Random News Stories

[Junkenstein]

More for my own reference so I don't forget about this, link from the above article:
http://fair.org/extra-online-articles/snow-job/

Article from 1997 regarding Press/CIA relationships. Will be amusing to read this with some hindsight and consider how said relationships have developed over the years.

[Cain]

The Mighty Wurlitzer plays on, as always.

"The CIA currently maintains a network of several hundred foreign individuals around the world who provide intelligence for the CIA and at times attempt to influence opinion through the use of covert propaganda. These individuals provide the CIA with direct access to a large number of newspapers and periodicals, scores of press services and news agencies, radio and television stations, commercial book publishers, and other foreign media outlets."

[Junkenstein]

More fine reading material. Thank you good sir.

In other news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29719090

hallenge to the choice of Fiona Woolf as the chair of the inquiry investigating the issue.

A judicial review application, seen by the BBC, claims she is not impartial, has no relevant expertise and may not have time to discharge her duties.

Labour wants Mrs Woolf to meet abuse victims amid concerns over her links to former Home Secretary Lord Brittan.

Downing Street said it had "full confidence" in her doing the job.

In other words, Woolf confirmed as unsuitable ("Full Confidence" is the Cameron kiss of death) for the role but if we get rid of this one we will never get on with it. Also, cynical minds would suspect that "not getting on with it" would be a desirable outcome for more than a few people.

I'd guess a week before "Other pressures" cause her to have a rethink and resign.

Which isn't particularly shocking. Whoever actually takes responsibility for this is only really going to actively ruin their own life. (You're not going home happy and you'll get shit regardless of what decisions you actually make. Literally everything you do will be analysed and you will be found to be wanting.



Oh, and apparently there's been some kind of shooting incident in the Canadian Parliament. Initial reports indicate one wounded. Seriously Canada, get your shit together. This is just embarrassing. Drunken teabillies cause more damage than this incidentally. There's something seriously tragic to me about incompetent terrorism(if this is a "terror" incident). The truly unfortunate thing is I suspect it will only increase over the next few years.

[Cain]

Didn't Cameron also have "full confidence" in Andy Coulson?

More interestingly, she dined with Lord Brittan quite frequently.  Brittan, of course, was handed numerous dossiers in the 1980s about pedophile rings in Parliament, though the quality of said dossiers is...open to question (at least one is outright batshit insane).

[Cain]

In fact, some helpful Labour party opposition researcher, uh, political pundit, has helpfully drawn up a list for us

http://politicalhackuk.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/david-cameron-confidence-indicator.html

[Junkenstein]

Oh wow. I did say that tongue in cheek but it's always nice when reality actually marries up like that. I remember Coulson but the others are equally funny. Even royalty hasn't escaped the cameron confidence curse.   

On the Woolf Issue, I suspect that near enough anyone who's in a position to lead the enquiry will have had meetings with someone unfortunate along the way. It's the nature of the meet-greet and schmoozing that such circles run on. Sooner or later everyone's had a drink with someone iffy and it's really just a question of "How iffy?". Brittan and the missing documents is "Quite iffy". Woolf, by association becomes "at least a bit iffy".

As you say, the quality is highly open to question. The fucker is that it's a bit tricky to evaluate shit that has disappeared. So what do you do? Well it seems we point at those who were given it then do nothing. The frequent statements about "Not inappropriately destroyed" just seem to keep implying (to me) that they were destroyed in accordance with proper procedure.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29751124

Another step to the Labour/UKIP coalition:

he UK has been told it must pay an extra £1.7bn (2.1bn euros) towards the European Union's budget because the economy has performed better than expected in recent years.

The payment follows new calculations by the EU that determine how much each member state should contribute.

It would add about a fifth to the UK's annual net contribution of £8.6bn.

ow is it that our EU subscriptions are supposedly in arrears?

Well you may recall that the Office for National Statistics recently recalculated the size of our national income to take account of unreported or under-reported parts of the economy, such as research and development, illicit drugs and prostitution.

So thanks in part to the inclusion in the official economy of our productive sex workers, our EU membership fee has been augmented.

What's quite amusing for me here is the number of people screaming about EU corruption. Don't mistake me, of course it is. However the figures, data and demand is huge for the UK because our black economy is huge. What this really highlights is how dodgy the UK actually is in comparison to a lot of Europe. A decent chunk of that £1.7 billion will be drug related. You've seen how police calculate the value of seizures so I'd bet similar logic applies.

Either way, it's another kick for Cameron, another bonus for the Reptoids and we all take another few steps towards madness.

Other UK Spags, which countries are you looking at for when it all inevitably becomes a bit too much here? Anyone else want to chip in towards a private island? A couple of grand and some eastern european mercs and we could take Brecqhou.

[Cain]

There's definitely an element of this that the UK is dodgy as hell, has apparently thriving economy and has underpaid for years, and so should pay for more.

But the timing...this is also about France and Germany thumbing their noses at Britain.  Saying "leave then, see if we care".  The other EU states cannot be unaware of our own internal debate on Europe, or our current political uncertainty.  Hell, most French politicians speak better English than people born here, they definitely know what is going on.

Besides, I'm not convinced that the US will allow Britain to leave. 

[Junkenstein]

So, I'm hearing "Draw up plans for invasion", right? I'm pretty sure we can count on the support of Sark.

[Cain]

No, I just mean the US State Department and CIA people will talk to our people, shades of Harold Wilson will occur, and the status quo will be maintained. 

Unless something has significantly changed in American policy, or America thinks it can more reliably use Poland, the UK is its best choice for exerting influence, expanding the EU territorially (which does benefit US interests) but stalling on integration (which does not serve US interests).  This is also one of the reasons why Germany and France will not exactly cry if the UK leaves.

So there will be talks between "concerned parties" and, if it does come down to a referendum, money will no doubt come from Atlantic sources to sway public opinion.  The USIC has assets in both parties, I'm sure of this, and while they're probably not enough to swing a vote on their own, they can be used to apply pressure, create debate and sabotage the process.

Labour have also been playing some games with the functions of Parliament while Cameron has been napping.  Despite Red Ed being a wet blanket and a wonk, he can most definitely throw a spanner in the works and make it exceedingly difficult for the Tories to proceed on the issue.  I can't remember the exact details of what it was, but it was something to do with the Committees and voting process, I think.  I'll have to check.

[Junkenstein]

I can't remember the exact details of what it was, but it was something to do with the Committees and voting process, I think.

That sounds incredibly likely. There's bureaucracy to the nth degree all round here so I can fully imagine one tick-box unchecked or form unfilled easily leading to a "Fuck you" situation.

The other amusing thing here is watching people scream about "NO PAY IT". There would obviously be no financial repercussions there, at all.

[The Wizard Joseph]

Not about 3bola, but kinda. Humor break!

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6031240?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

[Junkenstein]

We now return to your regular schedule of HAHAHAHAIIEEEE.

Rapidly approaching the point where we need an "Unlimited acts of minor terror" Thread:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29753347

olice in New York are investigating whether a man who attacked two officers with an axe before being shot dead was linked to Islamist extremism.

One officer was being treated for a serious head wound after the attack on Thursday in the Queens borough.

Commissioner William Bratton said police were trying to establish a motive but did not rule out terrorism.

US media indentified the attacker as Zale Thompson, 32, but this has not been confirmed by police.

The SITE monitoring group said he had posted statements on YouTube and Facebook that "display a hyper-racial focus in both religious and historical contexts, and ultimately hint at his extremist leanings".

SITE, which monitors radical Islamist groups, said a post by him in September had described jihad as "a justifiable response to the oppression of the Zionists and the Crusaders".

After the attack, which took place on Thursday afternoon, Mr Bratton was asked whether it could be terror related.

"This early on, we really cannot say yes or no to that question," he said.

Yet another one. I hate to point at co-incidences and suggest something potentially wrong, but that's at least 3 this week of a similar level and nature. I'd say that's getting quickly to the point where you can rule out co-incidence and start considering control.

[The Wizard Joseph]

You know enough small attacks, bumbled or not, may be a sort of victory propaganda wise. And if there's enough to be a genuine threat by saturation may prove strategically effective.

Think 'ice bucket challenge' for expendable fanatics.  Don't plan for effect, just activate and attack quite randomly.  I hope this isn't the start of a new trend for the holidays.

[Junkenstein]

You know enough small attacks, bumbled or not, may be a sort of victory propaganda wise. And if there's enough to be a genuine threat by saturation may prove strategically effective.

Think 'ice bucket challenge' for expendable fanatics.  Don't plan for effect, just activate and attack quite randomly.  I hope this isn't the start of a new trend for the holidays.

I do see what you're getting at, but I'm not sure this is the case. Personally, I see these kind of attacks as massive failures and probably of little use for propaganda. "Our guy took out one of their guys, Bit of panic, some traffic issues and disruption. They fear us now" just wouldn't convert me.

I think the real concern for this is that sooner or later one of these attackers (presuming trend continues) will eventually turn out to have half a brain and a plan beyond "Shoot one guy". Take the Canadian parliament incident. That would have been much more effective with a suicide bomber on the steps of parliament. No casualties required, the location and the deed alone would have others willing to give it a try. Instead, he got shot by a 60 year old man. I doubt this was the glorious end he was looking for.


The other thing, as always, is mental health. I have a horrible feeling that anyone who commits violent acts will now be questioned in a way which would determine fanatical leanings. I suspect this questioning will be rather leading with all kinds of confessions and really fucked up court cases over the next few years.

The final thing for me would be that incidents like this drag terrorism into the everyday and mundane. 10 years ago in the US if you were talking about terrorism, you meant 9-11, Beards and bombs. Now when you're talking about terrorism it can be a kid with a gun, a leaflet and motivation. It can be a schoolchild making a gun shape with their hand. The term has been applied to everything and everywhere so much it's pretty much lost all meaning. It's somewhat like the "School shooting" situation. When you start classing in events that happen near a school it quickly gets very silly indeed but that doesn't stop a shitload of innocent people getting fucked over. Hard.