Campaigns: December 2008 Archives

The litigious Mr Trump.

on December 21, 2008 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a cautionary tale for all those politicians keen to suck up to Donald Trump. He arrives, golf course plan under his arm, and is welcomed by local officials who do anything they can to make sure he delivers the imaginary jobs and investment.

Then it starts turning sour, and he starts to want streets named after himself. Finally, their attempts to get him to comply with even basic planning regulations make him mad, and he sues. For fraud and civil rights violations, no less.

Welcome to Rancho Palos Verdes, in southern California. City's annual income? $20m. Size of the Trump lawsuit? $100m.

The town has now seen through him, like so many other places he's visited and desecrated. The mayor says: "We have bent over backwards many, many times to work with Donald Trump. I'm sure this lawsuit is really going to anger a lot of the residents." Sample resident email: "please continue not to give in to this bully".

Ah, Aberdeenshire, you are taking such a chance by getting into bed with this man. It will not end well, but don't say we didn't warn you.

Police believe protesters have magic powers.

James

on December 15, 2008 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

During this summer's Kingsnorth climate camp the police kicked into full fear-mongering mode, going in in riot gear and generally making £5.9m of work for themselves.

They even confiscated a copy of "War on Terror - the Board Game", because it contains a balaclava with EVIL written on it. Apparently troops in Afghanistan are allowed it, though (left).

I have the game, and if you're prepared to do some work on the game dynamics and balance I recommend it. Spin the axis of evil and decide who wears that balaclava. Buy yours here.

Anyway, at the time, seventy officers were reported injured by the Kingsnorth protesters, which you can see might justify a heavier touch and some arrests. Today, however, it transpires that the total injuries were just twelve, and they included "stung on finger by possible wasp", "officer injured sitting in car" and "officer succumbed to sun and heat". No officers were injured by protesters, or if injuries occurred they weren't deemed prosecutable. The Guardian reports that:

One officer cut his arm on a fence when climbing over it, another cut his finger while mending a car, and one "used leg to open door and next day had pain in lower back".

Other officers had toothache, diarrhoea and headaches. Given the protesters took the blame for this motley list of afflictions, Kent Police presumably believe climate campers included special voodoo operatives with dolls in police uniform, poking them with plastic wasps and shining bright lights on them from a nearby teepee. The only other sensible explanation is that it was just the usual New Labour war on peaceful protest, using the police as a tooled-up PR department, just as they used the army on the eve of the Iraq war.

Luke 15:10.

James

on December 15, 2008 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today just had a fascinating interview on the topic of asylum. The discussion covered the benefits that would flow if society treated asylum seekers fairly, allowed them to work, and paid them benefits like anyone else if they can't get work. It also covered the advantages of giving them proper legal support at the start of their application.

In short, the interviewee called for a complete turn-around of the UK's draconian and useless asylum system. He explained that Jesus and "the holy family" had been refugees in Egypt, and urged some Christian charity towards their fellow refugees.

I missed the very start of it, so spent the whole interview thinking to myself "That sounds like IDS. Surely not?" over and over again. But indeed it was he, promoting his report.

It was radical stuff, and I didn't spot anything to disagree with in it, apart from not sharing his interest in Jesus.

I was, however, reminded of IDS's 2002 rant against David Blunkett's liberal approach (!) to Sangatte, which was "waving a white flag", and a disgraceful and unsubstantiated 2003 rant which explained that terrorists were presenting as asylum seekers. Today he wants asylum seekers to have the right to work - in 2003 he wanted them all locked up.

Rarely will the Bible be quoted here, but today, given the holy family reference, I give you Luke 15:10 - "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one Tory that repenteth."

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