More on Freedom of Speech

Following my Sticks Stones and Religion post a few days back, a far more subtle
and insideous attack on the freedoms of speech, the enjoyment of which
we in the UK have long take for granted, occurred with the arrest and
nine hours imprisonment of Damian Green the Conservative Party spokesman on
immigration.
MPs of all political hues, have for years made political hay out
of highlighting or publishing information that the government of the day
would rather not be see the light of day.

Damian Green, presumably having been contacted by a concerned civil servant,
published information about the recruitment in security work of 1000s of
individuals whose presence in UK is illegal.
Apparantly only for causing this and similar embarassments to HM Govt,
he is arrested and held against his will for hours.
If so, such actions would be a sad indictment of the way in which
the current government in the UK, regards individual and parliamentary
freedoms.

Conservative Boris Johnson on the other hand seeks to enquire into the possibility
of legitimising the landed and work statii of those immigrants who presence
within these shores does not meet the laid down red tape requirements.
This latter action openly proposed despite its not toeing the Tory party
line is far more enlightened than any actions tantamount to
bullying immigration statistics whistle blowers into submission.

Mumbai

The major events of this week concerned yet more senseless killing,
this time in Mumbai. Doubtless a link to one of the world's great
religions will be suspected if not established. Charity in thought
and deed will then be needed to avoid tarring the great mass of the religion's adherents with the same brush as may be applied to the killers.

Half way across the world, those who band together to kill
maybe ostensibly in the name of religion, have probably had so little offered to them to to fill the questing void in their own lives that tragically
they became easy prey for greedy and power hungry fanatics.
Participation in creative arts and sciences, sports, actively helping charities and similar
good and graceful actions are positive ways of filling the questing inspired by the Holy Spirit from human nature.
Murder mayhem and power seeking, comprise the tragic but thankfully not equal, opposites.

Sticks, Stones and Religion

I bought Sherry Jones'es The Jewel of Medina for the same reason
as I bought the first edition of Rushdie's Satanic Verses.

Attempts to murder Rushdie seemed to me to be
an attempt to kill off the right to freedom of speech as well
as Salman Rushdie himself. Setting
fire to the home/office of the London publisher who decided to publish
the Jewel of Medina is in a similar category. Buying the books
is the best way of preserving the freedom.

Satanic Verses as a work of literature took some reading
and in the end I couldn't see what all the fuss was about.
At first glance The Jewel of Medina seems far more light weight
a novel. Not something which God is likely to be too bothered
by, any more than he is by say "Father Ted" or the "Life of Brian".

I shall try to read it and may be post again but buying the book
is the best response to those who under the guise of religion,
seek to bully, using threats of violence and even death.

As grandmother (RIP) used to say:

"Sticks and stones may hurt your bones but words will never hurt thee."

Banks and Bankers

Meeting a friend, erstwhile of Lehman Brothers,
for the first time since that company went to the wall, graphically
illustrated some of the human issues behind the some academic
media reports about the banking crisis.

He had lost many llbs in weight as well doubtless as not a few £s in share
options. Thankfully such are his talents that he is not without work.

The feeling is that with media reports of governments intent on bailing out
bankers at bank HQs, whilst letting the home owners at the end of the
food chain lose their homes, at least one venerable bank had to be seen to
go to the wall for political and media spin reasons. If so Lehman Brothers
was then in the wrong place at the wrong time so its heads had to roll.

Virtually unrestrained but legal shorting of Lehmans' shares added impetus to the
Lehman difficulties. The suspicion is that this was compounded
by naked and therefore illegal shorting. The latter
involving selling shares you don't own and have not even borrowed,
would be illegal but the fines/costs payable for culprits who are caught
are far lower than the potential gains from the short.

It has been reported that Barclays who took over Lehaman USA
was barred from repeating its white knight rescue in London
by the FSA, on the competition grounds. If so, such decision
by the FSA would smack of a slavish adherence to procedures
as if, to take a biblical analogy, the market exists
for the procedures' benefit rather than vica versa.

If the FSA
did indeed bar Barclay's rescue in London on such grounds,
why do they not do the same for Lloyds TSB rescue of HBOS?
Such barring of Barclays would seem like a monumental blunder.

Remembrance Sunday 2008

Attending once more at the Beaumont War Memorial for the BU annual
Mass for the old boys who died for their country also reminded me
not only of the speed with which time flies but
also of the large number of events which take place during
its quick passage. Father Kevin Donovan SJ who celebrated
the 2007 Remembrance Sunday Mass and who sadly died between then
and now was remembered along with other deceased members of
the BU and the Beaumont War dead. RIP.

A wreath was laid by a soldier in uniform and the Last Post played
by St John's Beaumont trumpeters before the very well attended Mass.

Father Kevin Fox SJ's sermon was absorbing. He dwelt a little
on a talk apparently given by a Major General in 1921, when the
war memorial was completed. His words on the history
of the poppy emblem for the British Legion's remembrances intrigued.
Father Kevin Fox indicated that the poppy was not likely to have been regarded as an apt
emblem by the Major General in view of its cocaine properties
which when misused are apt to cause the opposite of remembrance.

Another event that has taken place in the intervening 12 months
is the conversion of Beaumont by Hayley Hotels into an hotel.
The old college chapel has been fully restored - the builders only
completed their work at 3am this morning apparently -
and the chaampagne reception for the BU members was the first
time the old chapel had been put to its new use. I had
mixed feelings and opted for coffee rather than bubbly
but the original artwork on the ceiling and the stained
glass behind what was the sanctuary, looked brilliant.

Then onto St Johns for terrific hospitality from
Giles Delaney and his team and much convial conversation.

Democracy and Barack Obama

Congratulations to Mr Obama on his great win in the USA elections
this week for a new president. Obama was not the only winner. Democracy
scored big win too by that result illustrating moving from from the Kenyan bush in Africa to the White House in USA is not just a dream.

Yet with globalisation having affected most nations of the world I doubt that
the leader of any single nation these days can do much alone to
change current dire and widespread economic plight. The concept of the "Common Good" which has for years been a tenet of Catholic social teaching has essentially
had to be prayed in aid by many governments even those committed to capitalism,
to justify their £bns funding of commercial banks.

Mrs Thatcher as long ago as 1979 became the first woman elected representative
to become national leader of a major Western democracy when she became UK Prime Minister. Almost 30 years later her 'reign' still evokes
much debate along with equal measures of praise and denigration.
Barack Obama's political style seems likely to be more akin to Tony Blair's
than Mrs Thatcher's but either way he deserves every success as President.

NHS Revisited

Amazingly kind, efficient and so far at least, successful cardioversion
procedure at St Georges NHS earlier this week, restored my faith in the virtues of
the UK National Health Service; especially as the last thing one would want
to have to contend with at such a time would be questions about cost
and ability to pay. Hassle free too. Thank you to all.