Our Postmodern Leaders Hit Rockbottom (for now): Queen of England Snubbed for D-Day Commemorations

Of the 121 files on the Articles Blog there isn't one pertaining to snubbed royalty and other breaches of protocol. Not because we consider such matters too trivial, but because those worth the bother simply did not happen ... until today, that is!

I guess we should not be surprised this is happening on these guys' watch! Only they could make such an unprecedented occasion happen. I hope someone makes a point of going to the bottom of this (and I'll eat my hat if it turns out to be the French).

For starters, take note of the 'newspeak' in the following heading:

ITN: "'Queen welcome at D-Day commemorations'" [well, obviously not or the entire article would have been a waste of space]

"Gordon Brown has said he will make it "possible" for the Queen or any other member of the royal family to attend next weekend's official D-Day commemorations in France if they wished to be present." [... the sub heading goes ... only then do we get to the crux:]

"There will be no royal representation at the events to mark the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings after no invitation was received from the French authorities. Instead the Prime Minister will represent the UK alongside British veterans who took part in the 1944 invasion that helped defeat Hitler's Germany. The absence of the Queen from the guest list for the commemorations has been perceived by some as a deliberate snub, though Buckingham Palace has stressed the monarch is not upset about the situation. " (...) [no, I wouldn't extend them that pleasure either].

Brown appears to be blaming the French:

"I have simply done what is my duty as a Prime Minister - I have accepted the personal invitation of (French president) Mr (Nicolas) Sarkozy.

A moment later Brown is kicking the ball into the Mighty Zero's court:

"I think you know that Mr (Stephen) Harper, the Canadian prime minister, is going, and I think in these circumstances, this particular event was one that the president wanted to be for prime ministers and presidents. He added: "But if the Queen wanted to attend these events, or if any member of the royal family wanted to attend these events, I would make that possible."

Then why hasn't he done so in the first place? Why wait until the sht hits the fan? The French meanwhile are returning the compliment to sender:

"Officials in Paris have insisted the Queen is welcome and blamed the UK Government for deciding who should attend what they said was "primarily a Franco-American ceremony". (...) >>> [the British vets are going to love this one!]

The whole thing is an unprecedented disgrace. When these pinheads were soiling their diapers, smoking reefers or making otherwise a nuisance of themselves, Elizabeth was actually making a useful contribution when it mattered! She's a vet herself for crying out loud!

I hope this will become a hell of a row and (pin)heads will roll [Gordon's for starters]!

Update:

- Here's one explanation: this could be BHO's caustic revenge on the British Empire ...

Mail Online: "Barack Obama's grandfather 'tortured by the British' during Kenya's Mau Mau rebellion"

- Yahoo!News: "Prince Charles to attend D-Day ceremony"

Prince Charles' office said Tuesday that he will attend a D-Day commemoration in France this week after a diplomatic spat over the omission from the guest list of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.  (...) The perceived snub created an uproar in Britain, which lost thousands of troops helping to free France from the Nazis. (...) On Monday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the U.S. wanted the queen to be there, and was "working with those involved to see that it happens." (...)  >>>

Another day, another update: It would appear to be all a misunderstanding, given that the British royals only attend D-Day commemorations every ten years. That said, an article today in FT, "Perils Mount for Besieged Brown", lays a link to present diplomatic dustup and Gordon Brown's increasingly precarious situation after four Cabinet Ministers called it quits. More on the Labour Government's perils and the latest updates on file in "London Calling".

- Filed on Articles in ... ah yes, we don't have a file for outrages of this sort of magnitude (yet) -

Progress Report: Balkan Irredentism Unabated

Our regular OSINT contributor on Balkan affairs, Ioannis Michaletos has published a fresh report on the progress of irredentism and the ongoing push for a Balkans caliphate. We'll get back to it shortly.

By now much has been revealed about 'Bill's whim', the Clinton administrations' personal amities and predispositions for political engineering in the region. Details on the subject are compiled on the relevant Articles dossier.

In other posts we have commented on the almost traditional mistake made by Americans when - as a matter of course - they side with any independence movement whatever its revolutionary or separatist hue. It frequently lands American foreign policy in trouble, as was the case in the earlier stages of the Russian Revolution.

- Caption: BBC: "Deal done" (NATO with KLA/UCK) - Gen Clark (right), Gen Ceku (second right) and Mr Thaci (left) [UN administrator for Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner second left]-

Julia Gorin in "Shame on America: How the U.S. Bombed G.I. Joe" reminds us that events in living memory might have corrected postmodern moral inversions. Had they been remembered such stories might have told us where the West's natural allegiance actually lies: "God bless the America that was, as embodied in veteran Arthur Jibilian, the last surviving member of Operation Halyard, the biggest airlift rescue of World War II. It is also the most suppressed rescue mission, given that it was made possible by Serbs."

The root of the mistake lies in the altogether different natures of Locke and Rousseau type revolutions. The matter is addressed in some detail in "Radical Rousseau's Ravages." In the case of the carving up of the former Yugoslavia (see video material included in "Bill's Vista for a Better Balkan") Americans once again fell into the trap and they continue to do so, by supporting the irredentist drive for a Greater Albania. In some quarters its realization is already an inevitable fact.

Gorin is also on the Kosovo case: "Kosovo/Albania/America: No Merging into Greater Albania. (i.e. Greater Albania Confirmed)." The posting mentions an indictment against the Albanian National Army (AKSH) and the Front for Albanian National Unification (FBKSH), the AKSH’s political wing. The organizations seem to be related to the Information Agency United Albania, which made these pages earlier this year in "A Door in Kosovo" (see update) when we pasted a revealing image from the site, currently ditched as possibly too overtly spilling the Balkan beans.

Reverting to Michaletos' update we'll quote only the general developments. The entire 19th June article "Alert level rises for Jihadi attacks in the Balkans" can be accessed on the site of the International Analyst Network:

The Balkans were deemed as a safe territory for the Islamists for the past 15 years, and Albania was often named as “The safe hotel,” a place with lax control for the movements of these groups. The current developments bring to surface a wider campaign against the Islamic networks, although they have actually upgraded their capabilities since their former allies have reached positions of power, such as the case of Kosovo relates to.

More importantly it has to be noted that terrorism and organized crime are closely
interrelated in the Balkans; therefore any sudden change in the balance of powers signals a round of conflict between the oppositional crime rings.

Moreover sources related to the Homeland Security in the USA, have already reported that the 2007 catastrophic wildfires in Greece were probably a form
of “pyro-terrorism” by Jihadists, whilst Greek press often reports that up to 2,000 Muslims are being monitored 24/7 for extremist behavior and connections, mostly in the Athens region. Bulgaria last year unraveled its own Jihadi network, which was composed by proselytes and Serbia has managed to break up a radical group in the Sanjak Eparchy.

In addition to the above, the coming USA elections provide by definition an opportunity to Jihadists to strike against Western interests in order to create the psychological framework on which they seek to manipulate political events. The Russian-American antagonism in the Balkans is another factor that hinders international cooperation on security affairs and the increasing involvement of the Turkish intelligence; especially in FYROM is another x-factor in the wider picture.

In overall, it is important to stress the emergence of a deteriorating scene concerning Balkan security affairs and a fair estimation is that the 2008 summer period will have a high alert status and in particular in Kosovo, Albania and FYROM.

- Filed on Articles in "The Balkan Caliphate" -

Veterans Day 2008 (no knobs on)

Repatriation from voluntary exile in Athens took place just in time for Dutch Vets Day 2008.

This day of commemorations is only a very recent fixture, an exercise in transnational Political Correctness "in the service of peace". This message is emphasized so often that it lost all claim to honesty.

The organizing committee is just too eager to avoid the impression of pride of country: it is the fallacy of the postmodern multiculturalist who believes that talking oneself down will uplift the downtrodden.

Vets Day was invented by the government of the day to replace the commemorations at Hotel "The World" in the southern town of Wageningen, traditionally presided over by the late Prince Bernhard (God rest his soul). The World War II vets radiated comradeship and pride of achievement; they'd fought their way through the war, and shone with delight over the accomplishment of peace and prosperity.

Opponents saw in it a perverse love of 'militarism.' Today's commentators can't stop to emphasize that "we are historically not a 'militaristic' country." Given the fact that it measures 300x300 kilometers, this is like declaring that chihuahuas aren't particularly eager participants in dog fights.

Today's docile service-men are inoculated from birth against such anti-ideological behavior, but the propaganda and indoctrination machinery proved powerless against the old dogs who wouldn't learn new tricks. When the Prince passed on a few years ago no time was lost in pulling the plug on the incorrigible goings-on at Wageningen.

So instead we have Vets Day in the name of transnational appeasement at any price, rather than a reaffirment of the defence of liberty. The Greek national motto "liberty or death" is meaningless yada-yada to the Leftist dogmatists who chose red over dead.

The concept of freedom has been taken to such perverted abstractions that no one knows for sure what its meaning is. Orwellian bromides like "real freedom through the state" are central teachings to the Hegel collectivist heirs.

The original negative definition of "individual liberty not to be subjected to the whims and will of the collective" has long been obfuscated. Rousseau's "common will" is proliferating in the postmodern diminutive nation, the natives as yet blissfully unaware where their ideological engineering will ultimately lead.
The following is a free translation from the historical site of Hotel "De Wereld," scene of the German capitulation in 1945.

"In the first days of May in 1945 Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes had chosen the town of Wageningen as the site where the German capitulation would take place. The German lines lay just outside the town. German military negotiators did not have to travel great distances through liberated areas and fear molest by civilians. Another feature in favour of Wageningen was that the Germans had ordered its evacuation (...) When General Foulkes heard about a hotel called "The World" he decided this would be the place where German capitulation would be signed.

On Saturday morning May 5 he ordered the Germans to appear at Wageningen at 11.00 hours. Chief of Staff of the 25th German Army, Lieutenant-General Reichelt appeared with his interpreter. Foulkes met them at the hotel. Also present was His Majesty Prince Bernhard as Commander of the National Armed Forces (seated in the picture on the far right, smoking a cigarette).

Reichelt was ordered to return that afternoon, accompanied by the Commander of the 25th German Army, General-Oberst Johannes Blaskowitz. The final negotiations took place at 16.00 hours. Blaskowitz, Reichelt and their interpreter entered the Great Hall of "De Wereld."

The men saluted. (...) Asked by General Foulkes if Blaskowitz was prepared to capitulate the German Commander answered: ‘Jawohl'. The capitulation orders were signed and Hotel "De Wereld" became a monument (...) >>> (text in Dutch, regret no English version seems available).

- Filed on Articles in "History Compiled" -

Asking ... Begging for War!

The creation of the German air power was long and carefully prepared in secret. (...) Airpower is the most difficult of all forms of military force to measure (...) The air, and air alone, offered Hitler the chance of a short cut (...)

The pacifism of the Labour and Liberal Paries was not affected even by the grave event of the German withdrawal from the League of Nations. Both continued in the name of peace to urge British disarmament, and anyone who differed was called a 'warmonger' and 'scaremonger'. It appeared that their feeling was endorsed by the people, who of course did not understand what was unfolding.

At a by-election (...) a wave of pacifist emotion increased the Socialist vote by 9,000, and the Conservative vote fell by over 10,000. The successful candidate said after the poll that "British people demand ... that the British Government shall give a lead to the whole world by initiating immediately a policy of general disarmament". Mr Lansbury, then Leader of the Labour Party, said that all nations must "disarm to the level of Germany as a preliminary to total disarmament." (...)

In November came the Reichstag election, at which no candidates except those endorsed by Hitler were tolerated, and the Nazis obtained ninety-five percent of the votes polled.

It would be wrong (...) of the British Government not to remember the passionate desire for peace which animated the uninformed, misinformed majority of the British people, and seemed to threaten with political extinction any party or politician who dared to take any other line. (...) This is no excuse for political leaders who fall short of their duty. It was much better (...) to be turned out of office than to imperil the nation. (...)

I said in the House of Commons: "(...) We are half the strength of France (...) Germany is arming fast and no one is going to stop her (...) no one proposes a preventive war to stop Germany breaking the Treaty of Versailles. She is going to arm; she is doing it; she has been doing it (...)"

Nevertheless, when on July 20 the Government brought forward the belated and inadequate proposals for strengthening the RAF by 41 squadrons, or about 820 machines, only to be completed in five years [sic], the Labour Party, supported by the Liberals, moved a vote of censure upon them (...) Mr Atlee (...) said: "We deny the need for increased air armaments ... We deny the proposition that an increased RAF will make for the peace of the world and we reject altogether the claim to parity (with Germany) (...)"

When we remember that this was language used after careful deliberation by the responsible heads of parties, the danger of our country becomes apparent (...) we could have preserved the air strength (...) maintained quantitative parity (...) and Hitler's career of violence might have been nipped in the bud without the loss of a single life (...)

Excerpt from "Memoirs of the Second World War", by Winston S. Churchill;
Chapter 6: "Air Parity Lost, 1934-1935"

NewsMax.com: "Iran Seeks Confrontation in Gulf", by Kenneth R. Timmerman

The near-miss confrontation between Iranian speedboats and a U.S. naval convoy in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday was a clear provocation by Iran, aimed at testing the reaction time of U.S. Navy commanders and the political will of the United States, sources within the Iranian military tell Newsmax. The U.S. failed the test, because no shots were fired, the Iranians said.

As a result, the U.S. Navy can expect similar provocations in the future, as Iran seeks to determine what red lines the U.S. Navy is willing to draw in the narrow sea lanes. “If the U.S. Navy had shown strength and directly opened fire, the Revolutionary Guards high command would understand that they can gain nothing in military hostilities with the United States,” Newsmax sources within the Iranian military said.

Instead, this latest incident has only fueled the aggressiveness of Iran’s leaders, who see that the United States has now followed Britain, which backed down after a group of British Marines was taken hostage in international waters by Revolutionary Guards patrol boats last spring.

Dramatic video footage released yesterday by the U.S. Navy showed five Iranian speedboats racing across the wake of a U.S. Navy convoy in the narrow international shipping lanes of the Persian Gulf on Sunday. (...)

But Iranian sources say that the provocation was part of a strategic plan, which Newsmax first revealed last spring, to test U.S. reactions in preparation of a full-scale confrontation with the United States that would involve naval and missile forces in the Persian, and terrorist surrogates around the world.

Last year, the Iranians flew drones close to U.S. aircraft carriers patrolling in the Persian Gulf and showed the footage on state-owned television. “This was their way of saying, ‘look how close we can get to you,’ said Sardar Haddad, an Iranian activist with close ties to Iranian intelligence and military circles. (...)

The timing of the Iranian probe clearly was aimed at sending a signal to the United States and to America’s friends on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf (...) >>>