The PM is trying to ‘play Churchill’ and never mind reality …
There are days when, scanning the MSM, I think that the denizens of the various newsrooms and their editors must live in a different universe where connecting points or, God forbid, asking inconvenient questions are anathema.Today’s headlines make my case. You can check out the compilation at the usual place here.
I descended into that muck, taking one for the team. Here’s what I found. There are the local elections day after tomorrow, elections where signs are that the Tories will get a deserved drubbing. And what does this Tory PM do? He will give a video speech to the Kiev parliament today, promising them another £300m worth of ‘military hardware’ (paywalled link). That’s MSM ‘news’.
At the same time The Times shows where their hearts – sorry, their wallets are, bemoaning that rising inflation will cost pensioners with a private pension about £400 a year because they ‘failed to proof their pensions against inflation’ (link, paywalled). It seems to have escaped those financial geniuses at The Times that neither those on state pensions nor all who are working have their pensions or salaries ‘proofed against inflation’. Let’s not mention the civil serpents who neither work nor need to worry about their gold-plated salaries and pensions which we peasants are paying for!
As for the rest, our MSM seem happy to paint a picture of a placid UK where only little irritations matter. War and inflation, coming food shortages: not interested until it comes crashing through our front doors. This mental attitude is certainly strange when we as a nation have been nannied for a long time, from the daily ‘advice’ on the TV weather forecasts not to forget one’s brolly when rain is predicted to ‘guidances’ about mask wearing!
What happened to the ‘precautionary principle’, according to which we were nudged into lockdowns and are being nudged into green Net Zero lifestyles? Has the Nudge Unit been disbanded? Where are their ‘guidances’ about what to do when food shortages hit us, when we cannot pay for energy to run our few remaining industries, never mind keeping ourselves warm in winter? Will the WFH crowd get a ‘home heating bonus’?
Never mind – there’s this war on! In tune with the latest hand-out to Kiev the PM will promise, the DT has a cringe-worthy report (paywalled link) about how such modern hardware ‘destroyed’ two Russian patrol ships in the Black Sea. This report comes from the Ukrainian MoD, so it’s true because this time the usual sentence, “we couldn’t verify this report independently” has been omitted. Clearly, the Ukraine is winning because our diligent hacks never look at any videos published by Russian military units. That would be propaganda and would only confuse us peasants.
The Times meanwhile has a sob story about the terrible two months those civilians endured in the bunkers under the Azovstal steel works (link, paywalled). I’m sure it was terrible – but two months is a bit shorter than eight years if my maths are correct. Of course neither the Times nor the BBC reporters who spoke to those civilians ever ask why it is that the Azov brigade soldiers didn’t let them go when Russia opened humanitarian corridors day after day.
Isn’t it odd that our MSM who can publish videos from the Ukrainian MoD, who publish the latest pearls dropping from the lips of Mr ‘e, are incapable of finding the repeated exhortations by that person, to ‘keep fighting, ‘no surrender,’ which he gave to those Azov brigade people bunkered up!
Unsurprisingly, our MSM diligently omit to check out the list published by the Russian MoD (link), detailing the latest Ukrainian losses. While our intrepid MSM reporters gleefully publish any Ukrainian video, they don’t publish those showing the Ukrainian POWS who are surrendering all along the Donbas front. That would be inhumane propaganda and would disturb the picture of yon victorious Ukraine which ‘we’, the USA, EU and NATO are supplying with all that military hardware – hardware which is either destroyed in warehouses or left behind by those Ukrainian soldiers.
Even the most ignorant of matters military must know that the shiniest weapons are useless when there are no soldiers to use them. The soldiers now surrendering in the Donbas are either old or very young. They enlisted because they were out of work. The young Ukrainian men who ought to fight for their country have all fled. There’s a bitter comment post on that point, posted under the latest article by Gilbert Doctorow – an article I highly recommend reading. The poster ‘Karol’ writes:
“Meanwhile the Czech government has passed an emergency law, cancelling the prohibition of Czech citizens serving in a foreign military, so long as they are serving in the Ukrainian foreign legion. In other words the neoliberal political class is trying to encourage young Czechs to take the young Ukrainians’ places in the cannon fodder trough.” (link)
Ah – but it’ll be ‘Ukraine’s finest hour’, according to Johnson. So why not go and become cannon fodder while Ukrainian young men can’t be bothered to take up those shiny new weapons …!
I leave you with one of the most hair-raising opinion pieces I’ve seen recently. It’s by Ms Sherelle Jacobs in the DT. There’s no better example illustrating the parallel universe the Westminster cabal lives in. The headline is sufficient:
“The Free West is winning the war against the Russia-China axis of autocracy – Have confidence: our foes are failing because their authoritarian systems are inferior to free societies” (paywalled link).
The two years of covid measures have obviously damaged critical minds so much that there’s no coming back. “We” are winning until even the last hack realises that we’re not. It’s going to be ‘the finest hour’ – to the last drop of Ukrainian and indeed international mercenaries’ blood. We’ll be happy to pay for this catastrophe, being a ‘free society’ where everybody is happy to do as we’re told.
Finally, here’s a text I urge you to read. Eight years ago yesterday the Nazi supporters burned alive 47 people in the Trade Union house in Odessa. I remember this atrocity only too well. And these are the same people whom “we” support, with weapons and with bennies when they’re here …
It’s a parallel universe indeed where losing is winning, where Nazis are not Nazis when they’re ‘our Nazis’, and where atroicites are forgiveable when they’re directed against Russians.
Boris Johnson is now in true megalomaniac mode! He is so drunk on ‘power’ that he no longer knows which way is ‘UP’! I think he honestly believes his own propaganda and thinks that he, personally, is still so popular with the electorate that he is unassailable by his party. I hope the day is soon coming when he will be disabused of this belief and we will be spared the all to regular and unwelcome sight of his phizzog!
I read this morning that he has refused to consider a windfall tax on the likes of BP who are currently making huge profits…… because they need to “invest in fossil fuels”!!! How exactly does that square with the ‘Net Zero sentiments’! Did Carrie Antoinette ‘fact check’ this pronouncement before he opened his mouth?
As an aside I happened to see BoJo being interviewed on the news this morning. What struck me, apart from the verbal garbage, was what a scruffy **** he looked. The sooner we are rid the better.
On the other hand I saw Starmer being interviewed looking as one might expect a PM to look. Sadly his words betrayed his true nature, praising both Blair and Brown for their excellent performance as PMs! Heaven help us if Labour were to be elected at the next GE.
Goodness me Frederica, that is actually a bit of sense from B.J.’s mouth.
A shame no one is insisting on him stopping all the subsidies to ‘green energy’.
Or taking simple measures like taking VAT off energy.
Frederica……..well I think in his (Johnson) eyes he doesn’t want to do anything which might lead to the decrease in price of petrol and diesel because he probably wants to keep it high as possible so that the average motorist uses their cars less or thinks twice about making a long journey because it feeds into his green net zero agenda. Apart from that, the higher the price of petrol and diesel is the higher the tax revenues will be to finance his military operations in Ukraine. Anyway Frederica, your posting sounds rather like a tirade about Boris Johnson, and Biscotte will be on your case before long…
An excellent digest of how Orwell was all too prescient.
All we’ve had so far by way of a nudge is ‘wear a jumper’ for how to deal with being unable to heat a home. It is only us oldies who remember inflation and its harmful effects. A new generation is going to find out just how bad inflation is with the next energy price hike in October. And once the true effect on savings, pensions and employment becomes apparent, as servicing a mortage becomes even more painful than it is now after interest rates rises, then political carnage will follow. Whatever Johnson imagines the effect of addressing the Ukrainian parliament and evoking Churchill, so far as it helps him at all, it will be very short lived. And brouhaha about ginger growlers will no longer entertain. Macmillan’s ‘event’s dear boy, events’ will shortly haunt the Tories. Supply chain disruption from China’s latest lockdown, the loss of Ukraine as a bread (and fertiliser) basket, and Biden’s catastophic mismanagement of the US economy are all events that cannot be laid at Johnson’s door. Odd then that he seeks to add his own self-destructive events such as net-zero and uncontrolled (and increasingly costly) immigration.
The French faced a choice between “the plague and cholera” in their presidential run-off. Alas, so will we soon if the only alternative to the current clowns is Sir Beer Starmer and his crew of Lammy, Rayner, Abbot etc. When they take over the magic money tree will have been stripped bare. It would be interesting to see them grapple with the nation’s finances except we will also get wokery on steriods and the acceleration of the destruction of society.
As I asked yesterday, reasons to be cheerful please.
Here’s something which cheered and cheers me up: irrepressible nature! The aquilegia which arrived via garden birds three years ago has now self-seeded and taken over one patch in my tiny garden. They are just out: tall, dark blue and magnificent. The self-seeded foxgloves which somehow colonised my garden two years ago have had ‘bebbies’*) and, being bi-annual, are starting to grow their flower stems now, for bursting out into their flowers in a few weeks.
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*) Shamelessly pinched from this channel which brings me lots of wonderful joy. It’s ‘True Facts’ about animals, in case you wondered – tiny ones. Highly recommended!
Viv, my garden is full of foxgloves coming along nicely too. They do hide the weeds growing below!!!!
Tis a pity one cannot post images on your blog site Viv. Just as the first lockdown kicked in a plant Mrs JB has had for decades flowered ‘Bird of Paradise’ and now some 2 years later it has flowered again but this time with two flowers! I feel sure sight of them would bring some cheer.
Here’s something that gives me enormous joy, although it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Modern technology can sometimes be put to good uses. Particularly 3 minutes in, onwards.
Just before the lockdowns I toured Northern France and went to the cathedral city of Laon. The cathedral’s towers are unique and have sculptures of the oxen who carted the heavy stones in the Middle Ages to make the cathedral. The French call it Hommage aux boeufs.
PS Correction A cathedral town not city. The town is quite small and up a hill.
Mary we loved it! We went there some years ago and when we looked out over the plain below it felt like we were in a city in the sky! The story of the oxen fascinated us too! I am unlikely to see it again. Thanks for posting the video clip!
That’s a difficult call at present Stout. But….the bluetits are nesting in my bird box, the Wisteria is coming into flower and yesterday I solved the ‘Wordle’ puzzle in two goes! (You get six chances!). I’m trying to ignore the stupidities of the ‘dear leader’ until after Thursdays electorate turnout (I hope they don’t all ignore it – which is a distinct possibility I fear !!! After that I hope his days on office are numbered!
The quote from Me Jacobs in the DT is priceless! Latest “news” A Russian munitions store had exploded. Nothing on RT yet. If true how do the MSN know?
Johnson is a con artist, nothing more nothing less. He is spending money like its going out of fashion, only it is not being spent here where it is actually needed, but spent on weapons for Ukraine. And then saying ‘Its Ukraine finest hour. This from a man who has lost all sense of reality….Get lost you stupid individual is my take on it. Absolutely sick to death of this man and everything he stands for which, doesn’t include the integrity of our country. How about defending the borders of this country, but oh no cannot do that as there is no money available, but hang on a minute just found another 300 million pounds out of nowhere to fund more weapons for my mate Zelensky. Hopefully this silly twerp will shortly get his cum-uppance with a catastrophic set of election results which will lead to his demise. It can’t come quick enough in my book. The Conservative Party has been pitifully slow in getting shot of him and will pay for it in the long run.
CH- your daily one trick pony tirade against the Prime Minister missed a part of the std narrative.
There was no comment such as Pugwash lookalike without the moustache. Must try harder.
Something you may not remember. In parliament the opposition spoke of various fundings.
Our Prime Minister was accused of having a magic money tree, to which he retorted, the opposition must have a magic money forest. In the couple of years since, it looks like the the seedlings are producing ‘fruit’. Only question is, did the P M take hardwood cuttings or softwood cuttings?
Biscotte………’one trick pony tirade’. Of course I forgot you are one of Boris Johnson’s greatest fans. Sorry, but I’m not and I don’t think too many who read this site are, so you might be in the minority there. To keep a balance and make you happy I will praise him to the rafters when he resigns or is ousted from office which might be as early as next week. I would stick to perfecting your dance routine with that mouse in an old windmill in Amsterdam if I was you in the meantime. However ‘Pugwash lookalike without the moustache’….no idea what you’re talking about there, but whatever you say tends to be gobble-de-gook anyway, but its mildly entertaining I suppose.
CH- Thanks for the kind words, polite as usual. And still no kids it seems.
For info – I too have little time for our P M. You need to work on your judge of character o level studies.
Two things. Who would you want in his place? And, dont you think there are more important things to worry about? Such as your local election bids? Or have you given up on that quest as your public has on you?
Biscotte…..I have often stated who I think would make a suitable replacement to Johnson, but you’re obviously word or sentence blind or something. I am not anti Conservative per se, just anti Johnson, and have been for some time, at least since he was London Mayor demanding that the government of the day allow illegal migrants be allowed to stay in the country. However, I gave him the benefit of the doubt in December 2019 and voted for him because he said he wanted to get Brexit done and over the line, but then he spoilt it all by talking in terms of ‘oven ready deals’ which was his code for settling for anything because in his heart of hearts he wanted to remain as close as possible to the European Union who he persists on calling ‘our friends and partners’. His friends and partners maybe, but definitely not mine. I wanted the full 100% independence from the EU I thought I campaigned for with UKIP as a branch chairman, Leave.eu and Vote Leave as an Area Coordinator, not the half baked garbage that he concocted and settled for. Nothing he comes out with represents my thoughts one iota, so I am sorry if you think I am a one trick pony for writing tirades against him, because I cannot think of anything nice to say about him. However for the record I would prefer somebody like Sir Desmond Swayne or Tom Pursglove as party leader and prime minister. At least they have political conviction which Johnson lacks in bucket loads. That’s my thoughts any way. Over to you Biscotte……….
Decrying a comment doesn’t make the writer a fan of the subject. That’s leftythink.
Colin H at 10.09am. I agree with you. The CON party should have got rid of him yonks ago.
Unfortunately, J.R. said recently that it is still not going to happen. Not enough letters to Brady.
Still we can hope the wipeout that is likely at local elections might just tip the balance.
Indeed Colin. I did read the other week that plans were in place to remove him after the local elections.
There is nothing wrong with the Ukraine that another few hundred billion pounds of UK taxpayers money can’t cure , ask Johnson!