Tim Worstall

Britblog Roundup #104

Once again, your nominations for those posts from the Britblogging community that you think should be seen by us all. You can make suggestions for next week’s extravaganza by emailing the URL to britblog AT gmail DOT com.

The big news today on the blogs is an old newspaper piece dug out of The Guardian archives. Pickled Politics has it in full,  Chicken Yoghurt, Bloggerheads and Tom Watson MP have all taken down their posts awaiting the retraction that Guido Fawkes got from The Guardian and Harry’s Place has a good discussion of the issues. The thing is though, the silliness of the entire process. I thought that part of the point about these blogs things, part of the driving ethos, is that we don’t actually believe what we read in the papers? After all, we’ve caught enough journalists spouting their heads off without their knowing what they’re talking about, haven’t we? Why believe this piece, just because it shows an ideological opponent in a bad light?….ah, yes.

On to more important things: Flaming Nora has invented a new art form, poetry from spam email titles.

1820 thinks that Cuban agricultural techniques should be brought to Scotland. Deep fried sugar cane anyone?

Did you know that Brian May has a blog? Yes, you can tell it’s written by a guitarist.

SuzBlog has the video evidence that Neil Innes was in fact correct: there really are urban spacemen.

Something to applaud: a sensible development aid package, deliberately structured to maximise the impact of market forces on public health. As Owen Barder points out, really, who would have thought that such a thing was possible?

Signs of the times to come: Jacob Rees-Mogg is willing to work with the Liberals.

Thinking about the Welsh Assembly elections? Peter Black AM gives us the handicap.

Here’s an idea about Lord’s reform: why not a tri-cameral legislature?

Bird flu: wild birds infecting farms or farms infecting wild birds?

Mr Dodge would like to know what we really shoud be spending the tax money on.

And that’s it for this week. Short, I know, but I can only post those pieces that are nominated now, can’t I?

Until next week then:

Toodle Pip!

In

9 responses

  1. marcuse Avatar
    marcuse

    I think the story is interesting because it illustrates a certain hypocricy by Mr Paul D Staines: he peddles all manner of rumours and tittle-tattle, having protected himself from legal injunction, but when someone else digs up his own dirty past (e.g. political opportunism in tactically courting the BNP to disrupt opponents meetings, hanging out with the “hang Mandela” brigade) he immediately threatens them with legal action.
    Twat.

    Reply
  2. Justin Avatar
    Justin

    It’s got nothing to do with Staines being ‘an ideological opponent’. Surely you’ve read enough over the last few weeks to know that, Tim.
    Tom Watson is bandwagon jumping.
    Tim adds: Well, really, I honestly don’t know why Tim Ireland is doing all this ragging on Paul. So he doesn’t like the way he blogs? Great, read a different one then.

    Reply
  3. Larry Teabag Avatar
    Larry Teabag

    Why believe this piece, just because it shows an ideological opponent in a bad light?….ah, yes.
    You mean the same reason that anyone believes anything Guido ever writes?
    However I admire your argument that we must all ignore this bit of juicy gossip, because it was written in a newspaper.

    Reply
  4. Martin Avatar
    Martin

    Tim
    Staines’ blog makes him look like a bit of a prick at the best of times – but is the allegation that he was running around with plonkers like Harry Phibbs meant to be like, a story?
    Fucks’ sake, is this what the British blogosphere’s been reduced to?
    Tim adds: Harry Phibbs, why do I remember that name?

    Reply
  5. Martin Avatar
    Martin

    Tim,
    You remember it because,
    A. Like me, you have an excellent memory
    B. He was/is a 6-5″ 18 odd stone-ish right wing thug (as you know, I’m a right wing thug myself, but this character WAS a right wing thug) whose name appeared in the papers as part of the young Tory thugs that the sectarian Lord Skinhead of Ponders’ End excised from the Conservatives at the same time as the human Staines was ALLEGED to be consorting with BNP – a sort of hobnailed Boris Johnson without the charm.
    It is not known whether, like Boris, he married and then procured an abortion for his mistress.
    Good grief, librium makes for wonderful prose first thing in the morning?

    Reply
  6. Quinn Avatar
    Quinn

    If I’ve got this right, then Tim thinks
    a)it is silly to quote something from the papers because we know they all lie. I take it that goes for stories you agree with and disagree with.
    b)if you don’t like the way someone writes you just ignore them and read something else. I presume that applies as equally to Polly Toynbee as Guido Fawkes.
    Fine by me, but doesn’t that somewhat cramp you style Tim?
    Tim adds: Hands up everyone who thinks I have a style to cramp.

    Reply
  7. sanbikinoriaon Avatar
    sanbikinoriaon

    Quinn makes a good point, though, Tim – you link to articles on the Telegraph *all* the time. If you think that they could be inaccurate, why do you link to them?
    Perhaps it’s because those articles either show an ideological opponent in a bad light, or support your own views. Now I’ll know not to trust them (or you, when you link to them).
    Doh.

    Reply
  8. Andrew Ian Dodge Avatar
    Andrew Ian Dodge

    Yeah the shit-stirring against Guido is wee bit pathetic it has to be said. He has done a crap job at hiding who is…methinks almost deliberately. The attempts to out of him are just lame. Even Harry’s thinks the whole palava is twee. Yes he was in the FCS so f***ing what? There were some dubious types involved but Staines has always been a libertarian.

    Reply
  9. Fawkes is evil Avatar
    Fawkes is evil

    Why does everyone think Guido Fawkes AKA Paul Staines is a neutral. Guido Fawkes is an extreme right winger.
    His recent castigation of anti racist campaigner Mr Hain is a sign of what he hates. Hain sacrificed his security against a brutal state to fight for democracy for blacks in south Africa. Fawkes despises him for that.
    He joined the Young Conservatives whilst at University.
    Here is the real facts about Fawkes
    Having joined the Federation of Conservative Students, he described his politics as “Thatcher on drugs”.
    Staines worked as ‘foreign policy analyst’ for the extreme right wing Committee for a Free Britain, a right wing Conservative pressure group, alongside David Hart. Staines acted as editor of ‘British Briefing’ a long standing publication that sought to “smear Labour MPs and left leaning lawyers and writers”.
    He does the same now but claims he is neutral. Funny how he nevers insults the tories bosses infact seems to let them of the hook. I am sure you can see he is no neutral. He is no neutral but wait the later points are even worse. .
    Staines relates of his work with the Committee: in the book
    (1998). Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House, 2nd edition, London: Serpent’s Tail. ISBN 1-85242-604-7. —
    “I was lobbying at the Council of Europe and at Parliament; I was over in Washington, in Jo’burg, in South America. It was ‘let’s get guns for the Contras’, that sort of stuff. I was enjoying it immensely, I got to go with these guys and fire off AK-47s. I always like to go where the action is, and for that period in the Reagan/Thatcher days, it was great fun, it was all expenses paid and I got to see the world. I used to think that World Briefing was a bit funny. The only scary thing about those publications was the mailing list – people like George Bush – and the fact that Hart would talk to the head of British Intelligence for an hour. I used to think it was us having a laugh, putting some loony right-wing sell in, and that somebody somewhere was taking it seriously. You’ve got to understand that we had a sense of humor about this.”
    The CFB invited Adolfo Calero, the Nicaraguan Contra leader, to visit the UK.
    What kinf of sickoe works with the contras and supplies gunsot them.
    In a November 1984 report the Sandinista government alleged since 1981 the Contras had assassinated 910 state officials; attacked nearly 100 civilian communities; caused the displacement of over 150,000 people from their homes and farms; and damaged or destroyed bridges, port facilities, granaries, water and oil deposits, electrical power stations, telephone lines, saw mills, health centers, schools and dams.
    A Sandinista militiaman interviewed by The Guardian stated Contra rebels committed these atrocities against Sandinista prisoners after a battle at a Sandinista rural outpost:
    Rosa had her breasts cut off. Then they cut into her chest and took out her heart. The men had their arms broken, their testicles cut off. They were killed by slitting their throats and pulling the tongue out through the slit. Fawkes must be so proud. So think of that when you read his blog.
    What kind of sickoe thinks it is fun to support sick creeps like the contras.
    The CFB launched a number of policy campaigns and initiatives during 1988. It also supported the Community Charge (Poll Tax).
    In time for the October 1988 Conservative Party Conference, the CFB published a British Foreign Policy – The Case for Reform, featuring a photo on the front cover of Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe giving the clenched fist salute at a meeting in southern Africa. In the pamphlet’s conclusion it stated “The Foreign Office is one of the last of the great institutions to escape the refreshing breath of Thatcherism.” Howe maintained he had not been giving a black power salute.
    So now we see why fawkes despises hain. Re,ber he was a foreign policy analyst..

    Reply

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