Brown Speech To Congress 4:00 Pm-ish

[jonewer]

The US tend to join existing wars where someone else is already at it and needs help (WW1, WW2, Korea, Viet Nam) and we tend to react to situations where others are being invaded (Boer War, WW1, WW2, Iraq (after Kuwait was invaded)).

I'm sorry, who are you claiming reacted to who invading whom during the Boer War?

[THE BALD MAN]

Circuses.

Lets see if all his new admirers are quite so admiring when the Bread runs out.

Everyone enjoys the court jestor at first

[yellerkat]

I'm sorry, who are you claiming reacted to who invading whom during the Boer War?

Exactly, Britain invaded on the flimsiest of pretexts (extend franchise to alien Britons after 3 years, a lot of whom would not have qualified for the franchise in the UK) purely to filch the gold.

[jonewer]

Exactly, Britain invaded on the flimsiest of pretexts (extend franchise to alien Britons after 3 years, a lot of whom would not have qualified for the franchise in the UK) purely to filch the gold.

There may have been some legitimacy to the franchise claim, but no doubt it was just bare-faced imperialism at its worst.

I feel awful for the tommies that died there, and its not like the British werent doing to the Boers what both British and Boer (and other European powers too) had done to scores of other nations, but the Boer War was proably the best example of the small guy facing up to a big bully and giving him a bloody nose that you are likely to encounter outside of the realms of poetry and Hollywood.

[Guest sillybear2]

OMG biggest laugh of the day...."it doesn't matter where is started...."

Yes it does, financial 'innovation' was driven by The City of London. Gordon Brown knows this full well, the following are extracts of the speech he made at the opening of Lehman's new London HQ just under 5 years ago :-

Let me say first of all what a pleasure it is to be here at Lehman Brothers this morning in the heart of Canary Wharf, at the centre of London’s modern financial services economy, at this historic opening - the formal opening of Lehman’s new European headquarters, for which I congratulate architects, designers and developers.

And first, in thanking you for your invitation, let me at the outset pay tribute to all of you here – executives, employees, representatives of the financial sector, all 3,100 staff of Lehman’s here in Canary Wharf - for the contribution you and your company make to the prosperity of Britain, the enterprise you show and the difference you make.

For from its modest beginnings 154 years ago as just a general store, Lehman Brothers has expanded first into a trading company, then as a merchant bank and, starting here in London in 1972, as a global investment bank, that has during each phase of its 150 year history been a leading innovator – pioneering 100 years ago in financing the development of airlines, cars and film – and today leading in financing the growth industries of pharmaceuticals, the internet and nano-technology.

So today, just as this wonderful area of London was – with its port and trading facilities –at the heart of Britain’s industrial revolution and our imperial trade when ships left here to sail the world, so too again in a new world – with our financial expertise and our ability through modern communications to trade world wide from here - this site is again at the centre of one of Britain’s great global success stories: our financial services industry.

This is a great day not just for Lehman’s and Canary Wharf but for the City of London – evidence that as global economic change has opened up opportunities in the world economy for those prepared to seize them, the City of London is making the most of them: first, because it sees both globalisation and technological innovation as an opportunity not a threat and instead of simply protecting its share of a national market, it strives – with an even greater internationalism and global reach than ever before - for a greater share of the growing global market; second, because we have workforces that are adaptable, creative and enterprising – and who are transforming their skills for the new world."

[arthurwasright]

Cringemakingly bad

[winkie]

Protect yourself.

[@contradevian]

I'm glad thats over.

I have been standing up and sitting down right through the speech.

I have never hit the TV so much........

Comet have some cheap Flat panel sets, around £159 HD ready. I have a stock ready for toe curling Mc Broon speeches.

[@contradevian]

Cringemakingly bad

You must be wrong, I was in telly shop when Mc Broon was on, and the Beeb thought it was the best thing since "we will fight them on the beaches.."

[tricksters]

The speech may have received standing ovations over there, but the reviews here will kickstart the "poodle" thing, a la Blair.

A cringingly ingratiating and typically insincere speech, full of phoney, fake passion. He's probably glowing with pride at his achievment on the flight home. But it will be meat and drink to his detractors in UK. Sorry, Gordon. Reality check on the way. And the "refusing to apologise" thing is gaining momentum.

I'm not really in to having it in for someone but I really do want to see the end of this dreadful man's tenure.

[crashmonitor]

. And the "refusing to apologise" thing is gaining momentum.

The **** is admitting to a mistake on the 10% tax band abolition like the Captain of the Titanic admitting to dropping some litter overboard but not to letting the f**ker sink.

The incompetence of the interviewers into not extracting an apology is infuriating.Can't they just point out he allowed assets to triple over ten year whist RPI merely clocked up a 25% increase.The biggest bust in history was so obvious and so avoidable had he changed the MPC remit to include asset inflation.

One Tory MP said the biggest worry is he might actually think he has done nothing wrong,in other word our leader is in need of a staight jacket.