What a bleeding mess …

Let’s see. I go off on hols and when I come back the world has gone completely mad … to hell in a handbasket.

The first thing I notice is that India and Albanian are in a scrum about … Mother Teresa. I suppose it can be guessed that she is turning over in her miniscule grave. Alive, she was formidable. Maybe with a little help from St Michael she can wallop the bejesus out of …

It might be supposed that Albania wishes to move the remains of the petite nun to her land of birth because it can then use her as a doorstop card when it comes a-knocking upon the EU door. A better symbol is not possible to find –  with begging bowl and a feisty attitude which one sees in pugs and surly terriers. Mother Teresa of Albania er, of India, is being car-jacked or is that bier-jacked.

One should sympathize with Albania because it really has very little which can speak for it. Sadly, it is as forgettable as a unsalted cracker.  It cannot point to its historical record and proudly demand respect because it really has been a backwater in European history. Ony the most ardent, non-muslim, old-school communist Albanian could possibly have something to beat his chest about. I cannot charitably snap my fingers, an ‘aha moment’, if you will,  and shout “Oh that Albania!”.

What has Albania given us? Hoxha. Well no. The  man is, was,  beyond redemption though I do admit at reading some of his writings. What about Skanderbeg? Who? Well yes, he is as famous as Stilton cheese in Malayasia.  And then there is Mother Teresa. Come to think of it – she is jolly well famous.

When she was alive the Indian government saw her as a meddling old European (er, white) devil and moveover, a fervent Christian, who showed Indians how to treat each other. Now India has changed its tune. It wants to keep the remains of the minute pushy little woman safely buried in Calcutta. Is it possible that even the self-rightuous BNP thugs and hotheads actually want to keep the remains of a little woman whose name they spat out like viper venom whenever they were obliged to utter it? How times change.

Then there is Milliband going junket all over Europe to  shoehorn Anthony Blair into the chair of the new EU President. The Lisbon Treaty is to be ratified by the Czech Republic after which time the Union will have a President and a Foreign Minister. Why should the  UK want to have Tony Blair sitting in Brussels tripping over his tongue in his relatively thickly lisping Anglicized French?

There is a bigger game afoot. This horse race is somewhat reminiscent of the time the UK fought tooth and nail to break the door down into the then Eurpoean Community. It did not (then) consider itself a part of Europe but like all wonderfully opportunist governments the then Labout government was keen on having its feet under the table. The UK has been the principal driving force behind expansion. It supports Turkish accession but this may be one bridge too far (One crosses from Europe into Asia by a bridge over the Bosporus- Turkey). Now that the EU is un-governable (27 member states) the UK wants to govern it via its proxy, or is that poxy, former Prime Minister. It all seems so vaguely despicable. If the UK had its way, the EU would join NAFTA and would surely allow North Africa and the Near East countries to join. The more the merrier.

In the meantime there are other candidtaes throwing their hats into the ring. One fo them is former Finnish Prime Minsiter, Paavo Lipponen. Luxembourg also has Juncker playing poker. The thing that speaks against Blair though is the fact that he is English and one of the principal actor man behind the staging of Western troops in Iraq. Much to the chagrin of the two largest EU countries, France and Germany, he is also man who clung to the idea of  British exceptionalism and Margatet Thantcher’s CAP concessions. He cannot be blamed for pinning his loyalty to his sleeve though, can he?

The other matters which seemed to vex many people were more down to earth. One was the murder of a muslim woman in a German court and the other was the request by a French paedophile to have his testicles surgically removed knowing full well that French law would not permit such a thing. He kidnapped, tortured and raped a 5 year old. Personally I can think of things much more appropriate than castration.

Then Erdogan, Turkey’s Prime Minister chastised the West on Iran. Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Britain’s Guardian newspaper that Western fears on Iran building a an H-bomb were “gossip”. Well, that is just fine. Here I am thinking that H-bombs should banned, full stop, and here is the man who runs a country of 80 million muslims telling the West that its fears on Iran is all a lot of hooey.
Furthermore he adds that “… although Iran doesn’t have a weapon, those who say Iran shouldn’t have them are those countries which do.” Mister Erdogan, if moral argument was that which defended or provided justification for the possession of the H-bomb, then it can be credibly concluded (using historical and moral argument) that Iran should not be one of these countries. Come to think of it, any country which is run by people who put more stock in dieing (than living) and being shuffled off to Paradise to shag 70 virgins, for eternity, no less (which begs many questions) – leaving the rest of us to scratch our irradiated skulls.

Then the killer. There  are noises emanating from some quarters in France that Asterix has outlived his purpose and should die a noble death. There is a claim that since the death Asterix’ father, Goscinny, in 1977, the hero has become second rate. It is true that I cut my teeth as a father on Asterix and Obelix. My sons and I read every single tale every issued. We also did this in four languages (I do not count Quebec French). All I can say is that it is time to use science for its intended and higher purpose – to revive Goscinny – or his brain – to suck out more stories of some import so that Asterix can live.
Vive Asterix libre!