Galloway chastises the BBC

The continuing saga of Maggie Thatcher's demise continues.  Fortunately after tomorrow it can all be forgotten and the incident brushed under the carpet. It has been made into something disproportionately more important than it is. This sentiment was echoed eloquently by George Galloway in a 4 minute interview on the BBC today. He rightly voice how the BBC refused to play the full song "The Witch is Dead," and this was the only means the public had to demonstrate their view of this woman. It seems the entire divisive debate has as much venom in it as the great debate of whether Royalty actually has a place in society today. There are those ultra right wing people who no doubt bow down to both Royalty and will be shedding a tear for Thatcher as well. As Galloways said, Thatcher decimated the mining communities and industry in the UK was cut back by a third. The wake of her rule is still being felt. George also considered it sanctimonious and vile ten million pounds should be spent on her funeral. This is a significant point.

If public funds are being spent on an event then every member of the public has a right to comment or make judgement on it. Whether it is a good comment or a disliked comment. In this case it is because a woman died and there is a notion of politeness to never say bad things about those who have died. Yet, dictators and tyrants have died around the world and it has not stopped news broadcasters from still talking badly of those same persons. Simply if someone dies it doesn't make them any better in life.  We are remembered for what we did and the impact on other peoples lives. If there are persons who felt they were not treated with respect then or had an negative experience I don't see why they should be muffled in their opinions. There are many people in this country who will view Thatcher as a tyrant. There are no doubt families who have loved ones who passed away because of the effects which had reverberated through the policies Thatcher advocated.  Were it possible to weigh on a set of scales the number of lives saved against the number of lives lost through government policy, then Thatcher's scales would be more heavily with lives lost.  There is a public right to speak out when public money is spent and it is unjustified. Tomorrow will certainly be such an occasion.

Galloway on this occasion has expressed a general sentiment which a large proportion of the country agree with. It is wholly unfortunate it had to be Galloway who was given air time to say it and no other more respectable MP had. Galloway will say anything to get into the media and to get a gathering. As someone once said to me who knows of Galloway, "George is only concerned about George."  Politics has made him, popular, wealthy and possibly even given him some status. One thing is for sure though, I know he would not of got on with the Old Witch.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

The legacy of our the late Maggie Thatcher is now ensuring she will live in perpetuity in the history of UK politics. Even in death she has managed to create a stir. This time it is because her supporters have protested against a chart hit from being played in full on the BBC.  It is of course "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead" and it has become a massive download hit on the internet. As internet sales now count this song is fully representative of what the public consider to be contemporary music. Publicly this song has so much backing it is now a hit, yet a small group of Thatcher supporters think it is inappropriate. If this is the case then I can not help why did these opposing supporters not create an alternative hit by purchasing an different song. There quite clearly is not as much support as publicly they acclaim there is. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, therefore will not be played in full by the BBC, they will play only a few seconds of the song.  The BBC is bowing down. In retort I expect there will be a few complaints from those people who believe it should be playing the entire song, personally I am considering where I stand on this issue. Tory voters will state there is a small minority of people who are rejoicing at her passing, but this can not be true otherwise Ding Dong the Witch is Dead would not of be where it is now.

Maggie Thatcher was not the iconic image of what a powerful woman should be. She was the first woman Prime Minister, an achievement. How she presented herself as a leader was tough but exceptionally divisive. I ask was it necessary to be a person who talked down on people, who demeaned them and came across as a bully?  Maggie manipulated the female vote for her own needs, to get herself voted in. She hoodwinked women using gender as an issue, playing on their naivety not on her politics. Many women voted her in just because she was female and they wanted to show the country a woman could do better.  Now a great many women have regretted they did so, Thatcher's policies ripped apart the nation as they accentuated the class divide.  Further the currying favour with the notion we live in a classless society, we don't. Society by it's very nature will always be class driven and those classes will change, as it is a concept with cloud like manoeuvrability, the wind blows it from one place to another. To an extent, Maggie was an opportunist, she was in the right place at the right time, but she did work hard to be there and to be in the seat of power. Famously she said she lived of only four hours sleep a night. Keeping up with politics is a 24 hour job, or rather 20 hour job. No other politician is said to have been as informed as she was. Pity she was not informed of the devastation and poverty she caused the lower and working classes.

So Ding Dong the Witch is Dead has just as valuable and iconic a place in contempary history as does the passing of the Iron Lady, the two are compatible and useful in understanding two sides of a coin.

Asad is at it again

President Asad has today been airing his views on the rebels fighting in his country. It is as though he thinks he actually owns his country and every life in it. Listening to part of his speech I found it quite laughable as everything he said could of been spoken by a rebel commander who had been given the publicity to air their thoughts. Asad should not be given the oxygen of speech he is now without doubt becoming a tyrant. Much in the same way as Gaddaffi and Saddam have been. These tyrants look after their own and then put the rest of the country into termoil, like parasites they suck the blood out of them.

The freedom of speech is not given to other political parties, to the rebels, to anyone who opposes the views of Asad. His words come across as those of a mad man, again similar to the mad men rulers of yesterday who are of course dead. Asad, you will tear your country apart, Syria needs to be free, you will be guilty of murder and so will your followers. Many will die and it will take a long time, but your days are certainly numbered.

Assad is a criminal

President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria continues to slaughter his own people.  Listening to the news is like hearing another article which could of been on Gaddaffi, except we all know Gaddaffi is dead.  Assad has the backing of the military and a minority group of Syria.  It has been reported today Assad's army have killed over 90 people in Houla, and it was confirmed by peace keepers 32 of these were children.  This man sat with Kofi Annan, they spoke of a ceasefire, Assad was asked politely, but he continues to kill.  This is a man who will one day be called to answer for his actions.  In the meantime the aid agency Doctors Without Borders are kept from entering Syria, so Assad purposefully allows Syrian people a lingering death even if they could be saved.  The European community are like always slow to act, they have an impotence which racks up European guilt.  The UN security council had a vote to take action, which must be unanimous.  However, two countries voted against it, China and Russia.  Syria sells them oil, they are friends and they do not want this supply cut off.  However, when it comes to human rights China and Russia don't have a clear conscience either.  The wait for action continues and during this struggle it is now reported some 12,000 plus people have slayed.

Assad's wife lives in the UK and supports her husband in every way.  Shame on you Asma Al-Assad how would you feel if your children Hafez, Zein and Karim were killed in heavy artillery?  But yet you play your part in this diabolical president's support.  She has been banned now from travelling in Europe so is stuck here in the UK, where her blood stained British passport is firmly rooted.  Here is a beautiful rich woman, who wears expensive designer clothes, but is rotten to the core.  One day just like Bashar your time will come Asma your time will come and there is an International Court who will have your name listed, your husband will be first..  An appearance at some future date could be on the agenda.

Syria was under Emergency law between 1963 and 2011, during this time the great dictator Assad had a damn built, now the largest lake is named after him.  Assad, is a member of a minority Muslim population known as the Alawi, approximately 12 percent, whereas the majority  are Sunni Muslims 74 per cent.   I once used to think if you were a Muslim then your belief was each other person who was a member of your religion was your brother.  This is a somewhat naive view.  Whether Muslim or not, Assad clearly prefers the power of his own people and his own people does not include the rest of the country.

Zimbarbwe and Mugabe

I just heard this morning on the radio about the elections in Zimbabwe. Mugabe is yet again putting his henchmen to work in fiddling the election results. Of persons still alive and classed as Evil, Mugabwe must be on the list. He has been in a continual process of destroying his own country. I hear inflation is running at 100,000 % per year. Ever since the re-repatriation of land from White farmers to the indigenous population food has been in shortage. Zanu PF, are feared for the terror they bring. Mugabe has said he intends to be in power until he is 100 years old. He's presently 83. The famine and destitution of his country is equivalent to a Chinese water torture of genocide. This is one man in my opinion who is rich in his own self worth.

The current elections are officially said to be so close as the electorate has not voted a clear 51% winner. Yet on the radio 4 Today program a spokes man for the opposition party said Mugabe had lost as he'd only won 42% of seats. Of course it is well known elections under Mugabe's rule have been rigged. With deceased voters suddenly turning up on voting lists. Or empty fields being registered as places where thousands of voters live. The BBC have been banned from reporting inside of Zimbabwe. No doubt because Mugabe see them as part of a white imperialist society. I can only hope when the courts convene on acts of genocide or terror to humanity an arrest warrant is issued on Mugabe. He does not deserve his freedom let alone the status to rule a country.