CALEDONIAN COMMENT

The Roman Catholic church is being plunged into a renewed crisis over how it has dealt with the sexual abuse of children by its clergy after it emerged that the brother of former Hitler Youth and Nazi anti-aircraft gunner Pope Benedict XVI, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger (pair pictured above), ran a renowned choir at the centre of child abuse claims.  Reports of systematic historical abuse by paedophile Roman Catholic clergy have surfaced at 3 schools in the Regensburg diocese in Bavaria. One of them is the much-heralded Regensburger Domspatzen, a 1000 year-old male choir and boarding school, whose choral master for 30 years was the Pope’s older brother, Georg Ratzinger. Monsignor Ratzinger has agreed to testify in any eventual prosecutions – but says that he knew of no abuse. The German Justice Minister, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, has joined a growing chorus of politicians in Berlin to criticise the church over its attitude to the investigation, accusing Roman Catholic institutions of a policy of secrecy.

She pointed to a Vatican directive from 2001 which required that even the most damaging allegations should be first “investigated internally” within the Roman Catholic church and only then then reported to the authorities. These new allegations are a source of major embarrassment to the Vatican, which had been hoping to draw a line under child abuse. Over the past decade the issue has enormously damaged the church’s reputation and finances. Well its reputation and finances may have been harmed, but STILL these priestly perverts seem able to avoid trial, sentencing and imprisonment. Unless and until they do, we must assume that the disgraceful conspiracy of silence over child abuse and the sickening encouragement of and collusion with paedophiles will continue within the Roman Catholic church.

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And yet more unacceptable criminality in the name of religion. This time Irish police have today arrested 7 suspects over an alleged plot to kill a Swedish artist who drew the Prophet Mohammad with the body of a dog. The target of the alleged assassination was Lars Vilks (pictured above right), who had a $100,000 bounty put on his head by that well known democratic philanthropic organisation, Al Qaeda,  in 2007, with a 50% bonus to any would-be assassins if  Mr Vilks was “slaughtered like a lamb” by having his throat cut. Another $50,000 was put on the life of Ulf Johansson, editor-in-chief of Nerikes Allehanda, the local newspaper that printed the cartoon.

The 4 men and 3 women, who were detained at around 10 am this morning, are in their mid-20s to late-40s and are being held at police stations in Waterford, Tramore, Dungarvan and Thomastown. Irish police sources have confirmed that some of those arrested hold Irish citizenship, and a number are from the Middle East. Some of those questioned have been confirmed as converts to Islam. It really is high time that the West stopped this bigotted bullshit from threatening our freedom of expression once and for all. Or else we’ll all be getting frogmarched to the mosque and our democratic societies will really go to the dogs.

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And while we’re on the subject, in the UK owners of dangerous dogs (above) face a new “pet tax” in a government initiative to tackle the menace of violent, untrained canines. The idea is to enforce the compulsory microchipping of every dog — which would cost owners an average of £30 — and is included in a consultation report published today. It also suggests that the 6 million dog owners in Britain should be covered by 3rd-party insurance to cover injuries to victims of dog attacks. I’ve got a better and simpler idea. Retards who deliberately keep dangerous dogs so that they can gain “respect” (what a joke) should be banned from doing so. And if they flout the ban, they should be jailed.

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Concerns have been raised about possible sex scandals if women are allowed to serve on British military submarines, it was reported today. A review is currently being carried out by the Government as to whether females should be included among underwater crew. According to a newspaper report, there are fears within the Navy about what could happen when members of the opposite sex live in such close quarters for months at a time. It said that women will be allowed to serve on submarines, but initially just 5 female officers will be deployed on each of the UK’s Vanquish-class nuclear submarines (pictured above). It seems on balance that with all the potential for scandal, it might be better if the ladies don’t go down.

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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton  has said that America is ready to help Argentine and Britain resolve tensions over the ownership of the Falkland Islands. Mrs Clinton visited Buenos Aires as part of a 5-day South American tour which will also see her visit Chile.  The US remained neutral when Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982, and has stayed impartial ever since. Tensions between Argentina and the UK have flared in recent weeks over British oil drilling in the islands’ waters. Mrs Clinton met Argentinian President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (pair pictured above) in Montevideo, Uruguay, yesterday, before flying to Buenos Aires for further talks today. She said : ”We are not interested in, and have no real role in, determining what Britain and Argentina decide between the 2 of them. What we want to do is facilitate them talking to each other.” No need Hillary – there’s nothing to talk about. The Falklands are British – especially if there’s oil there. Considering the oil-inspired US involvements in the Middle East, surely a US Secretary of State can understand THAT. So mind your own business and instead of appeasing the Argentinians remember who your allies getting killed are in Afghanistan.

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Britain reportedly emerged from recession (above)  more strongly than previously estimated in the fourth quarter of last year, figures have showed. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that British Gross Domestic product (GDP) grew (allegedly) by 0.3% in the final three months of 2009, revised up from the initial estimate of 0.1 %. The rise will be seen by some as a boost to  New Labour before the general election. Oh what a coincidence – an impending general election and the recession is over, more strongly than was previously thought. I’d like to get the musicians in to play “And the band played believe it if you like”  but they’ve all been made redundant and had their instruments repossessed.

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Looking more like an ageing rock star than ever, Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi (pictured above) has called for a jihad, a holy war, against  Switzerland, a country where police once arrested his son. At a meeting in the city of Benghazi to mark the prophet Mohammad’s birthday, Gaddafi described the country as an infidel state that was “destroying” mosques after a referendum there banned the building of minarets. Last year he urged the UN to abolish Switzerland and divide it between Germany, France and Italy. “Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate – is against Mohammad, God and the Koran,” Gaddafi said. Well Colonel, that’s what happens if you allow people votes – a mistake you’re not going to make any time soon.

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A smoker’s final wish was fulfilled today when his hearse was paraded through the streets bearing the sign Smoking Killed Me. Dick Whittamore’s last request was that the stark message be displayed alongside his coffin (pictured above) and by his gravestone as a warning to others. The signs, printed in the same typeface as the health warnings on a cigarette packet, read Smoking Killed Me, Albert (Dick) Whittamore. Passers-by stopped to watch the hearse as it made its way through Dover, in Kent, where Mr Whittamore, who was 85, lived. EIGHTY-FIVE ? How old would he have made it to if he HADN’T smoked ?

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In the UK the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS, above) is on course to pay out £1.3 billion in bonuses to its investment bankers after United Kingdom Financial Investments (UKFI), the body which looks after – or is supposed to look after – the British taxpayer’s 84% stake in the troubled bank, decided not to attempt to block the plans. UKFI has this afternoon written to the bank to assure RBS’s management that it will not use its veto over the bonuses and it is even understood that UKFI has “worked behind the scenes in intricate discussions” to reduce the original proposal from a bonus pot of £1.6 billion. Big deal. If these cretins in the government-appointed UKFI working “on our behalf”  had any balls, they’d have conducted simple discussions, not intricate ones – along the lines that you ain’t getting a bonus, end of story. On the other hand, maybe some of those charged with looking after our interests have pension plans with RBS themselves ?

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Police in Dubai have today identified 15 more suspects wanted over the murder of a senior Hamas official in the Gulf emirate last month, including a further 6 (above) who reportedly used British passports. The announcement brings to 26 the total number of people suspected of involvement in Mahmoud al-Mabhouh’s assassination, which is believed by many to be the responsibility of Mossad. The 6 new British names are Mark Daniel Sklar, Roy Allan Cannon, Daniel Marc Schnur, Philip Carr, Stephen Keith Drake and Gabriella Barney. A Foreign Office spokesman said the government believed their passport details had been used fraudulently. It’s getting to the stage where every Brit who’s been anywhere near Dubai recently is a suspect. Mind you, it’s not surprising that British passports are being used fraudulently – after all, over the last 10 years they’ve been handed out to every Tom, Dick and Mohammed who’s asked for one. Even some British citizens sometimes got one.

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UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown today denied that he had ordered his aides to unleash “the forces of Hell” against Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling (pair pictured above) after the Chancellor had predicted that the recession would be the worst for 60 years. In the latest of series of denials that he has been presiding over a culture of bullying in No.10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister said in an interview (very calmly, of course) that he respected Mr Darling and had been friends with him for 20 years, adding: “I would never instruct anybody to do anything other than support my Chancellor.” He might also have added that it would have been churlish to criticise the only prediction Mr Darling got right in the last 3 years.

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Congratulations to whichever joker put up this banner over the A3 road this morning, near the (apparently former) marital home of Ashley and Cheryl Cole. Chelsea Football Club seem to be in some disarray, what with accusations about their captain John Terry’s bedroom exploits and now the reported break up between club full back Ashley Cole and his wife Cheryl. Regardless of this blog’s indifference to the fate of either Chelsea Football Club, John Terry or the banal goings-on of the Cole’s, it has to be said that the banner is pure genius.

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UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured above) has reportedly displayed abusive behaviour and volcanic eruptions of bad temper which have left Downing Street staff very frightened. So much so that the PM apparently received a reprimand from the head of the civil service, according to a new book just published. It Sir Gus O’Donnell, the cabinet secretary, allegedly became so alarmed by the PM’s behaviour that he launched his own investigations when he received reports of Brown’s bullying of staff. O’Donnell then gave him a stern “pep talk” and ordered him to change his behaviour. “This is no way to get things done,” he told Brown.

This revelation (denied by Gordon, naturally) has shocked the political world and is bound to lead to claims from his opponents that he is not fit for another 5 years in office as the impending general election approaches. And there are times, judging by the photos above, where he looks a nasty piece of work. Not so much a hard man as a petulant childish bully. But even if Gordon is non-violent, would that make him any more fit to continue in high office ? After all, he’s been abusing power for years, so why not abuse other things too ? And if he was abusive and violent, why didn’t someone in Downing Street just belt him in the mouth ?

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War is “not an option” in resolving Argentina’s dispute with Britain over the potentially oil-rich Falkland Islands (pictured above), a senior Argentinian minister said yesterday. “War is excluded from our horizon,” the Deputy Foreign Minister, Victorio Taccetti, said. But he insisted Buenos Aires would not give up its claims to the islands it calls Las Malvinas. Arentina has denied that it is escalating the dispute triggered by an imminent British oil drilling project in and around the islands. The dispute has raised tensions between the UK and Argentina to their highest level since the 1982 conflict. Well let’s defuse the argument right now with a message to the Argentinians. First, we had to suffer Maggie winning a Falklands war - to have to go through all that again with Gordon at the helm would just be too much. Second, the Falklands are British – so piss off.

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In Malaysia 3 Muslim women (pictured above) who were the first in that country to be caned for having sex outside marriage have claimed the punishment was an opportunity for them to repent. Prison authorities caned the women last week after an Islamic Sharia court issued the penalty. The caning has outraged rights groups and revived speculation that conservative Islamists, who advocate harsh punishment, are gaining influence in the country. The three women, aged 17-25, said they turned themselves in after feeling guilty for sleeping with their boyfriends before marriage and getting pregnant. Bullshit. And this is the kind of medieval nonsense that the likes of the Archbishop of Canterbury advocate for introduction in the UK. And where were all the human rights bleaters like Cherie Blair while these women were being caned ? Or might objecting to such doctrinal drivel mean that New Labour would lose Muslim votes in inner-city marginal constituencies ?

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In the UK Mr Stephen Hester (pictured above), the chief executive of the troubled Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), is in line to collect a bonus of up to £1.6 million DESPITE the bank posting losses of several billion pounds. Talks over the bumper bonus payout are expected to reach a conclusion within days and could be announced alongside the bank’s results later this week. Although Mr Hester has yet to make a final decision on whether to accept the pay deal, it is understood that the conditions in his contract would permit a large payout. RBS is currently 84% owned by the taxpayer, so why the bloody hell are we paying ANY bonuses if it’s making a loss ? And there’s someone else who should be castigated even more than Mr Hester – that’s whichever cretin negotiated with RBS on our, the taxpayers’, behalf and conceded the agreement that bonuses would be paid even in the event of the bank making a loss.

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