Livingstone's vision for the United Kingdom
London's mayor is currently showboating his way around Central and South America, his first port of call being Venezuela, where he declared the Cuban revolution to be "one of the high points of the 20th century".(source). Not the end of World War II, the end of the cold war, independence for India, advances in medical science, Kitty Hawk, walking on the Moon, scaling Everest, votes for women, the Internet?
So, presumably Livingstone would like to do away with free elections for starters, and install one of his relatives as heir apparent.
Further elements from the template we can look forward to:
"Tough legislation against sedition, with a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. It stipulated penalties for unauthorized contacts with the United States and the import or supply of "subversive" materials, including texts on democracy and documents from news agencies and journalists". So, best throw out those copies of Aristotle, Magna Carta, the Bills of Rights (US and UK) etc etc.
However, why care that Cuba rates the minimum seven for political rights and civil liberties on the Freedom House scale when "Cuba's only got a fifth of the population of Britain, it gets as many medals in the Olympics as we do". I spy Juvenal's 'panem & circenses' at play here. Perhaps in downtown Havana the conversation in Summer 2004 was of little else than of Yumileidi Cumba's Gold in the women's shot put and Yandro Qunintana's Gold in the 60kg freestyle wrestling. After all, we all know the names of Ben Ainslie, Leslie Law and Chris Hoy, gold medallists all for Great Britain in 2004.
Equally, we can look forward to the United Kingdom's economy being kept afloat by money sent by relatives from overseas, tourists hiring our youth for the night for small change, and Britons fleeing to the continent aboard inflated inner tubes. Tempted?
So, presumably Livingstone would like to do away with free elections for starters, and install one of his relatives as heir apparent.
Further elements from the template we can look forward to:
"Tough legislation against sedition, with a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. It stipulated penalties for unauthorized contacts with the United States and the import or supply of "subversive" materials, including texts on democracy and documents from news agencies and journalists". So, best throw out those copies of Aristotle, Magna Carta, the Bills of Rights (US and UK) etc etc.
However, why care that Cuba rates the minimum seven for political rights and civil liberties on the Freedom House scale when "Cuba's only got a fifth of the population of Britain, it gets as many medals in the Olympics as we do". I spy Juvenal's 'panem & circenses' at play here. Perhaps in downtown Havana the conversation in Summer 2004 was of little else than of Yumileidi Cumba's Gold in the women's shot put and Yandro Qunintana's Gold in the 60kg freestyle wrestling. After all, we all know the names of Ben Ainslie, Leslie Law and Chris Hoy, gold medallists all for Great Britain in 2004.
Equally, we can look forward to the United Kingdom's economy being kept afloat by money sent by relatives from overseas, tourists hiring our youth for the night for small change, and Britons fleeing to the continent aboard inflated inner tubes. Tempted?
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on Saturday, November 04, 2006 at 12:13 pm.
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The way in which a considerable segment of the Left is (still)entranced by the sordid lure of Castro and Chavez defies rational understanding. Castro denies free speech, political opposition, and freedom of religion. He has wrecked Cuba's economy, and has killed 70,000 people so far, by executions, internment camps, and the deaths of refugees (boat people) trying to escape.
Chavez has already rewritten the constitution to his own liking, filled the judiciary with his own men and begun throwing political opponents into jail. And some say he is now looking beyond Venezuela's borders. With billions of dollars in oil profits, Chavez is buying advanced Russian fighter planes and helicopters, dramatically increasing the size of his armed forces and integrating it with Cuba's. He also promotes strong relations with Iran.
But the Euro-Left can't resist Fidel or Hugo. They will readily overlook oppression and economic mismanagement at home if you market yourself as David to the American Goliath.
Pathetic.
IT - Absolutely. I do not think there is anything I can add to that.
A friend of mine has Venezuelan ex wife, when they met venezuela was a pleasant relatively prosperous nation despite being "raped" by its elite. Now when they return crime is through the roof and most people live on starch and oil (cooking).At least they must be pleased that they have all those nice shiny new migs.
Seriously, this Chavez is stealing the countries wealth, unfortunately, just as in this country he has enough imbeciles who shouldn't be allowed to live let alone vote to keep him in power, for now.
Then a well deserved retirement to Switzerland/moscow, etc. etc.
he will probably holiday with the Blairs.
"Chavez has already rewritten the constitution to his own liking, filled the judiciary with his own men and begun throwing political opponents into jail."
And this is different from Blair's Britain how? Oh! I remember! If people get in his way, Chavez has them thrown in prison. Blair was rather more intemperate with Dr David Kelly.
I think it is somewhat different to Blairs Britain although the comparison is far to close for comfort .
Why does Ken Livingstone have to travel abroad at all? He speaks for no one and London has no foreign Policy. Part of my mayoral vision( ho ho) would be shutting the fuck up about a range of issues of which he has no understanding , less control and absolutely no platform.
On Lebanon it was enough to make you run shrieking into the Thames and he was v far from alone . Numerous Councillors all over London were wittering on about this border skirmish ( about to kick off again!) . Not a word on DAFUR where Islamic genocide is on a scale hundreds of times larger .
My theory is that left wingers like striking attitudes about the world where the calamatious results of their errors are harder to spot and they are not required to live in them .
I cannot tell you how boring I find Ken Livingstone. The man is so predictable. He never says a single thing that surprises. He never does anything we could not have predicted months in advance.
Livingstone may be boring but sadly he is also dangerous and I cannot for the life of me understand why Londoners vote for him.
I have written on the latest shenanigans in Venezuela because they seem to bear the hallmark of Red Ken...
We need Dick Whittington back.
http://iznewmania.blogspot.com/
I thought only the proper mayor of London could travel abroad and not Livinghell.
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