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Tuesday 9 March 2010

Sarah McDermott | 11:58 UK time, Tuesday, 9 March 2010

Update on tonight's programme:

Tonight Newsnight tracks down a former Irish priest named in an official report as a serial sexual abuser of children. Olenka Frenkiel has discovered that the former priest named in the Murphy report has been allowed to live quietly in Britain for many years.

It's been an interesting day on the markets with sterling under pressure after disappointing trade figures. Meanwhile the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, has called on the US to help crack down on the financial speculators he blames for exacerbating his country's debt woes. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that it could be up to the European Commission to decide if Europe should have tougher financial speculator rules.

We've asked Justin Rowlatt to investigate just what it is that these speculators actually do, and find out how powerful they are. He's been meeting the hedge fund manager, Hugh Hendry.

And Stephen Smith will be harnessing the crazy power of the internet and switching his webcam on to Chatroulette, the brainchild of a 17-year-old Russian student. How many times will Stephen get "nexted"? Then we'll be discussing why it is that people behave so differently online.

And don't forget that Newsnight needs your help for Pop-Up Politics. Like the temporary shops that pop-up on our recession-hit high streets, Newsnight plans to "pop-up" in your community. We want to report the policies that matter to you and the issues that you think will swing the election.

Do join Jeremy Paxman at 10.30pm on 91Èȱ¬ Two.

---------------------------------------------------------------
ENTRY FROM 11:58 UK time

Tonight we have a film about a former Irish priest named in an official report into child sex abuse in Ireland's Catholic clergy as a serial sexual abuser of children. The Irish state has failed to bring him to justice and for 10 years he has been allowed to live quietly in Britain. Olenka Frenkiel has investigated the case and tracked him down.

Financial speculators have been attacked by European governments and the US in recent days for inflicting recession on the rich world and starvation on poorer countries. So what is it that these "speculators" actually do, and how powerful are they? Justin will be spending the day with hedge fund manager, Hugh Hendry.

And we'll be taking a look at the internet phenonemon of Chatroulette - the one-on-one text, webcam and microphone-based chat service connecting people around the world.

More details later.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Last night's programme highlighted of the staff subject to cuts. But there are to be cuts of 205 job cuts across 13 departments so why is the rallying point around Shlomo Lappin etc? Be very wary when celebrity 'psychologists' decribe such things as 'madness'. What else may he be prone to come out with which isn't quite true? Look into the media and how it gushes about people like Pinker and friends. This hyperbolic, nepotistic celebritism (as briefly discussed last night) is now endemic, and it's predatory.

  • Comment number 2.

    Tonight we have a film about a former Irish priest named in an official report into child sex abuse in Ireland's Catholic clergy as a serial sexual abuser of children. The Irish state has failed to bring him to justice and for 10 years he has been allowed to live quietly in Britain. Olenka Frenkiel has investigated the case and tracked him down.

    Is this yet another attack on evil statists? Are there any rabbis who have been serial sexual abuser of children?

    Is it just me that keeps ?

    It's a matter of base-rates and frequencies out of the ordinary, and some are trained to look for this as an unusual pattern. It's called science, aka pursuit of truth.

  • Comment number 3.

    That was supposed to be 'appears to be', not 'papers to be'.

    Do those pursuing their interests always see what drives their interests? Do they see what does not interest them? Do they know how choice works? Would such awareness affect their confidence?

  • Comment number 4.

    Statist: The discussion produced the best line of the night though:
    Tax is theft; a donation is a donation.

    Financial speculators, the banksters ect. Think drug dealers and this will help you paint a picture in your minds eye of their very nature and operations.

    Max keiser 2007 prediction.

  • Comment number 5.

    ONCE BITTEN.............



    Point 1.
    As far as I am concerned, the only 'safe' dog is a dog that is on a tight leash and possibly muzzled.

    I have been bitten twice (once requiring many stitches), and was also terrorised by a manic loosed Alsation for several minutes, all whilst going peacefully about my business.

    I have also witnessed a rescue dog, raised in a manic household go for the throat of a visiting child. It got smacked and locked up. Later, whilst loose, it bit another child and was put down. I still carry the guilt that I did nothing after the first incident because it belonged to neighbours and I was implored NOT to upset the apple cart. I will never be so sensitive again.

    Insurance against being ripped apart by someone else's pet? No thanks.

    As for........
    ".....The Control of Dogs Bill would allow councils to impose restrictions on owners who failed to control their pets." It's laughable. It won't happen.


    Point 2. Topical link.
    What say we of humans getting the same treatment? Leashed, muzzled or put down at first hint of trouble?

  • Comment number 6.

    4. kevseywevsey 'The discussion produced the best line of the night though: Tax is theft; a donation is a donation.'

    Classic anarchism from a predictable source, but one has to remember that the have their roots in Trotsky and , and that what drives so much of what we see today hasn't been working in the interests of the majority of the USA's (or UK's) population if one looks at outcome in terms of statistics rather than rhetoric. But how many will bother to do that and ask why the figures are so odd?

  • Comment number 7.

    Isn't it sickening, Catholic priests abusing chiildren? Makes you want to throw up in front of any catholic chapel, etc. Obviously, one must not indulge in projecting evil on all Catholic representatives but it just goes to show, especially with Church hiding the truth from the victims and victims' relatives and the public at large what sometimes goes on among their ranks.

  • Comment number 8.

    #5

    Brightyangthing

    My Mum and a friend of hers kept Alsations, my Mum once I think but the other lady all her life. We lived across a square from her so I did see her /in fact, she was a daughter of Stanislaw Cat Mackiewicz/ and never ever did any of the dogs attack me or any other child or adult. So, it may be something to do with the way they are raised/brought up.

    Ad. 2 - What a brilliant idea! Badly raised/brought up - off for the chop.

    It ain't worth it being too sensitive - I'm glad you've come to understand this. It's only a question when and how to express one's opposition or dislike of another or what they may be up to. And then different people need different telling off, to put it mildly.

    mim

  • Comment number 9.

    5. brightyangthing 'What say we of humans getting the same treatment?'

    I don't know, but I fear we definitely reached a 'tipping point' many years ago as a consequence of 'Social Democratic' government policies even before Thatcher, which favoured freedom/individualism over social responsibility/duty of care, and as all the evidence that I'm aware of suggests that this must be a population genetics (critical mass) thing, (mainly because nothing we do e.g education/rehabilitation/therapy seems to change the trends), I fear that most may not care to know what to do about it either.

    I'm open to suggestions based on sound evidence though. I just can't find any. I find it very sad that Ramsbotham still comes out with such nonsense given what we know (e.g. from SEN kids, take autism for an extreme example) :-(

  • Comment number 10.

    #2 statist

    "Is this yet another attack on evil statists? Are there any rabbis who have been serial sexual abuser of children?

    Is it just me that keeps picking up on what papers to be an ignoble theme? "

    No it is about priests and nothing to do with political organisation so your inference is as retarded as your views on Jews and the ignorant racial views that you hold.

    As for this "theme" I think it is mostly picked up by people like the BNP who would say that they had been meaning to change their illegal racially selective membership for years - and then denounce the EHRC as a "sniveling quango". No challenge from them on the basis of any credible science as there is none.

    They seem to see a "Jewish hegemony" everywhere and yet they never want to take out a class action for the alleged damage inflicted on the "indigenous" population.

    I suppose its all like the far right demi-god Hitler who would denounce the Jews and yet you never really saw any factual basis for the social hysteria that was created - nor did you see any desire to find facts. The emotional hatred preceded a vague and flexible intellectual justification.

    By the way you are probably sensitive because many of the far right would be bombers - total failures in most aspects of their lives - were also paedophiles.

    In fact the BNP is also home to many types of criminal record.

  • Comment number 11.

    #5 brightyangthing

    "What say we of humans getting the same treatment? Leashed, muzzled or put down at first hint of trouble?"

    What say if the far right should attempt to create their dream racial civil war via their mindless violence and propaganda that is void of content being gassed with Zyclon-B?

    In fact though in a democracy the idea is to try and achieve social equality and fairness so even the most evil and troublesome people would and do get fair trials and we don't kill for the sake of it.

    Your way would only work in a fascist dictatorship and that will only happen in the far right la-la fantasy land.

  • Comment number 12.

    We have the mad far right in the UK but fortunately the BNP are just an irritant - though I feel more should be done to rescue the naive from their evil lies.

    But in the US the right is obviously very powerful. Of late we have had the US Family Association, I think, asking for a human killing Orca to be stoned to death.

    The right also uses knee jerk and vengeful slogans without restraint and will therefore comfortably label Obama as both a communist and a fascist. They are probably trying to string together the concept of totalitarian and can't manage it - or be accurate.

    I wonder how worried we should be as would - God forbid - a future President Palin have to walk the walk after the right has talked so much talk?

    Could Nato break down for instance as they refuse to deal with these "communist" Europeans who won't for economically sound and socially responsible motivations let their people die without health care?

    I assume that they are just cynically whipping up the public for short term political gain - but what happens when you have whipped them up and they get out of control?

  • Comment number 13.

    'The new research by the Commons library shows that – if the new police counting methods from 2002 had been in place when Labour came to power – then the official figure for violent crime in 1998-99 would in fact have been 618,417. Last year, it had risento 887,942.'



    Violent crime: Remembering Michael ('There's something of the night about him') Howard saying that his experts advised him that all he could do was manage 'public expectations' (pretty nuch repeated in tbe 91Èȱ¬ series on offices of state recently), what can one say, but: 'oh dear, the population, it's still changing'?

  • Comment number 14.

    Brightyangthing

    Now that I've mentioned S Cat-Mackiewicz here's a link:



    and a few anecdotes from my childhood and teenage years.

    The square I talk about at #7 is in the area of the former Jewish ghetto. My kiddy friends and I would quite often go to the monument raised in memory of the victims and quite often kind Jewish and American tourists would give us chewing gum to chew - more often than not the well known Spearmint one.

    In the vicinity there was the Embassy of the People's Republic of China. I remember vividly conversations my Mum and Pani Basia, SCM's daughter, would have about her Dad and the evils of communism while we and the dogs were walking past the Embassy.

    Pani Basia was an exceptionally intelligent and quick minded lady, aavid reader. From what I remember her main source of money came from doing proof reading.

    She had a sister whose son worked as John Paul's II photographer.

    Pani Basia helped me with my entry exam in literature to the Department of English at Warsaw University. So did my Dad, in fact, who my Mum divorces years before. And I needed help as at the time I was somewhat unsure of myself and my abilities.

    The district is called Muranow and we've inherited Pani Basia's lovely wooden bed.

    mim

  • Comment number 15.

    I thought the Mark Urban report was very interesting. I would like to know more - if possible - on how critical the cross border movement and al Qaeda influence is?

    Its not clear whether its locally gathered Talib foot soldiers being coordinated from across the border or whether they go across the border and get full on training in these cave camps that they have.

    Surely if the foreign fighters influence is declining then the hopes of drawing in those who are not ideologically aligned with al Qaeda becomes more feasible and imminent.

    Also I am assuming that the Pakistanis are doing fine work arresting Talib leaders and that this will create confusion and incoherence in their ranks and that their morale must be dropping quite seriously.

  • Comment number 16.

    "And we'll be taking a look at the internet phenonemon of Chatroulette - the one-on-one text, webcam and microphone-based chat service connecting people around the world."

    I assume you won't go to the same lengths Jon Stewart did on the Daily Show recently where he explored the perverts that it attracts?!

  • Comment number 17.

    4. kevseywevsey Good link.

    Why might some people (especially males) be more prone to than others? Might this be down to how their fight-flight system is hard-wired, is it inherited?

  • Comment number 18.

    #14

    BYT

    I've made a mistake. The photographer I talk about was in fact Pani Basia's son.

    Pani Basia often spoke about the time she'd spent in a Syberian labour camp.

  • Comment number 19.

    When one persistently is shown how half a percent of a population is massively overrepresented in positions of privilege in one country, and two percent are in another, and yet both countries are always making a very big issue about equality of opportunity and fairness before the law, those who do not see inequality triumphing, are either blind, or eager not to have this inequality aired and redressed. The latter people's behaviour, is of course, entirely understandable, however, those who lambast the majority for pointing out this inequality, and the means whereby it's sustained, are, I submit, what people conventionally describe as 'wicked' or 'evil'. See earlier link for a more technical term. The problem is not whether this happens, but, as was asked on NN last night, what a civilized, humane society can do about. Doing nothing seems to lead to social decline, and most people seem to accept that this is now happening. So, to use an infamous phrase, 'what is to be done?'

  • Comment number 20.

    #11

    thegangofone

    Methinks you're gravely misinterpreting Brightyanthing, really. It doesn't look like you understand the tone of her texts. She did mention yesterday 'rhetorical questions', come rhetorical statements.

    In this case, the way I see it, BYT may have been so kind, so understanding and so sensitive not to hurt anybody's feelings and give the inconsiderate time and space to be themselves that it may have caused her to even suffer perhaps, etc.

    In fact, I'd give my head for the chop if I found out that BYT was a fascist type dictator. She may have done some dictations with her boys when they were at school to help them with their spelling but that's probably it on the 'dictatorship' score.

    Relax thegangofone and stop playing 'christ'!

  • Comment number 21.

    New Entities of Delusion - The ICE age

    From the Komisar Scoop :

    "Over the last few months, Barclays, HSBC, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and BNP Paribas have been approved as trading members of ICE Trust US, although they don’t have an ownership stake."

    29



    BTW moderators my post on banks being made to pay compensation for their lack of regulation of fraud scammers and money laundering mad men/women.
    Where is the defamation? I asked our leaders to do something that would appropriate a change in behaviour - the carrots have been treated with contempt negative reinforcement has been given and now we need one almighty stick to force the delusion sickness out.

  • Comment number 22.

    It's quite obvious that the British manufactoring sector has diminished to an all time low in recent years and a review of the situation has been long overdue. It's good,therefore, to see Sir James Dyson coming up with a few ideas on how to tackle the situation and David Cameron declaring that he'll be 'looking at all the recommendations with a view to adopting them as policy if the Tories win the election'.

    - quote taken from the article itself:

  • Comment number 23.

    14. mimpromptu 'In the vicinity there was the Embassy of the People's Republic of China. I remember vividly conversations my Mum and Pani Basia, SCM's daughter, would have about her Dad and the evils of communism while we and the dogs were walking past the Embassy.'

    As there were communists, and communists when you were growing up, (just as there are liberal-democrats of different colours, red, blue and orange here, just so we are all clear, which one's do you think were the evil communists?


  • Comment number 24.

    DOG-DOO ALCOHOL AND CIVILISATION (5 link)

    Postman Pat refers to 'Status Dogs'. If we had a lot fewer 'Status Politicians' those remaining might know what to do about improving communal life.

    Britain is fixated on dogs. When I was young the suburbs were pimpled with dog-doo. I trod in it, and ran my bike through it, all too often. I remember a London square given over to dog-dumping - it was a work of art, just waiting for black-and-white film. I have also had my share of terror and damaged clothing, over the years.

    It is a bizarre situation - as with alcohol and tobacco. Legislation nibbles at all three, but we are not mature enough to deny those things that feed our needs and prop up our inadequacies.

  • Comment number 25.

    One of the reasons why coherence or collectivist theories of truth are not viable is illustated by the poverty of the assertion that 'the friend of my enemy is my enemy' or 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. But, like so much of what we take for granted in the so-called common social vernacular, it's still widely practiced, even though, like the psychological verbs, it just takes one down a great, confusing, self-contradictory, i.e. irrational, circle, which few ever see, because they are so immersed in it and won't/can't listen.

  • Comment number 26.


    #11

    Oh dear Go1, #11 You are Sooooooooooooo easy to wind up. Easy on the Sarsons now.

    Yet again perhaps due to the lack of emoticons or my use of language, you take a slightly tongue in cheek rhetorical TEXT out of CONtext and address it as a statement of intent.

    That’s not to say that there aren’t some very thorny questions around how our society works (or doesn’t), and how we may try and repair the damage. I aim to stimulate debate in my own search for answers .

    I used linking of how we treat dogs and humans as a topical analogy. We put very sick dogs down whilst we pump humans likewise full of drugs and treat them worse than we do other animals. We put down animals that behave like .............. animals and are not able to be managed otherwise. I was merely musing on the differences and what might happen if we took the human condition on, on the same terms. Not a pretty thought, so, what else can we do in light of damaged humans damaging humans and so on ad infitum?


    Addendum #20
    I was just about to post this in response to #11 when I see someone else has understood the irony and the intention. (Though a note of caution to Mim. Saint I ain't - I'm as failed a human being as the rest of us, and could probably claim some prizes - But I am trying!!!!!)

  • Comment number 27.

    21. flicks 'the carrots have been treated with contempt negative reinforcement has been given and now we need one almighty stick to force the delusion sickness out.'

    That's true - but do you fully appreciate that 'negative reinforcement' is in fact 'relief'? It's certainly been widely dispensed, and it's why matters keep getting worse and worse, as relief is a form of reward, i.e encouragement.

  • Comment number 28.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 29.

    How did Fairchild, Intel (and much of the rest of Silicon valley) really come about, and what was it about that earned him such bad press? What he did was laid the foundations for reliable automation by logic. The rest was derivative. That's not how the story will be told though, not these days anyway.

  • Comment number 30.

    Mim,

    I read these blogs frequently and enjoy the opposing views up to a point.

    I find yours inane, irrelevant, and pointless.

    Would you mind very much just keeping to the script.

    Thanks

  • Comment number 31.

    going to the dogs

    what is the point of an insurance for dogs except to help the insurance industry? what is required is renewable licence that shows someone has done a course in how to be a good owner and control their pet including stopping barking all night. Any insurance for dangerous breeds could be tied to the annual dog licence fee.

    it is clear this government does not have the psychological or philosophical equipment to nation build in the uk never mind exporting democracy to muslims.

  • Comment number 32.

    # 27 - negative reinforcement - bank bail out - carrots

    Requirement - big stick with massive BALLS on the end to terrify anything that calls itself a banker or hedge fund manager.

  • Comment number 33.

    26. brightyangthing 'I was merely musing on the differences and what might happen if we took the human condition on, on the same terms. Not a pretty thought, so, what else can we do in light of damaged humans damaging humans and so on ad infinitum?'

    There are those who walk amongst us who feign concern for others in order to attract praise for attacking what they think is evil. In fact, they only attack what they think others perceive as evil, as they themselves lack true empathy. These are the people who attack the prison bus as 10 year olds like the Bulger killers are taken off the prison. In reality they are little different to the very people they say they revile. They attack for social praise because they have little or no grasp of compassion, and so very little grasp of right and wrong. It shows up in all aspects of their behaviour, and unfortunately, most people do not see this very easily unless it is teased out.

    The only thing which can be done with them is humane containment, or some other form of apposite allocation, where they cause minimal harm to others. The problem is, this only works so long as one has a civilized society as this is costly, in both financial, and human resource terms. When societies runs out of those resources or the numbers with PDs rise, society becomes more brutal out of necessity. We are headed that way I reckon. See Shockley - but, you won't like it. Nobody does. :-(

  • Comment number 34.

    #30

    And who writes the script, pray, Paul?

    As I've suggested to other bloggers who can't stand my posts, please keep off them then.

  • Comment number 35.

    #11 - I'm with you gango

    I remember this on bullying :

    'everyday challenging situations (nuisance, annoyance, irritation – even singling out) '

    'why people enter high stress high profile jobs'

    'if they cannot take being shouted at'

    Maybe you mean like this :



    Mr Clifford - relax or you may have to watch out for a mad Pole with massive balls rhyming spells after you.

  • Comment number 36.

    #26

    Oh, all right BYT, you may have shouted or been strict with your boys when they were growing up rather than just teaching them how to spell.

    No one's a saint. I'm sure you're not one and nor am I, nor would I wish to be one. The French have a good expression which translates as 'in the body and bones' or something like that - 'en chair et en os' which, I've just checked, signifies a real person being well present in space and time.

    mim

  • Comment number 37.

    32. flicks 'Requirement - big stick with massive BALLS on the end to terrify anything that calls itself a banker or hedge fund manager.'

    I agree wi8th the sentiment, but today, would it work in practice? In the 40s and 50s, when communication was so much more of a limiting factor, I can see how it constrained behaviour, but today? This is the downside of the comms revolution. bankers just threaten to move on. It's why globalisation drives so much. The Iron Curtain (and now Bamboo Curtain) couldn't resist it (because of satellite comms, ironically create by the Soviets). Does any nation state now have the resources to police this? We make out that it has been a great revolution, but in reality, what has it done except make life a lot faster and far more ?

  • Comment number 38.

    #38 correction

    BYT

    In fact, the expression 'en chair et en os' would be better translated as 'in flesh and bones' whereas I've found an example of the expression body & soul, i.e. corps et ame as: To give oneself body and soul to...: se donner corps et âme à...

    mim

  • Comment number 39.

    NUB (#31)

    "it is clear this government does not have the psychological or philosophical equipment to nation build in the uk never mind exporting democracy to muslims."

    Hear-hear Jaunty, but might I add:

    'Nor ANY government that comes from the Westminster ethos'?

  • Comment number 40.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 41.

    'Meanwhile the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, has called on the US to help crack down on the financial speculators he blames for exacerbating his country's debt woes. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that it could be up to the European Commission to decide if Europe should have tougher financial speculator rules.'

    In other words (though most aren't smart/realistic enough to see it in all its venality), someone else has to do something about it, and of course, as we all should know, that means nothing will be done.

    This is liberal-democracy (Social-Democracy) at work, and that's precisely what international 'Financial Services' have contrived. They will do as they please at the expense of the poor saps who feed them their money to play with, i.e consumers. Politicians are essentially there as performers, and must make sure the laws don't give states power which will get in the way of fre-enterprise and the markets. Dress it up any way you like, but that's essentially it, is it not?

  • Comment number 42.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 43.

    brightyangthing #5, Jaunty #31

    It would appear that Alan Johnson has collaborated with the Corporate Nazi stock market parasites to give them just the excuse they desperately need to impose a new unlimited " private tax " on the poor. Perhaps the only sensible way to control dogs is to go back to a government run Dog License scheme. Some arrangement could be come to with the insurance industry as a whole for an insurance aspect, and funding provided for " Dog Wardens "

    Perhaps it would be better for local councils to issue sais dog licenses, therefore setting up a kind of competitive market on the insurance aspect. Likewise the cost of the license could vary between councils dependent on the reported problems, including dog fouling. Owners could be given points on their license for breaches of any " conditions ", for instance license revoked on any second case of biting, dog either destroyed or re homed. An " excess " on the cost of the license could be charged for persistent offenders, all costs of running said system to be bourn by the dog owners themselves. Perhaps various breeds could be classified in insurance groups like cars, " cross breeds " falling in to the group they most resemble.

    The whole idea needs thinking about properly and well scrutinised for " unintended consequences ", perhaps OAP's could be exempt likewise specific working dogs. However, careful thought out legislation is unlikely if it involves anything to do with the stock market parasites. Mandatory microchips are unnecessary as its the owners who need licensing not the dogs themselves.

  • Comment number 44.

    It really does come pretty close to . The idea seems to be that, in time, most of the dumb electorate will just forget as it's easily distracted. That's genetic engineering you know. All they need are consumers i.e. dumb borrowers.

  • Comment number 45.

    43. brossen99 'It would appear that Alan Johnson has collaborated with the Corporate Nazi stock market parasites to give them just the excuse they desperately need to impose a new unlimited " private tax " on the poor.'

    All they really need to do is import more fast breeders and secularise them so they'll borrow at high interest rates on credit cards etc. That, and encourage more bright girls to go to university and go to work so they reduce their birth rates (less smart kids mean more dumb borrowers and profit). Dog taxes are not a lot of good, as it's currently a shrinking market as Muslims don't usually buy dogs. They do need to be discouraged from being 'terrorists' (statists) though, as the Qu'ran proscribes borrowing with interest.

    I reckon they've done their demographics and actuarial projections, that's all. Just doing their jobs.

  • Comment number 46.

    What banks understand is money. The regulation before - Mr Brown deluded by the idea of risk based approach to regulation. Also when you have a situation where by regulation amounts to words and not a vigilant independent person (with a stick) you have what happened. So fight money with money. People should move their money and let the casino maniac banks get on with CDS. We have to be insulated from it /how?\ . And we should have compensation doled out by banks for any failure of allowing scammers to have and run bank accounts. If its really serious ie tens of million's and not just token tens or hundreds of thousands - that they actually have to repay everyone who was scammed, their wide-boy behaviour will soon firm up and remain so. Stick with balls. Trouble is at the moment the bankers have the politicians by the balls. Solution - take money out of politics, but how? I don't know.

  • Comment number 47.

    Awesome Arsenal.....awesome Statist!

  • Comment number 48.

    #41 At 8:32pm on 09 Mar 2010, Statist

    ----------------

    I refer you to this incisive post...

    /blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2010/03/time_to_protect_bidders_from_t.html

  • Comment number 49.

    Statist #45

    I tend to agree that a national dog tax is probably a bad idea but I do get a bit fed up subsidising dog owners through the council tax. If local dog licenses could knock a few pence of the local precept then I am all for it. Someone has to pay for all the " doggyloo " bins to be emptied, people are always asking for more of the same. The thing is that " dog mess " is now classed as toxic waste, people collect it from their own back yards and put it in said bins. Likewise funding Dog Wardens, like the police, in our area they are too few to be effective anyway.

  • Comment number 50.

    And Now The Facts: German Regulator BaFin Sees "No Signs Of Massive CDS Speculation Against Greece"



    Sorry NN, Greece made it's own problems, no matter what the politicians say, I'm getting bored with all the lies promoted by the 91Èȱ¬ with MY license fee.

  • Comment number 51.

    Thank you Newsnight for covering the story about the Irish paedophile priest. The Irish justice system is non-existent. The Irish defence minister recently resigned in disgrace having perjured himself in a sworn affidavit - not before getting the full support of the entire government and the present Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern. When you have a justice Minister choosing not to uphold the rule of law - it's no surprise you have child abusers, rapists and murderers committing their sick crimes repeatedly with impunity.

  • Comment number 52.

    Chatroulette - at a time when the 91Èȱ¬ are looking for cuts just how much did the filming at the casino cost? 2 interior set ups and an exterior - at least half a day with a crew, director and presenter and then edit time for a story that's not actually about roulette or even gambling but about a social website apparently used by men looking for women to look at. Surely this could have been knocked up by the graphics department - OK, you would have had a shorter item, but perhaps the time could have been devoted to something more relevant considering the massive number of news stories to choose from in this pre-election period.

  • Comment number 53.

    AND THE EDGY AWARD GOES TO . . .

    Hard to imagine anything more degrading than paedophile priests - until Newsnight puts a plinky-plonky piano behind the narrative.

  • Comment number 54.

    Fantastic Jeremy on Newsnight tonight - particularly with the Hedge Fund Manager who stated the truth about the world wide recession - it HAS been caused by dodgy government, not by the markets at all. Ha ha ha the virtues of "Chatroulette" - it used to be ICU and now this is the 'next big thing.' It just makes people have the attention of a fruit fly.....
    BTW, who sung the track on Stephen's report?

  • Comment number 55.

    (Alleged) paedophilic Catholic priests:- This was a strange piece. yes, paedophilia is bad, but the issue is one for the Irish police and Irish DPP, not reporters and bishops. If people make allegations of offences over a period of 50 years, what are the Irish police to do today? They could confront those accused, but what evidence are they supposed to provide Intrerpol with if their suspects are living abroad? What about those people's EU Human Rights etc? If they deny it, what forensic evidence is there? Just because your intrepid reporter asks an Irish politician and she can't see why this that or the other can't be done, doesn't really add much does it? The Irish police and DPP wouldn't talk to the reporter - no surprise there! This entire piece was bizarre, but we are seeing more and more of this odd thinking and reporting. Why? Is it a Polish thing?

    FOREX speculation - err yes, for good or ill, that's how the markets determine value in de-regulated Liberal-Democracies.

  • Comment number 56.

    Tonights report by Olenka Frenkiel was powerful and necessary. The disgraceful continuation of complicity through inaction needs to be exposed. It is interesting, in a week where I thought I should be giving Chat Roulette a go, that I'm now socially networking my thoughts on tonights programme. If I could give feedback to the team personally I would, but that kind of 'real' social interaction has always been boundaried by class differences and the breadth of a persons social opportunities. Is it any wonder that people want broader 'exposure'?

  • Comment number 57.

    #54
    'Luck be a Lady' was unmistakably (or maybe not) 'old blue eyes' Frank Sinatra. It's from the musical Guys and Dolls.

    I have seldom felt more inclined to reach through the tv and throttle a variety of people paraded before us tonight.

  • Comment number 58.

    My cat recently stuck his claws into one of my best friends so that we had to spend two hours in the local A and E. Should I get a catbo?

    (Incidentally, as a result of this I discovered I had been de-registered from my doctor owing to the fact that although of an advanced age I am too healthy and hadn't consulted them since 2000. So it's an ill wind ...)

  • Comment number 59.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 60.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 61.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 62.

    56. Independant_citizen 'Tonights report by Olenka Frenkiel was powerful and necessary. The disgraceful continuation of complicity through inaction needs to be exposed.'

    So, when the police/DPP in EIRE (or anywhere else) don't prosecute a case because of lack of forensic or other evidence, or because of doubts about being able to secure a conviction, that's complicity in your view? It isn't avoidance of wasting police and court time/money?

    Are you sure you understand how Criminal Justice Systems works? Maybe is ocnfusing the Irish/British systems with the old Red Terror ways of revolutionary Poland/Russia?

  • Comment number 63.

    #57 & #61

    How does the saying go? - '..... minds think alike'?

    I've deliberately avoided using the first word in this expression as I do not necessarily like to attach any specific labels to my own brain.

    In fact, BYT, this expression has been 'following' me around for some time now. Almost every time I read your posts.

    Hope you have a good night's sleep after tonight's nightmarish programme.

    mim

  • Comment number 64.

    #56

    BYT, I assume your throttling desire didn't include Jeremy nor Steve Smith for that matter.

    mim

  • Comment number 65.

    Thanks BYT @ #57 :o)

  • Comment number 66.

    #64

    I plead the 5th (NOT Beethoven's!)

  • Comment number 67.

    At #61, BYT, I talk about how all items on Newsnight tonight were about sick in their souls people but something must have stopped the Mods letting it through.

  • Comment number 68.

    #54 - 'particularly with the Hedge Fund Manager who stated the truth about the world wide recession - it HAS been caused by dodgy government, not by the markets at all.'

    The Governments and banks/hedge funds are two sides of the same coin. Humans are humans, the money love sickness, corruption and methods to implement exploitation affect all.

    Last night NN on Mr Hendry will be a wake up call I think we will see the start of a change being instigated.

    #52 - Dont worry its all going to stop soon. It's part of the same above problem - a sickness of exploitation methods. In the case of the 91Èȱ¬ the class system enforced by Ox-bridge and 'celebrity' then implemented by a forced fee. When you dig under the surface you find humans doing what humans do at the 91Èȱ¬ as well as else where. It comes to light when one of them very sadly ends up dead - drugs or some unsafe sex stuff or found guilty of secretly filming their sex exploits. I don't care what they do its us having to fund the ego elitist trip that I want stopped.

  • Comment number 69.

    #68

    How do you know, flicks, it's not going to be you next, dead I mean? Or is some supernatural power protecting you forever?

  • Comment number 70.

    #69

    I thought, flicks, you were upset with the 91Èȱ¬. You promised us not to post anything on here any more..

  • Comment number 71.

    From your own report at he head of this blog:

    'The police said they had received two other complaints like his and sent the file to the Irish director of public prosecutions (DPP), but the DPP said there was not enough evidence to prosecute.'



    The sad reality is that pieces like this will cite vigilantes to , or . Don't we see some of that behaviour even here in this blog, i.e absurd smears and guilt by association?

    There was, if you examine it objectively, a somewhat paranoid/persecutory quality to this opportunistic investigation piece.

  • Comment number 72.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 73.

    70. mimpromptu 'I thought, flicks, you were upset with the 91Èȱ¬. You promised us not to post anything on here any more..'

    It appears that people make unreliable statements. When these are pointed out, it often isn't appreciated. That's education, that is.

  • Comment number 74.

    Looking into , by any other name?

  • Comment number 75.

    54. Mistress76uk 'Fantastic Jeremy on Newsnight tonight - particularly with the Hedge Fund Manager who stated the truth about the world wide recession - it HAS been caused by dodgy government, not by the markets at all.'

    If reducing Big Government aka statism (via the promotion of Social Democracy across the EU post WWII, and elsewhere, via regime-change) is the American way that its lure and feed upon (sub-primers of all ilk) in pursuit of massive profits, what's so funny? Then you go on to laugh about limited attention spans (i.e intelligence).....

    You see, if intelligence is all down to nature, you can't have a go at the weak for not seeing what's going on, all one can do is try to protect them, as in the world of genetic driven behaviour, caveat emptor turns out to be truly evil, Satanic even. Do you see why?

  • Comment number 76.

    # 70, 73 Yes it was the discovery of the ICE trust and the involvement of our banks over the last few months. Its needs to be put out there - really very important. But yes the post will be less and I will eventually NOT post unless its a very important issue such as the Credit Default Swaps exchange that Lucy Komisar dug up.

    #74 - mods that's a commercial art website. Not bad though.

    Mim there was a reason you had an enforced stay at a hospital and have the attention of a social worker. The reality of that is why people have to move on, at least those who don't have the required specialised skills. I'm sorry you cant see it from another perspective.

  • Comment number 77.

    Paxman on Sigman and the woman with blonde hair - first off, why is Sigma bannered as 'a biologist and psychologist'? Second, yes, evolution takes place by selection and breeding over a very long period, but, how many times does Newsnight need to be told that we are slowly breeding too many not-too-brights and not enough brights (the modus operandi having been made very clear for decades - educating brighter female sand reducing their birth rate is one, high low skilled immigration is another, below replacement level but differential (i.e a slope going down from low ability to high ability) fertility is another)? Why not have someone on the programme along with Andrew Green (e.g. his co founder of Migration Watch would do) who knows something about this? What we are seeing in all this stupid, unsupervised, online behaviour (and silly media reporting by entertainment 'psychologists') is the behaviour of lots of pretty stupid people. We are breeding them. This is not good in the longer run, surely you can see this? See crime figures and daft reporting in the media as some of the indices.

  • Comment number 78.

    As most people seem aware of what's going on although they may not know the exact reasons for it, I suspect some of the filming is being done at a Prosecutor's request.

    The whole thing has reached such outrageous proportions that it seems absolutely impossible that not only people like Barack Obama and a few other political world leaders but also top legal people wouldn't be involved.

    So any bunny out there talking about erotica seems not more than a pathetic bunny creature.

  • Comment number 79.

    68. flicks 'Last night NN on Mr Hendry will be a wake up call I think we will see the start of a change being instigated.'

    How? Do you not recall the 80s and 90s when Government took on the markets and lost? Isn't this why Governance is all smoke and mirrors (wizards) today? This is very down to earth issue. If all it takes is some knowledge of how to do trades, a few PCs and a line to do it, how is anyone going to stop this, let alone regulate it? It's a practical problem for Liberal-Democracy is it not? Look at how this is being aggressively exported (e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan) and promoted domestically via PC. Then look at the nations building walls up against it and how they are described.

    Incidentally, we all make mistakes and contradict ourselves at times, so don't dwell on it too much. Just take criticism when it is well meant, learn from it and appreciate that it makes one stronger, not weaker.

  • Comment number 80.

    78. mimpromptu 'As most people seem aware of what's going on although they may not know the exact reasons for it, I suspect some of the filming is being done at a Prosecutor's request.'

    Imagine this, just as an exercise.

    What if, in the Eastern Block of old, there were some people who imagined all sorts of terrible things, but these things never actually happened. What if the things these people imagined were nearly all in their imagination, or exaggerations of what life is just like socially. What if those people then sought asylum elsewhere, and managed to convince foreign authorities that they really were being persecuted (perhaps pointing to some of their friends who were put in hospitals for being 'different' etc). Imagine if the foreign countries offering asylum were politically at odds with the above countries where these people wanted escape 'persecution'.

    Do you see how it could happen? Do you see how everyone involved could be wrong whilst truly believing they were right?

    Remember Arthur Koestler?

  • Comment number 81.

    'A canary in the mine' Jeremy describd Hugh Hendry.

    I agree. The more I learn from Hugh Hendry the more I can see why governments are so afraid of hedge funds. They are there to make money and he is certainly not reserved in saying this but they are also an early warning system when companies or countries are overvalued or in the case of Greece where someone has been very creative in their accounting.

    A lot of the blame was put on these hedge funds for the collapse of the banking system but with hindsight had they not stepped in when they did and given us fair warning something bad was happening the crisis could have been much worse.

    I have seen Hugh Hendry several times and he always impresses me with his candour and his readiness to 'tell it as it is'.

    I'd just love to see him up against the politicians. What a show that would be. You could also add Sir Stuart Rose in there too.

  • Comment number 82.

    81. virtualsilverlady 'They are there to make money and he is certainly not reserved in saying this but they are also an early warning system when companies or countries are overvalued or in the case of Greece where someone has been very creative in their accounting.'

    Read the links on GS and Greece etc?

    1. Encourage light weight politicians into power in the EU (post war Marshall Plan and EU Project)
    2. Let Wall Street work around legislation so above become indebted
    3. Let Hedge Funds make money by betting against them
    4. Cripples Public Sector - goto 1.

    Do you not see what's going on? Hendry may make some money, but he's investing other people's money, as are GS...

    Who are the winners and who are the losers? Is it a level playing field?

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