Clare Short OBE

[Pinball]

Goddamn it, she deserves it. She has sacrificed her career and possibly liberty over this UN issue. Yes, we can question her motives, why didn't she act earlier, blah blah. But serious respect to her for today.

I don't believe she would have gone public today without protection - i.e. MI5/6. Notably she defended them in the C4 interview. This is the payback the security services wanted for the accusation that their incompetent information led to war (i.e. 45 minutes). Blair tried to blame them - this is their revenge.

C4 news after 30 mins still covering the same story - superb! This could bring down the government - fantastic! People finally will become aware of the degree to which they're not free.

Technological totalitarianism.

Watch Newsnight 10.30pm tonight - Clare Short being interviewed.

[hoverdonkey]

Blair tried to blame them - this is their revenge........ bring down the government

Karma Police bringing down the government thanks to Clare Short, she of Hitler haircut. You are Thom Yorke and I claim my 5 lazy eyes.

[wheatgod]

mmmmm, newsnight....
paxman?

[Bilko]

On Channel Four News when Jon Snow Interviewed Claire Short, JS asked her you could face disciplinary action. Claire short said 'I'm quaking in my boots'. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Fight, Fight, FIght. I'd take Claire Short in fight with wanky blair any day.

[Pinball]

Will this bring down Blair? I reckon 30% chance...

[Ambient Sheep]

Goddamn it, she deserves it.

No she fucking doesn't.  If she'd resigned when she'd supposed to, Britain would never have got involved in the war in the first place.

Sorry, not meant to be personally confrontational against you, Pinball.  Just her.

[DonkeyRods]

sorry if Im being a dopey twat, but telly listings say Garth Marenghi is on at 10:35 tonight. I take it the schedules all shook up?

[Marcus Or Relius]

I caught a snippet of some New Labour Drone - dunno which one, they're all the same really - condemning Short's remarks, claiming "Our Intelligence Services should not be undermined by such allegations, we're facing a serious terrorist threat!"

It's just like the US - whenever anyone dares question Blair's sneaky tactics,  David Blunkett's whacked-out liberty-eroding ideas, etc, we're suddenly reminded we're facing a "serious terrorist threat." No we're not. No Al Quida strikes have taken place against Britain, and the only reason they might do now is because Blair's allied so closely with Bush.

[Pinball]

Goddamn it, she deserves it.

No she fucking doesn't.  If she'd resigned when she'd supposed to, Britain would never have got involved in the war in the first place.

Sorry, not meant to be personally confrontational against you, Pinball.  Just her.

I accept she's a self-serving slut. After all, she was a politician before she committed career suicide today. My point is that she had the balls to break today's news. Few would have. She may have delayed it, but she eventually did it. I'd rather have the news eventually than never.

On another topic, fascinating how the media are covering this. It's a "stress test" of their true nature. Sky News has shown it's true colours - blatantly defending Blair, belittling Short and giving the story minimal coverage. Channel 4 and BBC have been superb - bless 'em. Fox News hasn't even mentioned it - fascist fucks.

[bill hicks]

sorry if Im being a dopey twat, but telly listings say Garth Marenghi is on at 10:35 tonight. I take it the schedules all shook up?

Newsnight is on BBC2.

[Pinball]

sorry if Im being a dopey twat, but telly listings say Garth Marenghi is on at 10:35 tonight. I take it the schedules all shook up?

BBC2 10.30pm

[DonkeyRods]

sorry if Im being a dopey twat, but telly listings say Garth Marenghi is on at 10:35 tonight. I take it the schedules all shook up?

BBC2 10.30pm

OMFG
Sorry.

[Borboski]

But Peter Hitchens is on Question Time!!!

And Brian Eno!!!

AckkK!!KK!KK.

I love Question Time. Even though it's shit. Every Thursday I get myself 8 cans and sit up. I especially love shouting at middle-class white students who have clearly gone along just to get on telly, and clearly no nothing about the things they ask questions on.

[Vermschneid Mehearties]

And Brian Eno!!!

*Wide Eyed*

Bloody hell. I don't think I could bear watching him though! If I do, I'll be listening to his abomination "Another Green World" straight after.

As for Clare Short, she isn't doing her own party and favours by kicking up a fuss, but then I don't really care.

[fanny splendid]

I caught a snippet of some New Labour Drone - dunno which one, they're all the same really - condemning Short's remarks, claiming "Our Intelligence Services should not be undermined by such allegations, we're facing a serious terrorist threat!"

Heh, I don't know if that statement has been repeated by others, but the New Labour Drone who said that was tony blair.

[Dusty Gozongas]

If she'd resigned when she'd supposed to, Britain would never have got involved in the war in the first place.

I doubt it.

...and with each passing right/wrong movement she makes in the public eye I become more convinced that she's one of Tony's secret  weapons of mass distraction.

[Ambient Sheep]

If she'd resigned when she'd supposed to, Britain would never have got involved in the war in the first place.

...and with each passing right/wrong movement she makes in the public eye I become more convinced that she's one of Tony's secret  weapons of mass distraction.

Now *that's* a conspiracy theory!

[Dusty Gozongas]

Now *that's* a conspiracy theory!

Watch that space.  She'll be back.

Mark my words :(

[hencole]

Goddamn it, she deserves it.

No she fucking doesn't.  If she'd resigned when she'd supposed to, Britain would never have got involved in the war in the first place.

Totally agree. She stopped the whole anti-war movement in their tracks.  She gave Blair the legitimacy he needed. Silly moo.

[Bilko]

Several people from the intelligence service and MP's have said that Claire Short has put Britain and British lives at risk because of this leak and intelligence practices. Oh really, Kofi Annan is a threat to world peace is he, there's a real big threat of the Secretary General of the UN coming over here and spreading toxic gases on the tube is there. SO that's why Cunty Blair gave authority for the most independent pacifist person at the official diplomatic organisation of the world phone calls to be bugged.

She has also been asked about having broken the secrecy act, so fucking what.

[big dogs cock]

Just to echo what sheepy and hencole already said, and to add that really, did anybody actually hear this news and go 'FUCKING HELL REALLY? WE BUG THE UN?'. Call me a cynic but I just assumed this sort of stuff went on in every country, regardless of its agenda.

I recognise she's trying to heap yet more embarassment on a government she is at odds with, I just get the feeling she's a bit of a clueless bitch who acts more out of self publicity and vanity than morals. On this one though, the war was wrong, blair's a cunt, so heap away, make as much shit stick as possible.

[fanny splendid]

Just to echo what sheepy and hencole already said, and to add that really, did anybody actually hear this news and go 'FUCKING HELL REALLY? WE BUG THE UN?'. Call me a cynic but I just assumed this sort of stuff went on in every country, regardless of its agenda.

Yeah, I would have been surprised if we weren't bugging the UN.

Aren't the UN just as much of a threat to, in principle, the UK government, as any supposed terrorist?

[zozman]

Just to echo what sheepy and hencole already said, and to add that really, did anybody actually hear this news and go 'FUCKING HELL REALLY? WE BUG THE UN?'. Call me a cynic but I just assumed this sort of stuff went on in every country, regardless of its agenda.

Yeah, I would have been surprised if we weren't bugging the UN.

Aren't the UN just as much of a threat to, in principle, the UK government, as any supposed terrorist?

Um, no.

On one hand, I say good luck to her for wiping the smile off Blair's smug twatting face, but on the other you'd have to say she's an egomaniac who is making it much more likely the tories will get in.  

This will all blow over by monday I reckon - depends if anything comes out in the sunday papers.

[fanny splendid]

Um, no.

Have you read the UN declaration on human rights?

As far as an actual threat to the government, what terrorist organisation is? The IRA? They made no difference at all, and were arguably the most 'successful'.

[hencole]

Clare Short has her heart in the right place but her brain in the wrong place. She's like a football ref who having missed a clear penalty in the first half try's to make up for it by making an equally poor decision the other way in the second. She swings this way and that trying to keep her self in the middle, but along the way vears off violently on both sides.

[zozman]

No, I haven't read the Human Rights stuff, but why would this be a threat to the British Government?  Do you mean the government specifically or the country?  If you mean the government as a body, the IRA had a good go at the tory government in Brighton.

[Brigadier Pompous]

People finally will become aware of the degree to which they're not free.

Yeah, because the government spying on the UN really makes me less free.

[elderford]

I once read a real book (I think it was about Black September Organisation or Operation Wrath of God) which mentioned a UN diplomat who was helping the PFLP (fucking splitters), bringing in cash or something in a diplomatic bag.

So it is not unheard of for UN people to be naughty.

[Nearly Annually]

She spent most of the Newsnight interview going, "Look, I'm an intelligent woman..." from what I hear. Well, Claire, I saw you trying to be a schoolteacher t'other night (spot the retirement, autibioraphy and attempted meeja career à la Portillo) - and you were a silly old mare on that, I'm afraid. A right useless trout

Not entirely useless in keeping the Iraq pressure on our Tones, though. Don't somehow think she'll be on that honours list, Pinball.

Question Time and This Week were a good giggle last night - got more laughs out of me than most recent TV comedy. Brian Eno shone in the "Guest who has the luxury of free speech and more charm and intellect than the rest put together" chair, naturally.

[fanny splendid]

No, I haven't read the Human Rights stuff, but why would this be a threat to the British Government?  Do you mean the government specifically or the country?  If you mean the government as a body, the IRA had a good go at the tory government in Brighton.

Have you tried to leave the country lately? I travelled to the dizzy heights of Belgium on Tuesday and had my passport checked three times at Dover. Once when entering the port, once when checking in (about 100m further up the road), and then once again, along with multiple questions asked, when leaving the port 30 minutes later due to the crapness of the ferries. I then travelled up to the Channel tunnel where again I had my passport checked upon entering the check-in point. Then again through a 'security' check and customs, where I also was asked to leave my vehicle, let them check the back of the van and under the bonnet. I was asked stupid questions about why there where empty beer bottles in the back of the van. Two women appeared with swabs which they applied to the interior of the van, which once completed required a five minute wait for the results. All clear and onto the train. Coming home on Wednesday evening was similar, plus an extra long passport check involving parking in a special bay while waiting for the passport to be returned, thus missing the train.

My point?

Article 13.


(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.


(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

I presumed we were all talking about the government.

Yes, the IRA had a good go (in a terribly British sense), but to be honest, is wasn't really up to much.

Go here to find out what your rights are.

In 1998, it was the fiftieth anniversary of the declaration on human rights, and a small booklet was published detailing these rights. It was illustrated by Gerald Scarfe, and came with a recommendation that it be handed out to school children all over the world. I bought mine from Waterstones for a pound. Bargain.