| #1 - Posted 21 May 2010, 8:05 AM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | Rioting Greeks Dump Millions of Barrels of Virgin Olive Oil In Agean Sea To Protest Austerity Cuts! Agean Sea Drenched in Olive Oil after Greek Riots! Yet another major oil spill now threatens the Mediterranean and the Fragile European Union as thousands of Greek Government Workers rally and dump millions of barrels of Virgin Olive Oil into the Aegean Sea! After bloody rioting, the burning of a bank killing three workers, and a nationwide strike paralyzing the already bankrupt country, the anarchists broke into the country's warehouses where the only export the country had, Olive Oil, was gleefully rolled down to the docks, spilt open and dumped into the sea. Scenes shown from Google Earth on the BBC show that the oil is spreading into the Mediterranean threatening to move toward France and eventually the UK. Turkey is already affected with olive oil drenched sea weed being washed up on shore and being served up at outdoor bistros and being packaged for Health Food stores in China. In an emergency EU meeting, France has committed to dropping 2.5M loaves of French Bread into the spill in hopes it can be absorbed. India has committed to 4.5m tons of cous cous, while Portugal vows it will send a fleet of Sardine Trawlers to the area to scoop, brine, and can as much of the oil coated fish a as possible. Meanwhile the spot market for Olive Oil has quadrupled now said to be rivaling the price of Gold as the ill fated European Union continues to flounder. Edited on 9/1/2010 11:51 AM by Blutarsky. al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.2* / DO | |
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| #2 - Posted 21 May 2010, 8:07 AM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | Germany adds another 150 billion to Greek bailout on the condition that they get Poland al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.2* / DO | |
| #3 - Posted 21 May 2010, 1:52 PM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | Greece begs Germany to start WWIII and save them from financial oblivion! Greece have begged Germany to start WWIII because they believe that if the Germans were to start the war and invade them they would be much better off under German occupation (sicher). The Greek Prime Minister has sent a secret envoy to Berlin with an official request to proceed with the attack conquering Austria and Italy on the way. The Germans are considering the request very seriously because the burden of bailing out the corrupt Greeks is a very daunting prospect and many Germans would rather have Greece as a "Deutsche Kolonie" (It's a great place for throwing the towels out around the swimming-pool and the thought of having the Acropylis belong to the "Gross Deutsche Reich" is mouth-watering). Austria and Italy would be no problem, they would love the Germans to clear up their immigrant problems for them. There could be a slight problem with the Yanks and their infamous allies, the Brits, but as long as the Krauts leave the Jews alone, no problem! Frau Merkel would love to solve the problem and become a leading light in the glorious German post-WWII history proving to the world that Germans are not Nazi's, just simple humanitarians saving the Euro-Zone from disaster and teaching the rest of the world how to do it "richtig, jawohl, an die Wand"!!!!! Obama has also been informed of the plan and would love the idea of a free holiday on Lesbos with a cool "Deutsches Bier, Sauerkraut und ein Bratwurst"! Edited on 9/1/2010 11:51 AM by Blutarsky. al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.2* / DO | |
| #4 - Posted 22 May 2010, 4:45 PM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | The Big Fat Greek Bailout Until a few weeks ago, most Americans were only dimly aware that Greece still existed anywhere other than that strange mythological place known as, "Ancient History." Today, as if by Zeus-like magical powers, Americans are now part owners in what some crazy right wing economists are describing as a socialist economic catastrophe of Iliad proportions. Thus far, the Obama Administration has only sunk a mere fifty billion into the Greek economy, an amount which is a mere pittance for a guy that is used to tossing greenbacks around by the trillions. Concerned about the possibility that, "Money could be skimmed off the top, Chicago-Style," Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner has ordered that thousands of free automatic teller machines be placed throughout Greece. Through this medium, Geithner expects to be able to evenly distribute the free cash to those disenfranchised Greek citizens who are most in need of a bailout. George Stephanopoulos, a famous American journalist of Greek descent, had a reserved yet hopeful reaction to the news. "This is a terrific Godsend for my ancestors, but I'm a little concerned about the issuance process of the free ATM cards, and the possibility of people passing out in long lines especially with the Summer months coming up. Overall, I would say this is a good deal. I'm proud to say that the USA is with Greece all the way. I've made phone calls to all my distant relatives and they are really excited about the project." If the free automatic teller machine pilot program works well in Greece, Geithner plans to go global with a massive ATM airdrop program. The program will involve every heavy US Air Force transport jet available, and thousands of parachutes to be attached to thousands of airborne ATMs. Crack paratroopers being trained at this moment in Fort Benning, Georgia, USA, are preparing themselves for the technical work ahead of them. Sergeant Zack Campbell, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, and veteran of four tours of Iraq and Afghanistan is looking forward to the upcoming missions. "You know, this is a really cool idea. I'm tired of getting hit with small arms fire and IEDs every time my buddies and I roll out of the compound over there. I think with these free ATM machines, the local people will finally get some economic stability in their lives and maybe they'll stop shooting at us so much." Another soldier, PFC Wintertime, took a break from reading a worn copy of Catch-22 to toss a slight bit of skepticism into the mix. "Yeah, we can drop in behind enemy lines and get these machines locked and loaded, but it won't do people any good in say a place like Afghanistan until there are enough Seven Elevens in the country for them to spend the cash at. I guess the cash might make good wallpaper though." At any rate, Operation Big Fat Greek Bailout is a refreshing approach, a unique idea from a unique Administration that is definitely thinking, "outside of the box." al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.2* / DO | |
| #5 - Posted 24 July 2010, 8:07 AM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | UK Overflowing With Mass Murdering Taxi Drivers and Psychotic Night Club Bouncers July 20th, 2010 by Ludwig Hump Many more of these to come.. ROTHBURY - England - Independent census officials have concluded that Britain is a potent pressure cooker cocktail of pent up violence about to blow a gasket. Census officials operating in England and Wales, have concluded after extensive research, that the UK is a pressure cooker of psychotic aggression about to blow off at any moment. "What do you expect, we're all crammed onto one little fucking island? We have psychotic politicians and prime ministers affecting this unholy soup of explosive semtex we call British society. Add into the mix, the mass immigration from Eastern Europe and the Third World; the vast gap between the rich and poor made worse by 13 years of Labour; potential increases in taxes that will ruin the already indebted people further; the loss of jobs wiping out whole swathes of sectors within industries, and you've got a recipe for mass destruction. When it kicks off, you better get your rubber dinghy and start paddling off this rancid island, and make it sharpish as well, or you'll get torn to pieces," Robert Hutchinson, a senior analyst on the team told Reuters. Every week in the UK there are stories of lone men or women, who, having had enough of everything, decide to go on the rampage with a firearm and cause mayhem. The British police, who are not allowed to carry guns are usually too frightened to do anything but run away. Of course, there is always a mass media extravaganza following all the gory action. The only similarity to American societal sporadic bouts of carnage is that, in the UK people are sitting ducks, because they have no means to protect themselves. "The regular coppers in Britain don't have guns so they usually get shot by crazed gunmen if they can't run away fast enough. By the time the specialist gun cops get to the scene who are licensed to carry arms, it's usually all over. That's why it is all too easy to go on the rampage in England. The general populace have all been disarmed by the punitive laws created by successive governments that have only succeeded in creating a serious climate of fear. You see, we don't have any guns but the criminals and psychos do. When it all kicks off, they'll be the ones with the power," Mr Hutchinson wrote in the report. The law in the UK makes it practically illegal for a citizen to defend themselves from anyone wishing to harm either you or any members of your family. Courts look very dimly on anyone who defends themselves from attack and have imprisoned countless victims of crime who chose to fight back. Mr Hutchinson concluded: "The laws that were created by the previous Labour government favoured the rights of the criminals as opposed to those of the victims. It seems that Conservative Justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke is carrying on in the same manner as the idiotic Labour government by encouraging more criminals and psychopathic gunmen to run amok in our streets. Is there a tipping point for the carnage? Not yet, but believe you me, it will soon materialise. If the whole system from top to bottom is psychotic and run by psychopaths, then there is absolutely no hope for anyone at the bottom of the ladder." Britain is a tinderbox waiting to go off. All that will be needed amongst the usually pliant Britons is more recession. The recipe for disaster may have been planned by the hierarchy many years ago, possibly as a way to whittle down the masses with a few riots here and there. "Here in the UK we do not protest or do riots per se. The English, particularly, have a rather masochistic slant on things with their 'stiff upper lips' and would rather have everything taken from them before they utter even a word of discomfort. How longer can they be bent over a table and fucked, how long can they have their wealth pillaged and their jobs taken away from beneath their feet? All it takes is a food shortage, the elite of course will be living it up whilst Rome burns. There are already enclaves within countries like Croatia where the elite and select members of the governing classes will be able to indulge themselves from afar and watch the action unfold via satellite television," a senior Whitehall source told the Squib. Sooner or later the ship will come in. One can never halt the inevitable, one can only delay it. Stimulus packages only work for a little time, reality is always present however much money you throw into the black hole. The maelstrom economic tsunami will take what it wanted last time -- this time around. al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.6* / DO | |
| #6 - Posted 10 August 2010, 6:46 PM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | UK's Cameron Pledges Crackdown on Welfare Fraud By REUTERS Published: August 10, 2010 Filed at 2:12 p.m. ET LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron pledged Tuesday to crack down on benefit fraud and to cut waste in the welfare system as a step toward cutting the record peacetime budget deficit. "In our benefit system there is about 1.5 billion pounds ($2.36 billion) claimed every year by people who aren't entitled to claim that money. That is fraud. That is wrong," Cameron told voters at a town hall event in Manchester, northwestern England. Cameron said his coalition government intended to make greater use of information from private-sector credit referencing agencies to help spot benefit cheats. Cracking down on fraud in the benefit system was "the least we can do as we try and get the budget deficit under control," he said. The opposition Labor Party said Cameron's deficit-cutting policies would increase the numbers of people who were unemployed and dependent on benefits -- at a cost to the taxpayer that would dwarf savings from fraud. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, which came to power in May, has said it will make cuts of at least 25 percent across most government departments as it tackles a budget deficit running at around 11 percent of national output. It sees welfare as a prime area for savings. Britain's Justice Ministry plans to cut 2 billion pounds from its 9 billion pound budget, putting up to 15,000 jobs at risk, a union said Tuesday, citing a letter from a ministry official. Overall, welfare and tax credit fraud and error costs 5.2 billion pounds a year, Cameron said in an article for the Manchester Evening News. He said this would pay for more than 200 secondary schools or 150,000 nurses. Of the 1.5 billion pounds fraudulently claimed each year, only 20 million pounds was recovered, with three quarters of the people who are caught escaping prosecution, he said. "At a time when we're having to take such difficult decisions about how to cut back without damaging the things that matter the most, we should strain every sinew to cut error, waste and fraud in our welfare system," Cameron wrote. Last month, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith launched proposals to overhaul Britain's 87 billion pound welfare system, aimed at simplifying the complex web of benefits available to reduce error and inefficiencies. Cameron said the government was also looking at introducing tougher penalties for fraud, ensuring more prosecutions and making more effort to reclaim money that was paid out wrongly. The government expects to publish its strategy for tackling welfare fraud and error in the autumn, he said. (Additional reporting by Adrian Croft, Avril Ormsby; Editing by Alison William al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.7* / DO | |
| #7 - Posted 21 August 2010, 8:33 AM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | The EU: 'More Tax Please You're British' August 10th, 2010 by Josef Pendergras The 1000 year Reich never died, it lives on. BRUSSELS - Belgium - The British people will now have to work for over 250 days in the year to make any money for themselves, after it was revealed that the EU wants to tax Britain further. "Ve haf vays of making you pay," an EU official has told Britain's chancellor, Osborne, yesterday at an impromptu Treasury meeting. EU budget commissioner Janusz Lewandowski, ordered the British chancellor to commit Britain to pay tax to fund poor Eastern European countries like Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Lithuania. "We want the stupid people of Britain to fund our Soviet Fascist expansionist plans for the 1000 year Reich. We know very well how the UK is known as 'Ripoff Britain' because any form of indignity that is presented to the Brits is eaten up without question. We also know that all goods sold in the UK are marked up by over 75% and no one even asks any questions. In that case, here in the Eurozone, we wish the English pigs to fund our unlimited salaries and expense accounts as well as bolster the failing states which we have invited into our single currency mechanism. Your role will be quite simple. Pay up or we will crush you one way or another," Mr Lewandowski told the BBC after the meeting at the Treasury. Britain already hands over £9 billion per annum to the EU super state and has been ordered to add to this sum substantially. "It's a win win situation for Britain. You get to pay for the poor people to come into your country from Eastern Europe so that they can take your resources, overcrowd your cities, increase crime and fuck your women. What more do you want?" the EU budget commissioner said whilst grinning like a well fed Cheshire cat. al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.11* / DO | |
| #8 - Posted 21 August 2010, 1:40 PM | |
Location: United Kingdom, Dominican Republic Join date: August 2008 Member #: 1307 Posts: 10348 | RE: UK's Cameron Pledges Crackdown on Welfare Fraud--The EU: 'More Tax Please You're British' Quote: Blutarsky previously said: The EU: 'More Tax Please You're British' August 10th, 2010 by Josef Pendergras The 1000 year Reich never died, it lives on. BRUSSELS - Belgium - The British people will now have to work for over 250 days in the year to make any money for themselves, after it was revealed that the EU wants to tax Britain further. "Ve haf vays of making you pay," an EU official has told Britain's chancellor, Osborne, yesterday at an impromptu Treasury meeting. EU budget commissioner Janusz Lewandowski, ordered the British chancellor to commit Britain to pay tax to fund poor Eastern European countries like Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Lithuania. "We want the stupid people of Britain to fund our Soviet Fascist expansionist plans for the 1000 year Reich. We know very well how the UK is known as 'Ripoff Britain' because any form of indignity that is presented to the Brits is eaten up without question. We also know that all goods sold in the UK are marked up by over 75% and no one even asks any questions. In that case, here in the Eurozone, we wish the English pigs to fund our unlimited salaries and expense accounts as well as bolster the failing states which we have invited into our single currency mechanism. Your role will be quite simple. Pay up or we will crush you one way or another," Mr Lewandowski told the BBC after the meeting at the Treasury. Britain already hands over £9 billion per annum to the EU super state and has been ordered to add to this sum substantially. "It's a win win situation for Britain. You get to pay for the poor people to come into your country from Eastern Europe so that they can take your resources, overcrowd your cities, increase crime and fuck your women. What more do you want?" the EU budget commissioner said whilst grinning like a well fed Cheshire cat. British people are not mean like Americans. Many have 2nd homes in Roumania etc. There are even Roumanian pop stars residing in the UK! The cheeky girls for Blut! S. |
Post IP/Country: 190.80.217.3* / DO | |
| #9 - Posted 1 September 2010, 11:50 AM | |
Location: Dominican Republic, No Spin Zone Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3809 Posts: 10122 | Tony Blair: Gordon Brown tried to blackmail me Tony Blair uses his new book to expose Gordon Brown as a manipulative figure who lost a winnable election by abandoning the principles of New Labour. The former prime minister’s memoir discloses that a “maddening” Mr Brown effectively blackmailed him while he was in No 10. He suspects the then chancellor of orchestrating the investigation into the cash-for-honours scandal. The pressure on Mr Blair to step aside became so great that he admits he may have become reliant on alcohol as he faced coup attempts from Mr Brown’s supporters. He discloses that he began drinking every day and needed the “support” that alcohol provided. Related Articles Tony Blair A Journey: PM's drinking habit Tony Blair memoirs: live reaction Blair's book reads like an evangelical self-help manual Tony Blair memoirs: coverage in full Blair's deep misgivings about Gordon Brown Diana 'was a manipulator like me' The Daily Telegraph is the first newspaper to see a full, foreign language, copy of Mr Blair’s memoir, entitled A Journey, before Wednesday’s official publication. It provides the first definitive account of the relationship between the two men which dogged the Labour government from 1997. The former prime minister discloses that some of his biggest mistakes in office were his failure to predict and tackle the boom in asylum seekers and to address the emerging “underclass”. He discloses his “anguish” over the Iraq war and admits that he failed to predict the “nightmare” in the aftermath of the conflict. But he insists going to war was correct and says he will devote the rest of his life to making amends. In the postscript, Mr Blair squarely lays the blame for Labour’s landslide general election defeat earlier this year on his successor’s change in strategy. He asks himself why Labour lost, and replies: “The response, I fear, is obvious. It won as New Labour. It lost by ceasing to be that.” Mr Blair adds that Mr Brown was not a politician able to handle modern politics, which dissects personality and was uncomfortable in the role of average citizen. In an interview with Andrew Marr to be broadcast later today he said that towards the end of his premiership the relationship between the two was "hard going on impossible". "The difficulty is when he was my number two, in sense, the chancellor to my prime minister, people maybe overestimated his capacity to be prime minister," Mr Blair said. In his book, he observes that, had Mr Brown continued New Labour politics, victory would have been possible. Mr Blair says that his successor failed to make political capital out of the economic crisis. He describes the initial bank bail-out plan as “excellent”. However, later decisions to increase taxes and abandon Labour reforms proved fatal at the ballot box. He says that “competitive” taxes on income should have been maintained and other levies, such as VAT, raised instead. Mr Blair finishes the book by urging Labour members not to “slide” or “veer” to the Left now. Ed Miliband and other leadership candidates have been accused of plotting such a move if they win the contest in which voting starts on Wednesday. “If we take this path, the next defeat will be even more stinging,” Mr Blair warns. The book also reveals: * How within days of the cash-for-honours scandal erupting in 2006 he had a private meeting with Mr Brown to discuss radical reforms to pensions drawn up by Lord Turner. Mr Brown threatened to ensure there was an official Labour investigation in to the scandal unless Mr Blair shelved the plans. The prime minister refused and within two hours, the then Labour Party treasurer gave a television interview which led to the threatened investigation. Mr Blair says the damage to the party’s popularity and his own was immense. * Mr Blair’s growing concerns over his relationship with alcohol. He describes how he used to drink a whisky or gin and tonic before his evening meal, then have several glasses of wine. He said he became aware it was “becoming a support”. Mr Blair writes that while the young drink but go without for days at a time, “as time goes on, it easily becomes a daily habit that our body needs to relax. To compensate for pressure. To stimulate. To make a boring evening bearable.” * That Mr Brown put “relentless personal pressure” on him. Mr Blair repeatedly considered sacking his chancellor but failed to find anyone to replace Mr Brown. He eventually concluded that Mr Brown was better “inside and constrained” than “outside and let loose”. * He still feels “anguish” about the Iraq war and says that he had never guessed “the nightmare” that would unfold after he took the decision to commit British troops to the American-led invasion. Mr Blair also indicates that he is still haunted by his actions, and vows to try to “redeem” something from the tragedy. He says he will dedicate “a large part of the life left to me,” to working for peace in the region. He also discloses how American hawks, particularly Dick Cheney, the then US vice-president, were apparently keen to invade other countries in the Middle East, including Syria. * The former prime minister’s regrets. He says that he and Jack Straw, the then home secretary, were not prepared for the explosion in asylum claims, “which tripled, almost quadrupled” within three years of Labour gaining power. He describes the system as being “broken, incompetent” and not equipped for the modern world. When leaving office, he also expresses regret over not doing more to tackle the emerging underclass. * In May 2007, just before Mr Blair stood down, he was approached by David Miliband, the then foreign secretary, who asked whether he should challenge Mr Brown for the Labour leadership. “What would happen if I went for it?” Mr Miliband asked. “You could win, I think,” Mr Blair replied. The former prime minister says he thought ambiguities in Mr Brown’s views would emerge during a leadership contest. But Mr Miliband decided not to run. The memoir also discloses Mr Blair’s private thoughts about some of the figures closest to him in his administration and bizarre encounters with members of the Royal family and foreign leaders. He describes Alastair Campbell, his spin doctor, as a type of “mad man”. He says Mr Campbell was indispensable in the first few months of government but was soon out of control. He was “on the edge of a cliff” by the time he resigned in 2003. However, Mr Blair describes the spin doctor as an “almost an alter ego”. He also muses over the affairs that Bill Clinton and John Prescott were exposed as having during his time in office. Mr Prescott’s major mistake was to cheat with someone he worked with, Mr Blair says. George W Bush is praised for his intelligence. An entire chapter is devoted to the death of Princess Diana within months of his election. He says that both he and the princess were “manipulators”. He describes being ill-at-ease with the Queen in the days immediately afterwards and finding her somewhat “haughty”. al capo di tutti capi de los trolls |
Post IP/Country: 66.98.33.* / DO | |
| #10 - Posted 1 September 2010, 12:06 PM | |
Location: United Kingdom, Dominican Republic Join date: August 2008 Member #: 1307 Posts: 10348 | RE: Tony Blair: Gordon Brown tried to blackmail me and abandoned the principles of New Labour. Quote: Blutarsky previously said: Tony Blair: Gordon Brown tried to blackmail me Tony Blair uses his new book to expose Gordon Brown as a manipulative figure who lost a winnable election by abandoning the principles of New Labour. The former prime minister’s memoir discloses that a “maddening” Mr Brown effectively blackmailed him while he was in No 10. He suspects the then chancellor of orchestrating the investigation into the cash-for-honours scandal. The pressure on Mr Blair to step aside became so great that he admits he may have become reliant on alcohol as he faced coup attempts from Mr Brown’s supporters. He discloses that he began drinking every day and needed the “support” that alcohol provided. Related Articles Tony Blair A Journey: PM's drinking habit Tony Blair memoirs: live reaction Blair's book reads like an evangelical self-help manual Tony Blair memoirs: coverage in full Blair's deep misgivings about Gordon Brown Diana 'was a manipulator like me' The Daily Telegraph is the first newspaper to see a full, foreign language, copy of Mr Blair’s memoir, entitled A Journey, before Wednesday’s official publication. It provides the first definitive account of the relationship between the two men which dogged the Labour government from 1997. The former prime minister discloses that some of his biggest mistakes in office were his failure to predict and tackle the boom in asylum seekers and to address the emerging “underclass”. He discloses his “anguish” over the Iraq war and admits that he failed to predict the “nightmare” in the aftermath of the conflict. But he insists going to war was correct and says he will devote the rest of his life to making amends. In the postscript, Mr Blair squarely lays the blame for Labour’s landslide general election defeat earlier this year on his successor’s change in strategy. He asks himself why Labour lost, and replies: “The response, I fear, is obvious. It won as New Labour. It lost by ceasing to be that.” Mr Blair adds that Mr Brown was not a politician able to handle modern politics, which dissects personality and was uncomfortable in the role of average citizen. In an interview with Andrew Marr to be broadcast later today he said that towards the end of his premiership the relationship between the two was "hard going on impossible". "The difficulty is when he was my number two, in sense, the chancellor to my prime minister, people maybe overestimated his capacity to be prime minister," Mr Blair said. In his book, he observes that, had Mr Brown continued New Labour politics, victory would have been possible. Mr Blair says that his successor failed to make political capital out of the economic crisis. He describes the initial bank bail-out plan as “excellent”. However, later decisions to increase taxes and abandon Labour reforms proved fatal at the ballot box. He says that “competitive” taxes on income should have been maintained and other levies, such as VAT, raised instead. Mr Blair finishes the book by urging Labour members not to “slide” or “veer” to the Left now. Ed Miliband and other leadership candidates have been accused of plotting such a move if they win the contest in which voting starts on Wednesday. “If we take this path, the next defeat will be even more stinging,” Mr Blair warns. The book also reveals: * How within days of the cash-for-honours scandal erupting in 2006 he had a private meeting with Mr Brown to discuss radical reforms to pensions drawn up by Lord Turner. Mr Brown threatened to ensure there was an official Labour investigation in to the scandal unless Mr Blair shelved the plans. The prime minister refused and within two hours, the then Labour Party treasurer gave a television interview which led to the threatened investigation. Mr Blair says the damage to the party’s popularity and his own was immense. * Mr Blair’s growing concerns over his relationship with alcohol. He describes how he used to drink a whisky or gin and tonic before his evening meal, then have several glasses of wine. He said he became aware it was “becoming a support”. Mr Blair writes that while the young drink but go without for days at a time, “as time goes on, it easily becomes a daily habit that our body needs to relax. To compensate for pressure. To stimulate. To make a boring evening bearable.” * That Mr Brown put “relentless personal pressure” on him. Mr Blair repeatedly considered sacking his chancellor but failed to find anyone to replace Mr Brown. He eventually concluded that Mr Brown was better “inside and constrained” than “outside and let loose”. * He still feels “anguish” about the Iraq war and says that he had never guessed “the nightmare” that would unfold after he took the decision to commit British troops to the American-led invasion. Mr Blair also indicates that he is still haunted by his actions, and vows to try to “redeem” something from the tragedy. He says he will dedicate “a large part of the life left to me,” to working for peace in the region. He also discloses how American hawks, particularly Dick Cheney, the then US vice-president, were apparently keen to invade other countries in the Middle East, including Syria. * The former prime minister’s regrets. He says that he and Jack Straw, the then home secretary, were not prepared for the explosion in asylum claims, “which tripled, almost quadrupled” within three years of Labour gaining power. He describes the system as being “broken, incompetent” and not equipped for the modern world. When leaving office, he also expresses regret over not doing more to tackle the emerging underclass. * In May 2007, just before Mr Blair stood down, he was approached by David Miliband, the then foreign secretary, who asked whether he should challenge Mr Brown for the Labour leadership. “What would happen if I went for it?” Mr Miliband asked. “You could win, I think,” Mr Blair replied. The former prime minister says he thought ambiguities in Mr Brown’s views would emerge during a leadership contest. But Mr Miliband decided not to run. The memoir also discloses Mr Blair’s private thoughts about some of the figures closest to him in his administration and bizarre encounters with members of the Royal family and foreign leaders. He describes Alastair Campbell, his spin doctor, as a type of “mad man”. He says Mr Campbell was indispensable in the first few months of government but was soon out of control. He was “on the edge of a cliff” by the time he resigned in 2003. However, Mr Blair describes the spin doctor as an “almost an alter ego”. He also muses over the affairs that Bill Clinton and John Prescott were exposed as having during his time in office. Mr Prescott’s major mistake was to cheat with someone he worked with, Mr Blair says. George W Bush is praised for his intelligence. An entire chapter is devoted to the death of Princess Diana within months of his election. He says that both he and the princess were “manipulators”. He describes being ill-at-ease with the Queen in the days immediately afterwards and finding her somewhat “haughty”. Will the US invade Iran next? S. |
Post IP/Country: 190.167.70.10* / DO | |