Media is too big
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A British mercenary in Ukrainian trenches crowdfunding to purchase more drones, and weapons, for the Ukrainian army for 'attacks against Russians'....
Some extracts of a new article in the Spectator referencing sanctions, and my fight for justice.
Sanctions against Russia have backfired
Owen Matthews
Does a British government department have the right to punish individuals who have broken no laws on the basis of their political views? Are private companies allowed to discriminate against customers on the basis of their nationality alone? For the past two years, the answer to both these questions has been yes – if they have a connection to Russia.
This week the High Court will rule on the case of Graham Phillips, a former British civil servant who has lived in Russian–occupied Donbas for some years and who has become notorious for his video blogs reporting the war from the Russian point of view, including from the front lines. In July last year, the Foreign Office ruled that Phillips should be sanctioned for ‘supporting the Russian war by producing… propagandist video content’, freezing his bank accounts and preventing him from paying his mortgage without applying for special licence from the government (which he refuses to do).
I find Phillips’s pro-Kremlin views obnoxious and his reports blatantly one-sided. But being pro-Russian is not a crime in British law. We are not at war with Russia, nor is the Russian state a designated terrorist organisation. In a democracy, people should be free to be wrong. As the barrister Joshua Hitchens argued in a written submission to the court: ‘The power the [Foreign Secretary] claims to possess is expansive and unprecedented in modern British political and legal history.’
The crucial point in Phillips’s case against the British government is the question of the fundamental democratic values which we claim to be defending – and for which Ukrainians are fighting and dying. Collective punishment is profoundly alien to our legal culture, as is punishing people simply on the basis of their views, nationality or ethnicity. At a time when praising and loudly demonstrating for an actual terrorist organisation – Hamas – takes place on the streets of London with apparent impunity, how does the government justify punishing people for simply being Russian or, in Phillips’s case, for supporting Russia?
Sanctions against Russia have backfired
Owen Matthews
Does a British government department have the right to punish individuals who have broken no laws on the basis of their political views? Are private companies allowed to discriminate against customers on the basis of their nationality alone? For the past two years, the answer to both these questions has been yes – if they have a connection to Russia.
This week the High Court will rule on the case of Graham Phillips, a former British civil servant who has lived in Russian–occupied Donbas for some years and who has become notorious for his video blogs reporting the war from the Russian point of view, including from the front lines. In July last year, the Foreign Office ruled that Phillips should be sanctioned for ‘supporting the Russian war by producing… propagandist video content’, freezing his bank accounts and preventing him from paying his mortgage without applying for special licence from the government (which he refuses to do).
I find Phillips’s pro-Kremlin views obnoxious and his reports blatantly one-sided. But being pro-Russian is not a crime in British law. We are not at war with Russia, nor is the Russian state a designated terrorist organisation. In a democracy, people should be free to be wrong. As the barrister Joshua Hitchens argued in a written submission to the court: ‘The power the [Foreign Secretary] claims to possess is expansive and unprecedented in modern British political and legal history.’
The crucial point in Phillips’s case against the British government is the question of the fundamental democratic values which we claim to be defending – and for which Ukrainians are fighting and dying. Collective punishment is profoundly alien to our legal culture, as is punishing people simply on the basis of their views, nationality or ethnicity. At a time when praising and loudly demonstrating for an actual terrorist organisation – Hamas – takes place on the streets of London with apparent impunity, how does the government justify punishing people for simply being Russian or, in Phillips’s case, for supporting Russia?
Although my Rumble Re-uploading project is over, and we're onto new content, I shall still dip into the archives on occasion and hopefully find something to delight you.
Just so you know 😎
Just so you know 😎
On a Dutch theme, for you -
Theo van Gogh - His Life
https://rumble.com/v3xkrkv-theo-van-gogh-his-life.html
Theo van Gogh - His Death
https://rumble.com/v3xkw5g-theo-van-gosh-his-death.html
Theo van Gogh - His Life
https://rumble.com/v3xkrkv-theo-van-gogh-his-life.html
Theo van Gogh - His Death
https://rumble.com/v3xkw5g-theo-van-gosh-his-death.html
Rumble
Theo van Gogh - His Life
Filmed in 2016.
Forwarded from Intel Slava Z
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🇺🇦 The storm tore the largest flag of Ukraine in Kiev, the city administration of the Ukrainian capital reported
The Kiev city administration recalled that the height of the flagpole is almost 90 meters and its weight is 32 tons. The size of the flag is 16 by 24 meters.
The Kiev city administration recalled that the height of the flagpole is almost 90 meters and its weight is 32 tons. The size of the flag is 16 by 24 meters.
My new Donbass reportage for you!!!!
Donbass, Russia - First Year Students' Concert 2023!!
https://rumble.com/v3z20rp-donbass-russia-first-year-students-concert-2023.html
Donbass, Russia - First Year Students' Concert 2023!!
https://rumble.com/v3z20rp-donbass-russia-first-year-students-concert-2023.html
Rumble
Donbass, Russia - First Year Students' Concert 2023!!
New reportage for Rumble!
The headlines about NATO and Ukraine come thick and fast.... I've picked out just a couple for you, from September of this year, and then December, for information....
10 years ago, I was a working journalist in Ukraine, Odessa. However, if I'dve been UK Prime Minister then, I'dve said to Ukraine "You can either have a terrorist, neo-Nazi overthrow of a democratically elected Government and President. Or you can have all your territory. But, and this really is a very big but, you cannot, really cannot, have both."
Bit of discipline, logic, sentience - 100s of thousands of lives saved, 10 years of war and suffering averted.
Actual UK PM 10 years ago, now Foreign Secretary - Dodgy Dave.....
Bit of discipline, logic, sentience - 100s of thousands of lives saved, 10 years of war and suffering averted.
Actual UK PM 10 years ago, now Foreign Secretary - Dodgy Dave.....
The shelling of Donetsk by Ukrainian Nazis goes on.....
My new Donbass reportage from the week, in case you missed it, great to be able to do positive reportage!!
https://rumble.com/v3z20rp-donbass-russia-first-year-students-concert-2023.html
https://rumble.com/v3z20rp-donbass-russia-first-year-students-concert-2023.html
Rumble
Donbass, Russia - First Year Students' Concert 2023!!
New reportage for Rumble!
⚖️ ⚡️🇬🇧 Graham vs the UK Government
Shocking information came to the attention of my lawyers, that the judge in my case against UK Government sanctions, Justice Jonathan Swift, had held at least one secret meeting with the UK Government, in which my case had been discussed. This is a complete breach of protocol.
An extraordinary hearing was called today at the High Court in London, in which Justice Jonathan Swift agreed to step down from my case.
As a law-abiding person, I would like to express my deep disappointment in the conduct of both Justice Jonathan Swift and the UK Government.
My case now goes to a retrial.
Shocking information came to the attention of my lawyers, that the judge in my case against UK Government sanctions, Justice Jonathan Swift, had held at least one secret meeting with the UK Government, in which my case had been discussed. This is a complete breach of protocol.
An extraordinary hearing was called today at the High Court in London, in which Justice Jonathan Swift agreed to step down from my case.
As a law-abiding person, I would like to express my deep disappointment in the conduct of both Justice Jonathan Swift and the UK Government.
My case now goes to a retrial.
The UK risks losing its leadership role if it does not give Ukraine £2.6 billion in military aid, (former Defence Secretary) Ben Wallace warns
Politicians spending £2.6 billion of UK taxpayer money, with no benefit whatsoever for any British citizen, so someone else can say that they have a 'leadership role'. Perhaps give them a Gareth Keenan style badge also, saying 'Leader'....
Politicians spending £2.6 billion of UK taxpayer money, with no benefit whatsoever for any British citizen, so someone else can say that they have a 'leadership role'. Perhaps give them a Gareth Keenan style badge also, saying 'Leader'....
The Soul of Donbass!!! (Filmed in Lysychansk, December 2022)
A special video for you!!!
https://rumble.com/v3zwcgg-the-soul-of-donbass-filmed-in-lysychansk-december-2022.html
A special video for you!!!
https://rumble.com/v3zwcgg-the-soul-of-donbass-filmed-in-lysychansk-december-2022.html
Rumble
The Soul of Donbass!!! (Filmed in Lysychansk, December 2022)
Stay with me here on Rumble!!!
Everyone knows, including women themselves, that men don't like women commentators on men's football. I think it would be nice of the good women to perhaps confine their commentary to the women's game, which we're often told is 'surging in popularity', and just let us men enjoy our own football, with male commentators. Not forcing, no 'sexism', just a polite request 😇
My Longbridge 2019 video, now restored on Rumble. Because when YouTube took my channel down, they not only erased all my Donbass / Russia / Ukraine content, but all of my beloved Longbridge videos!!
https://rumble.com/v409g0v-longbridge-a-2019-visit.html
https://rumble.com/v409g0v-longbridge-a-2019-visit.html
Rumble
Longbridge: A 2019 Visit!
Thank you for joining me here on Rumble!