Westministenders: Unilateral Ignoring of WHO rules

[RedToothBrush]

Where we are:

On 1st January the EU started to apply checks on all goods from the UK coming into the Union.

However the UK decided to take a slower route to this, and planned that on the 1st April the UK we would be carrying out Sanitary & Phytosanitary paperwork for animal and plant EU imports like meat and eggs.

Then on 1 July we'd implement a full customs check on all goods arriving into the UK from EU member states.

Obviously we've struggled with exports as we weren't ready for this and its fucked business. But ultimately the import side of things has yet to hit the shit fan still.

It sounds like there is likely to be issues with imports of food in particular, so there is talk of delaying our plan of checks until later in the day. There is concern that the reopening of pubs and restuarants which will up demands of imports occuring at the same time as checks are put in place is likely to be 'problematic'.

Remember we get 2/3 of fruit, veg and cheese from the EU. And half our wine. And to date these largely have only been affected by haulage issues NOT UK customs issues...

You might want to keep that in mind.

The crucial question I often fail to hear being asked in the "policing by consent" debate is, what happens when that consent is witheld?

The Troubles.

Putting aside concerns about AZ. As I understand it UVL is wanting to stop vaccine exports from the EU to countries with a higher vaccination rate? I think India has just said similar? As long as vaccine (wherever it is) is not sitting around unused and is in people's arms as fast as it's being produced (I don't think this is the case in the EU) I agree with this strategy. This is a global problem and I think theres a very strong argument for vaccinating the most vulnerable then cascading down globally. Perhaps with priority given to countries suffering most so Brasil and South Africa stepped up, New Zealand and China can wait. Maybe not though, don't want to penalise good management. Of course I know this is all far too Kumbaya and would never happen, doesn't mean it's not what we should work towards though.

I've had one dose btw and would be happy to wait months for the second.

Throw in breaking international law, (NIP, WT rules) breaking national law, (proroguing parliament) Not holding ministers to account for bullying and other wrongdoing, giving too much power to unelected government advisors,

Winner - The Tory Party, Brexiteers.

As we saw in December 2019. Many of the population said 'More please'.

Tangentally apropos of this. I read an obituary in yesterday's Guardian about a man called Otto Dov Kulka, a historian who wrote about his experiences as a child in Auschwitz. I can't find a link to the article, but this observation in the obit struck me forcefully:
in a comprehensive documentary collection..... he presented nearly 1,000 pages of compelling evidence that undermined the view, held by most historians up to then, that the German people had been largely indifferent to the fate of the Jews. Instead, it suggested, they not only knew from early on about the extermination camps and shooting pits in the east, but also regarded them in a largely positive way.

As I said I couldn't find the obituary but found a link to a review of his book about Auswitz published at the time his book came out.

I used to say to DH how Brexit could easily slide into fascism, and he pooh-poohed it, "surely not", but now he's seen the Covid regulations which severely restrict civil liberties, initially passed as a crisis measure but now increasing likely to become at least part of the order of the day, as far as meeting to protest are concerned, he's begun to change his opinion.

The anti-protests legislation is a big thing for me. How can a civilised Western government produce legislation which looks as though it has
been designed to be used to stop harmless protests completely, with prison sentences of up to 10 years? And the Labour party weren't even planning to oppose it, initially. And then the gaslighting - the government assuring us that it will only be used in extreme cases, when it's been carefully drafted to cover protests which are barely disruptive at all? I find this genuinely scary. It paves the way for a really different society, doesn't it?

Remember when the anti-terrorist legislation was put in place (by Labour ) and it was promised claimed that it would never be used to stop "ordinary" protest?

It then got used to detain a heckler nothing more than that at the Labour Party conference

Peregrina

I can completely believe it. And these were just normal people, just like us. I think it's a comfortable (and dangerous) lie to pretend they were some kind of monsters and we could never be like that.

I've just "been to" a talk about the Kindertransport of Jewish children to the UK. Apparently they had to pay (in today's money) over £3,000 per child, for their (intended) repatriation costs, before they were allowed into the UK. And had to have somewhere to stay. So presumably only wealthy children could go to the UK.
The UK seems to have done everything it can to get out of its agreement to take in unaccompanied Syrian child refugees.

@Seventrees

I've just "been to" a talk about the Kindertransport of Jewish children to the UK. Apparently they had to pay (in today's money) over £3,000 per child, for their (intended) repatriation costs, before they were allowed into the UK. And had to have somewhere to stay. So presumably only wealthy children could go to the UK. The UK seems to have done everything it can to get out of its agreement to take in unaccompanied Syrian child refugees.

I've always felt cross about the rewriting of history around the Kindertransport. As a nation we hold it up as a testament to our compassion and benevolence but the truth is that as a nation we didn't want to do it and those who did, the true heroes, had to fight us every step of the way to save the children they did. Very much the same as with child refugees today. We've learnt nothing.

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/europeans-tell-scots-come-home-you-are-always-welcome-258839/

Europeans have sent out a heartfelt message to Scots in response to the country being taken out of the EU “against its democratic will”.

Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the bloc in 2016, with just 38 per cent backing leave compared to a British average of 52 per cent.

Parts of its economy has also been ravished by the new trading relationships post-Brexit, most notably the fishing industry which endured a ‘dreadful first few weeks’ with new issues emerging ‘every day’, according to reports.

A short film made in Bavaria has sent out a compassionate message to Scots, telling them to “come home” and reunite with the bloc “as old friends”.

The women presenting the video, produced by Europe Is Now, says: “Scotland, aye, we’ve come a long way together through hard times and the good. And even in our most difficult times, in the end we always know we too are way too fond of you.

“Our hearts are open to you. We have many great places to see, memories to share and even some fine whisky to taste.

“So yes. Let’s heal our planet and shape the future that’s fair to all, together.

“Let us reunite as old friends. Because as long as Europe is here, you are always welcome.”

She adds: “And don’t forget, never let anybody ever take your freedom.”

“Come home, Scotland. Come home.”

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/18/gibraltar-isle-of-man-rule-out-housing-asylum-seekers-uk

The governments of Gibraltar and the Isle of Man have said they would not house asylum seekers on behalf of the UK, pouring cold water on proposals expected to be unveiled by Priti Patel next week.

(contd)

The mischief maker in me wonders if we could trick her into suggesting Ireland ...

#priticamps

Well, let's hope a few more Governments say no. I would imagine that Priti Patel doesn't fully realise that these are not part of the UK and so she can't tell them what to do.

.

Check out the Bio
twitter.com/GretaThunberg

Poor Priti

I've given up engaging with too many current affairs, so the whole Priti Power Play is passing me by.

However it seems we're going to have fun if "annoying" or "irritating" need to become defined in law (as opposed to their everyday use) as well as "for political ends".

Because Boris Fucking Johnson irritates the crap out of me when he is talking for political ends. So he can be first up the steps.

I wonder if Giles, Suzie and the Purple People might do a special on words that means something special in law. "Public" is a good one to start with.

I just hope that if this legislation passes, it catches out one of those who voted for it, first. Who will no doubt then scream their heads of about how unfair it is.

That won't happen, though. I can just see this being used to allow the 'right' kind of demonstrations (i.e. nothing in opposition to the current government, but jingoist crap permitted and encouraged).

@pointythings

That won't happen, though. I can just see this being used to allow the 'right' kind of demonstrations (i.e. nothing in opposition to the current government, but jingoist crap permitted and encouraged).

Arbitrary enforcement of laws is one of the steps to fascism, if I recall correctly. There was a lot of suggestions that the US missed becoming a fascist regime by the final step - violent coup.

1 Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy.
2 Create secret prisons where torture takes place.
3 Develop a thug caste or paramilitary force not answerable to citizens.
4 Set up an internal surveillance system.
5 Infiltrate and harass citizens' groups.
6 Engage in arbitrary detention and release.
7 Target key individuals.
8 Control the press.
9 Cast criticism as espionage and dissent as treason.
10 Subvert the rule of law

yorkshirebylines.co.uk/deported-from-sweden/

So which of those 10 things haven't we got yet?

From DGR's list: "3 Develop a thug caste or paramilitary force not answerable to citizens."

Well pre-clearing undercover cops to carry out crimes could answer that need nicely. See the 'Spycops Bill'

@UltimateFoole

From DGR's list: "3 Develop a thug caste or paramilitary force not answerable to citizens."

Well pre-clearing undercover cops to carry out crimes could answer that need nicely. See the 'Spycops Bill'

Our police already are not accountable to us.

British PhD student deported from Sweden

The article in Yorkshire Bylines is misleading I think - there are extra coronavirus travel restrictions for people trying to enter Sweden from Denmark, as well as from the UK. The PhD student in the article was living in Copenhagen at the time and it's not clear whether PhD student would be a valid exemption to the travel ban.

When travelling to Sweden to begin my PhD studies in Stockholm I was denied entry and deported. ...
I would travel to Stockholm by train from Copenhagen central station...

Swedish Police:
^About the entry ban to Sweden from the UK, Norway and Denmark.
Sweden imposes a stricter entry ban for foreigners entering from Denmark, Norway and the UK. Even this is in effect until 31 March 2021.The purpose is to reduce and prevent the spread of a new strand of the covid-19 virus.^

polisen.se/en/the-swedish-police/the-coronavirus-and-the-swedish-police/travel-to-and-from-sweden/#NO_DK_UK

Tightening of restrictions in February;
“After speaking with the police authorities it seems like the border is now closed to Sweden from Denmark, the UK and Norway for students. It is still the individual police officer on the border deciding, but there has been implemented a stricter reading of the exemptions – meaning that students are not eligible to cross the border. This means that until 31st March 2021 those of you not residing in Sweden are most likely unable to enter Sweden.”

www.thelocal.com/20210218/international-students-fall-between-the-gaps-amid-sweden-denmark-border-confusion/

When a right wing rag is praising the EU - and Irelands membership of it - then you have to wonder how the UK is going to sell itself ..

americanconsequences.com/even-the-luck-of-the-irish-wont-get-you-a-pint-here-this-year/

...
But contrary to the enduring perception (180 years of stories about the potato famine will do that), Ireland isn’t poor. In fact – at least if we use GDP/capita, despite its drawbacks, as a measure – Ireland is the EU’s second-richest country, trailing only Luxembourg… and ahead even of Switzerland. Thanks in part to decades of investment by the European Union, which Ireland joined in 1973 – back when it was called the European Economic Community – Ireland’s infrastructure is a lot better than that of much of the United States.
...
That’s why Ireland’s prime minister has a standing date to meet with the U.S. president every day in mid-March. For a country with as many people as Costa Rica or Slovakia to regularly command the attention of the most powerful nation on Earth, it’s a reflection of what the Economist in 2019 called “Ireland’s soft-power triumph” – which in part is a “testament to the continued enthusiasm of 32 million Irish Americans for their roots, and to their equally remarkable dominance of American politics.”

And Ireland’s reach extends beyond the U.S. – and into the EU and elsewhere. “On a per-head basis, Ireland has a good claim to the world’s most diplomatically powerful country,” the Economist said last year.

(contd)

The article in Yorkshire Bylines is misleading I think - there are extra coronavirus travel restrictions for people trying to enter Sweden from Denmark, as well as from the UK. The PhD student in the article was living in Copenhagen at the time and it's not clear whether PhD student would be a valid exemption to the travel ban.

People coming here to work are exempt. A PhD position is a salaried position and they are employees of the institution. Their position is governed by employment law as opposed to education law like under graduates. The guy wasn't turned away because he was a PhD student and he wasn't turned away because of covid restrictions. He was turned away because he is now a third country citizen and didn't have a valid visa or residence permit.