Friday, 28 November 2014
#ANC's lies about #Zimbabwe and the #AU BLUEPRINT plan
Why South Africa assisted Mugabe' 2002 Electoral Fraud
When South Africa's observers declared that the 2002 and subsequent elections in Zimbabwe essentially free and fair, everyone knew that this was a lie.
Still, Mbeki persisted with his lies.
The South African government has been trying to hide the truth about their role as Mugabe's accomplice and to keep it all under wraps for years. But now, at last the truth is out. And South Africa's reputation will suffer as a consequence.
See: the two articles below: These articles, however, fail to ask the real question. Why did the ANC government assist Mugabe to perpetrate electoral fraud and enable him to stay in power?
Shamefully, despite his credibility in tatters, the ANC's #Thabo Mbeki knows no limits and he persists with his delusional denials.
Why?? It's because the ANC, steadily losing support, fears the day it could be voted out of power. It won't accept this, of course. Instead, they will do whatever it takes to have their turn to benefit from the " AU BLUEPRINT"
To answer this, one needs to look a little further, at an article I wrote some time ago about Xenophobia in South Africa.
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2014-11-17-analysis-the-khampepe-report-a-crushing-blow-to-sas-diplomatic-credibility/#.VHY2t00cSWm
http://mg.co.za/article/2014-11-21-editorial-mbeki-betrayed-democracy
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/04/was-xenephobia-of-200910-in-south.html
http://www.thesouthafrican.com/government-loses-r35-billion-more-than-last-year-to-irregular-spending/
In the above article I expressed fear that the ANC might resort to dirty tactics to stay in power i.e. encouraging its support base to use violence against certain classes of scapegoat who make for easy "targets."
In Africa, one need only look to countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe to see that close elections on this continent often result in violence. Often, the ruling party simply refuses to go.
AU BLUEPRINT
The result of this electoral violence has all too often been that the African Union or UN has become involved. And the solution is a blueprint which all sitting governments in Africa generally favour, for reasons which will become obvious.
The true winning party of the election is persuaded that the international community still recognises the former government. Instead of investigating any electoral fraud etc. on the part of the government, or allowing for a internationally controlled re-runoff the election, the true winning party is pressurised to accept an "international" compromise - a government of "national unity".
This involves the ruling party sharing power with the true winner of the election. The sitting president stays on as president and the leader of the winning party becomes Vice president or Prime Minister. Cabinet posts are divided equally, but the ruling party gets the main posts, particularly the posts which will assist it to stay in power and/or to do a better job of unduly influencing the results of the next election.
Crucial posts like Finance Minister, Defence Minister, Justice Minister etc. are usually allocated to the former government.
In addition, the winning party is often dealt a rotten hand in that the worst performing government departments, are allocated to them. Often without the budgets to make a difference. The winning party is thus set-up for a failure. And this failure is used by the president to warn the electorate how much worse it would have been if that party had in fact come to power.
And this, I suspect, is the real reason for the ANC leaders behaving as it did. Realising that it cannot keep winning elections by making promises it cannot keep, the ANC have probably adopted the AU BLUEPRINT as its backup plan.
Hence my queries about the need for scapegoats to ensure a level of violence before, during or after the elections which would, in the eyes of the AU, be sufficient to implement its BLUEPRINT for South Africa.
Such is the arrogance and sense of entitlement amongst many of the ANC's current batch of leaders that I have doubts as to whether they would "go gently into that good night" if they lost a general election.
I hope I am wrong. But the arrogance and sense of entitlement of the ANC government knows no limits. To prove this look only at the cost of VIP & Blue Lights for the ANC. They are servants, but they spend Billions on being transported around and treated like kings.
The fact is, they don't need any blue lights.
Nothing. Not one thing any cabinet minister does is so urgent it can't wait. ... But they are too important to wait. So proper education will wait. Housing must wait. Water supplies, suffering as a result of massive neglect, can wait, Electricity can wait....
But ANC Ministers are chosen by GOD. They NEVER WAIT.
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/05/blue-light-escorts-for-servants-whose.html
Siegfried Walther
2014
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/dont-save-livessave-planet-start-war-or.html
+African National Congress
#Mbeki
#Русский Чемпион мира по боксу, который прибыл в ЮАР для #Putin
Russian Boxing Champ loses lucky glove. Blames opponent.....See link to English article just below this.
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/06/boxers-lucky-glove-stolen-ahead-of.html
+Русский Чемпион мира по боксу, который прибыл в ЮАР для борьбы титул был поставляемых чтобы обнаружить, что один из его счастливых перчатки исчез из его багаже вскоре после его полета из+ Москвы приземлился в Кейптауне.
На пресс-конференции, состоявшейся незадолго до боя, он обвинил своего соперника в сговоре с местными чиновниками аэропорта, чтобы перехватить перчатку, чтобы получить несправедливое преимущество.
Репортер спросил, если русский боксер было никаких доказательств в поддержку такого серьезного обвинения.
"Конечно," сказал боксер. "Все знают, что бороться всю карьеру только с моих счастливых перчаток. Теперь кто-то взял одну перчатку. Для того, что кто-то взять только одну перчатку. Только человек, который мог бы хотел, чтобы это произошло вон там." Он указал на бешеной противника. "Он устроил ее. Я уверен, что об этом."
Промоутеры были свои руки полный, когда они пытались предотвратить пресс-конференции с морфинг в импровизированный гул.
Когда спокойствие было восстановлено, России было предложено, намерен ли он выйти на ринг с одной счастливой перчатки и новой перчаткой, или он возьмет разумный подход и решили использовать новую пару.
Русский указал, что не было никакого способа, он когда-нибудь выйти на ринг без его счастливых перчатках.
"Если полиция не может найти другую перчатку, я не драться. Я не забочусь," сказал он.
"Но если ты не будешь сражаться, вы потеряете название и промоутеры подаст в суд за миллионы за ущерб в связи с потерей дохода," сказал репортер. "Конечно, вы заботитесь об этом?"
"Я не бороться, не повезло перчатки. Он может иметь название. А если промоутер хочет сделать дело, он может сделать это против него." Стальной взгляд русского человека никогда не покидал репортеру, как придет его обвиняющий перст отдыхать на своей цели.
К всеобщему удивлению, Южной Африки не поднималась со стула. Вместо этого он улыбнулся и повернул голову в сторону микрофон перед ним. Как он это сделал его тренер наклонился и включил микрофон на.
"Так ты солгал президенту Путину, когда вы сказали ему на телевидении на прошлой неделе не беспокоиться, потому что вы могли бы победить меня с одной рукой, привязанной за спиной?"
Замечание вызвало хриплый раунд смех всех присутствующих.
"Для других это только выражение," ответил покрасневший России. "Но вы, я бил с одной стороны," добавил он, почти не задумываясь.
Почувствовав возможность сделать ограничение ущерба, промоутер выхватил микрофон из Южной Африки, прежде чем он смог ответить.
"Вы только что слышали это из уст лошадей, дамы и господа. Даже если мы не можем найти недостающую повезло перчатку перед Big Fight начинается, борьба будет продолжаться." Он сделал паузу и усмехнулся. "И так как это аншлаг, я боюсь, что все те, без билетов будет смотреть с задержкой телевизионной передачи, чтобы узнать, будет ли чемпион мира выйти на ринг с его правой рукой на самом деле, привязанной б
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/06/boxers-lucky-glove-stolen-ahead-of.html
+Русский Чемпион мира по боксу, который прибыл в ЮАР для борьбы титул был поставляемых чтобы обнаружить, что один из его счастливых перчатки исчез из его багаже вскоре после его полета из
На пресс-конференции, состоявшейся незадолго до боя, он обвинил своего соперника в сговоре с местными чиновниками аэропорта, чтобы перехватить перчатку, чтобы получить несправедливое преимущество.
Репортер спросил, если русский боксер было никаких доказательств в поддержку такого серьезного обвинения.
"Конечно," сказал боксер. "Все знают, что бороться всю карьеру только с моих счастливых перчаток. Теперь кто-то взял одну перчатку. Для того, что кто-то взять только одну перчатку. Только человек, который мог бы хотел, чтобы это произошло вон там." Он указал на бешеной противника. "Он устроил ее. Я уверен, что об этом."
Промоутеры были свои руки полный, когда они пытались предотвратить пресс-конференции с морфинг в импровизированный гул.
Когда спокойствие было восстановлено, России было предложено, намерен ли он выйти на ринг с одной счастливой перчатки и новой перчаткой, или он возьмет разумный подход и решили использовать новую пару.
Русский указал, что не было никакого способа, он когда-нибудь выйти на ринг без его счастливых перчатках.
"Если полиция не может найти другую перчатку, я не драться. Я не забочусь," сказал он.
"Но если ты не будешь сражаться, вы потеряете название и промоутеры подаст в суд за миллионы за ущерб в связи с потерей дохода," сказал репортер. "Конечно, вы заботитесь об этом?"
"Я не бороться, не повезло перчатки. Он может иметь название. А если промоутер хочет сделать дело, он может сделать это против него." Стальной взгляд русского человека никогда не покидал репортеру, как придет его обвиняющий перст отдыхать на своей цели.
К всеобщему удивлению, Южной Африки не поднималась со стула. Вместо этого он улыбнулся и повернул голову в сторону микрофон перед ним. Как он это сделал его тренер наклонился и включил микрофон на.
"Так ты солгал президенту Путину, когда вы сказали ему на телевидении на прошлой неделе не беспокоиться, потому что вы могли бы победить меня с одной рукой, привязанной за спиной?"
Замечание вызвало хриплый раунд смех всех присутствующих.
"Для других это только выражение," ответил покрасневший России. "Но вы, я бил с одной стороны," добавил он, почти не задумываясь.
Почувствовав возможность сделать ограничение ущерба, промоутер выхватил микрофон из Южной Африки, прежде чем он смог ответить.
"Вы только что слышали это из уст лошадей, дамы и господа. Даже если мы не можем найти недостающую повезло перчатку перед Big Fight начинается, борьба будет продолжаться." Он сделал паузу и усмехнулся. "И так как это аншлаг, я боюсь, что все те, без билетов будет смотреть с задержкой телевизионной передачи, чтобы узнать, будет ли чемпион мира выйти на ринг с его правой рукой на самом деле, привязанной б
Russkiy Chempion mira po boksu , kotoryy pribyl v YUAR dlya bor'by titul byl postavlyayemykh chtoby obnaruzhit', chto odin iz yego schastlivykh perchatki ischez iz yego bagazhe vskore posle yego poleta iz Moskvy prizemlilsya v Keyptaune .
Na press- konferentsii, sostoyavsheysya nezadolgo do boya, on obvinil svoyego sopernika v sgovore s mestnymi chinovnikami aeroporta , chtoby perekhvatit' perchatku , chtoby poluchit' nespravedlivoye preimushchestvo.
Reporter sprosil , yesli russkiy bokser bylo nikakikh dokazatel'stv v podderzhku takogo ser'yeznogo obvineniya.
" Konechno, " skazal bokser . " Vse znayut, chto borot'sya vsyu kar'yeru tol'ko s moikh schastlivykh perchatok. Teper' kto-to vzyal odnu perchatku . Dlya togo, chto kto-to vzyat' tol'ko odnu perchatku . Tol'ko chelovek, kotoryy mog by khotel , chtoby eto proizoshlo von tam . " On ukazal na beshenoy protivnika. " On ustroil yeye. YA uveren, chto ob etom. "
Promoutery byli svoi ruki polnyy , kogda oni pytalis' predotvratit' press-konferentsii s morfing v improvizirovannyy gul .
Kogda spokoystviye bylo vosstanovleno, Rossii bylo predlozheno , nameren li on vyyti na ring s odnoy schastlivoy perchatki i novoy perchatkoy , ili on voz'met razumnyy podkhod i reshili ispol'zovat' novuyu paru .
Russkiy ukazal, chto ne bylo nikakogo sposoba, on kogda-nibud' vyyti na ring bez yego schastlivykh perchatkakh.
" Yesli politsiya ne mozhet nayti druguyu perchatku , ya ne drat'sya. YA ne zabochus' , " skazal on.
" No yesli ty ne budesh' srazhat'sya , vy poteryayete nazvaniye i promoutery podast v sud za milliony za ushcherb v svyazi s poterey dokhoda, " skazal reporter . " Konechno, vy zabotites' ob etom? "
" YA ne borot'sya , ne povezlo perchatki. On mozhet imet' nazvaniye. A yesli promouter khochet sdelat' delo , on mozhet sdelat' eto protiv nego. " Stal'noy vzglyad russkogo cheloveka nikogda ne pokidal reporteru , kak pridet yego obvinyayushchiy perst otdykhat' na svoyey tseli.
K vseobshchemu udivleniyu , Yuzhnoy Afriki ne podnimalas' so stula . Vmesto etogo on ulybnulsya i povernul golovu v storonu mikrofon pered nim . Kak on eto sdelal yego trener naklonilsya i vklyuchil mikrofon na .
" Tak ty solgal prezidentu Putinu , kogda vy skazali yemu na televidenii na proshloy nedele ne bespokoit'sya, potomu chto vy mogli by pobedit' menya s odnoy rukoy, privyazannoy za spinoy ? "
Zamechaniye vyzvalo khriplyy raund smekh vsekh prisutstvuyushchikh .
" Dlya drugikh eto tol'ko vyrazheniye , " otvetil pokrasnevshiy Rossii . " No vy , ya bil s odnoy storony, " dobavil on , pochti ne zadumyvayas'.
Pochuvstvovav vozmozhnost' sdelat' ogranicheniye ushcherba , promouter vykhvatil mikrofon iz Yuzhnoy Afriki , prezhde chem on smog otvetit' .
" Vy tol'ko chto slyshali eto iz ust loshadey , damy i gospoda . Dazhe yesli my ne mozhem nayti nedostayushchuyu povezlo perchatku pered Big Fight nachinayetsya , bor'ba budet prodolzhat'sya. " On sdelal pauzu i usmekhnulsya. " I tak kak eto anshlag , ya boyus', chto vse te, bez biletov budet smotret' s zaderzhkoy televizionnoy peredachi, chtoby uznat', budet li chempion mira vyyti na ring s yego pravoy rukoy na samom dele , privyazannoy b
Na press- konferentsii, sostoyavsheysya nezadolgo do boya, on obvinil svoyego sopernika v sgovore s mestnymi chinovnikami aeroporta , chtoby perekhvatit' perchatku , chtoby poluchit' nespravedlivoye preimushchestvo.
Reporter sprosil , yesli russkiy bokser bylo nikakikh dokazatel'stv v podderzhku takogo ser'yeznogo obvineniya.
" Konechno, " skazal bokser . " Vse znayut, chto borot'sya vsyu kar'yeru tol'ko s moikh schastlivykh perchatok. Teper' kto-to vzyal odnu perchatku . Dlya togo, chto kto-to vzyat' tol'ko odnu perchatku . Tol'ko chelovek, kotoryy mog by khotel , chtoby eto proizoshlo von tam . " On ukazal na beshenoy protivnika. " On ustroil yeye. YA uveren, chto ob etom. "
Promoutery byli svoi ruki polnyy , kogda oni pytalis' predotvratit' press-konferentsii s morfing v improvizirovannyy gul .
Kogda spokoystviye bylo vosstanovleno, Rossii bylo predlozheno , nameren li on vyyti na ring s odnoy schastlivoy perchatki i novoy perchatkoy , ili on voz'met razumnyy podkhod i reshili ispol'zovat' novuyu paru .
Russkiy ukazal, chto ne bylo nikakogo sposoba, on kogda-nibud' vyyti na ring bez yego schastlivykh perchatkakh.
" Yesli politsiya ne mozhet nayti druguyu perchatku , ya ne drat'sya. YA ne zabochus' , " skazal on.
" No yesli ty ne budesh' srazhat'sya , vy poteryayete nazvaniye i promoutery podast v sud za milliony za ushcherb v svyazi s poterey dokhoda, " skazal reporter . " Konechno, vy zabotites' ob etom? "
" YA ne borot'sya , ne povezlo perchatki. On mozhet imet' nazvaniye. A yesli promouter khochet sdelat' delo , on mozhet sdelat' eto protiv nego. " Stal'noy vzglyad russkogo cheloveka nikogda ne pokidal reporteru , kak pridet yego obvinyayushchiy perst otdykhat' na svoyey tseli.
K vseobshchemu udivleniyu , Yuzhnoy Afriki ne podnimalas' so stula . Vmesto etogo on ulybnulsya i povernul golovu v storonu mikrofon pered nim . Kak on eto sdelal yego trener naklonilsya i vklyuchil mikrofon na .
" Tak ty solgal prezidentu Putinu , kogda vy skazali yemu na televidenii na proshloy nedele ne bespokoit'sya, potomu chto vy mogli by pobedit' menya s odnoy rukoy, privyazannoy za spinoy ? "
Zamechaniye vyzvalo khriplyy raund smekh vsekh prisutstvuyushchikh .
" Dlya drugikh eto tol'ko vyrazheniye , " otvetil pokrasnevshiy Rossii . " No vy , ya bil s odnoy storony, " dobavil on , pochti ne zadumyvayas'.
Pochuvstvovav vozmozhnost' sdelat' ogranicheniye ushcherba , promouter vykhvatil mikrofon iz Yuzhnoy Afriki , prezhde chem on smog otvetit' .
" Vy tol'ko chto slyshali eto iz ust loshadey , damy i gospoda . Dazhe yesli my ne mozhem nayti nedostayushchuyu povezlo perchatku pered Big Fight nachinayetsya , bor'ba budet prodolzhat'sya. " On sdelal pauzu i usmekhnulsya. " I tak kak eto anshlag , ya boyus', chto vse te, bez biletov budet smotret' s zaderzhkoy televizionnoy peredachi, chtoby uznat', budet li chempion mira vyyti na ring s yego pravoy rukoy na samom dele , privyazannoy b
Don't save lives....save the planet! Start a war, or indulge in genocide... #charity
Don't save lives. Save the planet!
#charity #charitable causes #NGO #food aid
Last year, Sir David Attenborough correctly named Humanity as the biggest #Plague on the face of this earth. I refer to the link to the article below:
He points out that humans are in danger of destroying what remains of our planet. There are too many of us. The natural resources we need to survive are finite. The planet has limited fresh water, fish stocks, arable land, etc.
Not only are our numbers multiplying to a point where our existence on earth will soon become #unsustainable, but we are also polluting and destroying the planet and its precious resources, which is accelerating our own demise.
It may be too late to prevent a Mad Max styled world in which people fight wars over water and soil.
We might also be heading for solutions so drastic that they were only contemplated in futuristic or sci-fi movies. i.e. Enforced death by euthanasia for every person reaching a certain age.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/372353/Sir-David-Attenborough-Humans-are-a-plague
So, when I see advertisements by #charities who tell me how little they need to save lives in +Africa and in the third world, I sometimes want to scream.
At the outset, let me make it clear. I don't wish to see any child starving and if faced with such a thing in my back yard, lord help me, I can't imagine I'd turn my face away from their plight.
At the same time, however, countries like Ethiopia are already vastly overcrowded. The land can barely sustain the numbers which increase in total disregard of scarce natural #resources. So when +FamineTV famine strikes, (one of nature's ways keeping animal numbers down by eliminating the weak), its little wonder that one finds mass starvation.
What annoys me most are the people who are "struggling to find food for myself and my eight children." And even more horrifying are those charities +FoodAID Np who rush in with emergency food supplies. They save the weak from their errors, and the weak in turn respond by multiplying all over again. This leads to a vicious cycle which endlessly repeats and grows worse each time.
I do need, however, to make two points. I realise that there is a link between poverty and overpopulation. And I accept too, that there is a link between an uneducated female population and overpopulation.
Any charity that addresses the causes of poverty instead of only the symptoms, and which indeed links the provision of food in areas of famine to an aggressive programme of compulsory sterilisation of people with more than two children, and also attempts to educate the population, particularly women, falls outside the scope of my criticism. But what they do must be sustainable.
+Sustainable Tourism .
I realise that linking food aid to compulsory #sterilisation may be regarded as drastic or inhumane in some circles. To them I say, read the above Attenborough article again. Repeat this until the full horror of what awaits us starts to dawn on you. All humanity is a plague, and any nation or people who have more than three children per couple must be regarded as a virulent plague requiring urgent decimation.
I also say that when people are starving because the land cannot sustain their uncontrolled population growth, sterilisation can only be a blessing and certainly NOT a genuine human rights violation.
Even if you don't agree with forced sterilisation or sterilisation in exchange for aid, it is incumbent upon you, if you wish to really help those in distress, not to even mention the planet, that you establish whether the charity you wish to support only provides drought or famine relief, or whether it, in addition, also has a viable programme to address overpopulation, with a view to assisting communities to become sustainable.
In this regard, education and the elimination of poverty should go hand in hand with aggressive programmes to combat population growth (whatever programmes these might be.)
India, I understand has a programme of sterilising women in exchange for a monetary award. Those who raise moral objections to the fact that this exploits vulnerable poor women have, in my view simply lost the plot. (Read the link again. Repeat!) India cannot continue its current population expansion. Neither can this planet. Arguments about the morality regarding how those facing sterilisation are chosen are luxuries we as humans simply cannot afford to indulge in now.
We need around half of the people on this planet to die, and to die now if we are to have a hope of saving our world. A deadly virus which wipes out half of us, is something we keep trying to prevent. I understand this. But perhaps we should welcome deadly diseases, plagues, natural disasters etc. Why do we insist on rushing around, irresponsibly saving lives all over the show when we need death, in the tens or hundreds of millions, not saved lives.
We arrogantly fail to see that plague, famine disease and natural disaster are Mother Nature's way of destroying the weak, and of limiting population growth amongst animals. Somehow, however, we seem to believe that we are not part of nature and those rules do not apply to us. Wake up, fool. It does apply to us. We are, too arrogant to accept this.
Stop sending money to countries where natural disasters leave mothers unable to feed their eleven children. Make an exception only if you have cast iron assurances that aid is linked to cast iron guarantees of population growth, sterilisation, education programmes, sustainable development and the elimination of poverty. And if the locals don't want to embrace this, let them starve.
By saying what I do, I don't mean to ignore the damage the rich nations are causing to our planet and how they too are a plague. Their conduct is no less excusable simply because they mostly only have one or two children each. Global warming, pollution, unsustainable industrial development, and runaway consumerism is an equally evil blight on our planet. Humanity is a plague. Whether you are a white affluent American who contributes to pollution by your wanton consumerist behaviour, or whether you are a poor farmer in Ethiopia.
So, whatever you do, let it be motivated by ensuring that human numbers don't expand. Start a war if you must. A little genocide perhaps. Do whatever you have to. (Okay, I'm kidding about the war and genocide....for now anyway) +NgoMonitor .
If not, at least ensure you live sustainably and try to encourage others to do so, and ensure that your charities are held to the highest standards of involvement in sustainable development before you recklessly contribute to saving lives!
Siegfried Walther 2014
See below: Egypt's bid to host Winter Olympics to succeed?
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/egypts-bid-to-host-ioc-winter-olympics.html
#charity #charitable causes #NGO #food aid
Last year, Sir David Attenborough correctly named Humanity as the biggest #Plague on the face of this earth. I refer to the link to the article below:
He points out that humans are in danger of destroying what remains of our planet. There are too many of us. The natural resources we need to survive are finite. The planet has limited fresh water, fish stocks, arable land, etc.
Not only are our numbers multiplying to a point where our existence on earth will soon become #unsustainable, but we are also polluting and destroying the planet and its precious resources, which is accelerating our own demise.
It may be too late to prevent a Mad Max styled world in which people fight wars over water and soil.
We might also be heading for solutions so drastic that they were only contemplated in futuristic or sci-fi movies. i.e. Enforced death by euthanasia for every person reaching a certain age.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/372353/Sir-David-Attenborough-Humans-are-a-plague
So, when I see advertisements by #charities who tell me how little they need to save lives in +Africa and in the third world, I sometimes want to scream.
At the outset, let me make it clear. I don't wish to see any child starving and if faced with such a thing in my back yard, lord help me, I can't imagine I'd turn my face away from their plight.
At the same time, however, countries like Ethiopia are already vastly overcrowded. The land can barely sustain the numbers which increase in total disregard of scarce natural #resources. So when +FamineTV famine strikes, (one of nature's ways keeping animal numbers down by eliminating the weak), its little wonder that one finds mass starvation.
What annoys me most are the people who are "struggling to find food for myself and my eight children." And even more horrifying are those charities +FoodAID Np who rush in with emergency food supplies. They save the weak from their errors, and the weak in turn respond by multiplying all over again. This leads to a vicious cycle which endlessly repeats and grows worse each time.
I do need, however, to make two points. I realise that there is a link between poverty and overpopulation. And I accept too, that there is a link between an uneducated female population and overpopulation.
Any charity that addresses the causes of poverty instead of only the symptoms, and which indeed links the provision of food in areas of famine to an aggressive programme of compulsory sterilisation of people with more than two children, and also attempts to educate the population, particularly women, falls outside the scope of my criticism. But what they do must be sustainable.
+Sustainable Tourism .
I realise that linking food aid to compulsory #sterilisation may be regarded as drastic or inhumane in some circles. To them I say, read the above Attenborough article again. Repeat this until the full horror of what awaits us starts to dawn on you. All humanity is a plague, and any nation or people who have more than three children per couple must be regarded as a virulent plague requiring urgent decimation.
I also say that when people are starving because the land cannot sustain their uncontrolled population growth, sterilisation can only be a blessing and certainly NOT a genuine human rights violation.
Even if you don't agree with forced sterilisation or sterilisation in exchange for aid, it is incumbent upon you, if you wish to really help those in distress, not to even mention the planet, that you establish whether the charity you wish to support only provides drought or famine relief, or whether it, in addition, also has a viable programme to address overpopulation, with a view to assisting communities to become sustainable.
In this regard, education and the elimination of poverty should go hand in hand with aggressive programmes to combat population growth (whatever programmes these might be.)
India, I understand has a programme of sterilising women in exchange for a monetary award. Those who raise moral objections to the fact that this exploits vulnerable poor women have, in my view simply lost the plot. (Read the link again. Repeat!) India cannot continue its current population expansion. Neither can this planet. Arguments about the morality regarding how those facing sterilisation are chosen are luxuries we as humans simply cannot afford to indulge in now.
We need around half of the people on this planet to die, and to die now if we are to have a hope of saving our world. A deadly virus which wipes out half of us, is something we keep trying to prevent. I understand this. But perhaps we should welcome deadly diseases, plagues, natural disasters etc. Why do we insist on rushing around, irresponsibly saving lives all over the show when we need death, in the tens or hundreds of millions, not saved lives.
We arrogantly fail to see that plague, famine disease and natural disaster are Mother Nature's way of destroying the weak, and of limiting population growth amongst animals. Somehow, however, we seem to believe that we are not part of nature and those rules do not apply to us. Wake up, fool. It does apply to us. We are, too arrogant to accept this.
Stop sending money to countries where natural disasters leave mothers unable to feed their eleven children. Make an exception only if you have cast iron assurances that aid is linked to cast iron guarantees of population growth, sterilisation, education programmes, sustainable development and the elimination of poverty. And if the locals don't want to embrace this, let them starve.
By saying what I do, I don't mean to ignore the damage the rich nations are causing to our planet and how they too are a plague. Their conduct is no less excusable simply because they mostly only have one or two children each. Global warming, pollution, unsustainable industrial development, and runaway consumerism is an equally evil blight on our planet. Humanity is a plague. Whether you are a white affluent American who contributes to pollution by your wanton consumerist behaviour, or whether you are a poor farmer in Ethiopia.
So, whatever you do, let it be motivated by ensuring that human numbers don't expand. Start a war if you must. A little genocide perhaps. Do whatever you have to. (Okay, I'm kidding about the war and genocide....for now anyway) +NgoMonitor .
If not, at least ensure you live sustainably and try to encourage others to do so, and ensure that your charities are held to the highest standards of involvement in sustainable development before you recklessly contribute to saving lives!
Siegfried Walther 2014
See below: Egypt's bid to host Winter Olympics to succeed?
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/egypts-bid-to-host-ioc-winter-olympics.html
Friday, 21 November 2014
#JulianAssange - Simple Solution! @JulianAssange
#JulianAssange - Simple solution to please everyone.
#
See BBC Link: A Swedish Court has upheld Julian Assange's Arrest warrant.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30129453
The History:
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/08/julian-assange-to-leave-equadorian.html
British Courts routinely grant extradition orders subject to conditions which the requesting state has to meet in order to ensure that the Accused's human rights are protected. (Refer to above link for details)
Two simple solutions are available to solve everything.
ONE: The UK authorities could request and obtain a satisfactory guarantee from the Swedish authorities that Mr Assange will NOT be extradited to the USA if the UK hands him over to the Swedish Authorities.
Once the Swedish authorities have completed their investigation (a reasonable time limit could be included) Mr Assange would thus be prosecuted or returned to the UK. Alternatively, if he is found guilty, he will be returned to the UK once his sentence is served.
TWO: The UK authorities could approach an appropriate English Court to vary the present order to provide for the suspension of the execution of the Swedish Arrest Warrant pending the Swedish Authorities providing the guarantees referred to in one above.
It's simple. Easy to implement and its perfectly tailored to solve the the UK's problem with Assange; to address Assange's fear of extradition to the US, and it to permit Sweden's criminal justice process against Assange to be brought to finality.
The Swedish and UK authorities failure to have arrived at a solution based on the above does them no credit at all. It only serves to make one wonder whether there is indeed a US agenda behind all this after all.
Under current UK extradition law, Mr Assange can apparently not be extradited to the USA on the charges the US wish to bring against him. This is a right.
The idea that Mr Assange has to forfeit that right in order to face charges in Sweden without a suitable guarantee of the protection he currently enjoys is outrageous in the extreme.
Of course, if the Swedish & British authorities do come to an agreement that the extradition will be solely for the purpose of facing the criminal proceeding in Sweden, and that he will not be extradited to the USA, then Mr Assange would have no basis, in my view, to remain hiding in the Ecuadorian Embassy.
SG WALTHER 18 February 2016
#
See BBC Link: A Swedish Court has upheld Julian Assange's Arrest warrant.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30129453
The History:
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/08/julian-assange-to-leave-equadorian.html
British Courts routinely grant extradition orders subject to conditions which the requesting state has to meet in order to ensure that the Accused's human rights are protected. (Refer to above link for details)
Two simple solutions are available to solve everything.
ONE: The UK authorities could request and obtain a satisfactory guarantee from the Swedish authorities that Mr Assange will NOT be extradited to the USA if the UK hands him over to the Swedish Authorities.
Once the Swedish authorities have completed their investigation (a reasonable time limit could be included) Mr Assange would thus be prosecuted or returned to the UK. Alternatively, if he is found guilty, he will be returned to the UK once his sentence is served.
TWO: The UK authorities could approach an appropriate English Court to vary the present order to provide for the suspension of the execution of the Swedish Arrest Warrant pending the Swedish Authorities providing the guarantees referred to in one above.
It's simple. Easy to implement and its perfectly tailored to solve the the UK's problem with Assange; to address Assange's fear of extradition to the US, and it to permit Sweden's criminal justice process against Assange to be brought to finality.
The Swedish and UK authorities failure to have arrived at a solution based on the above does them no credit at all. It only serves to make one wonder whether there is indeed a US agenda behind all this after all.
Under current UK extradition law, Mr Assange can apparently not be extradited to the USA on the charges the US wish to bring against him. This is a right.
The idea that Mr Assange has to forfeit that right in order to face charges in Sweden without a suitable guarantee of the protection he currently enjoys is outrageous in the extreme.
Of course, if the Swedish & British authorities do come to an agreement that the extradition will be solely for the purpose of facing the criminal proceeding in Sweden, and that he will not be extradited to the USA, then Mr Assange would have no basis, in my view, to remain hiding in the Ecuadorian Embassy.
SG WALTHER 18 February 2016
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Body of Wisdom #sayings
+Wisdom Bits #Quotes +Saying It First
BODY OF WISDOM
Take a stand against high buildings.
Do a sit-in against standing room only tickets.
Neil if ISIS chop off both your feet.
Rise to the occasion or die trying.
Roll with the punches, but do not kick the bucket or trip up!
And if you want to earn money at someone else's expense....
RUN FOR FOR OFFICE!
Lie to Parliament.
Let the public Foot the bill.
Lose your mind.
Drift gently into mental illness!
Shut your mouth.
Hold your tongue.
Butt out!
Forever keep your peace so that you may one day rest in it!
Siegfried Walther Cape Town Nov 2014
See also magic button suspends traffic laws:
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/06/magic-button-suspends-traffic-laws.html
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/05/joke-hilarious-explanatory-letter-by.html
BODY OF WISDOM
Take a stand against high buildings.
Do a sit-in against standing room only tickets.
Neil if ISIS chop off both your feet.
Rise to the occasion or die trying.
Roll with the punches, but do not kick the bucket or trip up!
And if you want to earn money at someone else's expense....
RUN FOR FOR OFFICE!
Lie to Parliament.
Let the public Foot the bill.
Lose your mind.
Drift gently into mental illness!
Shut your mouth.
Hold your tongue.
Butt out!
Forever keep your peace so that you may one day rest in it!
Siegfried Walther Cape Town Nov 2014
See also magic button suspends traffic laws:
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/06/magic-button-suspends-traffic-laws.html
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/05/joke-hilarious-explanatory-letter-by.html
Chapter One - The powder of one. +UCT #UCT
The Powder of One _ Forthcoming novel from Siegfried Walther
Draft of Chapter one
Chapter 1
Simon Sayer
laid eyes on Abby Castle for the first time at the bottom of Jameson steps at
the University of Cape Town, more commonly known as UCT. She was standing in
front of a small but vocal group of banner-waving student activists.
The activists on campus were always easy to spot. For one, there was the
near- uniformity of their unflattering attire, which they doubtless sourced
from the bargain bins at some second-hand charity shop in the main road of
nearby Observatory or “Obs” as the suburb was locally known. To accessorise, the students added a
distinctly dishevelled, near-unkempt appearance.
With the
male students, this typically involved sprouting and sporting as much hair and facial
hair as one could tolerate. The newbies usually contented themselves by going unshaven. The serious activists, however, tended
towards longer beards and even longer hair often tied in pony tails.
Simon frequently
wondered about what the more conservative parents of those students would have
to say about guys wearing pony tails. He was tempted to support the cost of his
studies by designing, marketing and selling clip-on pony tails which would
allow guys the option of fitting into conservative society at home, whilst
retaining a credible activist look while on campus.
If one
wished, however, to give those with pony tails a real run for their money, there
was one and only one solution for a white activist. Dreadlocks. In apartheid
South Africa, dreadlocks represented the ultimate non-verbal gesture of
solidarity with the oppressed majority i.e. a veritable raised middle finger
gesture to the white racists who ran the country.
Returning to
the subject of facial hair, there was one thing which no self-respecting activist
at an English speaking university such as UCT could ever wear – a moustache.
There was a very good reason for this.
To permit
an explanation, your indulgence for a slight digression is required.
Apartheid
South Africa was controlled by a white minority. The majority of the population
were denied the right to vote and their protests at this and other injustices
were routinely suppressed by the mostly white security forces, most of whom
were Afrikaans speaking - a language of Dutch origin.
Moustaches
were common amongst many Afrikaans men. For some reason, however, moustaches
were especially common amongst those Afrikaners who formed the majority of the
military, the police and the other security forces.
The
Apartheid security forces did not approve of the liberal political views
amongst the mostly English speaking activists at UCT. In fact, they regarded
the university as a hotbed of subversive left wing communism, repeatedly referring
to it as Moscow on the Hill.
The right
wing apartheid state controlled the media and the flow of information with an
iron grip. However, the disdain with which UCT’s activists flouted the State’s
restrictive censorship laws and the level of support enjoyed by banned
organisations there, infuriated those in charge of maintaining state security.
Such was magnitude of the perceived threat that the police recruited undercover
operatives to pose as students so that they could spy on these subversive
activities. For some reason unbeknown to State Security, however, the covers of
most police spies were quickly blown and UCT lost no time expelling them.
The
Security police no doubt ascribed these failures to all manner of things, such
as whether the spy’s cover stories were credible enough, or whether the English
accents of Afrikaans spies were fit for purpose at a mostly English-speaking
university. No-one at UCT told them that
their moustaches, which were common enough to almost form part of the uniform
in police and security force circles, would cause them stand out like sore
thumbs at an English speaking university. And for some time, one spy after the
other turned up, and in no time was surprised to find himself exposed as a spy,
only to be ignominiously expelled.
As Simon
would later learn, Abby spent much of her time on campus as a student activist
involved in various anti-establishment protests. Since she looked and dressed
like the other activists, there was nothing to disabuse Simon of his initial impression
that she came from an ordinary middle or lower-middle class background similar
to his. It was only much later in the academic year, and shortly after he and
Abby had become an item, that he discovered that she was in fact the daughter
of Sander Castle, one of the richest men in Cape Town.
That
knowledge seemed to make no difference to either of them during the course of
their studies at UCT. As a student, Abby felt that her privileged background
was completely at odds with the various causes in which she had become
involved. She seldom if ever went home to her parents, and she always made a
point of avoiding any references to her wealthy upbringing. When she did
venture home, the visits were short and Simon was never invited. Simon had also
learned over the years not to raise the topic of her relationship with her
family with her. It was not a subject, she had always said, that she cared to
discuss. And that had always been that.
As their
mutual graduation neared, however, Simon discovered something which reminded
him of the difference in their backgrounds. His university education had been
financed by loans he would only be able to pay off once he had secured
employment. Abby’s entire degree, on the other hand, had been paid for by her
parents. It irked him that she had never mentioned this before, and that
instead she had created an impression that she had elected to make her way
through life without relying upon her parent’s considerable resources.
Perhaps it
was just as well that he had not raised that issue with her. Because, as the
graduation date drew closer, Abby’s attire became steadily more fashionable and
smart. When he mentioned the change she simply starred at him blankly.
It also did
not go unnoticed that her visits home had become more frequent, in addition to lasting somewhat longer and
that she had more cash available to spend upon her return.
The icing
on the cake was yet to come. On the morning of their graduation ceremony, he
was awoken by the sound of a car hooting in the road outside their Observatory
commune. He poked his head out the window to see her sitting in a brand new
Mercedes SLK sports car with the top down and the music blaring. It turned out
to be a graduation present which she just could not refuse.
***
Later that
day, Abby introduced Simon to her parents at the graduation ceremony. Simon was
not surprised to discover that both Sander and Brigitte Castle’s upper class
status oozed from everything they wore and everything they did. Their
deportment, their manners, their diction, their clothing was all mixed together
with an air of supreme confidence. It all left no-one in the slightest doubt
that they viewed themselves as being a cut above the rest. When it came to
Simon, their manner was most cordial, even friendly. And yet, somehow he felt
convinced that, despite their politeness, they did not consider him worthy of
their daughter.
An event
which occurred a week later, however, served to supersede the importance of the
initial impressions Simon and the Castles had formed of one another. It also
put a stop to any reservations Simon might have consciously or sub-consciously
entertained about the recent, and not insignificant, changes in Abby’s behaviour.
Abby
announced that she was pregnant and added that she intended to keep the child.
Despite his uncertainty as to whether her plans also included being married to
him, he proceeded to do the gentlemanly thing. He proposed. Her acceptance was
not marked by any significant display of happiness or relief on her part.
Instead, it was much as if someone had fired an invisible starter’s pistol
signifying the commencement of a lengthy series of social formalities.
Whatever
misgivings Sander and Brigitte Castle may have had regarding their daughter’s
decision to have the baby, or regarding the suitability or otherwise of her
choice of husband, they elected not to discuss it with Simon. Instead, he was
politely congratulated. What Sander Castle lacked in warmth as he uttered a few
words welcoming him to his family, he more than made up for with the steeliness
of the grip of his handshake.
***
The Castles
were expected to deliver the society wedding of the year. And they did not
intend to disappoint. As the first order of business, Brigitte Castle lost no
time in ensuring that the Mount Nelson hotel’s premier banqueting venue was
secured. Simon’s attempt at a modicum of restraint in suggesting that having
both a DJ and a six piece band was a bit over the top was unceremoniously
overruled by his future mother-in-law. In retrospect, if his advice to the
effect that a DJ would have sufficed had been heeded, it might perhaps have
prevented the unfortunate events which later transpired.
It would
also have helped if the band had, like the DJ, been content to accept payment
on the day of the wedding, by internet transfer, instead of insisting on
payment at the end, and in cash. Instead, when the wedding finally drew to a
close, and the banqueting halls lights came up, Simon’s father-in-law, Sander
Castle, reached for his jacket. It had been hanging over his chair at the main
table for the past few hours. As he slipped his hand into the inside jacket
pocket, he was shocked to discover that the brown envelope containing the
band’s not insubstantial payment was missing. A frantic, yet diligent search
yielded nothing.
Worse
still, Brigitte Castle then quashed any suggestion that Sander might have left
the critical envelope at home when she confirmed having checked her husband’s
jacket sometime after he had hung it over the chair.
“Oh no!”
she lamented as her shoulders drooped. “Silly me, perhaps I alerted the thief
when I…”
“Nonsense,”
Sander interjected loudly. “We’re all friends and family here.” For a split
second, Simon thought he saw Sander glance at the side of the main table at
which his family were seated with a hint of disapproval. His father in law then directed his attention
to a wedding co-ordinator whose red face dominated the swiftness of her
approach.
“What sort
of staff do you employ at this establishment?” he roared. “It pains me to say
that without proof, but I simply cannot accept that this was the doing of one
of our guests. I expect the Hotel to settle the Band’s fee for now. And if you
know what’s good for you, you’d best consider leaving the band’s fee off my
final account.”
“Of course
we’ll attend to payment of the band,” the co-ordinator replied. But I’m afraid
that I cannot accommodate you any further until the matter is fully
investigated, which I can assure you it will be. I can only add that I have
been here for nine years and nothing like this has ever happened before.”
***
The
incident also led to tension between Simon and his new bride during the
honeymoon. Simon felt that Abby’s father had excluded all the Castles and their
friends from the suspect list right from the outset, whilst in contrast, he
felt that the Sayers’ and their friends had been consigned to the provisional
suspect list.
“Oh don’t
put on so,” Abby replied. “I’m sure you were just imaging it.”
“Yes, like
I imagined that we might have a say in regard to our wedding.”
***
On their
return from their honeymoon, they were met at the airport by his new in-laws.
“Oh I must
insist that the two of you join us at home for the first viewing of the wedding
video,” Brigitte said. “I’m sorry to seem demanding. But I’ve demonstrated the
patience of a saint until now. I just have to see whether that man did justice
to the function we worked so hard to put on.”
Simon was
exhausted. It was the last thing he felt like doing after such a long flight.
“Good Lord
Woman,” Sander piped up. “Enough about the video. It will keep until the
weekend. They must be tired, and quite frankly, so am I.”
However,
when Brigitte Castle set her mind upon something, there was no changing it and
everyone meekly joined her in the mansion’s viewing room where a massive 68
inch LED Television set clicked into life.
To Simon’s
surprise, he found himself enjoying the video. Its quality was worth the
princely sum the Castle’s had paid to its maker.
But toward
the end, Sander Castle grunted and grabbed the remote out of his wife’s hand.
“Give me
that,” he said as he aimed the remote at the screen and rewound the video
recording a little.
“But we’ve
just seen that, dear,” Brigitte moaned. “That’s part of the opening dance ...”
“I know,
but that isn’t,” Sander replied, and he pointed towards someone in the
background of the high definition video. A man was standing behind the main
table.
“I thought
so,” Sander declared emphatically.
The man
could be seen checking whether everyone’s attention was indeed fixed upon the
opening dance. Next, there was no mistaking that his hand then reached into the
pocket of an unattended jacket in order to swiftly remove a large brown
envelope from its inner pocket. The man was Simon’s step-father.
The
marriage was annulled a few weeks later. And this is how it came to be that
Simon Sayer arrived in Mariner’s Cove hoping to make a fresh start.
+University of Cape Town
+South Africa
+NUSAS
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Ed's "re-launch" seemed more like rearranging of deck chairs on Titanic #Labourleadership
Last Thursday's "re-launch" attempt by +Labour Party Leader +Ed Miliband seemed more like a rearrangement of the Deck Chairs on the Titanic.
The content of the speech - inequality in British society, was a re-hash of his past speeches. It did little to convince anyone that Ed has the confidence of Labour's MP's. Questions still remain about whether the Shadow cabinet view him as the right man to lead Labour in the upcoming General Election. The reason for this is that prior to the speech, polls showed his personal popularity as having reached a new low, becoming the most unpopular leader since poll records began.
I said in a previous article (see link below) that nothing but a bold move, would be able to arrest the toxic effect this uncertainty about Ed is having on the party's chances at the general election.
He should have used last Thursday's "re-launch:" to acknowledge the toxic effect the speculation regarding his leadership is having on Labour. He should have set out a short vision as to why he believed he should remain the leader. He could then have indicated that he believed that the whispering and speculation within the party about his leadership needed to be brought to and end for once and for all.
He should have demanded that if there was someone else who wished to challenge him for the party leadership now, it was time for those people to stand up and say so, and to that end, he had decided it was in Labour's best interests for him to grant any challengers an opportunity to put up or shut up. And then he should have announced his resignation as Leader, in order to permit him to contest the leadership of the party against any challengers. Then, after announcing that he is looking forward to the contest for the leadership, he should have walked out of the hall.
This would have been a dramatic, and admittedly high risk move. But well handled, it would have forced the hands of those within the Party involved in the whispering campaign against Miliband. They would have been forced to decide whether to put up a candidate for the leadership of the party or not.
If another candidate stepped forward and won the leadership, Ed would have been seen as having made a brave sacrifice in the party's best interests. Alternatively, if Ed won against a contender, it would end the speculation. Yes, was a risk of a narrow win, and that could also have been divisive, but nothing as damaging the rumours presently doing the rounds. (Hence Ed's polls at an all time low).
If Labour spokespersons are correct that they are behind Ed, no contender would have taken up the challenge. The senior Labour leadership could then have recalled Ed to accept the leadership of the party at a public gathering, which would indeed have been a re-launch.. For Ed, and for Labour's campaign. Calling for a leadership vote would have been seen as a brave, unselfish move which could have done Ed's image as leader no end of good.
Unfortunately nothing like this occurred. This leaves Ed and his party's spokespersons in the untenable position of having to deny the rumours of his alleged unpopularity within the party or having to deflect them with the ..."Yes, but the real issue at this election will be " arguments.
But we all know, the real issue will remain whether any party can win a General Election if the public don't view it leader as being of prime-ministerial calibre, not to mention if the public also doubt whether his own party views him in that light.
http://www.westminsteradvisers.co.uk/2014/11/eds-not-dead-and-the-labour-party-rulebook-will-help-him-stay-that-way/
As far as Labour's rules are concerned, the fact that Labour's rules protect Ed does not mean he that he ought to use them as a shield. He can jettison the protection he is afforded in the best interests of the party. It matters not that no challenge is likely. It's the fact that talk of challenges and of a lack of loyalty amongst the parliamentary party (not to mention a whispering campaign) is undermining his already tenuous position now.
S G Walther 18 November 2014
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/uncertainty-about-ed-milibands.html
#Labourleadership
The content of the speech - inequality in British society, was a re-hash of his past speeches. It did little to convince anyone that Ed has the confidence of Labour's MP's. Questions still remain about whether the Shadow cabinet view him as the right man to lead Labour in the upcoming General Election. The reason for this is that prior to the speech, polls showed his personal popularity as having reached a new low, becoming the most unpopular leader since poll records began.
I said in a previous article (see link below) that nothing but a bold move, would be able to arrest the toxic effect this uncertainty about Ed is having on the party's chances at the general election.
He should have used last Thursday's "re-launch:" to acknowledge the toxic effect the speculation regarding his leadership is having on Labour. He should have set out a short vision as to why he believed he should remain the leader. He could then have indicated that he believed that the whispering and speculation within the party about his leadership needed to be brought to and end for once and for all.
He should have demanded that if there was someone else who wished to challenge him for the party leadership now, it was time for those people to stand up and say so, and to that end, he had decided it was in Labour's best interests for him to grant any challengers an opportunity to put up or shut up. And then he should have announced his resignation as Leader, in order to permit him to contest the leadership of the party against any challengers. Then, after announcing that he is looking forward to the contest for the leadership, he should have walked out of the hall.
This would have been a dramatic, and admittedly high risk move. But well handled, it would have forced the hands of those within the Party involved in the whispering campaign against Miliband. They would have been forced to decide whether to put up a candidate for the leadership of the party or not.
If another candidate stepped forward and won the leadership, Ed would have been seen as having made a brave sacrifice in the party's best interests. Alternatively, if Ed won against a contender, it would end the speculation. Yes, was a risk of a narrow win, and that could also have been divisive, but nothing as damaging the rumours presently doing the rounds. (Hence Ed's polls at an all time low).
If Labour spokespersons are correct that they are behind Ed, no contender would have taken up the challenge. The senior Labour leadership could then have recalled Ed to accept the leadership of the party at a public gathering, which would indeed have been a re-launch.. For Ed, and for Labour's campaign. Calling for a leadership vote would have been seen as a brave, unselfish move which could have done Ed's image as leader no end of good.
Unfortunately nothing like this occurred. This leaves Ed and his party's spokespersons in the untenable position of having to deny the rumours of his alleged unpopularity within the party or having to deflect them with the ..."Yes, but the real issue at this election will be " arguments.
But we all know, the real issue will remain whether any party can win a General Election if the public don't view it leader as being of prime-ministerial calibre, not to mention if the public also doubt whether his own party views him in that light.
http://www.westminsteradvisers.co.uk/2014/11/eds-not-dead-and-the-labour-party-rulebook-will-help-him-stay-that-way/
As far as Labour's rules are concerned, the fact that Labour's rules protect Ed does not mean he that he ought to use them as a shield. He can jettison the protection he is afforded in the best interests of the party. It matters not that no challenge is likely. It's the fact that talk of challenges and of a lack of loyalty amongst the parliamentary party (not to mention a whispering campaign) is undermining his already tenuous position now.
S G Walther 18 November 2014
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/uncertainty-about-ed-milibands.html
#Labourleadership
Monday, 17 November 2014
FIFA's attack on EnglishFA shameful
#FIFA Re: Thursday's +FIFA's "report" into World Cup bidding corruption.
I predicted last week that FIFA's report would exonerate itself.
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/egypts-bid-to-host-ioc-winter-olympics.html
After all, the report was commissioned by FIFA +FIFATV paid for by FIFA. Despite this, the attorney, Michael Garcia, who was mandated to investigate the corruption, appears to have at least attempted to shed some light on the problem, despite the limitations of his mandate.
He is to be commended for criticising the edited summary of his report by FIFA's +Hans Eckert which was released by FIFA as not being representative of his report.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30077775
Garcia at least, emerges from all this with some credibility . FIFA on the other hand, appear ever more as disorganised crime posing as a sporting body.
Their attack on England's #FA +English football +, who were one of the few associations who endeavoured to be both brave and brutally honest, in an attempt to expose problems with "Gifts" in the bidding process, is utterly shameful and cowardly!
The English FA's efforts to expose the extent to which the "sanctioned" practice of gifts to FIFA's officials serves to pave the way for actual corruption was totally ignored by FIFA.
FIFA must assume that such attacks will deflect attention from the plethora of questions which remain unanswered by it in regard to the +Qatar2022 bid.
S Walther November 2014
I predicted last week that FIFA's report would exonerate itself.
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/egypts-bid-to-host-ioc-winter-olympics.html
After all, the report was commissioned by FIFA +FIFATV paid for by FIFA. Despite this, the attorney, Michael Garcia, who was mandated to investigate the corruption, appears to have at least attempted to shed some light on the problem, despite the limitations of his mandate.
He is to be commended for criticising the edited summary of his report by FIFA's +Hans Eckert which was released by FIFA as not being representative of his report.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30077775
Garcia at least, emerges from all this with some credibility . FIFA on the other hand, appear ever more as disorganised crime posing as a sporting body.
Their attack on England's #FA +English football +, who were one of the few associations who endeavoured to be both brave and brutally honest, in an attempt to expose problems with "Gifts" in the bidding process, is utterly shameful and cowardly!
The English FA's efforts to expose the extent to which the "sanctioned" practice of gifts to FIFA's officials serves to pave the way for actual corruption was totally ignored by FIFA.
FIFA must assume that such attacks will deflect attention from the plethora of questions which remain unanswered by it in regard to the +Qatar2022 bid.
S Walther November 2014
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Egypt's bid to host +IOC Winter Olympics #Winter Olympics #IOC #FIFA
Egypt's bid to host +IOC #Winter Olympics
Note this article again updated on 26 December 2014 to include a LINK to the resignation of Michael Garcia, the attorney hired by FIFA to report to them on corruption. He is unhappy with FIFA's handling of his report.
Note: this article has been updated as at 30 Nov 2014 to include a LINK to a UK newspaper dossier regarding WC corruption which was handed to the House of Commons.
So you knew when you read it something was wrong, and it bothered you enough to check it out. Well done, YOU!
You figured it out that not only is Egypt a place with lots of heat, deserts and no snow, but there is also no tradition of Winter Sports.
And yet, what's so different about #Qatar and its bid to host the 2022 #FIFA +FIFA WORLD CUP ?
Well the only difference I can make out is that Qatar's bid was seriously entertained by #FIFA and its bid succeeded against those of countries with far superior bids on almost every ground. Why?
+Doha Qatar2022
Qatar is situated in one of the hottest regions of the World. The World Cup Tournament always occurs in June / July, when highly lucrative European Leagues take a break. During Summer, the climate is not only hot, but extreme.
The minimum temperatures during June / July seldom dip below 30 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperatures vary between 38 degrees and 46 degrees. Day or night, Qatar's summer climate is too extreme for soccer players. Indeed it would not only be unpleasant to play soccer in such extreme heat but it would of course also be dangerous to the heath of the players if they did so.
Unsurprisingly, Qatar's extreme climate does not lend itself towards the pursuit of any Football to speak of, let alone Major League Football.
One wonders what took place on the very first occasion when officials from FIFA first encountered someone from Qatar who revealed his fanciful and absurd notion of that country hosting the Soccer World Cup Tournament, despite its extreme climate. It's almost as absurd as Egypt bidding to host the Winter Olympics.
The FIFA officials ought first to have discretely enquired into the sanity of the person concerned, and upon satisfying themselves of the existence of some on his part, they should have politely advised him that Qatar's climate rendered it unsuitable as a host country for the tournament.
Instead, however, FIFA not only entertained a self-evidently unworkable bid from #Qatar, but against any logic and despite all odds being against such a bid, FIFA's World Cup committee ended up voting for and allocating the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Bribery? / Corruption?
To almost everyone but FIFA (and some in Qatar) there is one and only one reasonable explanation for the success of Qatar's bid which presents itself. The result must have been the result of bribery and/or some foul play.
Allegations of corruption and of shady practices involving FIFA are not new, FIFA's standard response to most such allegations has generally been dismissive. FIFA's failure to deal with allegations of corruption in a decisive and open manner has done little to quell such rumours.
Gifts?
In addition, FIFA have also failed to adequately acknowledge or address the highly questionable practice of the provision of gifts to members of FIFA's World Cup Committee by or on behalf of bidding countries. Although these "incentives" or gifts may fall short of actual bribery or corruption, the failure to eliminate these practices does FIFA no credit.
No matter what FIFA says, permitting, or failing to ban such gifts outright, in itself goes a long way to muddying the water between innocent low-value tokens of esteem, and actual bribery. Indeed, one of the FIFA officials recently accused of bribery has predictably resorted to suggesting his receipt of gifts from bidding host countries' representative is both acceptable and common practice.
http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/culture-media-and-sport-committee/the-2022-world-cup-bidding-process/written/15880.pdf
http://www.guerardmedia.com/ethics-investigator-michael-garcia-resigns-from-fifa-committee/
It seems each step FIFA take to "fix" the unfixable" quite predictably only makes it worse.
http://www.guerardmedia.com/fifa-to-publish-redacted-world-cup-corruption-report/
FIFA's explanation
One thing in particular added weight to the Bribery / Corruption Argument. FIFA's bid committee did not appear to have ever properly applied their collective minds to the one phenomenon which obviously made #Qatar an unsuitable World Cup Host in the first place i.e. - The extreme climate. Frankly, such an oversight is inexplicable and bizarre.
It seems someone perhaps thought they could get away with it if the world matches were only played at night. Anyone thinking this would clearly did no research into the prevailing temperatures at night in Qatar's summer.
Alternatively FIFA simply turned a blind eye to the reality that, even at night in Summer, the temperatures are around or can even be above that of body temperature. Such conditions would not only be considered extreme and highly uncomfortable to almost any footballers from around the world, but these conditions would also be considered unsafe for the sport by the medical profession.
FIFA had tried to wriggle out of this by arguing that thinking behind the decision to award the World Cup to Qatar was motivated by the need to promote and expand Football throughout the World and not only in countries where the sport thrives.
It was only some time after the tournament had already been allocated that +Sepp Blatter and #FIFA acknowledged for the first time that the extreme heat in Qatar represented a problem. The inordinate delay in admitting that which was always self-evident, only serves to pour additional fuel on the corruption rumours. Surely, no international governing body, or even a school PTA, could possibly be capable of such gross incompetence.
#FIFA's Solution - Hold the tournament in the Northern Winter
#FIFA, much like the old communist Russians, do not manage the truth well. Instead, its the prefer the truth in instalments approach. Don't admit anything until you really have to.
Instead of cancelling a clearly unworkable, clearly bribery plagued event, FIFA suggested that Qatar could still work as a venue if the Tournament was held in winter.
Sadly for FIFA, their solution only exposed them to further criticism and it revealed FIFA's decision to award the tournament to Qatar as being ill-considered and ridiculous.
The Major European Club Leagues operate in Winter.
The major European Club Football Leagues, which form the backbone of International Soccer, occur throughout the entire European Winter, not to mention Spring and Autumn too.
Most of the World's top players play for some or other European Club. The Major European Club Leagues are not only supported in their own respective countries, but club competitions such as England's Premier League and its Spanish, Italian and German equivalents al have massive and dedicated world wide television audiences.
The European Club season is well-entrenched and involves so many interested parties, such as football federations, television stations, and advertisers etc. located in various countries throughout the world.
The more one thinks about it, the logistics involved in negotiating a one-month break during the winter of 2022 with each interested party in order to permit FIFA to hold the World Cup in the Northern Winter are massive. It would take years of negotiation and, even then there would be no guarantee of success.
The revenue raised by the European Club Soccer Leagues, in particular by the sale of television and advertising rights, runs into hundreds of billions of Euros. It goes without saying that during the Christmas / New Year period, when many people around the world take some time off work, the television audiences are at their highest, and so too, is the revenue raised by all stakeholders involved.
So many are the stake-holders who stand to lose if the World Cup is held in the Northern Winter, that I doubt any workable unanimity amongst all of them would emerge no matter how many years are allowed for this and no matter how Herculean the effort to achieve this might be.
All of this serves to expose #FIFA to the inevitable conclusion that such was their greed amongst at least some of its officials and such is the extent of their corruption in the bidding process, that no doubt enormous bribes were allowed to supersede logic or shame, and they went ahead with that which they knew was indefensible, illegal, and immoral.
They hoped that by the time FIFA was called upon to deal with all the fall-out from their malfeasance, no-one would be able to prove who had received what from whom, and that, FIFA, true to its record, would do nothing to expose the rot at its core.
Reports of bribes
When reports emerged earlier this year to the effect that someone said to be acting on behalf of +Qatar, or its football association, apparently made substantial payments to one or more members of FIFA's world Cup Committee in exchange for their votes in favour of +Qatar's bid, hardly anyone raised an eyebrow.
After all, how else could +Qatar's bid have ever succeeded. The reasons against the bid are as insurmountable as the bid itself is flawed, tainted and ill-considered.
Despite the reports, and despite growing world unhappiness at #FIFA's handling of all this, FIFA have refused to announce that the entire bidding process for the 2022 World-Cup be repeated, or at the very least that the bids of the Runner's up who lost out be granted an opportunity to repeat their final presentations, (hopefully in front of an independently appointed Committee, until FIFA gets its house in order.)
+FIFA have arrogantly refused to agree to these reasonable demands.
LATEST
The +German Football Team yesterday held a formal celebration to acknowledge this year's remarkable win of the 2014 World Cup tournament in Brazil
The occasion was attended by FIFA head +Sepp Blatter . Of course, the festering sore FIFA refuse to deal with, its highly controversial and shameful allocation of the #WorldCup2022 Tournament to +Qatar, was raised by the attending media.
"Does FIFA intend to revisit the process in terms of which it allocated the 2022 World CUP tournament +World Cup Portal to Qatar? If so? when?" they asked.
+Sepp Blatter shrugged the question off by with yet another denial that #FIFA have any plans to do so.
I end by quoting a Latin Maxim we use to have certain facts which are so-self evident they do not require proof admitted into evidence.
RES IPSA LOQUITUR - The Facts speak for themselves. It's now no longer a question of whether the +Qatar bribed FIFA officials to win the SWC2022 bid. I say that its a FACT that FIFA officials were bribed to award the tournament to +Qatar!
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/fifas-attack-on-englishfa-shameful.html
Siegfried Walther
Cape Town November 2014
Note this article again updated on 26 December 2014 to include a LINK to the resignation of Michael Garcia, the attorney hired by FIFA to report to them on corruption. He is unhappy with FIFA's handling of his report.
Note: this article has been updated as at 30 Nov 2014 to include a LINK to a UK newspaper dossier regarding WC corruption which was handed to the House of Commons.
So you knew when you read it something was wrong, and it bothered you enough to check it out. Well done, YOU!
You figured it out that not only is Egypt a place with lots of heat, deserts and no snow, but there is also no tradition of Winter Sports.
And yet, what's so different about #Qatar and its bid to host the 2022 #FIFA +FIFA WORLD CUP ?
Well the only difference I can make out is that Qatar's bid was seriously entertained by #FIFA and its bid succeeded against those of countries with far superior bids on almost every ground. Why?
+Doha Qatar2022
Qatar is situated in one of the hottest regions of the World. The World Cup Tournament always occurs in June / July, when highly lucrative European Leagues take a break. During Summer, the climate is not only hot, but extreme.
The minimum temperatures during June / July seldom dip below 30 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperatures vary between 38 degrees and 46 degrees. Day or night, Qatar's summer climate is too extreme for soccer players. Indeed it would not only be unpleasant to play soccer in such extreme heat but it would of course also be dangerous to the heath of the players if they did so.
Unsurprisingly, Qatar's extreme climate does not lend itself towards the pursuit of any Football to speak of, let alone Major League Football.
One wonders what took place on the very first occasion when officials from FIFA first encountered someone from Qatar who revealed his fanciful and absurd notion of that country hosting the Soccer World Cup Tournament, despite its extreme climate. It's almost as absurd as Egypt bidding to host the Winter Olympics.
The FIFA officials ought first to have discretely enquired into the sanity of the person concerned, and upon satisfying themselves of the existence of some on his part, they should have politely advised him that Qatar's climate rendered it unsuitable as a host country for the tournament.
Instead, however, FIFA not only entertained a self-evidently unworkable bid from #Qatar, but against any logic and despite all odds being against such a bid, FIFA's World Cup committee ended up voting for and allocating the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Bribery? / Corruption?
To almost everyone but FIFA (and some in Qatar) there is one and only one reasonable explanation for the success of Qatar's bid which presents itself. The result must have been the result of bribery and/or some foul play.
Allegations of corruption and of shady practices involving FIFA are not new, FIFA's standard response to most such allegations has generally been dismissive. FIFA's failure to deal with allegations of corruption in a decisive and open manner has done little to quell such rumours.
Gifts?
In addition, FIFA have also failed to adequately acknowledge or address the highly questionable practice of the provision of gifts to members of FIFA's World Cup Committee by or on behalf of bidding countries. Although these "incentives" or gifts may fall short of actual bribery or corruption, the failure to eliminate these practices does FIFA no credit.
No matter what FIFA says, permitting, or failing to ban such gifts outright, in itself goes a long way to muddying the water between innocent low-value tokens of esteem, and actual bribery. Indeed, one of the FIFA officials recently accused of bribery has predictably resorted to suggesting his receipt of gifts from bidding host countries' representative is both acceptable and common practice.
http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/culture-media-and-sport-committee/the-2022-world-cup-bidding-process/written/15880.pdf
http://www.guerardmedia.com/ethics-investigator-michael-garcia-resigns-from-fifa-committee/
It seems each step FIFA take to "fix" the unfixable" quite predictably only makes it worse.
http://www.guerardmedia.com/fifa-to-publish-redacted-world-cup-corruption-report/
FIFA's explanation
One thing in particular added weight to the Bribery / Corruption Argument. FIFA's bid committee did not appear to have ever properly applied their collective minds to the one phenomenon which obviously made #Qatar an unsuitable World Cup Host in the first place i.e. - The extreme climate. Frankly, such an oversight is inexplicable and bizarre.
It seems someone perhaps thought they could get away with it if the world matches were only played at night. Anyone thinking this would clearly did no research into the prevailing temperatures at night in Qatar's summer.
Alternatively FIFA simply turned a blind eye to the reality that, even at night in Summer, the temperatures are around or can even be above that of body temperature. Such conditions would not only be considered extreme and highly uncomfortable to almost any footballers from around the world, but these conditions would also be considered unsafe for the sport by the medical profession.
FIFA had tried to wriggle out of this by arguing that thinking behind the decision to award the World Cup to Qatar was motivated by the need to promote and expand Football throughout the World and not only in countries where the sport thrives.
It was only some time after the tournament had already been allocated that +Sepp Blatter and #FIFA acknowledged for the first time that the extreme heat in Qatar represented a problem. The inordinate delay in admitting that which was always self-evident, only serves to pour additional fuel on the corruption rumours. Surely, no international governing body, or even a school PTA, could possibly be capable of such gross incompetence.
#FIFA's Solution - Hold the tournament in the Northern Winter
#FIFA, much like the old communist Russians, do not manage the truth well. Instead, its the prefer the truth in instalments approach. Don't admit anything until you really have to.
Instead of cancelling a clearly unworkable, clearly bribery plagued event, FIFA suggested that Qatar could still work as a venue if the Tournament was held in winter.
Sadly for FIFA, their solution only exposed them to further criticism and it revealed FIFA's decision to award the tournament to Qatar as being ill-considered and ridiculous.
The Major European Club Leagues operate in Winter.
The major European Club Football Leagues, which form the backbone of International Soccer, occur throughout the entire European Winter, not to mention Spring and Autumn too.
Most of the World's top players play for some or other European Club. The Major European Club Leagues are not only supported in their own respective countries, but club competitions such as England's Premier League and its Spanish, Italian and German equivalents al have massive and dedicated world wide television audiences.
The European Club season is well-entrenched and involves so many interested parties, such as football federations, television stations, and advertisers etc. located in various countries throughout the world.
The more one thinks about it, the logistics involved in negotiating a one-month break during the winter of 2022 with each interested party in order to permit FIFA to hold the World Cup in the Northern Winter are massive. It would take years of negotiation and, even then there would be no guarantee of success.
The revenue raised by the European Club Soccer Leagues, in particular by the sale of television and advertising rights, runs into hundreds of billions of Euros. It goes without saying that during the Christmas / New Year period, when many people around the world take some time off work, the television audiences are at their highest, and so too, is the revenue raised by all stakeholders involved.
So many are the stake-holders who stand to lose if the World Cup is held in the Northern Winter, that I doubt any workable unanimity amongst all of them would emerge no matter how many years are allowed for this and no matter how Herculean the effort to achieve this might be.
All of this serves to expose #FIFA to the inevitable conclusion that such was their greed amongst at least some of its officials and such is the extent of their corruption in the bidding process, that no doubt enormous bribes were allowed to supersede logic or shame, and they went ahead with that which they knew was indefensible, illegal, and immoral.
They hoped that by the time FIFA was called upon to deal with all the fall-out from their malfeasance, no-one would be able to prove who had received what from whom, and that, FIFA, true to its record, would do nothing to expose the rot at its core.
Reports of bribes
When reports emerged earlier this year to the effect that someone said to be acting on behalf of +Qatar, or its football association, apparently made substantial payments to one or more members of FIFA's world Cup Committee in exchange for their votes in favour of +Qatar's bid, hardly anyone raised an eyebrow.
After all, how else could +Qatar's bid have ever succeeded. The reasons against the bid are as insurmountable as the bid itself is flawed, tainted and ill-considered.
Despite the reports, and despite growing world unhappiness at #FIFA's handling of all this, FIFA have refused to announce that the entire bidding process for the 2022 World-Cup be repeated, or at the very least that the bids of the Runner's up who lost out be granted an opportunity to repeat their final presentations, (hopefully in front of an independently appointed Committee, until FIFA gets its house in order.)
+FIFA have arrogantly refused to agree to these reasonable demands.
LATEST
The +German Football Team yesterday held a formal celebration to acknowledge this year's remarkable win of the 2014 World Cup tournament in Brazil
The occasion was attended by FIFA head +Sepp Blatter . Of course, the festering sore FIFA refuse to deal with, its highly controversial and shameful allocation of the #WorldCup2022 Tournament to +Qatar, was raised by the attending media.
"Does FIFA intend to revisit the process in terms of which it allocated the 2022 World CUP tournament +World Cup Portal to Qatar? If so? when?" they asked.
+Sepp Blatter shrugged the question off by with yet another denial that #FIFA have any plans to do so.
I end by quoting a Latin Maxim we use to have certain facts which are so-self evident they do not require proof admitted into evidence.
RES IPSA LOQUITUR - The Facts speak for themselves. It's now no longer a question of whether the +Qatar bribed FIFA officials to win the SWC2022 bid. I say that its a FACT that FIFA officials were bribed to award the tournament to +Qatar!
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/fifas-attack-on-englishfa-shameful.html
Siegfried Walther
Cape Town November 2014
Monday, 10 November 2014
Official UK Top 40 Albums
Thx to BBC.com for this. Catch the singles chart on BBC's radio 1 on Sunday evenings. Also see the singles chart link and the link to
DJ@SG_Walther' s Top 125 current single chart. International Chart compiled in Cape Town might include a few surprises you just have to check out http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/10/djsgwalther-music-charts-31-october.html
And UK top 40 singles chart link too: http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/11/uk-top-40-official-singles-chart-9.html
And check out recent posts for tons of things music fans just have to know about iTunes.......
The Official UK Top 40 Albums Chart - 9th November 2014
| Position | Status | Previous | Weeks | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | up 1 | 2 | 20 | Ed Sheeran | X |
| 2 | new | 1 | Calvin Harris | Motion | |
| 3 | down 2 | 1 | 2 | Taylor Swift | 1989 |
| 4 | new | 1 | André Rieu | Love In Venice | |
| 5 | down 2 | 3 | 24 | Sam Smith | In The Lonely Hour |
| 6 | up 83 | 89 | 49 | John Legend | Love In The Future |
| 7 | new | 1 | Damien Rice | My Favourite Faded Fantasy | |
| 8 | down 3 | 5 | 19 | George Ezra | Wanted On Voyage |
| 9 | up 6 | 15 | 8 | The Script | No Sound Without Silence |
| 10 | down 1 | 9 | 2 | Annie Lennox | Nostalgia |
| 11 | up 1 | 12 | 8 | Barbra Streisand | Partners |
| 12 | new | 1 | Simple Minds | Big Music | |
| 13 | down 9 | 4 | 3 | Ben Howard | I Forget Where We Were |
| 14 | down 6 | 8 | 3 | Status Quo | Aquostic (Stripped Bare) |
| 15 | new | 1 | The Who | Who Hits 50 | |
| 16 | down 9 | 7 | 3 | Neil Diamond | Melody Road |
| 17 | new | 1 | Bob Dyland & The Band | The Basement Tapes Complete - Vol 11 | |
| 18 | down 8 | 10 | 4 | Ella Henderson | Chapter One |
| 19 | up 19 | 38 | 61 | London Grammar | If You Wait |
| 20 | new | 1 | Neil Young | Storytone | |
| 21 | new | 102 | Calvin Harris | 18 Months | |
| 22 | down 3 | 19 | 11 | Royal Blood | Royal Blood |
| 23 | down 12 | 11 | 3 | Slipknot | .5: The Gray Chapter |
| 24 | down 11 | 13 | 69 | OneRepublic | Native |
| 25 | new | 1 | Fuse ODG | Tina | |
| 26 | down 8 | 18 | 4 | Jessie J | Sweet Talker |
| 27 | down 7 | 20 | 30 | Paolo Nutini | Caustic Love |
| 28 | down 4 | 24 | 165 | Ed Sheeran | + |
| 29 | down 23 | 6 | 132 | Led Zeppelin | Four Symbols |
| 30 | up 14 | 44 | 22 | Dolly Parton | Blue Smoke - The Best Of |
| 31 | down 8 | 23 | 10 | Maroon 5 | V |
| 32 | down 1 | 31 | 30 | The Vamps | Meet The Vamps |
| 33 | down 3 | 30 | 18 | Sia | 1000 Forms Of Fear |
| 34 | down 9 | 25 | 7 | Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga | Cheek To Cheek |
| 35 | down 8 | 27 | 35 | Paloma Faith | A Perfect Contradiction |
| 36 | up 5 | 41 | 19 | 5 Seconds of Summer | 5 Seconds Of Summer |
| 37 | down 11 | 26 | 36 | Pharrell Williams | G I R L |
| 38 | up 126 | 164 | 31 | Michael Bublé | Christmas |
| 39 | new | 1 | Knife Party | Abandon Ship | |
| 40 | down 7 | 33 | 25 | Coldplay | Ghost Stories |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)