The Middleton Mettle of the Duchess of Cambridge.

I posted yesterday on the absence of royal wedding invitations for officials of the odious EU organisation, regardless of their assumed level of self-importance and the two former British Prime Ministers, chiefly complicit in foisting the renamed EU Constitutional Treaty upon Britain, without the solidly promised referendum. I also made note of the total absence of the loathed EU flag on the processional route and from many places elsewhere in the country.

It was if the entire Royal Family, after decades of retreat and prevarification, had finally obtained some proper backbone. Somebody, somewhere had dug their feet in, methinks!

The despair at the decades of decadence and double speak, daily chronicled on this blog, yesterday could momentarily have been forgotten.

It is too early yet to hope for a new era and a possible return to a renewed constitutional democracy, but with the arrival of the new Duchess of Cambridge, Princess William, as a future Queen, a glimmer of daylight perhaps can be discerned at the end of the long dark tunnel which has had our country ever deeper entrapped within the EU.

Eleanor of Aquitaine brought huge new territories in Aquitaine  as a dowry for the Planagenet Henry II when she foresook the French King in his preference. Kate Middleton, a so-called commoner, brings no such wealth, pedigree or lands into her marriage. It appears she has something far rarer and of perhaps greater value, a quality shared by the Queen of the Troubadours, the quality of a strength of character, tensile as that of the highest quality tempered steel and as cutting as diamonds. The very epitomy of national character that has been missing from Britain's entire national leadership since the death of Sir Winston Churchill.

Dare I hope that the new Duchess of Cornwall has this spirit, so as to champion the British people against their milksop leaders, clearly scared witless by the evil monstrosity they have permitted the European Union to become?

Not One Single EU Representative Invited to the Wedding! Now remove the EU Flag!

A report on the lack of invitations for today's big event, even down to the completely useless and entirely ceremonial "so-called" High Representative, Baroness Ashton, appears in the EU Observer, linked here. Not one invitation for the EU was sent out by the Royal Family. BRAVO!

We can all do our bit on this occasion, to make it even more of a special event, by politely asking for the EU Flag of yellow stars on a blue background, wherever it might be insultingly flown in England on this day, to be taken down!

The shadow of the gallows over today's Royal Wedding.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has seized the rare opportunity, provided by today's Royal Wedding of her Grandson Prince William to Kate Middleton, to demonstrate her loyal subjects' absolute contempt and complete disgust for the treasonous activities of her two most recent former Prime Ministers, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.

By refusing to invite these two men to attend the celebrations in Westminster Abbey today, she has indicated to her subjects, the enormity of their crimes whilst  holding the highest office in the land, compounded by their amending the penalty for such crimes they and their accomplices were knowingly committing. The price for treason when New Labour took office was to be found at the end of a rope, today it is not! Are not such changes strong evidence that they well knew of what they were about?

Blair and Brown, in the arrangements for the transfer of power, delivered the governance of Britain to foreigners by devious manouevres, sidestepping our Parliamentary protections and contrary to our longstanding constitutional arrangements. All as spelled out day by day in great detail on this blog as the changeover was made.

It is to the shame of those other senior politicians in Britain, particularly the present Prime Minister, David Cameron and his Deputy Nick Clegg, (but also former Prime Ministers John Major and Margaret Thatcher,)  that  these two men are still allowed to continue to walk free, while they should be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure, allowing a thorough review of each detail of exactly how and by whom else the nation was thus betrayed, thus sparing the Sovereign from today having  been forced to stand alone in giving form to her countrymen and countrywomen's smouldering outrage at what has been wrought upon our country.

I have queried the silence of our Monarch on this blog in recent years, while these treacheries have been played out. The Queen's gesture today provides some comfort that all may not yet be completely lost.

My own wishes from this blog go to the young couple, embarking on their life together today, especially given the gravity of the duties and responsibilities thay may one day have to assume.

Rewarding incompetence and negligence or merely Nationality?

The EU crippled the economies of its member states from the introduction of the Euro Currency and thereafter. This was because it was a political, rather than economic programme!

As may be read in this profile/C.V., of the German, Klaus Regling, linked here, this Eurocrat was the Director General for Economic and FinancialAffairs of the European Commission from 2001 to 2008, the period when economic stagnation took hold across the EU,leading eventually to the present still growing crisis and economic distress of several EU and Eurozone member states.

What would a Democratic Society do with such an incompetent? What would a system based upon Justice decide to extract or exact as a fitting penalty for his abject failures? Not the reward about which you may read below, I would be sure, such abuses can surely not have been so rewarded in Europe since the days of the barbarities of the Middle Ages.

Klaus Regling, has, incredibly, been appointed head of the EFSF and therefore a kind of Obergruppenführer placed in effective control of the onetime country of Ireland! Read here.

Can anyone who really examines what is going on in the EU continue to retain their sanity?

Here is a man, with no apparent attributes, a record steeped in misjudgements and failures( a malfunctioning cog from a thoroughly corrupt machine,) now appointed to control a once democratic, independent and sovereign nation (one of several on whom he has wrought similar economic penury), with no vote and no fanfare. Just the steady creep of Secretive Fascism steadily re-establishing itself across Europe!

Click on the date selection in the chart at the end of this posting and enter the year 2001, to see the uselessness of this man who headed the Economic Policy of the EU from 2001 - 2008 and see where it took us all:


 Klaus Regling's Record (set start date to 2001)





Source: tradingeconomics.com

Having done that, you will be able to view a graphic showing the miserable growth rates achieved in the Eurozone before the complete economic collapse in 2008! The Permanent and Unmovable record of the miserable failure that was the Directorate General of Economic Affairs of the EU Commission as run by Klaus Regling from 2001 to 2008, one of the darkest periods of history in Europe's long and often frequently equally ill-governed history

Socialism, Waste, Ever more socialism - ever greater waste.

The Europa Midday Express News Release from the ever more odious European Union, today includes this classic:

EU celebrates the third European Day on Solidarity between Generations Brussels, 29/04/2011. To celebrate the 3rd European Day on Solidarity between Generations, the European Commission is holding a high level conference 'Towards the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (2012)'. The conference will bring together Member States, regional and local authorities, social partners and civil society organisations and is an important milestone in finalising plans for the European Year 2012.

Who pays? Where is any Gain?

SOLIDARITY in EU Speak is everywhere! What in heaven's name can Solidarity between generations possibly mean? Is there Solidarity even within a generation, if so why should the Swiss, Norwegians and every other non-EU member state people of my generation be excluded? Where are the brains of those who will attend this farce tomorrow actually now to be found?

SOLIDARITY in the EU means as far as I can see:

Suppression
Of
Liberties,
Ignoring,
Democracy and
Arrogantly
Reneging on its
Instigating
TreatY

YES! Lord Liddle - All these were BETRAYALS!

Lord Liddle asked on 26th April at around 6 o'clock in the House of Lords the following:


Was it a betrayal when Lord Cockfield pursued the White Paper on the single market? Was it a betrayal when the noble and learned Lord, Lord Howe, fought for the Single European Act in order to bring that White Paper into legislative effect? Was it a betrayal when the noble Lord, Lord Brittan, as a Commissioner, fought tooth and nail to extend the single market? And was it a betrayal when John Major and the noble Lord, Lord Hurd, agreed to the Maastricht treaty, which has led to a more effective Europe on issues such as cross-border crime, freedom of movement, an effective presence in the world and progress towards co-operation in defence? The trouble for the noble Lord, Lord Howell, is that although he is right to say that the leaders of Europe can take Europe forward largely by using the existing powers granted to the European Union, most of those sitting behind him seem to think that those existing powers are a great betrayal. I do not understand the logic of their position.

YES, Lord Liddle! Betrayal of the people and the Constitution of Britain, was most assuredly what it was.

Bernanke's Black Holes' Bombshells

The Bikini Atoll, (after Hiroshima and Nagasaki,) became synonymous with Atomic Bomb testing and the famous swimsuit which had an equally sensational affect on men. It ushered in the Atomic Age and there was no escape.

Ben Bernanke, who over two years ago, this blog suggested be dropped from a helicopter, had what might become known as a double black hole moment, in his first interview with the press and media yesterday afternoon. Where that now leaves the Western World's economy yet remains to be seen!

I watched almost open-mouthed, certainly with growing astonishment, as the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, ever so cautiously and gradually raised the curtain on the mysterious workings of the organisation at the centre of the free world's reserve currency and largest economy, the US Federal Reserve and within lay nothing but a gaping black hole.  As the increasingly incredulous questioning continued it became ever more obvious that this black hole did not merely exist at the centre of the obviously non-working nucleus of the Federal Reserve's disorganisation, it even extended in to the depths of the mind and thought processes of this one man, Ben Bernanke himself, the individual titularly and supposedly in charge.

No doubt, as today progresses, we will be treated to many TV repeats of the Fed Chairman's apparent ignorance of where inflation, interest rates, money supply, gas prices, middle-east instability etc., etc., etc., are all headed. BUT the truth can no longer be hidden, Bernanke, closely aided by Geitner and Obama have us all headed towards economic disaster.

Did Bernanke yesterday end the era of funny money (sometimes known as fractional reserve banking)? I suggest he may well have so done! Quite some bombshells!

UK Schengen Opt-Ins Eleven, UK Schengen Opt-Outs Two!

The treason continues at Westminster, indeed gets worse, under the Tory/LibDem Coalition, than it even was under the treachery from New Labour. Read the Parliamentary Report in pdf format from here.

Does Irwin Stetzer read Ironies Too?

There is an interesting piece in the New Statesman today, by Irwin Stelzer, linked here, in which he argues Labour could zap Cameron by turning anti-EU (only in a run-up to an election one presumes, as usual). I wonder if he had been reading my blog of last Saturday when I suggested the following:

The big question in UK politics, will very soon become, which of the three main parties will be first to crack and offer UK voters an In/Out EU  referendum, UKIP will then only begin to fall back if the voters are stupid enough to be so duped in yet another General Election.

Lord Pearson on the worthless EU Scrutiny Reserve

There was a good debate yesterday in Britain's House of Lords on the Government's ludicrous European Union Bill, linked here,which is worth reading in full.

One particular point of attack from Lord Pearson was on the scrutiny reserve as follows:

 Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, to come back to Amendments 16A and 16B, I oppose them because they make it possible for the Government of the day to avoid a referendum if they think that some new EU power grab, whatever it happens to be, is sufficiently urgent or if they think that it is in the national interest.

26 Apr 2011 : Column 39

I fear that the supporters of these amendments have not yet grasped the point that the British people do not want any more powers passed to Brussels, period, as the saying goes-full stop. In fact, a growing majority of the British people want all their powers back; they want to be a democracy again with the power to elect and dismiss those who make all their laws.

I am afraid that the amendments do not work in detail, either. Who is to decide the urgency of the decision or whether it is in the national interest? The octopus in Brussels of course, not the British Government or Parliament. To be certain of this, we have only to look at the way in which Brussels has treated both our Government and Parliament over many years. I refer of course to its constant indifference to our scrutiny reserve. I remind your Lordships for the record, and for those outside your Lordships' House who may not know, what the scrutiny reserve is. It is a promise made to Parliament-to the House of Commons and your Lordships' House-by Governments of all persuasions over many years that they will not sign up to any new law or initiative in Brussels if the Select Committee of either House is still considering it. If the Select Committees have finished looking at it or have agreed it, or if it has been debated in Parliament, the Government of the day are free to sign up in the Council of Ministers in Brussels to whatever initiative is concerned. That is the promise or scrutiny reserve.

A Written Answer to me from the noble Lord, Lord Howell of Guildford, on 7 February this year reveals that in the past five years alone the scrutiny reserve has been overridden-in other words, the Government's promise has been broken-no fewer than 267 times in the House of Commons and 248 times in your Lordships' House. That means that in the past five years more than 500 proposals from Brussels, which the Select Committee of either House thought sufficiently important to examine and to advise the Government on, became law anyway. The juggernaut rolled on regardless. It is worth adding that the situation does not appear to be improving, despite regular complaints from the Select Committees to the Government. In 2010, 151 overrides were notched up between the two Houses-79 in the House of Commons and 72 in your Lordships' House.

Another section, which followed shortly after is also worthy of note as follows:

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, the noble Lord is trying to ameliorate an intolerable situation. It is a fact that the scrutiny reserve is a promise given by the Government of the day to Parliament that has been broken more than 500 times in the past five years. Therefore, it will not be the British Government who make the decisions covered by Amendment 16B, but Brussels-as it always has been. No British Government can therefore be trusted to decide on these issues, as set out in the amendments, because Brussels will simply go ahead, even if the British Government of the day could be trusted. If necessary, as the noble Lord, Lord Waddington, reminded us, the Commission will simply bring forward the EU's new powers under treaty clauses that were not designed for that purpose. However, that has never stopped the Commission, as I also pointed out in our Committee proceedings on 5 April at col. 1640.

In conclusion, and without wishing to go anywhere near making a Second Reading speech, a number of noble Lords today-the noble Lords, Lord Risby and Lord Hannay, among others-as well as the Minister in Committee and at Second Reading, lamented the disconnect, as they put it, between the British people and their Government and the European Union. I should like to put to the Minister a point that I have not yet put to him; I should be grateful if he would answer it either on this occasion or at some future point in our proceedings.

The reason for the disconnect between the British people and the European Union-and, indeed, the Finnish people and the European Union, and a growing number of people in France, Germany and elsewhere-is that the big idea that gave birth to the project of European integration, honourable though it was at the time after the last war, has, in fact, gone horribly wrong. I need hardly remind the Minister of what that big idea was. It was that the nation states, with their unreliable democracies, had been responsible for the carnage of two world wars and the long history of bloodshed in Europe. Those nation states, therefore,

26 Apr 2011 : Column 41

had to be emasculated and diluted into a new form of supranational government run by technocrats. That is where the Commission gets its monopoly to propose in secret all our European legislation. That is where COREPER comes in. That is why the Council votes in secret on what is becoming the majority of our law, if that is not the case already. Surely that is what has gone wrong. Until we address it, realise and confess that the whole project has failed-not just the currency, which has clearly failed-and get out of it as soon as possible, we are all barking up the wrong tree.

Without free movement EU's Citizens get Zero for the loss of all their other freedoms and democracy.

France and Italy are proposing changes to the Treaty which provides the right of free movement to the de-democratised citizens of the EU. This right of free movement (never the right of residence) is regularly cited as one of the main (if not sole) benefit many consider to flow from the increasing nightmare the EU has become. Read a EurActiv report from here.

Faced with the unrest around the EU's borders France and Italy seek to ram through changes that on the surface appear to be likely to infringe upon the last plus point of the EU. This blog sees the logic of the Franco-Italian standpoint, it has never seen any logic, nor even justification, for the abomination the EU as now constructed seemed always bound to become!

Schengen Treaty under strain

The Italian Foreign Minister in this report from APF states the Schengen accords "... are one of the two pillars of Europe along with the euro,(that) cannot be questioned."

Note especially when following the meeting between President Sarkozy and PM Berlusconi today, that if there are only two and that of the Euro is one already crumbling, what hope for the EU if Italy continues granting temporary residence permits  travel documents for french speaking Tunisians flooding into Italy?

Is the EU courting civil unrest in Ireland and elsewhere?

The Irish Times this morning headlines a claim by former Irish Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan, that they were risking civil unrest if they imposed too draconian terms of the enforced financial bail out, read here. That of course is exactly what they have now got in Greece. Is this the desired aim, after all never before in history have the liberties of conquered people been obtained without some form of violence.

Consider this map of Western Europe when divided between France and the Plantagenets in the years 1154 - 1189 with this of the German Occupation Zone in France in the 1940 - 44.

The Empire Germain Germanique, shown in the first map, had done pretty well in the interim, had it not?

A combined reading of the  history of France and England provides a good insight into where the true dividing line in Europe has fallen throughout the centuries.

To the eternal shame of my generation, is the map of Europe again about to be redrawn, due to our navel gazing, self-serving materialism, negligence and general lack of care for our precious freedoms?

Happy Easter! Is there a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon?

Over eight years of blogging and at last I see faint signs, that for those few of us who still believe in individual freedom and the values once deeply held by Western Europeans, there is, perhaps, a little to hope for!

I wish all my readers a happy and peaceful Easter, with this picture of cheer, some English ale and a local traditional Easter biscuit.

Marine Le Pen makes Time Magazine's Top 100

Reaching the top 100 of the world's influential people in TIME is a major step for the leader of the French party of the right, which has suggested it may offer French voters an In/Out referendum on EU membership, after next year's Presidential election. Given the economic chaos now spreading across the EU, President Sarkozy looks certain to lose that vote, even if selected by his party, and the French Socialists seem to lack candidates of stature. Read here.

This news is particularly ironic given the recent debate on the UK Conservative Home web site, linked here, which seems to have concluded that in the UK the debate on the rapidly crumbling and near bankrupt EU will remain of zero concern or interest to UK voters. As Britain is squeezed until the pips squeak by the increasingly frantic Eurogroup, any who believe that UKIP cannot continue to climb in the polls until the main parties are quivering in their boots is day dreaming.

The big question in UK politics, will very soon become, which of the three main parties will be first to crack and offer UK voters an In/Out EU  referendum, UKIP will then only begin to fall back if the voters are stupid enough to be so duped in yet another General Election.

Lies and deceit over the EU Bail Out of Ireland!

The Irish Times this morning publishes details of the means whereby Ireland was compelled to surrender its sovereignty to the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. As this action was the forerunner to the final surrender of democratic governance for some 500 million Europeans, (as the Eurogroup chief, Jean-Claude Juncker, made clear to a conference this week, as reported by the EU Observer, linked here,) it is worth reading closely as a guide to how other former nation states may be brought in to line should they refuse to quietly accept economic hegemony from Germany, at present being installed with the backing of France's President Sarkozy.

I have selected certain passages which are the most critical in my opinion:

"At a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, November 16th, the pressure on Ireland had become intense. State secretary at the German finance ministry, Jörg Asmussen who attended the meeting, said: “It was made very clear to the Irish finance minister that it is not just about Ireland. The functioning of the currency union was at stake.”
"At that meeting Asmussen’s boss, Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s finance minister, pressed Lenihan to hold a press conference immediately after the meeting to announce an application for aid. Lenihan responded: “I refused and said I wouldn’t participate on that basis; that my government had the sovereign right to decide how it conducted these discussions.”

...."The troika believed only radical measures had any chance of restoring confidence. Lenihan recalled: “It became clear to us that the European solution was to stuff the banks with capital and see would that generate confidence in them.” He added that the amounts involved “stunned my officials in their sheer scale and size.”

...."Lenihan said disagreement on tax issues with the commission had not been on corporate tax, but on *value added tax, with which the commission had an “obsession”, he said.

"Germany’s Asmussen provided the clearest statements to date on the reason for rejecting the government’s proposal to haircut senior bank bonds. He said it had not been tried in the past and “we have no idea how market participants and investors would react”.

When asked if other countries should share the cost of bailing out senior bondholders in Irish banks, Asmussen raised the multibillion euro cost to German taxpayers of HRE, the bailed-out parent bank of Dublin-based Depfa, saying that the major problem stemmed from its Irish operations.

*Blog editor's added emphasis, to highlight the fact that the EU's "own resources" from which these unspeakable scumbags depend for their lavish, undeserved and unearned - lifestyles, income and pensions all presently depend upon VAT

Secrets - Who needs to know? Easter nostalgia!

Is State violence and/or coercion acceptable?

 H/T Samizdata

Uniting Western Europe under the Plantagenets

Eleanor or Aliénor of Aquitaine, when married to the King of France was Queen to a Kingdom about the size of the present Ile de France, namely the immediate surrounds of Paris.

When married to Henry II, founder of the Plantagenet dynasty, their rule by the year 1170, covered an area from the Pyrannees, across western Europe, into Ireland and up to the borders of Scotland. In the eastern part of Europe at almost exactly the same time the Hanseatic League , interestingly enough, was also being formed.

The  langue d'oc was spoken across the Midi from Catalonia to Provence. It ignored all political frontiers, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries it formed one of Europe's most brilliant civilisations. Aquitaine formed its heart and we now remember it chiefly for its Troubadours, Eleanor at Poitiers became their Queen.

Here is a verse to remind us on this Good Friday of the wonders of the heritage held in the West of Europe, the full poem is here:

Domna, vostre sui e serai,
del vostre servizi garnitz.
vostr' om sui juratz e plevitz,
e vostre m'era des abans.
e vos etz lo meus jois primers,
e si seretz vos lo derrers,
tan com la vida m'er durans.

Lady I am yours and yours shall be,
Vowed to your service constantly.
This is the oath of fealty, 
I pledged to you this long time past.
As my first joy was all in you,
So shall my last be found there too,
So long as life in me shall last.

(Research material for this posting came from Norman Davies "Europe - A History")

Threat to Sarkozy's re-election repeated in new French Opinion Poll

France24 has the report linked here, in English. A quote confirming what this blog has been publicising for some time:

The poll, conducted by the French polling agency Harris Interactive, spells bad news for Sarkozy. The president would only advance to the second round if the candidate representing the main opposition Socialist Party were Segolene Royal, a former presidential candidate.

The famed “April 21” date still haunts many in France. It was on that day in 2002, that the National Front’s firebrand leader Jean-Marie Le Pen knocked out the Socialist candidate from the presidential race, setting up a runoff against former president Jacques Chirac.

Lords amendment tabled on European Union Bill confirms EU primacy in Law!

It could not possibly be made any clearer than this as to just how much our country has now conceded to the non-democratic and corrupt EU:

Link.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2010-2011/0055/amend/ml055-ii.htm

Clause 18

LORD HANNAY OF CHISWICK

LORD DYKES

LORD TOMLINSON

LORD RICHARD

57        Page 12, line 9, at end insert— “( ) This section does not alter the existing relationship between EU law and United Kingdom domestic law; in particular, the principle of the primacy of EU law. ( ) This section does not alter the rights and obligations assumed by the United Kingdom on becoming a member of the EU.” (Blog editor's emphasis). How can these traitors be held to account?  One way is to not vote for any of the three main parties - Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat in ANY future election, whether national or local.

The Euro is to the EU as Christianity was to Charlemagne!

Western Europe (now unhappily including its offshore British Isles), stands on the brink of its worst catastrophe over centuries of history! Over the coming Easter weekend, while our corrupt rulers vacation at huge expense in their luxurious homes or in outrageously priced hotels (leaving little to report on our progress towards calamity) I will take a look back through history to see what if anything we can learn from similar, although affecting far fewer people, periods in our past. These reviews begin today with the Emperor Charlemagne.

The fall of the Carolingian Empire brought to an end a period of peace and prosperity across a large part of Western Europe.

As my wife writes in her the first chapter of a forthcoming book to be published later this year and provisionally entitled, "Romanesque Revealed":

Charlemagne’s vast empire engendered the ideal of a unified Christian community under one government. After the death of Charlemagne in 814, the Carolingian empire began to crumble, as its strength rested more on Charlemagne’s personal qualities than on any strong economic or political governance. The empire was too large to administer and consisted of too many diverse people, who were only unified by their Christianity. As central governance waned, lords and noblemen exercised authority in their own regions. Simultaneous invasions came from all directions. Many towns and cities were devastated by Northmen (Vikings), Muslims and Magyar raids. 

Charlemagne's rule depended, therefore, upon faith, it had, merely, the illusion of power, which disappeared as the early church became corrupt and simple people consequently lost their strong beliefs.

The driving force behind the Euro was former EU Commission  President, Jaques Delors, fanatical socialist on the French model and close confidant of the former Vichy Government member François Mitterand. President Sarkozy's strident defence of the Euro Currency at Davos this year, and his pledge that with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, he would fight for the money to the end, rings hollow already, as the reality of the True Finns victory in Finland forces President Sarkozy to face the prospect of defeat before Marine Le Pen with her potent promise of an In/Out referendum for the French, not just on the €, but on EU membership itself. Nor can Merkel herself now feel secure in the face of a string of local election losses and growing voter discontent over the increasing costs of the ever more numerous bail outs and their self-evident pointlessness.

Some view the lessons of the fall of Charlemagne's empire as being due to the lack of a common tax regime. Eurosceptics should beware and prepare to thwart any attempt  to impose such a common tax system across the EU, which will almost certainly become the last ditch attempt by the federalists to preserve their corrupt rule and their thoroughly rotten self-serving project!

Eurofederalists on the other hand could, this Easter, surely reflect on the reality of what the EU has now become. It would be incredible if moral human beings of either principle and/or conscience could continue to give their support to the dreadful institution that the EU has been deliberately shaped to become!

On abandoning the defence of Britain from this August

I am posting this report sent to me by Anne Palmer in its entirety as it is so significant:

+++++

The Defence of the Realm.    19.4.2011. Anne Palmer.

The Defence of the Realm and the ability and readiness to defend it, is the most important job any Government has to do.  We are an Island nation, an Island race and we can never be continentals standing with one foot in one Country and the other in a different Country.  We are surrounded by water, and it is up to US the people and our own Government in particular to always have enough ships patrolling and guarding our shores. This is not anyone else’s business or problem, it is the bound duty of every adult in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and our British Governments in particular to ensure the protection and constant surveillance of our British Islands security is always uppermost in their minds and is a matter of fact.

Yet, from August 2011, a new EU law will allegedly become active to end protectionism in defence markets by setting out specific rules regarding procurement of military materiel.   It forces EU Governments (meaning also our UK Government) to open more defence tenders to foreign competition on penalty of Court action and the directive will also allegedly help to smooth the way for military pooling and sharing across EU Borders.

When/if this EU Directive comes into being, am I right in thinking that our alleged sovereign Government cannot chose where it buys-if it can ever afford to buy-essential equipment and the best and most reliable equipment, for our forces?  Or buy British if we want to?  Am I really correct in thinking that an outside "body" (The EU) has the right to tell the Government we pay and elect where it may or may not buy equipment to DEFEND THIS OUR OWN COUNTRY AND TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS?   For goodness sake tell me I am totally wrong for if I am not, this is the ultimate betrayal by those in whom we have placed our trust because they are paying FAR TOO MUCH OF OUR MONEY TO THE EU in EU contributions and far too much to the many EU Agencies, particularly to the EU Defence Agency which the UK Government has been contributing to since 2004, and this at a time when our own Forces were being killed because of lack of protective equipment.   One Soldier gave his flack jacket to another-and in that generous action, the former soldier paid with his own life.  The death of ONE British Solder through lack of essential equipment is too high a price to pay.

Sadly present British Governments are doing exactly what Government's did in the 1930-39 leaving this country completely unable to defend itself and unready for what was to come.   We may be the first Country to leave the EU, and leave it we must, but we will not be the last.

Defence of this, our Country and its people is, and always will be the first and foremost important priority of any British Government.  Not to be able to and not to do so is not only incompetent, but sheer treachery. 

We do not even have one Air-Craft Carrier at the ready, for the only one we have is HMS ILLUSTRIOUS (currently in refit) where it will remain until 2014 and

if it came out of dock tomorrow it could only carry Helicopters.   Ark Royal had three more years to go, there was no need to cut its ‘life’ short.  We are to “SHARE” allegedly an Aircraft Carrier with France.  It is a tragedy, an absolute outrage.  Where is the pride in your Country eh?  The laughing stock of the World.

I can’t believe I have had to write that!  To admit that this Island nation that depends on its once magnificent Sea Defences is to SHARE an Aircraft Carrier with a foreign Nation!

If we were not in the wasteful, dictatorial European Union, a Community which this Country should never have signed any Treaty with, we could have had a whole fleet of ships.  We are wasting Billions and Billions of British pounds in EU Contributions and have been doing so for all the years we have been in it.  What a waste!  What a dreadful waste not only through lack of ships and ‘planes but of the Forces, the Navy, the Air-Force that should be training NOW, and instead of which essential equipment is being destroyed, and its vital personnel, cut.

How dare the EU give us any kind of orders on what we should do as regards any part of the defence of our own Country?  How dare any British MP place this Country in such a position that it cannot defend itself?  Something the people after the last war were promised faithfully by those in Parliament that swore that this Country would never be allowed to ever find itself in such a position again.   There is no doubt what-so-ever that foreigners are making sure this Country will always be vulnerable and open to attack, and no longer able to defend itself on its own.   I grieve that we have had weak Governments that have allowed that to happen.

The EU has even decided if we do not obey what THEY say, it will be on penalty of Court action and fines and it reckons the proposed Procurement Directive will also help to smooth the way for military pooling and sharing across EU borders.  We the people, can never allow that to happen.  We have a Government that must never allow that to happen either.

How could any one of our MP’s or Government Ministers even think the British people would agree or accept what their temporary Governments seem to want to happen to their Country?  This is something that the people should have had a say on because it is all their lives that are at risk.  It is their once free sovereign Country that is at risk.  The Country that so many of the previous generation gave their lives for in saving from foreign rule.  Sadly, not one person in Government has had the guts to tell the people about these proposals, or the guts to tell the people the real facts that our defences have been deliberately run down in order to blend in with EU proposals for the melding together into EU Forces? 

To ratify Treaties and/or agreements without telling the people its contents, other than saying we cannot afford to keep all our forces, ships and ‘planes, yet strangely there is always the money coming from some-where for EU needs and EU contributions. There is money for the EU’s proposals for the High Speed Rail and for the EU’s proposals to divide ENGLAND up via the Localism Bill with the added expense of elected Mayors and all the regalia and entourage that goes with it, followed by the break up into the ‘local Regions’ the NHS, the Police, the Fire Service etc.  Then it will be money for the EU’s Motorway in the Sea with the probable loss of our 12 mile limit, the Single European Sky where we lose sovereignty over our air-space.  A never ending list none of which the people of this Country want, or want to pay for. We seem to have no money for the Defence of our Country, which is without doubt the most important matter for any British Government. It took us 60 years to pay off our debt to the USA for the Lend-Lease in the last War, friends indeed.  Governments since then entered into millions of pounds of debt through PPP/PFI, debts that even our Great Grand-children may be still paying off.  Governments have sold off “Crown Land” for money to spend, even selling off School playing fields, until it is doubtful there is much left to sell.

This Government entered into the war in Iraq under dubious questionable reasons and then Afghanistan and has recently taken part in the bombing of Libya and seemingly will continue to do so until its leader has stood down. Is that also questionable?

The very recent deliberate reduction of our Forces, touching on all three services including our police, the reduction of our ‘planes, ships, is what many may see as sheer treachery, for Governments have put the EU before allegiance to our Monarch, for these are Her Majesty’s Forces. The Monarch is also the Head of the Armed Forces as well as our Head of State. They are not the Governments forces to decide that they may be put under the Command of any foreigners, particularly permanently. Our Monarch is the only person who can declare war and when war is over, although she must take advice from the Government first.  Never before in the history of this Country has any temporary elected Government ever thought of allowing British Forces become involved in amalgamating into what would be permanent with those on the Continent.  Working with them, fighting along side of them if need be but never as I have so recently read in recent articles or what is proposed by the European Union. 

The Military Covenant reads--

“Soldiers will be called upon to make personal sacrifices – including the ultimate sacrifice – in the service of the Nation. In putting the needs of the Nation and the Army before their own, they forego some of the rights enjoyed by those outside the Armed Forces. In return, British soldiers must always be able to expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as individuals, and that they (and their families) will be sustained and rewarded by commensurate terms and conditions of service. In the same way the unique nature of military land operations means that the Army differs from all other institutions, and must be sustained and provided for accordingly by the Nation. This mutual obligation forms the Military Covenant between the Nation, the Army and each individual soldier; an unbreakable common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility which has sustained the Army throughout its history. It has perhaps its greatest manifestation in the annual commemoration of Armistice Day, when the Nation keeps covenant with those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in action”.  End of Quote.

These three paragraphs below are from page 37 “The Case for a new approach to EU military collaboration” by Thomas Valasek.

“Regarding the New EU defence procurement directive which is due to commence in August 2011, a new EU law will make it difficult for governments to shield national defence companies from outside competition. The EU’s directive aims to end protectionism in defence markets by setting out specific rules for procurement of military materiel.  At present, the defence sector is in practice largely exempt from the EU’s single market rules, on national security grounds.

The EU has countered by setting out new procurement procedures for defence goods, which take into account the specificities of the sector (such as the need for guaranteed supplies in times of war). Under the new law, governments will find it more difficult to justify exemptions from these new rules. If the European Commission enforces its new rules – and it may have to resort to the European Court of Justice because many member-states will be tempted to drag their feet on implementation – defence and security sectors will see much more cross border competition.

By forcing EU governments to open more defence tenders to foreign competition on penalty of court action and fines, the directive will also help to smooth the way for military pooling and sharing across EU borders. At present, protectionism often thwarts co-operation. By opening markets, the defence procurement directive will help level the playing field”. (END of Quotes)

Our own British Government is allowing this Country to sink once more into exactly the same position it was in, in the 1930-1939, totally and utterly unprepared for the full scale war that was to come.  No foreign Government or EU should be allowed to know what armaments we have nor how many forces we have in operation, or where we buy defence goods from.  Our own Government should make their own decisions what armaments they want and where from which is preferably from our own British Companies.  Our Forces should have the best equipment available and no person outside our Country should have anything what so ever anything to do with our defences at all. Neither to know what we have got-the cost-our quantity etc.

In time of war or actions for the prevention of war, the Defence of our Realm is purely a matter for our own Government Ministers, AND NO ONE ELSE.  Such information given to foreigners in time of war-and are we not at war at this present moment in time at least in two areas- would be an act of treason- which would have even been a hanging offence if found guilty in the last war.

No one can possibly predict whether there will be another war or not and the way things are at present, there may well be another full scale war sooner than anyone thinks. 

While you are reading this around about the 19th or 20.4.2011, our Prime Minister and would be Prime Ministers are very busy trying to get the people to either vote for FPTP or AV.   This apparently is THE most important matter to all of them.  They are devoting their time appearing on television and going round to various meetings as if their very lives depend on the out come.  All for a new way of voting for a Government that, because of the treacherous EU Treaties Political Parties have ratified since 1972, can only obey EU Orders like the rest of the British people.  It will always be thus as long as we remain in the EU and the longer we remain in it the less important the UK becomes until we have nothing left to have British Governments for, whether our “vote”  be given via AV or FPTP.  

The people of course cannot continue to contribute financially towards foreigners to govern them because that is contrary to the oaths of allegiance that anyone born here owes to the Monarch from that moment they are born here in the UK.

So WHY exactly do our MP’s think the people should continue to vote for them any more when all the MP’s they vote for is debate EU legislation yet cannot alter any major part of it?  What does it matter which method the people choose to vote for any MP, for they certainly cannot make all our laws.   Violation of the Solemn Oath of Allegiance to the Crown and through the Crown to all the people in this Land of ours, is without doubt the greatest betrayal of all.  Without doubt, the EU Commission take their Oaths very seriously indeed. 

The Government’s Strategic Defence Review  October 2010.  Given by the Prime Minister “Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty”   75 Pages.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_191634.pdf

For exactly what we have lost in forces and equipment read:- UKNDA-Nationwide pages 5 and 6.

 http://www.uknda.org/File/UKNDA%20-%20Nationwide%20Appeal%20-%20FINAL%20AMENDED%20%20APPROVED%20VERSION%20FOR%20DISTRIBUTION%20-%2014%20March%202011.pdf

“The Case for a new approach to EU military collaboration” by Thomas Valasek

http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/rp_981.pdf

The page

http://www.cer.org.uk/

Defence Procurement Directive

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/defence/documents/index_en.htm

Further explanation of the Directive

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/547&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

DIRECTIVE 2009/81/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 13 July 2009 on the coordination of procedures for the award of certain works contracts, supply contracts and service contracts by contracting authorities or entities in the fields of defence and security, and amending Directives 2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:216:0076:0136:EN:PDF

 AND

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/rules/defence_procurement/index_en.htm

On 23 May 2011, the European Commission will hold a high-level conference on Defence and Security Industries and Markets.
 http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/rules/defence_procurement/conference20110523_en.htm

+++++

Assets versus obligations of the ECB

We were told Greece could not be allowed to default as that would weaken the Euro. Today the Telegraph Finance section reports Greece will inevitably renege, read here.

In the intervening period the ECB has assumed huge but unknown obligations to pointlessly prevent the inevitable. What worth the ECB then today?

When the ECB started it received gold deposits from the EU Euro Group member states, one must presume that these, together with reserves of non-euro currencies make up the ECB's total reserves. A list is here.

So when the Euro collapses we must assume, that in spite of the rise in the US Dollar price of gold, liabilities will exceed total ECB asset values.

Therefore Euro Group Members will lose the full value of the gold they deposited in Frankfurt?

Pillars of western capitalism tremble!

Two reports of particular concern to this blogger, have been made public in the past few hours.

The first, revealing what has seemed obvious to this non-involved, indifferent observer, for some time is the large fall in profits at Goldman Sachs, one report, linked here, contains this startling statement:

Goldman Sachs dropped $4.17, or 2.7 percent, to $159.61 at 12:31 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, reaching the lowest level since Oct. 5. Net income slid to $2.74 billion, the New York-based company said today in a statement.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lloyd C. Blankfein, 56, depended on trading and investments with the firm’s own money to generate 79 percent of first-quarter revenue. The investing and lending segment, which accounted for 23 percent of revenue, is unreliable because results are tied to market moves and because regulators might add restrictions to the business, said some analysts and investors.

The second, far more worrying IMHO, implies the deliberate manipulation of Libor, which forms the basis for financial adjustments in many "real" (ie non intra-financial institutions) commercial dealings. Read here. When I used it foe large oil company contracts, I was assured by my financial and accounting specialists, that LIBOR was the Gold Standard of independence, is this still the case?

If Libor has been fiddled, where has trust now found a home?

Why has my daily bread risen by 25%

As is to be expected when living in France, I have a wide choice of both artisanal bakers and various supermarkets all roughly equidistant when choosing from where to buy my local loaf.

My favourite baker lies in the outskirts of one of the two largest towns in our area, but to get there requires a drive through the main street of the highest village in our department, which has a church and café/bar but no baker. Some time ago this much repaired main street became subject to the digging of new drains, installation of modernistic street lights and as it has now turned out a somewhat bizarre traffic calming restriction.

Over many moons the village became practically unpassable as a result, and my bread was bought elsewhere, where with varying types and sizes of loaves and their suppliers I became somewhat oblivious to the surging prices.

Yesterday, the road works were finally accomplished and I returned to my baker of choice. The exact increase in price for my preferred loaf, was from 90 euro centimes to €1.15 for the self-same loaf. Economists will find this information worthless as I have no firm timescale that I can affirm, during which this increase of 27.78 % occurred. In the third world, however,  the effects are already obvious.

I can, however, with absolute certainty ascribe the blame, as it has been repeatedly pointed out over many years on this blog. The fault lies with our political classes, who governing on a planet with finite resources delusionally pretend that they can create infinite amounts of money that may then provide for all. As S & P warned the USA yesterday, that is an impossibility. Quantatitive Easing, the so-called market activities of the ECB, etc., are ruining the western world with the sole intent, it seems, of keeping those who have brought us to this point of bankruptcy in power.

Read Atlas Shrugged to get one view of where that will take us.

Realities of True Finns astounding advance begin to sink in.

As I quoted around this time yesterday morning, "human beings have an infinite capacity for self-delusion", but yesterday's collective burying of heads in the sands was truly remarkable as EU federalists strove to pretend all was well and that the Portuguese bail out would continue as originally planned.

A bit similar to the fact that it took almost two weeks for the EU mainstream media to pick up on this blog's pointing out that the Finnish parliamentary approval for further bailouts was a looming executioner for the deranged plans of the EU's self-serving political leadership that is bringing untold misery to hundreds of millions of Europeans.

Articles bringing home the facts are from Mary Ellen Sinon in the Daily Mail, linked here and EurActiv from here.

Greek 2 year yields now 21% and 10 years 13% - EU says default unlikely!

The headline gives a clue to the insane mess the EU has become. In Canada readers of the Globe and Mail, linked here, could read this chart over their waffles and maple syrup:

Perhaps in Canada some readers may believe the EU spokespeople who claim the Finnish election will not affect the Portuguese bail out, Ireland can live with its EFSF package, Greece will not default or restructure its loans and Spain has no problems any longer.

Surely few living in the nightmare world that the EU has become, (as described by Nigel Farage MEP in the video clip in the posting beneath this) will not believe any of it for one single moment!

Nigel Farage congratulates True Finns leader on video!

H/T Muffled Vociferations

Spanish interest rates surge!

Lucky that most in the EU have stated recently that they have no concerns about Spain, as it is now out of danger.

No such good news for the Spanish however, who saw their interest rates rise this morning by 0.7% and 1% for 12 and 18 month borrowings respectively, read here.

Here comes the EU's sub-prime moment!

City A.M. editor Allistair Heath makes that prediction in his morning newswire, linked here.
With Greece in near anarchy, Portugal's Socialist Party refusing to pay for a bail out the Finnish elections have already torpedoed this all seems fairly obvious. Note these quotes however:

HUMAN beings have an infinite capacity for self-delusion, especially when it comes to matters financial....

Greek debt is too high, the interest rates it has to pay too elevated, its underlying economy too feeble – it is now in a vicious circle from which only bankruptcy can deliver it. Greece will default – it is merely a question of when and what proportion of their debt the bondholders will lose. A third, equally important question, is whether Greece will become the first country to quit the euro and maybe even the EU – either because it is kicked out, or because its electorate refuses to become a EU protectorate and walks out of its own accord.....

Last but not least, the European establishment needs to accept that the single currency and the EU’s model of economic management has failed as badly as sub-prime mortgages failed in the US. Unless Europe accepts that its experiment is ending in tears, no progress will ever be possible.

 Feel like crowing perhaps, watch the video on my first posting of today!

But then worry over the consequences of this disastrous mis-governance over so many years, as the resultant state of near anarchy is described in The Guardian, linked here,  from Greece.

Final Result in Finland

It is too close to call on the policies of the resultant Government, read here, with the True Finns slipping back into third place, since my last post yesterday evening, but only by the slimmest margin as may be seen in this chart:

Final Results:

National Coalition Party: 20.4%
Social Democratic Party: 19.1%
True Finns: 19.0%
Centre Party: 15.8%
Left Alliance: 8.1%
Green League: 7.2%
Swedish People’s Party: 4.3%
Christian Democrats: 4.0%
Pirate Party: 0.4%
Others: 1.6%

The Portugal Bail Out (Normal EU skullduggery aside) must surely be sunk, with the Social Democrats and True Finns opposing any cash or debt transfers holding a combined 38.1% and huge support in the country, with the first and fourth bigger parties having 36.2%.

Any smaller party  supporting more Bail Outs and making them possible will surely be committing eventual electoral suicide, whatever incentives may be offered from Brussels!

A truly horrendous day for the EU!

One shouldn't really crow about it, but looking back over my postings for yesterday, any who believe in individual freedoms and a society free from institutionalised corruption, must surely feel a little like this video portrays this morning:

Finnish Election Sensation! True Finns Lead!!!!!

The Anti EU True Finns Party, with three quarters of the votes counted lead with 19.5% of the vote!

As this blog suggested last week the opinion polls ahead of the vote were clearly being rigged, in typical EU fashion.

Finally tonight, decent people across Europe, can see the prospect of a worthwhile future for themselves and their children? Thank - You Finland!

Latest results are as follows:

Results with 75.8% of vote counted:
True Finns: 19.5%
Social Democratic Party: 19.2%
National Coalition Party: 18.6%
Centre Party: 18.0%
Left Alliance: 8.1%
Green League: 6.1%
Christian Democrats: 4.3%
Swedish People’s Party: 4.2%
Pirate Party: 0.4%
Others: 1.6%

True Finns third with 37% of votes counted at eighteen point seven per cent!

The link in English is here.

The two parties opposing EU bail outs lead the two in favour!

Portugal's bail out is sunk or else the Finnish Parliament is the next to be destroyed by the EU!

Results with 37.3% of vote counted:
National Coalition Party: 20.2%
Social Democratic Party: 19.4%
True Finns: 18.7%
Centre Party: 17.4%
Left Alliance: 8.3%
Green League: 6.3%
Christian Democrats: 4.3%
Swedish People’s Party: 3.5%
Pirate Party: 0.4%
Others: 1.6%

Schengen smashed as France blocks Italian trains near Menton

BBC News has the story linked here.

Stopping free movement of people within the area controlled by local officials of the EU, (formerly known as National Governments) is illegal within the EU, as supposedly presently structured.

Of course, as we see time and time again these days, the rule of law means nothing to those now in control.

In the next half an hour or so we should have an exit poll from the Finnish elections which will be posted on this blog.

The Firm giving private viewings of Atlas Shrugged.

One firm in the USA is offering private showings of Atlas Shrugged (the film Hollywood did not want you to see) in three large cities in the USA this weekend, namely Richmond, Atlanta and Pittsburgh at the firms own expense.

Read a full report from this link. Thanks to Johnathan Pearce of samizdata for alerting me to this fact!

FT hides Ward's Stockholm report on unanimity on new EFSF loans. Now behind its firewall.

Knowing how determined the Financial Times is to hide whatever it says from those unwilling to pay for its normal pro-EU garbage output, I took the precaution of copying the report that forms the basis of my two postings immediately beneath this.

I have already been proved right so to do, the normal block now appearing when trying to access the link   provided in my post below, appeared within minutes. I did however take the precaution of recording the details of the web page on which it appeared, which are as follows:

Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aeed63d4-68d6-11e0-9040-00144feab49a.html#ixzz1JmYX5kzz

Finns vote amid wave of euro-scepticism

By Andrew Ward in Stockholm
Published: April 17 2011 11:11 | Last updated: April 17 2011 11:11
Finnish voters went to the polls on Sunday in a closely-fought general election expected to result in big gains for a populist party riding a wave of public resentment over bail-outs for Portugal and other crisis-hit eurozone members.

Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aeed63d4-68d6-11e0-9040-00144feab49a.html#ixzz1JmXgNHgU

This gives Finnish lawmakers a de facto veto because each use of bail-out funds requires unanimous EU approval.

Have Cameron and Osborne lied about the EU Bail Out terms

I had the impression that only Finland had an absolute right to subject new payments from the EFSF (EU Bail Out Fund) to a parliamentary majority vote, giving an effective parliamentary veto to Finland.

According to a report from Sweden, published in the Financial Times this morning  at 11:11, as filed by their Stockholm office by Andrew Ward, it appears all other governments contributing to the EFSF also hold a veto over any new expenditures.

This is not how David Cameron and George Osborne have described the situation, declaring they are locked in, even to payments to new countries, as a result of the decision by Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling, on which subject I have had much to say in the recent past!

The quote in the FT, which at the moment may be read from this link, which was referred to in the posting immediately beneath this, states:

This gives Finnish lawmakers a de facto veto because each use of bail-out funds requires unanimous EU approval (blog editor's added emphasis).

Euronews Finland elections report

The Finnish election results are expected shortly after 1800 BST (1900 CET) today, according to a clearly thoroughly skittish and rattled report from the pro-big business and fanatically federalist-EU rag the Financial Times. A video report from Euronews/YouTube is here:

Atlas Shrugged WOWS Moviegoers!

Critics predictably slammed the film but 85% of those who saw it approved, read this report, from here.

Atlas Shrugged (MOVIE) despite very limited distribution, 3rd highest ticket sales

---

Movie ticket sales company FANDANGO is reporting that the movie ATLAS SHRUGGED has the 3rd highest number of tickets pre-sold of any movie in history. This is pretty amazing given several factors.

• ATLAS SHRUGGED is only showing in about 10% of the major movie theaters nationwide.
• A small independent producer made the movie.
• ATLAS SHRUGGED has no big name stars, in fact it has no stars but rather used TV actors and actresses.
• The movie was made on a tiny (by Hollywood standards) budget of only $20 Million.
• Professional movie critics hate the movie, but individuals who have seen it overwhelmingly like the movie.

WALL STREET JOURNAL article => http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/...hrugged-a-hit/

Quote:

Rotten Tomatoes lists more than 5,000 user ratings with a total of 86% saying they “like it,” while the critics’ average is a disastrous 7%. . . . According to Kaslow, the second and third parts of the film are in the active planning stages, with the second part scheduled to go into production this June for release on April 15, 2012, and the third to follow the same timeline the following year. “The green light decision is ultimately John’s,” says Kaslow. “If we learn there is no commercial interest in the film, I doubt there will be a second or third one. But at this point, we’re the third most ticketed film on Fandango, so I don’t have any reason to believe that we won’t be successful.”

__________________

"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion:
the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases,
while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage
of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force."
- Ayn Rand

The Wall Street Journal  media section called Speakeasy, carries a report, linked here, declaring the movie a hit which has so far attracted 426 comments. The authorities attempt to bury the film and its message might yet fail, now we must hope it can be seen across the non-democratic EU!

Finland's election - Day of reckoning for the Euro!

The polls are open across Finland and the Telegraph web page has just posted an interview with Timo Soini, the European Parliamentary colleague of UKIP's Nigel Farage, who just might soon hold the key to the halting of the march towards tyranny now fully under way across the EU, read here.

Other reports, as the polls open, are from Monsters and Critics, Associated Press and Voice of Russia.

IMF Axeman for Ireland offers the Catholic Isle a 'Condom Cure'

A 'cock-up' is how the Irish Independent, linked here, describes the explanation of the IMF solution for the impoverished peole of Ireland as an "Irish solution to an Irish problem."

Ajai Chopra, seemed unaware that this phrase carries some very poor connotations, as explained in this quote from the article:

Sure wasn't it thrown around like snuff at a wake way back in 1979 during the ructions over the introduction of a bill by then-Health Minister Charlie Haughey? This radical piece of legislation allowed married couples armed with a medical prescription to purchase from a liberal-minded pharmacist those dreadful rubber thingies for family planning.

Charlie claimed the bill was "an Irish solution to an Irish problem" -- a phrase which was immediately and repeatedly flung back in his face

At least it provided a moment of laughter during the completely bizarre events underway in the downtrodden Irish sector of the EU, as the paper notes in the article's conclusion:

On reflection, perhaps Ajai's use of the phrase "an Irish solution to an Irish problem" was particularly apt. Sure the country is screwed anyway.

WSJ on Atlas Shrugged Premier - Threads treasures N° 62!

An article in the Wall Street Journal, by Donald L. Luskin, linked here, on yesterday's premier of part one of the movie 'Atlas Shrugged' up to this point has gathered 420 comments, many of which are well informed and worthy of further consideration, unlike the entirely predictable chastisement the film has received across most of the liberal media.

I have selected this, from James Kelly, to become this blog's Treasure from the Threads - number sixty-two:

• James Kelly wrote:

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As one who owes Ayn Rand a dept of gratitude for challenging his mind in his early twenties with her thought-provoking books, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Luskin's assessment that Ms. Rand was neither left nor right in the traditional sense. Thirty-five years have transpired since I read her works--years that included a twenty-year career in railroad problem-solving/management, direct involvement in Neuroscience, twice serving as a surrogate 'stem cells' spokesperson for the GW Bush White House, and (currently) writing a novel. More sharply than the passions of youth, life has taught me to appreciate Ms. Rands superlative skills in crafting characters and plots that plumb the depths of human nature. However, regarding her endorsement of unbridled capitalism and high-minded captains of industry, I suggest a caveat that scientists have confirmed with functional MRIs: Human have an amazing and disturbing ability to interpret reality to match what they want to believe regardless of facts, reason, or consequences. Sadly, this truth applies as much to our political and social leaders irrespective of worldview persuasion as to the man on the street or executives in corporate board rooms, even John Galt. Can't wait to see the movie!
10 Recommendations

What a difference a year makes! Finns must ask before they vote - "Have we been stitched-up"?"

Think back a year and then ponder the following question - How come the Deputy Foreign Minister of Germany was yesterday able to make the following statement, as reported by Bloomberg, linked here:

Germany Would Back Greece Debt Restructuring, Hoyer Says

To assist in trying to untangle what has been going on over the past year readers may wish to consider this "Question and Answer" report issued by Reuters when the Greek crisis was first receiving Germany's attention.

A default by the Greek Government was then considered an impossibility!

So what has changed. In the interim billions has been spent by the EU's illegal EFSF and also by the IMF to prop up the Greek Economy. A year ago German banks were among those most at risk from a Greek default, is that still true today? How much at risk is the ECB compared with one year ago and how much of that new debt must now be met by Finland?

One year ago, this very Saturday, I posted on this blog a long discussion, linked here, of the crisis as it then appeared under the title:

Germans, Napalm and the Euro Currency.

The posting concluded with the following paragraphs, if the people of Finland do not heed this lesson when they go to the polls tomorrow, the rest of Europe will pay the price as the ridiculous and entirely pointless bail outs continue on to Portugal and thereafter Spain, just as that post predicted with despotism as the price:

Yesterday the European Commission, issued a Press Release marked "Rapide" demanding Economic Governance for the EU to be run by the unelected Commission and the appointed EU Council President Van Rompuy.

The EU is detested across the union by its own people as has been made clear in referendum after referendum. It is supported mainly by those in its pay or the inner circles of those in power in its former nation states and all their hangers-on. It is widely known as non-democratic and corrupt. Its Parliament is a mass of time-serving, expense gobbling pygmies who consistently regulate in matters they do not understand for want of anything better to do. We cannot allow the EU to impose the views of the economically strongest states on the less economically adept states, as such can only ultimately be imposed by force.

Europe does not want another jackboot on its throat as ALL Europeans must now remember the price to be paid in removing it. Read all there is in the raids on Royan! Consider the German launched missile attacks on Southern England when Germany already faced certain defeat!

This blog begs the good people of Germany and democrats everywhere to work to prevent a subsided, strings attached Eurozone or EU bail-out for Greece or any other of the PIIGS.

Devaluation under IMF control, following Euro withdrawal, can save Greece just as it did for Argentina.

The Euro is not worth saving when despotism is the certain price. The Euro, in fact cannot be saved now anyway, the economic facts are too stark. Therefore throwing away the freedoms of the people of Europe will be thus even more pointless. Instituting economic control across the EU, as demanded by the EU Commission yesterday will require force? They forget they have no consent nor any votes from the citizens of the EU!

An early review of Atlas Shrugged Part 1

The review is linked here. A brief quote:

The producers of a new movie based on Ayn Rand's classic libertarian novel "Atlas Shrugged" say its theme of rebellion against intrusive government paints an eerily accurate picture of socialistic forces in modern America under the Obama administration.

"The film is about now," Harmon Kaslow, producer of "Atlas Shrugged Part 1,” tells Newsmax. "Look around, you see the Middle East imploding, you see gas prices skyrocketing, you see the government interfering with business. These were all themes that were part of the book and are also now part of the movie.

"There's so many parallels," he says. “It's almost haunting how similar what [Rand] wrote 50 years ago is to what's actually taking place today."

The link provides a video link to an interview with those behind the film (if this below does not work):

France may get In or Out EU Referendum

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Front party, whose predecessor, her father, once made the run off for the French Presidency seems to be promising French voters the chance of an in or out EU referendum according to reports from Milan.

In a separate move, also indicating the imminent end of the non-democratic EU, Bloomberg are reporting the the Deputy German Foreign Minister has now publicly accepted that Greece will default, making all the massive sums of money poured into the EFSF, some of it in supposedly disconnected British pounds, completely wasted.