THE CITIZEN SOFA THINK TANK: July 2009

31 July 2009

Charlie Says "SAVE THE PLANIT!"

Charlie says Save the Planit!!

November 2013.

I stopped subscribing to Private Eye.
It is the only thing worth reading still.

Hoyever, I can't afford even the sub. So I thort I would buy it every now and then.
There is no Private Eye cover that would make me cancel the sub.

Hoyever, I could not purchase the current issue taking the mick out of Prince Charles on the front.
It seemed gratuitous and unnecessary with no satirical cutting edge.

I like people who genuinely care about this country, its people and the whole world and its peoples.
And especially the environment as well!

Saint Prince Charles in one of them. A survivor too who does his duty, come what may!
ICH DEIN!

And I love his views on Architecture!

Also - he is genuinely concerned about the religious role of the monarchy and what this should be! Quite right to be too! What a man!.....

Krounenbourg 1968

30 July 2009

Give me some truth

If you think race is no longer an issue in the USA, then what about some telling of the truth about the US election in Florida in 2000?

29 July 2009

Ditch that "UK"!

Getting rid of the letters "UK" means that you are:

anti-nationalist

anti-monarchy

anti-imperialist

anti-hierarchy

anti-state

anti-establishment

anti-conformist

anti-bland

.....

28 July 2009

Socialism will not die

Bernard Henry-Le'vi, a famous French writer, has said that the French Parti Socialiste is "dead".

Incidentally he doesn't seem to have said why he thinks this.

Merde! The general idea of socialism is too broad and strong to die.

I am a Green personally, and green ideology cannot be ignored, but there is still plenty of space for socialism.

27 July 2009

Vince Cable

Vince Cable said something in an interview published in The Independent today (27th July) that annoyed me. Something that I thought was impossible.

He described Amartya Sen as a free thinker and seemed to contrast this with his view of Chomsky as an "ideologue".

Chomsky is most definitely a free thinker. One indication of this is that he is often the only person saying what he says.

Vince should engage with some of Chomsky's economic ideas, as they are radically sceptical of conventional economic "theory".

Charter for Compassion

http://charterforcompassion.com/

Wonderful!

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"Unless there is some kind of spiritual revolution that can keep abreast of our technological genius, it is unlikely that we will save our planet."

Karen Armstrong in "The Great Transformation".

What's the difference?

What's the difference between health insurance and a health service?

One is paid for by taxes, the other by insurance.

What difference does that make?

26 July 2009

"WAR IS ORGANISED MURDER, AND NOTHING ELSE"

"War is organised murder, and nothing else."

Harry Patch. RIP.

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We were taught what caused World War One at school:

Nationalism

Imperialism

Militarism

Alliances

....

21 July 2009

An argument in favour of freedom of speech

Freedom of speech is great because you can see how stupid people are.

18 July 2009

By The Skin Of Our Teeth

15 July 2009

Greetings from occupied London

Greetings from occupied London.

http://www.occupiedlondon.org/

14 July 2009

Private Schools cannot be charities

Private schools are in danger of losing their charitable status.

I really don't understand how independent schools - by the way can we discard the Victorian term "Public school" to mean private schoool, please? - can contend to be charities at all anyway when they charge thousands in fees?

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It also must be pointed out that many so-called "public" schools in England were founded in the late medieval period and early modern period with the explicit intention of educating the poor or the general populace....

The term "public school" it seems is a good example of a simple anachronism.
It was invented to distinguish these schools from "private tutors" in the Victorian era.......

"Testeria" is more real than "hysteria"!

Comparitively speaking, "testeria" - the conidition semi-humorously invented by George Monbiot - which is named after the hormone testosterone, has more of a real existence then "hysteria" in women - which is named after the womb - ever did.

13 July 2009

Great lyrics

As it was in the 19th century so it was in the 21st century:

"Come tell us how you slew

Those Arabs two by two."

From the song "Come Out You Black and Tans."

11 July 2009

Great quote

"Humanism, in all its simplicity, is the only genuine spirituality."

Albert Shwietzer.

Blatant

Does anyone think that it is a coincidence that the last words of what is called "The Bible" - the book - are an imprecation not to add anything to the book or omit things from the book?

It is a blatant assertion of power.