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I think Jim Callaghan never said "Crisis? What crisis?". But the more I see New Labour nose dive the more appropriate it does seem to the high command. I am not alone in thinking that there is no way he can turn the problems around. Personally I would think they will hold Glasgow East with a significantly reduced majority - and that won't improve G.B.'s position.

As a wild card idea how about a price on "Searchlight the international anti fascist magazine, 25 years fighting racism and fascism." I can't afford to subscribe any more but I am sure you could get a relevant piece out of it. There was the nasty nail bomber/paedophile the other week who got 18 years. I seem to remember Gerry Gable had a couple of people who were plotting to blow him up and they got 18 months!

Are the authorities taking it more seriously these days - and about time too.

'WHO IS THIS GOD PERSON ANYWAY?' (Douglas Adams)

I often complain (against my better nature) that Newsnight does not tackle fundamentals - usually with regard to politics. The 'Lady Bishops' furore is so close to 'angels on a pin', relative to the investigation of the actual existence of God,
that I suppose it is predictable grist to the rubber millstones of Newsnight.
When you get Whiskers Williams or Staccato Sentamu in, ask them where all the pre-Christians went on death. Where did all the philosophical, ancient Chinese go? The Communists? The Buddhists? Hindu? More to the point: I want to know why Christian sects cannot play together nicely, as one. And why, as Christianity, UNIQUELY has AS ITS OWN, Jesus, son of the one God, they mess about with sham ecumenism. I think you will agree that the Lady Bishop thing rates low against the above.

Would it be possible to cover the Indian External Minister's (Nalin Suri) visit to Kabul today to investigate the blast at the Indian Embassy, and perhaps an interview with him?

Gordon Brown fly's to Japan and spins us not to waste food in an attempt to ease world food shortages. At the same time his eco-fascist leaning Environment Agency floats plans to flood thousands of acres of currently productive farmland. If we are to tackle world food shortages it is essential that we use every square inch of land possible.

It would appear that the eco-fascist groups care more about wildfowl than people, perhaps it would not be so bad if you could buy dressed freshly shot or trapped wildfowl in Tesco. Those who built sea defenses and drained other areas over the last millennia would turn in their graves if they knew what some were suggesting. You would never catch the Dutch deliberately flooding their hard won productive land.

Starting to look at Iran is good, but it cannot be "done" in a few minutes.

Check the New York Review of Books:
The lastest issue has a lot of data on the Bush/Cheney desire to attack Iran.

Some background things I didn't know:

" This is not the first time such arguments have been made. Some Americans, including Air Force generals, believed in the late 1940s that a preemptive war against the Soviet Union was justified by the peril of Moscow with a bomb.

Twenty years later the Russians, in their turn, were so alarmed by the prospect of Beijing with a bomb that they quietly proposed to the Americans a joint effort to destroy the Chinese nuclear development effort with a preemptive attack."

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Next, the real focus should be attitudes within Iran and the way to foster the moderates and make Iran into a most valuable strategic ally.

Interesting stuff on Iran, particularly 1rst link (others more generic):

The New Yorker - Preparing the Battlefield
France24 - Solana says talks with Iran difficult
Reuters - Iran says demand to halt enrichment illegitimate
European Voice - Iran open to nuclear talks

A very worthwhile post, CF!!!

Put it in on Justin Webb's blog, also, for there are many savvy Americans there.

There is a fundamentalist attitude (which Fallon obviously did not share) that all Iranians are the enemy.

In fact, the urban population is quite intelligent, well-educated and chaffing under the mullahs.

Getting them lots of satellite dishes as part of expanded trade deals would help them push back against the mullahs- for economics and family life are fundamental whereas ideology (enforced by religious police) is despised.

Force, sanctions, acts of war all make the people unify and back the mullahs.
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If, as the New Yorker says, Bush claims his forces in Iran are conducting war under his direct command- then we have an undeclared war in process. Whare are the legalities here?

Barrie (#2) - Excellent. Now that WOULD make for an interesting Newsnight instead of all this vilification of the unfree-world we're being fed. Maybe JP could ask them what they make of what Lynn (and before him Nyborg) have reported on religious types?





The Guardian takes the prize for objective reporting as usual.

Sadly, JP et. al. are world-wise enough to appreciate that they'd find themselves shoved down the nearest memory hole for ever contemplating never mind floating such ideas.

'Development and corruption?' Don't tell me Newsnight is finally going to get round to a proper examination of The British Council??

"Does Israel plan to bomb Iran? "

I hope you'll be asking the US spokesman if they would consider such an attack illegal as it would most certainly would be.

There is no such legal concept as pre-emptive defence, although I expect this will be the line trotted out.
The IAEA says Iran is not enriching uranium to weapons grade, so Iran, unlike Israel (and Pakistan, India) are acting wholly within the NPT.

Israel usually gets a free pass.
How about a Western commentator on Iran's side instead of a poor satellite link?

THE AXIS OF EVIL

"Israel usually gets a free pass.
How about a Western commentator on Iran's side instead of a poor satellite link?"

Tiresome isn't it? Coverage of N. Korea, Iran, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan and anywhere like thiem is so predictably 'pro-neocon' that it's hardly worth watching except perhaps for illustrations of extremely poor propaganda and covering Bishop bashing at the same time is almost Pythonesque! Do check out Helmuth Nyborg in Wikpedia if only for an illustration of what tends to happen if one has the temerity to tell it as it is.

NEWSNIGHT-ESCHEW

Taking my theme from Jaded Jean (#8) and the blogger who questioned the association of the Review with Newsnight-proper, I suggest a FUNDAMENTAL SPOT might well replace it, where driving forces underlying humanity would be inspected. You could get the usual suspects in from religion, politics, the various sciences etc and confront them with their shibboleths. Don't get into secondary and tertiary stuff but dig down to bedrock. Don't talk deck chairs; look at the Titanic's blueprints. You might even investigate the role of Newsnight as a licence-funded public service! You can start with Michael Crick being shot through railings. Why no music?