Morning music
Saturday quiz
Well, this week my 6/10 trumped political journalist John Rentoul, who scored 4/10. I did not know the answers to questions 3, 5, 6, and 8.
Tweets seen
https://irvingbooks.com/product-category/books/
“Accurate… I spent 9 months in East Africa. It’s very hard to pinpoint exactly why it’s such a mess.
They have an infantile mentality and absolutely no commercial sense.
I once went about 10 miles down the road, in the middle of nowhere on the way to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and every 50 meters there was someone selling watermelon. I said to the driver, “Everyone is selling exactly the same product. Why don’t they try making watermelon juice or something different to stand out?” He replied, “But why would we do that? We like melon!”
That attitude was everywhere. In fact, I would sometimes meet Westerners who would say, “Isn’t it amazing how they’ve kept this piece of junk car going for 30 years?” And I’d reply, “It’s more amazing that we have automated car factories with robots.” They literally only focus on the immediate need. “Car not go today, car fixed with string and tape.“
The only two factors preventing Britain and other European countries from retaking direct control of Africa, of all of Africa, are 1. socio-political will and 2. the fact that the (((globalists))) find it more convenient to exploit Africa’s resources via corrupt tiny “elites” in each fake African “state” (and to hell with the environment, the forests, the wildlife, and the African people themselves).
The fact is that European rule would benefit all, not least the ordinary Africans.
Incidentally, it would be a great deal easier than many imagine for Europe to reconquer Africa militarily. Only the two factors already noted make it at all hard.
Illiterate travel
I have just read this, https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/sarajevo-guide-balkans-bosnia-and-herzegovina-b1176081.html, a travel piece in what I still call the Evening Standard, and written by well-known columnist Suzanne Moore. Not hugely interesting anyway, but then absurdly badly-written. An essay by a 10-year-old, at best. Or is the sub-editing to blame? Maybe someone pushed a few of the wrong buttons. Extraordinary. Read it and see.
I have read other pieces by Suzanne Moore which were written properly, so maybe it was the fault of the Standard.
More tweets
Pretty accurate summing-up of “Starmer-ism”, in my opinion, “Blairism without the good bits“, though I do not recall many good bits then either, speaking personally.
As far as assisted dying is concerned, I see it as a generally well-meaning attempt to be kind, which however, put into policy and law, is the start of a slide to, eventually, somewhere down the line, killing people for convenience or money.
HS2 was a vanity project that never should have been approved. As far as I know, though, the other rail projects are or were useful.
She seems to have difficulty identifying the “J” problem…
Again, look at the “usual suspects”…
The “fake history” of the 1970s
That’s because you, “Steve Zodiac”, are apparently telling your grandchildren a load of old hooey…
I have blogged in the past about how very many people (including, weirdly, many who were at least in their teens then, and so actually of an age to remember) say, and even perhaps believe, that the 1970s in the UK were some kind of dark age in which the electricity was off most of the time, in which bodies were left unburied by reason of industrial action, in which trains and buses rarely ran, in which rubbish piled up in the towns and cities, in which there was a “three day week” when offices and factories were closed for four days each week, and in which life was generally miserable (for example, food was terrible, they say).
The above-noted fabled dystopia was, we are told, the result of overreaching trade union power and Labour misgovernment.
Where to start?
First of all, the party in power for the first 4 years of the 1970s was the Conservative Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_United_Kingdom_general_election, and of course Mrs Thatcher won again for the Conservatives in 1979: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_United_Kingdom_general_election.
In other words, out of the 10 years, Labour was in power for about 6 years. Labour government was in place from the early 1960s until mid-1970, then from early 1974 until mid-1979.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_1974_United_Kingdom_general_election; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_1974_United_Kingdom_general_election.
One interesting fact is that, in the 1966 General Election, the “two main parties” (Lab/Con) got exactly 98% of Commons seats on just under 90% of the popular vote: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_United_Kingdom_general_election#Results.
Compare to 2024: 81.8% of seats based on 57.4% of the popular vote.
In 1966, the winning party (Labour) got 48% of the popular vote, the losing Conservatives 41.9%.
In 2024, Labour got 33.7%, and the losing Conservatives only 23.7%.
The electoral system has become not just unfair but also illogical and ridiculous. It no longer reflects reality.
Reverting to the general situation in the 1970s, the much-talked-about “Three Day Week” only affected, directly, commercial operations (which were banned from using electricity on the other four days). The Three Day Week only lasted for two months. Out of 10 years (120 months).
I saw the Three Day Week firsthand. I was working, aged just 18, as supposed assistant manager in a very small commercial intelligence outfit based in the Strand (London). The office only had 5 people including me, though we did have a network of mostly ad-hoc agents all over the southern and eastern parts of England (anywhere south or southwest of The Wash). Much of the work was in Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Essex. The agents were often retired Army officers who, on being contacted, would —eagerly— say something such as “right-oh, old boy. I’ll fire up the Rover and get onto it.”
I must do a blog post sometime about it.
There were, in the early 1970s, strikes by coal miners etc, resulting in a few brief power cuts (“outages”, as the Americans say), but they lasted for a few hours a day, for a few days. Out of 10 years, again.
In the “Winter of Discontent” (1978-79), there were, for a few weeks, situations in some towns and cities whereby rubbish piled up, yes; that much of the “fable” is true, but only for a brief time. As for the “bodies left unburied“, that only applied in Liverpool and Manchester and only for 14 days: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_of_Discontent#Gravediggers’_strike.
In fact, though the 1970s had its problems political, social, economic, Britain still had possibilities. The population was still almost entirely white Northern European, new ideas and projects were around or developing (the Milton Keynes conurbation, the Open University, new express trains, cross-Channel hovercraft etc), and the absurd and damaging house-price madness, though it had started, was still in its early stages.
Britain still had a functioning Army, Navy, Air Force (etc), and a police force that mainly did its expected job and was not usually the sort of poundshop Stasi we now see, snooping on or “monitoring” the expression of views and opinions.
Incidentally, the food was OK back then on the whole. Slightly less cosmopolitan, yes, but in the South of England at least, foreign foods such as hummus, taramasalata, olives, Indian, Chinese, etc were ubiquitous. In fact, some food was better and more available back then.
What I find worrying is not only that people who were not there, or were small children, are convinced that England in 1970-1979 was a dark and gloomy place; more that people who were there seem to have substituted, for what actually happened, a kind of folk-tale.
As for Jewish-lobby puppet Robert Largan, who was parachuted into the constituency of High Peak (Derbyshire) and served as MP from GE 2019 to GE 2024, he was only born in 1987.
If people cannot recall accurately the 1970s, how much less accurate must be the “memories”, often publicized, of the 1930s and 1940s.
More tweets
Late music
Ian Robert Millard 
This incident illustrates who we the British really are.
Rescuing a dog, against the odds when even the Fire Service said no it’s too dangerous. Btw don’t those men look like Vikings?
I love a happy ending.
https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-10-03/dog-rescued-from-cave-after-eight-days-underground?fbclid=IwY2xjawFsyclleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfXGXTnir9nUUdh28kdpUQFtk5NrAMpZKr8-FUWrxuj1SRAdKU3eD3fjvA_aem_UBctLGD7NDPGzfs9fKGZvg
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for this post and the video attached! What a wonderful story and what wonderful people! Mind you, I could not understand a word of what those men said (and neither did my wife who is English!) LOL I believe people of British stock are the most caring and loving towards animals. I say this based on dozens of videos of fantastic animal rescues I have watched, these took place in the UK, Australia and the USA and 90% of the people involved were of British descent. I remember watching a couple of videos about some great animal sanctuaries in Malaysia, India and South Africa and ALL of them were created and run by Brits.
LikeLike
Good morning Ian! I have just read the pathetic article about Sarajevo written by that silly, and scruffy, woman, Suzanne Moore (her daughter seems to be far worse judging from the ugly and meaningless picture where she appears)
Although I am in no position to judge anyone´s literary style (assuming there is such a thing) I can tell when something was written by an uneducated or foolish person. There are several stupid or meaningless clichés like: “if you want to understand something of the soul of the region…” The soul of the region? What is that supposed to mean?
What about this? “In Bascarsija, the old town, there is a maze of shops and places to eat or buy fake designer bags or feed the pigeons. It is enchanting” Enchanting? I would not travel anywhere to buy fake designer bags or feed the pigeons and I would not dream to describe that experience as “enchanting”.
The title mentions “great humoured locals”, although English is not my native tongue I can tell that this expression does not make any sense. It should be “good humoured” which describes a person of an amiable or pleasant disposition. There is NO such a thing as “great humoured”.
Suzanne Moore closes her article with these ridiculous and meaningless lines: “To watch the moon rise over the mosque as couples can noodle on the bridge, in a place steeped in blood and faith and history is unforgettable.”
Anyone with a modicum knowledge of European history and common sense knows that every village in Europe is “a place steeped in blood and faith” as well over 1000 years of almost incessant mutual slaughter teach us.
Besides all these silly clichés the author DID NOT make a good case for visiting Sarajevo. She ends her useless article telling us “Sarajevo might not be your average city break because it is not an average sort of place. It is extraordinary.” However, she NEVER said what makes Sarajevo extraordinary, apart from being a nice place for buying fake designer bags and feeding the pigeons…
LikeLike
Claudius:
The tribe of London newspaper columnists is one I have no interest in getting to know better than I do at present.
In the world of the female columnist-scribbler, ignorance is key.
LikeLike
Hello again! Here are some funny titles of James Bond films which have been slightly modified and dedicated to Keir Starmer:
Live and Let Pensioner´s Die
For Your Lies Only
Freebies Are For Ever
Lie Another Day
From Alli With Love
Your countrymen have a wonderful sense of humour, my wife got these from the so-called “Breakfast Show” on GB NEWS early in the morning (We have both been up since 4.30 AM!)
LikeLike
I always believed this disgusting creature was Jewish but he is not. Well, not ethnically but spiritually he is one, no doubts about it. Like many other degenerates and opportunists, he saw fantastic opportunity to make lots of money exploiting the utterly corrupt and despicable art market fully controlled by the “usual suspects” who have always been keen to promote trash like Koons. The worst part of all this is the colossal amount of money that mentally ill degenerates (or cynical, clever criminals eager to launder money) pay his disgusting “works of art”.
https://www.christies.com/en/stories/jeff-koons-balloon-sculptures-and-inflatables-ee396b112f984ef6a542cb912398e541?COSID=42780937&cid=DM520465&bid=439988667
LikeLike
Claudius:
A friend of mine once said that “the oldest profession” is not that of the farmer, soldier, prostitute, or spy, but that of “making money out of mugs”… and what “element” does that, much of the time? Yes, “them”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
David Morgan sounds like a traitor to me. Why would one wish to live under a foreign German occupier? Surely, it would be better to have had Sir Oswald Mosley as PM? You would still have had much the same policies ie anti-globalist National Socialism/Fascism but under a person from our own nation!
A few years ago, some Parachute Regiment soldiers were found to have illustrated their barracks with a picture of Der Fuhrer. Again, if you are that politically inclined then a British ‘far right’ leader such as Sir Oswald, William Joyce or Tory/Unionist Party MP, Captain Archibald Maule Ramsay, would be more appropriate.
LikeLike
John:
Mosley, though a very significant figure, and undeniably English, was not the Man of Destiny he thought he was.
As for “living under a foreign occupier”, that depends. National Socialism was first and foremost a German ideology, yes, but developed into a pan-European one by 1945 and after 1945. It then developed further into a trans-national pan-European spiritual-social-political movement. One head was cut off in 1945, but a hundred grew back.
As for Hitler, he is now, in the language of today, “iconic”, perhaps literally.
LikeLike
Is anyone really surprised that Keir Starmer backs the idea of euthanasia/assisted dying? The idea is sick, immoral and unChristian and very easily abused despite ‘safeguards’ which will prove to be very slippery as they have been in unfortunately very degenerate nowadays Canada. In that country and others it has been found to have helped to increase the ‘normal’ suicide rate as it normalises the idea that there is nothing special about human lives so one may as well top oneself.
Keir Starmer is degenerate as is the Labour Party but then thinking people have long realised that about them.
This idea is probably backed by many Labour MPs to get rid of as many old whites as possible. After all, they cost the NHS too much money and far too many of them vote Tory.
LikeLike
Who is leading the assisted dying campaign? Esther Ranzen – that is who Starmer promised he would take up the cause.
Who is Esther Ranzen ? Guess.
Who want want our Grannies and Grandpas dead?
Abortion and euthanasia, who would do that?
LikeLike
The Labour Party’s very own ‘Final Solution’ to those very annoying old white people who far too often insist upon voting Tory. Let’s kill them off!
LikeLike
John:
I think that there is a current of thought or feeling now in the System parties, esp. Labour, that is of that type, i.e. that those of age over 60 are “boomers” who have somehow had it easy, have expensive properties, have quite high incomes etc, and are (ipso facto) holding back younger people. Certainly not true of me (recently 68), nor of many others. Simplistic.
Of course, the fact that the vast majority of those of 60 are actually English/British, i.e. “white”, and are not stupid enough to vote Labour, reinforces all that.
LikeLike
I had a funny feeling about Esther (((Rantzen))) and today, thanks to you, my suspicion was confirmed. I have nothing against euthanasia, in fact I am in favour of it. I think is disgusting to condemn a person to suffer a horrendous, painful death when is obvious that there is no cure. Let´s not forget his/her relatives and friends.
This hypocrite began her campaign because she knew her days on this planet are numbered and obviously she does not want to spend 10.000 pounds (which are pennies for her) to go to Switzerland where there is a clinic that will put you to sleep for that fee.
The problem with euthanasia is that it has to be carefully regulated and monitored because it lends itself to be exploited by nasty individuals who would love to get rid of a “dear” relative if they suspect/know that there is money for them at the end of the road.
LikeLike
The Labour Party and figures like Keir Starmer have strange beliefs. They think nothing of the sanctity of human life when it comes to innocent babies in the womb or old/ill people bring given the right to have ‘assisted’ dying yet woe betide anyone suggesting tried and guilty murderers should be required to undergo a state euthanasia sentence via a lethal injection or the hangman’s noose!
https://en.wikipedia.org/lethal_injection
https://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org
LikeLike
https://www.spuc.org.uk
https://www.carenotkilling.org.uk
Der Fuhrer had a nice line in euthansia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktion_T4
LikeLike
Keir Starmer gives me the creeps. It is that stare into the distance that disturbs me. Frankly, that look wouldn’t be out of place if it were worn by a Communist Party figure in Albania in the 1970’s or North Korea today.
LikeLike
John:
As Khrushchev said of Malenkov, such people (the “file clerk” or bureaucrat-lawyer type) are dangerous if given power.
Look at what Starmer did, how he behaved, when some angry people turned over some wheelie bins and the odd car, and frightened some migrant-invaders in a few hotels. He was willing to junk fair trials, junk “human rights”, have the police storm the humble houses, in poor districts, of ladies and old people whose opinions he hated; and so on.
LikeLike
He is a vile, profoundly undemocratic tryant so the Labour Party is a good fit for him.That party has always had contempt for genuine free speech and freedom of thought.
LikeLike
Yes, Matt Goodwin, a fairly impressive score by Reform UK BUT as Britain is NOT a genuine democracy and never has been that will translate under our rickety, wholly unfit for purpose, undemocratic electoral system to a small handful of seats unless it is super concentrated.
Meanwhile, in a genuine, modern democracy such as Germany with its Mixed-Member Proportional Representation system such a poll figure would translate into about 100 seats or more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/Mixed-Member_Proportional_Representation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_system_of_Germany
https://www.makevotesmatter.org.uk
LikeLike
Matt Goodwin, you are wrong. Keir Starmer just like that other anti-British wretch, Tony Bliar, understands Britain perfectly. He is just your typical Labour Party Castlemaine XXXX!
LikeLike