Free Speech (except for Raif Badawi)

So im sitting here in the relative luxury of my house listening to some French Jazz and having a tipple of a rare Remy Martin knowing that once this page of my blog is uploaded I can relax in the knowledge that even if I have offended anyone I am not going to get shot, beheaded, or if I was unfortunate to live in Saudi Arabia be arrested, imprisoned and regularly whipped in front of a gawping crowd of sadists.

For that I am thankful.

As the brutality in France is turned into money on ebay by the selling of the limited run of 5 million copies of Charlie Hebdo, our gaze is drawn to the savage brutality of Procal Harem in Nigeria who systematically want to kill everything and everyone and return to some 6th Century dark age nirvana where everyone is uneducated and to Pakistan where lunatics want the same but still want to trade Heroin with the West. Even tiny Belgium is in the picture as the police kill people who want to kill police.

And the vicous cycle goes round and round.

If you are drawn into an environment where killing is so mundane, where Jihad and a visit to Syria / Yemen / Algeria / Nigeria / Pakistan / Afghanistan is the new gap year then killing in the west is going to be a doddle.

So Obama's ally in the Middle East continues to treat its own civilians with contempt and barbaric punishment that fits only in an uneducated dark age....

And we have the joys of an election in 5 months, Millipede and Honest Dave are in a near apopletic state with the prospect of having so much power so that they can become the next ineffectual prime minister who is incapable of dealing with anything like the NHS, Welfare, Immigration, Poverty, The Deficit, The Debt, Pensions....

And here am i ranting to no-one in particular. Or am I?

But at leasts I am free to rant

Je Suis Charlie

In a scene reminiscent from a DVD box set two or three lunatics murdered in cold blood a number of people in broad daylight in the centre of Paris.

As of writing, they haven't been arrested but we know they were on the "radar" of jihadism and known to the security services

Its a dark day for people in general, the threat from lunatics with guns is ever more present and the back lash will be disproportionate. Or will it? Russia / Ukraine mangaged to shoot down a passenger jet without a reprimand. Procol Harum in Nigeria are kidnapping schoolchildren on a regular basis, whereas the lunatics in Pakistan are just killing them with impunity.

And what is the point of all this? Murders are carried out in the name of God but God isnt listening, God would not allow this to go on. And who has the rights to God. What about the God of the people at Charlie Hebdo?

I am sickened by the fact the lunatics see Charlie Hebdo as a legitimate target. All they did was take the piss out of your beliefs. They killed no-one, harmed no-one. If you want legimate targets seek those that are willing to fight back. Or try entering the political arena like the rest of the world.

Jihadists need to get a sense of humour. This is the 21st century not the new crusade. Not the new dark age.

It scares me that this will fuel the far right, currently in popularity in Germany and France.

It also scares me that this will fuel politicians' over zealous need to protect us and bring in more anti terrror legislation to take away our remaing liberties.

My thoughts go out to all the ill in the world today.

New Year Address

As we leave 2014 with our collective hangover and think of friends (and aeroplanes) lost, wars fought, senseless killings, scientific breakthroughs, disease, poverty, consumerism, the rise and fall of Mother Russia, the rise of China (again) and Cyber War we are faced with the prospect of Korean Peace in the Odd Ones new years address.

And has he put on a few pounds?

It was only a few weeks ago that he became the White House's latest pariah (again) and was upset by being ridiculed by Hollywood (as would any sane human being) and launched a Cyber attack against Sony - well, thats what the press wanted us to believe, except that it was a few disgruntled employees who plotted this one over the water cooler. And in retaliation the US took out North Koreas Internet, as if it actually has one.

Anonymous and the other collectives are beginning to become the new pariahs, so once the US leaves the middle east after setting up an independent Islamic State they can concentrate on the new menace.

So we leave 2014 with same problems that we entered it.

London will see a mass Exodus of people to places like Birmingham, Bristol and even Manchester as the average house price is out of reach of the average banker. London will become a playground for the Chinese, Malay and Saudis. One only has to look at what is happening to Battersea and Victoria and London Bridge to see the social cleansing in action.

In 2015 We have the joys of watching Honest Dave, Milipede, Falange and the Hippies fight it out for a seat in parliament and the most powerful seat in the land. And do we really care about democracy when we are faced with such lousy choices.

I was drinking a fine Cognac last night listening to Kate Bush as the fireworks lit up the Embankment, I managed to get a good roof top view as a guest of some hedge fund friends of mine, unlike the prols who now have to pay to stand for hours on the Embankment. And as Kate says I think that something good is going to happen.

Happy 2015 to all my readers, and those that dont.