Are you waiting for the other foot to drop? I am, I find myself fearing the future after always looking forward to it. We all know, and if you don’t why haven’t you been reading my blogs, that the old order is changing in the world. Suddenly the old certainties are no longer so certain. It used to be that there was an order to things, that America was top dog, and we were top of the middle sized countries, which made us comfortably in the top six or seven of all the countries, whatever their size, in whatever way you measure these things.
Now there are seismic shifts which are not in our control and which promise to be unpleasant. The Americans will have to adjust to not being the lone superpower, and possibly, one day in the not too distant future, to not being a superpower at all. My definition of that word, superpower, meaning that you can impose your will on other countries, wherever they are and for whatever reason you pick, in whichever manner you select, be it military, diplomatic or economic.
The threat to the established order comes from the BRIC countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China, and we mustn’t forget the others yapping at the fringes like Canada who have smaller populations but vast natural resources that will become increasingly vital. It does not come in equal measure from the supposedly asymmetric conflicts with various Islamic groups or countries as these are threats that can be dealt with.
I don’t claim that the Anglo Saxon countries have a divine right to rule or dominate other countries, but I do make a case for our having been of benefit to the rest of the world, a benign influence. Let’s not forget if it were not for British obduracy and undeniable courage plus American capacity and bravery, albeit a bit late, Nazism would today dominate the entire world. No other countries demonstrated that capacity or willingness to fight the evil tyranny until it was too late.
Like every other country ours have taken many, if not most of their decisions for purely pragmatic and selfish reasons, but sometimes, like in World War Two we did what we thought to be right because it was the moral thing to do.
It is a common belief that China follows a course of action for reasons of pure expedience? Witness how the Chinese government cynically manipulates the publicity surrounding the Beijing Olympics during the torch runs around the globe. Everyone else in the world acknowledges the systematic rape of Tibet but is powerless to act. Once the Games are over what will remain to coerce the Chinese government to show any modicum of restraint or reasonable behavior. We shouldn’t assume that the Chinese people agree with my Western view of their rationale. I think a great many Chinese nationals are very proud of their country’s economic and cultural leap forward. They like a system that works for their pockets and stomachs and gives them back their pride.
Likewise Russia, now led by its latest Czar, Vladimir Putin. We already see all the signs of a returned dictatorship, with almost all the recent flowering signs of a thriving democracy being carefully controlled or eliminated. Perversely the Russian people en masse seem to love the man. He has won several elections with increasingly large majorities. Perhaps its true that the Russian historical liking for a strong man at the centre of power remains their nation’s driving wish. Why should we assume that everyone does, or should aspire to our form of democratic governance?
Russia has restored its morale and increasing power via its regaining control of its vast natural resources. As Russia re-asserts itself among the top table of countries it will increasingly drain the Anglo American focus. This is inevitably going to prove to be a problem.
The other great player in the world which no one pays much attention to is the quiet behemoth, the European Union. This now comprises 27 countries and, of course, lest we forget, includes the UK. If you consider it as an economic and political block it is the biggest and strongest in the world. However no one has seriously suggested that it sees itself in this way. At the moment it is either Hydra, the mythical beast with many heads and one writhing body or Sisyphus, one of the Titans condemned to push a stone up a hill that everlastingly rolled back down again in unceasing but fruitless labor.
Presently the European Union’s biggest problem is its genuine lack of transparency and democratic answerability. The EU hierarchy’s lack of responsiveness to the no votes against the proposed Lisbon Treaty demonstrates their inability to understand or empathize with the European people.
But all it will take is one charismatic leader who can combine the people’s common dreams and aspirations. Hopefully this will be a democratic and not follow the previous proponents of such a combination of European power, which included Hitler and Napoleon and many Emperors of Rome. In the end all had the same flaw that it is very hard, if not impossible to create a power bloc of component parts without central authority being exerted by a very small controlling force.
We need to re-think how we work with the Russians and our fellow Europeans rather than ignore these new realities and America in particular has to figure out to react before they are forced to reconsider their strategies. America was at its most powerful after the Second World War all the way through to the trauma of 9/11. America was also at its most magnanimous during that period and now it must return to a policy of listening as well as talking.
The UK should return to its post war role of being the political, cultural and sometimes economic bridge between Europe and America, understanding both places better than either understands the other.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tribulations
I feel I should apologize. Several times a week I write another blog, mainly regarding entertainment at http://tonyklinger.blogspot.co.uk I am also on the run to a meeting in the City of London and situations like this mean that I try to write my companion piece here on days like this, in a lighter, briefer style. The reasoning is that it would be easier and less complicated. The trouble is that there has been hardly one day during the recent past in which nothing of consequence has happened.
Even the latest twist in our tortured judicial procedures seems trivial by comparison with the issues of the world today. Police investigating extreme crime in the UK went into meltdown yesterday. A major crime trial was halted when the judge stated that the accused had the right to know who the witnesses against him were. Up to this point it had become standard operating procedure when dealing with suspected violent criminals for the witnesses against them to be granted total anonymity. As a consequence, the man on trial had not been able to see who his accusers were and his lawyers successfully argued that it was not in the interests of justice for a conviction to be gained in this way.
This means that there can be no further anonymous witnesses and this in turn will result in convicted criminals being released on appeal on this basis, and about forty cases currently going through the courts collapsing because the witnesses will withdraw in fear for their safety and that of their families. It also equates to already convicted criminals being released on this basis. There were immediate moves made by the government to find a way to over-rule this judge’s ruling. It seems as if the judiciary in the UK are determined to be politically correct at the cost of any common sense.
At the same time, in Southern Africa only the President of Zambia can hold his head up. He is the only leader to unequivocally condemn the tin pot dictator of nearby Zimbabwe. “ A fair election was not possible,” echoed the head of the United Nations. Mugabe called the MDC opposition leader, “a cry baby”.
Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from Friday's presidential run-off, handing victory to President Robert Mugabe. Mr. Tsvangirai said there was no point running when elections would not be free and fair and "the outcome is determined by... Mugabe himself".
He called on the global community to step in to prevent "genocide". But the ruling Zanu-PF said Mr. Tsvangirai had taken the decision to avoid "humiliation" in the poll.
The man still illegitimately claiming to be President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe is seemingly determined to go ahead with the election on Friday, despite having forced the opposition leader to withdraw from the process.
Belatedly even South Africa announced that they accepted the UN leaders comment regarding Mugabe, as the President of the ruling ANC said that they feel that Mugabe has gone out of control. The American government has also condemned the Zimbabwean leaders attempts to pretend at legitimacy. Still, no one has done anything concrete to force Mugabe out of power, and he isn’t going to volunteer to vanish. Perhaps, as distasteful as it feels, the best solution is to offer the old despot safe passage to a neutral country with some of his money and retinue and a guarantee of non-prosecution or pursuit as long as he agrees to retire. Surely anything that warranties his safe exit would be of huge benefit to the world.
Even this suffering is put into perspective when you compare it to the pain aching at the heart of the people of Somalia, already racked by civil war and now afflicted by drought and crop failure. People in this country have nothing but their unbelievable endurance and capacity to suffer. Estimates are that 2.5 million people are being given aid currently, and the situation continues to get worse.
This puts into perspective our griping at the cost of fuel, the problems with inflation and the fall in our house prices. How would we feel if we lived in Zimbabwe and had no democracy, the threat of violence and a lack of everything? Or, heaven forbid, in Somalia, where your only means of transportation might be your feet, and you have no food, hygiene or medicine.
Even the latest twist in our tortured judicial procedures seems trivial by comparison with the issues of the world today. Police investigating extreme crime in the UK went into meltdown yesterday. A major crime trial was halted when the judge stated that the accused had the right to know who the witnesses against him were. Up to this point it had become standard operating procedure when dealing with suspected violent criminals for the witnesses against them to be granted total anonymity. As a consequence, the man on trial had not been able to see who his accusers were and his lawyers successfully argued that it was not in the interests of justice for a conviction to be gained in this way.
This means that there can be no further anonymous witnesses and this in turn will result in convicted criminals being released on appeal on this basis, and about forty cases currently going through the courts collapsing because the witnesses will withdraw in fear for their safety and that of their families. It also equates to already convicted criminals being released on this basis. There were immediate moves made by the government to find a way to over-rule this judge’s ruling. It seems as if the judiciary in the UK are determined to be politically correct at the cost of any common sense.
At the same time, in Southern Africa only the President of Zambia can hold his head up. He is the only leader to unequivocally condemn the tin pot dictator of nearby Zimbabwe. “ A fair election was not possible,” echoed the head of the United Nations. Mugabe called the MDC opposition leader, “a cry baby”.
Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from Friday's presidential run-off, handing victory to President Robert Mugabe. Mr. Tsvangirai said there was no point running when elections would not be free and fair and "the outcome is determined by... Mugabe himself".
He called on the global community to step in to prevent "genocide". But the ruling Zanu-PF said Mr. Tsvangirai had taken the decision to avoid "humiliation" in the poll.
The man still illegitimately claiming to be President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe is seemingly determined to go ahead with the election on Friday, despite having forced the opposition leader to withdraw from the process.
Belatedly even South Africa announced that they accepted the UN leaders comment regarding Mugabe, as the President of the ruling ANC said that they feel that Mugabe has gone out of control. The American government has also condemned the Zimbabwean leaders attempts to pretend at legitimacy. Still, no one has done anything concrete to force Mugabe out of power, and he isn’t going to volunteer to vanish. Perhaps, as distasteful as it feels, the best solution is to offer the old despot safe passage to a neutral country with some of his money and retinue and a guarantee of non-prosecution or pursuit as long as he agrees to retire. Surely anything that warranties his safe exit would be of huge benefit to the world.
Even this suffering is put into perspective when you compare it to the pain aching at the heart of the people of Somalia, already racked by civil war and now afflicted by drought and crop failure. People in this country have nothing but their unbelievable endurance and capacity to suffer. Estimates are that 2.5 million people are being given aid currently, and the situation continues to get worse.
This puts into perspective our griping at the cost of fuel, the problems with inflation and the fall in our house prices. How would we feel if we lived in Zimbabwe and had no democracy, the threat of violence and a lack of everything? Or, heaven forbid, in Somalia, where your only means of transportation might be your feet, and you have no food, hygiene or medicine.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Greatness
Shakespeare wrote, “But be not afraid of greatness: some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Many people are very good at what they do, but never attain greatness. Greatness is a term handed out with too much ease at present. An athlete runs a good race and is given the sobriquet, great, he isn’t, he’s fast, but he hasn’t earned the word great yet. Being great means that you rise above all others, to join a pantheon of giants, to actually transcend normal expectations and be exceptional, and become immortal.
Just because a footballer scores a great goal, or has a season or two in which he scores a great many, or an athlete can run a bit faster than the next person, or a cricketer hit an incoming ball despite it bouncing in front of him at 100 miles per hour it doesn’t render them great. Even the assumption of greatness by association doesn’t work. Take the example of a rainy day in London. A priest met his friend, the local vicar. They stopped to chat for a moment, and then, as they were parting, the priest said to the vicar, "by the way, Vicar, before you could settle an argument, one of my ladies in the church said I look the image of Jesus Christ.... modesty forbids me having an opinion, but do you agree?" the Vicar laughed in his colleagues face, "You.... look like the Lord? I can assure you, my parishioners are unanimous that I am the living image of Jesus."
They soon nearly came to blows and only stopped by the arrival of the local rabbi who seeing their animosity stopped to speak to his friends. They explained their argument, asking "Jesus was born of a Jewish mother rabbi so you’d be in a good position to judge which of us Rabbi, is created in the image of Jesus Christ?" the Rabbi burst into wild laughter.
" Neither of you" and continued to belly laugh. "In fact" he replied, "I KNOW I am the image of Jesus Christ.... and we can prove it!"
Both the Christian clergymen looked at each other in silence. "Go on, then, prove it!" The rabbi said,” OK, follow me." The three men walked down the backstreets of Kings Cross and eventually arrived at a very run down, seedy area.
The rabbi led the way to a particularly dilapidated house where rooms can be rented by the hour. There’s a notice by the door offering "French Lessons Upstairs" the rabbi said, "Here we go, follow me." He led them up the rickety stairs to a door, which he thumped on, and it was opened by a blonde lady in a negligee, she stared at the rabbi and proclaimed "Jesus Christ.... it's you again!!!"
There are very few greats in sport, or any other human endeavor. Strangely the very greatest of our real heroes, men like Winston Churchill, Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi all had humility in common, and this was not false modesty. A lack of humility in the immodest doesn’t make them great, it makes them louder. A celebrity once said to me, with false self deprecation, "I’m modest about my achievement” and I borrowed the line, “you’ve got a lot to be modest about.” He thought it was a compliment.
It’s the self-aggrandizement of the “I” generation. Look over here; I’m smarter, richer and more amazing than you. The fact that you say you’re great guarantees that you’re not.
Greatness is a much over used word, devalued by this over use to describe people of limited talent and no lasting claim on it. It was, I believe, Winston Churchill who said, “we’re all worms, I just hope to be a glow-worm”. Perhaps the lesson from this is to aim to be as good as we can be, and hope someone else might, one day, label us great.
Just because a footballer scores a great goal, or has a season or two in which he scores a great many, or an athlete can run a bit faster than the next person, or a cricketer hit an incoming ball despite it bouncing in front of him at 100 miles per hour it doesn’t render them great. Even the assumption of greatness by association doesn’t work. Take the example of a rainy day in London. A priest met his friend, the local vicar. They stopped to chat for a moment, and then, as they were parting, the priest said to the vicar, "by the way, Vicar, before you could settle an argument, one of my ladies in the church said I look the image of Jesus Christ.... modesty forbids me having an opinion, but do you agree?" the Vicar laughed in his colleagues face, "You.... look like the Lord? I can assure you, my parishioners are unanimous that I am the living image of Jesus."
They soon nearly came to blows and only stopped by the arrival of the local rabbi who seeing their animosity stopped to speak to his friends. They explained their argument, asking "Jesus was born of a Jewish mother rabbi so you’d be in a good position to judge which of us Rabbi, is created in the image of Jesus Christ?" the Rabbi burst into wild laughter.
" Neither of you" and continued to belly laugh. "In fact" he replied, "I KNOW I am the image of Jesus Christ.... and we can prove it!"
Both the Christian clergymen looked at each other in silence. "Go on, then, prove it!" The rabbi said,” OK, follow me." The three men walked down the backstreets of Kings Cross and eventually arrived at a very run down, seedy area.
The rabbi led the way to a particularly dilapidated house where rooms can be rented by the hour. There’s a notice by the door offering "French Lessons Upstairs" the rabbi said, "Here we go, follow me." He led them up the rickety stairs to a door, which he thumped on, and it was opened by a blonde lady in a negligee, she stared at the rabbi and proclaimed "Jesus Christ.... it's you again!!!"
There are very few greats in sport, or any other human endeavor. Strangely the very greatest of our real heroes, men like Winston Churchill, Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi all had humility in common, and this was not false modesty. A lack of humility in the immodest doesn’t make them great, it makes them louder. A celebrity once said to me, with false self deprecation, "I’m modest about my achievement” and I borrowed the line, “you’ve got a lot to be modest about.” He thought it was a compliment.
It’s the self-aggrandizement of the “I” generation. Look over here; I’m smarter, richer and more amazing than you. The fact that you say you’re great guarantees that you’re not.
Greatness is a much over used word, devalued by this over use to describe people of limited talent and no lasting claim on it. It was, I believe, Winston Churchill who said, “we’re all worms, I just hope to be a glow-worm”. Perhaps the lesson from this is to aim to be as good as we can be, and hope someone else might, one day, label us great.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Observations
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. All of the crisis situations in the world are matters of morality or conscience, and are populated by people who are good or evil. Many who observe do nothing.
Here are some thoughts for you to ponder at the start of a new week. Several people asked whether I thought that the Hamas and Israel cease-fire would hold. My view is that it will whilst the Hamas government of Gaza finds it expedient. As soon as they no longer believe it to be so they will resume their rocket attacks on the nearby Israeli town of Sedirot and the Southern Negev. They will privately be smirking that their cease-fire came immediately prior to Israel launching its military to suppress the incessant terrorist attacks coming from Gaza. Thus they achieved their objective of goading their powerful neighbor without being demolished by a powerful Israeli response.
There is no justification for undue optimism about the good intentions of Hamas, who still call for the destruction of Israel. Their acceptance of a ceasefire is a prelude to their re-arming and re-organization ready for the next round. Israel was politically forced to show willing in this macabre dance. If they had not been seen to show a willingness to seek a diplomatic solution the world would soon resound to the charge that Israel was war like, unreasonable and belligerent.
Unfortunately there will be a resumption of terrorist attacks by Hamas when they feel the time is right and the cycle of violence will resume. But remember there is a difference between defending yourself against terrorist combatants, which might accidentally lead to some civilian casualties, and Hamas attacking civilians. Let me remind you what Benjamin Netanyahu said, " If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel ".
A question that is being repeatedly discussed, even in polite circles, is why doesn’t anyone get rid of Robert Mugabe? This is a man with a track record of murder and infamy to his name. In 1982, his troops killed 20,000 members of the Ndebele tribe, their principal crime being opposition to his rule.
Moreover, the turbulence of recent years has amply tested the mettle of the leader of the opposition, and real President of Zimbabwe, MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who has undergone beatings, death threats and a false treason charge, who remains bloodied but unbowed as a leader and statesman. Tsvangirai withdrew from the election because he believed he had no alternative in light of the total unfairness of the current run off for the election. Prior to which, Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, suggested that Friday's run-off election in Zimbabwe should be halted for talks on a unity government, in which the MDC and Mr. Mugabe would share power. But those of us of with long memories know just how that might end up.
When I asked a very well brought up lady what she meant precisely by getting rid of Mugabe, she smiled demurely and said, “Kill him.” I realized that this was the consensus view when all the people we were with agreed with the lady. I am not usually a fan of political assassination but in this case I have to admit that the killing of Mugabe would be the exact equivalent of someone who might have saved the world tremendous suffering if they had assassinated Adolf Hitler. We would all be better off. The leader of Zimbabwe is evil personified.
One of the icons of the modern age reaches the venerable age of 90 this weekend, Nelson Mandela. This proud African has been given the moral authority of the world because he sought reconciliation after his 26 years incarceration instead of revenge. I would like to hold my personal birthday greetings to this man until he gathers up the strength to publicly condemn Mugabe and tell him to go. Until he and the current leaders of the South African government condemn the despot without equivocation, we have to suspect their motives and beliefs.
Another historic event of significance this week is the 100th anniversary of the Hyde Park march of some 250,000 supporters of the suffragettes. How could any man, child of their mothers, brother to sisters and father to daughters ever have done anything other than support the female of the species? With the benefit of hindsight it seems inconceivable that there was ever a time when women didn’t automatically have equal political rights. But even now, in our current world we still don’t give women equal jobs or pay whether by accident or design. I hope and pray that it won’t be another 10 years before this remaining injustice against our women is finally and irrevocably corrected.
Here are some thoughts for you to ponder at the start of a new week. Several people asked whether I thought that the Hamas and Israel cease-fire would hold. My view is that it will whilst the Hamas government of Gaza finds it expedient. As soon as they no longer believe it to be so they will resume their rocket attacks on the nearby Israeli town of Sedirot and the Southern Negev. They will privately be smirking that their cease-fire came immediately prior to Israel launching its military to suppress the incessant terrorist attacks coming from Gaza. Thus they achieved their objective of goading their powerful neighbor without being demolished by a powerful Israeli response.
There is no justification for undue optimism about the good intentions of Hamas, who still call for the destruction of Israel. Their acceptance of a ceasefire is a prelude to their re-arming and re-organization ready for the next round. Israel was politically forced to show willing in this macabre dance. If they had not been seen to show a willingness to seek a diplomatic solution the world would soon resound to the charge that Israel was war like, unreasonable and belligerent.
Unfortunately there will be a resumption of terrorist attacks by Hamas when they feel the time is right and the cycle of violence will resume. But remember there is a difference between defending yourself against terrorist combatants, which might accidentally lead to some civilian casualties, and Hamas attacking civilians. Let me remind you what Benjamin Netanyahu said, " If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel ".
A question that is being repeatedly discussed, even in polite circles, is why doesn’t anyone get rid of Robert Mugabe? This is a man with a track record of murder and infamy to his name. In 1982, his troops killed 20,000 members of the Ndebele tribe, their principal crime being opposition to his rule.
Moreover, the turbulence of recent years has amply tested the mettle of the leader of the opposition, and real President of Zimbabwe, MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who has undergone beatings, death threats and a false treason charge, who remains bloodied but unbowed as a leader and statesman. Tsvangirai withdrew from the election because he believed he had no alternative in light of the total unfairness of the current run off for the election. Prior to which, Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, suggested that Friday's run-off election in Zimbabwe should be halted for talks on a unity government, in which the MDC and Mr. Mugabe would share power. But those of us of with long memories know just how that might end up.
When I asked a very well brought up lady what she meant precisely by getting rid of Mugabe, she smiled demurely and said, “Kill him.” I realized that this was the consensus view when all the people we were with agreed with the lady. I am not usually a fan of political assassination but in this case I have to admit that the killing of Mugabe would be the exact equivalent of someone who might have saved the world tremendous suffering if they had assassinated Adolf Hitler. We would all be better off. The leader of Zimbabwe is evil personified.
One of the icons of the modern age reaches the venerable age of 90 this weekend, Nelson Mandela. This proud African has been given the moral authority of the world because he sought reconciliation after his 26 years incarceration instead of revenge. I would like to hold my personal birthday greetings to this man until he gathers up the strength to publicly condemn Mugabe and tell him to go. Until he and the current leaders of the South African government condemn the despot without equivocation, we have to suspect their motives and beliefs.
Another historic event of significance this week is the 100th anniversary of the Hyde Park march of some 250,000 supporters of the suffragettes. How could any man, child of their mothers, brother to sisters and father to daughters ever have done anything other than support the female of the species? With the benefit of hindsight it seems inconceivable that there was ever a time when women didn’t automatically have equal political rights. But even now, in our current world we still don’t give women equal jobs or pay whether by accident or design. I hope and pray that it won’t be another 10 years before this remaining injustice against our women is finally and irrevocably corrected.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Why
During the last week the BBC showed two programs with Jewish themes on one night. They were an interview with the gay Liberal Rabbi Blue and another, which was the first episode of a three part documentary series, entitled “Jews”.
On the surface these programs were both philo- Semitic hours sympathetic to the Jewish community in modern Britain. They are not, they are, in fact, barely concealed, sophisticated anti Semitism. Why do I come to this conclusion?
The reasons are complex but no less real for this. Once again British television will trot out certain facts in mitigation and denial of this. I don’t even know if they realize that they are being anti-Semitic, such is the deep-seated bigotry within that organization.
The first defense they will trot out is that the maker of “Jews” is herself, a Jewish woman. The other program maker’s religion is unknown to me, but they will point out that the interviewer was clearly sympathetic to the Rabbi. It’s all a lot more subtle than that.
Why do you suppose that a gay rabbi is spoken with at such length? Do you think that the fact this rabbi also appear to despise Israel and Zionism has anything to do with it?
The way this works is that the anti-Semites look for and find a useful idiot, to use Stalin’s term, and let him or her do the work of Jew loathing for them. After all who could accuse the BBC of any intolerance if the person doing the hating is, in fact, a self-hating Jew?
Don’t misunderstand me, I think Rabbi Blue is a mostly well intentioned man, who unfortunately is coming to the end of his earthly journey, and who I have watched in his one man show and who’s book I have read.
In “The Jews” the program makers chose to observe the ultra orthodox, Stamford Hill (an area of London) Charedi community. I won’t question the selection of this very small and unrepresentative group because this is one of three programs and the remaining two might bring some balance. However the choice of this as the first episode is questionable. No, much more worrying for me is that despite this community being acknowledged as ultra law abiding when compared to the rest of the country is that the BBC then zeroed in on one man in that community in particular. That man was a convicted drug smuggler. I question whether there is another drug smuggler in the entire community, or probably, for that matter another individual who has served three prison terms.
However you dress it up you now had two continuous hours of supposedly superior British network television about the British Jewish community in which the featured Jews were either gay, criminal, convict, anti-Israel, anti-Zionist or plainly confused. No room here for any of us who might fit a more “normal” profile, support Israel, or feel good about being a Jew. Those that hate the Jews, and there, unfortunately still many of that persuasion, don’t need help like this.
On the surface these programs were both philo- Semitic hours sympathetic to the Jewish community in modern Britain. They are not, they are, in fact, barely concealed, sophisticated anti Semitism. Why do I come to this conclusion?
The reasons are complex but no less real for this. Once again British television will trot out certain facts in mitigation and denial of this. I don’t even know if they realize that they are being anti-Semitic, such is the deep-seated bigotry within that organization.
The first defense they will trot out is that the maker of “Jews” is herself, a Jewish woman. The other program maker’s religion is unknown to me, but they will point out that the interviewer was clearly sympathetic to the Rabbi. It’s all a lot more subtle than that.
Why do you suppose that a gay rabbi is spoken with at such length? Do you think that the fact this rabbi also appear to despise Israel and Zionism has anything to do with it?
The way this works is that the anti-Semites look for and find a useful idiot, to use Stalin’s term, and let him or her do the work of Jew loathing for them. After all who could accuse the BBC of any intolerance if the person doing the hating is, in fact, a self-hating Jew?
Don’t misunderstand me, I think Rabbi Blue is a mostly well intentioned man, who unfortunately is coming to the end of his earthly journey, and who I have watched in his one man show and who’s book I have read.
In “The Jews” the program makers chose to observe the ultra orthodox, Stamford Hill (an area of London) Charedi community. I won’t question the selection of this very small and unrepresentative group because this is one of three programs and the remaining two might bring some balance. However the choice of this as the first episode is questionable. No, much more worrying for me is that despite this community being acknowledged as ultra law abiding when compared to the rest of the country is that the BBC then zeroed in on one man in that community in particular. That man was a convicted drug smuggler. I question whether there is another drug smuggler in the entire community, or probably, for that matter another individual who has served three prison terms.
However you dress it up you now had two continuous hours of supposedly superior British network television about the British Jewish community in which the featured Jews were either gay, criminal, convict, anti-Israel, anti-Zionist or plainly confused. No room here for any of us who might fit a more “normal” profile, support Israel, or feel good about being a Jew. Those that hate the Jews, and there, unfortunately still many of that persuasion, don’t need help like this.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Decision
Decision Time
The leadership of Israel is about to make a momentous decision. Should they decide to attack the Iranian nuclear facility or not?
There is compelling evidence that on June 2 the Israeli Air Force flew up to 100 of its jet fighters, F15’s and F16’s, some 900 miles towards Greece in a full dress rehearsal for flying a similar distance to Iran. The BBC and New York Times report that this was to test and rehearse Israel’s capacity to take a full fleet of fighters, refueling tankers, and helicopter rescue teams.
The Israeli exercise was seemingly designed to send a clear message to Tehran that Israel has the power and will to attack Iran.
Warnings against any such action were immediately announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Viktorovich Lavrovand and were echoed by the head of the UN atomic energy commission, the nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei. I am confident that this lawyer who became a career United Nations diplomat, and who was born and educated in Cairo, and who worked (1964-80) in the Egyptian diplomatic service, becoming special assistant to the foreign minister (1974-78) is a total neutral when it concerns Israel.
Iran continues to insist its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but Israel sees Iran's development of the technology as a serious threat.
The Iranians are continuing to defy a UN demand to stop their uranium enrichment program and the Security Council approved a third round of sanctions against Iran over the issue in March 2008.
No one knows if any of what has been said and done means an attack on Iran is imminent as previous talk of such action dissipated after a US intelligence report at the end of 2007 indicated their belief that Iran had, at that time, given up its nuclear weapons programme.
Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the UN's watchdog, said an attack would put Iran on a "crash course" to building nuclear weapons.
"A military strike, in my opinion, would be worse than anything possible - it would turn the region into a fireball," he told the television station, Al Arabiya. "It would make me unable to continue my work," he said. Too bad if we lose this undoubtedly good man’s efforts but we’d live without him, but could Israel live with the consequences of an Iranian nuclear strike if he was wrong?
The international diplomatic community is insistent that Israel must give diplomacy more of a chance to succeed. I usually subscribe to the Winston Churchill motto that “Jaw, jaw is better than war war,” but we all need to remember that the Iranian leadership, led by the mad Iranian President has a direct correlation with Churchill’s nemesis, Adolf Hitler. Both these despots contain at the core of their belief system, a total hate for the Jewish people. Hitler perpetrated the holocaust and the Iranian President; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the world’s leading holocaust denier. He simply insists it didn’t happen. Iran's president called for Israel to be moved to Europe. "If European countries claim that they have killed Jews in World War II... why don't they provide the Zionist regime with a piece of Europe," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Iranian television.” Germany and Austria can provide the... regime with two or three provinces for this regime to establish itself, and the issue will be resolved." Clearly we are talking about a lunatic who is capable of doing exactly what he threatens, just like Hitler.
Let’s weigh up the risks. In one scenario Israel attacks and fails, perhaps unable to reach or destroy the targets. The ramifications would be very bad for Israel and the men and women she might lose but not a problem for anyone else. A second scenario is Israel succeeds in its attack and eliminates the Iranian capacity to develop its nuclear bombs. The possibility thereafter is that Iran or its surrogates, mainly Hamas and Hezbollah, launch a series of asymmetric counter strikes against Israel. The consequences would be awful but not unbearable.
The last option for Israel is that it does nothing and just hopes that the threat goes away. The probability is that this would be a fatal mistake on Israel’s behalf, one from which there is no possibility of recovery. Remember the Iranian President has announced, on several occasions that Israel will cease to exist and be wiped from the face of the earth.
If your enemy has repeatedly sworn to wipe you out, do you wait or get your revenge in first? In circumstance such as these it isn’t madness to attack, it’s lunacy to wait.
The leadership of Israel is about to make a momentous decision. Should they decide to attack the Iranian nuclear facility or not?
There is compelling evidence that on June 2 the Israeli Air Force flew up to 100 of its jet fighters, F15’s and F16’s, some 900 miles towards Greece in a full dress rehearsal for flying a similar distance to Iran. The BBC and New York Times report that this was to test and rehearse Israel’s capacity to take a full fleet of fighters, refueling tankers, and helicopter rescue teams.
The Israeli exercise was seemingly designed to send a clear message to Tehran that Israel has the power and will to attack Iran.
Warnings against any such action were immediately announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Viktorovich Lavrovand and were echoed by the head of the UN atomic energy commission, the nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei. I am confident that this lawyer who became a career United Nations diplomat, and who was born and educated in Cairo, and who worked (1964-80) in the Egyptian diplomatic service, becoming special assistant to the foreign minister (1974-78) is a total neutral when it concerns Israel.
Iran continues to insist its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but Israel sees Iran's development of the technology as a serious threat.
The Iranians are continuing to defy a UN demand to stop their uranium enrichment program and the Security Council approved a third round of sanctions against Iran over the issue in March 2008.
No one knows if any of what has been said and done means an attack on Iran is imminent as previous talk of such action dissipated after a US intelligence report at the end of 2007 indicated their belief that Iran had, at that time, given up its nuclear weapons programme.
Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the UN's watchdog, said an attack would put Iran on a "crash course" to building nuclear weapons.
"A military strike, in my opinion, would be worse than anything possible - it would turn the region into a fireball," he told the television station, Al Arabiya. "It would make me unable to continue my work," he said. Too bad if we lose this undoubtedly good man’s efforts but we’d live without him, but could Israel live with the consequences of an Iranian nuclear strike if he was wrong?
The international diplomatic community is insistent that Israel must give diplomacy more of a chance to succeed. I usually subscribe to the Winston Churchill motto that “Jaw, jaw is better than war war,” but we all need to remember that the Iranian leadership, led by the mad Iranian President has a direct correlation with Churchill’s nemesis, Adolf Hitler. Both these despots contain at the core of their belief system, a total hate for the Jewish people. Hitler perpetrated the holocaust and the Iranian President; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the world’s leading holocaust denier. He simply insists it didn’t happen. Iran's president called for Israel to be moved to Europe. "If European countries claim that they have killed Jews in World War II... why don't they provide the Zionist regime with a piece of Europe," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Iranian television.” Germany and Austria can provide the... regime with two or three provinces for this regime to establish itself, and the issue will be resolved." Clearly we are talking about a lunatic who is capable of doing exactly what he threatens, just like Hitler.
Let’s weigh up the risks. In one scenario Israel attacks and fails, perhaps unable to reach or destroy the targets. The ramifications would be very bad for Israel and the men and women she might lose but not a problem for anyone else. A second scenario is Israel succeeds in its attack and eliminates the Iranian capacity to develop its nuclear bombs. The possibility thereafter is that Iran or its surrogates, mainly Hamas and Hezbollah, launch a series of asymmetric counter strikes against Israel. The consequences would be awful but not unbearable.
The last option for Israel is that it does nothing and just hopes that the threat goes away. The probability is that this would be a fatal mistake on Israel’s behalf, one from which there is no possibility of recovery. Remember the Iranian President has announced, on several occasions that Israel will cease to exist and be wiped from the face of the earth.
If your enemy has repeatedly sworn to wipe you out, do you wait or get your revenge in first? In circumstance such as these it isn’t madness to attack, it’s lunacy to wait.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Doers
Almost every day someone tells me they have a great idea. This has been happening all my adult life, especially since I started to make films, run companies or direct study at universities. Originally I found this very flattering. How great that people wanted to show me their terrific ideas that were about to change the world as we know it.
It took me a very long time to understand that this wasn’t the point. Most people are showing you their idea because they want you to help them.
Why admire people who simply have ideas and then think this makes them wonderful. Ideas are like anal orifices, everyone has one. I admire people who complete ideas and turn them into a finished article. These people are doers rather than dreamers. Just such a person is Jon Mackley.
Jon used to work with me when he was a very young man, and I was merely younger. He jobs became progressively less menial, as he went up the ranks in our small, but taxing firm. I should add that he is still a youngish man, well comparatively, but not quite so youthful. Jon went to university after his work with my family’s business and I believe he earned two degrees plus a doctorate.
Whilst working as a lecturer and completing his doctorate he also found the time to write his learned book, “The Legend of St. Brendan” which describes how the Irish abbot journeys to Paradise and the marvelous encounters he experiences. It will soon be available on Amazon books and I hope some of you buy it. Good luck with the book J.S. you deserve it, you’re a talented and hard working man, which I always knew, but add to that the most important of all accolades, Jon, you’re a doer!
It took me a very long time to understand that this wasn’t the point. Most people are showing you their idea because they want you to help them.
Why admire people who simply have ideas and then think this makes them wonderful. Ideas are like anal orifices, everyone has one. I admire people who complete ideas and turn them into a finished article. These people are doers rather than dreamers. Just such a person is Jon Mackley.
Jon used to work with me when he was a very young man, and I was merely younger. He jobs became progressively less menial, as he went up the ranks in our small, but taxing firm. I should add that he is still a youngish man, well comparatively, but not quite so youthful. Jon went to university after his work with my family’s business and I believe he earned two degrees plus a doctorate.
Whilst working as a lecturer and completing his doctorate he also found the time to write his learned book, “The Legend of St. Brendan” which describes how the Irish abbot journeys to Paradise and the marvelous encounters he experiences. It will soon be available on Amazon books and I hope some of you buy it. Good luck with the book J.S. you deserve it, you’re a talented and hard working man, which I always knew, but add to that the most important of all accolades, Jon, you’re a doer!
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