Homeless recycling cans straight into gangster gold

NAGOYA--Organized crime is generally thought to involve guns, drugs, prostitution and other unsavory illegal acts.

What about mobilizing homeless people as runners to sneak old aluminum cans from recycling bins?

If it's organized, and it's a crime, it's good enough for the yakuza.

Last October, Aichi police arrested two bosses from the Kodo-kai, a Nagoya-based affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate, after they were caught running an aluminum can ring in downtown Nagoya parks.

One of the gangsters established a company. Then they set up four huts in the parks to serve as aluminum can collection centers.

They hired staff to collect cans from homeless people at about 80 yen per kilogram, and then resold them to recycling businesses for 120 to 130 yen per kg.

With about 40 tons of cans coming in a month, the men were clearing about 2 million yen in monthly profit.

By comparison, the city of Nagoya only collected 306 tons during all of 2004, indicating that more cans were being pinched than collected.

That's a lot of money going straight from city coffers to gangsters' pockets.

"For citizens of the community, who had been diligently involved in the recycling effort, the fact that the cans ended up funding organized crime came as a shock," said a city assembly member in November. "The city must come up with appropriate measures that will satisfy the community."

"We will seek effective measures, including improvement of legislation," a city official replied.

Until that day, though, the city's hands are tied. Although it has received complaints about recycling drop-off stations getting trashed, the city does not have a law forbidding people from pilfering cans from those stations.

As a result, much as Al Capone was eventually caught for tax evasion, the police could only arrest the gangsters for violating the city park law--essentially, squatting.

In Tokyo and other big cities, municipalities have their own bylaws to keep recyclable material from the hands of profiteers.

Tokyo's Setagaya Ward prohibits the taking of items from collection stations, and in Yokohama, recyclables become city property by ordnance the moment they are dropped off. The Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo has arrested operators who scour collection stations on suspicion of theft or ordinance violation.

In Nagoya, insisted a city official, that would not work.

"Those bylaws were passed with the aim of restricting newspaper recycling operators from coming around in their trucks and picking up bundles of old paper," the official said. "They wouldn't stop the homeless from pinching aluminum cans."

The official also pointed out the difficulty in enforcing such laws.

"If we are going after cars, the operators could be easily tracked by their registration plates. It is going to be a lot more difficult trying to pinpoint homeless people," the official said.

"There are 14,300 aluminum can collection stations. Patrolling all of these places is just not realistic."

Furthermore, simply forbidding the practice is not as easy as it sounds. Aluminum cans are the most valuable, followed by steel cans, which fetched 9 yen per kg in fiscal 2004, according to city officials. By comparison, glass bottles fetched 1 yen for 2 kilograms. Some homeless people manage to live on aluminum recycling alone.

"A major part of homeless in Nagoya make their living by collecting aluminum cans," said Yutaka Onishi, president of Sasashima Hiyatoi Rodo Kumiai (Sasashima day laborers association), a private organization that helps homeless people strive to become financially independent.

"Regulations will only interfere with their efforts."

One 63-year old homeless man who lives in a park downtown agreed.

"There are very few day-labor jobs around," the man said. "Collecting aluminum cans is the only way to make a livelihood. The city is pushing us out of town with every pretense such as the Nagoya Expo."

The homeless man then added ominously, "If they decide to ban our can collection, there is going to be a riot."

The city is meeting with the Aichi prefectural police to figure out what to do, and has been asking other municipalities for advice.

"We do want to prevent (our recycling program) from being used by gangsters," said one official.

"But at the moment, we don't see any credible breakthrough measures taking shape either."
For now, the Al Capone approach is the only option.

On Feb. 7, the Nagoya District Court sentenced one of the Kodo-kai bosses to 18 months in prison, and called the scheme both "malicious, and extremely profitable."

At the trial, however, the defendant openly revealed his intention to continue the recycling business in the future.

Next time, he said, he just won't do it in the park.

Quote of the Day 14.5.2006

"The answer is, we can’t, and it’s no great coincidence that practising homosexuals are at the forefront of the pro sexual-anarchy movement, a movement that has spread so much destruction and misery, mindless left-wing critical theorising and the wholesale demoralising and general intellectual vandalism of society." - Ros Power

While Ros Power makes a good point about the degeneration of society as a whole, it is inaccurate to blame homosexuals alone for the mess we find ourselves in at present. Heterosexuals also played a leading role in debasing society with the culture of permissiveness such as members of The Beatles and the media plus sleazy politicians on all sides of the political divide.

Quote of the Day 12.5.2006

"Knowing your enemy is the quickest path to victory." - Solid Snake in the first trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The Truth About RESPECT

For those of you who have not yet read Oliver Kamm's blog, here are a few quick fire points to bear in mind about RESPECT and its minions.

1. The infamous RESPECT Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green & Bow and self-publicist George Galloway has repeatedly defended the record of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime, despite the international condemnation it received from the majority of United Nations’ members.

2. That during an interview for Prison Planet.com on 9.9.2005, Gallas blamed world Jewry for their own persecution at the hands of anti-Semites, bringing Adolf Hitler to power in Germany and for unleashing the current wave of terrorism across the world.

3. That on a recent edition of his TalkSPORT radio show, Gallas criticised the Labour administration for legalising “sodomy for 16 year olds” in reference to the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill of 1999, despite voting in favour of it at the time.

4. That RESPECT is a fascist organisation in the same vein as other far-Left groups such as the Japanese Communist Party between 1922-1945 and a number of French Socialists during the 1930s. During her recent view to Britain, RESPECT compared Condoleezza Rice to the wartime fascist leader Oswald Mosley.

5. That RESPECT is a front organisation for the far-Left Socialist Workers Party. The SWP stated during the Third Gulf War (2003) that “by far the lesser evil would be reverses, or defeat, for the US and British forces”. The SWP also played host to the anti-Semitic jazz musician Gilad Atzmon at two of it’s annual Marxist jamborees.

Party Political Post: 2006 Local Elections

As I assume most of you will know, this year's local elections will be held tomorrow and it should go without mentioning that those of you who are eligible to vote should vote for your local Conservative candidates. Only a strong Tory representation at local government level can stop the BNP from growing as a mainstream political force and hasten the departure of Tony Blair and New Labour from office.

Quote of the Day 28.4.2006

"Remember, being poor is bad, staying that way is stupid." - John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Tebbit is Right!

Although I have not had the opportunity to read his letter to yesterday's edition of the Daily Telegraph, longtime readers of Conservative Mind will know that I totally agree with Norman Tebbit's statement that fascism is a ultra-left-wing ideology.

Have Nintendo finally lost the plot?

The official name for Nintendo next videogames console has been revealed - Wii!

Sadly this is no joke. It sounds like an electronic dilldo, but perhaps it explains a few things like the "Touching is Good" advertisements for the Nintendo DS, while the Wii's remote control-style joypad must therefore represent the player's 'manhood'.

Seriously, whoever came up with the name Wii needs to be made redundant immediately as any hope that Nintendo had of regaining any market share might have gone.

Quotes of the Day 27.4.2006

Here are a couple of crackers from today's editon of the Independent newspaper:

"If politicians get together to rifle our taxes to pay for party expenses at election time they should remember that if it means one penny of my taxes goes to the BNP then I will not only not vote, I will stop work and reduce spending to avoid taxation." - Andrew Pring

"Let Tesco run the NHS." - Peter Charles

Jolie backing for Brown as next PM

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie gave her backing to a Gordon Brown premiership as she heaped praise on the Chancellor for his role in a global education campaign.

The 30-year-old actress spoke of her admiration for Mr Brown's commitment to providing an education for every child in the world and added she hoped he would have the chance to do more in the future.

She was speaking from Namibia, south west Africa, during a conference call with the media to publicise the Global Campaign for Education to meet the Millennium Development Goal of getting every child into school by 2015.

"He (Mr Brown) is somebody that I like very much and I hope he does have the chance to do more and more good things. I think he certainly will if he has the chance, so yes, personally, I would like to see it," Ms Jolie said in a response to a question about whether Mr Brown would make a good Prime Minister.

Earlier, she said she had been thrilled by Mr Brown's announcement of an extra 15 billion dollars (£8.5 billion) over the next ten years towards the goal of universal free education.

She said this move had given "so much momentum" to the campaign.

In response, Mr Brown said pregnant Ms Jolie, who has travelled widely as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees goodwill ambassador, had shown "inspirational leadership" and wished her well for the birth of her child.

Campaigners estimate there are 100 million children worldwide who do not go to school. An extra 15 million more teachers will be needed to fill this gap in order for class sizes to be brought down to around 40 children per class, according to the campaign.

Meanwhile, Jolie has broken her silence about her high-profile relationship with Brad Pitt, saying even they never discuss it.

The actress, who is expecting the heart-throb's baby, told NBC's Ann Curry her life with him was "one of those funny things that just happens".

It seems that not only is Angelina Jolie a home wrecker and a disgraceful role model, she is also an idiot if she thinks Mr. Recession should be Prime Minister.

Quote of the Day 22.4.2006

"You must show no mercy... ...nor have any belief whatsoever in how others judge you... ...for your greatness will silence them all" - (Ultimate) Warrior (again)

Quotes of the Day 21.4.2006

More insights from Warrior!

"I am not intimidated by individual queers or the queer lifestyle. What bothers me is that many radical, modern queers have a collective agenda to culturally swap 'natural and normal' for what is 'unnatural and abnormal.' I refuse to lie down or bend over and accept this just for the sake of making nice and relieving others, Conservatives too, of their uncomfortableness. My advice to any queer would be this. To be left alone to enjoy and exploit all the secured protections, freedoms and liberties this country allows, which you have every right to, extend equal toleration and courtesy to that which is traditionally natural to the continued existence of man. In other words, unwad your panties! Relax, back off a little bit. Quit trying to rub your lifestyle all over everybody. Just behave like an mature adult, not a pervert, and do what you do in private. Most all heterosexuals would like nothing better than that you are left alone, but being left alone goes both ways. You get out of our face, and we won't be looking to to get into yours. Few of us heterosexuals really give a rat’s ass that you get your jollies in ways we think are perverted, but we don’t appreciate that your true agenda is that you are attempting to reverse the original, and essential to civilization, posture of man. This is much more than the decent respect for your human dignity that reasonable heterosexuals are willing to offer and extend. You’re fooling yourselves if you believe you are pushing straight people 'out' of what is mainstream and further legitimatizing yourselves along the way. All you are really doing is pushing us into a corner. And in every corner there’s a fight those doing the pushing typically can’t handle."

"Homosexuals claiming for decades that they were unjustly alienated from national acceptance and discourse, that their voice was not being heard, now what do modern queers do? They use the same intoleration they fought against as the very knife they stick in my back. Diversity is simply a superficial, pragmatically-used code word for them that has no grounding in anything stable and principled. Diversity, like all their other liberal code words, means something different at any given time depending on what radical, unobjective purpose they need it to serve at any moment."

"One of the surest bets you could make is that every homosexual has called another one “queer.”"

"For any event, I can only prepare so much for what is going to happen. There are always going to be unexpecteds. But instead of finding ways to avoid them, I like to engage them. Liberal ideas don’t work to begin with, and when an unexpected arises the odds are better that I will be able to use it to point their radical nonsense out rather than that I end up with my foot in mouth. If I do, so what? Unlike other speakers with better formal schooling, perhaps more qualified and definitely higher paid, I don’t put any restrictions on the Q&A period. The highly praised Ward Churchill, brilliant tenured professor of communism that he is, had all his questions submitted and screened beforehand. And, he answered 6 questions. I stayed for over two hours. Some of you have suggested that I do this same thing. My immediate response is ‘Why?’ Just to insure I always look smooth as possible? Just so I don’t find myself before confrontation or absent the answer or having to think on my feet? Just to prevent making mistakes or the chance of looking like a fool? To me, that's not a very original and natural idea, and, moreover, it goes against me wanting to get better at what I do. It also reminds me too much like the phony politicians with their perfectly-styled combovers. I'm not afraid reality. Look, I have faults and warts like everyone else. This is what probably surprises people the most when they meet when I am out on one of these speaking engagements -- I don't act like I don't. I don't do phony."

"Let me give you a serious piece of advice when it comes to talking to others about your ideas. Any ideas. If you have to be perfect in presenting what you deeply believe in or have to be assured before you even try that you are speaking to an audience that only agrees with you, you are going to be one of those who never does try. But you will be good at daydreaming about it. Oh, man, you will flawless at that -- and critiquing others."

"If want to ever get better at something, you have to subject yourself to greater challenges than what you can already handle. If you are afraid of failure to the point that you never attempt what it is that you fear, you will always just be damn a failure. You can't be afraid of making mistakes if you want to get better at something. I am not, and I do."

"Plenty of you so-called Conservatives talk a lot about finding compromise with the other side. (Talking specifically about political/philosophical ideologies here.) You believe you are that unique 'voice of reason' that has a magic knack for getting everyone on any side to compromise and be pleasant and happy about it. Frankly, I think you're doing too much arm-chair quarterbacking with milquetoast Conservatives like O'Reilly and other Fox Broadcasts, when no can talk back to you, and that you also probably never have voiced your deeper Conservative views to anyone who disagrees with you, especially a staunch, radical liberal. You do what you have to do to 'make nice' in the real World and so, usually, does the your liberal opponent, because they, like you, are really just uncomfortable with raised voices and confrontation or being seen as a hard-ass. So, you fantasize a lot about the hypnotizing power of your unique 'voice of reason.' Well, it's easy to be the always successful 'voice of reason' in your daydreams. Hell, I never had a daydream where I didn't rule the World and own everything. This is why they are called daydreams. They are usually flawless and typically don't include scenes where reality strolls in and smacks you up side the head. So let me be that smack up side the head."

"Reality is we are living in cultural times where we are beyond finding universal compromise. The ideologies are too far apart. Face it, we are at very decisive crossroads in this country's history. For all the faults -- and there are many -- Conservatives or Republicans have, modern Liberalism is simply anti-American. They want to rid our society of the 'responsibility' that comes along with unalienable right. You can't do this without throwing the unalienable right out at the same time. They know that and it is exactly what they intend to do if ever they get the unobstructed chance. The 21st century battlelines have been drawn: a more originalist interpretation of our Founding documents, or an attempt to scrap them altogether and have a hodgepodge government made of parts Socialism, Marxism, Communism, any 'ism' that has historically failed. Unlike 40-50 years ago, there no longer is a pro-American essence across the board, either in our populous or our government. There is the 'America is a great country and does great things for the whole World' crowd. And there is the 'America is evil and does not do enough to help anybody' crowd. Naturally, those young people who are not paying attention to ideology at this time are potential soldiers for either side. But their decision, once they peek their head inside and have their curiosity piqued, is going to fall down on the side that is most in line with their own cultural tastes, which sets the style of their own personal behavior. I mean you aren't going to have a young kid who was raised by both a responsible father and mother to the know the differences between right and wrong, knows there are consequences for personal conduct, enjoys healthy, independent activity, takes his studies and future seriously, all of a sudden become a radical, anarchist liberal because he was inspired to do so by a liberal activist. Contrariwise, you aren't going to have a young kid who enjoys his dope and drinking, his porno, his video games and participation in any protest just so he can cut class, spontaneously sign on to be a conservative. They will come down on the side that has the best menu to suit their appetites."

Quote of the Day 20.4.2006

"The truth is the only voice of reason. Ever. It's the voice of reason I'm going to use. If I fail, then I will at least have done so with ITS sword in my hand. Because anyone who has a voice of reason that can find compromise with the blatant lying and hypocrisy fomented by today's other side, has only made himself a compromiser of the truth, nothing else." - (Ultimate) Warrior

China says some UK hospitals harvested human organs

BEIJING (Reuters) - China took a swipe on Thursday at British transplant experts who accused it of removing organs from executed prisoners to sell them, saying some British hospitals had harvested organs of dead patients in the past.

The British Transplantation Society said on Wednesday there was an accumulating body of evidence that suggested organs of executed Chinese prisoners were being removed for transplant and sold without prior consent of the prisoners or their families.

"I want to remind this organisation not to forget that a few years ago this kind of thing happened in Britain: some British hospitals harvested the organs of the dead for other purposes without notifying their families," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular news conference.

Qin said he could not understand why the transplantation society raised the issue now.

Human rights groups have criticised the use of organs from executed prisoners in China and hospitals that have allegedly turned to organ sales and transplants to raise funds.

Last month, China said it would ban the sale of human organs and strengthen procedures for transplants by requiring written consent and limiting the number of hospitals carrying out transplant surgery.

Those commies will do anything to avoid the real issues at hand.

Quote of the Day 18.4.2006

"Death to Galloway" - Private Eye, Issue 1156

Quote of the Day 10.4.2006

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” - Matthew 5:10-12

Oh the Irony!

Due to news surrounding Sharif Abdel Gawad and the British National Party (BNP) over the weekend. I did some browsing online about the subject when I came across a little nugget by Tony North on the BNP's site about the present Blair regime.

"According to my Oxford Thesaurus, 'fascist(ic)' means "repressive, totalitarian, tyrannical". I must therefore disagree with John Scaling (HE, March 20) as we already have a fascist government. Liberal fascism has been the driving force behind all of the unwelcome changes forced on this country's electorate during the last four decades."

While I agree with this statement, what the author conveniently ignores is the fact that the BNP itself is a fascist oganisation committed to the same programme of liberal totalitarianism. Nick Griffin and Tony Blair are both neo-Nazis hell-bent on the destruction of our traditional civil liberties and civilisation.

The Crazy, Crazy World of Silvio Berlusconi, Romano Prodi & Chinese Communism

Berlusconi baby gaffe riles China

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has landed himself in hot water with comments that the Chinese under Mao Zedong "boiled babies".

The PM, who is running for election in April, refused to withdraw his remarks when pressed by reporters, saying it was "an historical fact".

But the gaffe has angered China, which is marking the Year of Italy in 2006.

The Chinese foreign ministry has said it is "dissatisfied with such groundless words".

"Italian leaders should use words and actions that are beneficial to stable and developing friendly relations between China and Italy," the ministry said in a statement.

The Chinese embassy in Rome has also expressed its dismay.

'Questionable'

Mr Berlusconi is renowned for making outspoken comments. At the launch of his 2006 election campaign, he told his audience: "I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone."

His comments on Maoist China were first made at a rally on Sunday.

"I am accused of having said that the [Chinese] Communists used to eat children," he said.

"But read The Black Book of Communism and you will discover that in the China of Mao, they did not eat children, but had them boiled to fertilise the fields."

He tried to calm the furore on Wednesday, telling Italian TV: "It was questionable irony, I admit it, because this joke is questionable. But I did not know how to restrain myself."

Romano Prodi, his main opponent in the elections being held on 9 April, said his comments were "unthinkable".

"The damage caused to Italy by an insult to 1.3bn people is by all means a considerable one," he told Italian radio.

While I am not as yet able to make an informed opinion about Berlusconi's baby claims, he is right to raise questions over the record of China's Communist regime and Prodi is an idiot if he thinks that Berlusconi's comments were aimed at the wider population of China. It is just a pity that such an issue was raised by a man that is just as crooked as those in Beijing. Someone also needs to tell Berlusconi that "The Black Book of Communism" Mao wrote is actually better known as the little red book.

Berlusconi Warns Against Multiculturalism

ROME - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he does not want Italy to become a multiethnic, multicultural country, drawing plaudits from a right-wing ally and criticism from center-left opponents.

Berlusconi, a conservative, faces a stiff challenge in next month's national election, with opinion polls putting him behind his opponent, former premier Romano Prodi.

The poor economy, a main worry for voters in this election, has fed concerns about immigration by right-wing parties in Berlusconi's coalition, although the kind of work usually done by immigrants is shunned by many Italians. Surveys show that some Italians also perceive immigrants as being linked to crime.

"We don't want Italy to become a multiethnic, multicultural country. We are proud of our traditions," Berlusconi said Monday on state-run radio.

Berlusconi's government has put in place a tough immigration policy, including legislation cracking down on illegal immigration. The 2002 law allows only immigrants with job contracts to obtain residency permit.

"We want to open (our borders) to foreigners who flee countries where their lives or liberties are at risk," said Berlusconi, adding those who come to Italy to work also are welcome. "We don't want to welcome all those who come here to bring about damage and danger to Italian citizens."

Thousands of illegal immigrants come to Italy every year, mostly crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa on rickety boats. The latest group of more than 200 landed Monday on Lampedusa, a tiny island off Sicily.

Most immigrants, if they elude police, move on to other European countries.

The Northern League, a right-wing anti-immigrant party, welcomed Berlusconi's remarks.

"Here's the Berlusconi we want," said Roberto Calderoli, a Northern League leader who was forced to quit as reforms minister last month after he wore a T-shirt on state TV decorated with caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. "Our values, our identity, our history, our traditions" must be defended against immigration, the Italian news agency ANSA quoted him as saying.

Paolo Cento of the opposition Greens party criticized Berlusconi, saying "the multiethnic society is a reality and an asset that must be handled," ANSA said.

As much as I dislike Prodi's pro-European Union stance, it is about time that crook Berlusconi was kicked out of office and into jail.

Quote of the Day 28.3.2006

"Respect's latest campaign is to liken Condoleezza Rice, who is visiting the UK this week, to - get this - the wartime fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley. There is, I suppose, the merest tangential and chronological connection between the two. When Mosley was conducting a demagogic racist campaign in West London in 1958 against the background of the Notting Hill riots, Ms Rice was experiencing racism at first hand as a small child in segregated Alabama. It would be easy to say that Respect lacks a sense of history and decency, but that would be too kind. Look closely at the organisation, its methods and propaganda, and you find what is, alongside the British National Party, the most prominent racist and fascist organisation in Britain today." - Oliver Kamm

Quote of the Day 26.3.2006

"The spread of the black death can be linked to the early expansion of pre-bourgeois trading routes." - see previous post

It seems that if there is any doubt over attributing blame for something, always play safe and blame capitalism!

A Liberal Crybaby's Rant

I had a very interesting email yesterday from one the Students' Union's paper tigers. I hope those of you with a Conservative mind will enjoy this ignorant rant as much as I have?

On your weblog you have the following entry:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"The global capitalist system has killed more people than Adolf Hitler"- Swansea University RESPECT Students

So have the Black Death, Uncle Joe Stalin and Mao Zedong, therefore what is the point being made?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is a very silly thing to purposefully misattribute quotes. The quote above seems to be an approximation of a quote made by George Galloway. Whilst the quote is factually true, I fail to see why you have lied about its source in order to make ... well, I'd say a point but your statement fails to make one.

Lesson one, never call me a liar! That quote was made in an official piece of RESPECT Students' literature, so please do not try to pass the buck onto Galloway. Galloway may be a lot of things and he may share your sentiments, but he did not make that quote.

You seem to have developed some kind of delusion surrounding the Swansea Respect group. Given your abrasive, rude and unalanced behaviour towards many students in the past, your obsession is somewhat concerning.

Unlike you and the rest of RESPECT Students, others and I have no illusions about your little rabble. Nor am I obsessed with RESPECT considering how your Sith Lord in Bethnal Green & Bow embarrasses himself at every available opportunity. You are also a fine one to talk about me being abrasive, rude and "unalanced" considering the same could be said about Darth (or should that be Daft) Galloway and his hero Uncle Joe. Pot, kettle, black!

While it is true that I can be abrasive at times, it is only because I have to be in pursuit of the greater good. Far too many students are living in a dream world and need a reality check. As Bart Simpson once said "you don't win friends with salad".

I hope you will respond to this email soon.

Yours,

(name withheld to protect the ignorant),

PS. In response to your question, the point being made is that capitalism is a brutal economic system that presides over the deaths of even more deaths than Adolf Hitler. Given that Hitler was himself a forceful supporter of capialist interests and was supported by big business not only in Germany but also abroad - your hero Gerorge Bush's grandfatrher was a sympathiser and war profiteer. The spread of the black death can be linked to the early expansion of pre-bourgeois trading routes. The various dictators you mention all presided over a non-free market, bureaucratic state capitalism [I suggest the writings of Tony Cliff on the economic and class relations of Stalinist states]. Global capitalism, of which you are a rabid proponent, has killed thousands of times more people than all those on your list combined.

The point I was making (which seems to have totally escaped you) is that both capitalism and communism are as bad as each other, the difference being that the "capialist" system is has been proven by the course of history so far to be more practical than socialism, thus making it the lesser of two evils. "Gerorge" W. Bush is not my hero and I do not always agree with his decisions, but he does have my respect (an ironically alien concept to RESPECT) even my admiration because he has the courage to do what is necessary on the areas of common agreement I have with him. I am well aware of what Bush's "grandfatrher" (please use your spell checker) is accused of, but that does not mean we should tar Dubya with the same brush. Your last statement also flies in the face of the facts and figures available.

If supporters of abortion are morally equivalent to Myra Hindley, how does it feel to be the equivalent of a mass-murdering genocidal lunatic responsible for tens of thousands of unneccesary deaths every day?

[sarc] Why it feels great! [/sarc] It may interest you to know that the abortion issue is one of the few areas of common ground Gallas and I share with one and other.

If any other liberals wish to send me any "love-mail", you can do so at c4_dick@yahoo.co.uk

The Moral Politics Test

Your Score

Your scored 0 on the Moral Order axis and -1.5 on the Moral Rules axis.

Matches

The following items best match your score:

System: Conservatism, Liberalism
Variation: Moderate Conservatism, Moderate Liberalism
Ideologies: Capital Republicanism, Capital Democratism
US Parties: Republican Party, Democratic Party Presidents: Gerald Ford (93.37%)
2004 Election Candidates: John Kerry (86.56%), George W. Bush (73.03%), Ralph Nader (71.27%)

Statistics

Of the 169920 people who took the test:

1.4% had the same score as you.
46.3% were above you on the chart.
46.6% were below you on the chart.
28.2% were to your right on the chart.
60.2% were to your left on the chart.

This test can be taken at http://www.moral-politics.com/

Judge Refuses Request to End Baby Boy's Treatment

LONDON (Reuters) - A High Court judge on Wednesday refused a request from doctors to turn off a ventilator keeping alive an 18-month-old boy with incurable spinal muscular atrophy.

The boy's parents had opposed their request, arguing that although he was severely physically disabled, the boy could still enjoy spending time with his family.

"I am not persuaded that it is currently in the best interests of (the boy) to discontinue ventilation, with the inevitable result that he would immediately die," Justice James Holman said.

Doctors had told the court that the boy cannot breathe for himself, has to be fed through a tube and can only move his eyebrows, feet and his fingers very slightly.

While they acknowledge that the baby, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is not mentally impaired they say his condition will inevitably get worse and end in his total paralysis.

But the parents want their son to be allowed to return home with them.

The case was believed to be the first in which doctors had asked to allow a patient who is not in a persistent vegative state to die.

Instead of condemning children with disabilities to death, doctors should be trying to save and prolong their lives. No one has the right to play God with a human life.

Quote of the Day 15.3.2006

"Communism = Slaughter of the Masses" - The Popcorn King, GameFAQs

Quote of the Day 4.3.2006

"The path of least resistance is not living, it is dieing!" - (Ultimate) Warrior

Looney Toons

What a year 2006 has been so far! There is a breaking development every day with whales in the Thames, militant fathers plotting Leo Blair’s abduction, Ariel Sharon changing the face of Israeli politics one moment and fighting for his life the next while Hamas are elected into office inside Palestine. Just when it seemed that the New Year could not get more surreal than a series of 24, both the British National Party (BNP) and the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten create yet more havoc.

BNP Chairman Nick Griffin and his fellow cockroach Mark Collet walked free from Leeds Crown Court after the gruesome twosome were cleared on some charges of inciting racial hatred while the jury were unable to reach verdicts on the others. The insects had claimed that their remarks about Islam being a “dragon” and a “wicked faith” were part of a “legitimate political dialogue”. Hot on the heels of the BNP’s triumph came the violent, yet understandable backlash from the Islamic world over Jyllands-Posten’s cartoons depicting The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his descendants) as a terrorist.

Everyone has the right to free speech, yet that right as with all other rights comes with responsibilities. Just because you have the right to do something does not always mean you should exercise it. The right to free speech is never to be abused, yet this is ignored at every possible opportunity by elements of a gutter media irrationally hostile to Islam due to its own ignorance of the faith, those so-called ‘Muslim’ protesters in London calling for beheadings and ironically enough the removal of civil liberties, and above all the vile BNP.

As with the July 7, 2005 suicide attacks, the BNP are already making political capital out of Islamophobia by setting up a ‘trade union’ dubbed Solidarity: The Union of British Workers. Just as bad is the insensitive insistence of all-pervasive and cancerous liberals that freedom of speech without responsibility is a non-negotiable absolute. As Anas Altikriti commented in the Guardian on February 10, 2006, those “who claim to uphold freedom of speech by defending the right to reproduce insulting depictions of the prophet are in effect saying to Muslims that what they hold dear and sacred is far more worthy of protecting than what Muslims hold dear and sacred. The cartoons had more to do with incitement of hatred, racism and Islamophobia than with freedom of expression.” Rights and responsibilities are indivisible; you cannot have one without the other.

Quote of the Day 10.2.2006

"The global capitalist system has killed more people than Adolf Hitler" - Swansea University RESPECT Students

So have the Black Death, Uncle Joe Stalin and Mao Zedong, therefore what is the point being made?

Signs & Portents

Although Canada barely registers on most political analysts’ radar screens, the general election held on January 23, 2006 was of great interest in more ways than one. In the Canadian context, the centre-left Liberals of Paul Martin were dismissed from office after 13 years and replaced by a minority Conservative administration under Stephen Harper. Yet the outcome of this election may be of far greater importance in the international context, particularly with regard to the future course of British politics.

The implications were not lost on the Guardian newspaper three days later in its “Maple leaf lessons” piece. It noted that instead of wasting their time and finance on studying on the US politics (the course of which has greatly diverged from domestic priorities to be of any real benefit); British politicians and their strategists should pay greater attention to developments within Britain’s self-governing North American dominion. The broadsheet also drew a number of conclusions that might in time prove to be a foresight of the outcome of the next British general election.

The conclusions were that political parties in a parliamentary liberal democracy rarely remain in power for more than a dozen years as the Conservatives learnt in three times during the last century (the 40s, 60s and 90s respectively) as well as Labour in the early 1950s. Competent government treasurers do not necessarily become fine heads of government and that successful economic management does not guarantee the re-election of the incumbent administrations (as both major parties know again from the 50s, 60s and 90s). Certainly with regard to the first and last conclusions, familiarity does breed competent and a longing for change (regardless of whether it is warranted or not) among a bored electorate and media. By the time the next general election is called, Labour will have been in office for around a dozen years off the back left-leaning feelings that brought it and its cotemporaries in the other liberal democracies to power during the 1990s.

With the political tide shifting towards the centre-right, Gordon Brown is facing an uphill task in convincing voters not to replace him with David Cameron at the next election. Whether he succeeds or not, a Brown premiership will certainly not be as enduring as Tony Blair’s reign.

Quote of the Day 2.2.2006

"Who gives a toss what your union believes,your all silly little liberal lefty types who make up a tiny percentage of the population.You my friend are the cranks."

This is the exact quote (bad grammar included) made by a fascist troll called "john" at Jo's Journal regarding my opposition to the equally fascist British National Party. I think this is the first time anyone has accused me of being a liberal and left-wing. Pity the issues surrounding this hilarious comment are less so!

No Justice 4 Fathers

Recently, Matt O’Connor, the founder of the fathers’ rights protest pressure group Fathers4Justice (F4J) disbanded the organisation after allegations were made that militants attached to it plotted to kidnap Der Furher Adolf Blair’s youngest son Leo. As a result of the actions of a minority, decent honourable fathers have lost their collective voice, setting back the wider civil liberties movement by several years if not decades.

Mr. O’Connor’s own comments in the wake of this episode have certainly not helped when he claimed that fathers in general were less mature than mothers. While it is true that there are a higher proportion of deadbeat fathers than bad mothers, those individuals are still only a minority. To say that Mr. O’Connor’s remarks were a false stereotypical generalisation does not fully take into account the dangerous implications it raises. Apart from playing into the hands of most adherents of the ignorant, hypocritical chauvinistic Feminist movement (the claims from some feminists that they are not man-haters are as credible as David Irving’s assertion that the holocaust is a myth), it paves the way for other movements to be disbanded, even ideas and faiths to be abandoned and suppressed. Should the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s have been disbanded because of the activities of a few fringe militants that had lost perspective? Should Islam be wiped off the face of the planet because the actions of the so-called ‘Muslim’ Osama Bin Laden and his followers? Should women have abandoned campaigning for the right to vote and equality because the criminal acts of a minority?

Certainly not!

For all its faults, F4J provided an essential public service in highlighting that about 50% of contact orders are ignored by mothers and rarely (if ever) enforced by the courts. On the whole F4J’s stunts are no different from those used by Greenpeace, but the former are perceived to be an easier touch than the latter judging by the amount of legal, political, media and feminist black propaganda and persecution utilised against the group. Despite these setbacks though, the fight against parental inequality will continue (and hopefully those superheroic theatrics too). Bank on it!

Quote of the Day 22.1.2006

Chance favours the prepared mind!

Galloway Eats More Humble Pie

BB celebs reeling after vote twist

The atmosphere in the Celebrity Big Brother house is grim after Wednesday's shock nominations.

Rula Lenska was left stunned at the betrayal by Respect MP George Galloway, who chose her despite being her closest friend in the house.

As a punishment for discussing previous nominations, George and Preston were called to the Diary Room and forced to choose three housemates who would automatically face the public vote.

They chose Traci Bingham, Rula and Maggot - unaware their comments were being shown to the rest of the group via the plasma screen. Both nominated Traci, while Preston chose Maggot.

George nominated Rula, explaining: "Mine would be Rula on the basis that she's trying too hard, in fact, she said that she was now going out to win.

"I never said I was out to win!" a furious Rula shouted at the screen.

Preston and George were left close to tears when they discovered everyone had heard their Diary Room comments. The pair had to spend the next hour trying to appease the nominees, who were all visibly upset. Redhead Rula spent the day giving George the silent treatment.

My heart bleeds for the stupid lapdog!

Quote of the Day 20.1.2006

Queen could punish BB MP under law

George Galloway could be punished by the Queen for entering the Celebrity Big Brother house under an ancient unearthed law.

Anyone absenting themselves from Parliament can be "amerced" - arbitrarily punished - under the 1382 Summons to Parliament Act.

The anti-war Respect MP faces that threat if the Queen decided he has not "reasonably and honestly" excused himself.

Former Labour colleagues would be only too pleased to see the 14th Century law used against him.

His antics on the show, including impersonating a cat, have already been raised at Westminster where MPs questioned how he was signing Commons motions while taking part in the contest.

Speaker Michael Martin, who confessed to watching the show, cleared him of wrong-doing after it was discovered the motions were posted before he went in.

Now opponents want the 1382 Act, which is still on the statute book, used against the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.

Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West, urged Her Majesty to act.

"Should Galloway be prosecuted under this ancient law I trust that the Queen would deliver an appropriate punishment," he said.

"In my view Galloway should be sent back to the Big Brother house for the rest of his life with the instruction to perform deeming impressions of every animal that walks the earth."

Personally, I was going to suggest that Galloway should be hung, drawn and quartered, but the highlighted quote is a more fitting punishment for Saddam's lapdog.

Quote of the Day 19.1.2006

There are no wise people, only wisdom!

Men Enjoy Others' Misfortune More Than Women

Men enjoy others' misfortune more than women -study

LONDON (Reuters) - Germans have a word for it -- schadenfreude -- and when it comes to getting pleasure from someone else's misfortune, men seem to enjoy it more than women.

Such is the conclusion reached by scientists at University College London in what they say is the first neuroscientific evidence of schadenfreude.

Using brain-imaging techniques, they compared how men and women reacted when watching other people suffer pain.

If the sufferer was someone they liked, areas of the brain linked to empathy and pain were activated in both sexes.

Women had a similar response if they disliked the person experiencing the pain but men showed a surge in the reward areas of the brain.

"The women had a diminished empathic response," said Dr Klaas Enoo Stephan, a co-author of the report. "But it was still there, whereas in the men it was completely absent," he added in an interview.

The scientists, who reported their findings in the journal Nature, said the research shows that empathic responses in men are shaped by the perceived fairness of others.

"Empathic responses to other people are not automatic, as has been assumed in the past, but depend on the emotional link to the person who is observed suffering," Stephan said.

In the two-part study, 32 men and women volunteers played a game in which they exchanged money with four other people who were actors playing a part.

The actors were either fair characters, who returned equal amounts of cash that have been given to them, or unfair people who gave little or no money back to the volunteers.

In the second part of the experiment, the volunteers were placed in magnetic imaging brain scanners as they watched the actors receiving a mild electric shock, similar to a bee sting.

The scientists measured reactions of the volunteers in areas of the brain associated with pain and empathy and reward while the actors experienced pain.

The responses shown in the brain images were backed up with questionnaires filled in by the volunteers. Men admitted to having a much higher desire for revenge than women and derived satisfaction from seeing the unfair person being punished.

"We will need to confirm these gender differences in larger studies because it is possible the experimental design favoured men as there was a physical rather than psychological or financial threat involved," said Dr Tania Singer, who led the study.

Quotes of the Day 18.1.2006

"In short, we need to campaign for capitalism. To promote profit. To fight for free trade. To remind, indeed to educate our citizens about the facts of economic life." - David Cameron, 8.11.2005

"I don't believe in 'isms'. Words like communism, socialism, capitalism and republicanism all conjure up one image in my mind: extremism." - David Cameron, 1.1.2006

Does Cameron have solid convictions about anything, and if so, what are they?

Galloway Is A Pussy

It looks like the man with more lives than a Hindu cat maybe about to finally commit political suicide.

The REAL Wrestling God

For those who have not heard the news yet, RAW Superstar Kurt Angle invaded Smack Down and captured the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in a 20-man Battle Royal. Congratulations to the 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist, he earned it due to his epics with Shawn Michaels last year!

Forget Hulk Hogan and John Bradshaw Layfield, Angle is the real god of professional wrestling. It's true, it's damn true!

My Sentiments Exactly

BB's Galloway voters in MP protest

Rebel MP George Galloway has been accused of betraying his Muslim constituents for appearing on Celebrity Big Brother.

The Respect Party politician came under fire from a dozen local residents who staged a protest outside his office in east London.

They said he had abandoned his responsibilities in Bethnal Green and Bow and demanded he give back his MP's pay for the time he is in the house.

A Muslim voter, who wanted to be known only as Ali, said Mr Galloway was setting a bad example to Muslim children.

The community worker said: "I have spoken to a number of people at Friday prayers who voted for him who are very disappointed.

"They are disappointed that he's gone on the TV with a Page 3 model and a Baywatch woman. What sign is that giving to the Muslim community?. It's not what the Muslim community wants from their MP.

Michael Keith, leader of the Labour-led Tower Hamlets council, added: "We think the public should know that our MP is not here. He's not doing his job in Parliament and he's not doing his job in this community.

The group held up banners with slogans including "Get back to work Galloway", "Where's our MP?" and "Give your MP's salary back".

George Galloway & Celebrity Big Brother

“I am not too surprised about it, as Mr Galloway is a C-list politician with an A-list ego.” - Jim Fitzpatrick, Minister for London

Blair, Howard & Jiāng: The Retiring Axis of Evil

Ever wonder what the future holds for Tony Blair and his Australian counterpart John Howard after they leave office? Chances are that their retirements will parallel that of the former Chinese President Jiāng Zémín.

For 15 years Jiāng ruled China with an iron fist, suppressing religion, defaming, persecuting, imprisoning and murdering Falun Gong practitioners, political dissidents, human rights activists and ethnic minorities. Jiāng ‘retired’ from all his official state and Communist Party posts between 2002 and 2005. In ‘retirement’, Jiāng’s authority and prestige as a party grandee has been severely diminished by his successor Hu Jintao and Hu’s allies.

The career of the ‘Shanghai Snake’ is mirrored by those of the ‘Cheshire Cat’ and ‘Howard The Duck’. Just as Hangman Jiāng did, Blair and Howard are systematically targeting the Muslim minorities of their respective nations for persecution on the pretext of fighting the war against terrorism; treating other minorities such as the Aborigine and Jewish communities with latent contempt while demonising and detaining genuine refugees in what are nothing more than modern-day concentration camps. Blair, as Jiāng did, presides over a socialist-turned-fascist (if you believe there is any real difference between both fascism and socialism) organisation that remains socialist in name only, engages in corrupt practices, cronyism and subverts the rule of law when it suits him. As Tony Benn aptly put it in his memoirs, Blair behaves as if he is a medieval monarch with a divine right to rule.

When Blair and Howard do finally retire, they will eventually be seen as the vile and prejudiced autocrats that they are just as Jiāng is discreetly being exposed as within China itself. Unfortunately, their corrupt and evil legacies will live on for the foreseeable future and like Jiāng, will never be brought to justice for their crimes against humanity.

I Miss Old Labour.... ....Sometimes!

Skinner attacks Tory MP over cocaine

LONDON (Reuters) - Veteran left-wing politician Dennis Skinner was thrown out of Parliament on Thursday after accusing opposition Treasury spokesman George Osborne of taking cocaine.

In a session of questions on the economy, Skinner responded to an attack from Conservative Osborne, 34, a key ally of the party's new leader David Cameron, on the government's decision to cut its growth forecasts.

"In the 1970s and in a lot of the 1980s we would have thanked our lucky stars in the coalfield areas to have got growth of 1.75 percent," said Skinner.

"The only thing that was growing then were the lines of coke in front of boy George and the rest of the Tories (Conservatives)," said Skinner, in an unusually blunt attack.

Skinner, 73, a frequent critic of Prime Minister Tony Blair, is a no-nonsense traditional Labour lawmaker who represents a former mining area in the north Midlands.

The Osborne drugs remark comes two days after Cameron became leader of the Conservative party. He has shaken off questions over possible drug use that overshadowed the early stages of his campaign.

Cameron has repeatedly declined to say whether he used hard drugs before he was elected a member of parliament.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, whose job it is to keep order in the oak-panelled chamber, ordered Skinner to withdraw the statement. He ejected Skinner when the MP refused.

I have got to give Mr. Skinner credit where credit is due!

Why Iran Needs Regime Change Part 2

Iran's Ahmadinejad casts doubt on Holocaust

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday expressed doubt that the Holocaust took place and suggested Israel be moved to Europe.

His comments, reported by Iran's official IRNA news agency from a news conference he gave in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, follow his call in October for Israel to be "wiped off the map", which sparked widespread international condemnation.

"Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that person and throw them in jail," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

"Although we don't accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, our question for the Europeans is: is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of Jerusalem?" he said.

"If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe -- like in Germany, Austria or other countries -- to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe. You offer part of Europe and we will support it.

Historians say six million Jews were killed in the Nazi Holocaust. Ahmadinejad's remarks drew swift rebukes from Israel and Washington.

Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said in Tel Aviv Ahmadinejad was voicing "the consensus that exists in many circles in the Arab world that the Jewish people ... do not have the right to establish a Jewish, democratic state in their ancestral homeland".

"Just to remind Mr. Ahmadinejad, we've been here long before his ancestors were here," Gissin said. "Therefore, we have a birthright to be here in the land of our forefathers and to live here. Thank God we have the capability to deter and to prevent such a statement from becoming a reality.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "It just further underscores our concerns about the regime in Iran and its all the more reason why it's so important that the regime not have the ability to develop nuclear weapons.

ONCE ALLIES

Religious hardliners in Iran do not publicly deny the Holocaust occurred but say its scale has been exaggerated to justify the creation of Israel and continued Western support for it.

Close allies when Iran was ruled by the U.S.-backed Shah, Iran and Israel have become implacable foes since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

Israel accuses Iran of giving arms and funding to militant Palestinian groups such as Islamic Jihad and of building nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charges.

Tehran calls Israel a "terrorist state" and has developed missiles which can reach it. It says it would use them if Israel, itself believed to be nuclear armed, tried to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.

"The question is where do those who rule in Palestine as occupiers come from? Where were they born? Where did their fathers live? They have no roots in Palestine but they have taken the fate of Palestine in their hands.

Jews trace their roots in Israel back to Biblical times.

Ahmadinejad concluded his remarks by reiterating Iran's proposal that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be resolved via a referendum of all the inhabitants of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank as well as Palestinian refugees in neighbouring countries.

"Whatever they decide will be accepted by all humanity. This is a clear democratic solution which is based on international principles," he said.

Let’s hope that Ahmadinejad is assassinated by either a Mossad agent or the prowrestler Goldberg in the very near future.

AIDS or Ebola?: The Tory Leadership Contest

After over six months of uncertainty, the Conservatives finally have a new leader to contest what will most likely by another General Election defeat at the hands of the neo-Nazi New Labour party. I can not say that any of the candidates inspired me with any confidence in them. Choosing between the final two candidates was like choosing whether you wanted to die from either the AIDS or Ebola viruses. In the end, the party choose AIDS as at least scientists are closer to finding a cure for that disease than they are with Ebola.

"Tory Blair v2.0" David Cameron (Michael Portillo was the original Tory clone of Adolf Blair) has a better chance of reducing "Mr. Recession" Gordon Brown's parliamentary majority in 2009/10, whereas David "Alan B'Stard with SAS training" Davis would have done far more damage to the party than Michael Foot did to Labour as party leader. Davis would have only plunged the Tories further into the abyss. For the most part, Cameron does seem to be making the right noises and has promised to move the party back towards the centre ground. Unfortunately, his morals and character leave a lot to be desired. The party has already had at least two drug abusers lead it in the past (Eden and more understandably the elderly Churchill during his second and final term as Prime Minister), do we really need another?

Quote of the Day 21.11.2005

The pen maybe mightier than the sword, but you should still carry a sword incase the pen fails to get the job done.

Middle Earth

To which race of Middle Earth do you belong? Find out at http://quizilla.com/users/dphenreckson/quizzes/To%20which%20race%20of%20Middle%20Earth%20do%20you%20belong%3F/

Roy Keane Leaves Manchester United

Today is the end of an era as Roy Keane, arguably the finest all-round midfielder of his generation has left Manchester United by mutual consent.

Life Is Not Fair

As Jeremy Irons' character, Scar, in The Lion King commented, "Life isn't fair!" Why do some individuals such as Eddie Guerrero die years after they stopped using drugs and alcohol, yet others such as George Best and professional wrestler Scott Hall continue to abuse their bodies to the point of near destruction, yet are still alive and older than Eddie was before his untimely death?

Eddie Guerrero Update

The initial autopsy reports on Eddie Guerrero state that he died from heart failure brought by both his heavy work schedule and his previous substance abuse before he adopted a straight edge lifestyle.

Religion, Thatcher, the Left & Hypocrisy

This past Sunday, I attended a public meeting organised by the local Campaign Against Climate Change (CACC). Although it was a very informative meeting, there were a number of comments and one particular incident that I took great expectation to.

Despite being a public meeting concerning climate change, a couple of the speakers used it as a platform to make a few jibes at Baroness Thatcher and her policies. While I am not exactly one of Thatcher's biggest supporters, I totally disagree with the claim of the UNISON speaker that the Iron Lady wanted to destroy the trade unions. While Thatcher was understandable hostile to the trade unions, she only set out to destroy trade union militancy that had held Britain to ransom for much of the 1970's, destroying productivity and increasing inflation up to 27%. The result of this militancy only ended up harming the trade union's own members and their families most.

What disturbed me more than the digs at Thatcher was the way a Christian youth leader was heckled at by the pre-dominantly left-wing crowd for expressing his views on climate change in the context of the End Times. One elderly and hard of hearing individual commented to me that if he wanted to hear such “rubbish”, he would go to church instead, seemingly unaware of the fact the meeting was being held inside a Unitarian Church.

As far as the Left is concerned, it is acceptable to make off-topic slurs against Thatcher, but anti-social to express a religious viewpoint on the matter at hand. It only goes to show how hostile the Left is to religion and why it is so out of touch with people’s need to believe in something far greater than themselves. As I commented at the meeting, if an Imam had expressed an Islamic attitude to climate change, no would have dared said a word against him because the Left subscribe to the French Trotskyite doctrine of Political Correctness. Yet because the person in question was a Christian, he’s fair game!

Proof positive that familiarity does breed contempt!

R.I.P Eddie Guerrero 1967-2005

In extremely sad news, the 38-year-old World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar, "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero passed away in his hotel room yesterday in Minneapolis. The cause of death has yet to be determined, although Eddie has had past drug and alcohol abuse issues up until four years ago.

World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon described Eddie's death as a huge loss, commenting that “Eddie was a wonderful, fun-loving human being. Eddie was a consummate performer.” Eddie was a proud and talented man, devoted to both his family and the Almighty and took great pride in his profession. However Eddie was also tortured by his own inner demons and sometimes his fiery nature and temperament got the better of him. I hope Eddie is finally at peace with both himself and the Almighty.

Eddie is survived by his wife Vickie and daughters Shaul, 14, Sherilyn, 9, and Kaylie Marie, 3.