Author Archive
The World Cup Beckons
The Big Match
I despise football. I really do. It’s everything it stands for – the appalling, vulgar display of tasteless, oafish, dare I say “chav” behaviour. It’s a thin, insubstantial sport populated by overpaid primadonnas who behave appallingly and set a terrible example to youth.
What a pompous old git I am!
It’s a completely different thing isn’t it when it gets infused with the spirit of international competition?
It’ll never be rugby though, so those that want to see the original, totally uplifting South African story go to the 1995 Rugby World Cup finals. That was a similar occasion but with a proper sport. In fact, go to Invictus, the absolutely fantastic movie which tells the whole story.
I have been taken up by it though. Africa has a wonderful exuberance and I was caught by the romance of the first match, delighted that South Africa managed a draw. Then, who could resist a chance to see the French go down? And go down they did! Well, they scraped a draw against a 10 man Uruguay side when they were the favourites. Lovely to watch!
So it looks like I’m hooked in. There’s nothing else on anyway. It’s been a welcome relief from the tribes of harridan, conspiracy-obsessed bloggers in the US. As a Brit, a Welshman living in England, I am grateful to live in a country which has a sense of perspective. We are not of Europe. We are certainly not of either the Middle or Far East. Thank God we’ve got more history than the Americans. This is still the land of the free. Nowhere else comes close.
And tomorrow Barack Obama is going to find out whose arse is “gonna get kicked”. Then maybe he’ll mind his manners and remember who his friends are.
En-ger-land!
Obama Stoops To Bully
It's A Tough Job
I suppose it was bound to happen eventually but I am deeply, deeply disappointed in President Obama’s treatment of Tony Hayward. It’s not worthy of him.
As I’ve written previously, Tony Hayward undoubtedly made some mistakes in his earlier handling of the oil spill crisis but, apart from two or three minor gaffes (which have no substantive effect on the real issues at all), I’d like to know who could have done any better and how?
As Barack’s biggest fan I’m not going to give up on him. I’m just sad to see him playing Big Bully Yankee. It’s undignified, unnecessary and he should reflect on how often when America exercises its power without proper thought it ends up hurting its own. No country on earth has sustained more friendly fire, blue-on-blue casualties. I thought the era of dumb and dumber was behind us.
Tony Hayward is a brave man probably doing the most difficult job anyone in the oil industry has ever been faced with. Obama should be backing him up, not undermining him. BP shareholders should be asking themselves who they could replace him with. There is no one with his experience.
Iran Sanctions. Too Little, Too Late.
Islamist Lunatic
As usual it ended up taking too long and it was watered down so far as to be ineffective. UN Imposes Sanctions On Iran
Any reasonable person, be they Iranian, Israeli, European, American, any member of the human race with any sort of rational approach to the world knows that it’s not a good idea for Iran to have nuclear weapons.
I see no justification for Israel’s conduct in Gaza but if lunatic Islamists like Ahmadinejad go nuclear, Israel would have no option but to launch a pre-emptive strike. Israel would have every justification in responding with extreme force to a threat that it will be “wiped off the face of the earth”. The whole world would have to stand behind Israel.
If that pre-emptive strike has to come then it must come sooner rather than later so that it can be non-nuclear. Iran must be stopped before it has a nuclear capability.
In the interests of peace a joint NATO/Israel strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities must be considered. I expect that plans already exist. Let us pray that Iran steps back.
Diane Abbott. Some Integrity At Last
It’s good to see that the Labour Party has rescued its leadership election from the very brink of irrelevance.
Diane Abbott comes from an authentic tradition of noble Labour politicians: Tony Benn, Michael Foot, Neil Kinnock, Ken Livingstone – these are people of integrity and valour who I mostly disagree with but who I have a deep respect for.
"I'm Oxbridge too don't you know"
If the alternatives are the oily Milliband brothers or the slippery Ed Balls then there should be no contest but I fear she cannot win. She and Michael Portillo on “This Week” are the most balanced sofa in politics – despite ageing clubber Andrew Neil’s best efforts to caricature them.
The Milliband brothers are, of course, from the Tony Blair School Of Politics. It’s also called “marketing”. You don’t actually need to have any principles, you just research what the market wants and then provide it in a nice, shiny package with extra bonus points
I think that Ed Milliband will win because he still has an edge. All the edges on his brother have been polished away. He’s been burnished almost to Tony standards. I could quite like Ed. Maybe he’ll find his own voice if he’s given the chance.
Ed Balls? As a Tory I’d love to see him as Labour leader. It would be both entertaining and advantageous!
Idiotic Israelis, Insane Islamists
It astonishes me the bigotry, intolerance and crass stupidity demonstrated by so many who write for one side or the other on the terrible conflict in the Middle East.
Many of them are erudite and eloquent, passionate and caring – but only of their own cause.
I thought (maybe I’m wrong) that part of the idea of blogging was to comment on each other’s writing and participate in debate.
No chance!
So many of these obviously intelligent people censor comments that they disagree with and deem anyone who disagrees with them as a fascist, racist or xenophobe. The vitriol I’ve attracted from some is almost unbelievable. They can’t understand that in one article I can condemn the evil behaviour of the Israelis and in the next I condemn the great evil that Islam has become. I can call some Israeli behaviour fascist. I can call some Islamists perverters and defilers of Islam.
Some of these bloggers write (rant) at the most incredible length. They probably don’t have the benefit of my experience from which the most important thing I’ve learned is that even those people who agree with you will get bored if you go on and on and on and on and on…
It’s just a tip which you can ignore if you want but if you can’t get your point across in a couple of hundred words then maybe you should think again!
One individual (who I won’t embarrass by linking to), told me today that offering a link to my post on the subject was “an advert”, referred me to his “comments policy”, suggesting that I am a “xenophobic bigot”.
I explained to him that my comments policy is “please do”!
A Very British Bobby
Good Cop
Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde of Cumbria Police is the sort of man I would want around when the chips are down. He has done a magnificent job fronting Cumbria Police’s reaction to the Derrick Bird killings. He’s not only done his employers proud. He has been a great force for good and of comfort for the people of Cumbria and the nation as a whole. He has been professional, calm, dignified, accurate, understanding – everything that we could possibly have wanted from him. He is in the very highest traditions of the British police.
What a stark contrast from the out of control, lying, scheming thugs in the Metropolitan Police TSG, responsible for multiple assaults at the G20 and Gaza protests and the death of Ian Tomlinson. Only last month, 30 years after the event, they finally admitted responsibility for the death of Blair Peach at the Anti-Nazi league protest in 1979. How can there be such a contrast in the conduct and behaviour of our police officers?
I am sure that DCC Hyde still manages to fit in well with the canteen culture of the police. The difference is he is obviously a fundamentally decent man. He’s not from the sort of neo-Nazi, violent, fascist subset of the police that Sergeant Leroy Smellie and the rest of the TSG belong to.
When I first wrote about Smellie’s acquittal I came across Inspector Gadget, a blog written by a serving police inspector. The memory of what I read there has stayed with me and it disturbs me greatly. It offers an insight into the murkier corners of that canteen culture that should be rooted out and destroyed. Just like the appalling, scandalous predominance of Masonic culture in the police, it astounds me that Inspector Gadget is allowed to continue his rantings and provide a forum for police officers whose attitudes prove they are unfit for the job. Don’t anybody try to tell me that the true identity of Inspector Gadget can’t be established. That would just be another police lie.
I cannot let it pass without calling yet again for charges to be brought against the TSG officer who was clearly seen to assualt Ian Tomlinson shortly before his death.
However, I want to end on a positive note and say, once again, how much I admire the conduct and professionalism of Deputy Chief Constable Hyde.
Tony Hayward, BP And The Oil Spill
Good Job
I am really very impressed with BP’s Chief Executive. He is doing the best possible job for his company – and probably for all concerned. His appearance on the Andrew Marr show this morning was an object lesson in how to handle such a crisis. He is suitably contrite. He is direct, honest, loyal, everything that any board of directors or committee of shareholders could ask for. Crucially, in the TV age, he looks right. His appearance is an exact match for his message.
Here is a man who is worth every penny of a salary I would expect to run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
I’m no fan or friend of big oil companies. There’s little doubt in my mind that BP and Esso/Exxon, the world’s biggest, operate an effective cartel on fuel prices. They’re so big that no government can do anything about it.
I don’t think you can blame BP for the disaster although obviously it is responsible. Clearly, you have to ensure that all possible safety standards and procedures are complied with but, given that, it could have happened to any oil company, anywhere. There’s no more greed in BP than anywhere else. It’s just a business trying to make a profit like any other.
I deplore the oil spill just as I approve of motherhood and apple pie. I understand that Obama has to give BP an appropriate amount of flak but the important point is how it is dealing with the disaster and all its consequences. From what I see I think we should all be grateful that Tony Hayward is the man in charge.
Israel Must Stop
Be The Great Nation That You Can!
I have had an overwhelming response to many things that I have written about Israel. It has reached a crescendo with the views I have expressed about the attack on the Gaza flotilla. It polarises opinion. You either agree with me or you want me put to death by the slowest and most painful means.
I’m just an ordinary Brit of proud Welsh descent from a family that was at the bottom of the heap (the slag heaps of South Wales) but has dragged itself upwards, entirely through its own efforts. I’m not an anti-semite. I’m not a natural ally or an enemy of Arab, Jew, Muslim or anyone. What I care about is truth, justice, freedom, beauty, love and my dogs!
I cannot stand by though and see the way that Israel behaves without shouting my protest and disgust.
Israel and its supporters must understand that many intelligent, considered men of principle throughout the world believe that the way you are now behaving is just as bad as the Nazis did against you!!
I condemn the great evil that Islam has become in the world but you give them so many excuses! Gaza is now the biggest concentration camp ever and Israel oppresses, bullies, brutalises, starves and denies the rights of the Palestinian people. It is shameful!
My country fought to create the state of Israel so that the Jews could have a homeland after the holocaust, the greatest tragedy in human history. Israel has betrayed those who fought for it. You are now as bad as those that offended against you.
I know that there are millions of ordinary Israelis and Palestinians, people just like me, who abhor violence and prejudice and oppression. We must stand up against the zealots and the fanatics. Justice must prevail!
There is much that is wrong on both sides but first, most urgently, Israel must draw back from Gaza, from the settlements, from oppression. These are grave wrongs that must stop now! You must not be surprised that retaliation is made against you but these are fireworks against your tanks and F16s. You must stop first.
I am just an ordinary man with no particular interest but I know what justice is.
Israel must stop.
Peter Reynolds 
Censors And Abusers Of The Blogosphere
with 11 comments
By comment on this post I will record all those bloggers and website publishers who have chosen to bar me from their sites.
Book Burners
You might think for a gentle if opinionated Brit like me that’s unlikely to happen but it already has – several times. I am profoundly distressed that most of the censors are from the US. In fact I have learned a lot about America recently that I don’t like very much at all. I’m disillusioned by the sheer nastiness and level of abuse that has been directed at me just for expressing my opinions.
I NEVER descend to abuse when commenting on other people’s words. I NEVER censor comments that other people post about what I have written.
What amazes me is that so many of these people just can’t take the debate. They descend into abuse and then they bar me. If I did as they do I’d be so embarrassed and ashamed of my behaviour I don’t think I could carry on writing. That’s how important integrity is to me and how irrelevant it seems to be to these people.
Some of the craftier censors don’t bar me completely. It’s almost unbelieveable isn’t it (?) but what they do is edit my posts or allow some while deleting others! It’s incredible isn’t it that people can stoop so low?
So I do intend to embarrass these cowards here. At least by posting links to their sites they will learn that they’ve been placed, deservingly, into the same category as book burners and censors the world over and throughout history.
Of course, anyone who wishes to explain, argue or defend their actions has only to post here. All comments will be published in full.
Welcome to my hall of shame.
Written by Peter Reynolds
June 10, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Posted in Politics, The Media, What is this blog about?
Tagged with abuse, America, ashamed, bar, bloggers, book burners, Brit, censors, commenting, comments, cowards, craftier, debate, deleting, disillusioned, distressed, edit, embarassed, embarrass, gentle, hall of shame, history, incredible, integrity, nastiness, opinionated, opinions, publishers, stoop so low, unbelievable, US, website, writing