March 29, 2010 – 12:12 pm
Shilly-shallying about what to do about Chinese designer ‘plant food’ drug Methadrone/Mephedrone/MCat is another unwelcome example of how New Labour’s passive/aggressive approach towards protecting citizens’ rights does the reverse. It’s enough to drive a man to spliff.
Last October, former NL drug czar, the (perhaps) aptly named Professor David Nutt resigned/was sacked from the Advisory Council on [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Culture, Drugs legislation, Law and order, Policy, Political spin, Uk Home Office, World health, citizens' rights, civil rights, consumerism
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Tagged advisory Counciul on the Misuse of Drugs, alan Johnson, MCat, mephedrone, methdaone, MKat, Polly Taylor, Professor David Nutt
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October 12, 2009 – 5:45 pm
Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, decided by an eminent panel of brown nosing illuminati in February 2009, less than a month after his inauguration, has been unfairly criticised by spoilsports and racists, determined to diss the US and generally keep a good man down. What will they say when it is revealed that has [...]
On the National Express, there’s a jolly hostess, selling crisps and tea. She’ll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks for a sky-high fee. We’re going where the air is free. Tomorrow belongs to me. Lyrics from ‘National Express,’ by The Divine Comedy.
Surely some mistake? Privatised train operators are supposed [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Business, Economics, Political spin, consumers, privatisation, public sector reform, rail
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Tagged A public utility franchise is not just for Christmas, Andrew Adonis, East Coast franchise, Labour, National Express, prtivatisation, UK rail
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I’m sure you’ll agree that this information leaflet will save countless lives. Here it is:
April 13, 2009 – 12:55 pm
“There are 17 people that count, and to say that I am intimate with every one of them is the understatement of the century” Derek Draper, 23 June 1998.
There is little I can add to the well-published facts surrounding the odious activities of the head of Downing St. Strategy and Planning Unit, Damian McBride, except [...]
By John Kelly
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Tagged alan Johnson, cash for access, Charlie Whelan, Damian McBride, David Cameron, Derek Draper, Derek Draper psychotherapist, email slurs against top tories, George Osborne, Gordon Brown, Guido Fawkes, karl Milner, labourList, Lobbygate, oleg deripaska, Paul Staines, Peter Mandelson, RedRag, sexual allegations against Cameron, sexual allegations against osborne, Spin doctors, Yachtgate
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. . . . . The answers are yes and yes. It matters that we know and that the police and government know that we are not prepared to tolerate any more abuses of our lives and liberties. Avaaz.org, with whom Thus is not affiliated but thoroughly admires, have launched a petition, which I hope [...]
By John Kelly
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Tagged 2008 Counter-Terrorism Act, accountability, Andy Hayman, Avaaz.org petition, G20 protests, Home Affairs Committee, Ian Tomlinson, Independent Police Complaints Commission, Jacqui Smith, John J Kelly, kettling, liberal democracy, New Labour, NKVD, photographing UK police now a crime, police brutality, Stalinism, Totalitarian drift, UK demonstrations banned
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. . . the problem is we don’t know which and in what order . . . .
A close friend, far richer and better-informed than I (not difficult) sent me some completely speculative global economic notes, which he admits depend upon force majeure and all that. See how many you agree with. I personally think [...]
By John Kelly
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Tagged bank credit limitation, China, deflation, Economics, Euro, Europe, Eurozone, India, inflation, oil price shock, protectionism, recession, sterling, Swiss Franc, UK, US, US dollar
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Turkey is a key Middle East bridge between East and West, not another Strasbourg Uncle Tom. By John J Kelly
“Let me say this as clearly as I can. The United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. . . America’s relationship with the Muslim world world cannot and will not be [...]
By John Kelly
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Tagged AIPAC, Al Qaeda, Barack Obama in Ankara, Democracy Inc, inverted totyalitarinism, Iran, Iraq, Islamophobia, managed democracy, Middle East, Natanyahu, NATO, Syria, turkey, Turkey is not an EU Uncle Tom, turkey's EU membership
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March 30, 2009 – 12:37 pm
Lula da Silva says this problem was caused by white men with blue eyes. That lets both of us off the hook
Several Latin American leaders have reported the same disturbing hallucination. A rumpled fat man with a very large head, dressed in a cheap suit and badly-knotted tie turns up unannounced and tries to get [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Banking, Barack Obama, Development, Economics, International Affairs, Latin America
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Tagged Angela Merkel, Argentina, Barack Obama, cristina Kirchner, Cuba, EU, G 20 Summit, Gordo Brown, Guatemala, Hugo Chavez, John J Kelly, Latin America, Lula da Silva President of Brazil, Peron, Soros, Venezuela
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An observant friend sent me this innovative sign of our troubled times, photographed on the streets of Norwich. The media, government and police have virtually ensured that there will be trouble on the streets of London next week with threats of dire insurrection, but subtle irony, like that which is displayed here by the anonymous authors [...]