Labour Heartlands

09/12/2024

09/12/2024

Syria: The Orwellian Rebranding of Terrorists as Rebels

Syria has fallen to Islamist forces, the same extremists who have committed unspeakable atrocities across the Middle East.

Yet now, Western media outlets are rebranding these groups as “rebels,” conveniently ignoring their well-documented past.

Just weeks ago, these same individuals were called terrorists, a designation they still hold under UK, US, and international law. But because they’ve driven Assad from Syria, the narrative has shifted, and Western newspapers are busy rewriting their history in a disturbing display of Orwellian doublespeak. (They're chuking everything down the memory all don't worry Tony soon even the weapons of mass destruction and the invasion of Iraq won't have happened.)

Take Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), one of the most prominent groups in the fight against the Assad regime. Al-Jawlani is no stranger to extremism—he has a $10 million bounty on his head from the US State Department and leads an organisation still classified as a terrorist group. Yet today, he’s being painted as a hero by parts of the Western press.

The propaganda machine doesn’t outright deny the truth; instead, it offers just enough plausible framing to make you doubt your instincts. Suddenly, a man once linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS is hailed as a disciplined leader of a "nationalist" movement. The new caring 'Al-Qaeda' tge one that puts diversity and unity first and the liberals are lapping it up, as if it's true...

Let’s examine how this transformation is being sold:

1. Jawlani’s Past: Al-Jawlani broke ties with ISIS in 2012 and distanced HTS from al-Qaeda in 2016. While this may sound like a pivot, the fact remains that he fought alongside and learned from both organizations, and his group remains ideologically Islamist.

2. The Rebranding: Western outlets now describe HTS as blending Islamism with nationalism, framing their actions as part of a broader struggle for Syrian self-determination.

3. The Public Relations Move: After his forces seized Aleppo, Jawlani issued edicts calling for the protection of Christians and Shiites and stated that “diversity is our strength.” But is this a genuine shift or a calculated ploy to gain legitimacy and appease the West?

This rebranding is not only misleading but dangerous. By softening the image of groups like HTS, the media risks normalizing extremism and providing cover for their long-term ambitions, which remain deeply rooted in Islamist ideology.

Even the right-wingers in the US Senate like Rand Paul warned years ago:

> "I think it’s a huge mistake. I think regime change in Syria…you are going to give arms to the allies of al-Qaeda, to radical jihadists? That’s crazy.”

Paul’s words remain hauntingly relevant. Western intervention in Syria has not only destabilised the region but also elevated groups that were once unanimously condemned as terrorists. Now, as the media sanitises their image, the West risks compounding its mistakes by endorsing—or at least tolerating—their rise to power.

Let’s not be naive. A rebranded terrorist is still a terrorist, and any claims of moderation or newfound civility should be met with extreme scepticism. The tragedy of Syria is not just the devastation of war but the ease with which truth can be rewritten to serve political narratives.

I would be more than happy if the war stopped in Syria what I don't believe this is the last Bullet to be fired... in truth, it's the next step to a larger conflict Iran his next...



Paul Knaggs, Labour Heartlands

08/12/2024

Funny old world. Turns out Al-Qaeda have been the good guys all along... now they've taken Syria, we're told they've become the ambassadors of diversity and inclusion. Go figure!

08/12/2024

Have you seen this man...

08/12/2024

Remembering John Lennon ♥️
Assassinated on this day in 1980, aged just 40.

John Lennon was a man of contradictions. He was a voice for a generation —complex, imperfect, and deeply human—but undeniably a monumental figure in music and culture.

As a founding member of The Beatles, he shaped the soundtrack of a generation, but his legacy goes far beyond the music. Lennon became a voice for peace, a staunch advocate for nonviolence, and a campaigner against war.

Through his words and actions, Lennon challenged the establishment, calling out the absurdities of power and the senseless destruction wrought by conflict. Songs like Imagine and Give Peace a Chance have become anthems of hope, resonating with those who dream of a world where compassion triumphs over violence.

In an out of 'The Beatles', his music shaped culture, inspired millions, and broke boundaries. Lennon became an outspoken advocate for peace, courageously campaigning against war at a time when dissent was met with hostility by government, pretty much as it is now. His activism, whether through iconic acts like the “Bed-Ins for Peace” or the anthem Imagine, challenged the status quo and called on humanity to dream of a better world.

Though not without flaws, Lennon’s unwavering belief in the power of love and peace resonates today. In a world still riddled with conflict, his message feels as urgent and necessary as ever. Imagine a world without him—it’s impossible to deny the void his loss left behind.

His loss was not just the silencing of an artist but the extinguishing of a voice that dared to dream of a better world. At just 40 years old, his life and potential were tragically cut short, leaving us to wonder what more he could have achieved.

Today, as we remember John Lennon, let us honour his legacy not only by revisiting his music but also by embodying his message. In a world still rife with division and war, Lennon's call for peace remains as urgent and necessary as ever.

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”

08/12/2024

Remarkably, the Anti War Romanian leading the presidential race, has been barred from standing after already winning the first round.
EU and NATO democratic values on full display. - Chay Bowes

08/12/2024

Labour’s A&E Pledge Abandoned: Patients Left Waiting as Promises Collapse

Downing Street said on Friday it could not guarantee the A&E target would be met within Keir Starmer's first term

Labour has quietly abandoned its headline pledge to restore A&E performance standards within its first term, exposing the yawning chasm between electoral rhetoric and governmental reality.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s unequivocal commitment in June—that Labour would return to treating 95% of A&E patients within four hours by 2029—now lies in tatters. Downing Street’s mealy-mouthed response reveals the brutal truth: another promise consigned to the dustbin of political expediency.

Read more...

https://labourheartlands.com/labours-ae-pledge-abandoned-patients-left-waiting-as-promises-collapse/

Labour Backtracks on A&E Promise: Another Hollow Pledge Crumbles...

07/12/2024

🚨MATT KENNARD SLAMS WESTERN MEDIA'S FAWNING COVERAGE OF AL QAEDA IN SYRIA🇸🇾

'Al Qaeda now, which is rebranded as HTS in Syria, it's useful to us now because we have been trying to overthrow the Assad government for over 10 years...as soon as they become useful to us, we rehabilitate them and propagandise for them.

Matt Kennard: 'Imagine if you told someone that in October 2001 in America, that 23 years later, we're going to have mainstream media actually talking about Al Qaeda as a good thing, about how they can bring in a new Syria after a decade of war. It's preposterous.'

Matt Kennard: On Western mainstream media's revamped Syria propaganda, as Al Qaeda extremists rampage across Syria in the reactivated dirty war against the country

FULL INTERVIEW: https://rumble.com/v5wmnvw-matt-kennard-exposes-western-media-propaganda-about-syria-and-uks-role-in-g.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp

07/12/2024

Happy birthday Noam Chomsky
Here's a little of his work...
Chomsky on Starmer: He’s Returning The Labour Party to a Party That’s Reliably Obedient to Power, That Will be Thatcher-lite in The Style of Tony Blair...
Read more...
https://labourheartlands.com/chomsky-on-starmer-hes-returning-the-labour-party-to-a-party-thats-reliably-obedient-to-power-that-will-be-thatcher-lite-in-the-style-of-tony-blair/

During the interview, Chomsky, who is himself a Left-wing activist and has constantly kept himself abreast of British politics particular the fight for working-class emancipation, singled out Sir Keir Starmer

07/12/2024

I keep getting restrictions and bans on Facebook for the most trivial things. Honestly, it feels like the algorithm assumes I’ve read comments with the "wrong attitude" and slaps me with an hour’s restriction just for existing.

And today? Today, I’m getting warnings for posting videos about an event to protest Julian Assange’s incarceration. That’s right—apparently, standing up for press freedom and the right to dissent is now a suspicious activity.
But worst it was an event to protest his realise way back in. 2021.

Not only that but the campaign to affectively finished on 24 June 2024 after Julian Assange was released. I suppose that removing these post is tandemount to chucking history down the "memory hole" as if it never happened.

Tell me we’re not marching straight into the pages of "1984". Big Tech’s Thought Police seem to be working overtime, deciding what’s acceptable speech and what’s not, punishing even the slightest deviation from their unwritten rules. It’s less a community guideline and more a digital dictatorship.

The irony, of course, is staggering: the very platforms that claim to champion free expression are censoring discussions about the man who exposed governments for censoring the truth. You couldn’t make this up.

How long before we're all Winston Smith, rewriting history one flagged post at a time? Or worse, learning to self-censor just to avoid the algorithm’s wrath? Because that’s where we’re headed. Forget Orwell’s "1984"—this is Silicon Valley 2024.

Paul Knaggs, Labour Heartlands

07/12/2024

Warm Homes, Cold Hearts: MPs Claim £300,000 For Energy Bills Amid Winter Fuel Payment Cut

The Energy Hypocrisy: Labour Ministers Claim Hundreds of Thousands as Pensioners Struggle

Thirty-six Labour ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, have charged taxpayers for their second home energy costs. The average claim? A comfortable £1,080—three times more than pensioners received in winter fuel payments.

This isn’t just an accounting issue. It’s a moral indictment.

These are the same MPs who slashed winter fuel support for over 10 million pensioners, now warming themselves at taxpayer expense. Thirteen cabinet members who voted to cut pensioner heating support have themselves claimed energy expenses—a breathtaking display of bureaucratic detachment.

A Labour Party source said MPs needed appropriate financial support to prevent only wealthy politicians running for Parliament.

Let’s be clear: MPs now earn £91,346 annually, plus expenses. Their basic salary is triple the average UK wage. Yet they still demand additional support for their domestic comfort.

Fuel poverty campaigners are right—these claims don’t “pass the smell test”. They reveal a political class fundamentally disconnected from the struggles of ordinary people.

Read more...

https://labourheartlands.com/warm-homes-cold-hearts/

Thirty-six Labour ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, have charged taxpayers for their second home energy costs. The average claim? A comfortable

06/12/2024

It's the cows, I'm telling you...

06/12/2024

EU Democracy

06/12/2024

This winter...

06/12/2024

High Interest Rates: Who Really Benefits?

The UK’s national debt has fallen by a staggering £1.5 trillion in a single year, according to the latest Whole of Government Accounts. At first glance, this seems like a fiscal miracle, driven by higher interest rates reducing the cost of future pension liabilities. But beneath the surface lies a harsh truth: the economic system disproportionately benefits big business, banks, investors, and even the government, while ordinary workers bear the brunt of the fallout.

The Winners of High Interest Rates...

Higher interest rates boost profits for financial institutions, which thrive on increased margins from loans, mortgages, and credit products. Investors and pension funds also gain, enjoying greater returns on their savings and assets. Even the government reaps unexpected rewards, with recalculated debt figures and net interest income creating the illusion of fiscal health.

These benefits create a positive feedback loop for the so-called elite:

Banks and Investors secure higher profits, consolidating their wealth.
Governments tout reduced debt figures, claiming economic competence.
Big Businesses often pass on costs to consumers, ensuring their bottom lines remain untouched.

In February 2024 it was reported the big Four UK banks — Lloyds, NatWest, Barclays and HSBC — announced pre-tax profits of £44.3 billion – an average of 66 per cent higher than their profits in 2018. Barclays had the highest percentage increase in profits, which have risen 88 per cent, from £3.5 billion to £6.6 billion. These figures are expected to be even higher come year-end. All this for doing nothing but rake in the money from higher interest rates.

But where does this leave the average worker?

The Human Cost: An Economy Built on Inequality...

For millions of ordinary people, higher interest rates are nothing short of a financial straitjacket. Mortgages, rents, and personal loans become more expensive, compounding the already dire pressures of the cost-of-living crisis. Workers face stagnating wages and soaring bills, making it impossible to keep up. Meanwhile, landlords and creditors tighten the screws, extracting wealth from struggling households.

This isn’t just economic injustice—it’s systemic exploitation. The tools of fiscal management, like interest rate hikes, are wielded to stabilise markets and protect the financial elite, while the same mechanisms deepen inequality and entrench poverty.

A Misleading Narrative on Debt...

The government’s reframing of the national debt as “under control” masks a deeper problem: the economic system isn’t designed to prioritize the well-being of ordinary people. Instead of reinvesting its fiscal “windfall” in public services, housing, or energy solutions, the government clings to austerity-driven policies. This perpetuates a cycle where the most vulnerable continue to struggle while the wealthiest grow richer.

A Broken System...

The fall in national debt and the fiscal gains from higher interest rates might look good on paper, but they tell a story of deep economic imbalance. The financial elite and the government celebrate their windfall, while working people are left with rising rents, crippling loans, and the daily stress of making ends meet.

This system isn’t inevitable—it’s a choice. And until the government chooses to prioritize people over profits, the benefits of economic policy will remain skewed, and the cost-of-living crisis will only deepen. It’s time for a new approach—one that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

Paul Knaggs

If you want a better understanding visit Richard Murthy at https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/11/29/the-governments-latest-accounts-show-its-debts-fallen-massively/