Double-edged knives

Small band of bigots

As the BNP hopefully slides back into the minor, if cautionary niche such organisations will always occupy, I was watching a documentary last night on Night of the Long Knives, and the part it played in cementing Hitler's power base by crushing the SA, which was deemed a tad too extreme even for most Nazis jockeying for control over the masses.

What most struck me was the highly effective part played by the state media, who explained it all away to the evident satisfaction of the public, who got seduced into being rather too comfortable being told what to think by a government/media 'elite' (not sure if they had to pay a fee for it in 1934, mind). Didn't work out so well, as I recall.

Let's see how well history unfolds this time. Knives can have two edges.

Telegraph - Hitler's BNP membership gets leaked

Newsnight - see if I get 'moderated' or not - so far... yes. I'm sure it's the link to a dodgy YouTube. Yes, that'll be it.

BBBC - A well-considered comment in reply to another -

'it is to this country's immense credit that facism has never established a foothold here.'

Let’s see, off the top of my head we have:

a) Increasing rule by an un-elected and unaccountable political class

b) Unwanted and un-voted for social engineering on a nation wide scale

c) All criticism of said unwanted and un-voted for social engineering publicly suppressed

d) A politicised police force

e) Surveillance cameras everywhere

f) Id cards on their way

g) State indoctrination in schools

h) Relentless state propaganda on the state run media

i) Officially state sanctioned discrimination (so called ‘positive’ discrimination against the native population)

j) And now a campaign of intimidation against a legal party.

It may not be fascism, but it sure aint anything approaching a healthy democracy either.
In fact it's a profoundly unhealthy status quo none of us should be willing to accept any longer.

Funny, that

I actually find his humour very sharp, and funny, post watershed.

Frankie Boyle: 'In comedy, there's no line that you cannot cross'

However I do feel certain views that have been spun around this and other liberal-sensitive issues are worth viewing in context of this:

'...before I am ushered in to meet Boyle, his PR minder sits me down and insists that I don't bring up the Brand/Ross affair in the interview. In other words, we should not talk about what everybody in the country is talking about.

What makes this attempt to censor our conversation particularly bizarre is that Boyle's whole career is built on a reputation for saying the unsayable, for pushing the boundaries of humour.'

I guess there is a certain irony on no holds barred people having people who bar holds on their behalf. It seems some might be freer to offend than others.

It means beans

Bonanza for jobs, but only in public sector

If all the bean makers become beancounters, who will make the beans for the counters to count, and the rest of us to eat?

Newsnight -

The Gord giveth*

...and the Gord taketh away

Now, which would you vote for? Any how many of you (a key point, I'd hazard)

Ain't helping democratic process along wonderful?

*Presumably in anticipation of all the extra 'work' that will be required assessing, checking, arguing in court, paying out compo, etc regarding policy 2...

Crunching numbers

Speeding drivers have become blasé

'...speeding is a factor in 29 per cent of fatal accidents'.

To paraphrase the old, sick joke, it's not the speeding so much as coming to a halt very quickly which is the main factor.

So it's 29%. Not 28% or a more rounded 30%, but 29%. And 'speeding' was a factor. I wonder to what extent that the other factors that account for the other 71% were more, or less responsible for the actual accident within this reduced % than the 'speeding'?

I also wonder on other things, such as how one is supposed to stay within 20% of 20mph as a degree of arc of a speedo that goes to 150mph (on my car, about 3mm) and still look at the road.

It's bad driving that kills, and speeding is but a part. Shame almost all efforts still seem targeted at this aspect to the near exclusion of all others such as stopping distances, lane hopping, mobile chatting, etc.

But then machines that measure numbers and issue fines don't police such things, and nor do the Gatsos they like to commission from their Westminster bunkers.

I wouldn't treat a speeding ticket with irritation as the law is the law, but I certainly would treat those who use it as an excuse for failings elsewhere with the contempt they deserve.

Time to put the kettle on

It's a view certainly.

And despite thinking major media types knocking spots off each other (I don't count this blog as 'major', so feel being still able to refer to others' writings with a cranked eyebrow as legitimate) is an exercise in all sorts of counter-productive things (such spats seldom progress, or end, well), and hence don't see much point in weighing in on the thread (don't want to get labelled 'Right-wing' just by association), it still seems worth keeping a log of here.

Polly Toynbee will never understand Right-wing bloggers

If only because I have a sneaking feeling our Polly, and those like her, not only would get rid of all bloggers from the right if they could, but also those of a fiercely independent bent, too.

So in this case, at least, the critic of my critics is my friend.

How the markets really work (from 2007)

From my Aunty... in Singapore.

How did these comedians see it coming when financial reporters did not?

Interesting how others see us.

A bunch of clowns. At least we're still good at that.

I have commended to her the ongoing observational series that is Silly Money.

Newsnight -

Coming to a town near you...

Unfair competition from the BBC

But just think how much more they can burrow into our lives and rig... educate us on how to think even at local level.

Got to find work for all those media studies grads or they may end up voting the wrong way.

And the best part is... the productive majority (well, it's a majority for now, but I am anticipating having to house my own personal BBC compliance officer in the spare room) are funding the building of the empire!