Europe facilitates Syrian massacres

J'accuse!
Syria was not at the Eurovision Song Contest

Europeans celebrated each other over the weekend in a contest of schmaltzy frolicking, fittingly in a dictatorial tribal reservation, blinds to the rest of the world drawn, earplugs fit tightly, so no cry for help, no scream of pain and agony could seep in and upset the jolly good fun of a self indulgent Europe.

Yet, what happened over the weekend in Syria is the to-date climax of the orgy of violence, as more than 200 people, among them at least 55 children under the age of 10, have been massacred between Friday prayers (it is a Muslim country, after all) and Sunday evening. The bloodbath is being ignored by the EU commission and the leaders of the EU's major member governments.

Whoever did these horrific crimes, and the many before, has to be brought to justice, preferably in the US, where the proper punishments are being metered out for such crimes: death. It would be revolting to see the murderers, from Assad down, spend the rest of their lives in a cozy Dutch cell, provided with amenities such as TV, radio, Internet and sports facilities.

In order not to step on Russian toes - we receive oil and gas from the superpower - the EU avoids to hold Russia to account for its open (and clandestine) support of the most murderous regime on the planet today. Tens of thousands of Syrian victims should suffice for Europe to pause for a moment, and take military action against the regime in Damascus; regardless whether Putin likes it or not.

Payback Time for Greece

GREECE:

It's payback time - don't expect sympathy
The eurozone's laggards, most of all Greece, just as the EU commissioners, received some urgently needed moral compass over the weekend from the chief of the IMF, Christine Lagarde. Her words of blistering criticism and the moral aspects of the impertinence of Greece to expect $500 billion bailouts, hand-outs and various economic concessions, came... to a head when the IMF boss had some straight-forward, honest words. No wonder the commissioners and culprits of the crisis flood Lagarde's facebook site now with obscenities and fake bewilderment.

The International Monetary Fund has ratcheted up the pressure on crisis-hit Greece after Christine Lagarde said she has more sympathy for children deprived of decent schooling in sub-Saharan Africa than for many of those facing poverty in Athens. So do I.

Lagarde insists it is payback time for Greece and makes it clear that the IMF has no intention of softening the terms of the country's austerity package. Using blunt language, she says Greek parents have to take responsibility if their children are being affected by spending cuts. "Parents have to pay their tax," she says.

Greece, which has seen its economy shrink by a fifth since the recession began, has been told to cut wages, pensions and public spending in return for financial help from the IMF, the European Union and the European Central Bank.

Asked whether she is able to block out of her mind the mothers unable to get access to midwives or patients unable to obtain life-saving drugs, Lagarde replies: "I think more of the little kids from a school in a little village in Niger who get teaching two hours a day, sharing one chair for three of them, and who are very keen to get an education. I have them in my mind all the time. Because I think they need even more help than the people in Athens."

And that's exactly where my moral compass stands.

Lagarde, predicting that the debt crisis has yet to run its course, adds: "Do you know what? As far as Athens is concerned, I also think about all those people who are trying to dodge tax all the time. All these people in Greece who are trying to escape tax." She says she thinks "equally" about Greeks deprived of public services and Greek citizens not paying their tax. "I think they should also help themselves collectively." Asked how, she replies: "By all paying their tax."

Asked if she is essentially saying to the Greeks and others in Europe that they have had a nice time and it is now payback time, she responds: "That's right."

That's right!

Watched Eurovision....

Before the hilarious vote-rigging starts, here the educated guess on the winner and the runner-ups. We followed the German ARD score sheet (http://www.eurovision.de/service/punktekarte111.pdf ) and awarded up to 10 points in each of the 7 categories. The top score would have been 70 points; needless to say, none of the competitors came even close.

Our winner is Italy (23/70 points), followed by Spain (18/70), Russia & Greece (each 16), Sweden as fifth (15) and France & Ireland Sixth (14). We have Germany, Ukraine, Denmark, Moldova and England on 11th (10 points), and Azerbaijan last with 4 points.

We also believe that this has been one of the dullest contests in its 57 year history, and the presenters were complete morons.


UPDATE 12:22AM
Sweden win, Russia 2nd and Serbia 3rd. Massive vote rigging from Balkans and Turkish guest workers throughout Europe victimize Italy and Spain; UK finished at the bottom with Norway.

Greece to the Greek

IMF head Christine Lagarde has urged Greeks to pay taxes, saying she worries more about the plight of children in sub-Saharan Africa than the people of the crisis-hit European nation.

I second.

Eurovision Calamities

The nerdy Eurovision disaster

This annual ritual amounts to the scene of a most grisly car crash: you can't help it, but you feel the urge to rubberneck, no matter how ghastly and bloody the scene may be. The contest is as brutally gruesome to music as a 30-car pile-up with 25 fatalities is to traffic.

What makes this pathetic abomination of a competition somewhat bearable to watch is the live broadcast on BBC. Those priviliged to receive their signal can enjoy the biting sarcasm and utter ridicule from star talkmaster Graham Norton. This year's Eurovision takes place in a desolate dictatorial fiefdom on the far-eastern fringes of Europe, a place I can't spell nor want to pronounce, it's so redundant and useless.

The funniest part, as we have already worked out that the musical part of the show is just sad, will be the voting procedure. It's like the European Union - friends vote for friends, enemies being collectively blanked - we are all Balkan. I wish each year they'd skip the la-la-la and spasm-like body motions on the stage and would straight go to the voting part.

Who'll win? Does it matter? On top of our tally of expectations are 2 entries who were teenagers when Hitler and Stalin still slugged it out for world domination. Yep, THAT old...

ORDER! ORDER! ORDER!
The Prime Minister states the truth about Labour's Ed Balls, but has to withdraw the jibe by the order of the Speaker.
Oh so English, you gotta luv it!

Speaker makes PM withdraw 'idiot' jibe

www.bbc.co.uk

Merkel still in charge of Eurozone

German pamphlet DER SPIEGEL fails again

The German magazine DER SPIEGEL gave a customary wrong analysis of a Eurogroup meeting, this one accentuated by the first appearance of newly elected French president François Hollande.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/euro-bond-discussion-dominates-european-union-summit-a-834865.html

Leading up to the meeting DER SPIEGEL praised its expectation of "Hollande will confront German Chancellor Andrea Merkel to push through a growth plan for Europe (even though Hollande fell short on details) and the introduction of eurobonds."

Well, François Hollande came into the Summit of the Daft with much fanfare and pompous claims to "force Germany to accept eurobonds and a plan for growth in Europe" as a way to tackle the eurozone's formidable chaos. Andrea Merkel said that the meeting will not deal with the question of eurobonds.

After the end of last night's meeting there was no mentioning of eurobonds, nor a programme to spark economic growth in the eurozone, but a sharp rebuke and further demands put to Greece. As this constitutes "stealing the show" in the eyes of SPIEGEL, I have again to question the pamphlet's judgment and bona fide approach to politics.

If DER SPIEGEL wanted to report accurately from the summit, and had the desire to give a valid assessment of its outcome, they would have headlined the story with, "Merkel clipped Hollande's wings"

RATED "X" - South Africa's Zuma

ZUMA ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 

A painting of a well endowed South African president Jacob Zuma in the Jo'burg gallery Goodman causes a proper stir, and some hands-on protest. The artifact was glossed over by some zealous ANC fanatics, just as the man concerned tries to enforce the removal of the portrait in court.
2 minute video:
http://iptv.orf.at/stories/2121797/

Italian Tremor (non-financial report)

An earthquake 6.0 on the Richter scale shook the area of Bologna this morning, causing one clock to stop at "half past the 12."

Austrian Nazi Revisited

OSTRICHE MINISTER IN NAZI SALVO

The National-Socialist defence minister of Alpine Ostriche fired off yet another Nazi rant, lamenting over his problems with the Israeli Government and calling the Foreign Minister Lieberman as "unbearable" - revoking memories of Joseph Goebbels who recited about the "unbearable Jewery in the world."

The Vienna-based Darabos should be sacked from the government, unlike the Ostrichienne regime wants to be seen in the ideological vicinity of hate-spewing Nazi swines. Based on past tirades against Israel from mainly NS-SPOe officials over the years, many of whom had been proud NSDAP members, the chances for a dismissal of the thug appears unlikely, however.

Darabos pleaded that Israel should stop its defence preparations in the wake of a nuclear armed Iran and let sanctions work. A defenceless and ultimately annihilated Israel would please Darabos more than the prospect of armed conflict to force Iran to abandon its clandestine nuclear bomb programme.

FB Reality Check

REALITY CHECK FOR FACEBOOK:
GROSSLY OVER-PRICED 

Facebook's IPO literally fell flat today. Priced at $38.00, it quickly rallied at the opening to $43, but plummetted from there as hundreds of millions of shares were sold. The finish of $38.23 is widely seen as a profoundly dismal performance, and the stock price is prone to steep falls in the coming days. Without the heavy buying interventions of the Underwriters the share price would have ended below $35.00 today, a drop of about 8%, and 28% below today's best level.

EURO2HELL Question Time

[EURO2hell knocking on the mic]

"Hello Mr Rompuy, can you hear me now?"

The unelected, widely acclaimed by fellow unelected officials,

"President" of Europe, Herman van Rompuy from Belgium

He nods.

"Oh good, because I need to ask you a question. Is it true that you have the charisma of a wet rag, and the appearance of a low-grade bank clerk?"

EU detests free elections

EUROPEAN UNION COMMISSION:

"Free elections? Way too dangerous!"

The EU Commission is a declared enemy of free and unfettered elections in its hemisphere. Referenda, plebiscites and even parliamentary elections are viewed as acceptable only if they suit the commission, and if the such verdicts from the electorate support and share the supreme Soviet's (soviet = commission, in Russian) policies and directives. If a country - let's say France, Ireland or Netherlands - dares to reject in a referendum some treaty of the EU as unsuitable, the full irate of the unelected Soviet befalls the sovereign country. As a result the Soviet imposes sanctions, such as: to increase the obligations of the 'gravy train' departing Dublin (or any other unwielding capital), increase the mandatory amount of taxpayers' money to unload in Brussels annually; to stop the flow of funds from the EU to the rebellious member state; to force a repeat of a referendum or an election until the desired result is delivered.

Not so? Look again; the most current case is Greece. The Greek people dared to stand up to the two parties that have dragged down Greece in the past 50 years, either alternately or together, and decimated PASOK and "New Democracy" to splinter parties, replacing them with parties that reflect the nation's fury over the betrayal ("high treason" would be a more accurate term). Such display of democratic willpower irritates an unelected body, one that expects 99.9% acclamation votes from its subjects. A vote like the one in Greece on May 6th, when those parties that delivered Greece to the EU in the past fell from 77% to 32%, and those parties opposing the punishing conditions slapped on Greece, is the ultimate threat to the authority in Brussels, and must not be allowed to stand. Hence, the new elections on June 17th.

The infamy now is that the EU Soviet demands that the parliamentary elections be linked to a plebiscite on eurozone membership. The speculation is that a majority of Greek voters oppose the bailout and austerity measures, but would like to remain in the eurozone. Therefore the Soviet wants the link of the elections with a eurozone membership referendum - a unique attempt of squashing the unfettered elections by fudging it with a forced referendum in contradiction of the very nature of such plebiscite and of Greek election law. The EU Soviet - without shame or inhibition - tries again to muscle a seemingly weak electorate into submission to its doctrines. Hopefully it will fail, and Greeks will vote exactly as they have decided on May 6th.

Farage broadside against Eurocrats

MEP Nigel Farage, May 14th 2012

MEP Farage tells Eurocrats how it is

Ostrichienne on skis

Natives from Alpine Autriche are known to be expert skiing aces; this Ostrichienne was spotted on the slopes of Vail, Colorado.

The Farcebook Frenzy

fa(r)cebook FRENZY

The frenzied expectation of Facebook's public offering on Friday can only be compared to the irrational exuberance ahead of the burst of the hi-tech bubble ten years ago. Zuckerberg's amateurish concept and infantile knowledge of economy & markets are mainly responsible for the daily hype about the future price of the Facebook share. He started his 'expectations' at $20 per share, which would have put a stock value of FB to $74 billion. In the past 3 weeks this fantasy has evolved into a share price of $29-34, making FB worth $104 billion, on paper.

Based on its economic viability, the ability to raise earnings and achieve profits by the limited means FB can provide, Zuckerberg's delusions - and those of the herd of sheep racing towards the abyss - the purchase of shares will turn into a financial disaster of historical proportions.

From its business plan and proposals, FB could raise between $300 - 500 million in advertisement revenues. Other contractual links provide $250 - 300 million more. But to justify a $100 billion capitalization, FB would need to earn $8.5 - 10 billion per year. Unless FB starts charging its users a substantial monthly fee ($12-16 per user), the high-flying plans will quickly implode, with possible legal consequences for Zuckerberg: fraudsters of less magnitude than his scheme have received 15-30 years in prison.

Where is the realistic value of the FB share as of today? Experts estimate $4.50 -$5.25 per share, still putting the company's value based on the number of shares offered to around $15 billion.

Who should invest in Facebook? Anyone who can afford to decimate his 'investment' by 70% in the first 12 months, and needs the write-off for tax reasons.

Euro-Speak: "Solidarity"

SOLIDARITY? 
Too bad that a word that was once held in high esteeem, and associated with the Christian idea of the wealthy supporting the faultlessly disadvantaged, has degenerated in "Euro-speak" to the blunt and unquestioned expectation of responsible and rich countries shedding a trillion dollar to countries of irresponsible and debit-assuming extravagances and a general incompetence to grasp the idea of balanced books.

High Expectations: Collapse of the Euro

Expectations rise on Greek eurozone exit

Eurozone central bankers have talked publicly lately of managing a possible Greek exit from Europe’s monetary union as stalemate in Athens talks on a coalition government raises the prospect that Greece will be forced to renege on the terms of its international bailout.

The comments by members of the European Central Bank’s governing council indicate that the risk of eurozone fragmentation is being taken increasingly seriously by the region’s policymakers. They mark a significant shift at the ECB, which has previously argued that European treaties do not allow for an exit and that a break-up would cause incalculable economic damage.

It's "their" Day

Motherhood is supremely overrated.

... unless you are a mother from Sparta

Romney passé

THE EVIL UNDER

THE SUN
Mitt Romney is an evil man. "I participated in many pranks in my life, and some went too far," is the self-apologetic wink of the man just found out. He forfeited all legitimacy to run for the highest office.

Everyone at some point in life was part of some prank, and hazing routines in US colleges are legendary. But not everyone is running for president, and the man in the... White House has to stand up to pristine standards (OK, forget Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, Clinton). Throwing a classmate to the ground and humiliating the guy in a prolongued attack is neither a spontaneous act nor one of a spur of the moment kind of thing. It was a deliberate attack (concocted over several days) on a weaker classmate. It is not even relevant that the subdued comrade was gay, nor wether Romney knew. It exposed vicious traits in Romney's character that I fear could become a problem for the US if he were to be president.

As it happened, Mr Romney buried all chances to win the top job.

Obama: Oh so gay!

OH SO GAY...

Running neck-in-neck with Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the polls, president Obama is desperate to find any populist topic to exploit for his mission to be re-elected. What better subject than choosing "gay marriage" to boost his poll ratings? It took him months of pondering to let his heart or mind decide on the vexed issue.

His heart beats for his wife and daughter, hence the long-standing support for the traditional form of marriage. BUT, this is an election year, and the issue of gay marriage a welcome opportunity to make Republicans look like nasty and xenophobic Nay-sayers. Obama is a shrewd politician, and with his public endorsement for gay marriage - the first of a sitting US president - seizes the opportunity to pass himself off as a liberated, enlightened and all-embracing leader, how ever feigned the novel discovery of his conviction may be. How un-presidential, Mr President!

Vindobona + Iuvavum

Oh deary me!
Emily read an earlier posting on the country of "Ostrichia" and metered out swift punishment. She demanded in unmistakable terms that I fulfil a promise two years old, to take her to the tribes of Ostrichia and show her Vindobona and Iuvavum. Grudgingly I agreed, and we are set for 25-30 June, combining it with a long planned trip to Switzerland.

The posting (on Facebook) that caught her attention and alarm:

Austrians are world champions when it comes to denial, ostrich behavour (head-in-the-sand), self-absolution and blame (preferably Germans).

One of the exemplary icons of Ostrichia's infamy was Kurt Waldheim ("I wasn't a member of the SS, my horse was!"), who made a distinctly Ostrichian career: from SS lieutenant to the Alpine entity's foreign minister, to become UN Secretary General by freak coincidences and ending up as - chieftain amongst kinship - Ostrichian president. In his flawless English, accentuated by the typical accent of his homeland, he once said, "Ciss iss all ce same, vee arr oll frrrientz now."

Winds of Change in Europe

Hollande beats Sarkozy,
becomes president of France

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande has beaten incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy in yesterday's run-off election by a margin of 51.6 - 48.4 percent. Hollande becomes the first socialist in 17 years to hold the highest office, while Sarkozy's unpopularity and often irrationally animated posturing in public, failed policies, unnatural close relations with Germany and a much behated pro-eurozone stance have turned him into a rare president chased out of office by the electorate after just one term in office.

Hopes in Europe are high that Hollande will lead France away from the sub-ordination of a proud French people under German and Brussels directives, and that the new president will push for an economic plan based on growth and better education, rather than Sarkozy's past eagerness to subjugate the country to Brussels strategists.

Greek Voters Deal Heavy Blow to Brussels

Sixty years of sometimes chaotic politics in Greece, including an intermezzo with military dictatorship and aggression against a neighbour (Cyprus) could not produce the result provoked by the EU bureaucrats in Brussels: nazis, communists, anarchists and street thugs have gained 60% of parliamentary seats.

The two ruling parties, socialist PASOK and conservative Nea Dimokratea (ND), who mustered 77.4% in the 2009 election, have suffered defeats of historical proportions, punished for the betrayal of the people to Brussels oligarchs. The two parties, no longer deserving the label "main" have been have been demolished, and have received less than 32% combined. In the new parliament they will have 148 seats of the 300-seat chamber, by the grace of giving the "strongest" party ND an extra 50 seats for finishing on top of all parties - barely. At 18.3% (down from 33.4) the ND edged out a new radical-left party (16.6%), while PASOK has been reduced to a splinter party of 13.2% (down from 43.6).

The EU can pride itself to be the main force of destruction in Europe. In other countries the revolt of voters against the dictate from Brussels has produced anarchist parties such as "Pirates Party" (no kidding, that's their nome de guerre!) in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Austria and Sweden.

The cracks in Europe have become gaping canyons, and Brussels oligarchy is the chief architect of Europe's undoing.

Greek Vote for Chaos

Greek voters have a clear message to Brussels: "Shove it!"

The two ruling parties, socialist PASOK and conservative Nea Dimokratea, who received combined 77.4% in 2009, have been mauled by voters, losing a combined 33 percent; neither party will reach 20% in the new parliament.

Extreme parties, which promise to scrap the commitments for the EU imposed austerity plan and bail-out conditions, will reach 50% of seats.

François Hollande, President-elect

FIRST EXIT POLLS INDICATE
TRIUMPH OF HOLLANDE

 In defiance of a ban of publishing exit polls before the 8PM deadline

Françoise Hollande has won the presidential election
by a margin of 3.0 - 3.5 percent.

Hollande: 51.0 - 52.0%  
Sarkozy: 48.0 - 49.0%

Voter turnout higher than in previous election and 1st round 2012 election, put at 80.5-81.5%

Surreal Labour Folly

LOCAL ELECTIONS:

LABOUR'S MERE CLAWING BACK

Labour's spin doctors, the Front Bench team of the proletarian plebs, try to portray the gains of councillors as something of a triumph. They are profoundly wrong.

Mid-term elections are always marked by losses to the party in government. The three-time general election wins of Tony Blair were no exception. Despite landslide victories for parliamentary seats, Labo...ur has lost more than 2,300 councillors while in government. After these losses Labour's gain of 825 councillors this year adds up to a mere 36% clawback from their thrashings since 2005.

 Given the severe nature of unpopular austerity measures taken by the government, necessitated in the wake of irresponsible mismanagement under 13 years of Labour, the loss of some 450 Conservative councillors is actually moderate. Even amongst conservatives there is unease over the current economic difficulties, forcing a large part of Conservative voters to abstain from polling. This explains the low voter turnout of 31%.

 The 2012 local elections are more a partial technical correction and normal mid-term occurance, and as a result Labour's exhileration over the results is barely comprehensible, premature and reality denying. It's a huge source of amusement to see Miliband & Co patting themselves for nothing, and hop-scotching happily towards their next mauling in the general elections. Keeping Labour at bay is, after all, good for the country and the people.

POST-POLLING DAY: Boris rules London, again
 
How deprived of anything worth to celebrate Labour are can be seen over their irrational euphoria to win back about 15% of the councillors they have lost over the past few years. The shift of about 700 seats from the coalition to Labour - far short of Labour expectations before the elections - is a normal and regular process to be observed at all mid-term elections in the previous 40 years. The moderate gains should entice Labour followers to consider to ditch their Westminster front bench, led by the buffoon Miliband and flanked by the morons Harman, Balls et al, rather than huddling together with their trademark self-praise, denial and surreal ill-founded confidence.

In London

We're in London (my postal ballot arrived a few days ago already), and celebrating tonight the victory over the anarchist Ken Livingston, I presume, by the darling of London lovers, Boris Johnson.

He'll stop by later, and I make no secret of my dislike of David Cameron - to be replaced by Boris in 2014. But tonight we celebrate today's victory, unabashed for all future inuendos or plans. [The knives are out at 30 Millbank, all we wait for is of Cameron to turn his back on us]