Daily Press SummaryTens of thousands of protesters take to the street across Southern Europe in May Day anti-austerity rallies;http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8819

Plain packaging for political parties

With the increasing ‘debate’ over plain packaging for cigarettes, the ever present Sackerson has come up with a wonderful idea for our political parties.

What a wonderful idea.

I think we could go further however. Remove the branding, cap the spending, do not allow to be prominently displayed or be pestered on the street or doorstep and only allow voting after collecting ballot papers from under the counter at the shop with no name, only allowed to be consumed in regulated and confined indoor spaces.

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/05/01/plain-packaging-for-political-parties/

Why are taxpayers being shafted twice over

With local elections due in a few days time, now is an opportune time to ask anyone standing for office why as taxpayers we are being shafted and expected to pay for everything twice.

Look at this list of EU Agencies, who collectively make the hundreds of thousands of rules forced on us and then ask why we need them, we have national bodies that do exactly the same work, so why do we need to pay twice.

If the answer is – they are being funded with EU money, remember, the EU doesn’t have any money. It all comes from your taxes, or more specifically all that VAT you are forced to pay.

If the UK were to leave the EU, we could abolish VAT altogether, giving you an instant 20% saving on everything you buy. It would also mean that as all those thousands of EU rules were abolished government could reduce your basic tax rate and increase allowances making it possible for you to keep more of your hard earned rather than funding a lifestyle for the EU hangers on.

Such an injection of real cash into the real economy would give the UK an economic boost the like we have never seen before.

Its time to leave the EU folks, for fundamental economic reasons if for no other.

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/05/01/why-are-taxpayers-being-shafted-twice-over/

Euro-Zone News and AnalysisPress summary: Greek Socialist leader suggests euro exit should not be ruled outhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8818

Blog SummarySneaking in on the Franco-German axis (without lecturing)http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/sneaking-in-on-franco-german-axis.html

Daily Press SummaryGreek Socialist leader suggests euro exit should not be ruled outhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8817

Blog SummaryMarshalling growth in Europehttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/marshalling-growth-in-europe.html

Daily Press SummaryEl País: European Commission working on ???growth plan??? to attract ???200bn in investment; Money left in EU bailout fund guaranteed by all member states could be used as leveragehttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8807

Blog SummaryGuess who said this?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/guess-who.html

Internet Snooping

…so, happy birthday, Megan. Grandad sends his love and says to any government snoopers listening: "S** off and get a proper job you nosey b*******!"’

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/04/27/internet-snooping/

Blog SummaryS&P compounds a bad week for Spain all roundhttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/s-compounds-bad-week-for-spain-all.html

Blog SummaryFact-checking the Commission's EU budget claims (It ain't pretty)http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/fact-checking-commissions-eu-budget.html

Press ReleasesOpen Europe fact-checks the Commission's 2013 draft budgethttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8802

Blog SummaryThe EU and the NHS: The long arm of Brusselshttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/eu-and-nhs-long-arm-of-brussels.html

Daily Press SummaryMerkel: Fiscal treaty is not open for re-negotiation; Die Welt: If it continues like this, that???s the end of the eurozonehttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8805

Daily Press SummaryCommission asks for 6.8% budget increase; UK contribution to rise by £890m; French Budget Minister: budget ???impossible, unjustifiable and unacceptable???http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8797

Blog SummaryMuch more than just a budget crisis: what next for the Netherlands?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/what-next-for-netherlands.html

The words ‘private & confidential’ pass into history

On Thursday, December 1st, 2011 WikiLeaks began publishing The Spy Files, thousands of pages and other materials exposing the global mass surveillance industry

Private conversations, confidential documents, your most secret liaisons? Here is just one document to send a shiver down your spine, and there are hundreds more in the left tool bar on the Spy Files site.

Layer 7 Identity Management for Lawful Interception

Attached Files

To this new multi billion dollar, constitution busting industry, nothing you do, say or write is private, because these people are not just looking at the bad guys, they are looking at everyone, including you.

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/04/25/the-words-private-confidential-pass-into-history/

Blog SummaryWhat have the EU Quangos ever done for you?http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/what-have-eu-quangos-ever-done-for-you.html

Daily Press SummaryEU Commission set to propose 6.8% increase for 2013 EU budgethttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8793

Blog SummaryRace to the Elysee: How the French voted and what this means for Europe and the UKhttp://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/race-to-elysee-how-french-voted-and.html

Daily Press SummaryFrench election results and Dutch political crisis send stock markets tumbling; Ratification of fiscal treaty could be delayedhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8787

Blog SummaryGerman media looks for meaning in French presidential election resulthttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8785

Daily Press SummaryDutch PM resigns after talks to bring deficit in line with EU rules collapsehttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8783

Blog SummaryShould the UK contribute addtional funds to the IMF to help backstop the eurozone?http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/should-uk-contribute-to-imf.html

Daily Press SummaryFranco-German pledge to reform Schengen treaty; Sarkozy to pursue unilateral action; Hollande supports ECB reform; last poll results before electionhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8777

Press ReleasesNew Open Europe briefing: Cost of EU quangos to taxpayer rises by 33% over two yearshttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8780

Euro-Zone News and AnalysisPress summary:German insurers warn of higher inflationhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8775

Blog SummaryCommission's efforts to reform EU budget actually make things worsehttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/commissions-efforts-to-reform-eu-budget.html

Daily Press SummaryGerman insurers warn of higher inflationhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8774

Euro-Zone News and AnalysisPress summary: Sarkozy: ECB should discuss euro???s exchange rate with governments; La Tribune: The Merkozy couple ???has committed suicide???http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8766

Bank of England – ours or theirs..

Is this the final sell-out of UK Sovereignty

The Bank of England, the Old Lady of Threadneedle St, the institution that allegedly provides the UK with its economic stability, supposedly the centre of the entire modern financial system is about to be taken over by a foreigner, another Goldman Sachs placeman.

Is this the final sell-out, is this the man being put in place who will take the UK into the Eurozone?

From ZeroHedge:
Back in November we penned “The Complete And Annotated Guide To The European Bank Run (Or The Final Phase Of Goldman’s World Domination Plan)” in which we described what the long-term reality of Europe, not that interrupted by the occasional transitory LTRO cash injection and other stop-gap central bank measure, would look like. And yet there was one piece missing: after Goldman unceremoniously set up its critical plants in Italy via Mario Monti and the ECB via Mario Draghi, one key target of Goldman domination was still missing. The place? Why the center of the entire modern infinitely rehypothecatable financial system of course: England, which may have 1,000x consolidated debt/GDP, but at least it can repledge any asset in perpetuity thus giving the world the impression it is solvent (no wonder AIG, MF Global, and now the CME are scrambling to operate out of there). Which is why we read with little surprise that none other than former Goldmanite, and current head of the Bank of Canada, is on his way to the final frontier: the Bank of England.

From the FT:

Mark Carney, the governor of Canada’s central bank, has been informally approached as a potential candidate to replace Sir Mervyn King as head of the Bank of England in June next year.

One of the world’s most respected central bankers, Mr Carney, 47, now heads the Financial Stability Board, which oversees global financial regulation. He was approached recently by a member of the BoE’s court, the largely non-executive body that oversees its activities, according to three people involved in the process.

Far more importantly, Carney was a 13 year veteran of Goldman Sachs, most recently and very appropriately co-head of sovereign risk, which is ironic considering that Goldman had a grand rehearsal for the Greek currency swaps fiasco precisely with Carney at the helm in 1998, when Goldman got into hot water for the first time because while the company was advising Russia it was simultaneously betting against the country‘s ability to repay its debt. Sounds like yet another man doing the will of god: it is only fair he be promoted to run world banking capital.

More from the FT:

Very rarely are national central banks headed by foreign citizens, with a notable exception being Stanley Fischer, the American appointed as Israel’s central bank governor in 2005. Naming a foreigner as governor of the 318-year-old central bank would break with tradition, although Mr Carney has a British wife, studied at Oxford university, and worked at Goldman Sachs in London early in his career. “As a Canadian national he is a subject of the Queen,” said one supporter. “That is important.”

And most importantly, we can now update the map of Goldman conquests so kindly put together by The Independent last year, from this:

to this:

Is anyone left?

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/04/18/bank-of-england-ours-or-theirs/

Daily Press SummarySarkozy: ECB should discuss euro???s exchange rate with governments; La Tribune: The Merkozy couple ???has committed suicide???http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8764

Blog SummaryThe battle for the heart and soul of the ECB continueshttp://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/battle-for-heart-and-soul-of-ecb.html

Toxic Machines

Someone sent me an email this evening. No explanations, no links. Just a simple question…

Who would manufacture these – and why, who for ?

I don’t have any answers, but if you have any clues I would be interested to know.

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/04/17/toxic-machines/

Blog SummaryIf he wants to maintain EU allies, David Cameron needs to set out a clear vision for Britain???s place in Europehttp://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/if-he-wants-to-maintain-eu-allies-david.html

Daily Press SummaryGermany rejects Sarkozy???s demands for ECB intervention to promote growth; IMF members call on Europe to increase bailout funds furtherhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8763

Euro-Zone News and AnalysisPress summary: Sarkozy supports changing Maastricht Treaty to allow ECB to support eurozone growth; 66% of Greeks want to stay in the eurozone but under a reformed troika planhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8760

Daily Press SummarySarkozy supports changing Maastricht Treaty to allow ECB to support eurozone growth; 66% of Greeks want to stay in the eurozone but under a reformed troika planhttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8758

Blog SummaryThe Spanish Sovereign Banking Loophttp://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/spanish-sovereign-banking-loop.html

Blog SummaryHe started off strong but ran out of steamhttp://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/he-started-strong-but-ran-out-of-steam.html

Blog SummaryThe Charter of Fundamental Rights: From the Horse's mouth…http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/charter-of-fundamental-rights-from.html

German ship breaks EU arms embargo on Syria

At attempt to defy the weapons embargo on the Syrian regime has been thwarted in the Mediterranean Sea, SPIEGEL has learned. On Friday, a German-owned ship carrying military equipment and munitions from Iran was stopped from docking in a Syrian port.

A German-owned freighter loaded with weapons from Iran was stopped on Friday near the Syrian port of Tartus in the Mediterranean Sea, SPIEGEL has learned.

A few days prior, the Atlantic Cruiser, owned by the Emden carrier Bockstiegel, had allegedly picked up heavy military equipment and munitions meant for Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s regime from an Iranian freighter at the Djibouti port. The cargo, desperately needed reinforcements for Assad’s crackdown on dissidents, was supposed to be unloaded on Friday.

But defectors from inside the Syrian government had learned of the delivery and warned the shipping company. On Friday the Atlantic Cruiser suddenly changed course, heading for the Turkish harbor of Iskenderun instead. Then the ship stopped some 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Tartus, sailing in circles for the next few hours.

"We stopped the ship after getting information on the weapons cargo," shipping agent Torsten Lüddeke of Hamburg-based C.E.G. Bulk Chartering told SPIEGEL.

According to Lüddeke, the ship had been chartered by an Odessa, Ukraine-based company called White Whale Shipping. "They declared to us as cargo mainly pumps and similar things," he said. "We never would have allowed weapons on board." For now, the 6,200-ton ship will "stay where it is," he added.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian shipping company has insisted that the Atlantic Cruiser is not carrying weapons and that it be allowed to dock in Tartus.

However, SPIEGEL has learned that the ship’s crew had attempted to refuel in the Cypriot port of Limassol, but was turned away after reporting its cargo as "weapons and munitions."

The German Economics Ministry told the Associated Press on Saturday that it was looking into the matter, but provided no further details. What? It’s an arms embargo, not an economic one so why is the Economics Ministry looking into it.

It seems that EU imposed embargoes are as worthless as the unelected people who draw them up.

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/04/15/german-ship-breaks-eu-arms-embargo-on-syria/

US trade bodies tell UK to back off from destroying Trademarks and Branding in tobacco sector

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue, the Emergency Committee for American Trade, the National Association of Manufacturers, the United States Council for International Business and the National Foreign Trade Council issued the following statement in light of the U.K. announcement that it was pursuing a public consultation regarding plain packaging for tobacco products:

….. It is our hope that through this consultation and subsequent somber reflection the U.K. government will put this exercise aside.

As leading representatives of business, we rely on the rules-based international trade framework and its supporters to sustain economic growth, employment, innovation and prosperity.   We will work hard to encourage governments, including the U.K. government, to reflect in what they do the importance of the rules based international system."

OK, the Yanks have just told Cameron to back off regarding plain packaging for cigarettes. Will he listen to this wise advise from these trade bodies, or will he back the loony bansterbaters at ASH and start a trade war. Really good idea that would be in a recession – not.

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/04/14/us-trade-bodies-tell-uk-to-back-off-from-destroying-trademarks-and-branding-in-tobacco-sector/

Disclose.tv closed by the US Government

Disclose.tv closed by the US Government.

http://www.disclose.tv/seized.html

This was a video hosting website that had thousands of videos from all over the world. I think they would not play ball and so were shut down.

Hilary Clinton was right when she said “we are losing the information war”….now they are striking back.

Laws will be passed and they are serious about discrediting and tripping up the conspiracy theorists. Censorship next, and tactics on a level with the “War On Drugs”, a suppressive and unfair persuit on a par with Chinas suppression of alternative information. Just Watch..

You know…subersive information like 9/11, 7/7, conspiracy theories, UFO footage, euroscepticism, anti NWO information, patriot websites, oathkeepers and the like. The kind of information that true Patriots refer to try to keep their Governments in line.

The notice claims the following:

Full civil and criminal legal action will be taken against those who, knowingly or unknowingly, have contributed to acts of sedition, terror-mongering, and possible treason, including links to other sites now deemed a threat to national and international security.

That must surely begin with every politician, then civil servants. but… well you know the score..

http://parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2012/04/14/disclose-tv-closed-by-the-us-government/

Euro-Zone News and AnalysisBlog: The Spanish sovereign-bank loophttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8755

Euro-Zone News and AnalysisPress summary: Spain passes law to tackle excessive spending in regions; ECB warns of high levels of ???shadow government debt??? in the eurozonehttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8754

Blog SummarySpanish fears stoked by genuine concerns over banks and regional government spendinghttp://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/spanish-fears-stoked-by-genuine.html

Daily Press SummarySpain passes law to tackle excessive spending in regions; ECB warns of high levels of ???shadow government debt??? in the eurozonehttp://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=8748

For the avoidance of doubtWitteringsfromWitney has moved and is now hosted on WordPress. My new home is:


http://witteringsfromwitney.com/


It would appear some readers did not realise that they had to click on the link (the word “WordPress”) in my previous post.

http://witteringwitney.blogspot.com/2012/04/for-avoidance-of-doubt.html