Fear epidemic

Christopher Booker puts the swine flu fear propaganda into perspective by drawing attention to the scares generated by governments and corporations in the last decade - namely:

• salmonella in eggs
• Asian bird flu
• the Millennium Bug
• AIDS
• CJD

... and points out that "normal flu strains cause 36,000 deaths in America every year".

Further reading: The Epidemic of Fear - Swine Flu

Swine flu of 1976 - vaccinations killed and injured hundreds

Governments and interested parties are whipping up fear, as I wrote earler. The chosen name "swine flu" has a certain menace which its counterparts "pig flu" and porcine flu" lack. More hype.

In 1976, swine flu broke out in the US and the government implemented a vaccination program which killed or seriously injured hundreds of Americans. That was unfortunate, because the predicted epidemic never happened. Read more, here. All the while, the pharmaceutical companies made a killing.

California has already declared a state of emergency; libertarians are concerned that governments will override civil rights and make vaccinations mandatory.

Libertarian, Republican Congressman Ron Paul, who is also a physician, talks about his experience of 1976 and ridicules the US government's handling of the 'epidemic':

Top petition! Brown resignation petition has most signatures

In just 7 days, the petition to McDrone to resign has attracted over 28,000 signatures (approximately 4,000 per day) and has become the most popular petition.

An epidemic of epidemics - fear is the real enemy

Hardly a week goes by without some kind of fear fest engendered by the media, the government or those that have the most to gain from fear propaganda.

Look at the fear and furore whipped up over bird flu. What happened to that 'epidemic'? Nothing. Nevertheless, the pharmaceutical companies raked it in with huge government purchases of Tamiflu, most of which will probably go to waste as it will never be needed.

This week, it's swine flu. Who are the winners here? Again, pharmaceuticals. Boots has had a merry time testing its staff - a wonderful advert ... for face masks.

Get real. The biggest thing to fear is fear itself and the destruction it wreaks.

Stay calm, be hygienic, dress well and eat well. And all will be well.

Edit:

More lunacy from this 'government'. Criminals are to be spared incarceration, as it could infringe on their human rights being placed in an enclosed environment in which swine flu could flourish, the Telegraph reports:

"Prosecutors will be encouraged to hand out more cautions to offenders to ease pressure on the courts and the types of offences that can be dealt that way could be expanded.

Serious criminals are also likely to use human rights laws to argue they should not be sent to prison - where infection rates could hit 90 per cent, the MoJ warns"

Have they no shame? No sense of justice? Have they lost all ability to govern? Did they ever have it?

No. 10 hires Mail's political correspondent

Ben Brogan reports:

Gordon Brown does not know his luck. In these tough times, when the exits are crowded with those fighting to get out before next year's great reckoning, you would not expect to find volunteers willing to join the Downing Street operation. But Mr Brown has, in the shape of Michael Lea, who has resigned as Daily Mail political correspondent to take on a new role as chief writer to the Prime Minister.

I declare an interest, in that until a few weeks ago I was his boss. But I confess I was startled when I heard this. Michael is an astute and talented reporter who had a successful career at the Sun before joining the Mail. He's decided it's time to try something different and has accepted a civil service role inside the strategic communications unit. He won't be doing any media, and before you ask, the process was in train before Damian McBride imploded. Michael's job will be to polish Mr Brown's prose, a heart-sinking task if there ever was one.

Michael has already heard the jokes about rats and ships, and will be all too aware that this could be a fairly short enlistment (although as a civil servant there is no reason why he should not continue if the Tories get in). What stays with me is the surprise that Mr Brown can still find people willing to enter the bunker.

Privacy and the ever-intrusive, burgeoning State

The Telegraph reports that Jackboots Smith is still intent of invading our privacy, for 'security' reasons:

"Ms Smith is pushing ahead with proposed new powers to track every phone, email text message and website visit made by the public in order to combat terrorists and serious criminals who take advantage of the ever complex forms of communication to plot their atrocities and crime."

(Image from Flikr)





In a discussion on Iain Dale's blog, the poster Political Dissuasion argues:

"It so that Labour can find out what the Tories campaign plans are and if they dig up some smeargate type material, then bonus for them."

I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised. Smeargate has taught us that this government is willing to plumb new depths for political gain.

The Tories, if they haven't done so already, would be wise to ensure that they employ PGP to encrypt all emails.

Is Downing Street pruning the petition?

The petition to get Brown to resign must be seriously embarrassing to what is laughably called "the government", headed by McBean.

On occasions, refreshing the petition screen, the number of petitioners decreases. Given that the list was growing by approximately 1,000 names per hour yesterday, it seems incredible that today, the number of petitioners should decrease after an hour. This was happening on Sunday, too.

Is someone monkeying with the petition?

Downing Street bites back ... err

Well, perhaps not. Someone who signs himself as "bob roberts", has started a petition to 'rival' the petition to get McMental to resign.

Its, ummm ... supporters, (all 36 of 'em), as at 00:20 on 28th April are:


* aslong as it isn't cameron the con
* john fisk
* Gordon Brown
* get stuffed, plus Brown's never been a leader
* Ed Balls, Chancellor in Waiting
* Faux Cough
* nobody elected brown
* Snot-gobbler
* O B Liden
* Robert Mugabe Esq
* Gordon's mum
* Boom AND Bust
* Mrs Mugabe
* Hate that Lying Jock
* fat unelected lying hoon
* It started in America
* Winston (after re-education) Smith
* Bob Roberts' hamster
* Tony B Liar
* Nail Biter Brown is an even bigger liar than Blair
* R S Likhan
* was a well known swinger at Edinburgh University
* Tractor Production is UP! I Tell You
* Cape Cod Gay Gordons dancing troupe
* Norfolk n' Good
* Light Touch
* F. Uckwit-Roberts
* Nun Soblindas Thosewhowillnot-See
* 402 Daystogo
* Swine Flu (to Afghanistan)
* Ashie
* Joy Wendy Endcomes
* So long and thanks for all the benefit cheques
* Pension raider - then they collapsed
* Major Farquin Arson Winker (Ret)

Well, there's a ringing endorsement for the Prime Mentalist.

Cameron lays into Brown in HoC

Dan Hannan - another blistering attack on Gordon Brown

Shame about the sound quality, though.

Part 1:




Part 2:

Tories up by 5 points - CON 45(+5) LAB 26(-2) LD 17(-1)

According to Political betting:

CON 45(+5) LAB 26(-2) LD 17(-1)
So another survey with no respite for Brown?

Since last week’s budget the only pollster we’ve had voting intention numbers from has been YouGov - although we have had two surveys so it’s good that tonight another poll is published. The survey from ComRes for the Independent has shares very much in the same area.

The comparisons are on the last ComRes poll at the end of March and an enormous amount has happened in the meantime - the G20, Smeargate, the continuing MP expenses row and, of course the budget.

The big change here is the shift in the Tory share which is well above the margin of error. ComRes is showing a 19% lead over Labour which is one point higher than the the two YouGov polls.

All three surveys since the budget have Cameron’s Tories on the same number 45% and all three would produce a landslide victory for the party if repeated at a general election.

These are the worst figure for Labour from ComRes since August - the only difference between now and then is the maximum time for recovery before the general election can be held. We are in the final year and each week we get closer to when the voting has to be held.

ComRes is a telephone pollster that uses past vote weighting though the way it operates this is different from ICM and Populus. I always like to see the main data before fully committing myself to a verdict.

It’s very hard to see how Labour can break out of this spiral of decline and it’s hard, also, to predict anything other than a substantial Tory victory.

Over 18,000 sign petition for Gordon Brown to resign

At the time of writing, 18,261 people had signed the petition to ask Gordon Brown to resign.

That's more than 10,000 signatures in one day!

Swine flu - another scare story

We have yet another scare story - swine flu.

Remember bird flu? Did that go anywhere?

Be calm, eat and dress sensibly, be hygienic and stay healthy.

Above all, don't believe the hype - because that's what this scare story is.

Expenses - Allowances abused by MEPs

Bruno Waterfield shows a video of MEPs filmed clocking in to get their daily attendance allowances, then b*ggering off immediately afterwards.

Security is then called in to have the reporters removed from the building, even though they had a right to film.

Bruno also questions the honesty of the EU Parliament:

Euro-MPs have declared that "under no circumstances will Parliament in the prevailing economic situation provide extra money" to bailout their second pension fund. Are these people liars?

Disappearing signatures on Petition for Gordon Brown to resign?

Interesting. Try this:

Go to the petition's site, note down the number of petitions, then refresh the screen. Why are there fewer signatures each time the screen is refreshed?

Example:

At 12:20 on 25th April 2009, the number of signatures was at 6174.
At 12:22, the number of signatures was 6170.

What's going on here?

Petition Gordon Brown to resign

Petition for Gordon Brown to resign - sign it, folks.

Yes, I know Gordon Brown doesn't take heed of petitions, if the petition to scrap road pricing, signed by 1.8 million people is anything to go by, but it's worth signing.

We get to voice our opinion. Isn't that worth something? Edit: We also get to embarrass McMental.

Sign it, people. Get all your friends and relatives to sign it, and get them pass it on to their friends and relatives.

After you've signed the petition, you'll receive an email to confirm that you want to do this - if you don't click on the link in that email, your name will not be added to the list of petitioners.

Sign it now!

Edit: I see that some nutter under the alias of Adolph Hitler has signed the petition. Might the McBrides of this world be trying to discredit the petition by doing so?

Selling off the family silver - Budget Day

Alistair Darling is expected to privatise the Royal Mint as part of his budget, in an effort to raise cash to pay for the country's massive debt.

The Bank of England, a private bank, issues our currency, and now we are also to lose control over the minting of money?

I'm reminded of Thomas Jefferson, who said:

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and the corporations which grow up around them, will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Site map

Table of Contents

Tories winning battle for economic credibility, poll suggests - Guardian

Guardian/ICM poll gives the Conservatives a 10-point lead over Labour as the party best placed to manage the economy

More polls out this week. Some polls are tipped to pit Labour as low as 22% and sliding!

Hoorah!

Postal vote fraud - how it was done

In 2007, a Sunday Times reporter posed as a 'mature student' to uncover electoral fraud via postal votes.

From The Times: "THE ASSEMBLED student volunteers in the car park of a boarded-up pub in Gipton, Leeds, were hoping to do their small bit to avert Labour’s predicted electoral meltdown."

Graham Hyde, a local Councillor told students to “Put the postal vote form out of sight...Don’t get caught with any on you. We are not supposed to collect them.”

Hyde was asked by a student whether this was illegal, to which he replied “Yes it is. But we’ve done 25% already, so...”

The Times states: "Any canvasser who solicits a postal ballot paper from a voter or helps them to fill out the ballot paper would be breaking an electoral code of conduct agreed by all the parties and may have broken electoral law."

The under-cover Times reporter recorded the episode and passed a dossier and the recording to the police.

Police confiscate property of a 'political nature' from a suspected environmental activist

An environmental protestor's home was searched by police, who took items of a 'political nature', such as a copy of The New Statesman. On being asked why the police were taking it, a copper replied that it indicates his political views!

Thought crime?

Potential persecution due to political beliefs?

Watch the video of the search here.

Labour fights to the death - Peter Oborne

Peter Oborne writes in the Daily Mail that Labour infighting has reached a deadly stage. The Blairites sense the death of Labour with Brown at the helm. They have nothing to lose by going for the jugular.

It seems plausible that Guido Fawkes was briefed by Blairites against Brown's hatchet men to wreak a savage revenge.

It looks like this process is nowhere near ending, as Mandelson would have us believe - dream on, Mandelson!

Is the tide turning at the BBC? Are the rats jumping the s(t)inking ship of Labour?

Nick Robinson expresses disbelief that Ed Balls wasn't aware of McBride's scurrilous underhand smears/

Listen to Nick Robinson on Radio4's Today program

Labour tries to ban Guido Fawkes from BBC

Guido Fawkes reports today that Labour sent the BBC a fax complaining that Guido was to appear on The Daily Politics show with Andrew Neil.

Watch Guido on The Daily Politics show.

Has the BBC no shame?

Sleaze-gate continues

The titans of the blogosphere have uncovered another bombshell - due to blow in the next few hours ...


The esteemed Guido Fawkes to claim another scalp

ToryBear exposes the technical details of the damning Draper computer picture

BBC implicates top Labour operators in smear

News of the World: Labour General Secretary, Ray Collins involved in smear

Ed Balls heads smear campaigns against Labour rivals

Plato uncovers an ICM poll - Polls reflect really crap week for Labour


Start your own blog and spread the news!