen Zeit so schlecht behandelt werden. Sicherlich können wir im Namen Jesu Christi besser als dies tun. Überall in Europa, inklusiv Großbritannien, werden arme Immigranten wie Sklaven behandelt. Die Sklaverei muß neumals bekämpft werden und einmal schlußendlich ausgerottet. – © Mark Alexander
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom | Reupload
MARK ALEXANDER: Until 9/11, the western world was largely ignorant of the religion of Islam, of its goals, of its aspirations. Indeed, even since 9/11, most people, and that includes our politicians, would not score very highly in a test of their knowledge on the subject. It should be obvious to all thinking people that our politicians are actually unaware, dare I say blind, to the dangers that Islam will increasingly cause us. It is truly a case of the blind leading the blind! That means to say, uninformed and unthinking politicians leading an ill-informed electorate. But this is what we have right now. The same can hardly be said of Muslims in the Islamic world, though; for their knowledge of Christianity far surpasses - even though much of their knowledge is quite distorted - any knowledge of Islam by the man in the street in the West.
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. But what we often don't hear uttered is its converse: Ignorance is weakness.
The West is far weaker than it need be because of this ignorance of Islam, since Islam is our greatest enemy. The greatest enemy since Nazism and communism. I'll give you some good reasons why this is so. And none of them - absolutely none of them - are based on hatred.
Islam is the enemy of the West for a plethora of good, solid reasons, and if we wish to survive as a civilization, we are going to have to bite the bullet and deal, head on, with the issues these reasons raise. Let us begin...
First and foremost, we are dealing with a religion which does not recognize any separation of politics and religion, any separation of the political from the spiritual. For Muslims, life is one coherent whole: the political and spiritual both meld into one. This has always been so, and always will be. No re-classification of the religion into two separate parts is possible because of Islam's very nature.
In Islam, all power rests with Allah, the god of Muslims. The Qur'an, their holy book, is always taken literally. Those words are considered to be the actual words of Allah. Therefore, none of these words can be changed, for to change any of them would be tantamount to tampering with Allah's words. This would be a grave sin in their eyes.
For the same reason that the words contained in the Qur'an cannot be changed, they cannot, therefore, be re-interpreted either. So do not hold your breath for any kind of reformation in this religion, because it’s not going to happen.
In Islam, all power rests with Allah, and it filters down via his vice-gerents on earth to the people. Hence the great desire among Muslims to restore the caliphate. Contrast this with the Western model of government.
In the West, the ideal political system is democracy. In democracy, all power rests with the people, and they exercise that power at the polls. In a democracy, all power filters in the opposite direction from Islam. In democracy it filters up; in Islam, down! Herein lies the greatest barrier to the miscibility of the two worlds: the western world and the Islamic world.
Without digressing too much here, I should like to add that this is the main reason why George W Bush and Blair's venture into Iraq to bring democracy there was a grave error of judgment. We are now seeing the experiment failing before our very eyes. How can one bring democracy to a region of the world where the people who inhabit that region believe that all power rests with Allah, and where they believe that Allah has prescribed their way of life for them for then, for now, and for all time?
I would suggest that where such a dichotomy exists, the most sensible and prudent thing to do would be for us to lead our lives as we see fit, and for those people to be allowed to live their lives as they see fit. That way, there would be hope of some peace in this world.
But this is not what we have done. We have done the very opposite of this: We have entered the Middle East in the hope - the vain hope in my opinion - of bringing our way of doing things, our way of life, to them; furthermore, we have allowed millions and millions of Muslims into the West - and at the very time when Christianity, the religion which underpins the West, is greatly weakened anyway - which will only give us headaches for the years ahead. Why? Because Muslims who immigrate bring their hopes and dreams and aspirations with them, hopes and dreams of establishing Islam everywhere on earth. To Islamize the world is the main aspiration of the Muslim; and we have seen in France in the recent past the manifestation of aggression in its cause. For what happened in France was in no small part because of the Muslim's desire to establish Allah's caliphate here on earth. These were the first rumblings, the first roar of the lion! Expect more of this in the future, as Islam grows stronger and stronger.
Muslims, by and large, do not respect non-Muslims. How can they? Their religion does not allow them to do so. Their religion preaches that Muslims are superior to non-Muslims; indeed, they use the derogatory term infidel for us. This word to some Westerners might simply mean that they call us infidels because we are people who do not subscribe to their faith. This, after all, would be quite logical, since to us it simply means not fidèle, or not true to the faith. But this does not completely describe what Muslims mean by this term. To Muslims, to be called an infidel is an insult indeed. It has connotations of inferiority, backwardness, and even uncleanness.
You see, Muslims believe that Islam is the perfection of religion for man for all time. They call it ad deen al kamal, the perfect religion. In their eyes, people who have not yet submitted to the will of Allah are in a state of pre-Islamic chaos, a state known to them as jahiliyyah. To Muslims, all Muslims, the whole world is classified in two parts: that part of the world which has submitted and is therefore in the Islamic state known as Dar ul Islam, or 'the House of Islam'; and that part of the world which has yet to submit and is therefore in a pre-Islamic, chaotic, jahiliyyic state known as Dar ul Harb, or the 'House of War'.
The 'House of War' is the part of the world which has yet to be taken over, and must at some point be taken over in the future. We, I am sorry to inform you, are in the 'House of War'. So we can expect anything at anytime.
Some people would ask why we were able to go for quite a long time without problems with Muslims. The answer to that is a simple one indeed. First of all, there were relatively few Muslims living in the West, so the ones that did live here were not powerful. Secondly, Muslims living in the Islamic world were, for the most part and for many years, poor by anyone's standards. This all changed with the Oil Embargo of the 70s - a time when the price of oil on the world markets soared. As a result of this, the Islamic world became rich and empowered. Money is power; and it talks loudly. In recent years we have seen evidence aplenty of Islam being on the move. I tell you now: If we do not find a way of clipping its wings here in the West, we shall lose our democracy, and we shall be in deep, deep trouble.
So the trouble we will have with Muslims will not come only from without, but in the future we can expect trouble from the Muslims within. The millions of Muslims living here in the West will not integrate, because it is not in their worldview to do so. It is also forbidden them by their very own Prophet Himself, the Prophet Muhammad. He forbade Muslims even to befriend infidels. He also exhorted them to kill us. And he certainly told them that they should live separate lives, and dress and behave differently, so that they could easily tell themselves apart.
No Western politician is going to be able to change these facts, for facts they are indeed. Moreover, as Islam will grow here, their numbers will become greater and greater, and they will be able to use our democratic system to outvote us and introduce their form of government based as it is on their beloved Shari'ah, or Quranic laws. How do you propose we shall be able to stop them? We shall be outnumbered, and as the outcome of democratic elections depends on the number of votes cast, we shall be able to do nothing about it. This time will come quicker than we might think, because so few babies are being born to infidel families.
The only thing left for people to do, will be to fight. Inevitably, at some point, civil war will ensue. If the political process fails people, then this will be all that will be left for them: civil war, guerre civile, Bürgerkrieg, call it what you will.
But one thing I can assure you, no politicians' sweet talk, posturing, or manœvring, will get us out of this one without conflict at some point in the future.
One of the biggest problems for the West is its devotion to the concept of freedom of religion. This is a lofty concept indeed, an ideal; but this devotion blinds people to one important reality: To the reality that Islam is not just a religion, but a political system, too. Indeed, it is more of a political system than anything else, and it is, in addition, a political system diametrically opposed to our own. It abhors freedom of choice, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of anything that we so cherish. The only thing one is free to do in Islam is become a Muslim, and submit to the will of Allah.
These two systems are totally immiscible, and unfortunately, we have imported this immiscibility right into the heart of the West; and to our own great disadvantage, and to the disadvantage of our long-term peace and security. What, I ask you, will the Americans do when the ever-growing Muslim population in America starts wanting to tinker with the Americans' beloved Constitution? When Muslims will see their way clear to supplant the Constitution with Shari'ah law?
Questions like these are the ones we should be grappling with NOW. To wait until the time comes would be foolish indeed.
Wake up to the harsh realities of life in the twenty-first century! We've got some collective thinking to do if we wish to save ourselves from darkness. Perhaps we shall, indeed, be forced to think about having to re-classify Islam as a political system first and foremost, a political system immiscible with our own, and one whose advance needs to be forestalled. This may be one of our only sensible alternatives. Since to give complete, unhampered freedom to Islam to grow here in the West is tantamount to digging our own graves.
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
This essay first appeared on this blog very many years ago. On April 20, 2007 to be precise. It was read right across the world, bringing in thousands of readers/visitors.
I am re-publishing this important essay today, because its message is as important to the free world today as it ever was. Our politicians are still as ignorant and naïve about Islam, its nature and its intentions, as they ever were. Until this changes, the future of the Western world is very much imperilled, lies very much in the balance.
With all the resources available to our politicians today, there really is NO EXCUSE for their IGNORANCE on matters relating to Islam. The mere fact that they do nothing about the growth of Islam here in the West shows me, and should show you, that our leaders are craven. They can hide behind political correctness and wokery/wokeism as much as they like, but the hard fact remains that they are CRAVEN. They are scared stiff of dealing with the thorny problem of Islam, problems which they themselves have created for us, the people. Do you really want your children to grow up in a society which lacks the freedoms which you yourselves have enjoyed? Is this truly acceptable to you? If not, then it is high time that we hold our political representatives to account. – © Mark Alexander
This essay first appeared here.
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. But what we often don't hear uttered is its converse: Ignorance is weakness.
The West is far weaker than it need be because of this ignorance of Islam, since Islam is our greatest enemy. The greatest enemy since Nazism and communism. I'll give you some good reasons why this is so. And none of them - absolutely none of them - are based on hatred.
Islam is the enemy of the West for a plethora of good, solid reasons, and if we wish to survive as a civilization, we are going to have to bite the bullet and deal, head on, with the issues these reasons raise. Let us begin...
First and foremost, we are dealing with a religion which does not recognize any separation of politics and religion, any separation of the political from the spiritual. For Muslims, life is one coherent whole: the political and spiritual both meld into one. This has always been so, and always will be. No re-classification of the religion into two separate parts is possible because of Islam's very nature.
In Islam, all power rests with Allah, the god of Muslims. The Qur'an, their holy book, is always taken literally. Those words are considered to be the actual words of Allah. Therefore, none of these words can be changed, for to change any of them would be tantamount to tampering with Allah's words. This would be a grave sin in their eyes.
For the same reason that the words contained in the Qur'an cannot be changed, they cannot, therefore, be re-interpreted either. So do not hold your breath for any kind of reformation in this religion, because it’s not going to happen.
In Islam, all power rests with Allah, and it filters down via his vice-gerents on earth to the people. Hence the great desire among Muslims to restore the caliphate. Contrast this with the Western model of government.
In the West, the ideal political system is democracy. In democracy, all power rests with the people, and they exercise that power at the polls. In a democracy, all power filters in the opposite direction from Islam. In democracy it filters up; in Islam, down! Herein lies the greatest barrier to the miscibility of the two worlds: the western world and the Islamic world.
Without digressing too much here, I should like to add that this is the main reason why George W Bush and Blair's venture into Iraq to bring democracy there was a grave error of judgment. We are now seeing the experiment failing before our very eyes. How can one bring democracy to a region of the world where the people who inhabit that region believe that all power rests with Allah, and where they believe that Allah has prescribed their way of life for them for then, for now, and for all time?
I would suggest that where such a dichotomy exists, the most sensible and prudent thing to do would be for us to lead our lives as we see fit, and for those people to be allowed to live their lives as they see fit. That way, there would be hope of some peace in this world.
But this is not what we have done. We have done the very opposite of this: We have entered the Middle East in the hope - the vain hope in my opinion - of bringing our way of doing things, our way of life, to them; furthermore, we have allowed millions and millions of Muslims into the West - and at the very time when Christianity, the religion which underpins the West, is greatly weakened anyway - which will only give us headaches for the years ahead. Why? Because Muslims who immigrate bring their hopes and dreams and aspirations with them, hopes and dreams of establishing Islam everywhere on earth. To Islamize the world is the main aspiration of the Muslim; and we have seen in France in the recent past the manifestation of aggression in its cause. For what happened in France was in no small part because of the Muslim's desire to establish Allah's caliphate here on earth. These were the first rumblings, the first roar of the lion! Expect more of this in the future, as Islam grows stronger and stronger.
Muslims, by and large, do not respect non-Muslims. How can they? Their religion does not allow them to do so. Their religion preaches that Muslims are superior to non-Muslims; indeed, they use the derogatory term infidel for us. This word to some Westerners might simply mean that they call us infidels because we are people who do not subscribe to their faith. This, after all, would be quite logical, since to us it simply means not fidèle, or not true to the faith. But this does not completely describe what Muslims mean by this term. To Muslims, to be called an infidel is an insult indeed. It has connotations of inferiority, backwardness, and even uncleanness.
You see, Muslims believe that Islam is the perfection of religion for man for all time. They call it ad deen al kamal, the perfect religion. In their eyes, people who have not yet submitted to the will of Allah are in a state of pre-Islamic chaos, a state known to them as jahiliyyah. To Muslims, all Muslims, the whole world is classified in two parts: that part of the world which has submitted and is therefore in the Islamic state known as Dar ul Islam, or 'the House of Islam'; and that part of the world which has yet to submit and is therefore in a pre-Islamic, chaotic, jahiliyyic state known as Dar ul Harb, or the 'House of War'.
The 'House of War' is the part of the world which has yet to be taken over, and must at some point be taken over in the future. We, I am sorry to inform you, are in the 'House of War'. So we can expect anything at anytime.
Some people would ask why we were able to go for quite a long time without problems with Muslims. The answer to that is a simple one indeed. First of all, there were relatively few Muslims living in the West, so the ones that did live here were not powerful. Secondly, Muslims living in the Islamic world were, for the most part and for many years, poor by anyone's standards. This all changed with the Oil Embargo of the 70s - a time when the price of oil on the world markets soared. As a result of this, the Islamic world became rich and empowered. Money is power; and it talks loudly. In recent years we have seen evidence aplenty of Islam being on the move. I tell you now: If we do not find a way of clipping its wings here in the West, we shall lose our democracy, and we shall be in deep, deep trouble.
So the trouble we will have with Muslims will not come only from without, but in the future we can expect trouble from the Muslims within. The millions of Muslims living here in the West will not integrate, because it is not in their worldview to do so. It is also forbidden them by their very own Prophet Himself, the Prophet Muhammad. He forbade Muslims even to befriend infidels. He also exhorted them to kill us. And he certainly told them that they should live separate lives, and dress and behave differently, so that they could easily tell themselves apart.
No Western politician is going to be able to change these facts, for facts they are indeed. Moreover, as Islam will grow here, their numbers will become greater and greater, and they will be able to use our democratic system to outvote us and introduce their form of government based as it is on their beloved Shari'ah, or Quranic laws. How do you propose we shall be able to stop them? We shall be outnumbered, and as the outcome of democratic elections depends on the number of votes cast, we shall be able to do nothing about it. This time will come quicker than we might think, because so few babies are being born to infidel families.
The only thing left for people to do, will be to fight. Inevitably, at some point, civil war will ensue. If the political process fails people, then this will be all that will be left for them: civil war, guerre civile, Bürgerkrieg, call it what you will.
But one thing I can assure you, no politicians' sweet talk, posturing, or manœvring, will get us out of this one without conflict at some point in the future.
One of the biggest problems for the West is its devotion to the concept of freedom of religion. This is a lofty concept indeed, an ideal; but this devotion blinds people to one important reality: To the reality that Islam is not just a religion, but a political system, too. Indeed, it is more of a political system than anything else, and it is, in addition, a political system diametrically opposed to our own. It abhors freedom of choice, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of anything that we so cherish. The only thing one is free to do in Islam is become a Muslim, and submit to the will of Allah.
These two systems are totally immiscible, and unfortunately, we have imported this immiscibility right into the heart of the West; and to our own great disadvantage, and to the disadvantage of our long-term peace and security. What, I ask you, will the Americans do when the ever-growing Muslim population in America starts wanting to tinker with the Americans' beloved Constitution? When Muslims will see their way clear to supplant the Constitution with Shari'ah law?
Questions like these are the ones we should be grappling with NOW. To wait until the time comes would be foolish indeed.
Wake up to the harsh realities of life in the twenty-first century! We've got some collective thinking to do if we wish to save ourselves from darkness. Perhaps we shall, indeed, be forced to think about having to re-classify Islam as a political system first and foremost, a political system immiscible with our own, and one whose advance needs to be forestalled. This may be one of our only sensible alternatives. Since to give complete, unhampered freedom to Islam to grow here in the West is tantamount to digging our own graves.
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
This essay first appeared on this blog very many years ago. On April 20, 2007 to be precise. It was read right across the world, bringing in thousands of readers/visitors.
I am re-publishing this important essay today, because its message is as important to the free world today as it ever was. Our politicians are still as ignorant and naïve about Islam, its nature and its intentions, as they ever were. Until this changes, the future of the Western world is very much imperilled, lies very much in the balance.
With all the resources available to our politicians today, there really is NO EXCUSE for their IGNORANCE on matters relating to Islam. The mere fact that they do nothing about the growth of Islam here in the West shows me, and should show you, that our leaders are craven. They can hide behind political correctness and wokery/wokeism as much as they like, but the hard fact remains that they are CRAVEN. They are scared stiff of dealing with the thorny problem of Islam, problems which they themselves have created for us, the people. Do you really want your children to grow up in a society which lacks the freedoms which you yourselves have enjoyed? Is this truly acceptable to you? If not, then it is high time that we hold our political representatives to account. – © Mark Alexander
This essay first appeared here.
Highlights from Rishi Sunak’s No Limits Phone-in on LBC
Why the UK Will Lose the 2030s
May 21, 2024 | The United Kingdom is a nation once known as the empire on which the sun never sets. The 19th century saw the UK as the world's wealthiest and most powerful nation, victorious through two world wars. However, ominous clouds now loom over this historical powerhouse.
In this video, we explore the multifaceted crises threatening the UK's future. From housing shortages and Brexit mismanage-ment to a looming demographic disaster, the fabric of British society is fraying. The decade ahead could see the UK losing its permanent seat on the UN Security Council and struggling to meet its massive public service obligations.
From the heights of British naval dominance and the Industrial Revolution to the post-war economic shifts catalyzed by the Bretton Woods system, we'll examine the demographic time bomb of an aging population and the strain on public services like the NHS. With high tax rates driving brain drain and protests simmering across the nation, can the UK pull through these formidable challenges? Stay tuned as we unravel the complexities and imperatives of this critical moment in British history.
In this video, we explore the multifaceted crises threatening the UK's future. From housing shortages and Brexit mismanage-ment to a looming demographic disaster, the fabric of British society is fraying. The decade ahead could see the UK losing its permanent seat on the UN Security Council and struggling to meet its massive public service obligations.
From the heights of British naval dominance and the Industrial Revolution to the post-war economic shifts catalyzed by the Bretton Woods system, we'll examine the demographic time bomb of an aging population and the strain on public services like the NHS. With high tax rates driving brain drain and protests simmering across the nation, can the UK pull through these formidable challenges? Stay tuned as we unravel the complexities and imperatives of this critical moment in British history.
Was wäre wenn…Hitler den Krieg gewonnen hätte? | Dokumentarfilm
Jan 31, 2021 | Was wäre wenn...Hitler den Krieg gewonnen hätte? | Phoenix Dokumentation
Wie sähe die Welt heute aus, wenn die Nazis den Krieg gewonnen hätten? Ein Klassiker unter den "Was wäre wenn"-Fragen und fester Bestandteil der aktuellen Popkultur. Doch welche Pläne verfolgte Hitler wirklich nach dem deutschen Sieg?
Der Film präsentiert ein Lehrstück alternativer Geschichtsschreibung - und ist ein Heilmittel gegen Demokratieverdruss.
Film von Alexander Hogh
Wie sähe die Welt heute aus, wenn die Nazis den Krieg gewonnen hätten? Ein Klassiker unter den "Was wäre wenn"-Fragen und fester Bestandteil der aktuellen Popkultur. Doch welche Pläne verfolgte Hitler wirklich nach dem deutschen Sieg?
Der Film präsentiert ein Lehrstück alternativer Geschichtsschreibung - und ist ein Heilmittel gegen Demokratieverdruss.
Film von Alexander Hogh
Ridiculous Reform UK Policy Called Out by Yanis Varoufakis
What Would It Be Like for an LGBTQ Person in Gaza? | #shorts
Dr. Suneel Dhand: STATINS: Some Inconvenient Truths
More Than 550 Hajj Pilgrims Die in Mecca as Temperatures Exceed 50C
THE GUARDIAN: At least 320 of the dead are from Egypt and Saudi officials report treating more than 2,000 people for heat stress
At least 550 pilgrims have died during the hajj, underscoring the gruelling nature of the pilgrimage which again unfolded in scorching temperatures this year.
At least 323 of those who died were Egyptians, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, the two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries’ responses told AFP.
“All of them [the Egyptians] died because of heat” except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one of the diplomats said, adding that the total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighbourhood of Mecca.
At least 60 Jordanians have died, the diplomats said, up from an official tally of 41 given earlier on Tuesday by Amman.
The new deaths bring the total reported so far by multiple countries to 577, according to an AFP tally. » | Agence France-Presse in Riyadh | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
At least 550 pilgrims have died during the hajj, underscoring the gruelling nature of the pilgrimage which again unfolded in scorching temperatures this year.
At least 323 of those who died were Egyptians, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, the two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries’ responses told AFP.
“All of them [the Egyptians] died because of heat” except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one of the diplomats said, adding that the total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighbourhood of Mecca.
At least 60 Jordanians have died, the diplomats said, up from an official tally of 41 given earlier on Tuesday by Amman.
The new deaths bring the total reported so far by multiple countries to 577, according to an AFP tally. » | Agence France-Presse in Riyadh | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Liz Webster: Farming & Food under Attack
Italy According to Giorgia Meloni: No Country for Non-traditional Families
Read more about this story here.
Dr. Suneel Dhand: Big Pharma Company Hides Cancer Risk of Common Medicine for 40 Years
Read the article here.
Dick, dicker, fettes Geld | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE
Jun 18, 2024 | Mediziner sprechen von einer Zeitbombe: Bis 2030 ist die Hälfte der Weltbevölkerung übergewichtig oder fettleibig. Adipositas sorgt für einen rasanten Anstieg von Diabetes, Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen und Krebs – und wird zum schwersten Gesundheitsproblem weltweit. Doch überall wehren sich Menschen gegen dieses Schicksal und versuchen, die Kontrolle über ihre Körper zurückzugewinnen.
Laut Lebensmittelindustrie und staatlichen Behörden ist sie auf einen Mangel an individueller Selbstdisziplin zurückzuführen. Stimmt das? Oder ist sie nicht vielmehr das Ergebnis eines kollektiven Versagens, das Symptom einer liberalen Gesellschaft, die Fett verabscheut und fette Menschen produziert? Macht die Gesellschaft ihre Bürger dick?
Frauen und Männer in den USA, Kanada, Mexiko, Chile, Frankreich und Deutschland wehren sich heute gegen dieses Schicksal. Mit den Waffen des Rechts, der Wissenschaft und der Politik kämpfen sie dafür, dass den Lügen ein Ende bereitet wird und die Menschen die Kontrolle über ihre Körper zurückgewinnen. In ihrem Visier: zuckerhaltige Getränke, die so süchtig machen wie harte Drogen; irreführende Werbung, die auf Kinder und Gering-verdienende abzielt; Regierungen, die den Junkfood-Konzernen gegenüber beide Augen zudrücken; Lobbyarbeit an der Grenze zur Illegalität. Diese mutigen Menschen fordern neue Gesetze, um der feindlichen Übernahme unserer Nahrung Einhalt zu gebieten, die seit vier Jahrzehnten andauert. Chile weist bei diesem Kampf den Weg. Welches Land wird folgen und als nächstes den Lebensmittelriesen im Namen der öffentlichen Gesundheit die Stirn bieten?
Dokumentarfilm von Thierry de Lestrade und Sylvie Gilman (F 2020, 90 Min)
Laut Lebensmittelindustrie und staatlichen Behörden ist sie auf einen Mangel an individueller Selbstdisziplin zurückzuführen. Stimmt das? Oder ist sie nicht vielmehr das Ergebnis eines kollektiven Versagens, das Symptom einer liberalen Gesellschaft, die Fett verabscheut und fette Menschen produziert? Macht die Gesellschaft ihre Bürger dick?
Frauen und Männer in den USA, Kanada, Mexiko, Chile, Frankreich und Deutschland wehren sich heute gegen dieses Schicksal. Mit den Waffen des Rechts, der Wissenschaft und der Politik kämpfen sie dafür, dass den Lügen ein Ende bereitet wird und die Menschen die Kontrolle über ihre Körper zurückgewinnen. In ihrem Visier: zuckerhaltige Getränke, die so süchtig machen wie harte Drogen; irreführende Werbung, die auf Kinder und Gering-verdienende abzielt; Regierungen, die den Junkfood-Konzernen gegenüber beide Augen zudrücken; Lobbyarbeit an der Grenze zur Illegalität. Diese mutigen Menschen fordern neue Gesetze, um der feindlichen Übernahme unserer Nahrung Einhalt zu gebieten, die seit vier Jahrzehnten andauert. Chile weist bei diesem Kampf den Weg. Welches Land wird folgen und als nächstes den Lebensmittelriesen im Namen der öffentlichen Gesundheit die Stirn bieten?
Dokumentarfilm von Thierry de Lestrade und Sylvie Gilman (F 2020, 90 Min)
Thailand Passes Historic Bill Recognising Marriage Equality
THE GUARDIAN: Country on track to become third in Asia – after Taiwan and Nepal – to legalise same-sex marriage
Thailand’s senate has passed the final reading of a historic marriage equality bill, paving the way for the country to become the first in south-east Asia to recognise same-sex marriage.
The bill gained the support of nearly all upper-house lawmakers and will be sent to the palace for the pro-forma endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The law will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
“We’re all just really excited,” said Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an 18-year-old activist, before the law was approved. “I can feel the whole world is cheering us on.”
The bill passed its final reading on Tuesday with the approval of 130 of the 152 members of the Senate in attendance, with four voting against it and 18 abstaining. » | Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
DW VIDEO:
Thailand is set to legalize same-sex marriage after senators approve bill: Thailand set to legalize same-sex marriage. Senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a marriage equality bill. The law still needs approval from Thailand's king before it can come into force. »
Thailand’s senate has passed the final reading of a historic marriage equality bill, paving the way for the country to become the first in south-east Asia to recognise same-sex marriage.
The bill gained the support of nearly all upper-house lawmakers and will be sent to the palace for the pro-forma endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The law will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
“We’re all just really excited,” said Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an 18-year-old activist, before the law was approved. “I can feel the whole world is cheering us on.”
The bill passed its final reading on Tuesday with the approval of 130 of the 152 members of the Senate in attendance, with four voting against it and 18 abstaining. » | Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
DW VIDEO:
Thailand is set to legalize same-sex marriage after senators approve bill: Thailand set to legalize same-sex marriage. Senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a marriage equality bill. The law still needs approval from Thailand's king before it can come into force. »
Islamic Culture Not Compatible with European Values: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni | Reupload
On this matter, Giorgia Meloni is absolutely right, and she should be respected for having the courage to state this hard fact: Islamic culture and Western culture are totally and utterly immiscible. This combination will never work. One culture will win out in the end; and it will be the culture that is the stronger and the culture that gives birth to the most babies. Enough said! Western governments can pass all the laws they want to shut their citizens up, but those laws won’t change a thing. Facts are facts. Moreover, Islam is a proselytizing religion which will get its own way by fair means or foul. – © Mark Alexander
How Life Is Changing for Italy's Gay Families – BBC News | Reupload
Sep 24, 2023 | Italy’s government is planning to criminalise people who travel abroad to have children via surrogacy, which is already banned in the country. While the majority of Italians who seek surrogacy abroad are believed to be heterosexual, many same-sex parents fear the new law is targeting LGBT families by making it harder for them to have children.
A recent Ipsos poll shows that 45% of Italians oppose the idea of surrogacy, but 45% were also in favour of granting legal recognition for children born via surrogacy.
In a country so short of babies, one would think that the government of such a country would be glad to get all the babies they can get, in order to swell the birthrate! – © Mark Alexander
A recent Ipsos poll shows that 45% of Italians oppose the idea of surrogacy, but 45% were also in favour of granting legal recognition for children born via surrogacy.
In a country so short of babies, one would think that the government of such a country would be glad to get all the babies they can get, in order to swell the birthrate! – © Mark Alexander
Greece Issues Extreme Heat and Weather Warnings | BBC News
June 18, 2024 | Residents and tourists have been told to prepare for extreme weather conditions as parts of the Mediterranean experience a severe heatwave. Greece and neighbouring countries are expecting to experience record temperatures.
The warning comes as the body of an American tourist has reportedly been found on the Greek island of Mathraki, adding to the list of foreigners missing or reported to have died during the record-setting heatwave.
A Dutchman also was found dead on Samos over the weekend, following the recent death of British TV presenter Dr Michael Mosley on the island of Symi. Adding to the list, two hikers were found dead on 5 June on Crete. Another American, Albert Calibet, is among at least three others reported missing.
The warning comes as the body of an American tourist has reportedly been found on the Greek island of Mathraki, adding to the list of foreigners missing or reported to have died during the record-setting heatwave.
A Dutchman also was found dead on Samos over the weekend, following the recent death of British TV presenter Dr Michael Mosley on the island of Symi. Adding to the list, two hikers were found dead on 5 June on Crete. Another American, Albert Calibet, is among at least three others reported missing.
In Need of Munitions, Putin to Visit North Korea
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Seeking more weapons for the war in Ukraine, the Russian president plans to return to the country on Tuesday for the first time in nearly a quarter-century.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will visit North Korea this week for a meeting with its leader, Kim Jong-un, their second in nine months, as the two countries deepen military ties to support Mr. Putin’s war in Ukraine with North Korean weapons.
Mr. Putin last visited North Korea in 2000, when he became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit the nation. This week’s trip, beginning on Tuesday, highlights North Korea’s growing strategic importance for Mr. Putin, especially its ability to supply badly needed conventional weapons for the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Kim met with Mr. Putin in Russia’s Far East last September, ushering in a new era of relations between the two countries.
For Mr. Kim, it was a rare moment of his country, a pariah in the West, being sought after as an ally. For Russia, it’s a strengthening of ties with a country that is providing it with much-needed munitions for its war in Ukraine. » | Choe Sang-Hun, Reporting from Seoul | Monday, June 17, 2024
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President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will visit North Korea this week for a meeting with its leader, Kim Jong-un, their second in nine months, as the two countries deepen military ties to support Mr. Putin’s war in Ukraine with North Korean weapons.
Mr. Putin last visited North Korea in 2000, when he became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit the nation. This week’s trip, beginning on Tuesday, highlights North Korea’s growing strategic importance for Mr. Putin, especially its ability to supply badly needed conventional weapons for the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Kim met with Mr. Putin in Russia’s Far East last September, ushering in a new era of relations between the two countries.
For Mr. Kim, it was a rare moment of his country, a pariah in the West, being sought after as an ally. For Russia, it’s a strengthening of ties with a country that is providing it with much-needed munitions for its war in Ukraine. » | Choe Sang-Hun, Reporting from Seoul | Monday, June 17, 2024
阅读简体中文版 »
閱讀繁體中文版 »
I Went Looking for the Few Remaining Tory Voters. They Don’t Want Farage, but They Don’t Want Sunak either
THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: Even lifelong Conservative voters seem tired of the Tories. Signs are pointing to a total party collapse
Who are the people who will still vote Tory? True, there are not many left, but a solid core of 20% of the population will opt for more of the same, the lowest percentage in polling history, says Prof John Curtice. That many still seem willing to re-elect those who did such national damage is, to put it politely, perplexing.
Do they really back the exceptionally mean-spirited and squalid bribery of their party’s prospectus? Well, the great majority have better things to do than read manifestos. But go out and talk to ordinary Tory voters and you find their state of mind out of tune with their party’s hierarchy. That’s why most traditional Tories have fled, ignored by the manifesto writers who press on with deeper cuts to collapsing public services, adding to the 4.3 million children going hungry. » | Polly Toynbee | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Any party that allows children to be raised in poverty, regardless of the party’s political stripe or hue, deserves to go the way of the dodo. There is absolutely no excuse for allowing the nation’s children to go hungry in this day and age. None whatsoever! If the Tories are able to look after their superrich buddies and chums — and they have a long history of doing that — then they are jolly well able to look after the nation’s children, too. The time has come for the Tories to be taught a painful lesson! — © Mark Alexander
Who are the people who will still vote Tory? True, there are not many left, but a solid core of 20% of the population will opt for more of the same, the lowest percentage in polling history, says Prof John Curtice. That many still seem willing to re-elect those who did such national damage is, to put it politely, perplexing.
Do they really back the exceptionally mean-spirited and squalid bribery of their party’s prospectus? Well, the great majority have better things to do than read manifestos. But go out and talk to ordinary Tory voters and you find their state of mind out of tune with their party’s hierarchy. That’s why most traditional Tories have fled, ignored by the manifesto writers who press on with deeper cuts to collapsing public services, adding to the 4.3 million children going hungry. » | Polly Toynbee | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Any party that allows children to be raised in poverty, regardless of the party’s political stripe or hue, deserves to go the way of the dodo. There is absolutely no excuse for allowing the nation’s children to go hungry in this day and age. None whatsoever! If the Tories are able to look after their superrich buddies and chums — and they have a long history of doing that — then they are jolly well able to look after the nation’s children, too. The time has come for the Tories to be taught a painful lesson! — © Mark Alexander
Jeremy Hunt: Liz Truss Economic Plans Were ‘Good Thing to Aim for’
THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Leaked recordings reveal chancellor ‘trying to achieve some of the same things’ as former prime minister
Jeremy Hunt said Liz Truss’s economic ambitions were a “good thing to aim for” and her disastrous mini-budget hadn’t left an impact on the economy, according to two leaked recordings obtained by the Guardian.
The chancellor was recorded at a meeting of students when he said he was “trying to basically achieve some of the same things” as the former prime minister, but that he was doing it “more gradually”. » | Jessica Elgot and Aletha Adu | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Of ducks and clowns… If it looks like a clown, walks like a clown and talks like a clown, then it just may be a clown! – Mark Alexander
Jeremy Hunt said Liz Truss’s economic ambitions were a “good thing to aim for” and her disastrous mini-budget hadn’t left an impact on the economy, according to two leaked recordings obtained by the Guardian.
The chancellor was recorded at a meeting of students when he said he was “trying to basically achieve some of the same things” as the former prime minister, but that he was doing it “more gradually”. » | Jessica Elgot and Aletha Adu | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Of ducks and clowns… If it looks like a clown, walks like a clown and talks like a clown, then it just may be a clown! – Mark Alexander
Monday, June 17, 2024
Peter Stefanovic : Nigel Farage Tells Journalists He’s Out of Retirement to Our Fix Broken Economy. No-one Mentions Brexit
First, Farage screwed the EU over by lining his pockets. Then, he screwed the UK over by convincing those that didn't know better to vote for Brexit. Now, he wants to screw over the UK again! And he wants to destroy the Conservative Party as well! Is there no end to this dangerous nonsense? The man is a menace. – © Mark Alexander
„Post Fire“: Waldbrand wütet in Kalifornien
French Election: Le Pen Vows to Work with Macron If She Wins
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Key Global Powers Fail to Sign Up to Ukraine Peace Summit Communique
THE GUARDIAN: Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia among countries not to endorse text supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity
Key regional powers including Brazil, India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia have failed to sign up to a joint communique issued at the end of a Ukraine peace conference in which more than 80 countries and international organisations endorsed its territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s invasion.
Speaking at the end of the two-day summit in Switzerland, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, welcomed the “first steps toward peace” but acknowledged that not all attenders had come onboard. “Unfortunately there are people who are still balancing,” he said, adding that Russia was trying to divide the world.
He said the final communique remained “open for accession by everyone who respects the UN charter”. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Sunday, June 16, 2024
Key regional powers including Brazil, India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia have failed to sign up to a joint communique issued at the end of a Ukraine peace conference in which more than 80 countries and international organisations endorsed its territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s invasion.
Speaking at the end of the two-day summit in Switzerland, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, welcomed the “first steps toward peace” but acknowledged that not all attenders had come onboard. “Unfortunately there are people who are still balancing,” he said, adding that Russia was trying to divide the world.
He said the final communique remained “open for accession by everyone who respects the UN charter”. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Sunday, June 16, 2024
Locked Up for 'Misgendering': Ireland Begins Assault on Free Speech with 'Chilling' New Laws
One in Four Cigarettes in Australia Are Illegally Purchased | ABC News
Politicians across the world are not always the brightest of people! The more they push up the price of cigarettes, the more illegal cigarettes will be smoked as citizens try to circumvent the punitive taxes placed on cigarettes and tobacco products. They will also create greater health issues for citizens, because the authorities cannot control the quality of the cigarettes or tobacco products being sold on the black market. Meddlesome politicians have a lot to learn! – © Mark Alexander
The Tories Are Losing ‘Pretty Much Everywhere’ | Peter Kellner
De-demonizing Nicotine | Ending Fear to Promote Benefits
Dr Bryan Ardis: The Shocking Truth about Nicotine and Its Biz
Mar 3, 2024 | « Live Dr Ardis : la vérité choquante sur la nicotine et son commerce Seth Holehouse, journaliste de Man in America présente une interview avec le Dr Ardis au sujet de la nicotine.
Pour consulter le diaporama, voir le site The Dr Ardis Show rubrique Patient Ressources »
Pour consulter le diaporama, voir le site The Dr Ardis Show rubrique Patient Ressources »
Saturday, June 15, 2024
Mark Littlewood in Conversation with Simon Clark
This country has gone completely over-the-top with its anti-smoking legislation. The war on smoking and smokers shows no sign of coming to an end, either. Smoking has become the bête noire of our day. Fact is, however, some people do far worse things than smoke a cigarette. Yet the powers-that-be do little about those questionable and unhealthy activities. Yet on smokers, it's open season. I write as an ex-smoker. But when I smoked, I smoked for pleasure and for no other reason. The problem today, though, is that trying to enjoy a cigarette has been made so difficult for people that much of the pleasure has been taken out of the pleasurable habit. There is also no rhyme – © Mark Alexander or reason in the taxes placed on cigarettes. Smokers are easy targets for the taxman. – © Mark Alexander
Dr Suneel Dhand: Why I Stay AWAY from DOCTORS
Rejoin EU Party Leader Talks General Election and Brexit
This is the only party in the UK today that I know of that is offering the electorate the sensible choice of rejoining the EU. Let's face it, it is the only sensible thing to do! We can have no economic growth to speak of without being an integral part of the European Union. No sensible party with any understanding of even basic economics would advocate cutting the country off from the largest single market and customs union in the world, the Single Market. – © Mark Alexander
Betty Mahmoody's Dangerous Escape from Iran | Escape Stories
Princess of Wales Makes First Public Appearance since Cancer Diagnosis | Trooping the Colour
Jun 15, 2024 | The Princess of Wales watched the Trooping the Colour from the Buckingham Palace balcony with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Princess travelled to the ceremony in the Glass State Coach with her children, appearing in public for the first time this year, as she begins her return to public life after her cancer diagnosis.
The King and Queen also travelled by carriage to the ceremony, riding in the Scottish State Coach while the Prince of Wales rode on horseback to the event.
The Princess, who is still undergoing chemotherapy, will later make an official appearance on the balcony alongside the King and the other members of the Royal Family.
Princess of Wales makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis: Catherine takes part in trooping the colour for king’s birthday but has said she is ‘not out of woods yet’ »
The King and Queen also travelled by carriage to the ceremony, riding in the Scottish State Coach while the Prince of Wales rode on horseback to the event.
The Princess, who is still undergoing chemotherapy, will later make an official appearance on the balcony alongside the King and the other members of the Royal Family.
Princess of Wales makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis: Catherine takes part in trooping the colour for king’s birthday but has said she is ‘not out of woods yet’ »
Michael Lambert: Starmer Stubbornly Sticks to Disastrous Brexit
Jun 15, 2024 | The Labour Party manifesto was launched this week. Much of it concerned economic growth which will be essential if damaged and neglected public services are to be fixed.
Keir Starmer claims that growth can be achieved whilst ignoring the major reason for our economic troubles which is Brexit He claims he will be able to improve our deal with the EU despite having been told repeatedly that this will not be possible.
Starmer has made it clear that beyond certain funded changes other reforms will only be possible if funded by growth. Outside the EU, the UK will find it almost impossible to grow.
This is an excellent synopsis of the parlous state of the UK economy and its outlook for economic growth under Keir Starmer's leadership. I agree with Mr Lambert's viewpoints TOTALLY. The Conservative Party in recent years has been a disaster for this country; now, the Labour Party is promising to be equally disastrous in so many ways. How can our economy hope to grow after locking ourselves out of the BIGGEST single market in the world, which is right on our doorstep?
When we were in the EU, this country was doing rather well. Have these politicians never heard of the old saying — 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!? Whilst in the European Union, there was truly nothing to fix!
Nigel Farage really has been the architect of this country's downfall. The man is a bigoted, loudmouthed, troublemaker. History is not going to be kind to that man. Unfortunately we have to live through the nightmare the clown has created. One can but despair. This country's future is bleak indeed.
At no other time in my life have I ever felt DISENFRANCHISED. Now, I do. TOTALLY. There is no decent political party to vote for. I had pinned my hopes on the Liberal Democrats, but Ed Davey hasn't had the courage to promise the country that he would try and take us back into the EU. That is a great disappointment to me, and probably to many other Remainers as well. In fact, in my opinion, he has lost his best chance of elevating his party ahead of the Tories, because I believe that such a move might well have catapulted the LibDems to a powerful position. He would have had nothing to lose by such a commitment, and everything to gain. Again, one can but despair.
I cannot vote for any party that is not committed to our return to the EU. So that leaves me without a say in the future of this country. I find it difficult to vote for a party whose policies I disagree with. The whole thing saddens me. – © Mark Alexander
Keir Starmer claims that growth can be achieved whilst ignoring the major reason for our economic troubles which is Brexit He claims he will be able to improve our deal with the EU despite having been told repeatedly that this will not be possible.
Starmer has made it clear that beyond certain funded changes other reforms will only be possible if funded by growth. Outside the EU, the UK will find it almost impossible to grow.
This is an excellent synopsis of the parlous state of the UK economy and its outlook for economic growth under Keir Starmer's leadership. I agree with Mr Lambert's viewpoints TOTALLY. The Conservative Party in recent years has been a disaster for this country; now, the Labour Party is promising to be equally disastrous in so many ways. How can our economy hope to grow after locking ourselves out of the BIGGEST single market in the world, which is right on our doorstep?
When we were in the EU, this country was doing rather well. Have these politicians never heard of the old saying — 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!? Whilst in the European Union, there was truly nothing to fix!
Nigel Farage really has been the architect of this country's downfall. The man is a bigoted, loudmouthed, troublemaker. History is not going to be kind to that man. Unfortunately we have to live through the nightmare the clown has created. One can but despair. This country's future is bleak indeed.
At no other time in my life have I ever felt DISENFRANCHISED. Now, I do. TOTALLY. There is no decent political party to vote for. I had pinned my hopes on the Liberal Democrats, but Ed Davey hasn't had the courage to promise the country that he would try and take us back into the EU. That is a great disappointment to me, and probably to many other Remainers as well. In fact, in my opinion, he has lost his best chance of elevating his party ahead of the Tories, because I believe that such a move might well have catapulted the LibDems to a powerful position. He would have had nothing to lose by such a commitment, and everything to gain. Again, one can but despair.
I cannot vote for any party that is not committed to our return to the EU. So that leaves me without a say in the future of this country. I find it difficult to vote for a party whose policies I disagree with. The whole thing saddens me. – © Mark Alexander
Friday, June 14, 2024
Gay Cuddles / Schwules Kuscheln / Câlins gays
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