And it came to pass… again… that the markets stabilised and the US bought into The Cyclops Plan to save the known financial world. The US reluctantly pumped $25 billion into buying share sin US banks. Fatcats in the US will also have their pay curbed according to The Times.
Guido Fawkes notes the ‘upcoming’ – such a crap word – Glenrothes election. One of his band of commenters has this contribution – which, I’m afraid to admit, made me laugh… “I am a professional hand writing expert and after examining Gordon Brown’s signature, it is my considered professional opinion that he is a fucking bell end and is probably gay.”
Where do these commenters come from? – it is a pleasure to sip a glass of Rioja and read the comments on Guido….. industrial strength nutters seem to pop in from time to time. This is good.
And so The Lords threw out the idea of 42 days detention without trial….
While I am pleased that Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty is pleased and while I am also pleased that David Davis is pleased to have been ‘vindicated’ – of far greater importance is the fact that The Lords did something to rein in an out of control Labour government on the issue of detention without trial. Predictably, Jacqui Smith, a home secretary of limited appeal to me as I write on The Boat, has a one line law up her sleeve to permit extension of terror powers should it be necessary – but it does seem that the government has backed down from a fight with the Lords and the invocation of The Parliament Act. Also noted – the government seems to have abandoned plans to hold inquests in secret without a jury. At least the credit-crunch crisis has had
some unexpected benefits.
BUT…. Still time to PANIC!!! – Just when you thought it was safe to back to your bank….
“Another great plot” is being investigated by the authorities, counter-terrorism minister Lord West warned today……There is another great (terrorist) plot building up again and we are monitoring this,” he told peers during a debate on new security laws…. Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, revealed the existence of the plot as the House of Lords continued debating the Counter Terrorism Bill. He gave no more details of the threat….His warning came less than 24 hours after peers forced the Government to abandon plans to extend maximum pre-charge detention for terror suspects to 42 days.”
Jacqui Smith confirms, after losing 42 day terror detention law issue, that the terror threat is at the “severe end of severe”.
Now that 42 days is a goner… perhaps we ought to look more closely at the need to detain people for 28 days without trial. If there is a terror atrocity and our elected representatives need to act quickly – then fair enough – but do we need a 28 day detention without trial law on the books of our once libertarian isle?
Pff 42 is nothing. Lock em up and throw away the key I say. They are all living in 1.2 million pound council houses anyway with their 18 children whilst us good english people can’t get the housing we deserve. I mean what’s the world coming to when i can’t get sky on benefits. I bet if I was coloured and spoke different I’d get a house.
That was a party political broadcast by a majority of my clients.
I do apologise.
ReHoused
Excellent to see you back…. Yes… I’ve heard a similar litany as I have breakfast with builders and other assorted plumpbers, electricians who read The Sun.
The F word is over used to the point of absurdity – and prejudice is rife… but that is democracy for you – freedom of speech….
Overheard this morning “Jim… my fucking toast is fucking burned.”
It was a good start to the morning….. at least he didn’t have to worry overmuch about anything else…. so… who are the happy people…. bankers? Over worked lawyers?
When the SNP comes cap in hand to Westminster, asking for another great wodge of cash to shore up the Scottish economy specifically, I think Gordo will have to smile. It may not ensure victory in the by-election but it counts, I suspect, as a personal victory.
I just smile that Alec Salmond thinks a couple of billion is “a few adjustments”!
As for the 42-day thing, did you see Philip Pullman’s essay on the subject?
I am, as you know, a Scot. I am not persuaded that Alex Salmond is anything other than a political opportunist – and it would, indeed, amuse me to see him take a different view about Scotland’s independent viability post Iceland.
Unfortunately, I cannot comment further – simply because I live in London and do not follow Scottish politics that often.
In a society where many people think that more money equals more happiness I don’t think there are many happy people at this present time!
As I keep watching Gordon come Winston Churchill doing his save the World act I keep having thoughts of becoming a terrorist myself as I have burning desire to implant a large explosive device up his ar$e.
I think it’s rather sad that we live in a society where people will die because they can’t keep warm. Oops bit off topic there!
Oh and another off topic comment! My local bus company has raised prices twice in the last 6 months blaming rising petrol prices. Will they be lowering them now petrol prices are slowly coming down, will they hell!
Oh and as I’m on a roll in rather unreported news oil companies have been busy today behind closed doors bidding on Iraq’s oil rights.
Right I’ll stop now!
Rehoused
The oil issue was very interesting… I have, as it happens, been keeping a close eye on oil prices for research purposes… OPEC is not in a great position at the moment – but it is only July this year when hyperventilators were talking about $200 a barrel.
I wonder if any of these experts actually know what they are talking about. Recession is good for the environment and the economy – less carbon footprint…
Good stuff…
There is a lot more to come… the Lehman story is not over yet!. Dow Jones down on profit taking?… yes…. but expect correction to the markets is what I seem to hear from those that seem to know what they are talking about.
Also – while MC firms do well from crisis – look at the Lawyer / legal Week – smaller firms are laying off…. big time…. students should, perhaps, think twice about timing before incurring further debt. Are the law schools advising on this?
Sadly I think the voices of the experts that were forewarning of this were drowned out by the voices of greed and political popularity which are noises not easily stiffled.
I imagine Gordon will have been warned the likelyhood of such a crash many times. I think it’s a rather sad reflection on politics in general that he had absolutely no incentive to take any real notice or do anything about it.
I think the ‘correction’ is going to take an awful long time. People can’t sustain pre 2008 borrowing and the underlaying problems in regards to reliance on non renewable energy sources and food supply aren’t going away in a hurry
Just my 2p based on not a lot of knowledge.
Maybe I’m just a dreamer!
Rehoused
Who knows. I am not, of course, an expert – but I do try to read a bit more widely than the traditional newspapers. I am a fan of some of the financial / political blogs.
Good news is that traditional media does not have the only word or audience…. and THAT is good for democracy going forward.
Very true but one wonders just how many of the stereotypical Sun readers come across non traditional media.
I guess Rome wasn’t built in a day though.
It is interesting to reflect on the fact that not that long ago I couldn’t be doing this!
To paraphrase Russell Brand on George Bush being US President, it surely reflects well on the UK that we are sufficiently forward thinking to give a malicious, manipulative, authoritarian, historically illiterate, Stalinist chump like Jacqui Smith, who would not succeed anywhere outside the bizarre world of politics, the chance to be Home Secretary. Watching her talk about civil liberties is like watching a retarded baboon play with a ming vase.
TommyPaine… As the rains fall tonight… I do agree with your assessment of Jacqui Smith. How does she survive?