What makes a "best friend"?

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/18/britian-has-made-visionary-choice-to-become-chinas-best-friend-says-xi

Britain has made 'visionary' choice to become China's best friend, says Xi

We, the United Kingdom that is, seem to have a most bizarre collection of "friends".

China, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Israel, India, UAE and Thailand rate amongst the more repressive regimes around the world and have an appalling record of human rights abuses. Yet, these countries, along with a few African republics, seem to be favoured to a greater or lesser extent, as "valued customers" by sections of the United Kingdom business world, particularly in the defence sector where we have large markets for riot and civil disorder equipment, and certainly by British governments who welcome these unsavoury administrations as "great friends and allies".

Certainly over recent years, where the "war on terror" has provided justification for selling practically anything to any country willing to provide military intelligence and join the "coalition", governments have used the rationalisation that the "National interest" over rides any consideration of human rights abuses. The intangible national interest of the United Kingdom condones the very real beatings, false imprisonment, tear gassing, imprisonment without trial or process, forced exile, beheadings and even worse atrocities carried out by our "friends" on their own peoples.

It is a vindication frequently used by business interests and governments in their quests for larger "markets" and profits. An argument with which I totally disagree. As for the proposition some often trot out that "If we don't sell them this equipment, some other country will", it is a comment based on a flawed logic that proposes we have to be as bad as the next guy. It seems to me that the people of the UK are better than that.

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Northern Ireland and Brexit. The return of "The Troubles"

Northern Ireland: police attacked in another night of disturbances | Northern Ireland | The Guardian When the "Brexit" debate was still filling our newspapers and our television screens, readers may remember why I had changed my mind since voting to leave at the referendum vote. Apart from the economic arguments, which had become crystal clear after peeling away all the lies and misrepresentations trotted out by Bozo Boris and his "Get Brexit Done" conspirators, there was always the problem of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Would it be possible to have a border between the European Union and the United Kingdom where people, goods and services could pass freely between the two nations without customs restrictions, tariffs, duties and all the other formalities? Would it be possible to have one part of the United Kingdom treated differently from other parts of the United Kingdom, particularly when Scotland for example had voted overwhe

The Parliamentary Labour Party conspirators are hatching another coup.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/corbyn-labour-leadership-rebel-mps-a7202641.html Labour MPs plan for Corbyn victory and plot how to confront an emboldened leader Even for the "Independent", the number and use of unnamed anonymous "sources" in this article is quite astonishing. However, amongst all the usual speculative delusion, there is one factor which causes concern to anyone who believes in the Labour Party, its principles and in he democratic process of the Labour movement. It is abundantly clear that elements within the Parliamentary Labour Party, are even now, planning another coup in the event that Jeremy Corbyn should emerge as winner in the current ballot. The failed coup of earlier this year, has now descended into a sham leadership election, because the conspirators still fail to accept the democratic decision of the Labour party membership and cling to

Plemont development or return to nature?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey- A date has been set for a public inquiry into plans for Plemont Headland. This exceptional location must be sold to the National trust for Jersey, and returned to nature. Any other outcome involving development of the site, can only demonstrate the extent to which greed and self interest have become endemic in Jersey.

Agenda 2019

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