Greetings.
I make no secret of the fact that I have very strong views on the dangerous nature of large, centralised government in general, and the EU in particular. On the other hand, I have no desire to bore you to death with the same story every day…and that’s what this week has been like in the FT…the same old journalistic hypocrisy and inverted bigotry posing as ‘liberalism’…followed by the same old soapbox outrage from me…
Alas, this week I chose to take it personally…very personally…somebody had to, but I should’ve let someone else do it…it’s exhausting :-)
So, here is some of the dross that came disguised as journalism, followed by some of my soapboxing replies…
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June 21, 2016 6:23 pm
“Why I believe Britain belongs in Europe” - Martin Wolf
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b7203bbc-3793-11e6-a780-b48ed7b6126f.html#ixzz4CFXmIICe
“Above all, nothing can justify the xenophobia and outright lies from Brexiters on this topic. Those liberals in the Leave camp who prate about the free market should feel ashamed of the company they keep”
As someone who believes in the classical liberal tradition of a limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and the rule of law equally applied to all...I'd find this comment easier to accept if:
1. I was in fact ‘keeping company’ with racists and xenophobes, and/or
2. I was stupid enough to think that everyone who votes for the same half of a binary choice, is doing so for the same reasons as I am, and/or
3. I was shallow enough to bury my own convictions because I will not break bread with some of the people on the same ‘side’, and/or
4. The accusation wasn't coming from someone who sits in Davos and Bilderberg each year with individuals and organizations who have:
a) Presided over the greatest transfer of wealth in human history
b) Been ‘fined’ $30 billion over the past couple of years, in order to make the further investigation of their criminal activities simply go away
c) People who ‘rub shoulders’ with other people at the same meetings whose job it should be to put them behind bars…if they were ‘normal’ people.
d) Other people who sit in those rooms who are well aware of the fraud and the market rigging that goes on, but who, for whatever reason, decide to look away.
As I said to you the other day Mr. Wolf - when the Gambino family pays to make a criminal investigation go away it’s called a ‘bribe’, when a Wall Street bank does it, it’s called a ‘fine’. I call it fraud however well dressed, educated or connected the crook is.
I am not ashamed to vote Leave Mr. Wolf, and neither you nor I are any the less because we differ, only if we break the law. Racists and xenophobes can go to hell as far as I’m concerned…and criminals can go to jail.
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June 23, 2016 5:36 am
‘The perils of a populist paean to ignorance’
- Philip Stephens
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/bfb5f3d4-379d-11e6-a780-b48ed7b6126f.html#ixzz4CQq3VNrT
Note: This one came with a cartoon of Michael Gove burning a big pile of books…that’s right, burning books…Any idea on what that could have been a reference to?...hmmm…
“One of the more revealing moments of the Brexit campaign came when Michael Gove, a Conservative Outer once close to Prime Minister David Cameron, said: “People in this country have had enough of experts.” There it is: a celebration of ignorance that writes the opening line of the populists’ playbook. How long before Mr. Gove, a former education secretary, is piling books on to bonfires?"
Burning Books. Nazis. Gassing human beings. Destroying 'difference’ of any kind. Michael Gove.
The only celebration of ignorance going on here is yours Mr. Stephens.
I don't know about experts, but I do know I've had enough of the pseudo intellectual crap you dish up, and you certainly qualify as an expert in 'cheap' and 'ugly'.
“How long before Mr. Gove, a former education secretary, is piling books on to bonfires?”
Certainly not before you reach the bottom of the cesspit you are digging for yourself and this newspaper.
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June 24, 2016 5:46 am
Brexit: a vote that changes everything - Philip Stephens
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61e81a90-3953-11e6-9a05-82a9b15a8ee7.html#ixzz4CTWhrLvG
“The world no longer belongs to the west. Liberty, democracy, the rule of law - the values that Britain often claims as its own - are under challenge”
Firstly, the world no longer belongs to the 'west' because billions of people in Asia and Africa have got other ideas, as is their right, and also because history works through massive cycles beyond the control of politicians and bureaucrats everywhere.
Secondly, neither liberty nor democracy have suffered today, unless you think 32 million people expressing their point of view is an act of suppression…through a referendum that the FT described as ‘totally unnecessary':
- Unnecessary for people who think they have the right to maintain the status quo on behalf of everyone else, whether they like it or not.
- Necessary for people sick to the back teeth with the status quo, and tired of waiting for the turkeys to get the point and vote for Christmas
Thirdly, the rule of law has not suffered today. Certainly not the rule of the common law built on centuries of precedent, based on the notion of innocent until proven guilty. On the other hand, the notion of law as a ‘code’ that describes what is 'allowed' is not having a good day. Personally, I will not lose any sleep over that.
What is being challenged here is a system that does not do what it says on the tin - certainly not for 52% of the population, as demonstrated by their choice at the ballot box, through an act of democracy and free will.
Meanwhile, Mr. Stephens, latterly you have espoused the virtue of great values out of one side of your mouth, whilst distributing labels like 'racist', 'xenophobe' and 'book-burner' from the other side. I can't speak for anyone else, but I will promise you this. If by any chance there is an epidemic of book burning, racism or xenophobia, I will challenge it verbally and physically. I did so in the 1970s when the National Front was spreading their poison in London, Birmingham and Bristol, and I am confident that if the Nazis are emboldened by Brexit, I will be joined by many other non-zenophobics who voted 'leave'. Maybe I’ll see you on the front line, though somehow I doubt it.
So you can take your projections and your ugly labels and place them somewhere more 'appropriate'. I voted 'leave' because I believe in liberty, democracy, and the rule of law, not because it sounds good on my CV.
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So, I’m glad that the UK is out of the federalist project called the EU…I’m sad it’s all so ugly…but this is creative destruction…and it’s very messy…
My advice, for what it's worth, is fasten your seat belt. This is the trailing edge of the financial crisis of 2007/08. It will not be confined to 'economics'. It will include a political backlash against the elites whose 'economics' caused the financial crisis, people who have continued to do very well ever since.
This is a global process - Brexit is a snowflake, albeit a big one. When a system reaches a critical level of instability, ANY snowflake can trigger the avalanche. But, no snowflake, however large, is the avalanche or causes the avalanche. The avalanche is the combined total of tons of snow, though in this case it's not snow - it's 'debt' in the world of economics, and 'corruption' in the world of politics.
Soapbox over...Have a great weekend…I’m off to bed :-)