Personal Blogs

I have just looked up the expenses for my local MP, Ben Bradshaw.

It shows that for his last claim he has paid in interest, interest only, GBP15,108.93. Now I have to ask with interest payments of that size, who is it wih, which financial institution is the mortgage with, what is the actual size of the mortgage, and when is repayment due.

I'll tell you why I ask, because surely my MP may well lose his job, he is both an MP and a minister, so how does he propose to repay his mortgage if he suddenly leaves office, which is possible by this time next year.

So, I think all MPs should make a declaration, how big is the mortgage, who is it with , and how is it to be repaid. Now if I had to apply for a mortgage, then I would be asked what are your prospects, how do you propose to repay your mortgage, are you going to pay it down, or what is the expected inheritance, things of that type. Remember, the MPs switched out of Equitable Life just before it's collapse afterthe Court Ruling about guarantees, so come on MPs I don't think your emplyment prospects are very good at all, time to come clean.

how weird was that. You had John Pienaar on your programme doing his peace piece and what does he mention? Dover #92. This is getting seriously weird, no, now don't deal with this is the usual manner, this is click, click serious, honest.

I do hope that some way can be found to keep your blog going during the MPs holiday. There are no other outlets for the serious, yes I know, contributor to the political debates, and what am I for one going to do during the summer holidays, what with the weather down here in the westcountry being so appalling.

Let me tell you this. The unemployment figures do not tell the whole story. For example, there are many now losing their jobs, both men and women who will not be signing on. They will get the pensioners credit which will bring their income far above any unemployment benefit. the same with the long term sick, they will start getting this pensioners credit as well, which will also keep them off the figures, and leave them to their fate.

What many people do not understand is that many couples do not live together for most of the day. Either of the couple are at work, so when they retire the problems of two people living together 24/7 becomes intolerable. There is also the care of an older parent. Many women for example have had the children, brought them up, and now want to have a life, only they are now expected to look after either an elderly mother or father. Also they wanted to enjoy their retirement, trouble is that the person they married no longer is as fit as they were, they just want to have a rest, only it doesn't work.

For many couples it is coming to pay back time, I've looked after the kids and the home, now I want my bit, only now that they are together 24/7 their is no hope, they don't even like each other any more, he farts and snores, and she has a leaking bladder and sagging breasts. I am not talking here about Itchy and Scratchy either. If the government actually thinks that they can handle global warming, climate change or wind farms then they are due for a serious wake up call. Andrew, you actually touched on this with your show tonight, we are going to get the VW Camper, just go, just travel and see what happens. We were not all dope heads in the sixties, but we may well become one now that we are the sixties.

Lock and load guys, it's time to party. Brown is doing scorched earth, well I can handle a post apocalyptic Britain, but how many others will?

when we listen to General Sir Mike Jackson he is retired and now is involved in the supply of contractors to the war zones.

Dannet is retiring so why has he stayed silent, to protect his pension?

Hutton, flunked it as Defence Secretary, resigned. I wonder what jobs he will take when he leaves parliament.

A family member of mine was silenced over the Iraq war by the High Court on breach of contract. How is that Brown can selectively quote soldiers, surely there must be no quotes from any army member because of more than one issue, undermining morale, not only of the soldiers but also people at home, breach of contract which soldiers now have to sign if they join Special Forces, and surely the Official secrets Act. If Brown is going to start the issue of patriotism, then it is surely an act of treason to give succour and encouragement to the enemy, and surely, and this is an issue which the PM has brought up, the problem of the enemy within because he contuinually makes reference to terror camps in Pakistan, yet how many people of Pakistani origin now live in this country. Brown is a disgrace, when there is the attack on any Pakistani in this country, then Brown will the one to blame. He is stirring up a hornets nest, and he is a disgrace.

I have requested via the Number 10 petitions site for an inquiry into the situation in Afghanistan, and I will tell you why.

It all goes back to WWI. How on earth did Europe end up in the first global war. One minute there was almost mutiny in Ireland, the government of the day thought that there was trouble brewing, the next minute almost we are at war. There was no Treaty which got us there, there may have been agreements but no treaty as there was with say Poland in WWII. It was based on those nasty Germans invading Belgium, only trouble is that any serious historian would see that the French were also up to their tricks, Luxumbourg, little Luxembourg had gone but we went in because of Belgium.

Now then, consider this. Europe soon realised that the Great War was an awful mistake and that they had better bring out documents to show how on earth they had got into this situation. Books were published justifying the actions of the governments.

So here is a list:

The French Yellow Book
The Belgian Grey Book
The German White Book
The Russian Orange Book
The Serbian Blue Book
The British Documents on the Origin of the War

Some of these were hot off the press almost as soon as the war started because they had to show that everything that could be done had been done to prevent this terrible war, with the massive loss of life in the early days.

Then it almost stopped. The soldiers just sat in their trenches. They just sat there. So the politicians would then tell the generals plan an offensive, we've got all these soldiers, we've got these things called tanks, we've spent on arms for the soldiers, they've got the bullets, and the shells. We've spent all this money on the navy, all we've had is the battle of Jutland, and now those nasty Germans won't come out and fight, so that was a waste, because we've got huge battle squadrons and they use those submarines and all we see is our ships being sent to the bottom of the sea with the loss of those sailors.

Now before I continue just listened to General Dannet on the Today programme. The push, the pool of helicopters, the new buzz word. There is a pool of equipment and so we've flown to this forward base in an American helicopter. Hey when I went worked in a bank in the City we had pool cars, so that if yours was in the garage with a mechanical problem, then we could use a pool car, so it's ok. We've got no helicopters so we will use the American one, how much does it cost for a British General, who is soon to retire by the way, to be flown in an American Black-Hawk helicopter with imbedded British journalist.

Now then there is a formal document which exists where we have an agreement with the Afghan government, after all we were apparently invited in by the government, so no government invites in people without an agreement, a formal document signed by the relevant authority. This agreement must come into the public domain. It will explain what we can and cannot do, whose orders do our soldiers follow.

So as I have hinted at before Dannet is soon to retire, how has he allowed this situation to deteriorate, why has he kept silent until now. Why was the journalist who was with Dannet told on air that you are following your brief very well. I got the impression that Sarah Montague had been given the questions for Dannet to answer only she went outside that, brilliant, and on air.

Why no more deaths, suddenly it has gone quiet. We've had the funerals. So with the push why no more. I think that orders have gone out from Number 10, I will not want to read out the names of the dead on wednesdays while I am on holiday. I need a break, so please tell the troops on the ground that be careful, in fact don't do anything, fire a few shots, have a word with the war lord, oh we're here for the day just so those folk at home can see some of the action, but then back to base.

This is the last PMQs before the holidays, so I want us to have a good break, so anybody dies I don't want to know until after wednesdays PMQs. I won't read out any more names.

Call me a cynic but there is no point in our occupation any more. We've lost. As Dannet leaves so should the British. We've lost, Obama will announce the end of American involvement before the next election. Brown is just leaving it to our next administration to sort it out. He's gutless, the most shameful PM this country has ever had. As for parliament, nothing more can be said, go on off on your holidays. Why did none of you attend the funerals, why send Prince Edward, who flunked it in the marines, rather than William, or Harry of 'we do bad things to bad people'.

I'll tell you something about our politicians . Every wednesday it would seem that Brown reads out the names of the dead, he did it yesterday so will he do it again on Wednesday before PMQs.

In the meantime they tell us how important this is, that it is a war worth fighting because it keeps the terrorists off the streets of Britain. Is this the same streets where Mr de Menezes was shot and killed with illegal dum dum bullets. Is this the same streets where Mr Tomlinson was pushed over, and subsequently died.

I'll tell you what. The people of Wootton Bassett should not stand by and watch the dead soldiers go past. No, parliament should abandon the Commons for a day, go to Wootton Basset and look at the dead soldiers. The mutilated bodies of somebody blown apart by a roadside bomb. That would end this war. Get the politicians to open the coffins, look at what has resulted from their decisions.

It is alright for the generals to tell us that this is important, the same generals who will soon retire to write their books. Who only come out when it is too late, when they already have their pensions all lined up.

This all started to go wrong when Harry went to Afghanistan with his stupid cap, 'we do bad things to bad people' I mean how would you react if the grandson of the Queen came to your country and sat at a computer calling up an air strike. Now that is terror. State sponsored terror.

I am angry alright. It is fine for the MoD from behind their desks to say that this mission is really important. The only thing it is important for is their careers, their pensions, their own self importance.

This is not a war worth fighting for. Where are the Aghan soldiers, why aren't they in the front line, after all it is their country. They are nowhere, they have a corrupt homophobic, mysoginistic, fascist government. Is that what our boys are dying for.

If you don't beleive me then consider this. A tribal war lord will say to Karzaii, if you want my vote in August, and the 50,000 voters who will do exactly as I tell them then pass a law about women, pay me to be a member of your government. This is shameful. We are an occupying force in a country which is not and never will be a state, not as we know it anyway. So, where is bin Laden, still in his cave watching the death toll mount, is he an Afghan? No he is a Saudi, why have we not invaded Saudi arabia?

can I please repeat an extract from an earlier posting #123 13 July and it is this:

'During the Vietnam war I used to go along with the garbage about the Domino Effect, once one falls they will all fall. Now the American veterans go back to look at the battle sites, to see the tunnels, the damage done by agent orange. How many Afghan soldiers have died in these latest offensives, nobody knows and nobody seems to care. That is why this occipation will end, nobody really cares. If they did they would not allow it to continue. Eighteen year old boys Brown, that is your legacy, and the women and children. Enjoy your holiday won't you, it is after all your patriotic duty. I want to be sick, instead I shed a tear, and I am so glad that it is not my son that has his name read out by you Brown, because I would spit in your face, 'we do bad things to bad people' well our boys are not bad people Brown, they follow orders, they do as they are ordered, for the honour of their regiment, and for their mates, not for the 'honourable' members who seem more interested in their own expenses than equipping an army'.

We must succeed, the consequences will be appalling says a general on the Today programme. This mission is really important, sounds like Verdun. It is history repeating itself. Tell me when does this general lose his job, when is he retiring. Can we wait 'til his book comes out, just like Gen Sir Mike Jackson writes a book on his involvement in Iraq. maybe if he taken a bit more interest in Afghanistan, then we would not be where we are now. Now Jackson is involved in supplying contractors to the failed exercise in Iraq, how many contractors are operating in Afghanistan.

Now Brown is talking to Karzai about Afghan troops in this new offensive, maybe he should have spoken to him before the offensive. Let me tell why I think he didn't. It is because if we had told 'the government' of Afghanistan then the Taliban would have been tipped off, they would all of fled, not only that but the Afghan troops know that they will be deserted just like the interpretors have been in Iraq, where they now live in great danger for being collaborators.

Brown does not know from day to day why we are in Afghanistan, just like we were lisled over WMD in Iraq, we are now misled over Afghanistan. It is not about keeping terror off the streets of Britain, does Brown not know how many people were knifed to death last year. How many innocent children have died at the hands of child murderers. How many people have been killed or injured by rogue drunken car drivers. Brown is not a leader, why is the Queen not saying that she regrets the loss of her soldiers in a foreign war, being fought in her name. She is still the head of state, she is why soldiers sign up, to serve their Queen and country. Not for Brown, who will soon be consigned to the long list of failed politicians who have sent our military off to their deaths, for no glory.

I think that you will find that a lot of the planning for 9/11 actually took place in America. Don't forget the flying clubs where they learnt to fly. How long were the people who took over the planes in America prior to the atrocity, who funded them, where is bin Laden from, where were the people who took over the planes from, were they Afghan nationals or were they Saudi? Why were certain Saudi nationals spirited out of the states on the evening of 9/11.

As for Ainsworth in his statement to the House he referred to forces meeting heavy resistance, accordingly he is admitting that the so called insurgents are in fact resistance fighters, they want the occupiers out.

As for Reid, he was demanding corrections about what he did or did not say about shots being fired, this is pathetic if people are going to be so concerned about what they did or did not say years ago.

When will they admit that we have lost the battle for hearts and minds. We lost that battle with extra-ordinary rendition, enhanced interrogation techniques, killing women and children in indiscriminate bombing raids, not protecting the local population from suicide bombers, but what is worst is actually supporting a corrupt and criminal government. Does anybody actually think that the elections in Afghanistan in August will actually be fair, I mean all we have to do is to look at Iran, yes we are going forward alright, we are advancing on all fronts, sorry that was the Somme, click, and I am not being unpatriotic neither am I or anybody who holds the same views as myself beneath contempt.

Finally, did you know that Afghan tax revenues doubled last year, is that because they have brought in PAYE. So we are doing some good after all.

just listened to the non answers from the Minister with regard to the number of Chinook helicopters now operating in Afghanistan. He said he would not give the answer because the government never refers to operational details. Well on that basis why are we even being told about the deaths, why the details every week, surely this is assisting the morale of the enemy. This is a disgrace, Rammell only believes something he does not know. Helicopter numbers increased by 60%.

Andrew, the enemy know how many we have got, as you say they just look at the numbers, they have spies everywhere. Ten billion pounds on new equipment, a balance, an absolutely ruthless enemy. An enemy who are fighting for their homeland.

We are having all this going on, and what happens next week, the MPs go on holiday, yes off to the sun, to think of ways of handling the upcoming election. This wednesday is the last week that there will be PMQs until MPs return on the 12th October. What on earth are you going to do when there is a death Brown, just what are you going to do. Progress is being made, it is the media, what would the situation be if we were not in Afghanistan. As for terror on the streets remind me about Dr Kelly, remind me about Mr Tomlinson, remind me about the Brazilian Mr de Menezes, remind me about Weapons of Mass Destruction, remind me where does bin Laden come from, educated, oh that's right Saudi Arabia.

Finally, the government in Afghanisatn is no different to that of Zimbabwe, corrupt and bankrupt, so why are our troops not fighting to preserve the governmnet in Zimambwe, that's right they are not fit to govern, same as Afghanistan. They are passing laws to get the votes from the war lords. Many accuse the BNP in this country of being fascist, well I would strongly assert that the government in Afghanistan is both fascist and mysogonistic, the facts are there for all to see. That's why our boys are dying, for a failed 'state' which is not and never will be a state.

I watched the BBC film this evening Mississippi Burning. May I recomment others watch it if they can because it typifies actually what is happening in Afghanistan and the Aghan people who will have to live in that country after we have left, which we will do, eventually. Then the revenge squads go in. The people who 'collaborated' will suffer, those who took aid, or allowed a member of the family to join the security forces, or who interpreted for the occupiers.

Brown actually is right. He must not reinforce defeat, there must be no more British soldiers sent to Afghanistan. Nowhere in the world do I know of any 'state' which has succesfully been given democracy. The people have to fight and die for their democracy. They cannot be given democracy at the point of a gun, it is something you are willing to die for.

Nobody should be left under any illusion, we have lost in Afghanistan, just as we have in Iraq. It has been such a terrible waste. Contrary to any opinion polls I do not think that we can accept these losses for much longer, the young men now dying in Afghanisatn are not fighting any more for us, they are doing it for their mates, their pals, their buddies, they do not give a fig for us, I think it is all about survival, and long friendships. They have been deserted by us, this is not about patriotism, this is about the politicians, with their flags, bugles, drums and parades. Keep the people in their place, give them a parade, only trouble is the Afghans and the Iraqis have their heroes, their flags, their parades.

During the Vietnam war I used to go along with the garbage about the Domino Effect, once one falls they will all fall. Now the American veterans go back to look at the battle sites, to see the tunnels, the damage done by agent orange. How many Afghan soldiers have died in these latest offensives, nobody knows and nobody seems to care. That is why this occipation will end, nobody really cares. If they did they would not allow it to continue. Eighteen year old boys Brown, that is your legacy, and the women and children. Enjoy your holiday won't you, it is after all your patriotic duty. I want to be sick, instead I shed a tear, and I am so glad that it is not my son that has his name read out by you Brown, because I would spit in your face, 'we do bad things to bad people' well our boys are not bad people Brown, they follow orders, they do as they are ordered, for the honour of their regiment, and for their mates, not for the 'honourable' members who seem more interested in their own expenses than equipping an army.

Consider this, we spend a couple of million on a new helicopter, send it to Afghanistan, where some freedom fighter has the gall to bring it down with small arms fire or an RPG. How on earth will the politicians explain that away to the accountants. Don't waste money on equipment, we can lose some young eighteen year olds, they are so much cheaper, and we haven't wasted so much money on their training, as would be wasted on some equipment. I think that this war does not have public support, there are are lies, damned lies, and statistics. You can fool some of the people some of the time, you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Remember that when Brown speaks, we've lost, bring them home.

so now we are being told that we are in Afghanistan so that the Afghan government can run the country, so that the Afghan police and army can defend their country etc...so this sounds a bit to me like when the Germans allowed Vichy France to be a government during the German occupation.

What I want to know is that so far we are told there are tens of thousands trained Afghan police and soldiers and that we are training some more. So how many of the Afghan army have fought with the British and Americans in this latest offensive, how many of these well trained well armed soldiers have fought and died. A list please, how many, surely records are being kept.

Why no prisoners being taken, why no trials of those accused of being terrorists. I have just heard the obnoxious comment by Brown that this is now a patriotic duty to keep the terrorists off our streets, I mean has it really come to this 'a patriotic duty'. Look at the equipment that we saw the Iraq army parade after our ignominous retreat, they have better equipment than our boys have. It is not about helicopters, it is not even about soldiers in Afghanistan any more. Ask yourself apparently we have about 8,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, how many of these military personnel are actually what we could call 'front line troops', not many I bet. Do you think we have this number of soldiers fighting the Taliban, please get real.

I can't believe Brown any more, he is to me a fraud, with his deep sensorous voice telling us about deep regret, sad loss, all the platitudes. He makes me so angry. Exactly when did Brown get elected as Prime Minister, just how democratic is our society, not at all corrupt of course are we, no vote rigging, no MPs on the gravy train, no journalists illegally tapping phones, no 'we do bad things to bad people'. I could go on but you get my drift, hey let's just all shut-up and let the bankers with their massive bonuses run the country, now that surely won't happen.

I have not read the Parris article yet and before I do let me say this. The elections in August in Afghanistan will be an absolute sham. Let us say that there is a war lord, who can give 50,000 votes to Karzai. Now Karzai will be told in order for you to get my votes this is a law I want you to pass, say with regard to women and their treatment. Now if you don't pass this law then you will not get my 50,000 votes. The same with all the war lords.

Now if we were serious then the British and Americans, who know who these war lords are, would take them out, with drones, bombing raids, or special forces. Only they won't. We can't win. The soldiers will do as they are told. They know about the corruption, the lack of political leadership.They just get on with it. After all, under this failed labour government they could alsways be stacking shelves in a supermarket. These are brave young men who are being exploited, and we tolerate it. Give them a parade when they come home. Give them some money to go to the pub and talk army with retired soldiers and their buddies. Give the families some compensation, let the flags fly, the bugles sound, the memorial services, get the vicar to hold a service, all the trappings, but at the end of day nobody is actually doing anything. It is Verdun, we can kill more of them them than they can kill of us, bleed them dry, put them in the mincer. Trouble is Andrew, they can take the losses, eventually we won't. You see they have more young men willing to die for their country than we do. We are in a trap of our own making, Brwon, come on the media and tell the truth, a formal statement to the country.

Miliband let slip that the Afghans we are fighting are terrorists, only as Humphries pointed out they are not. They are freedom fighters, they have a cause, we don't. We've lost no matter what the experts in the army says.

no good morning today I'm afraid with the news from Afghanistan and the Miliband interview on the Today programme. Even Humphries does not understand something. One minute he is inetrviewing Miliband, almost the next minute he is reviewing the papers and laughing about 'Pies in Stockton'. I am not going to say that we should not be humourous but the Editors must understand the anger which is building-up with regard to the media.

Exactly how many of the people who flew planes into the World Trade Center came from Afghanistan. How many boarded planes in Afghanistan and took over the planes and flew them into the Towers on 9/11. The answer I think is none, the people who flew planes into the World Trade Center were from Saudi Arabia, but they left the kingdom and planned and perpetrated their atrocities in America. They lived in America for quite a long time, planning and plotting.

The problem was not with Afghanistan, it was with Saudi Arabia, that is the problem, we have attacked the wrong place. Only we could not possibly act against Saudi because of the oil.

So we went in Afghanistan with the Americans to 'get' bin Laden, only we still haven't got him. We got Sadam alright, he was captured and executed. But unlike what many of the American soldiers thought he had absolutely nothing at all to do with WMDs and nothing at all to do with the attack on the WTC. You look at the living accomodation for the American soldiers when they first went in to Iraq, the pictures of the burning WTC on the walls of the occupied palaces. So we thought we could forget Afghanistan and deal with Iraq, which was still not Saudi Arabia.

So, having gone into Iraq we started to round people up, detain them, arrest them, use enhanced interrogation techniques, use extra-ordinary rendition, allow sectarian civil war to break out, not defend the local population from attack, allow corruption, send prisoners to Cuba, maltreat people, insult them, beat them with sticks, beat them up and kill them, basically act just like illegal occpiers, after an illegal war, in a war based on lies.

Now we are in Afghanistan again. Only we can't arrest people, we can't interrogate them, we can't 'do' anything, we just sit there. So, we have to attack, we just kill, using drones, helicopters, high explosives, all of our superior technology. Only we have lost, we can't talk to the locals, they won't hand over the Taliban, we take no prisoners, we lose men, for what!

The trouble is the British got into a fight with the Taliban, or freedom fighters from a local perspective, and they would call up an air strike and innocent women and children were killed, usually by the Americans, because where is the British Air Force. Oh, that's right they have no equipment, they are nothing! Why? because you look at the case of the air force officer Fl Lt Kendall-Smith who was prosecuted and convicted for refusing orders in Iraq, the illegal war, the WMDs, and he was sent to prison, for six months, and dishonourably discharged. You ask soldiers why they did not call up British air strikes, because the British pilots, I think, would not bomb houses where there were possibly innocent women and children. Why do you think we are investing so heavily in Drones, flown with joy sticks from the deserts of America.

As for prisoners by the British, too much of a problem, we can't do anything with them, what with the case of Col Mendonca, who was left out to dry by his superior officers, by the people who gave the orders.

So, we are now mired in Afghanistan. It is a war we can never win, Brown will have to announce, in parliament, in a broadcast to the nation what is the point. What is the purpose. None of this is about Afghanistan being an incubator for terror, I have had enough lies, and half truths. There is no longer any point, it is not Vietnam, it is the killing fields of Passchaendale in WWI. During WWI, when it started the dead soldiers were brought home for burial. Then they realised we can't do this, we can't have a hundred burials a day, a thousand burials a day, ten thousand burials a day, so bury them where they died, if we keep bringing them home the people will rebel, they will revolt, bury them where they die. It is not only the dead, it is the injured, both physically and mentally. This is not acceptable, it is time to bring the soldiers home. We admitted our defeat in Iraq, eventually after much loss of life, and the loss of any moral authority, and we have no moral authority in Afghanistan. It is just killing for the sake of it, no point, no purpose, we again have become the problem and never the solution.