Lib Dem Ministers Complicit in Torture Scary, huh? I always thought they were prim, well-meaning political vegetarians, not raging carnivore fascistoid extremists. But Craig Murray knows different. (Warning: he displays a large picture of an Uzbek torture victim.) Behold Craig’s attempt at analysis of Sir John Sawers’ speech yesterday: These are […]
Disclosure note: John Sawers and I have known each other since we worked together in South Africa in the twlight years of apartheid. * * * * * Here on the SIS website is the full (and presumably authorised) text of Sir John Sawers’ speech this morning. The very fact […]
Update: see in the Comments a terrific contribution from Michael S who gives excellent background * * * * * Craig is back with us, this time sniping at the British Ambassador in Tashkent, Rupert Joy. What has Rupert Joy done wrong this time? Shock! He’s attended a fashion event led by […]
As the full horror of our impending house move comes into view, with the first cardboard boxes insinuating themselves into the house for some advance packing, Mrs Crawf and I have been seeking solace in new IT equipment. Thus Mrs C has made a quantum leap from her lumpy Tesco […]
So, here I am in shiny modern Vancouver, gearing up for the long flight home this evening. Our ADR Group session on Mediation at the Sharp End at the International Bar Association annual conference went well, with a joint presentation on the diplomatic, legal, negotiating and psychological issues arising from […]
Is deftly hosted by Natalie Bennett. Various points of interest, including a list of feminist bloggers missing from the ‘blokeosphere’ lists of leading bloggers exemplified by the Total Politics surveys. Hey, women bloggers, there’s nothing stopping your blogs being put forward into these surveys and asking readers to vote for […]
While the boring Koran non-burning story was running, over on Radio 5 Live someone used the metaphor that "you’re not allowed to shout ‘Fire’ in a theatre" as the basis for circumscribing free speech. And here is a grander person, namely US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, saying the same […]
James Lileks: They can talk for hours about how wrong it was to kill babies, busboys, businessmen, receptionists, janitors, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers – and then they lean towards you, eyes wide, and they say the fatal word: But. And then you realize that the eulogy is just a preface. […]
The important Employment Tribunal hearing into a disability discrimination claim made by an FCO employee against the FCO raises all sorts of intriguing dilemmas for public and private sector employers. Such as this one. Suppose an employer (Frank) has a good, motivated and ambitious employee (Sasha) who is disabled (in […]
The punditry gushes forth re Tony Blair and his memoirs. Here on the Right is Simon Heffer, quiet Ayn Rand fan and very conservative in all respects, liking Mr Blair (whom he knows) but being baffled by the poor writing: It appears to be a book written in tune with […]
