Anti-Vaxxers Disappear Up Their Own Theories.

Wew are awash with anti-vaxxer fake news at the moment. Their theories on why vaccination is a bad idea seem to fall into several categories - that encouraging the over-65's to be vaccinated against Covid-19 is a plot to steralise them - that encouraging younger people to be vaccinated is a plot so they can be tracked wherever they go even as they spend all day and night texting on their mobile phones - that vaccinations are a plot by eugenicicsts to weaken our immune system and wipe us all out. The latest piece of horseshit from these people is that Henry Kissinger told the WHO “Council on Eugenics” in 2009 that vaccines could be used to control the human population. Except that Kissinger never said anything of the kind at such a meeting because the WHO "Council on Eugenics" doesn't actually exist. Many of the people pedling this nonsense are worried that their children will be harmed by vaccination, despite the fact that they themselves were vaccinated against rubella, polio, TB, whooping cough, mumps and meningitis and lived long enough to have children sterilization not withstanding. So what kind of people are spreading this idiocy? The answer is quite simple - idiots. Addicted the conspiracy theories that one moment's thought would dismiss as utter lunacy, these people are convinced that the most inept UK government in our history, unable to master a track and trace system that all of Europe has no problem with, is trying to kill, sterilize or track them by implanting devices in their bodies. If they had leaped upon the Tory's "herd immunity" it would be understandable since that particular idea was probably one of the most stupid in British history (along with the economic suicide of Brexit). They failed to do so because this merely demonstrated that the Tory government is little more than a collection of complete morons. They prefer to believe that Boris Johnson and his boss, Dominique Cummins, are super-villains rather than the dickheads that they are.

When Is A Crime Not A Crime?

Someone leaked sensitive information from the UK's National Security Council. Under the terms of the Official Secrets Act 1989 this is a criminal offence. The deliberations of the National Security Council are a state secret and leaking such deliberations is a criminal act if it is "damaging and done without lawful authority". Well, the leak wasn't done with "lawful authority" and has done considerable damage in terms of the UK's relationship with China and to the UK's reputation in the world. An important UK politician, Gavin Williamson the Defence Minister and a legend in his own lunchtime, has been accused, found guilty and professionally executed by the Prime Minister Theresa May, a legend in no one's lunchtime. Gavin Williamson has declared his innocence but, as far as Prime Minister May is concerned, the matter is closed. So a crime has been committed and a suspect has been publicly named but the matter is closed? The question that arises is since when has the Executive branch of government taken over the role of the Judiciary? It is not the business of the Executive to decide when a criminal offence has been committed nor is it the Executive's business to find anyone accused guilty or innocent. Nothing can illustrate better Theresa May's complete disregard for or, even more worryingly, utter ignorance of how the British political system works. Yet this is how the Tory party itself works, through ignorance and a complete disregard for the political, social and economic well-being of everyone not in their magic circle. Under the Tories a non-binding purely advisory referendum has been set in stone, Parliament is ignored and the people are collectively punished for the crimes of the Tories rich mates. While Theresa May was Home Secretary she managed to "lose" 14 files pertaining to paedophilia in high places. As Prime Minister she has stripped our streets of the police with the result that crime is soaring, continued to ignore mass homelessness while thousands of houses stand empty, deliberately underfunded and undermined the NHS, wrecked the education system, persecuted the sick, the disabled and racial minorities and pushed millions into poverty while, at the same time, pushing ahead with a Brexit that she knows for a fact will decimate the British economy. Her own party hates her, business hates her, the people hate her, yet she continues to super-glue herself to the door of No.10 and gets away with it because the Tory party is terrified that no Brexit and a general election would expose them to prosecution under the EU's Court of Human Rights while their offshore banking scam would come to a shuddering halt. So when is a crime not a crime? When it is committed by a Tory.

Farage is Back!

Nigel Farage has made a comeback with his new Brexit party having decided that UKIP is too right-wing. Britain's very own Judas Goat is up in arms (and in the money once again) because he feels the need to "change politics" and save us all from those who would stop Brexit. "I said that if I did come back into the political fray it would be no more Mr Nice Guy and I mean it," he told us, though his definition of what makes for a "Nice Guy" seems somewhat problematic. He then trundled out his latest acolyte, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister to Jacob Rees-Mogg Member of Parliament for the 18th century. ""We've got to rescue our democracy from those who want a second referendum" she told her audience. "We have got to show that the people of this country have a say in how we are run without actually asking them." Earlier in the day Farage said on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme that ""In terms of policy, there's no difference to UKIP except for the obvious racism which we in the Brexit party are determined to keep under wraps". He then promised that the new Brexit party would be "deeply intolerant of all intolerance" except for that directed at foreigners, those who disagree with them and anyone trying to close down the offshore banking scam. "The Brexit party will represent a cross section of society", he added, "especially Daily Mail readers, moronic bigots and my American mates who want to asset strip the NHS" After the conference, as the delegates tucked into their chlorinated chicken lunch, Farage granted "The News In Shorts" an exclusive interview. "You just can't trust established right-wing politicians", he sighed. "They will insist on letting the cat out of the bag. Some things have to be kept from the British public for their own good." "Such as?," our reporter asked. "Well you know, things like protecting offshore banking from the nasty evil people who want rich people like me to pay their fair share of taxes, those who want health care free at the point of need and the truth about our abject efforts to get trade deals from foreigners who know we're desperate. That sort of thing". "But surely you want to represent a cross section of society and I thought you didn't like foreigners," our reporter suggested. "When I say a cross section of our society I mean, of course, those better sort of people who don't want to pay tax. And, of course, there's foreigners and then there's foreigners. I like those wiling to grease my palm. It's the other sort I don't approve of - those who want to protect employment rights and the like. Basically the EU. Would you like some of this lovely chlorinated chicken?".

Why Did Brexit Get So Ugly?

So, how did Brexit get so ugly? It began with David Cameron who decided to give the British people a referendum on their membership of the EU. His reason was quite simple - he wanted to shut up the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg, frightened that his offshore banking scam would soon be outlawed by the EU, in his own party and take the wind out of the sails of Nigel Farage and UKIP. It was a short-sighted political decision made by a lazy Prime Minister and against all advice to the contrary. From the beginning then Brexit wasn't exactly a pretty proposition. Cameron, after a lack-lustre Remain campaign, lost the referendum and promptly resigned so that someone else could clear up the political mess he had created. Meanwhile, after a campaign noted only for the lies, deceptions and pure fantasy, the Leave campaigners went into overdrive - crowing about their "majority" which consisted of only 37% of those entitled to vote in the referendum and threatening the EU with all kinds of dire consequences if they didn't do as they were told. Ignoring the fact that a Labour MP, Jo Cox, had been assassinated by a right wing Brexiteer nutter, the likes of Boris Johnson (having changed sides in the campaign when he thought he might become Prime Minister), Michael Gove (who stabbed Boris in the back as soon as the campaign was over) and Jacob Rees-Mogg (Member of Parliament for the 18th century) began waving the Union Flag and promised us all that the EU would soon crumble in the face of our obvious superiority. Liam Fox set off around the world to deliver the promised free trade agreements and Theresa May (the surprise winner in the "Who The Fuck's In Charge Now" competition) set off to handbag those Johnnie Foreigners in Europe. Unfortunately Liam Fox soon found that negotiating cap-in-hand with the rest of the world who knew that the UK was desperate wasn't going to be "the easiest thing in the world" after all. India said, "Yes, of course. But in return we want open access for 700 million of our citizens who would dearly love to move to the UK". The United States said, "Yes, of course. But we want to buy up the NHS at bargain basement prices and have unlimited access for our chlorinated chickens". Theresa May found that her handbag was taken from her by EU security and settled down to be told what the EU were willing to give her. It was not all disaster to be fair. Liam Fox managed to get an interim trade deal with the Faroe Islands and Nepal while Theresa May managed to get her handbag back when she returned home. With great aplomb she then wielded her handbag in Parliament only to find that almost the entire House of Commons had donned handbag proof vests. Having failed to get her deal through Parliament three times, while denying a less than impressed British electorate a second vote on the whole sorry mess, she then pushed back the deadline for leaving the EU not once but twice. She also reached across the House for Jeremy Corbyn to help her and take some of the blame hoping that her action, two years too late, would elevate her to leader of the Labour party. With her own party hopelessly split she failed to notice the referendum had also split the entire country down the middle or that an increasingly vocal neo-Nazi movement had taken Brexit as an excuse to be as nasty and violent as they'd always wanted to be. How did Brexit get so ugly? It was always ugly. A bunch of Tory and UKIP conmen, afraid that their offshore banking scam was in danger or hating all foreigners because they were foreigners, had lied, deceived and over-promised their way to victory. With their lies and promises nailed for the rubbish they are, their only alternative is to continue waving the flag, talk big and now tell us that the Brexit recession will all be over within 50 years. Welcome to the sunny uplands.

Whose Foreign Policy Is Driving The White House?

Within a year Donald Trump has managed to place the United States in jeopardy in the Far East where war with North Korea is fast becoming a near certainty, he has insulted most of America's allies in Europe and now, with the announcement that he recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he has set the Middle East alight. None of this is in the United States interests since it reduces its reputation, its influence and divides its attention and resources at a crucial time in world history. So why would Trump be so stupid? Is it simply because he is stupid or is there something more sinister at work? His foreign policy is criminal in its ineptitude and, as Cicero once pointed out, when a crime is committed the first question that should be asked is "Cui bono?" - who benefits? The answer to this is blindingly simple - Russia. Driving a wedge between the US and NATO, embroiling the US in a conflict in the Far East and reducing its influence in the Middle East is a Russian wet dream and is frighteningly close to being realised. Even more frightening is how it is being realised since it is all based on the idiocy of one man - Donald Trump. Trump maybe a simpleton but his campaign to take the White House was well organised by someone and it is doubtful if the idiots that surround him could have been responsible. The evidence is beginning to suggest quite forcibly that Trump conspired with Russia to place him in the Oval Office and that Trump is nothing more or less than a Russian agent. For Trump patriotism doesn't even come into it. He is a businessman (and a shady one at that) and selling out his country was simply a business deal that was too good an opportunity to miss. With the hot and eager help of the corrupt Republican Party he's even managed to reduce the tax due on his foreign earnings. A contemporary of Cicero, Jugurtha the King of Numidia, described Rome as "a city up for sale, if only she can find a buyer." It would seem that Trump and the Republican Party found their buyer in the Kremlin.

The Bill Is In!

Britain, confident in its glorious future as a trading super power, has told the EU that it is willing to pay £57 billion in order to leave the EU. Of course that means that the £135 million per week for the NHS will have to wait a bit (8 years) as we pay this off but it is small price to pay to get a really good trading deal. Like the one we've already got for instance. Rich people, like those who make up the majority of the Tory party, needn't worry though since it is those who are not rich who will be paying the taxes needed to meet the divorce bill. In the meantime the rich can break out the champagne since they will dodge the EU Anti-Tax Evasion Directive that comes into force in 2019 (Phew, that was a close call!) Jeremy Hunt was quick to get behind the deal as he revisited the idea of clawing back money from NHS workers for weekend work. Meanwhile, having successfully redacted much of the information in the government's own dismal assessment of Britain's economic future after leaving the EU, David Davis has reiterated that Parliament will have a "meaningful" say on the final Brexit settlement inasmuch as they can either accept it or take the blame for not getting any kind of deal. (Phew, yet another bullet dodged by the Tory party). There can be no doubt, however, that this deal is a triumph for the Tory party. Reports tonight suggest that streets across the nation have filled with deliriously happy Brexiteers all celebrating making themselves less well off by several thousand pounds per year. "We've got control of our borders at last" one breathless celebrant told our reporter. "And we've got a Royal wedding to look forward to in May". Asked about Meghan Markle our interviewee replied, "She's got a bloody good sun tan and Americans are not really foreigners are they?" Only the vexed question of the border between Northern Ireland and Eire now stands in the way of Britain's glorious future but the Tories are confident of finding a fudge that will fool everyone long enough to carry out Brexit before the truth catches up with them.

Why The Tories Betrayed The UK.

For those who are wondering why the Tories are so set on leaving the EU and why they wanted the leave date enshrined in law the following should be an eye opener. In 2019, just as Britain should be leaving the EU if the Tories have their way, a new Directive from the EU will come into force. This Directive is intended to end tax dodging by the rich and greedy. Let that sink in. The rich and greedy in the EU will no longer be able to dodge their tax liabilities across the whole of Europe just as the rich and greedy in the UK have arranged to take us out of the EU. Now this might be just a strange coincidence but, given that Theresa May's husband is a professional tax dodger as is most of the Tory party, this might be a little hard to swallow. The truth is that the Tory party has sold this country down the river to maximise their own profiteering at the expense of everyone else. Nothing illustrates better the Tory party's role as the political arm of organised crime than Brexit.

How Neoliberlism Drove Our Leaders Insane.

Hurricane Irma is a fitting symbol for the end of neoliberalism as an economic "theory". Neoliberalism forced the greedy and selfishness to deny the reality of global warming since it threatened to undermine the profits to be made from the profligate use of fossil fuels. Global warning, they insisted, was either a liberal conspiracy or a Chinese conspiracy depending on which "enemy" they had in their sights at the moment. With the reality of global warming now bearing down on the United in the form of hurricane Irma and another one following close behind those Republicans who still embrace neoliberalism may soon have to deny aid to their own citizens once again. Twenty State Representatives and both Texas State Senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, have all voted against a $50.5 billion dollar relief package for victims of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy when it came before them in January 2013 despite the damage to their own state. Will they now vote against an even bigger relief package in the wake of hurricane Irma? Neoliberal "theory" says they must since greed and selfishness are more important than decency, humanity or even common sense. Much the same can be seen in the Brexit debacle unfolding in Britain. The chance to deny human and workers rights in the UK is far too important to the political arm of organised crime known as the Tory party. Nothing is more important than their "right" to grab whatever money they can in order to stuff their tax free overseas bank accounts. Not even the economic future of the country must be allowed to stand in the way of this goal. How else can they privatise the NHS and flog it off to American health care companies without undue interference from Brussels? In both the US and in the UK the vehicle that is being used to sell this insanity to the voting public is nationalism and its handmaiden, patriotism. With neoliberalism exposed as the fraud it always was this is the only way to hang onto its idiotic precepts long enough to squeeze out the last drop of profit. As Ben Johnson once observed, patriotism truly is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Brexit Comes Home To Roost.

We've had the lies - money for the NHS, taking back control of our borders, the sunny uplands of economic freedom - but now the reality of Brexit is finally arriving. The money for the NHS was the first thing the swivel-eyed Brexit nutters dropped. Then came the weasel words about the need for "controlled" immigration. Lately we've had various government ministers, including Theresa May, being rebuffed by America, China, India and Japan as these countries point out that the UK doesn't actually produce anything they either need or want. So what was the point of Brexit? First and foremost it gave David Cameron the opportunity to placate those Tory backbenchers who threatened his job. Second, it provided a platform for the nationalist knuckle-draggers who hate all foreigners as a matter of principle and allowed them to vent their pent up hatreds. Third it allowed those little Englanders who watch endless documentaries about how the plucky Brits defeated Hitler to thump their favourite tub. So much for the Tory party but what about the rest of the 52% who voted for economic oblivion? The vast majority probably voted for this idiocy because the "Daily Mail" told them to. Which is pretty funny since it is owned by a man, Rupert Murdoch, who hates the UK with a passion. Many voted for it because they thought in some perverse way that it was a blow to "the establishment". Unfortunately "the establishment" (mainly the Tory party again) merely saw it as an opportunity to be as stupid, greedy and selfish as they always wanted to be. They are already lining up to tell us how wonderful it will be when they take our human and working rights off us. Still, those who voted for Brexit can always fly off to the Costas to drown their sorrows in cheap lager and insult the locals for not allowing us to have our cake and eat it. Except that the £ has sunk so low against the Euro that the Costas are becoming rather expensive and the locals don't give a damn about the UK's Brexit delusions. Brexit is a mess, manufactured by the Tories for their own narrow political interests - an ideologically-led insanity that makes about as much sense as that other favourite myth of the Tory party, trickle down economics. The only good Brexit, it is now abundantly clear, is a dead Brexit.

What Is Trump?

It is becoming increasingly difficult to understand what Trump actually is. He is clearly not really the President of the United States since he spends most of his time on the golf course and only appears on a regular basis on Twitter during the early hours of the morning. He is not a Republican as such since he seems so determined to bring the party into disrepute and make sure that it will not be elected into either Congress or the office of the Presidency for the foreseeable future. Nor is he an American since every utterance he makes is totally at odds with what the USA is supposed to be all about. He does have a soft spot for white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the KKK while harbouring nothing but contempt for the Constitution. All in all he seems to be nothing more than a confused and rather unintelligent grumpy old man. Yet this is strangely unsurprising since that sums up what America itself has become. Betrayed by the insanity of neoliberal voodoo economics, frightened by America's faltering grip as the world's only superpower and no longer able to discern what is real and what is not in the so-called "Information Age", many older Americans now find themselves poorer, baffled by their country's inability to control world events and bewildered by modern communications technology. For them Trump was a lightening rod, a mouthpiece for all their fears and prejudices - the last great white hope. Unfortunately he is just like them and has no more idea on how to run a country than they do. They wanted a John Wayne but all they got was a Marion Morrison. Trump is not a politician, still less a President and certainly not the leader of the Free World (whatever that was). He is a bundle of incoherent prejudices and half-baked ideas without any concept of what the consequences of his open-mouthed approach to America's problems might be. He is nothing more than a living, breathing neurosis on legs. He is what America has become.