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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: GUEST,AR Date: 19 Feb 09 - 11:01 AM Sadly we live in times were people get singled one for expressing a viewpoint. This lady made a private remark and walked into a storm, there is no need for it. Take for example the case of preacher Abu Qatada. He has been awarded £2,500 cash compensation by European judges who ruled that his detention without trial breached his human rights. But 24 hours later he won a separate case in the European Court of Human Rights that his detention under anti-terror laws introduced by the Government after the 2001 attacks on America violated the Human Rights Convention. Ten others detainees under the rules - none named by the court - also received similar modest cash awards. The human rights judges said the amounts were "substantially lower" than awards granted in previous cases of "unlawful detention". |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Sleepy Rosie Date: 19 Feb 09 - 11:10 AM "I've become so disillusioned on these sort of threads of late perhaps it's time to take a break." Lol! I was thinking I aught to do the same last couple days, instead of getting my knickers in a twist all the time! And in response to the joke thing - I do think it can be all too easy to rattle off a mistaken response to something that's been misread on a 'heated' thread. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: GUEST,AR Date: 19 Feb 09 - 11:20 AM Chill out Rosie, nothing is worth getting annoyed over. Sadly today we all have to tip toe around everyone and almost every subject. I say as see and sod anyone who doesn't like it. Hope to see you back soon. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: meself Date: 19 Feb 09 - 11:22 AM "Take for example ... " Umm ... example of what, exactly? |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Big Mick Date: 19 Feb 09 - 11:23 AM I am well aware of the differences in the two events. I am not comparing them. I am making the case that Teribus seeks to denigrate any issue that is counter to his well known support for all things Brit conservative. He then uses elementary debate tactics to try and shift the premise. This debate isn't about what the para's did in the North of Ireland. And my comment didn't seek to change to that. It simply pointed out that Teribus sought to denigrate the cause the miners fought for, and defend the brutal tactics used against them, because they found tactics to use to attempt to defend themselves. In both circumstances, (labor actions and the Irish in the North of Ireland) one thing, IMO, is not in dispute. At the root of the problem, the tactics used by folks against the establishment were the result of actions by the British government. As to the terrible acts that occur in conflict and war, unlike some here, I understand them from a ground level. I understand what causes it, and I understand the brutality of it. Some talk it from a philosophical level, others have actually lived it. Mick |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: GUEST,AR Date: 19 Feb 09 - 11:25 AM Well said Mick. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 19 Feb 09 - 12:30 PM "Some talk it from a philosophical level, others have actually lived it" Well, we all lived it in this country. We lived through the troubles on these Islands, and we lived through the Thatcher years, but I've gone into my experiences there elsewhere and can't be arsed to type it all out again Just because I haven't fought a war doesn't mean I don't have a clue what I'm talking about - I was still here when it happened. One of the 4 million. I could never understand the horrors of fighting like as I haven't been through them, but I've seen the consequences like many of us have. " At the root of the problem, the tactics used by folks against the establishment were the result of actions by the British government." Well, Thatcher turned the police into her own private army for the duration of the miners strike and afterwards too - witness theThe Battle of the Beanfield. Trivial though this event may seen when placed in context just after the devastation of the miner's strike, this brutal police action simply proved the force was now not the protector of the people, but an enemy. This profound change in viewpoint has never really left the British public in my opinion. The fact the police can still kill innocent civilians and get away with it only proves the point. The continuing tragedy of the Thatcher years is the fact a so-called Socialist party got into government and then continued the policies of the old sow and her cohorts; what a fine mess that's turned into. Where we go now in this country is anyone's guess. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Big Mick Date: 19 Feb 09 - 12:42 PM Jack, I apologize if my comments seemed to be directed at the folks living through the trauma of these events. It was not meant to do so. It was really directed at certain commentators on this forum that seem to adapt a morally superior attitude about conflict and war by describing atrocities and acts committed by the side that they oppose as justification for their support of status quo. Usually these people either have no experience other than what they have read, or they were involved only peripherally, not in the thick of it. When there is armed conflict, bad things happen. Otherwise decent people do things that they never want to describe to anyone. Atrocities happen on both sides. But at the root of these problems, be they a strike or an armed conflict, there is a cause. And the cause of both of these problems, IMO, and broadly stated, is the actions of the British government to protect the money of the industrial elite. If one wants to have a fruitful discussion, concentrate on that and not the tactics that are used at the ground level. Those tactics arise from what one is faced with and have little to do with the why of what perpetuates conflict. And trying to use them as justification is simply obfuscating discussion of the real issues. Mick |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Sleepy Rosie Date: 19 Feb 09 - 12:43 PM "witness theThe Battle of the Beanfield. Trivial though this event may seen when placed in context just after the devastation of the miner's strike, this brutal police action simply proved the force was now not the protector of the people, but an enemy." Dittoed your thoughts on this earlier myself.. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 19 Feb 09 - 01:06 PM I agree Mick. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: meself Date: 19 Feb 09 - 09:51 PM "Otherwise decent people do things that they never want to describe to anyone." While other "otherwise decent people" are pleased to describe the steps they took to inflict nasty injuries on their perceived enemies ... |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Sleepy Rosie Date: 20 Feb 09 - 04:51 AM "witness theThe Battle of the Beanfield" "this brutal police action simply proved the force was now not the protector of the people, but an enemy." Actually, I think what in particular this horrendous and actively repressed incident demonstrated was how legitimised uniformed violence meted out upon apon the inoccent could so easily occur, where the group/s in question had already been 'dehumanised' in the eyes of the 'common man' by propaganda... And I think this incident along with that of the miners strike, demonstrate the effectiveness of propaganda designed to 'alienate' a group, diminish their humanity and distinguish them as 'other'. Think in the context of the rampantly Capitalist ethos of Thatchers Britian, how easy it was for media propaganda to effectively publicly legitimise and gain the 'common mans' acceptance of and even emotional collusion in, the violent and oppressive actions of 'the authorities' against groups who they did not identify as being a part of their increasingly aggresively Capitalist world. Miners = 'commies' Travellers = 'bums' Both groups were 'other'. And as such these incidents are akin in some ways, and pertinant to some of the issues this thread raises, in relation to propagandist tactics (conscious or instinctual) of 'dehumanising' and alienating of groups (such as black people) which we see evidence of in the continued public acceptance of racial stereotyping, in both popular image and language. Which brings us back to the OP. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 20 Feb 09 - 05:02 AM "But at the root of these problems, be they a strike or an armed conflict, there is a cause. And the cause of both of these problems, IMO, and broadly stated, is the actions of the British government to protect the money of the industrial elite." - Big Mick Really Big Mick?? Sounds like a load of apologist rubbish to me. Very, very convenient. How come it is always the left that immediately resorts to violence and threats of violence Big Mick?? And they always have an excuse for it, that for some strange reason can only ever apply to their side of any situation. Is it because they can never see any other way?? I myself have been threatened by members and Guests on this forum - all left-wing, all socialists. In the case of the striking miners: There were clearly stated laws detailing what was considered to be legal industrial action and what was considered to be illegal action. The miners and their "supporters" broke the law, the police acted in accordance with their duty to uphold the laws of the land, which Big Mick, can be challenged and changed in Parliament. Bugger all to do with protecting the money of the industrial elite - What "industrial elite" had money to protect in British National Coal Board?? The whole fiasco came about because a complete and utter prat called Scargill thought that he could dictate to the elected Government of the United Kingdom. The strike was far from "national" in coverage, Scargill was afraid to put the matter to a national ballot so unsure was he of the outcome of such a ballot. Public opinion during the strike was divided and varied greatly in different regions. Overall, the government generally had more support than the miners. When asked in a Gallup poll in July 1984 whether their sympathies lay mainly with the employers or the miners, 40% said employers; 33% were for the miners; 19% were for neither and 8% did not know. When asked the same question in December 5 – 10 1984, 51% had most sympathy for the employers; 26% for the miners; 18% for neither and 5% did not know. When asked in July 1984 whether they approved or disapproved of the methods used by the miners, 15% approved; 79% disapproved and 6% did not know. When asked the same question in December 5 – 10 1984, 7% approved; 88% disapproved and 5% did not know. In July 1984, when asked whether they thought the miners were using responsible or irresponsible methods, 12% said responsible; 78% said irresponsible and 10% did not know. When asked the same question in August 1984, 9% said responsible; 84% said irresponsible and 7% did not know. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Sleepy Rosie Date: 20 Feb 09 - 05:06 AM ITN (second major TV channel in the UK) edited out the police violence from their news coverage of Battle of the Beanfield. A later documenary went some way to remedy the initial media collusiion. Operation Solstice Operation Solstice, part 2 I remember that at the time 'the people' really couldn't give a flying feck about riot police attacking a bunch of bums.. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Bryn Pugh Date: 20 Feb 09 - 06:54 AM Aye, well, any fool can use "statistics" to bolster specious arguments. I don't remember seeing you on the picket lines in the 1970s, meself ? Perhaps next time you, and Teribus, will introduce yourselves. (I don't hit people I haven't been introduced to.) Oh dear - I wonder if the foregoing sentence will be taken by Teribus as a threat from a left-wing socialist ? Perhaps I had better withdraw it. Only trouble is, I am hidebound by what that French philosopher said : I disagree with what you are saying, but will defend to the death your right to say it. Hence : Carol Thatcher is, IMO, a blot. Her remarks are indefensible, but not deserving of death threats, any more than crypto-fascist comments in 'Cat threads deserve of anything more than to be ignored. I think Sleepy Rosie (sut mae, cyfeill ?) said something similar earlier in this thread. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 20 Feb 09 - 10:34 AM Talking of specious arguements Bryn: "The men who threw the concrete and killed the taxi driver were punished, and rightfully so; the police who baton charged the strikers and their supporters were not, nor was the scab driver who crushed the picket to death." - Jim Carroll The miners who threw the concrete post from the bridge onto the taxi knew the following: - Their actions were dangerous and likely to cause serious injury or loss of life. - Their actions were wrong - Their actions were illegal Their actions caused the death of the driver of the taxi, they were arrested, tried and found guilty of manslaughter and were sent to prison as Jim Carroll says "rightfully so". What could not be proven in the case of this death was "intent to kill" hence the charge of manslaughter not murder. Mind you anybody who thinks that dropping a concrete fence post from a motorway bridge onto a car isn't going to kill anyone in the car has got to be pretty thick. Almost as thick as believing that killing one "scab" is going to instantly drive the thousands of miners who continued to work throughout the strike into supporting it. Any way you look at it, it was a vicious, mean and idiotic act, that did much to turn the general public against the miners. The previous decade hadn't done much for the Trade Union movement's standing in any case - that was one of the reasons that Margaret Thatcher had been elected in 1979. What "crime" was committed by the police officers?? None, which is why quite rightly they were neither charged, tried or punished. As for the "scab driver who crushed the picket to death", what should he have been charged with Jim?? What should he have been punished for?? - The picket who died should not have been where the driver could have run over him. - No-one knows how he came to fall - The driver was completely unaware that the man was there Under English Law there most certainly would have been an investigation and there would have been an inquest - Care to tell us all what the verdict of the inquest was Jim?? You possibly will not, nor will your pal Bryn Pugh, Accidental Death would be my guess, because there were no charges brought. Isn't it funny that "statistics" are only ever rubbish if they don't support your arguement. The results of the Polls taken were as they were, take them as an indicator or not, that is entirely up to you. If however you then state in the face of them that the Strike had the support of the general public in the UK, you had best come up with some means of backing that statement up. Another, rather good, indicator as to the support the strike had can be seen for the reatcion to it within the other trade unions, wasn't really all that great was it?? And then you would have to explain exactly how and why the Union of Democratic Mineworkers came into being. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 20 Feb 09 - 10:36 AM "How come it is always the left that immediately resorts to violence and threats of violence Big Mick??" Talk about people in glass houses . . . seeing as the right-wing (including B.Liar etc) have spent the last few years bombing, torturing and killing people in large numbers whilst pursuing policies based on lies, deceit and obsfucation I find it incredible you feel the left has a case to answer for this. The miners weren't the 'left' - they were people fighting for their jobs, communities and way of life. And they lost it, along with so many others, especially heavy industry etc. They were systematically prevented from trying to make their point by the brutal suppression of the police force acting above the law as they assaulted and beat people. Sticking shitty pins in people isn't nice, but then neither's having your head stove in in a horse charge by an armoured thug when you're trying to stop your community from dying. There's 300 years worth of deep coal in the mines of the UK; find a way to eliminate the carbon emissions from burning it and you've got enough energy without resorting to nuclear (the industry the right seems determined to foist on us and our neighbours regardless), you've go a breathing space to create renewable and clean sources of energy. The miners were right. McGregor and Thatcher were very wrong, and everyone knows it whether you acknowledge it or not. Scargill was right, full stop. Mick said earlier that ". . . the cause of both of these problems, IMO, and broadly stated, is the actions of the British government to protect the money of the industrial elite." I was thinking about this and my experience with the Tory party as a Young Conservative in the 1980's, and I have to say I agree partially but there's more to it than that. Thatcher had an ideology that appealed to the 'me' culture of the early 80's. She espoused individualism and greed as being desirable, and the idea of community and social cohesion as anachronistic and 'left-wing'. She even quoted St. Paul saying "If a man will not work he will not eat" - she then shut down the coal industry and ravaged the steel and shipbuilding industries so many people and towns relied on. No threats from me Tezza - not my style. I'll stick to pointing out how wrong you are. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 20 Feb 09 - 11:24 AM Trotting out that tired old emotive socialist twaddle is no substitute for reasoned arguement or logic. Tell us all why British Industry should pay £250/ton for coal when they could get it from elsewhere for £8/ton. Tell us all why the British Taxpayer had to subsidise the national Coal Board to the tune of millions per day. Tell us why British Manufacturers should pay over the odds for British Steel when they could get it cheaper elsewhere. Tell us all why the British Taxpayer had to subsidise British Steel to the tune of millions per day. Explain how British industry could remain competitive once EU legislation eliminated the Government subsidies to the Coal, Steel and Ship-building industries. Please tell us where in the UK the 350,000 to 500,000 ton supertankers, VLCC's, etc could have been built. 300 years of deep coal left in UK mines, I actually thought that it was more than that. And this resource you want to burn as a stop-gap?? How idiotic could you be, coal is far, far too precious to burn if you are looking at the long term. You are welcome to try and prove me wrong, but to that you'll need reasoned arguement not rhetoric. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 20 Feb 09 - 12:15 PM "Trotting out that tired old emotive socialist twaddle is no substitute for reasoned arguement or logic." Er, actually it is. Your constant evocation of cold hard logic as being the only way to form any sort of government policy is fine until you factor in soft, warm, emotive human beings and then all these arguments become a matter of conscience, pure and simple. So by ignoring the fact actual people are involved, and arguing in a manner which excludes them from any discussion except as statistics or abstract constructs to be shuffled about like counters on a gaming board you avoid the fundamental truth - you don't give a fuck about them (I'm not talking about people you know personally, but everyone else). This is why Thatcher was such an evil cow: she had bypassed her conscience and treated entire industries and populations without giving a toss about the consequences for living, breathing people. It's the fundament flaw of the right they do not seem to have a conscience; truth is that they might well do and simply do not care (in my experience this is the case). It's why New Labour is the bastard offspring from the unholy union of Thatcher and those ex-socialists corrupted by the capitalist lie of consumerism as the balm for a troubled society and the promotion of a culture of aspiration; those that can't or don't want to be involved are sidelined and treated with the unreasoning disdain of the middle classes and their masters. It's all about conscience, and how much you're willing to let people suffer. "Tell us all why British Industry should pay £250/ton for coal when they could get it from elsewhere for £8/ton." Do you know where this coal comes from and why it cost £8 a ton? Because the people mining it are treated like shit, not allowed to join unions to protect their rights and (in the case of the Columbian coal industry) they are routinely killed for trying to do so. It's cheap because the health and lives of those mining it is deemed cheap. As for subsidising the coal and steel industries; after the events of the last few months I see no reason why protecting communities (I have a feeling you're not understanding the importance of this point) can't be paid for by the tax payer if the bonuses of the tossers who have brought the economy to it's knees can be. You know Tezza, these people don't give a fuck about you or me. They don't care you defend them to the hilt, argue in favour of their self-serving policies or justify their outrages against their own (not to mention other) people. They could not give a shit about any of us. You would lay down you life at their behest and they wouldn't blink or lose a moment's sleep. Come over mate - we care on the left! People first! |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 20 Feb 09 - 01:41 PM "It's all about conscience, and how much you're willing to let people suffer. "Tell us all why British Industry should pay £250/ton for coal when they could get it from elsewhere for £8/ton." Do you know where this coal comes from and why it cost £8 a ton? Because the people mining it are treated like shit, not allowed to join unions to protect their rights and (in the case of the Columbian coal industry) they are routinely killed for trying to do so. It's cheap because the health and lives of those mining it is deemed cheap." Oh dear, "because people mining it are treated like shit" - Maybe some of out Australian 'catters can tell us if their mining industry treats its miners like shit - But I don't think so. You see denigrater of cold logic and reason - that is where the coal at £8 per ton came from - Australia. The reason it was so cheap was because the mines producing it were very large open cast mines. As for the rest of your post - more populist, meaningless, trendy, left-wing, socialist waffle. You can care all you want but every socialist attempt at Government the world has known has ended in disaster and ruin, the result of the policy of political dogma taking precedence over common-sense, prudence and responsibility. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Big Mick Date: 20 Feb 09 - 02:30 PM ........the result of the policy of political dogma taking precedence over common-sense, prudence and responsibility. Yes Tezza...... I can see the result of conservative, common sense, prudence and responsibility every day in the news. Thanks for pointing that out. Mick |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Sleepy Rosie Date: 20 Feb 09 - 03:08 PM "every socialist attempt at Government the world has known has ended in disaster and ruin" Really, not one exception...? |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 20 Feb 09 - 05:28 PM "It simply pointed out that Teribus sought to denigrate the cause the miners fought for, and defend the brutal tactics used against them, because they found tactics to use to attempt to defend themselves." - Big Mick Taking a look at the instances of violence on the picket lines it was the norm that it started with objects (stones, bricks,etc) being thrown at the police. Now that could be passed off as opportunist, spur of the moment type of reaction combined with anger and frustration. However dressing up in leathers and crash helmets and taking along hat pins dipped in shit smacks of cold blooded premeditation. Same as those left-wing working class "heroes" who carried a concrete fence post onto a bridge crossing a dual carraige way intending to drop it onto a specific taxi cab - legitimate protest!! Not on your life by any means or reason. People who deliberately leave their homes looking for trouble generally find it. The trouble is that it is often the case that they are not the ones who pick up the bill for it. Please do not expect me to condone or feel any empathy for their actions or rally round and condemn the police for upholding the laws of the land when confronted by such scum masquerading as decent people. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: GUEST,lox Date: 21 Feb 09 - 06:49 AM Hey Sugarfoot, No stress, it is exactly folks like you (and me) that that joke was written for and the first time I heard it I stopped the teller to say "this better have a good punchline" I totally understand your initial reaction and if Rosie hadn't commented I would just have egged you on, with a wink, to have a closer look. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 21 Feb 09 - 12:47 PM "Oh dear, "because people mining it are treated like shit" - Maybe some of out Australian 'catters can tell us if their mining industry treats its miners like shit - But I don't think so. You see denigrater of cold logic and reason - that is where the coal at £8 per ton came from - Australia. The reason it was so cheap was because the mines producing it were very large open cast mines." It's got nothing to do with the Australians, but you might like to take a closer look at the Columbian and South African operations. Or perhaps you won't. "As for the rest of your post - more populist, meaningless, trendy, left-wing, socialist waffle." Cheers mate - not very often I get called populist or trendy though. Cool. Rad. At least it's from the heart. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: John MacKenzie Date: 21 Feb 09 - 01:04 PM Who was it characterised Socialism as "The politics of envy"? |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Big Mick Date: 21 Feb 09 - 01:40 PM Perhaps one can categorize the desire for fairness in wages and working conditions "envy", but if that is the case, count me in the legion. Once again, Teribus creates incorrect premises, then builds sterling arguments, and sits back and is pleased with himself. But life doesn't occur in a vacuum. It is easy to make comments about miners preparing themselves to not let scabs across picket lines. But it still comes down to the fact that your heroes weakened the laws that allowed folks to strike peaceably and have some measure of leverage, and then when the predictable violence happens, as is the case when people watch their ability to feed families and make a living, you point fingers at them and talk about how they are thugs. I am one of those thugs. You all thought it was OK when we went off and fought for Royal Shell's bottom line. But dare we fight with tooth and nail to preserve our way of life, wages, working conditions, and families well being and you apologists for the right are quick to point that violence occurred. The right creates self fulfilling prophecies to manipulate the working folk. They heard you like sheep and you just follow along. In the end result, if one REALLY applies logic and intellect, they will find at the root of these problems, the money changers. But ..... and this is where Teribus, in all his smugness, blows it. You see, he only digs deep enough (play on words intended) to find what he is looking for. In other words, he digs to find only the things that support his prejudices, and stops. The system that works best is the one where there is balance between the power of capital and the power of labor. That is what allows collective bargaining to occur. Anything less is begging. Mick |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 21 Feb 09 - 06:40 PM Big Mick, your last post makes absolutely no sense at all. Sugarfoot Jack/Strindsinger/ Frank Hamiltom or whoever it has got absolutely fuck all to do with mining in Columbia or South Africa and how they treat their miners. The choice for British industry was quite stark and simple you either pay £250 per ton for British coal or you pay £8 per ton for Australian coal. As someone buying in raw materials I'd love to hear your arguements for paying 30 times what you have to to pay for the same commodity and yet make any atempt to stay competitive in the world market. I know I am mentioning two words there that "socialists" absolutely dread "competition" and "market", because both imply that you actually have to excell and win in both, whereas they delight in mediocrity. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Big Mick Date: 21 Feb 09 - 09:07 PM Of course it doesn't, TB, for exactly the reasons I cited. You have an inability to grasp things outside your own reality. Competitiveness based on human suffering is an evil force. Witness the child sweat shops that are located around the world. Witness the unfair competition created when third world countries don't have to be bothered by such things as environmental laws, and fair labor laws. Your absolute refusal to recognize such things as having an impact on the debate, instead falling back on buzz words like "competition" and "market" is why these arguments make no sense. Quite frankly, Tezza, your attitude is disgusting. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Jim Carroll Date: 22 Feb 09 - 09:08 AM I don't know - you go away for a few days and come back to chaos!!!!! Don't know why I'm surprised to find the pretentiously and self-importantly pseudonymed Terribus (is 'War Cry' still published by The Salvation Army?) with his ultra-right proboscis still firmly jammed up the rear end of the establishment! " Well then Jim-Lad still want to tell me about law-abiding "miners" I knew Bryn as a fine singer many years ago; I do not agree with his attitude here, nor do I believe it to be either helpful or representative of the striking miners actions – do you? By the way, I understood Bryn to be a member of the legal profession – I certainly never knew he was a miner. Interesting to see that the actions of the miners are all being compared to 9-11, and Irish terrorist activities; (surely you could have fitted the somewhat incontinent Israeli army in there somewhere) – do you really have as low an opinion of British workers as that? "Taking a look at the instances of violence on the picket lines it was the norm that it started with objects (stones, bricks, etc) being thrown at the police." Yes, I see you do have such a low opinion – utter bollocks – the vast majority of pickets were peaceful ones, the handful of violent ones got the publicity – prove your statement. "The miners and their "supporters" broke the law" As distinct from the Thatcher Government who manipulated the law and used the police force as a private army in order to break the strike,. ......" the police acted in accordance with their duty to uphold the laws of the land" See above. All the incidents I outlined earlier which our rabid right friend dismissed as left-wing propaganda are well documented; the provocation of miners on strike pay by the police by waving money at them; the Orgreave mounted baton charges (still have the press cutting of the woman about to have her head split in two by a mounted guardian of the law); and then there was a (leftie, no doubt) BBC documentary on the events); the near declaration of martial law by the police authorities closing off pit towns in order to prevent lawful demonstrations in favour of the strike – all well verified in print and on film. "Overall, the government generally had more support than the miners". Oh dear, another referendum I missed – when was that one? Considering that the information on the events on the strike were controlled and manipulated by a largely hostile media, it's hardly surprising which way the ballot finally went – or is it a case of 'left-wing' bias and right wing 'information'?; as far I'm concerned 'Not So' Sleepy Rosie has the right of it. Hands up all those who were asked to take part in the poll – I wasn't! "The men who threw the concrete and killed the taxi driver were punished" I missed a bit when I wrote that – it should read "The 'TWO' men...." Again, are you going to judge the actions of all the miners on the actions of these men – who were punished for their crime? "As for the "scab driver who crushed the picket to death", what should he have been punished for??" Maybe nothing, but as the event took place in the presence of police who were directing the vehicles, at the very least there should have been an enquiry into the incident which included the behaviour of the police at the scene – there wasn't – or maybe you can tell us otherwise. "The picket who died should not have been where the driver could have run over him." Describes every road accident that ever happened; it also sums up Thatcherism (and gangsterism) perfectly – "do as you're told and you won't get hurt". "scum masquerading as decent people..... " There goes that contempt for the British working people again – tsk - tsk, you really should make an effort to hide it. My main difference with Trolleybus here is that he is prepared (quite rightly) to condemn the killing of a taxi driver, but justify that of a picket – I condone neither. Though I do concede that it could be argued that those who threw the block and the scab driver were acting (albeit from different points of view) out of frustration in order to defend their way of life and feed their families, while the police were 'just obeying orders' – pretty much as the SS claimed after the war! For 'Democratic Mineworkers Union' read 'Maggie's Miners' – most major industrial action produces its counter-action of scabs – wonder what became of them after we lost our mining industry – I seem to remember some sort of financial scandal...... nah, couldn't be!!!! "Tell us all why British Industry should pay £250/ton for coal when they could get it from elsewhere for £8/ton........." Totally agree with Jack on the ethical question of buying cheap. "The choice for British industry was quite stark and simple you either pay £250 per ton for British coal or you pay £8 per ton for Australian coal." At the time of the miners strike one of the chief suppliers of coal was Poland (as far as I know Poland is still a big supplier) where wages and working conditions were, and by all reports, still are - appalling. Taken to it's logical conclusion – why have a textile and clothes-manufacturing industry when we could easily buy much more cheaply from the Far East, where they pay shit wages to people living in abject poverty, including children (though, – come to think of it, isn't that what Britain does anyway; go and read the labels in shops like Marks and Sparks)? "Tell us all why the British Taxpayer had to subsidise British Steel to the tune of millions per day." Why indeed, when we could purchase steel (as Britain does, along with many other goods) from democratic China where the workers live in luxury and work under idyllic conditions? Who knows, maybe some of the beneficiaries of this 'arrangement' are the Tibetans! The only reason that Britain can purchase more cheaply from these countries is that by and large the workers there are treated like shit and by supporting such behaviour the British Governments become part of it. And then of course there's the economic wisdom of shutting down your home industries and relying on imports – the results of which we are about to find out with a vengeance via the current recession. Being an atheist, my one regret is that 'practicing Christian' Margaret Thatcher, who will die shortly (I believe she has requested a state funeral – it seems that Terabyte is not the only one with an over-inflated view of his own importance), like her mass-murderer Chilean friend, will not receive her just reward in heaven for the misery and suffering she caused the vast majority of the people of these islands - pity. I guess I'll have to make do with the beautiful memory of her leaving Downing Street in tears (like a spoilt child after having her favourite toy confiscated), when she was given the bums rush by her fellow turds. "Who was it characterised Socialism as "The politics of envy"?" Probably not the same person who characterised Capitalism as "greed made respectable" though even some of its more humane supporters were happy to talk about the unacceptable face of capitalism – not Maggie, I hasten to add. Interesting to see (from ard mhacha's joke) that Carol was only keeping up the family tradition of racism. "This lady made a private remark...." Then it's ok to be a racist in private, even when you hold a position in the media.....? " Sadly today we all have to tip toe around everyone and almost every subject." How about tip-toeing around the finer feelings of Lawrence's family – remember their son Stephen – he was murdered by racist thugs because he was black, and the police made sure the killers evaded punishment by carrying out an extremely inept and biased (racist) investigation. Their first action was to arrest Lawrence's (black) companion – well done the boys in blue! Pause for breath – have much more to say on personal experience of police 'neutrality' – but duty calls Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: GUEST,lox Date: 22 Feb 09 - 09:16 AM Good competition requires rules and a referee. Otherwise it would be acceptable for the new zealand all blacks to play the eton 4th form at a game of no holds barred rugby. But clearly that doesn't really constitute competition, just as Lions vs Christians didn't really constitute competition. The free market requires open healthy competition. This is not possible without fairness. Who wants to watch a boxing match between a malnourished coffee worker and a fit healthy 30 something millionaire with access to a gym, a coach and the best possible diet. Competition needs to be fair or it implodes. It cannot function without rules. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 22 Feb 09 - 11:29 AM "Sugarfoot Jack/Strindsinger/ Frank Hamiltom or whoever" Pardon? It's me Tezza, stigWeard, just changed my name me old mucker. Where are you getting your information on imported coal from? Even the Daily Torygraph, organ of choice for lining the hamster cages of wannabe middle-class middle-management peabrains across the UK doesn't mention Australian coal in a recent article, suggesting most comes from the environmentally destructive process of open-cast mining. This is going to shock you, but cheapest is not always best. This coal is cheap because whoever mines it doesn't care about the safety of their miners, the environmental damage caused by it's extraction and although you can ignore this because it's happening to foreigners miles away who you never have to look in the face, what goes around comes around and this'll come back and bite you in the arse. Seeing as the unregulated capitalism you love so much as led us to into this mess I'm surprised you are quite so vociferous in your defence of the system. Like I said - they don't give two shade of shit about you, so why support them? Margaret Thatcher never gave a shit about the ordinary people of this, or any other country. Including both you and me. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 22 Feb 09 - 11:33 AM "By the way, I understood Bryn to be a member of the legal profession – I certainly never knew he was a miner." Quite right Jim, Bryn Pugh has stated that he is a member of the legal profession, who in a thread on this forum boasted about joining in on the picket lines and preparing said hat pins dipped in shit, it seems with full intent to stick them into police horses or maybe even policemen. As I said previously it smacks of premeditation and as such should be condemned. Bryn Pugh and his pals are the scum masquerading as decent people, they weren't miners, they weren't suffering anything, they went out with the sole intent of causing trouble, equipping themselves to do so in a very mean and vicious manner. Maybe the pair of you can come up with a song about it. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 22 Feb 09 - 12:21 PM Jack, politicians irrespective of party once elected have never given a hoot about "ordinary" people, or has that fact escaped your notice, certainly hasn't escaped mine. Oh and this mess we are currently in, well we've been here before and the same system gets us out of the mess, unlike the systems employed to fuel the economies of the former Soviet Block. "Our" system can take an occasional hammering and survive, as it will this time exactly as it has done before. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Jim Carroll Date: 22 Feb 09 - 01:03 PM Torybus - is that it? Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Big Mick Date: 22 Feb 09 - 03:07 PM Jim, what would one expect from a pig but an oink? |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Jim Carroll Date: 22 Feb 09 - 03:20 PM Thank you Mick - hope all is well with you. Terminus: Anybody who has ever been involved in an event which involves mass policing, even something as innocuous as the Aldermaston Marches, an Anti-Apartheid demonstration, or even The Notting Hill Carnival, can hardly have failed to have noticed the behaviour of the police – at best, distant and somewhat unfriendly, but quite often openly hostile. I used to wonder why this was until I became friendly with a young policeman who used to turn up to The Singers Club occasionally. He had joined the force in the North East of England and had regarded the job as a public service – a village bobby – but had moved to London to further his career. He said how, during training was taught to treat any non-conformist with suspicion, as a potential troublemaker. He explained that any white person mixing with blacks should be regarded as a druggie – either a taker or dealer – or both. It was no great surprise to us when we read that quite a few London Police had been requested (not ordered, not disciplined and certainly not dismissed) to cease their membership of the then very active National Front. Gerry was stationed around the Kings Cross area, and one night, after a few drinks he told us he was extremely disturbed by the behaviour of some of his colleagues during 'slack periods'. To ease the boredom he described how they would hang around the local Rowton House after closing time (Sunday nights were favourite) and pick up daft-drunk down-and-outs going back to their beds for the night, take them to the station and charge them with being drunk and disorderly. There, they would strip-search them, sober them up with a bucket of cold water and the mouthier ones would be given 'a slapping', not enough to do any real damage, but enough to humiliate and frighten them 'for a laugh'. When he complained he was told by a friendly desk sergeant that whistleblowers were quite likely to be given 'the treatment' which apparently involved having excrement spread on your sandwich while your attention was distracted. Persistent whistle-blowing could lead to your having your vehicle 'adjusted'. Gerry lasted about 8 months in The Smoke before he packed it in and became a social worker, thereby earning the contempt of our rightist friend and his storm-troopers, as a "do-gooder" no doubt! My first close-up experience was over the seven years I worked as a pub maintenance electrician for a major brewery. The first thing I was shown by my employer was the list of pubs which were difficult to work in because they didn't close at the official times because, thanks to 'financial negotiations', the police took no notice of the 'irregular hours'. This included the nearest pub to the office where off duty police would gather to watch confiscated pornographic videos. Watch this space. Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: akenaton Date: 22 Feb 09 - 03:21 PM "Witty" remarks are not good enough, Teribus's remarks require to be answered. Personally, I think that the Capitalist ststem has simply become unsustainable, regardless of whether a Consevative or Socialist govt are in power. The point surely is, what are you "wits" going to put in its place? |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Big Mick Date: 22 Feb 09 - 03:35 PM Sorry, ake, but his remarks have been answered and he chooses not to respond with anything other than his rightist twaddle, as opposed to answering points made. He continues along on his own twisted constructs. I don't believe that his points haven't been addressed. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: GUEST,lox Date: 22 Feb 09 - 06:43 PM I went on a demo back in 1993 when I was a young idealistic student (as opposed to my current status as an old cynical student). A designiated Site of Special Scientific Interest was to be bulldozed to make way for a road and some friends and I decided we were going to do our bit to stop it. There were 11 of us on a coach which had been converted into a mobile home and which was in fact the home of the driver. When we arrived at our destination, the demonstration which we thought we would find simply hadn't turned up. A solitary member of friends of the earth was stood in a siding by the road, with his banner, looking quite dejected that his publicity efforts had gone so unrewarded - that is until we turned up. Not knowing what to do, the driver of the coach, a narcissistic publicity hound who was in his 30's (the rest of us were around 19 and 20) decided to drive into a neighbouring field to set up camp. Soon enough, the farmer who owned the field notified the police, who arrived in numerous meat wagons and cordoned off the gate. Tresspass being a civil offfence, they couldn't come onto the field to arrest us and couldn't evict us without an eviction order, so it was that we sat on our bus in the middle of a field drinking tea while a crowd of coppers stood at the gate of the field not really knowing what to do next. The driver at this point decided that he was going to go over to the police to "negotiate". The rest of us, uninsured to drive the bus, sat in bemusement as he rode over to the gate on his bike and was promptly arrested and thrown in the back of one of the meatwagons by the inspector in charge of operations. And so the farce carried on ... the inspector got the permission of the farmer to come onto the field, but was not entitled to come onto the bus without our permission and besides, while the driver had been arrested for criminal damage after driving through the fence to get onto the field, as passengers, there were no grounds to arrest us so an absurd stalemate ensued, in which a preposterous red faced inspector shouted empty threats at us and got more and more angry out in the cold while we drank tea and smoked handrolled "cigarettes" and marvelled at the scene unfolding in front of us. We had no driver so we couldn't go anywhere even if we had wanted to or been capable of doing anything about it. Anyway, finally the inspector was relieved by the area superintendant who knocked on the door and asked if it would be ok to come on board to have a chat and a cuppa. We agreed and he came in and sat down at the table. We made him a cuppa and started to chat. He apologized for arresting the driver and we apologized for his behaviour. He agreed to let the driver go without charge if we'd agree to drive off the field and keep him on a shorter leash. This was fine by us and when the driver was brought back to us we stuck to our side of the bargain and the super stuck to his - having taken stock of the situation and seen that on the one hand we were totally harrmless and on the other that he needed us to cooperate with each other if he wanted to find an effective solution to his problem. That is my funny story and not entirely helpful in the context of the discussions going on here, however something did come out of it which is directly relevant to some of the points being discussed. While the super was on the bus, we talked about numerous things in a pretty open and honest way, and one of the issues we spoke about was that of police brutality. It was with great regret that he spoke, at some length, about his concerns that there were officers who joined the police because they enjoyed a good ruck and liked to give 'it' to the troublemakers. He was concerned that such officers join up with the intention of getting into the riot squads and that they are ignored by their superiors as they indulge their taste for violence. He spoke on a personal level about his distaste at the 'strategies' employed at the beanfield and at twyford down where Group 4 security were ignored by the police as they beat up the protesters there regardless of the presence of kids. I have a friend who has spoken about his experience at the beanfield which involved lying in a ball on the ground trying to cover his head without leaving his crotch exposed as he was being belted with truncheons at both ends before they took him off to a remote police station and kicked him out in the early evening in the middle of nowhere with nothing in his pockets and no way of getting anywhere except by walking and with nowhere to stay or money to pay for food or accomodation. Just thought all that might help with the whole police professionalism thing. Oh - and to round off the story, We kept our driver on a leash and he kept his inspector on a leash and we all lived happily ever after. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Jim Carroll Date: 23 Feb 09 - 05:35 AM Thanks Lox; reminiscent of a number of incidents we witnessed with the Travellers in London. Your description of the 'sensible' policeman is borne out by what we were told - "The older ones were ok, firm but fair - it was the young ones that caused the trouble". Before the 1968 Caravan and Camping Act was repealed (by the Tories) it was the law that Travellers camping illegally had to be given 14 days notice, so the practice was to move on to a piece of waste ground, wait for the notice to be served, serve out the notice and move on - ad-infinitum. Our friends were camped at Shepherds, Bush, under the flyover on an L-shaped piece of ground. The police and bailiffs turned up to evict them and duly ticked each one off as they left the site, not noticing that they were driving round the block and re-entering the site out of sight on the hidden leg of the L - thus gaining another 14 days legal camping. Unbelievably, after that time was up the process was repeated in exactly the same manner so the Travellers got 40-odd days stopping in all - not the brightest buttons in the sewing box. In the seventies one of the Traveller organisations began a campaign to draw the attention to the shortage of sites; by law, each borough had to provide 1 site for (I think) 14 caravans - most didn't. The organisation would select a very prominent site and move a family caravan onto it. This was usually a public park, garden or playing field - the idea being to create the maximum publicity, get into the local press or radio. The 'protest' usually lasted no longer than a few hours and the Travellers would move off voluntarily once the point was made. One of our singers, Little Bill Cassidy, was chosen and put on a public park in one of the posher parts of London, Harrow-on-the-Hill. The residents, of course, complained to the police, who panicked and pulled an enormous rubbish container across the entrance to the park, making it impossible for any more Travellers to get on, but also for Little Bill and his family to get off. Because of an administration cock-up, much to the annoyance to the residents and the Travellers, the skip remained in position for over a week. Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Bryn Pugh Date: 23 Feb 09 - 07:34 AM Thanks for the post, Lox, and for your post, Jim, with its cogent argument. Now I know, Lox, why the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, to deal with 'New Age' Travellers, was enacted. (Not that I think your little demo had anything directly to do with it, mind :-) ) 'Twas ever thus. See a problem, get an Act of Parliament to sort it. Simple. Eh, Pterodactyl ? Seems to me that for Syllabus and his ilk, there is only one commandment THOU SHALT NOT ! (with apologies to that great left wing playwright Dylan Thomas). I became a Lawyer because I reasoned that the only way to alter a system is to be inside it. Jaysus bless my innocence. I had as much chance of altering a fundamentally flawed system as I have of my arsehole healing up. Today I am the in-house Lawyer for a not-for-profit outfit. The likes of Carol Thatcher, Trolleybus and their ilk can be likened to the Hydra. Cut one head off and two grow in its place. As one grows older, there are only so many times one can thole a hammering off the guardians of law and order. Heigh ho - 'twas ever thus. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 23 Feb 09 - 10:08 AM "Personally, I think that the Capitalist ststem has simply become unsustainable, regardless of whether a Consevative or Socialist govt are in power. The point surely is, what are you "wits" going to put in its place?" Given the fact the banks have taken a whole wodge of taxpayers money and done sod all except withdraw help for small businesses (120 a day closing) and still pay themselves nice healthy bonuses it strikes me as bloody obvious: regulation of the capitalist system. People cannot be trusted to play fair and act responsibly in business, and it seems the richer they are the less interest in any social responsibility they have. Seeing as right-wingers are constantly bleating on about how we have to hammer home the responsibilities to society of the drunken, boorish underclass with their 13 year-old mothers and sponging 'jobseekers' it's high time those no less boorish louts at the other end of the income ladder got a sharp rap around the ear and were made to start acting with some integrity. Unfortunately, Thatcherites don't view integrity and morality as desirable personality traits and so the New Labour suits still have their lips firmly puckered onto the arses of the industry grandees they claim to be sorting out. Tezza's assertion "well we've been here before and the same system gets us out of the mess . . . exactly as it has done before." only goes to prove the point - the system is fucked without regulation. Boom and bust is not a great system, and the fallacy of Thatcher's 'trickle 'down' effect has been proved with the emergence of an underclass of people who feel utterly detached from the rest of society and 30 years on from her instigating policies that saw perfectly profitable companies go to the wall as their cashflow dried up, we're watching it all happen again. The real problem is all the main political parties all adhere to some sort of Thatcherite economic policy, so ingrained in the culture has it become. Even the Lib Dems are now broadly Thatcherite in this approach (with the possible exception of Vince Cable, the lone voice of sanity amongst the babble of confused, bullshitting politicians) and this means there is no real viable alternative and I personally believe the return to state intervention in the running of the banks is more of a short-term fudge than a genuine attempt to regulate the activities of the banks; is there any evidence of ministers actually imposing their will on the fat cats of the banking boardrooms? I can't see any, just Darling on the TV spewing his usual trite claptrap whilst Brown whinges that it's really not his fault, as he hangs onto the apron strings of the bankers. Without state intervention the capitalist system cannot regulate itself and curb it's worst excesses. Without a government committed to imposing social responsibility upon the capitalist system this is going to happen again and again (not a good thing Tezza, especially for those at the bottom of the pile - especially in a global marketplace), and the gap between rich and poor will keep growing. The only way capitalism will ever work is within a socialist framework, and at the moment there are no politicians who can offer that as an alternative. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Nigel Parsons Date: 23 Feb 09 - 10:37 AM Jim Carroll: It was no great surprise to us when we read that quite a few London Police had been requested (not ordered, not disciplined and certainly not dismissed) to cease their membership of the then very active National Front. You don't say whether you believe the police should have been ordered to dissociate themselves from the National Front, or if you are complaining about the infringement of their right to belong to any political party of their choosing. I assume it's the former and you would deny them the very rights of self-expression which you claim they clamp down on for others! |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 23 Feb 09 - 10:43 AM "his remarks have been answered and he chooses not to respond with anything other than his rightist twaddle, as opposed to answering points made. He continues along on his own twisted constructs. I don't believe that his points haven't been addressed." - Big Mick Now as far as me not answering points put to me goes Big Mick let's take a run through them: • "Don't know why I'm surprised to find the pretentiously and self-importantly pseudonymed Terribus (is 'War Cry' still published by The Salvation Army?) with his ultra-right proboscis still firmly jammed up the rear end of the establishment!" As this is purely a personal attack in which Jim Carroll cannot even get my name right I think it can be ignored. I had asked Jim Carroll the following question - "Well then Jim-Lad still want to tell me about law-abiding "miners". His reply: • "I knew Bryn as a fine singer many years ago; I do not agree with his attitude here, nor do I believe it to be either helpful or representative of the striking miners actions – do you? By the way, I understood Bryn to be a member of the legal profession – I certainly never knew he was a miner." This point I believe I answered, while the majority of striking miners did protest peacefully and legally, certain sections did not and it was their actions that the police reacted to – Note that word reacted. Also in the "picket" lines were supporters of the militant left, they were not miners, they had nothing whatsoever to do with the dispute, the sole purpose of their presence was to instigate and provoke trouble – they are the ones I referred to as being "scum masquerading as decent people". With regard to Bryn Pugh, the information I post in this thread is paraphrased from what the man himself has written in threads on this forum, so he can have no objection to it being repeated here. • "Interesting to see that the actions of the miners are all being compared to 9-11, and Irish terrorist activities; (surely you could have fitted the somewhat incontinent Israeli army in there somewhere) – do you really have as low an opinion of British workers as that?" Here is Jim Carroll once again trying to put words into my mouth – old trick Jim tried by many on this forum, it hasn't worked in the past and it won't work now. Address yourself to what I actually say, don't expect me to respond to things that I have not said. I would also advise you to go back and read the particular post you incorrectly gleaned that "comparison" from, you will find after actually reading it that I was responding to a point made by Big Mick about the "the means justifying the ends", and the hypocritical way it is applied by the Left. I made the following comment - "Taking a look at the instances of violence on the picket lines it was the norm that it started with objects (stones, bricks, etc) being thrown at the police." To which Jim Carroll jumps in with: • "Yes, I see you do have such a low opinion – utter bollocks – the vast majority of pickets were peaceful ones, the handful of violent ones got the publicity – prove your statement." I begin to doubt whether Jim can actually read, or whether he just reacts and goes off at half-cock. Judge for yourself Big Mick: - Where in what I said do I state that the vast majority of picket situations were violent? – truth is I didn't. - Where in what I posted do I state that I have a low opinion of British Workers? – truth is I don't voice anything remotely like an opinion on British Workers. To my observation that - "The miners and their "supporters" broke the law". I received in response: • "As distinct from the Thatcher Government who manipulated the law and used the police force as a private army in order to break the strike,." And you have the gall to complain about right-wing twaddle. A number points unpalatable as they well may be: - The "Thatcher Government" was the elected government of the United Kingdom. - Manipulated the law? Guest Lox stated that every game must have rules. In this case the rule of Law. If you or anybody else is going to state that actions taken by the government of the day, or by the police force were illegal, I would suggest you come up with some proof to back your statements up, please forgive me if I am not inclined just to take your word for it. Oh and the following is perfectly correct - "the police acted in accordance with their duty to uphold the laws of the land". - explain to us all what rules relate to legal industrial action in the UK Jim. What you can and what you cannot do, then tell us how many times those boundaries were trampled during the miners strike. • the provocation of miners on strike pay by the police by waving money at them; If true this would provoke the miners how?? How could this harm them?? The miners or their "supporters" however could always retaliate by sticking hat pins dipped in shit into the police officers who so aggressively wave cash at them couldn't they Big Mick. The only miners who got strike pay were those who actually turned up on the picket lines – true?? • the Orgreave mounted baton charges (still have the press cutting of the woman about to have her head split in two by a mounted guardian of the law); Glad you mentioned Orgreave: "Initially the strike played out like most others, and the strikers played football for a while. But as more numbers arrived on both sides, tensions began to rise. There was some stone-throwing from the miners' side which persuaded the commander of the police presence, Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Clement, to deploy a cordon of long-shielded police in front of his standard officers - a fairly standard practice in such encounters. The first casualty was PC Akers, who was hit in the face by a brick at about 8am, and taken to hospital." The press cutting you so cherish, the photographer must have been exceptionally lucky to get it: "The NUM was represented by 5,000 to 6,000 pickets from across the UK. The police deployed between 4,000 and 8,000 officers, and were deployed from 10 counties. Of these, a small number had been trained in new riot tactics following the Toxteth and Brixton riots, while most had little or no experience in dealing with such events. There were between 40 and 50 mounted police and 58 police dogs. There were no women officers and only a handful of female picketers." But then that's the trouble with still photography, you don't get what happened immediately before of after the shutter operates. Rather odd that at the end of the day in this modern day "Peterloo Massacre" you had 93 arrests, 51 miners injured and 72 policemen injured. Tell me Jim is it legal to construct barricades across roads in the UK. Is it legal to break into business premises and steal material to construct your barricade? Who was the first person injured that day Jim?? • "and then there was a (leftie, no doubt) BBC documentary on the events);" No doubt leftie BBC coverage – Google up BBC biased reporting and take a look at the number of inquiries and investigations that have been conducted into our "national" broadcasting corporation that is supposed to provide balanced and impartial reporting of events throughout Britain and around the world – take note of how many of those investigations have resulted in findings of the BBC showing a clear left-wing bias in its reporting. • "the near declaration of martial law by the police authorities closing off pit towns in order to prevent lawful demonstrations in favour of the strike – all well verified in print and on film." Is there such a thing as a "near declaration of martial law"?? I don't think so – You either have a state of martial law or you don't and that has to be declared by the Government of the day and they most certainly did not do that – If you doubt that consult Hansard. To the statement - "Overall, the government generally had more support than the miners". I got: • Oh dear, another referendum I missed – when was that one? Considering that the information on the events on the strike were controlled and manipulated by a largely hostile media, it's hardly surprising which way the ballot finally went – or is it a case of 'left-wing' bias and right wing 'information'?; as far I'm concerned 'Not So' Sleepy Rosie has the right of it. Hands up all those who were asked to take part in the poll – I wasn't!" I quoted results of a number of Gallup Polls taken throughout the course of the strike and I clearly stated that it was a Poll so where does Jim's "referendum" come from – Go back and check Big Mick. This is just another example of Jim Carroll putting words into my mouth then taking me to task for it. The clown even trips himself up in the last sentence quoted above when he does get it right and asks who were asked to take part in the poll. "The men who threw the concrete and killed the taxi driver were punished" • I missed a bit when I wrote that – it should read "The 'TWO' men...." Again, are you going to judge the actions of all the miners on the actions of these men – who were punished for their crime? As far as I am aware I have not condemned all miners on the actions of these men. IIRC Captain Birdseye posted about remembering miners killed by policemen – There were none by the way. I posted to mention those killed by miners deserved to be remembered too. • "As for the "scab driver who crushed the picket to death", what should he have been punished for??" Maybe nothing, but as the event took place in the presence of police who were directing the vehicles, at the very least there should have been an enquiry into the incident which included the behaviour of the police at the scene – there wasn't – or maybe you can tell us otherwise." It is standard procedure for any RTA involving a fatality that a full investigation is carried out into the nature and circumstances of the death, such an investigation was carried out into the death of Joe Green at Ferrybridge Power Station on 15th June 1984, Joe Green was buried seven days later on 22nd June, 1984. It is standard procedure for any fatal accident at the workplace to be fully investigated by the Health & Safety Executive and by the police. It is law in England and Wales that any unnatural death is subject to a Coroner's Inquest into the circumstances and nature of that death. While those present picketing the Power Station at Ferrybridge on the 15th June 1984 could demonstrate peacefully, they could not obstruct the road and they could not infringe the human rights of those lawfully going about their business, in this case drivers delivering fuel to the Power Station. • "The picket who died should not have been where the driver could have run over him." Describes every road accident that ever happened; it also sums up Thatcherism (and gangsterism) perfectly – "do as you're told and you won't get hurt". Rather over-dramatic comparisons there don't you think? Mind you it would appear that if you have to be restrained from getting in the way of a 32 tonne truck fully laden then the "do as you're told and you won't get hurt" advice would appear to be warranted. • "scum masquerading as decent people..... " There goes that contempt for the British working people again – tsk - tsk, you really should make an effort to hide it." Let's be quite clear on this. That remark, "scum masquerading as decent people.." was aimed at and applies to those such as Bryn Pugh who prior to setting out to lend his "support" on a picket line, took a hat pin dipped it in excrement and carried it with him to the picket line/demonstration where the intended use of the hat pin was to stick it into a police officer or his horse. Here again we have another example of Jim Carroll putting words into my mouth and attributing to me opinions that I have most certainly not stated. • My main difference with Trolleybus here is that he is prepared (quite rightly) to condemn the killing of a taxi driver, but justify that of a picket – I condone neither. Though I do concede that it could be argued that those who threw the block and the scab driver were acting (albeit from different points of view) out of frustration in order to defend their way of life and feed their families, while the police were 'just obeying orders' – pretty much as the SS claimed after the war! Ah another funny version of my Mudcat name, Jim-lad, you taking counselling for that?? Oh by the bye where do I "justify" the death of Joe Green?? Maybe you can point that out to me Big Mick? I do not believe that I have done so. Rightly, in the case of the TWO miners who killed the taxi driver, they were charged and jailed for manslaughter, as a result of a coroners inquest into the death of Mr. Wilkie where it was established that he had been killed unlawfully by person or persons unknown. The subsequent police investigation resulted in the arrest of the TWO men. In the case of Joe Green his death was found on investigation to have been accidental, therefore there were no charges to answer and no-one was arrested or convicted. The TWO men Jim-lad went out to deliberately cause injury, they did not set out from their homes that morning with peaceful intent. The driver of the truck delivering fuel to Ferrybridge Power Station on the 15th June, 1984 was going about his lawful business, he had no intent whatsoever to cause harm to anyone or anything. If you are unable to differentiate between the two, then you have no business questioning anyone's "moral compass". The police presence at the Power Station in Ferrybridge that day was to control the picket and ensure that the rights of people to pursue their lawful employment without threat or intimidation were protected. Your attempt to present both cases as being similar is ludicrous. • For 'Democratic Mineworkers Union' read 'Maggie's Miners' – most major industrial action produces its counter-action of scabs – wonder what became of them after we lost our mining industry – I seem to remember some sort of financial scandal...... nah, couldn't be!!!! The Democratic Union of Mineworkers came into being Jim-Lad because Arthur Scargill refused point blank to hold a national ballot of mineworkers on support for strike action. His reason for not putting it to the members of the Union was because he knew damn well that they wouldn't have gone for it. • "Tell us all why British Industry should pay £250/ton for coal when they could get it from elsewhere for £8/ton........." Totally agree with Jack on the ethical question of buying cheap. There may well be ethical questions involved in placing contracts for supply of raw materials, but to take it to the extent of paying 30 times what you have to smacks of lunatic irresponsibility. • "The choice for British industry was quite stark and simple you either pay £250 per ton for British coal or you pay £8 per ton for Australian coal." At the time of the miners strike one of the chief suppliers of coal was Poland (as far as I know Poland is still a big supplier) where wages and working conditions were, and by all reports, still are - appalling. Let's see Jim-lad, the period of the strike was 1984-1985 correct?? I would agree that during that period conditions in Poland were appalling, due mainly to their Soviet backed Communist Government and during the specific period mentioned wasn't Poland under martial law?? Now how could that possibly happen in "the workers paradise"?? • "Tell us all why the British Taxpayer had to subsidise British Steel to the tune of millions per day." Why indeed, when we could purchase steel (as Britain does, along with many other goods) from democratic China where the workers live in luxury and work under idyllic conditions?" What you mean that the people who live and work in the "Democratic People's Republic of China" are not living in "the worker's paradise"?? But I am gratified that here again you condemn the Communist system of government and its ruthless exploitation of their own people. • "Who knows, maybe some of the beneficiaries of this 'arrangement' are the Tibetans! The only reason that Britain can purchase more cheaply from these countries is that by and large the workers there are treated like shit and by supporting such behaviour the British Governments become part of it." And what would all those Chinese workers do if the rest of the world did not buy from them?? I would also venture to point out the obvious that Britain is not the only country to trade with "the workers paradise", nor can it influence in any real terms what happens within China – that will have to be done by the people of China if, as and when they get the opportunity to do so – don't hold your breath, as the "communist elite" who rule China do not intend letting go the reins of power any time in the near future. • "And then of course there's the economic wisdom of shutting down your home industries and relying on imports – the results of which we are about to find out with a vengeance via the current recession." So it's economic wisdom to run home industries at a thundering great loss, in order that the workers can produce stuff that nobody wants at prices nobody can afford. Jobs for life eh Jim-lad? Psst Jim, the UK has always relied on imports, and the world owes nobody a living, nothing new there. • "Being an atheist, my one regret is that 'practicing Christian' Margaret Thatcher, who will die shortly (I believe she has requested a state funeral – it seems that Terabyte is not the only one with an over-inflated view of his own importance), like her mass-murderer Chilean friend, will not receive her just reward in heaven for the misery and suffering she caused the vast majority of the people of these islands - pity. I guess I'll have to make do with the beautiful memory of her leaving Downing Street in tears (like a spoilt child after having her favourite toy confiscated), when she was given the bums rush by her fellow turds." Good heavens another irrelevant left-wing rant coupled up with another personal attack, keep it up Jim-lad, its good for a laugh, but it could be said that you're in danger of becoming a bitter man. By the bye the "misery and suffering" she caused the "majority of the people of these islands" – Left-Wing Myth. Shall we compare unemployment figures from 1979 to 1991 to what had gone on in the years before?? How about inflation?? Tell us again Jim how often did Maggie have to go to the IMF for a bail-out loan for the UK?? The rest of your post meaningless, emotive left-wing crap. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Stu Date: 23 Feb 09 - 11:01 AM "No doubt leftie BBC coverage . . ." That got a belly laugh here at the SFJ Worker's Co-Operative. I can't believe you're trotting out this tired old cliché Tezza; It's as old as Thatcher's syrup and about as dusty and flea-ridden too. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Bryn Pugh Date: 23 Feb 09 - 11:27 AM Carry on, Teribus - set it to music and you might have a new rock opera. If taking my name in vain gives you a buzz, please carry on. If you think it annoys me, be assured it doesn't. I take as much heed of you as I do of a puppy's bark, or an ass's fart (spot the difference ?) With any luck, you'll ger RSI or wanker's cramp. Ever thought of doing a Ph. D. ? You've written enough for one. "...scum masquerading as decent people . . . " - a high compliment from pond life, n'est-ce pas ? |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 23 Feb 09 - 12:40 PM Another personal attack Bryn?? How unexpected. |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Jim Carroll Date: 23 Feb 09 - 01:11 PM "I assume it's the former and you would deny them the very rights of self-expression which you claim they clamp down on for others!" I find it interesting that you find belonging to a fascist organisation a legitimate way to express yourself Nigel - is this a statement of your own position by any chance? "Another personal attack Bryn?" Please don't whinge Terrapin; it's undignified, especially since I've already had occasion to take you to task for your bad manners - that would be the time when you were defending racism - remember? Jim Carroll (aka Jim the Brit) |
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Subject: RE: carol thatcher death threats From: Teribus Date: 23 Feb 09 - 06:01 PM Whinge James old boy, not in the slightest, "sticks and stones" chum, but between the pair of you your beginning to sound as stupid as Bobert, apart from the fact that Bobert is by far the better musician and performer. |
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