Here is the incomparable Melanie Phillips's blistering commentary on this story: "Beware this Saudi deal to help bail out Britain. It comes with a devastating IOU," in the Daily Mail, November 10 (thanks to Dan):
With all eyes fixed upon the political excitements in the U.S, few have paid much attention to a trip made by the Prime Minister several thousand miles in the opposite direction.A week ago Gordon Brown, accompanied by his new best friend the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, went cap in hand to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states to ask them to help bail out the stricken economies of the West by pumping billions into the
International Monetary Fund.It is more than a little strange that the British Prime Minister should have apparently taken it upon himself to speak on behalf of the IMF. But the real concern is that asking for help from Saudi Arabia is not like tapping your friendly neighbourhood bank manager for a bigger overdraft.
No, this loan comes with a devastating IOU — nothing less than a big slice of control over Britain and the West by a regime at the heart of the attempt to bring about the Islamisation of the free world.
Granted, this country is facing a truly grave financial crisis. But does this mean we should remortgage the future of the West to those whose most radical elements are actively engaged in seeing it destroyed? [...]
Saudi Arabia is at the root of the Islamic onslaught against the West. It is Saudi’s Wahhabi form of Islam which, along with its Shi’ite counterpart in Iran, aims to restore the dominance of Islam in the world and destroy rule by ‘unbelievers’. [...]
Apparently oblivious to all this, however, Mr Brown has pledged to make London the global centre of Islamic banking. Accordingly, Britain’s major banks are eagerly embracing sharia finance, on the basis that it is a source of vast wealth. [...]
But apart from being a global money-laundering exercise for terrorism, sharia banking is also a beachhead in the attempt by radical Islam to infiltrate British and Western society.
'Seductive'
The key point is that sharia does not recognise the superior authority of the secular law of the land. [...]
Moreover, the British establishment does not believe that what we are being subjected
to is a religious war. That is why their response to the steady encroachment of Islamic radicalism in our society is so weak.And that is why I fear the British Prime Minister is in danger of selling this country to those who are intent upon undermining our most treasured freedoms....
Read it all.
He who controls the gold controls the world. Saudi using the black gold money to spread Islamic imperialism and influence throughout the world. Sharia everyone!
I shudder, whenever I hear of a large purchase of stock shares of US banks from Saudi or Abu Dhabi.
Major stockholders have significant voting rights and can influence policies of the banks.
The Muslims write all the time about the Money Weapon, anachrostically and islamically referred to as "gold."
There are many ways in which economic warfare is waged against the West. There are the vast sums used to buy land, and build mosques, and pay for the upkeep, and the staffing, of such mosques. There are the public-relations campaigns, the full-page ads in hundreds of newspapers, the ones in which the Saudis, counting on the ignorance of readers, declare the readiness of the world's Muslims to make "peace" -- they mean not a real "peace," salaam, but rather a temporary, time-buying peace, "sulh" -- with Israel, of course only on Arab and Muslim terms, which are not to be modified in any way.
There is the buying of influence,, especially in the major capitals, among those most able to use their influence as former or present government officials or on-call fixers (James Baker has been both). When we learn that Prince Bandar, for example, was the steady tennis and racquet-ball partner of Colin Powell, to whom he gave a Jaguar just as soon as he could, a few days after Powell left office, and that the knowledge" Powell gained through this relationship about Islam is what lead him, with such self-assured moral preening and indignation, to declare to the world that he didn't see why anyone should object to a Muslim some day becoming President of the United States -- Colin Powell who is entirely ignorant of Islam, and who feels no responsibility to read Qur'an, Hadith, Sira, nor to read what either the great Western scholars of Islam, or what the most articulate and thoughtful apostates (those "defectors" from the Army of Islam) have written because, you see, from his friendship (so calculated on Prince Bandar's side, so much a part of his job) with Prince Bandar, he, the incorruptible Colin Powell, has learned all he needs to know about Islam. That's the kind of anecdotal evidence -- the kind that all of our rulers and those "taking a leadership role" (there are so many of them, and so few leaders), rely on - what so-and-so told them when they visited this or that Middle Eastern or other country, or what some smiling representative of some Muslim country so deeply, truly, sincerely explains to them (think of Husain Haqqani, so well-mannered, so thoughtful, so eager to pry another ten billion dollars from the apparently bottomless American pockets, instead of being asked to get the money from his fabulously-rich fellow members of the Umma).
The Money Weapon. It buys up politicans, for as Prince Bandar himself said, when you hand out expensive gifts like confetti once people are out of office, and word gets around, then those still in office will likely modify their behavior, and attitudes, so as to merit such rewards in their "needy" retirement. And there is always the lecture circuit, out in the Gulf, with those payments of one million dollars for a Clinton or a Bush 41, and slightly lesser sums for others, in Kuwait, in the U.A.E., or even here, for some carefully selected audiences (and see the Fares Lectures, so very well endowed by an Arab "businessman" in Lebanon, at the Fletcher School).
Oh, it goes on and on. It's everywhere, it's part now of the Western world's expectancy.
And how many have been corrupted, but becasue they cannot stand to believe that of themselves, they become ever more self-righteous, and work to convince themselves that they think as they do not because of such gains, in posse and in esse, but because -- they really come to believe it -- it's right, it's just, it's "in the national interest."
Prince Bandar had a field day in Washington. He was the only foreigner who had his way in the Pentagon. Apparently he even entered, alone among such diplomats, meetings that involved the secret planning for Iraq. Yes, he cut a wide swath, but now that his name has been raised as the recipient of two billion dollars -- presumably to be spread around in the right places -- that was forcibly extracted from the British aerospace company B.A.E. by the Al-Saud -- he may not be back in Washington in quite the same way, for quite some time.
But has anyone -- has Colin P{owell -- begun to think about how he, Prince Bandar, spread his favors around, and his smooth narrative that explained away so much about the Al-Saud, and about Saudi Arabia, and therefore about Islam?
No. Being powerful and "respected" in Washington, having a "reputation for probity," continues even if the evidence completely belies such a reputation, as in the case of Colin Powell.
And so it continues. And so it goes.
I love Melanie. That photo of her with her columns gives me a thrill. She looks like a woman-warrior tired from fighting but ready to fight some more. She doesn't just look smart she looks WISE. Just looking at her strengthens my resolve. That is a REAL face.
But all this is reversible, once the British people realize the underlying Saudi agenda, the sharianization of their society. I wouldn’t worry about it, oil is no longer $147 per barrel, but today is under $57, and may be heading lower, as it should in the world’s faltering economies. In the end, they are killing their own golden goose. Keep oil down, take their money, and then ‘hudna’ is over, and reverse it. Two can play the same game.
I love Melanie. That photo of her with her columns gives me a thrill. She looks like a woman-warrior tired from fighting but ready to fight some more. She doesn't just look smart she looks WISE. Just looking at her strengthens my resolve. That is a REAL face.
Posted by: poetcomic1
No disagreement here, but for me I prefer Pamela Geller in her Supergirl outfit.
Oh, that was just so wrong - oh well.
Battle of Tour the world is changeing. Muslim will run the banks in england by working in top polcy makeing posts and then as time past by middle mangent and then lower level jobs at the banks.
Some time ago I read “The Crisis of Civilization” by Hilaire Belloc.
It basically deals with the economic crisis of the 1930’s which was caused, in Belloc’s view, by Europe’s abadonement of the Catholic faith.
When I read this I thought here was another example of Belloc’s tendency to exaggerate.
His idea of a model economic society is Europe in the Middle-ages , which reached it’s peak around the 13th Century.
As unlikely as it sounds this was at least a society which resisted the encroachments of Islam by fighting the crusades and failing to transfer vast amounts of wealth to hostile Arabs via dependence on their oil.
Along with ideas such as Distributionism which he developed with G.K. Chesterton, these ideas might form a useful alternative to the organisation of economic activity in Western societies instead of the usual approaches - Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, Conservatives, Liberals, etc….
And what happens when the banks are completely "Islamized", defenderofislam? Remind us again of what truly Islamic economies produce, why don't you.
Even socialists are generally smart enough to recognize that the game is not to kill the golden goose.
Your average Brit, gloats smugly over old 2nd world war films, his local pub, soap operas and football. Occasionally under muttered breath after a soaking in the pub you'll hear a Brit grumble about never surrendering to Islam. And then Brit will stumble home, past the Turkish kebab shops, the Pakistani corner shops and the local mosque.
The Saudis will buy Britain and Brits will succumb either to far right fascism or Islam.
I hope that the future proves me wrong, I hope that tomorrow people will gather on the streets, placards in hand and march on Downing Street demanding rights forthe British and an end to teh cultural and ethnic suicide. And Gordon Brown, the Imperialist Scot will nod his head, resign and a new form of people power government will be formed.
Some dream huh?
This will be worst than 1929 in many way. It will take Saudi and gulf state muslim to bail out the usa
,japon and other western nation. Right now the price of oil isnot that inportant to them, it will goes up
when the west ecomoncies recover.
So let me make sure I have this straight, DefenderofIslam.
Muslims will rescue Western nations financially so that the price of oil can rise again. And what - they want more prosperous nations to co-opt? Help me out; I'm trying to follow your logic.
Ah, but it seems you've once again left out how, once the West has been more "Islamized", it can even be productive anywhere near past levels.
After all, productivity hasn't been endemic to Islamic nations.
My friends, as we should always be watchful and cling to what is good, hating what is evil, remember that anything that is evil ultimately destroys itself.
The Diabolos, the Devil, the Slanderer, is destruction, in him there is no life. He can't last because perverting what is true has nothing in itself; it only twists and contorts itself to reinvent nothingness, since it is goes against the nature of the one true, good God.
It does produce evil energy, seduction, and appeal of things of this world. Strive to fight for what is good and realize that it is for the things that are not of this world. Rather, strive for beauty, harmony, truth, and most of all love.
The hardest things are of the straight path. We must fight against our urges. Did Muhammad fight his urges? Did he loves those that weren't his own? Did he receive revelations from God? Did he do miracles? Was he a stabilizing force?
Seek HIM who said, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?"
Bless those who curse you? Do good to your enemies?
Judge all men on this.
We must suffer at one point or another. But more importantly, the slanderers can't last.
Live and Learn.
Vee: I hate to sound pessimistic, but if the Muslims own the banking system they will own the workers. They won't pay much, probably, but they will use the West's expertise to get what they want - just look at Saudi Arabia. The trouble is, Westerners refuse to see what is at stake. Slave labour in your own country to foreign despots? Why not? History shows anything is possible. And if we look at Muslims' slaving practices, the European slaves were simply used until they dropped dead. This is why we have to fight NOW (I wish I knew how...)
Leon
I think you are right it is a dream. I have, no end of times tried to get people to start working actively against Islam, the UK's membership of the EU, political correctness and in general the left-wing do-gooder pratts that run the UK. They moan, they whinge but that is all. Heck, they even make excuses when they can't be bothered to vote. Of course, I tell them not to complain to me because they deserve all they get. And what's worse is that a lot of people in my town spend 4-5 years slagging Labour off then vote for them whenever elections come about and in fact don't like it if you stand against Labour. The bitterness against you is genuine because you dare to stand against the party they have slagged off for the last 10 years. On a UK newspapers forum I have tried to get the whingers to actually do something but they just don't want to know. So I think it is just a dream at least until things get very, very bad.
leon:
And then Brit will stumble home, past the Turkish kebab shops ...
You obviously don't live in the UK or you'd know that no drunken British bloke can pass an open kebab shop.
A good idea is to lower taxes. Lower taxes means not only a booming economy, but also more tax revenue, due to the booming economy. This is called Laffer curve. That the deficit rose in the US is because spending rose even more.
Actually, for those into leftist economics, you do not need a bail out. You simply let the deficit rise.
Actually, for those into leftist economics, you do not need a bail out. You simply let the deficit rise.
Actually, for those into leftist economics, you do not need a bail out. You simply let the deficit rise.
Battle of Tour the world is changeing. Muslim will run the banks in england by working in top polcy makeing posts and then as time past by middle mangent and then lower level jobs at the banks.
Posted by: DefenderofIslam
Banking only facilitates productivity, it does not create it. If sharia banking were productive, there would be shining examples of this economic success in the Islamic world, but there is no such success other than parasitic use of western technology and labor, even down at the oil wells.
What makes the West superior to Islam is it is capable of creativity and hard work. Whoever forgets this, and wants the easy way out (like ‘something for nothing’), society slides back and has to regroup. We are in one of those periods now, where the excesses of loose credit are forcing banks to re-evaluate their business models, take their losses, and clean up their balance sheets. It’s a kind of economic ‘rebooting’ if you will.
One important function of this ‘rebooting’ is to re-assess our friends abroad, which in this case means those who produced the very high oil prices that pushed us over the edge into economic downturn; so energy efficiency and independence will be on the West’s agenda for a long time to come, which includes all western leaning economies such as Japan, India, and China. The OPEC world will be held in suspicion, so do not expect oil prices to rise back up to the absurd levels we just experienced. That was a blip on the radar, and it transferred a very large amount of wealth to the Arab Gulf states, like Dubai. What will they do with this money? Build themselves a super large DubaiLand? Will they employ it for productive and creative enterprises for the world’s economic future? Saudis and other beneficiaries of this oil super windfall are investing into western banking, but what will they add of value to these banks? Sharia banking? How will that facilitate productivity? Any good examples from Islamic economies as being more productive than, let’s say, Israel? Anywhere in Islamic world?... Didn’t think so.
This is the difference between “the world is changing” and whether Muslims will run the banks in England. The West will re-assess all it had done and put it back to work, take Arab money for while it is convenient (really our own money anyway), and reboot the economy. Then the hard reality hits, that Arabs with their sharia banking are not our friends, so reboot and boot them out. Arabs don’t know how to work, so once our dependence on their oil is booted out, they will sink back into the same lethargy they always had, except when raiding and pirating, capturing slaves for ransom, how they really excel. Too bad, the world has changed, and that old raiding mentality of Mohammet’s Allah no longer works. Fail to adapt to this changed world, by creative and enterprising work, and you will be left behind to tend camels. Islam is not scary at all.
It is alarming that Gordon Brown is touted in the U.S. as having figured a way to solve the financial meltdown in the U.S., and that we should model our "solutions" after his. Question - what part of Brown's "solutions" involves the Saudis and kindred regimes in the ME? From what I have read making financial deals with the Saudis does not seem to be considered to be a problem here. I hope someone in Congress (but who?) demands that before any deals are struck the strings that go along with them are made available for public comment. Truly worrisome!
I have contacted the Alaska chapter of ACT to see if Sarah Palin can be enlisted in such an effort to demand transparency instead of rubber stamping on the part of Congress. She's not in Congress but can be guaranteed to attract the attention of the public if she decides to make a fuss.
I have argued elsewhere and on JW, that the USA must make any implementation of Sharia Law, including of course Sharia finance, a federal offense under the penalties of the laws governing treason. I have also urged JW members to write their Washington reps to demand action on criminalization of this evil subversion.
The Brits would do well to do the same, but I think they may have already let Islam in through all the doors and all the windows. In 1940 Winston and the Brits stood at the White Cliffs of Dover and the skys overhead and said "They shall not pass", or words to that effect; and they didn't. Where are the grandsons of that great generation?
Battle of Tour, america jobs went oversea as corporation want cheap labor like than chinese worker is paid than dine than hour. You being anti-islam is stopping change which is needed. I listern to than bunch of christian on the bus talking about drinking alchol, not working or learning in school, get girls pregeant without getting marry, and they donot care as the world will end soon and Christ will return. Since finish hight school in 1970 I have forgetten more than the kid are learning in public school. While than Islamist school is treaching our student basis knowlege like math, sciences than our student are scorce highter than public school on tests. The school is in the top 10% and is only 4 year old. Your people remark about muslim being dumd is out of line, I find more supid christian girls sent nudes pictures of thenself thought the internet an posting then on U Tude I hear.
Defenderofislam
You may have noticed that US jobs, or Western jobs never moved to countries like Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia or Iran, let alone countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrein, et al. Getting girls pregnant while young is a very Islamic trend, and 'marriage' is just a cover for this pedophilia. In Islam, the concept of marriage doesn't exist: what exists is nikah, or penetration. Even Western one night stands are superior, as it doesn't involve any subordination of women by men.
Jimmy Bones:
Where are the grandsons of that great generation?
They're in Parliament selling us out.
Defender of Islam wrote:
Since finish hight school in 1970 I have forgetten more than the kid are learning in public school.
.............
Well, if that is true we are, indeed, in deep trouble. I had always assumed that English was not your first language, and so overlooked the form--if not the content--of your posts. (If I were to post on a German-language board, I'm sure I'd make many egregious grammatical errors.)
Perhaps I was wrong in my assumptions, though--where did you attend "hight" school?