The Thamesmead Grump

the shame of the west

"A Steaming Pile of Nonsense". Ruth Davidson MP

Not in my name

Couldn't say it better myself. Ruth Davidson was referring to the decision by Whitehall that British flags will be flown at half mast to honour the passing of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the leader of one of the most vile and despicable regimes in the world.

Actually, I could say it better. It is a disgusting, sickening act of shameful hypocrisy.

Saudi Arabia is not a nice country. It's legal system belongs in the Dark Ages; women have the same status as animals and are routinely beheaded in the street. Beatings, floggings and mutilation are the usual punishments for things like political or religious dissention.

Much of the most poisonous forms of Radical Islam originate there. Osama Bin Laden was born there. Al-Qaida and ISIS receive most of their funding from Saudi Arabia. The massacre of Bahraini protesters in 2011 was largely carried out by Saudi troops hired out as mercenaries to the Bahrain government to crush the democratic uprising.

Corruption is endemic. the Police reputation for the torture of prisoners is well known. I could go on.

Our noble leader, David Cameron will be attending the parade of sycophantic hypocrites along with other world leaders paying homage to the great god of money. I don't know if they plan to stay around for the next public flogging of Raif Badawi. I wonder if Bernie Ecclestone is going.

I will be having more to say about this later when I have had time to think up some really rude words.

I have decided to edit this post as I think about the subject so if you are interested, you may want to come back to it from time to time.

I was considering other examples of political hypocrisy and I cannot think of a similar one except when the British team gave a Nazi salute in front of Adolph Hitler during the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.