MichaelMcGuire
MichaelMcGuire's Journal@BBCNewsnight: I deserve an apology
"I was approached by the BBC to be interviewed on Newsnight to talk about what it's like being a working mum struggling to pay rent and housing costs. Of course I was happy to do it, being a working mum is something I’m proud of. It hasn't always been plain sailing. But I did not expect to be personally scrutinised, have judgements made about my choices and asked why I chose to have my child - a beautiful, sociable and happy three year old girl. I have done my best for her and wanted to bring her up independently. But the BBC has humiliated me and I want them to apologise for portraying me and my family in this way.
Please sign my petition to ask for an apology from Newsnight."
http://www.change.org/petitions/bbcnewsnight-i-deserve-an-apology?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=share_button_modal
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I agree with this young lady's view, she deserves an apology. I'm happy to endorse this petition.
Tir An Airm
Gàidhlig
An deid thu leam a ribhinn og
Gu tir mo gràidh sitheil sona
'S chi thu saighdearan a' ruith
Am measg nan lusan bèagh 'sa mhonadh
Ho ro horain O
Failte gu tir an airm
Ho ro horain O
A' Coimhead a mach air maduinn chiuin
Air ball mor cruinn os cionn na beinne
'S bhon is ciuin na tonnan gorm
Tha ceol ru aig ceol na mara
Ho ro horain O
Failte gu tir an airm
Ho ro horain O
'S an deid thu leam gu tir mo ghraidh
Seall na h-eoin Dhorchas Dhona
Treabhadh speuran as ar cionn
Deanamh air Steornabhagh le cabhaig
Ho ro horain O
Failte gu tir an airm
Ho ro horain O
Nis leugh t-eachdraich, fosgail suil
Anns gach linn mu dhoigh an Airnm
Stampadh air na croitean seagail
'S beathannan og aig gillean Uibhist
Ho ro horain O
Failte gu tir an airm
Ho ro horain O
Cha deid mise gu an righ
Cha deid mise an corr a shabaid
O lunnain mheallt, a Bhreatuinn fhoilleil
Cha seas mi ach 'son sith nan eilean
Ho ro horain O
Failte gu tir an airm
Ho ro horain O
English
Come along with me, my young girl
To the peaceful, happy land
And you will see soldiers running around
Amongst the beautiful wild machair flowers
Ho ro horain O
Welcome to the Land of the Army
Ho ro horain O
Looking out on a peaceful morning
On the great round ball above the mountain
And though the waves are calm
There's a new music in the music of the sea
Ho ro horain O
Welcome to the Land of the Army
Ho ro horain O
And will you go with me to the land I love
To see the dark evil birds
Ploughing the skies above us
Making for Stornoway at high speed
Ho ro horain O
Welcome to the Land of the Army
Ho ro horain O
Now read your history, open your eyes
To every generation and to the ways of the military
Stamping on the rye in the crofts
And the young lives of the Uist boys
Ho ro horain O
Welcome to the Land of the Army
Ho ro horain O
But I cannot go "for the King"
I cannot fight anymore
The deceit of London, the treachery of Britain
I'll only support peace in the islands
Ho ro horain O
Welcome to the Land of the Army
Ho ro horain O
Iran: Editing out the doubt
By Bill Wilson Former SNP MSP
There appears to be a constant stream of information on Iran’s nuclear programme, reports regarding this programme are regular features of the UK press. The Times ran at least 25 articles between January and March of 2012 discussing Iran’s nuclear programme. A few of the headlines were: US Air Force chief plans to help Israel hit Iran nuclear sites (02 March 2012) Iran claims nuclear breakthrough that puts it one step away from the Bomb (16 February 2012) Israel prepares for Iran to test nuclear bomb this year (10 January 2012) Between the 26 and 29 March the Guardian ran at least 11 articles touching on Iran’s nuclear programme. The wide range of articles in the Telegraph included the somewhat bizarre (29 March) “Benjamin Netanyahu is right – the free world must act against Iran to avert a nuclear holocaust”. One is presumably supposed to forget that a) Israel also possess nuclear weapons and b) Israel is in illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and, as such, is an aggressor state. One thing is certain, the UK press leave little room for doubt, Iran is building, and presumably is prepared to use, nuclear warheads. Alongside the stream of press stories, the various site inspections and threats of UN sanctions, there has also been the assassination of Iranian scientists. Western reporting of these acts of murder have provided a fascinating insight into ‘press impartiality’. It is difficult to find any reporting which unequivocally condemns the killings. How would the press in the UK and the US have reacted if a nuclear scientist had been killed on the streets of Glasgow or New York? Would there have been speculation as to our weapons programme, or would the cold blooded killing of an unarmed civilian have gained widespread condemnation? Had the nuclear scientist been killed on the streets of Tel Aviv would we not have been hearing of acts of terrorism and the need for Israeli to respond to such a blatant act of aggression? The Guardian (11/01/12) described the killing as “Goading a regime on the brink”. “Goading”? Four (possibly five) scientists killed within two years – goading? Would the Guardian have described the murder of a UK scientist by Iran as “Iran goads the UK”?
This March we saw a slew of news stories on an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report. To quote the BBC (03-03-2012) “Drawing on evidence provided by more than 10 member states as well as its own information, the IAEA said Iran had carried out activities “relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device”. Time World Report (07-03-12): “Iran May Be Cleaning Nuke Work”. Rueters (05-03-12) IAEA has “serious concerns” as Iran boosts nuclear work, Amano told a news conference at the IAEA in Vienna there were indications of unspecified “activities” at an Iranian military site which his inspectors want to visit as part of a probe into fears Iran may be seeking nuclear weapons capability. His remarks confirmed comments made by IAEA diplomats to Reuters last week when one said: “we have heard about possible sanitation” of the Parchin site that he called “very concerning,” suggesting Iran may be delaying access while it removed evidence of suspect activities. So what do these news reports tell us? Firstly that this is not an independent IAEA report. Only 10 nations contributed to it – it is emphatically not independent. Secondly that the news agencies are clutching at straws. “Possible sanitation” – Iranian diggers have removed sand. Here is an equally viable alternative explanation. Iran is building, or preparing to build, lots of sand pits for city children to play in. If you want to build sand pits you have to dig up, and transport, sand. This is exactly what Iran appears to be doing. This is worrying. An important issue is raised. If Iran builds sand pits for children to play in, and given that Iran is not a democratic regime, does this mean that children’s play areas are inextricably linked to a lack of democracy and abuses of human rights? Iran’s movement of sand at Parchin clearly could be an indication of a significant effort to indoctrinate children. The one thing that stands out from these reports is that everything is couched in terms of, possible, probable, might, if. If this is evidence it might possibly, nay even probably, be perhaps slightly indicative of a lack of hard facts. There is an interesting footnote to this story. In 2006 the IAEA issued a report on Parching which stated that “[the IAEA] did not observe any unusual activities in the buildings visited, and the results of the analysis of environmental samples did not indicate the presence of nuclear material” (BBC 6 March). So if anything has happened in Parchin it has occurred after 2006. Possibly.
In spite of the massed agreement of the UK press there are other voices. Democracy Now (21-11-11) Seymour Hersh: “Propaganda Used Ahead of Iraq War Is Now Being Reused over Iran’s Nuke Program” (surely not, must be some mistake). In Hersh’s recent articles he notes a complete lack of evidence to suggest that Iran has had a nuclear weapons programme since 2003.Not only is the IAEA report not independent, but there are serious concerns that the new head of the IAEA is not independent either. As noted by Media Lens the new chief of the IEAE Amano “has described himself as ‘solidly in the U.S. court on every key strategic decision, from high-level personnel appointments to the handling of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program.’” Not something any of the mainstream press noted in their recent reports on Iran and the IAEA.
Continue reading: Scottish Left Review
'Blair is a war criminal!' Video of man yelling at Leveson Inquiry
Highlight from today's Leveson Inquiry
'Yes Scotland' independence campaign launch
The formal campaign for Scottish independence has been launched at a celebrity-endorsed event.
Organisers of the Yes Scotland movement vowed to stage the "biggest community-based campaign in Scotland's history" in the run-up to the independence referendum which could take place in October 2014.
First Minister Alex Salmond, one of the key speakers at the launch in Edinburgh, said: "We unite behind a declaration of self-evident truth. The people who live in Scotland are best placed to make the decisions that affect Scotland. We want a Scotland that's greener, that's fairer and more prosperous. We realise that the power of an independent Scotland is necessary to achieve these great ends."
You can watch a full replay of the entire event on this page.
Scottish Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "I am very pleased to be here at the launch of the Yes campaign.
Greens are not nationalists. In fact, we are probably more comfortable than most parties in acknowledging the range of views that exist in our membership and our voters about the question of independence. But I believe, as most of us do, that the range of powers currently still held at Westminster simply make no sense from a Green perspective.”
The event was held at Cineworld cinema in the Fountainbridge area of the capital.
Source: STV
http://www.yesscotland.net/
Ken Loach, the internationally acclaimed film director on Independence.
“If I had the chance to be independent from the Tory-Liberal-New Labour bunch, I ‘d jump at it. Scotland has the right to hold any referendum it likes. The English ruling class are such dyed-in-the-wool imperialists that they can’t conceive anything can happen without your approval. But I think: go for it. Other colonised countries have asserted their independence.” Ken Loach.
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On that note...
I know there are a few Jamaicans (Or other nationals that have recently require the chance to shape your own future) that post on these boards. I'd like to ask them if I may. what did the country's Independence mean to them? Did you live through the change. What do you remember.
Thanks in advance
Michael
London politik fancies itself to be the European Singapore
Between the top 10% and lowest 10% in incomes.
Inequality in London is 273:1
England 95.8:1 (No thanks to London)
Scotland 93.4:1
Wales 89.5:1
Source
Born poor, stay poor: the scandal of social immobility
There is a "stark gap" between the life chances of the poorest and the better-off in Britain, the Government will admit today, as it publishes alarming research that reveals how wide that gulf is.
The study, to be unveiled by Nick Clegg, shows that:
l One child in five is on free school meals, but only one in 100 Oxbridge entrants is.
l Only 7 per cent of children attend private schools, but these schools provide 70 per cent of High Court judges and 54 per cent of FTSE 100 chief executives.
l One in five children from poorer homes achieves five good GCSEs, compared with three out of four from affluent homes.
In response to the findings, Mr Clegg will take a political gamble by publishing new benchmarks so the public can track whether the Government is delivering its pledge to improve social mobility. Ministers admit they are making a rod for their own backs.
In a speech to the Sutton Trust, Mr Clegg will admit that the Coalition "cannot afford" to leave a legacy like the current position. "Morally, economically, socially: whatever your justification, the price is too high to pay. We must create a more dynamic society. One where what matters most is the person you become, not the person you were born," he will say.
The strategy document will admit: "No one should be prevented from fulfilling their potential by the circumstances of their birth. What ought to count is how hard you work and the skills and talents you possess, not the school you went to or the jobs your parents did.
"The UK is still a long way from achieving this ideal. Income and social class background have a significant impact on a child's future life chances and there have been few signs of improvement in recent decades."
Continue reading here http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/born-poor-stay-poor-the-scandal-of-social-immobility-7771336.html
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