Russia’s statement to the OPCW in response to allegation of complicity in alleged Skripal poisoning
Below is the text of the statement made today – March 13 – by Ambassador Alexander Shulgin to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at the Hague. Those who believe it’s safe and even fun to continue the path of empty provocation and inflammatory rhetoric over this business would do well to read Shulgin’s icily formal response, and ask themselves if they may be taking things too far this time
Alexander Shulgin
Statement by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OPCW, Ambassador Alexander Shulgin, at the 87th session of the OPCW Exwecutive Council on the chemical incident in Salisbury, The Hague, March 13, 2018
Mr Chairperson,
In connection with the vicious attacks launched by British officials in London, as well as the statement by the head of the British delegation to the OPCW with regard to Russia concerning the suspicious story of two persons poisoned with a toxic agent in Salisbury, we would like to state the following.
The British authorities’ unfounded accusations of Russia’s alleged involvement in using poisonous agents on their territory are absolutely unacceptable. Our British colleagues should recall that Russia and the United Kingdom are members of the OPCW which is one of the most successful and effective disarmament and non-proliferation mechanisms. We call upon them to abandon the language of ultimatums and threats and return to the legal framework of the chemical convention, which makes it possible to resolve this kind of situation.
If London does have serious reasons to suspect Russia of violating the CWC – and the statement read by distinguished Ambassador Peter Wilson indicates directly that this is so – we suggest that Britain immediately avail itself of the procedures provided for by paragraph 2 of Article 9 of the CWC. They make it possible, on a bilateral basis, to officially contact us for clarifications regarding any issues that raise doubts or concerns.
We would also like to emphasise that such clarifications under the Convention are provided to the requesting member state as soon as possible, but in any case no later than 10 days following receipt of the request. As such, the ultimatum’s demand that information be provided immediately, by the end of today, is absolutely unacceptable.
Our British colleagues should save their propaganda fervour and slogans for their unenlightened domestic audience, where perhaps they will have some effect. Here, within the walls of a specialised international organisation, such as the OPCW, one must use facts and nothing but the facts. Stop fomenting hysteria, go ahead and officially formalise your request to begin consultations with us in order to clarify the situation.
A fair warning, we will require material evidence of the alleged Russian trace in this high-profile case. Britain’s allegations that they have everything, and their world-famous scientists have irrefutable data, but they will not give us anything, will not be taken into account. For us, this will mean that London has nothing substantial to show, and all its loud accusations are nothing but fiction and another instance of the dirty information war being waged on Russia.
Sooner or later, they will have to be held accountable for their lies.
In addition, in this particular case, it would be legitimate for the British side to seek assistance from the OPCW Technical Secretariat in conducting an independent laboratory analysis of the available samples that allegedly show traces of nerve agents in Salisbury.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson.
We ask you to circulate this statement as an official document of the 87th session of the OPCW’s Executive Council and post it on the Organisation’s external server.
Mr Chairperson,
In connection with the vicious attacks launched by British officials in London, as well as the statement by the head of the British delegation to the OPCW with regard to Russia concerning the suspicious story of two persons poisoned with a toxic agent in Salisbury, we would like to state the following.
The British authorities’ unfounded accusations of Russia’s alleged involvement in using poisonous agents on their territory are absolutely unacceptable. Our British colleagues should recall that Russia and the United Kingdom are members of the OPCW which is one of the most successful and effective disarmament and non-proliferation mechanisms. We call upon them to abandon the language of ultimatums and threats and return to the legal framework of the chemical convention, which makes it possible to resolve this kind of situation.
If London does have serious reasons to suspect Russia of violating the CWC – and the statement read by distinguished Ambassador Peter Wilson indicates directly that this is so – we suggest that Britain immediately avail itself of the procedures provided for by paragraph 2 of Article 9 of the CWC. They make it possible, on a bilateral basis, to officially contact us for clarifications regarding any issues that raise doubts or concerns.
We would also like to emphasise that such clarifications under the Convention are provided to the requesting member state as soon as possible, but in any case no later than 10 days following receipt of the request. As such, the ultimatum’s demand that information be provided immediately, by the end of today, is absolutely unacceptable.
Our British colleagues should save their propaganda fervour and slogans for their unenlightened domestic audience, where perhaps they will have some effect. Here, within the walls of a specialised international organisation, such as the OPCW, one must use facts and nothing but the facts. Stop fomenting hysteria, go ahead and officially formalise your request to begin consultations with us in order to clarify the situation.
A fair warning, we will require material evidence of the alleged Russian trace in this high-profile case. Britain’s allegations that they have everything, and their world-famous scientists have irrefutable data, but they will not give us anything, will not be taken into account. For us, this will mean that London has nothing substantial to show, and all its loud accusations are nothing but fiction and another instance of the dirty information war being waged on Russia.
Sooner or later, they will have to be held accountable for their lies.
In addition, in this particular case, it would be legitimate for the British side to seek assistance from the OPCW Technical Secretariat in conducting an independent laboratory analysis of the available samples that allegedly show traces of nerve agents in Salisbury.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson.
We ask you to circulate this statement as an official document of the 87th session of the OPCW’s Executive Council and post it on the Organisation’s external server.
Original text here
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It was reported that Boris Johnson had been seen meeting with Russian Spy agents…he now seems to be the one shouting the loudest to attack Putin and Russia
Reblogged this on bolshietroubadour.
One also has to appreciate that what happened in parliament was part of a long series of ‘rituals’ and ‘theatre’ that parliament excels in presenting… as something else! British democracy, at its’ best, I think they call it.
In that kind of atmosphere, when emotions are allowed and encouraged to run freely, pushing rational thought aside in favour of fervour and a ‘wartime’ pulling together, one would be close to nuts if one attempted to inject a little commonsense or rationality into the ‘play.’ The players know the script and their roles; it’s happened many times before.
“The US Army regularly produces deadly viruses, bacteria and toxins in direct violation of the UN Convention on the prohibition of Biological Weapons.
As a result, many hundreds of thousands of unwitting people are systematically exposed to dangerous pathogens, and other potentially incurable diseases. This highly classified network of R &D and production facilities includes an array of US government private contracts, which raises additional concerns about privatised chains of command and public accountability.”
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/01/21/wmd-america-inside-pentagons-global-bioweapons-industry/
I remember all the excuses in our beloved ‘free and independent’ media when it became apparent and obvious that Number Ten hand fabricated a pack of lies about Iraq’s non-existent WMD’s and led us into a criminal war of aggression against a broken, impoverished, country on its knees that was no threat to the UK… that our journalists, pundits, experts and politicians… promised that it would never happen again. Lesson had been learned. Next time they’d scrutinize the story coming from Downing Street and go over every detail with a fine tooth comb. Bullshit! It’s actually gotten easier not harder since Iraq, worse not better.
An interesting article by Craig Murray on whether the Novichok agents exist, he says no. Being a former Ambassidor in Uzbekistan he’s visited one of the chemical weapons sites and involved with its decommissioning. The agent was planned to be in its spec easy to make, so no factory, no state required.
So if it seems as the agents don’t exist, the government can’t give the OPCW any samples, so a false flag or something else that’s then used opportunistically used to cause problems to Russia hmmm
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/03/the-novichok-story-is-indeed-another-iraqi-wmd-scam/
Well it’s war by other means, apparently.
That being the case don’t be surprised if it’s soon announced with great solemnity that Brexit is suspended while we confer with our European allies on how to jointly counter this Russian “act of war”.
Once suspended, never reinstated. So it’s thanks to all the bit part players in the Salisbury drama. There are always ways to circumvent democracy when it goes against the will of the deep state…
What democracy would that be, Ross Hendry?
The Westminster Establishment has never in its entire formation ever been democratic. The name of the beast is, “The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland”. However the operative word is, “Kingdom”, thus it is not a single unified country and certainly not one where the country of England has no, elected as such members, but where the United Kingdom Of GB & NI governs the Country of England while claiming to be the United Kingdom Government that uses EVEL to prevent others from interfering in what they claim is England only matters.
Plainly Westminster is the de facto Parliament of England acting as the masters of three country of England inferior dominions.
From the Dictionary :- dominion – noun: dominion; plural noun: dominions.
sovereignty or control.
Example- “man’s attempt to establish dominion over nature”
the territory of a sovereign or government.
Example – “the Angevin dominions”.
I’m pretty sure that if I’d been an MP sitting in the lower chamber, I couldn’t have stopped myself from standing up and commenting on the PM’s statement. It would have been very simple. ‘Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction… lies!’ Now, I imagine I would have been lucky to get out of there alive, such is the reaction of the typical lynch-mob. My career would probably have been over, almost before it began; such is life. My reaction, as I suspected years ago, would have marked me out as a traitor, which is why I’d never get anywhere near becoming an MP. And my reply to the question, ‘Do you love your country?’… ‘Umm, which one are we talking about here, yours or mine?’ was probably the wrong answer. If one doesn’t learn the ‘right’ answers to the ‘wrong’ questions, one doesn’t get anywhere in the UK.
So…unless 90% plus mp’s and government are removed compulsorarily….there is absolutely no way any other version of events will be accepted…….hhmm
Very interesting to learn that Novichoc doesn’t exist.Can experts really be so stupid as not to know that or do they know and think the people is stupid and won’t find out?
There are two ‘Great Marches of Return’ gaining support in Gaza and the occupied territories.
They are scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem on March 30th and May 15th (the latter being both ‘Nakba Day’ and allegedly the date scheduled for the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem).
Things seem to be coming to a focal point. Seeing as it’s the Henry Jackson Society that is filling the media slots defending the UK government’s rush to judgement, might Salisbury be part of Israel’s crisis and push for war?
Well, MOSSAD admitted they murdered Arafat with polonium. Maybe the same culprit was responsible for Litvinenko and now, of course, Skripal. They certainly have the motive: to denigrate Russia, the main supporter of Syria against the fanatical jihadi nutters. For some inexplicable reason, Israel seems to prefer these jihadi psychopaths as neighbours rather than the secular republic of Syria.
I believe that they are using the jihadis as proxies to destroy Syria and that is all .Once accomplished , they would destroy the proxies .And that is the state of Israel.The destroyer .
Cheers.
Breaking news! Breaking news! – From the same Western interests that brought you the fake “Kuwaiti incubator babies!” story – AND the fake “WDM’s in Iraq” story – AND the fake “Gaddafi’s viagra fueled rape camps” story – AND the fake “Assad is gassing his own people” story – And, well, as long as we’re going down memory lane, the freaking fake “Gulf of Tonkin” story used to start the Vietnam War – anyway – back to the Breaking News! – BREAKING NEWS!!!- “Russia a bad” and “Putin is bad!” How freaking brain dead to people in the West have to be to keep uncritically believing this stuff?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-we-know-about-novichok-the-newby-nerve-agent-linked-to-russia/
Contrary to that article, what ‘we know’ about novichok is exclusively derived from one defector: Mirzayanov. His claims were NEVER independently confirmed (as per Porton Down’s own Dr Robin Black in 2016) and the OPCW was so unimpressed by the novichok revelations that they didn’t bother to add the compounds to their list of Scheduled Chemicals.
i.e. Both Porton Down and the OPCW thought Mizayanov was full of sh*t and that article is either ignorant nonsense or, perhaps more likely, bandwagoneering propaganda.
There’s nothing quite like a good rant, is there.
Absolutely correct though.
Blimey, I hadn’t appreciated there were so many Russian Trolls here. Oh wait, I think OffGuardian call you ‘Putinbots’… well, I guess that makes sense then. Feel free to talk among yourselves! 🙂
This is OffG. Everyone is free to talk, even you. But you’ll need to up your game if you want to contribute. “Blimey wotta lotta Ruskie trolls” might go over on the Guardian as a Grade A witticism, but here it’s just sad. Try gathering some facts and being prepared to debate them.
We had a weak but stable government, propped up the terrorist loving DUP: now we have a non-partisan government of national unity in all but name. Now we have decided the outcome: we will supply the evidence to comply with the OPCW. Who is propagandising who?
There appear to be clear issues with Russia’s response in citing the CWC treating, which aligns with criticism of Russian for spreading misinformation.
See here for the Article and Paragraph that Russia suugests Britain should avail itself of:
http://www.cwc.gov/cwc_treaty_article_09.html
Russia describes Paragraphc 2 of Article 9 as a ‘procedure’, yet only Paras 3-25 come under the procedural headings. Para 2 begins ‘Without Prejudice’ and is therefore not legally binding. It outlines a recommendation for State Parties to work with each other to clarify any ambiguities or compliance issues with the CWC.
The UK is not seeking clarity on issues of the CWC but is demanding answers as to why a Russian nerve agent was found to be used in an attempted assassination on UK soil. Russia’s conflation of the two separate issues should not be confused if we are to avoid the propaganda trap.
Given the fact the UK refuse to share details of what the alleged nerve agent is, or why they believe it to be exclusively the property of Russia, what sort of answer could they reasonably expect?
the UK claims novichok was used. Novichok doesnt exist according to the OPCW.
Haha, the world famous Porton Down scientists have apparently identified a fictional nerve agent, given to the literary world by defector Mirzayanov whose revelations were so convincing that the OPCW completely ignored them.
The formula is right there in his book you can buy for £5.89 on Kindle! 🙂
Really it doesnt matter. Why on Earth should Russia respond to the silly ultimatums of pipsqueak Britain which refuses to provide any evidence for its crazy story?
‘..Russian nerve agent..’
That is begging the question.
“Conscientious objection and non-violent civil disobedience will be the weaponry to disenfranchise these beasts of the deep state”
…which will be met by laws which are in place now to deal with this and, ultimately, with violence. We need a new strategy; the old one isn’t working.
That was a reply to Arthur Cadbury further down.
What this international drama has revealed is that the elites in the military industrial complex of the west have no effective training in espionage. On the countrary, they employ tactics akin to that of department stores and retailers, cell phone carriers and the like, vying desperately for the season’s consumers. Theor brand ambassador’s TM and Bojo seemed to have failed yet again.
Paul Mason is absolutely desperate to get his gig back at the Guardian. Here he demands Putin should reply to the May deadline and calls Trump a Putin Stooge, amongst other hilarious foaming at the mouth utterances.
https://twitter.com/paulmasonnews/status/973267131973406727
It is interesting how many of the susposedly left wing journalists are exposing themselves to be nothing of the sort in recent days. I’ve had suspicions about Mason for a while, “Paul we’d like you to go native for a bit, a left wing Katie Hopkins if you’d like (who, by the way, was financed through university by military intelligence – an agent provocateur?).
But the deeply disturbing thing is how many labour MPs buy into “it was the Russians” and no doubt would cheerlead for a war with Russia given the opportunity. I feel quite sorry for Jeremy Corbyn surrounded by these people.
Can’t even watch that idiot anymore. I am sure he wants the Neocon dollar again as you say, but ideologically I think he is comfortable at Novara. Bastani tweets in line the UK Establishment psyop that Salisbury attack happened :
‘Just days before [Russian] presidential election. Hard to believe this isn’t about optics for a domestic audience…’
NB ‘Hard to believe’
Alt Right = Neocons
Alt Left = Neocons
Thanks for posting this, it deserves to be seen by a wide audience especially today when Theresa May reports back to parliament. With the resignation of Rex Tillerson and the unreliable support of the US government, she seems to have backed herself into a corner.
What can she do other than impose further sanctions, or petty stuff like removing England from the World Cup. A hugely risky strategy as it will immediately alienate a large number of football fans.
If she does this, under FIFA rules, we could be expelled, Qatar could be a no go and as UEFA requires FIFA membership the Champions League and European football could be gone too.
What will probably be the major outcome of this will be the suspension of RTs broadcast licence. The establishment dislikes this station because it is an independent voice and although they claim it to be a propaganda channel, it’s much cleverer than that, it reports in an old fashioned public service way and so exposes the bias of the BBC, Channel 4 and ITN.
My preferred option would be to send IDS, Chris Leslie, John Woodcock, Yvette Cooper and Hilary Benn to invade Russia and storm Stalingrad, that would be a fun watch 🙂
It’s Volgograd now, but I admit its former name works better here.
From RT:
The killer agent that is not on chemical watchdog list?
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) carefully describes all known types of weapons-grade chemicals, including notorious sarin and VX, as well as their properties, mechanisms of action, and possible antidotes. But oddly enough, ‘Novichok’ – the substance supposedly deadlier than sarin or VX – is not on the OPCW nerve agents list.
As I keep saying, novichok is fictional.
Just like one defector claiming Russian state sponsored athletics doping….one defector is giving “details” of laboratories in Russia developing this chemical
The scam artist Vil Mirzayanov claims the formula is in his book ‘State Secrets: An Insider’s Chronicle of the Russian Chemical Weapons Program’ which you can buy for £5.89 on Amazon Kindle.
You would think the OPCW would be aware of the formula then and would have listed it. They haven’t. because he’s just a liar trying to sell books.
Geman “Sputniknews” ( https://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20180314319913687-skripal-vergiftung-tv-serie-strike-back/ )points to this:
The brittish TV series “Strike Back” has been released since 2010. So far, six sequels of the agent thriller have been filmed. And the plot of the last sequel definitely reminds of the poison attack on Skripal. The Neurotoxin used in the film plot even has the same name: “Nowitschok”. And of course, in the series it is also being developed by a RUSSIAN, (Chechnya-born chemist Kamil Markov)!!!
The arch manipulators screech ever louder into the echo chamber. taken up and parroted by the media there frenzied and ready servants. All we have is our instincts of what we hold as right and a scene of true justice.We shall over come.
Well said
Why is Skripal still being kept in a small regional hospital? In a matter of national importance he would be moved to a major London specialist unit for expert treatment. This is really shoddy propaganda.
Reason must be that if Skripal were under specialist care, the doctors and nurses caring for him might immediately see that his symptoms are not consistent with those that a nerve agent would be expected to cause and they would call the bluff straight away.
It is highly possible that all of the three allegedly poisoned persons in the Salisbury Hospital, are under a special conditions and under a top secret care regime, which for security reasons excludes the normal geneneral hospital care and medical practioners, and their care is probably being directed and administrated by ” chemical warfare practioners ” trained in those especial care conditions as dictated by the ” Expertise of nearby Porton Down Directorate “.
It reminds me personally that nearly 76 years ago when I was military helicoptered into the Salisbury General Hospital for an emergency operation to repair my face/nose following a sporting injury during my military service.
Indeed in spite of the aged appearance of the hospital wards then, my operation and care was very successful, including the unexpected gift of three doctoers who bought a crate of beer to celebrate my birthday during my convalescance !
Our local hospitals have deteriorated since your visit, I fear. Should they not have been airlifted to the military hospital in the Midlands?
It seems highly likely that there is a special military / CW unit at Salisbury Hospital on permanent standby for any incidents that may take place during military exercises or at Porton Down resulting in casualties. With heavy security cordon. Doubtless this is where the Skripals are held.
Might one question if they are actually ill at all? Is the whole thing just made up? Some make up, some play acting for the cameras … an extended hospital stay … why bother actually poisoning them when the objective can be achieved without?
The One Per Cent and their slimy sycophants have made distraction an art form.
A corrupt and grubby art form.
As they splash their filthy lies and innuendo around some of it is gonna stick to them and expose their perverse motives.
Ah, but when? When? I live for this!
Who calls the tune? I don’t believe that anyone with even a modicum of reflection believes the story as told and can see that it is hyped, inflated and purveyed as ‘directed reality’.
And so who has the power to effectively manipulate British politicians – along of course with the Media and essentially instigate an obviously authoritarian narrative control?
The inside story is not told and lack of transparency fuels conjecture of an understandably negative imagination.
A bankrupt and indebted nation is run by the terms of its financial dependencies and perhaps at risk of exposed liabilities, and so we have appeasers who seek to delay their own feeding to the crocodile, by being an agency of its edicts.
Regardless of preferred outcomes, there is honesty of being. If ‘Russian propaganda’ is so dangerous, why is there no critical exposure of its devices? Is it not because the exact opposite is true of a post truth Britain? (et al).
But is it ‘Britain’ or is it an elitist clique of self-interest that collectively manifest an ‘Establishment’ of ‘the way things work’?
It must be obvious to any but the topmost puppetmasters that the way things have worked not only does not work as stated, but works to our ruin. But internecine squabbles are raised in place of fresh thinking.
Perhaps (human) destruction has all along been the intent of those who pull the strings – whether to then remake a world in their image or whether in fact a hate agenda works their thinking in the self same way they think to use others.
To acknowledge the truth and honour it as true is a basis on which to live the live that is here to live. To forsake the true in support of a fantasy life is to be self-condemned to sacrifice even what we have to support a hollow life masked in evasive thinking that of course runs out of room to manoeuvre. Facing what we sought to evade exposure to is not what it seems. Something genuinely reveals itself that cannot be grasped or known by more thinking.
The way things truly work cannot be the way of secret lies and so those who live the lie are invested in maintaining a state of darkness by which to find power and protection. But such is the protection of a corruption of power.
False thinking can only keep us in the dark by promising what it can only serve to undermine.
Repentance is not guilt, but is rather the freedom and peace at heart of facing and releasing guilt.
No one else can make our peace.
We have moved int a new and most dangerous phase of Parliamentary misrule: a fully developed post-democratic totalitarian idiotocracy. We are party to, and hopefully neutral and unaffected observers of, the breakout of a chemically induced St Vitus Dance of critically poisoned fools. Treason May will deliver her predetermined post-truth outcome today without even a tangential association with reality. To say that there is no empirical justification for this is now trite; to be accompanied by the donkey bray of mocking simpletons, who have had their reason paralysed by a mythical nerve agent. And the effects will be long lasting, if not permanent: this stuff is imperishable …why, some even persisted in ‘dusty form’ till yesterday; still potent after week of rain.
The problem as I see it is in going forward: to vote for this would be to endorse the power-enfeebled minds and condone the lunatics running the asylum. Once this is done today: the state cannot reverse its position. The evidence will follow and be fashioned by the concretisation of the delusion of power: it is truth because we believe it true: it is fact because we say so. This is a dangerous course into an increasingly unreal future: where reality is manufactured to fit policy. It is as though we have a power-blinded Demiurge; separated from his mother Sophia (wisdom, light); ignorantly mishaping the material world from the dark recesses of a power-corrupted mind.
This is a cross-party delusion: Labour have pressured Rudd into investigating the Buzzfeed “14 deaths” dodgy dossier: and will probably get their Magnitsky Ammendment – all posited on the same fictitious post-truth ethos as the Tories. There is no separation of powers; no opposition; no questioning or critique; just a complicit and collusional idiotocracy. Power and capital will fashion our collective reality to suit itself: who will now recover their sanity (or a semblance of it) enough to stop it? Once this is done today: who, from a position of authority will dare question it? Power and capital corrupts and infuses the mind with a collective insanity – “My Precious, My Precious…” …We are being led by the power-corrupted: Golems one and all.
George Galloway’s pinned tweet:
‘Yesterday I watched a “Labour” MP, bloated as Beelzebub, almost literally foaming with hatred, of Russia, of #Corbyn of anything remotely challenging of the power. I saw in his ugliness the sheer scale of Corbyn’s problem. He sits atop a parliamentary pile of steaming shit.’
Bastani breaks cover to reveal conclusively that Novara is another fake Left boutique.
I agree with you Big B, if we have been through the looking glass for some time, now they are shuttering up any way back.
Mog: our Parliamentarians, to use a polite collective noun, I’m sure you can substitute (a “murder” of MPs – certainly of “British values” – how do you protect our values by betraying them?) …have not so much painted themselves into a corner: as transported themselves into an alternative-factual parallel universe. A reality they can only augment and reify: to the detriment of a more empirical and experiential reality. The greater the dichotomy becomes: the more room for a grounded reality to grow. Their idiocy is dialectically our sanity. For the revolutionary and evolutionary minded: this becomes our chance?
Looking Glass indeed: of White Queen insanity?
No the Queen of Hearts: “Verdict first, trial afterwards”.
And it’s become worse. Now it’s “Sentence first, no trial”.
England’s parliament has gone mad.
For the revolutionary and evolutionary minded: this becomes our chance?
It is the biggest test of the web’s ability to counter fascist bullshit thus far, I would say.
If we lose, I think the days are numbered for any easy access to websites like this one.
If they lose, only a sea change could recover a last resemblance to authenticity for the UK state.
In the worse case scenario I want to pre-empt and flag up my appreciation for efforts such as yours and for OffGuardian for being true to basic principles (as noted in their banner).
Thanks: but it ain’t over yet! In the real news yesterday: the OBR “thinks we are actually outperforming what we can sustainably produce – that’s the real pessimism underlying today’s grim forecasts” (Torsten Bell). Today, we look set to expel diplomats and declare economic war on Russia …according to the Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/russian-vladimir-putin-theresa-may-economic-war-sanctions-salisbury-nerve-agent-a8254626.html
It’s the economy, stupid! Find someone else to blame for our own economic mismanagement. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose!
Agree completely.
I think a lot of people see this.
How many exactly, and how far they would be prepared to go to try and stop the madness unfolding I am not sure.
I also think that the true story of what has been happening in Syria is close to emerging into ‘the mainstream’. That will be a shitstorm that is off the baufort scale.
Caroline Lucas is infected with the hysteria.
The Quakers are no platforming a ‘peace with Russia’ event.
……
There are religious questions behind political questions.
You’d have thought she’d have heard of Voltaire (1694-1778):
“I may totally disagree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the last your right to say it.”
Thank you mog
Actually, BIGB any representative organisation which covers itself with the illogical self claims to be in a democracy, like in the House of Commons and the mass press/TV/radio/media, which still refuses to acclaim the truth that in law and fact we are ruled by a medieval monarchy, and they the MP’s are acting in their constituency interests as feudal representatives, with the power to enlist their constituency of vassals to only serve the ” lords and masters “.
And, with this primitive medieval mind set the Mass media enforces the rights of the rulers to be free of criticism, or legal process – and thus the ruler’s beliefs are the truth; irrespective of the logic of evidence, trial and reason, by free thinkers?
This reminds me of the Malaysian aircraft incident over Ukraine. There also no information was forthcoming when Russia was blamed. In fact the US which had satellite video and photos of what actually occurred, refused to show such information to either the Russians or the investigators. Aren’t we all just a little sick and tired of Russia being blamed for everything bad that happens without evidence to corroborate such blame.
Most certainly, ARCHIE1954.
Absolutely.
My toast’s burnt.
It’s the Russians wot dunnit . . .
The UK is trying to hold the ‘high moral ground’ here, but they should reflect upon their own shortcomings rather than blame others for all the ills of this world. When pressed upon the morality of selling arms to other countries that commit atrocities on innocent bystanders, who have no desire other than peaceful coexistence with others, the British Government’s view is “if we didn’t sell them, then someone else would, so no lives would be saved anyway”. This warped and twisted morality could also be used by the drug dealer, responsible for the wastage of so much human life, who would say the same, and remain content to derive great material profit from the suffering of so many. This whole business about RUSSIA this, RUSSIA that, is just a hysterical, fevered rush to ratch up tensions between the Western Alliance and The Russian Federation and secure even more dirty money for these evil minded stakeholders of the Military-Prison Industrial Complex. Furthermore, fearing that a move towards the more humane policies of a Labour Government, this coalition of psychopathic proclivity with the supine collaboration of their media lackeys, works 24-7 in their desperate and somewhat pathetic attempts to slander, smear, disparage and defame anyone who dares challenge the conceit, greed and belligerence that form the bedrock of their thinking, which regards any common citizen as an object of contempt – and the same can be said of many within the political elite in the USA. However, the actions of thoughtful and reflective committed individuals at the grass roots level, worldwide today, are working towards disempowering these oppressive forces. Conscientious objection and non-violent civil disobedience will be the weaponry to disenfranchise these beasts of the deep state, and once their power supply is cut off they will no longer command the unfettered allegiance of so many, whose are no longer willing to engage in that passive resignation, upon which such great evil depends – an evil that would think nothing of the extinction of our species.
“Conscientious objection and non-violent civil disobedience will be the weaponry to disenfranchise these beasts of the deep state”.
…which will be met by laws which are in place now to deal with this and, ultimately, with violence. We need a new strategy; the old one isn’t working.
“All that is required for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.”
– Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
The threats against Russia are *** equivalent *** to Hitler’s threats against Europe and the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
This says the time is fast approaching when Russia will not put up with these horseshit provocations by the US / England / Nato and Israel any longer.