Late-morning music
I have been watching, recently, a TV mini-series (three episodes) called Zen, which though a British production and using some British actors and actressses, is filmed entirely in and around Rome. It is a about a detective called, oddly, Zen, who works in the Questura (the Italian police detective branch).
As with many other well-known fictional detectives (Inspector Morse, Inspector Alleyn, Wallander, Sherlock Holmes), Zen himself is rather an outsider, in his case because he is both incorrupt and from Venice.
Zen is a quality production in every respect, and maintains the seriousness while not omitting a small amount of passing humour here and there.
Having never been to Rome, I cannot say how well the series captures the grandeur-meets-squalor of that great and ancient city, but it seems a plausible representation, to me at least.
Until last week, I had never heard of Zen, which is from 2011. Apparently, the then controller of BBC1, a Jew called Cohen (why? Always…every single time…) decided to cancel the series because “there were too many male crimefighters on TV“…Why do “they” always ruin everything decent that they touch? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_(TV_series).
Strange Twitter
I had a Twitter “account” from 2010, and started to tweet regularly and quite prolifically from 2011. I used my own name (“@ianrmillard“). The loud Jew-Zionist cabal on Twitter (really just a small number of unpleasant individuals) had me expelled from Twitter in 2018.
Since then, I have not posted on Twitter; I have no other, and never have had other, Twitter accounts. Recently, I have noticed that, if I look on Twitter, I sometimes notice accounts of people and organizations which carry the notice “Follows you“.
How and why, when I have no Twitter account? I am not very technical, so it is a complete mystery to me.
Tweets seen
Part of the Big Brother “weekly clap”, I mean the reason why many did clap, was that there was and is a feeling that Britain was ceasing to be a community. People therefore, many people anyway, bought into the fake communitarianism of the “weekly clap” etc.
I wonder, though, how many, overall, did stand outside their houses clapping. Where I live, a tiny minority.
“Jonathan Sumption was once the epitome of the Establishment — a brilliant barrister who represented the Government in the Hutton enquiry, Supreme Court Justice, supporter of the Remain campaign and esteemed historian of the Hundred Years’ War. But then Covid happened.
Over the past year, his unabashed criticism of lockdown policies has turned him into something of a renegade. It is a development that mystifies him; as he sees it, his views have always been mainstream liberal, and it is the world around that has changed.
In the course of our conversation, the retired judge doesn’t hold back. He asserts that it is becoming morally acceptable to ignore Covid regulations, and even warns that a campaign of “civil disobedience” has already begun.” [UnHerd magazine].
Very interesting. Unfortunate that the video subtitles (actually unnecessary anyway) are only semi-literate: e.g. “wreath” for “Reith” (Lord Reith https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Reith,_1st_Baron_Reith).
Lord Sumption, a former Lord of Appeal and Justice of the Supreme Court, who has been treated recently as a crank and half-mad dissident by the msm. The problem that Lord Sumption faces is that he is talking on the ground of reason, whereas the “lockdown” fanatics, facemask zealots and others of that type (who, with a mob of scared rabbits, may well even be a majority of the population) are dealing in fear and unreason, which is inherently more powerful as a tool of persuasion.
“John Stuart Mill regarded public sentiment and public fear as the principal threat to a liberal democracy. The tendency would be for it to influence policies in a way that whittles away the island within which we are entitled to control our lives to next to nothing. That’s what he regarded as the big danger. It didn’t happen in his own lifetime; it has happened in many countries in the 20th century, and it’s happening in Britain now.” [Lord Sumption, on UnHerd/Lockdown TV]
That “Lockdown TV” interview is the sort of intelligent, reasoned, quite lengthy interview that is now never seen on any msm television station in the UK; reminiscent of the interviews done by the late and great Brian Walden on Weekend World about 40 years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekend_World; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Walden.
Interesting to see and hear Lord Sumption has come to the same conclusion that I came to nearly a year ago about the various tyrannical “laws”, “rules”, “guidance” around “Coronavirus”. That is, that there will be little mass public anger, but more of a hidden or half-hidden defiance. In other words, “Yes, repeat No“…
As I have written often before, I never use the terms “Right”/”Left”, but the self-describing “left” now has nothing to offer people, no vision of a better society etc. It concentrates on “deplatforming” anyone described as “Right”, which apparently covers anywhere from Brexit Party, UKIP and the “alt-Right” wastes of space right through to National Socialists and those who, like me, postulate ideas and concepts which might form the basis for a society far in advance of where we are.
You can see it on Twitter, that element which is mostly pro-Corbyn-Labour, anti-Israel (mostly) while at the same time (mostly) supporting the Jewish Zionists! Also, connectedly, paying lip-service to the “holocaust” narrative etc.
Basically, the post-1989, post death-of-socialism self-describing “Left”, or pseudo-socialist position, has nothing at all to offer the people. It is an ideological and political dead end.
Hitchens writing of Olivia Manning’s Balkan Trilogy put me in mind of another literary work, in fact a “dilogy”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaka_(fiction) (extended and adapted for British TV about 30 years ago).
It occurs to me that Scotland might become a kind of “Slaka” if (when) it achieves faux-“Independence” under faux-“nationalist” political party, the SNP.
The present kefuffle around Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon etc is a straw in the wind. Salmond (obviously guilty of sexual shenanigans despite his plainly politically-motivated acquittal a while ago) and Sturgeon (a petty tyrant) are the Romulus and Remus of Scottish (fake) Independence.
I have no objection, as such, to Scotland breaking away from the UK. I wonder, though, how many in Scotland understand in what sort of country, poor and politically-repressed, they may end up living?
As a matter of fact, I can see upheaval coming to Scotland, in that only about 50% (it may be 55% or even soon 60%) of the Scottish voters support the SNP and/or Independence (as presented). If, then, the anti-SNP or anti-“Independence” 40%-50% are forced to live under a corrupt and incompetent SNP regime (even now putting forward extreme anti-free-speech laws), expect fireworks.
More tweets seen
Actually, that condensation and adaptation of part of the New Testament is rather kinder on the Jews than the original:
“When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” [Matthew 27, King James Version]
“And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.” [Mark 15, King James Version]
“Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.” [Matthew 27, King James Version]
“When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” [Matthew 27, King James Version]
Other tweets seen
Re. the Royal Mulatta, it is so funny watching the self-describing “Left” defend “Meghan”, simply because she is “black” (actually, of course, a half-caste, like Obama). No matter that she has, apparently, bullied her staff etc, she’s “black”. That’s her anytime Get Out Of Jail Free card.
As for the Royal Cuck, what can one say? Why are the “socialists” of Twitter not asking the question “why should we respect the Royal Cuck anyway?“
Were Prince Harry mere Harry Who?, he would be, at best, a junior Army officer or something like a car salesman.
The concept of royalty, in the real world, is mainly dependent on blood descent. Even leaving aside the Royal Cuck, the Royal Mulatta has no right, really, yet she is given the title of “duchess”. They have both forfeited any right to position and respect, and they have done what they have done for money and to be “celebrities” on American TV.
Actually, these contaminated British titles (duke, duchess, earl, baroness etc) are now so devalued that they really should be done away with.
I suppose that the ludicrous “Royal Married with Children” soap will continue. It’s a good alternative, for American TV, to other wealthy “celebrity” riff-raff such as the Kardashians.
A good “conspiracy theory” might be that the Royal Cuck and the Royal Mulatta are being built up as a way of engaging the interest of Britain’s new raceless, cultureless masses, who have little time for the traditional royals. I don’t suppose that such is the case (it’s too subtle for the royals, I expect) but an interesting idea an sich…
Musing….it seems to me that the Harry and Meghan marriage might be described as “White royal privilege meets black affirmative action privilege”. Just an idle thought…
The best way of describing Meghan Markle would be as in the old German saying, “Put a beggar on a horse and (s)he rides it to death“…
Late afternoon music
Interesting film
New York in the 1930s…
Amazing how different many of the places shown are today (and were even when I was last in New York, 28 years ago).
Late tweets
If the Gulf Stream really were to falter, and to fail to reach the UK, Britain might be plunged into something akin to an ice age, albeit (?) limited.
Late music
Ian Robert Millard 
Hello Ian: Thank you VERY MUCH for reminding me of that excellent British drama called “Zen”. I watched it here in Buenos Aires in 2012 when we had an English channel called “Film & Arts” on our cable-TV. The man who played “Zen” is Rufus Sewell who also starred in a fairly good TV-series about the life of Charles II where he played the King.
I shall try to get it. I didn’t know that the bastards of the BBC (British Bolshevik Corporation) cancelled it after only 3 episodes. I lived in Rome for three months in 2005 and you are right. Beauty and greatness coexist with squalor and ugliness. Still, I am very grateful that the evil Allies did not destroy it as they did with so many cities through unnecessary bombardments.
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Claudius:
Good day.
It is not generally known a.that Mussolini did a huge amount of good in Italy re. tearing down of terrible slums and building new housing etc, and b.that the Allied invasion created many new slums, as well as inflicting the Mafia, Camorra etc upon Italy, having released those detained on islands by Mussolini. The Italian/American Mafia don, Lucky Luciano, was the facilitator.
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Speaking about brutal and unnecessary bombing raids by the Allies, here is an interesting article on the death toll of French civilians in WW2 thanks to the “defenders of Freedom and Civilization”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_France_during_World_War_II#:~:text=The%20total%20number%20of%20civilians,partly%20destroyed%20houses%20was%20890%2C000.
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Claudius:
Indeed. Brest, Le Havre, Cannes etc.
The English playwright Douglas-Home (nephew or younger brother of the UK Prime Minister of the early 1960s) was court-martialled because he refused to bombard French civilians in, I think, 1944.
Wait…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas_Home
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas_Home#Military_service
Wikipedia:
“Douglas-Home was assigned to the 7th Battalion of the Buffs, which was converted to tanks as the 141st Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. In the Normandy campaign, the 141st Regiment was assigned to I Corps (a British formation) within the First Canadian Army. In August, First Canadian Army was directed to mop up the German forces cut off and trapped in various seaside ports in Normandy and Pas de Calais. In the first week of September 1944, the Allies moved against the port of Le Havre. A German garrison under Colonel Hermann-Eberhard Wildermuth was dug in on the hill overlooking the city. Wildermuth had been ordered by Hitler to defend Fortress Le Havre to the last man, and not to surrender.
When the Allied forces invested the city in advance of the planned aerial bombardment and subsequent assault, Wildermuth asked the British commander if the French civilians could be evacuated from the city, but that request was refused. Lieutenant (acting Captain) Douglas-Home was near Le Havre, awaiting the completion of the aerial bombardment. He was to serve as a liaison officer in Operation Astonia, the Allied attack on Le Havre. On the second day after the aerial bombardment had started, he learned of the German request to evacuate the civilians and the Allied refusal. The consequences of the bombardment were apparent to the waiting Allied forces and Douglas-Home refused to participate in the attack. He gave two reasons:
The unconditional surrender policy, which he thought compelled the enemy to fight to the end.
The refusal of civilian evacuation was morally unacceptable to him.
which created a moral obligation for Douglas-Home and he declined to participate.[citation needed]
The aerial bombardment of Le Havre lasted four nights, killed over 2,000 French civilians, 19 German soldiers and levelled the city. The Germans surrendered after two-days’ fighting and I Corps moved on to Boulogne, which was also subjected to a heavy aerial bombardment. At that time Douglas-Home, who had been placed under supervision (he did not consider himself at that time to have been “arrested”) wrote to the Maidenhead Advertiser and the publication of his letter in the newspaper prompted his formal arrest and detention.
Douglas-Home was charged at a Field General Court Martial held on 4 October 1944 that, when on active service, he disobeyed a lawful command given by his superior officer (contrary to Section 9 (2) of the Army Act 1881). He conducted his own defence. Regrettably neither the Field Court Martial nor Douglas-Home had a copy of the new edition of the Manual of Military Law, which had been prepared and published in April 1944 but not distributed to the troops in Normandy. Prior to April 1944 a British soldier accused of refusing to obey an order had no defence available that the order was illegal. Even had that been brought to the Court-Martial’s attention, the grounds of objection by Douglas-Home for refusing to obey Colonel Waddell’s order were rejected as he had to admit that the order, to act as a liaison officer, was not illegal. His argument, that he was being required to take part in an event which was morally indefensible, fell on deaf ears. He was convicted, and sentenced to be cashiered and to serve one year’s imprisonment with hard labour. The proceedings lasted two hours”
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Thank you, Ian, very interesting story. William Douglas-Home was a very decent man. His attitude towards the bombing/murder of innocent civilians speaks volumes. Incidentally during the British offensive against Caen on July 7th, 1944, nearly 500 Lancaster bombers drop nearly 2.000 tons of bombs on the city, killing hundreds of civilians. By the end of the battle (20th July) nearly 3.000 inhabitants have been killed.
BTW, like in Montecassino in 1943, the Germans cleverly stayed clear of the town knowing that it would be a death trap as they expected heavy bombardments. Once the idiots of the Allies destroyed the town they occupied the ruins who became excellent defensive positions.
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Hitchens reminded me of the hilarious case of the “Hauptmann von Köpenick”. A real story that was carried to the silver screen in Germany in the 1950s. The “hero” was a poor Prussian shoemaker who decided to get even with society. Here is his story. Amazing!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Voigt
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Regarding the now worthless and meaningless titles and awards given by the Queen, there is an excellent book by David Cannadine “The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy” (Yale University Press, 1990) that proves that this corrupt practice began a long time ago. Quoting from chapter 7, “The Corruption of Public Life”:
As early as 1912, Arthur Ponsonby noted how “the tendency in recent years” had been increasingly “to shower knighthoods, stars, ribbons medals and crosses”, which inevitably resulted “in making them cheap and worthless”
Somewhere else in the book Canadinne records that, about the same time the OBE was scorned by the old nobility and referred to as the “Order of Britain’s Everybody”
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Claudius:
It is very British to joke about titles and awards, eg KCMG (Knight Commander of the Order of Michael and George, aka “Kindly Call Me God”) and GCMG (Grand Cross of the Order of Michael and George aka “God Calls Me God”). OBE is often called “Other Buggers’ Efforts”. The military ones are even more mocking.
I knew a lady whose husband sent back his several high medals and awards because the Beatles were given MBE (one of the lower awards) in the 1960s. Now every Tom Dick and Harry has not just an MBE but a knighthood (for being a pop star or a sports captain…).
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