Hats off to Southern George
Took his life when he wanted to take yours.
Song Lyric Quote: Madder Rose- Southern George
30 Thursday Jan 2020
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in30 Thursday Jan 2020
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inHats off to Southern George
Took his life when he wanted to take yours.
28 Tuesday Jan 2020
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inSince last week’s insanity post, there has been a new development in the Anne Sacoolas/Harry Dunn story. US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has blocked the extradition of Anne Sacoolas to Britain stating that she genuinely did have diplomatic immunity. Like many people in the UK, I am outraged by this and before I go any further, I am sharing the petition calling her to be extradited back to the UK to face the charges against her.
https://www.change.org/p/donald-j-trump-justice-for-harry-dunn-extradite-anne-sacoolas
Another related development is that the FBI and the US District Attorney want to question Prince Andrew on account of the Jefferey Epstein sex scandal. The prosecutor has said that Prince Andrew has given them nothing so far and he is eager to question him. The bare faced cheek of it is he is also asking Britain to assist in bringing Andrew over for questioning. My wife has hit the nail on the head here. She says that Britain should only help the US District Attorney when they allow Anne Sacoolas to be extradited back to Britain, a tit for tat deal. I think that’s fair.
Here’s where my Asperger’s anxieties come in. As an American, I can hear all the rednecks bellowing in the back of my mind that I hate America because I want Sacoolas to be extradited. No, I love America and I only want my country of birth to do the right thing. In this case, it’s to extradite an American woman who ran over and killed a British boy.
Further proof of my beliefs are tied into comments from last week’s post. When back in 1997, British nanny Louise Woodward was convicted in America for shaking a baby to death, I, along with many Americans thought that many in Britain were playing the ‘Nationality Card.’ That they believed that Woodward was stitched up because she was British and there were many protests outside the US Embassy demanding her acquittal. In fact, it made so much news that my mother called me up because she was worried that people in the UK were giving me grief over the case. I received no grief from anyone.
In a nutshell, I believe that if you commit a crime in another country which is known to have a fair and just legal system, then you should not be allowed to escape prosecution. In response to a post two weeks ago, Cyprus doesn’t have such. Anyway, I think that Anne Sacoolas should be extradited to stand trial in Britain and once that’s done, Prince Andrew go to America to answer the questions the District Attorney wants to ask him.
To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_4?crid=D3HQISIEYQAI&keywords=michael+d+lefevre&qid=1580243017&sprefix=michael+d+l%2Cstripbooks%2C149&sr=8-4
25 Saturday Jan 2020
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inI used to do a little but the little wouldn’t do
So the little got more and more
I just keep tryin’ ta get a little better
Said a little better than before.
We’ve been dancin’ with Mr Brownstone
He’s been knockin,’ he won’t leave me alone.
21 Tuesday Jan 2020
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inThinking further about last week’s post about prisoner exchanges where if someone from your country, gets arrested on trumped up charges in another country, your country arrests someone from that country on similar charges then do a prisoner exchange. As typical with me, my thoughts go on further. Recently, an incident occurred where a person is suspected of committing a crime in another country (innocent until proven guilty) but fled back to their own country as opposed to facing the charges in the country they are accused. If you haven’t already guessed, I’m talking about American Anne Sacoolas who, in Britain, ran over and killed British teen Harry Dunn but instead of facing the charges in the UK, fled back to the US under the guise of diplomatic immunity.
As an American, I find the actions of Mrs Sacoolas embarrassing. She should go back to Britain and face the justice system. If anything, the British legal system is fair and thus her treatment will be so. Trump should stop dragging his heels and waive the diplomatic immunity and extradite Sacoolas back to Britain. If the US government is worried about what might happen at her trial, they can always spring for a top UK defense barrister. But no, her getting away with killing a young boy of any nationality with a car and running away under the cover of diplomatic immunity is not the way to deal with it.
Now, I bet there are many Americans right now who are screaming, “What about that UK autistic man who hacked into US government computers? The UK didn’t allow him to be extradited.” True, but there are some differences. Main one was that the boy did not commit the crime on US soil and the UK legal system did deal with it. More importantly, he did not kill an American, accidentally or otherwise. But we can go back even further. Imagine the outcry in the US if back in 1997, the British nanny who was convicted in the US for shaking a baby to death escaped under the blanket of diplomatic immunity. They would not have been too happy about it.
So, here’s my proposal: If in the near future, a Briton is charged with a crime in the US, the UK government allow that person to flee back to the UK under diplomatic immunity. When the US complains, say to them, we’ll extradite our person if you extradite Anne Sacoolas. Make it an extradition exchange. It might solve the problem.
17 Friday Jan 2020
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inWhen there’s no way out
And when there’s nothing left,
I’m gonna stand my ground on this sinking ship.
When there’s no way out
And there’s no way back
I’m gonna stand my ground on this sinking ship.
15 Wednesday Jan 2020
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inPhilosophers and plow men each must know his part
They forge their creativity closer to the heart.
While “Moving Pictures” is my favourite Rush album, there are many great songs on the other ones. Rest in Peace, Neil
14 Tuesday Jan 2020
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inBefore anyone panics or says, “It’s about time,” I haven’t been arrested anywhere. However, I must warn you that if your political view is through rose coloured glasses, then you might not want to read any further. Furthermore, if you lack any sense of humour, then perhaps you should also refrain from reading on from this bit. What I’m about to write on this post from this point is meant to be in a light-hearted fashion. On the other hand, I hope you will note that there is a possible serious point to be made.
There are many people around the world who are languishing in a foreign prison on some trumped up charge by an oppressive government. One example, whose case I’ve been following for awhile is that of British born Nanazin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who has been in prison in Iran since 2016 on the charge of trying to topple the government. I have signed petitions to the UK Home Secretary demanding her release. So far, this hasn’t happened.
My solution to the problem dates back to similar events of the Cold War in the 1950s and 60s. First, a Russian named Rudolph Abel, (real name William Fisher), was convicted in the US for being a Soviet spy. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison although many in America wanted the death penalty at the time. However, he only served four years of his sentence because in 1962, he was part of a prisoner exchange which saw downed U2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers, returned to the US. Many other similar exchanges were to take place throughout the Cold War.
The Cold War might be over but it still doesn’t mean that prisoner exchanges aren’t possible. In my example above, I thought maybe if there was an Iranian in a British prison, then an exchange can be made. However, according to Google, there doesn’t seem to be any. Here’s where I might go a bit right wing. My answer is to arrest an Iranian in the UK on a questionable charge. When the Iranian Government protests, the two countries simply arrange to swap their prisoners. The Iranian for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, problem solved.
I know there are many holes to be poked in my argument. Like the fact that there are many human rights lawyers in Britain who would argue for the Iranian’s release on human rights grounds without giving a thought to Nanazin. It’s also against the very grain if British law to simply imprison someone on trumped up charges, even if other countries do it to UK citizens. But think about it for a moment, wouldn’t be easier to simply arrest somebody from a country who has arrested someone from your own country on similar trumped up charges and then exchange them? It would save a lot of petitions and paperwork. But this is why things like this prove I’m a little insane.
To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_3?crid=QOLYLPNRCWRG&keywords=michael+d+lefevre&qid=1579036066&sprefix=michael+d+l%2Cstripbooks%2C146&sr=8-3
12 Sunday Jan 2020
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inAll the world’s indeed a stage
And we are merely players, performers and portrayers
Each another’s audience outside the gilded cage.
Neil Peart will be sorely missed.
11 Saturday Jan 2020
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in
Though his mind his not for rent
Don’t put him down as arrogant
His reserve a quiet defense
Riding out the day’s events.
It’s only fitting that I quote from my all time favourite Rush song today. Rest in peace Neil Peart. Your legacy will be long remembered.
08 Wednesday Jan 2020
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inI could have been a dreamer
I could have been a shooting star
I could have been a dreamer
Because dreams are what we are.