Is this man also anti-Semitic?

When I first posted a blog concerning the recent Israeli attack on Gaza there had been perhaps 100 or more children and civilians killed by Israeli attacks, since then many hundreds more have died.

The press has been full of news about reaction to the Gaza crisis and hostility towards Israel and Jewish people which has apparently and presumably emanated, from those who have previously been neutral however since watching, as many of us have, the endless tragedy, on our television screens for many days been enraged at the disproportionate violence against unarmed civilians.

I'm afraid it is just purely human nature to react when you see innocent children and civilians killed by a sophisticated military machine, with no credible way of defending or even protecting themselves, Israel has run a slick propaganda campaign, firstly that they are vulnerable and innocent victims then telling us how they've warned that people by telephone call, text message, email probably and public announcements of impeding carnage, however the reality has been that these warnings have been utterly useless since, they have attacked acknowledged places of safety such as UN administered schools, supposedly safe havens until such time as a piece of Israeli artillery takes aim.

Israel has been adept in explaining itself,  the terror it has experienced from the 200,000 people it keeps locked inside the world's largest open prison, Gaza.  We are meant to be sympathetic, which of course we are, all human life is sacred, however the people of Gaza have been imprisoned for many a year, so is it any surprise that of 200,000 people some refuse to passively continue to be held hostage by Israel, who to put it simply robbed and occupied Palestinian land and turfed out Palestinian families from homes and lands they've owned for centuries.

Anyway forgetting all the propaganda and all the arguments with those pro and against Israel's recent defensive action, which required an attack on a largely defenceless civilians, the simple initiative, or rather action of one hero, from a previous conflict ought to serve as a wake-up call, to the likes of Benjamin Netanyahu and fellows,  Mr Zanoli a man who has been honoured for risking his life to save a child in the second world war, has found it necessary to returned his award from the Israeli government of the "Righteous Among the Nations" honour, given in 2011 for helping to shelter a child from the Nazis from 1943-45 in the Netherlands.

Mr Zanoli who has lost members of his own family in the conflict is quoted in an Israeli paper as stating in letter "to hold on to the honour granted to me by the State of Israel under these circumstances, would be an insult... to those in my family, four generations on, who lost no less than six of their relatives in Gaza."

A simple action which speaks more of this crisis than any amount of politicians can, not even the slick Israeli military publicists or propagandists. Race and religion don't come into this, as with anything we are accountable for and judged by our actions.  Israel as a State is ruthless toward anyone standing in their way, and while they continue steadfastly to deny the liberty of Palestinians there will be no peace and given that they imprison 200,000 people in Gaza refuse basic human rights and thanks to America has overwhelming military superiority it seems Israel will always be at war.

If you'd like to read more Haaretz  BBC story 
New York Times 

Choir of Kings College, Cambridge - England my England

Last week I mentioned that I had reached the milestone of a thousand odd posts, (on Bignews Margate Blog) and thought I'd mention that you are not alone in reading my blogs which chronicle petty politics and middle-aged angst, I get quite a few emails from readers informing me of local events, which I mention or not, depending on my random memory, some stuff of coarse is of a campaigning nature, sometimes I get invites, I've even had the offer of money from a PR company, which stupidly I turned down, still I'm always interested in info as well as offers of freebies etc..

A couple of weeks ago I was offered a complimentary copy of new CD "England My England" a collection of familiar and intrinsically English music sung by the King's College Choir, Cambridge. The 40 tracks on 2 CD’s consisting of hymns, psalms not exactly party music, but the sort of stuff I might listen to and do as I hammer these posts together (as, at the time of writing).

If I have a regret on being an atheist, it’s the absence of music associated with the English Church. For my generation the music on this CD is evocative of a time, as kids when the church was a greater influence in society than today.

Still irrespective of all that malarkey, there is nothing more inspirational, than the sound of a good choir, and although looking at the titles, I haven't a clue with most, till I listen, like the first track "Zadok the Priest" one of Handel's compositions, still had I not heard it, I would taken a guess based on the title, as maybe belonging to Hawkwind, another tough one, was this track 2 "Lux aeterna", no I didn't have a clue, till I listened to it, the music is by Elgar, it’s describe as a choral setting of Nimrod, which will be familiar to many, generally encountered at funerals, often as the curtains close in crematoria I think.

Some of the music you can listen to in a detached sort of atmospheric way but some of it like "Abide with me", "I vow to thee, my country" connects you, in a spiritual way, with your Englishness.

Music can be a powerful emotional catalyst and they don’t get anymore potent than "Jerusalem", in engendering English pride and or inspiring patriotism , as I listened to this particular hymn this morning I'm not entirely sure what caused the lump in my throat, the music or the bank statement I was reading at the time.

Perhaps the best and most distinguishing feature of being English is understating national pride, which explains why we don’t take St. Georges day off and are more likely to get drunk on St. Patricks Day drinking Guinness rather than Bitter. We are losing our traditions, still we’ll always have our musical heritage.

Anyhow this CD is Available from today, details are available by clicking here.

Shame all round

I chanced upon Alastair Campbell’s Blog yesterday as a result of visiting the generally prolific Mark Nottingham’s site and following a link.

Now before I go further this bit is necessary background, 90% of the population do not follow politics in any depth myself included and its likely that most of the population get their political insights from life and popular media the Star, Sport, Sun, Emmerdale or Corrie.

Its a fact that most of us don’t write blogs, ask local bureaucrats to explain themselves or attend local meetings.

Most of us just have a blind faith, that those who make the big decisions or control our lives, actually know what their doing, give a damn and will act in a vaguely benign manner.

At this moment in time, we’ve come to one of those points in history when us the public, have, had a rude awakening, the economy is shot to pieces, were losing our jobs, the banks are as bankrupt as are our politicians.

The credit crunch has divided country between those who are trying to hold on to what they’ve got and those who haven’t got a clue.

Much of our economy is made up of the public sector, I understand in Scotland half the workforce are paid courtesy of taxpayer, so far no one in the public sector has been effected by the economic downturn least of all Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown lost his grip on the economy, reality, and public opinion sometime ago, unfortunately his grip on to office is stronger, in what is to me, a spiteful and belligerent attempt to prove that he is capable Prime Minister which clearly he isn’t.

Alistair Campbell probably typifies Labour thinking in a posting on his blog referring to the Euro elections “those who say it was a day of shame for Britain, and for Labour, that the BNP one these seats, are right” his solution is to engage with those “stayaway voters” you wonder why they wouldn’t do this anyway.

I just wonder whether senior Labour figures are just so aloof that they haven’t thought of the blooming obvious, coming back to the fact most people don’t do politics, Labour might consider that the majority do not take kindly to losing their jobs to recent migrants and their schools and medical facilities being stretched which could explain why so many voted BNP.

Labour have drawn some comfort in the fact that in real terms BNP didn’t get more votes carefully ignoring the fact that UKIP have also made gains.

Its certainly a shame that anyone should consider voting for BNP, its a bigger shame that Labour are so aloof that they would no longer understand why ordinary people voted for a fascist party, even more a shame since as the party of government for the last eleven years, they actually engineered the situation where ordinary people felt more comfortable voting for nazi apologists than Labour.

Last nights pitiful display of loyalty by craven Labour MP’s to Gordon Brown who is trying to prove the point he’s not as bad as he clearly is, serves to confirm that Labour are finished.

Brown’s happy to take his colleagues into the wilderness and we’re going to pay the price, us the electorate delivered gift wrapped to a bunch of lightweight Tories lead by David Cameron and the BNP picking up more disillusioned voters.

Labour have yet to explain the benefits of mass migration, to British workers, until they do so they’ll lose support, I consider myself to be reasonably informed and I don’t know why a Labour Government cannot protect their own people.

Its easy for Labour MP’s to criticise those who voted BNP, as I mentioned earlier most of the population don’t get too deep in to political subtleties, they see jobs going and wages being cut and BNP fascists are offering what they want British jobs for British workers.

Made In Britain and Teabags

How often do you suddenly see a rash of stories in newspapers and magazines about some obscure TV programme, celebrity or product and think about the mechanics of it all.

Right now forget about that bit, on to the Made in Britain thing, anyone my age 50 plus will be only too familiar with the gradual decline of manufacturing, the short lived perception that products manufactured anywhere but the British Isles were cheap and cheerful.

Sometime around the mid seventies, the masses started to realise that things like cars and consumer electronics were a damn site more reliable if coming from anywhere but good old Blighty.

As I type away on my Chinese manufactured computer with blimin “intel inside” on my desk which came from anywhere but the UK, and my backside sat comfortably in my “Managers chair” again from China, I think just what the hell we do make in Britain.

My family owes its existence, in this country to manufacturing as my great grandfather came to Britain from Germany at the end of 19th century, sought out for his technical skills in glass manufacture.

With manufacturing being at an all time low, I was prompted to think about the subject and this is conclusion, although we no longer make much, in the way of manufactured products, we are still creative and we make things like, TV programmes, Music, art and Britain still influences the worlds thinking through the Media.

Right what prompted me to get all nostalgic well I see that a new TV programme “Made in Britain” starring Dom Joly, comedian and journalist who in the show, has his family home stripped of everything not made in the UK. Each episode a room in the house has to be refurbished with British goods and cameras follow his quest to buy British from the inevitable quirky, eccentric and ingenious manufacturers who wont give up.

This show is to be aired next week on Blighty (the digital channel that celebrates unique Britain Sky 534 VTV 206) it starts at 8.00pm Monday 8th June through every night till Friday.

Oh the teabags yes, well, the arts, media and PR are strong parts of the British economy and well it would be a bit dishonest for me to not mention, what really prompted me to waffle on this subject, I received an email from some public relations wallahs, seems if I give this a mention they might send me a box of Tea Bags, how cheap do they think I am. I just hope they haven’t found some eccentric growing and picking tea leafs on the Welsh hills with someone hand knitting them into bags.

Bleary Vision spot on

Hazel Blears has been the subject of much interpretation over the weekend with Labour ministers and the like displaying a mixture of denial and spin, as they waffle on to the effect, that her suggestions that Labours performance was lamentable has been misunderstood.

The fact is any rational person, looking at Gordon Brown’s recent Youtube performance, would find it difficult not to jump to the conclusion, that its not just the country that’s in dire need of help, but Prime Minister also whoes in need of  help and a break and preferably a long one at that, which would be just the thing for him and us.

I’ve no doubt that come election night for the European and County elections, assuming Gordon Brown doesn’t have the good grace to step down immediately and save some of his colleagues from the P45, those MP’s who have nothing to lose like Stephen Ladyman might well turn on him anyway.

Talk of Browns successor range from Harriet Harman to Alan Johnson, which will be a waste of all the current crop of Labour politicians as its probably only Hazel Blears, that even remotely connects with the British working classes. Hazel Blears has in the last year or two identified with those issues, that most Labour MP’s don’t have the balls to mention.

Ageing Sir Michael Parkinson shows poor taste

Crikey you just wonder at the mind set of celebrity’s , why did Michael Parkinson feel it necessary, to make offensive comments about the late Jade Goody.

The professional journo, son of Barnsley, and in no way boring old Yorkshire git, decided to let the world know, his rather poor opinion, of the late Jade Goody describing her as a “wretched role model” has he ever taken an objective look at his own achievements.

Just what Michael Parkinson has contributed to the well being of mankind, I’m not familiar, unless its those seemingly sycophantic interviews with movie industry stars either seeking publicity or a last chance in the spotlight before they pass on.

Still whatever he’s done in his life, which I doubt is little more than earn a living as a journalist, somehow he has managed to get a knighthood, to me he just happens to be a wretched example of those the establishment, like to reward for just being famous.

Concorde 40 today

At least today is the 40th anniversary, of the first flight of the Concorde from Filton near Bristol, an incredible machine, which is made all the more remarkable, since all these years  later, no commercial airliner has been built since, to match its speed and it's unlikely, in the lifetime of anyone reading this, that another passenger aircraft will be built with similar capabilities.

Whilst it's a source of immense pride of what the British aerospace industry was once capable of, to me it's a reminder of the failures of Britain as a nation.

In common with a majority of air travellers, whilst we might have admired the thing from a distance it is rare that any of us actually had a trip on the thing.

The my first trip on the Concorde consisted  of entering at the rear of the plane, walking through to the front and after a quick butchers at the cockpit leaving via the front, I was in fact visiting The Intrepid Space Museum, In New York, where they have a British Airways Concorde, plonked on a barge, in the Hudson River (much recommended, credit crunch allowing (rules me out), if you tire of being drag round the shops).

Now I mentioned, Concorde being a reminder of the failures of the British nation, and it's for this reason, at the same time as France and Britain were developing this superb aeroplane with the assistance of the British & French taxpayer, Boeing in America were developing the 747 Jumbo Jet, which opened up long distance travel to the masses, something which Concorde despite being funded by taxpayers in Britain and France never pretended to do.

Concorde will be remembered fondly for a long time to come, but it's my guess that, passengers will be flying Boeing's 747 jumbo, for at least another 40 years.  Concorde built for the elite few could never have flown without massive taxpayer subsidies, so whilst it was a technical marvel and still is, it was also a resounding commercial failure.