Eurovision 2014 - Russian Homophobia enters the contest

For many years people in this country at least have been complaining about the "political nature" of the way so many countries vote in the Eurovision song contest. The Greeks and Turks vote for each other as do the many entrants from the Balkans. Such tactics have often left poor old Britain way down the end of the "poll".

However this year the political controversy is over the rather eccentric Conchita Wurst, the Austrian entrant who is a transvestite with a beard.  This seems to have caused some consternation as Reuters reports:

Online petitions were started in Belarus, Armenia and Russia - whose government passed a law last year banning "gay propaganda" among minors - to have Wurst removed or edited out of broadcasts in their countries.

The ugly face of homophobia has entered the contest. How these morons see any of this as "gay propaganda" is beyond me, but it is part of a growing attempt by a variety of unpleasant regimes to enforce their prejudices on everyone else.

The BBC adds Graham Norton's comments as he prepares to compare the contest tonight:

"She's here against a lot of adversity. Other countries objected, Russia and Belarus wanted to opt out of the TV broadcast at that point, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said no.

"There's something lovely and poignant about that song," he said.

After Russia was booed during the first semi-final on Tuesday, Norton said he was unsure how the voting would play out between Russia and Ukraine.

"Russia are wildly unpopular here, but this is Denmark, in other parts of Europe they'll be watching TV and they won't be booing, so Russia could do very well."

He added: "But I don't think the organisers want to go there, as that turns it into a very political event, there's the chance of boycotts and that is not what Eurovision is about."

Maybe its our chance to take a "political vote" and stick two fingers up to the Russians and tell them to take their prejudices and stuff them up the Volga!

Vote Austria.

Elections: more from around the fringe

As expected the media are concentrating on the seemingly relentless rise of UKIP and it's leader Nigel Farage. The chap you might meet pontificating about immigration and the "bloody Germans" over a pint or two in the local pub. So much so Tory leader has wandered into Nandos for a picture opportunity over a piece of slightly higher class chicken & chips.

Not quite as believable as Farage, who probably does like a regular rant over a tipple or two. A failed photo opportunity for Cameron, as if we care....

Meanwhile political life does exist outside the four mainstream parties as we have already seen in part one of this journey around the fringe in the EU elections.

Given the seriousness with which the comrades of the NO2EU campaign are over their entirely ignored political campaign, they must be galled by the relative success of the Roman Party (yeah you heard right), the hobby of one Jean-Louis Pascual, a bus driver would you believe in Reading! He got a respectable 5,450 votes last time he stood, but still lost his £5,000 deposit.

According to getreading:

M Pascual who comes from Bordeaux stood for his own party -– The Roman Party. Ave! He has also stood in Reading borough elections under the same banner.

The basis of his policy is – “when in Rome do as the Romans do” – and he is a great admirer of those early invaders.

He said: “Everyone should go to Reading museum and see all the things that the Romans did for this country.”

One of his controversial policies outlined in the paper goes:

His chief policy is that he is “against injustice” but he also holds the belief teenage mums should be made to go back to school.

He said: “How can someone educate a child if they have no education themselves? I believe the mother should go back to school and the baby should be looked after in a nursery while she is learning at school so that the baby is looked after by someone who has an education.

“I think that is common sense.”

Discuss.

Next comes the rather odd Manz Party, and yes it does stand for what you think it does which means it automatically would exclude slightly over 50% of the population. See what you make of their opening gambit:

British men and boys have been increasingly insulted and demonised over the past 50 years by angry vociferous women driven by misandry (hatred of men). Men’s and boys’ interests have been ever more assaulted by the actions and inactions of the state, particularly over the past 30 years. Conservative and Labour governments have been equally bad in this respect, and the current Conservative-led coalition is the worst of them all, with David Cameron slavishly following policy directions set by Harriet Harman and other gender feminist politicians over the past 30 years.

Oh dear, better leave it there methinks......

Then there's the Patriotic Socialist Party launched in January this year, which despite its name is not any kind of fascist party. They are running a number of candidates in the local elections.

Like Baldrick, the PSP have a cunning "10 point plan" which starts:

The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates national and cultural identity in order to establish a national community of which anyone can belong, irrespective of someone’s ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, disability, gender or origin.

In case you were wondering point 5 says:

The Patriotic Socialist Party advocates a system of immigration based on economic sustainability in order to influence population growth and maintain and enhance the standards of living for everyone that resides within the nation.

The symbol of their organisation is a complete break from most other socialist groups, It's called a "Renatus", Latin for born again. Who knew?

Last but by no means least, the oldest of the socialist organisations in the UK, the Socialist Party of Great Britain will be getting an election broadcast in Wales. Unusually for all political parties they urge you not to vote for them if you don't agree with them. Not sure why anyone would but heres the main feature:



Boring.

An uncertain future for PCS

With so much attention being paid to the merger takeover of the main civil service union PCS by Unite, many members (myself included) will have forgotten about the internal elections for which the results were announced today. With the closing down of the mainstream 4themembers group and the Independent Left being unable to stand a full slate of candidates the outcome of the election was inevitable.

The unions President crowed about the "clean sweep" achieved by the Democracy Alliance. However given the fact the turnout plummeted to an all time low it can only be seen as a Pyrrhic victory. Out of 227,000 eligible voters, just 17,000 bothered to vote. That's 8%.

Hardly a sign of the far-lefts claim that PCS is a member led union, which of course it isn't and never has been since the comrades took control. PCS is an activists led union which is leading to less and less involvement by actual members each year.

That there is a general lack of confidence in the ability of PCS to achieve much on a national scale is hardly surprising given the general economic and political situation. The other trade unions, with the possible exception of the RMT are frankly in the same position.

Members see the union more as a general "insurance" policy for when trouble arises on an individual basis. On this level PCS reps still deliver a good service though changes to conditions of service, including harsher sickness or attendance rules, performance monitoring and more is making life more difficult for all concerned.

The strategy of the PCS leadership has failed to deliver. The plan to let Unite take over the unions "engagements" is a worrying development. Many Reps and members are increasingly concerned at the seeming haste to end the Independence of PCS. The PCS Face Book page increasingly seems to be devoted to the issue and the Socialist Party are beginning to lose their grip on a layer of reps within what they would see as their "natural constituency".

A fairly typical response to the whole takeover affair was posted up by Wendy Turner:

I am another who has grave concerns regarding the 'merger' Unite are quite clearly saying that it will be a transfer of engagements, that means unite takes on the roles and responsibilities of PCS which then ceases to exist. This is very different from the info our members are receiving. Like others I smell a rat. There is something fishy going on.

At the same time the issue is garnering attention elsewhere. The Left Futures blog muses:

PCS has been severely damaged by the cuts and privatisation of this government (and the last), having lost almost a quarter of its members since 2005. If Labour does not win in 2015, further job losses and the attack on facility time will further encroach on its ability to function effectively. 

Yet while the Tories continue their "slash and burn" policy of trade union rights the PCS leadership look to the tiny and irrelevant Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition for a political alternative, which happens to be themselves.

PCS destroyed by arrogant self interest of a political cult.

The Socialist Party nee Militant.

Taxi anyone?

Vote Labour! Keep the link! Defend Trade Unions! 

Musical Interlude with all the madmen....

No time for a blog tonight as I've been debating the PCS/Unite merger on the PCS Face Book page.

Derek Thompson my favourite militant reminded me of this song when he wrote "I'm talking to a brick wall". Just had to post it.

All the Madmen is from the Man Who Sold the World album released in 1971 before his turn to "Glam Rock" with Ziggy Stardust.

God I'm getting old I remember buying this, but had to replace with a CD a few years back.

Anyway back tomorrow. Just enjoy, its' a classic!

Sharia adherence excludes non-Muslim customers

Cross post from Sharia Watch




Over the last week or so, we’ve seen several new exemptions made to accommodate both sharia finance principles and halal food.

It was revealed this week that Subway, one of the largest fast food outlets in Britain, has decided to exclude pork and ham from its menu in around 200 of its stores. Furthermore, what meat remains will be exclusively halal – meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with sharia law.

In a statement, a Subway spokeswoman said “All halal meats are certified by the appropriate halal authorities.”

It would be interesting to know which authorities she is referring to, and whether it is fair that people may be inadvertently providing funds to groups such as the Muslim Food Board, which is affiliated to sharia councils running de facto family law courts.

Many people may well object to contributing to such groups and to empowering discriminatory sharia councils. They may also object to the slaughter method of halal, and indeed the fact that Subway is now contributing to potential discriminatory employment practices; given that only Muslims can carry out halal slaughter.

But there are other concerns - what about choice? Why can’t people who object to halal on an ethical basis get something to eat at certain Subway stores? They have been completely excluded – their custom doesn’t count. Furthermore, devout followers of other religions, who may not wish to partake in Islamic religious ritual, are being asked to do so or go elsewhere.

Few people would object to choice, and few would object to Muslims having the freedom to live according to their religious beliefs, but it is the accommodation of sharia, at the expense of others, that elevates Islamic belief – it is, in effect, a demonstration of Islamic supremacy.

In the same week, Lloyds Bank was accused of religious discrimination for offering free overdraft accounts to Muslim customers. According to a Telegraph report, the bank issued a booklet stating “We are removing the monthly overdraft management fee of £6 from our Islamic Account, Islamic Student Account and Islamic Graduate Account. So, if you use an unplanned overdraft on these accounts, there won’t be any charges.” Customers who do not have Islamic accounts however will be charged to £80 for the same offence.

Lloyds were to quick to reassure us that Islamic accounts are available to all, but what if a person does not want an Islamic account – either for ethical or religious reasons?

In effect, customers must now pay extra for refusing to have an Islamic account.

Yet again, the marketing of products – both in food and in finance – is being divided and segregated along religious lines, and those who do not adhere to Islam are getting the raw end of the deal.

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Free Nigerian Schoolgirls! (further reading)

Follow up last nights petition to release the Nigerian schoolgirls from Islamist slavery, even more important today as another eight are kidnapped by these criminal scum, I recommend the following articles:

Andrew Coates: Boko Haram: The bankruptcy of Islamophobia

Jim Denham: Boko Haram "my enemy's enemy" and "left" isolationism

Human Rights First!

Boko Haram: Criminals and Slavers

Back in April Islamist group Boko Haram, attacked a school and kidnapped some 300 school girls, children as part of their so-called war to establish a medieval Islamic caliphate in Northern Nigeria.

Reuters reports:

"I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah," Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in the video, according to AFP, which is normally the first media outlet to get hold of Shekau's videos.

What they really should be classified as are criminals and slavers.

A petition has been launched by Change.org to obtain international support for the campaign to free the children:



In Nigeria, over 200 girls were recently abducted from their boarding school by a terrorist group, Boko Haram, that may be selling them as brides for $12 each. This petition calls on the Nigerian government and all enabled international parties to immediately rescue them.

The abducted 200+ girls are victims of an ongoing conflict within Nigeria that they did not create, and their voices need to be heard. I can only imagine what these 200+ girls have been through, yet the government is not doing nearly enough to save them.

The Boko Haram group, which is believes to be responsible for their abduction, has repeatedly said girls should not be educated. I am a young educated Nigerian who believes every young child regardless of their sex, should not be denied access to education. I believe the Nigerian government must do more to ensure the safe return of these girls.

By signing this petition we declare our solidarity with the kidnapped girls and call upon the world not to forget them, support all efforts to ensure their safe return, and ask President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigerian Government to ensure all schools are safe places to learn, protected from attack.

Sign here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/over-200-girls-are-missing-in-nigeria-please-help-find-them-bringbackourgirls?fb_action_ids=10152232549951743&fb_action_types=change-org%3Arecruit&fb_ref=__asqUMIukvq

Euro Elections -Yer 'aving a laugh comrades!

Given that today is World Laughter Day, I thought readers may be amused to know that last week the Monster Raving Loony Party held its European election launch. They report:

We are the only party to launch an election campaign for the Euro elections next Month in which we have no candidates standing and no policies to offer…Another first for the Loony Party.

Well it amused me.

Meanwhile the real loonies (on the left) are getting their collective knickers in a twist over what they call a "media blackout" on their NO2U campaign. Nick Wrights 21 Manifesto blog whines:

The No2EU campaign has been launched and met with a wall of silence by the capitalist media, much of which is not so covertly promoting UKIP.

The Communists have called on members and supporters to break this news blackout by using the seven Saturdays remaining till the election, to go out into communities and campaign for No2EU candidates.

By "wall of silence" I think he means the media aren't interested. No surprise there. Outside the hallowed circles of the ever declining far-left nobodies that bothered by this small and irrelevant groupscule. A rather odd alliance of the RMT, Socialist Party (Trots) and the Communist Party (Morning Star mob - Stalinists). Without Bob Crow they don't even have an obvious leader.

Besides if you wanted to get out of the EU the average euro-sceptic voter will probably support UKIP who according to The Sunday Times have now taken the lead in the Opinion Polls with 29%, 1% ahead of Labour. 

The tiny Green Party have gone into fourth place with 8%, pushing the totally discredited Lib Dems into fifth place. All the "others" add up to 6% between them. 

NO2EU isn't even registering, except in the comrades own overblown egos.

They should learn a lesson from Screaming Lord Sutch's (may his memory be praised) mates who are also intervening in the local elections in Elmbridge and tell us:

There are three Loony Party candidates standing in Elmbridge Council Elections in May:

Molesey North ward: Monky The Drummer
Walton North ward: Badger
Hersham North ward: Crazy Dave

Everyone is invited to their victory party held the night before the election on Wednesday the 21st of May.

Best not to take your chances too seriously comrades.