Ganley and the mad mullahs

i can't see the pan European thread so posting new one. Some insights into Ganley

Quote :

"The storm is gathering apace, it will present itself with spectacular effect in the cities of the west soon enough,

Irish Examiner
September 25, 2008 Thursday
Ganley: Mullahs are laughing behind closed doors

SECTION: IRELAND

LENGTH: 582 words


The anti-Lisbon campaigner, whose company, Rivada Networks, has lucrative
contracts with the US military, warned of the consequences of an
American pullout from Iraq, saying it would hand a "truly historic" victory to the Islamic radicals.
"This is not Vietnam, it's much more serious," Mr Ganley wrote in the 2006 paper. "Regardless of the historic reasons, the fact remains that Iraq
is the main battleground of Islamic radicalism against the west. The
Islamists themselves have said so plenty of times. They are shortly to
be handed a victory quite unlike any seen for Islamist forces for
centuries."
The knock-on effect would be seen
through the Middle East, he predicted, and a fallback to standard
diplomacy would be of little use.
"As the US and
Europe start yet another round of dialogue with Syria and Iran, the
Mullahs are rolling around laughing behind closed doors - they did not
cave in when we had leverage, now they will declare 'the Emperor has no
clothes'," Mr Ganley added.
Iran
was "near guaranteed" to acquire nuclear weapons with little real
resistance, "save for at worst a few impotent 'look tough' Cruise
missile strikes or 'surgical raids' for the benefit of CNN and Fox News
viewers, even these options being hampered by a delusional Vladimir
Putin happily selling Russian anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran,"
Mr Ganley wrote.
"The fact is that, if Iraq
and Iran were to be tamed and security risks eliminated, full
mobilisation for war would have to be carried out, complete with
drafts, rationing and all of what Churchill referred to as the 'blood,
toil, tears and sweat' that it takes to secure overwhelming victory.
"The
Islamic radicals look at the western world and discern that we are too
'relative', unwilling to sacrifice, decadent, lacking real belief in a
cause, devoid of faith and what they consider too weak to go the
distance."
As the pullout from Iraq commenced, the radicals' confidence would be emboldened, he said.
"The storm is gathering apace, it will present itself with spectacular effect in the cities of the west soon enough," Mr Ganley wrote.
"So,
given that the admirably peace-loving, civilised and educated peoples
of the western world have overwhelmingly shown that they do not wish to
join the struggle in which radical Islam would have us engage, what can
we do to offset the risk that they won't have the decency to leave us
alone because we don't want to argue the point their way?" he asked.
One
answer - and the topic of the paper - was for the west to cut its
dependence on Middle Eastern oil and gas. "We may end up discovering
that the recipients of our energy euro and dollars become outright
enemies of everything we stand for."
Mr Ganley
wrote the paper in August 2006 as an addendum to the report on that
year's "Forum on Public Safety in Europe and North America", a
conference his company held in the University of Limerick to discuss
global security issues.
The report was distributed
to a number of governments but not published publicly, according to the
forum's website. However, the paper has since been made available on
Libertas's website.
The paper came at a time when the White House was awaiting recommendations from the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which reported in December 2006.
The Study Group recommended a phased withdrawal from Iraq and a renewed diplomatic push to halt the violence in the country.
But in the end, US President George W Bush ignored the study group's recommendations and sent more troops to Iraq.

This is interesting re policy and gaols of Ganley. he is spreading a message of fear.

Mr Ganley wrote.
"The fact is that, if Iraq
and Iran were to be tamed and security risks eliminated, full
mobilisation for war would have to be carried out, complete with
drafts, rationing and all of what Churchill referred to as the 'blood,
toil, tears and sweat' that it takes to secure overwhelming victory.
"The
Islamic radicals look at the western world and discern that we are too
'relative', unwilling to sacrifice, decadent, lacking real belief in a
cause, devoid of faith and what they consider too weak to go the
distance."

First Ganley thread of the year. Is it the 7th already?

That exciting piece of writing was originally on the Libertas Institute website - the only piece of writing ever produced by the Institute, so far as I remember.

Yes. The way that the people of Gaza are ruthlessly attacking Israeli tank shells and bunker buster bombs with the bodies of their children must be shocking to
"the peace loving people of the west".

Quote :

"We may end up discovering
that the recipients of our energy euro and dollars become outright
enemies of everything we stand for."

Problem is Libertas will stand for anything that gets their asses in the door.

cactus flower wrote:

That exciting piece of writing was originally on the Libertas Institute website - the only piece of writing ever produced by the Institute, so far as I remember.

You might want to get one of those brain training nintendo things so. There was also the Libertas Energy Iniative (you might like to know the incoming Obama Administration have made a similar proposal) You may also not remember an event last lear which caused a small organisation to shift it'd focus and resources, it was a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

studiorat wrote:

Quote :

"We may end up discovering
that the recipients of our energy euro and dollars become outright
enemies of everything we stand for."

Problem is Libertas will stand for anything that gets their asses in the door.

A statement which is based on nothing but your own unfounded beliefs.

cookiemonster wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

That exciting piece of writing was originally on the Libertas Institute website - the only piece of writing ever produced by the Institute, so far as I remember.

You might want to get one of those brain training nintendo things so. There was also the Libertas Energy Iniative (you might like to know the incoming Obama Administration have made a similar proposal) You may also not remember an event last lear which caused a small organisation to shift it'd focus and resources, it was a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Your absolutely right about the Energy piece. I remember it well. It was less than a page long and said we should be energy self sufficient and there should be lots of grants and tax breaks. It was so insubstantial that I didn't count it as a full-blown "Work of the Institute", but stand corrected.

Ganley is yesterdays news, like the above article.

Because we screwed up our economy and our government finances, the treaty will be passed in November. We really need the EU now its our only hope! I was talking to a few no voters over the Christmas five said they will now vote yes now in November, only one yes voter said he would now vote no. Has any one else found the same?

Art wrote:

Ganley is yesterdays news, like the above article.

Because we screwed up our economy and our government finances, the treaty will be passed in November. We really need the EU now its our only hope! I was talking to a few no voters over the Christmas five said they will now vote yes now in November, only one yes voter said he would now vote no. Has any one else found the same?

I find a great uncertainty out there. In the main, people are as you say more worried about the economy than anything else at the moment.

I also find reading across european sources tiredness and despondency about Lisbon on the Yes side outside Ireland, following Ireland's no vote and the Czech refusal to ratify. There is open dismissiveness of the Czech's "ability to handle the Presidency", after the de trop statement on Gaza. Sarkozy still seems to be in charge. One begins to hear more of divergent approaches between the UK, France and Germany, and less of togetherness. The smaller peripheral countries are in agonies economically. The EU at this stage is also probably more worried about the future of the Euro than it is about Lisbon.

cactus flower wrote:

I also find reading across european sources tiredness and despondency about Lisbon on the Yes side outside Ireland, following Ireland's no vote and the Czech refusal to ratify. There is open dismissiveness of the Czech's "ability to handle the Presidency", after the de trop statement on Gaza. Sarkozy still seems to be in charge. One begins to hear more of divergent approaches between the UK, France and Germany, and less of togetherness. The smaller peripheral countries are in agonies economically. The EU at this stage is also probably more worried about the future of the Euro than it is about Lisbon.

I'd be a bit more upbeat about the view across Europe myself, but then I'm in contact with people in PES parties directly. Maybe you're right and that positive view is not reflected elsewhere in the European discuorse. You are right, however, on the expectations for the Czech presidency. After being slapped down for their spokesperson's truly dreadful statement on the Israeli assault on Gaza, the Czech government now has to contend with the rambling, incoherent nonsense that their President Vaclav Klaus has had published in today's Financial Times

Here's an edited selection of the dinosaur president's thoughts:

Quote :

The global climate is basically not changing, but global warming alarmists have succeeded in persuading politicians (and some ordinary people as well) that a doomsday is coming and on this false assumption they have tried to restrain our freedom and curtail our prosperity.

The economic crisis should be regarded as an unavoidable consequence and hence a “just” price we have to pay for immodest and over-confident politicians playing with the market. Their attempts to blame the market, instead of blaming themselves, are unacceptable and should be resolutely rejected ... Radically changing regulation governing financial institutions in the midst of recession is counterproductive.

It would be much more helpful, however, to have a great reduction in all kinds of restrictions on private initiatives introduced in the last half a century during the era of the brave new world of the “social and ecological market economy”. The best thing to do now would be temporarily to weaken, if not repeal, various labour, environmental, social, health and other “standards”, because they block rational human activity more than anything else.

By the looks of it and what we know about Ganley's quixotic views, himself and Vaclav are truly made for each other.

Righto, so, looks like Mr Ganley was being truly disingenuous when his arm of the NO campaign was telling people our neutrality was under threat.

Given his rather war mongering stance above (sadly, he may be right about at least some of it), it would appear that Mr Ganley and his merry men may in fact be a bigger threat to our neutrality than the Lisbon treaty.

Let's face it, given what he is saying above, if, very hypothetically, we made him Minister for "defence" tomorrow, we'd be in Nato faster than you could say "constitutional referenum"

Hypocrite! Mind you, what do you expect from a far right libertarian who made at least some of his moolah supplying the Pentagon?

expat girl wrote:

Righto, so, looks like Mr Ganley was being truly disingenuous when his arm of the NO campaign was telling people our neutrality was under threat

When did he ever say that?

Quote :

Given his rather war mongering stance above (sadly, he may be right about at least some of it), it would appear that Mr Ganley and his merry men may in fact be a bigger threat to our neutrality than the Lisbon treaty.

Regardless of his views, Mr Ganley will not, I imagine, even be in a position to wage war under an Irish flag. As I see it, the biggest threat to our "neutrality" is the current irish Government and their behaviour over Shannon. Though it seems Enda Kenny also has differing views on Neutrality too.

Quote :

Let's face it, given what he is saying above, if, very hypothetically, we made him Minister for "defence" tomorrow, we'd be in Nato faster than you could say "constitutional referenum"

Is him being made minister for Defence likely?

[/quote]Hypocrite![/quote]
Why?

Quote :

Mind you, what do you expect from a far right libertarian who made at least some of his moolah supplying the Pentagon?

Right...

There were Libertas leaflets through the door which suggested neutrality was under threat if we voted yes for Lisbon. And they suggested that in a much less subtle way than I am stating here.

cactus flower wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

That exciting piece of writing was originally on the Libertas Institute website - the only piece of writing ever produced by the Institute, so far as I remember.

You might want to get one of those brain training nintendo things so. There was also the Libertas Energy Iniative (you might like to know the incoming Obama Administration have made a similar proposal) You may also not remember an event last lear which caused a small organisation to shift it'd focus and resources, it was a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Your absolutely right about the Energy piece. I remember it well. It was less than a page long and said we should be energy self sufficient and there should be lots of grants and tax breaks. It was so insubstantial that I didn't count it as a full-blown "Work of the Institute", but stand corrected.

cactus flower wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

That exciting piece of writing was originally on the Libertas Institute website - the only piece of writing ever produced by the Institute, so far as I remember.

You might want to get one of those brain training nintendo things so. There was also the Libertas Energy Iniative (you might like to know the incoming Obama Administration have made a similar proposal) You may also not remember an event last lear which caused a small organisation to shift it'd focus and resources, it was a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Your absolutely right about the Energy piece. I remember it well. It was less than a page long and said we should be energy self sufficient and there should be lots of grants and tax breaks. It was so insubstantial that I didn't count it as a full-blown "Work of the Institute", but stand corrected.

There was also stuff written by Dr Jana Hybášková, MEP and some further pieces written by Declan Ganley.

And more than a page on the Energy Initive...

Quote :

The Libertas Energy Initiative - Energy Dependency
European Energy Statistics
According to a Eurostat report on September 21st 2006, the total amount of energy required to meet the demand of the EU25 in 2005 was 1.637 billion tonnes of oil equivalent. However, EU25 production of all sources of energy fell by 4.2% in 2005, resulting in an increase in net imports of 4.5%. As a consequence, the EU25 depended on imports for 56% of its energy needs. Energy imports were dominated by oil and gas, accounting for around 60% and 25% respectively of the EU25's net imports. Net imports of crude oil and oil products to the EU25 rose by 2.9% in 2005 compared to 2004, while net imports of gas rose by 9.2%.

Between 1995 and 2004 energy consumption in the EU25 rose by 11%, production fell by 2%, and net imports rose by 29%. In 1995 the energy dependence rate stood at 44%. In 2005, that dependence rate had risen to 56% and is increasing rapidly on an annual basis.

Exposure Caused by Dependency

It is abundantly clear from these statistics that, as the world’s biggest importer, Europe is dangerously dependent on oil and gas imported from outside the bloc. This dependency poses serious risks for Europe’s future at a fundamental level both in terms of the effects of climate change caused by Co2 emissions and the threat to its economic and physical security. Nonetheless, Europeans can turn this threat into an historic opportunity to lead the world in energy innovation, promote greater global stability and ensure an economically and environmentally secure future for their children

From here: http://web.archive.org/web/20080122123933/www.libertas.org/content/view/186/105/

Quote :

The Libertas Energy Initiative - Innovation - Lessons Learnt
Communications Innovation

We unfortunately have not progressed in energy as we have in other industries. The communications industry, for example, has evolved through multiple technology revolutions, expanded its services significantly and created millions of new jobs world wide, while prices for communications services have plummeted. In twenty years, we have experienced communications revolutions taking us from expensive, analogue land line service to cheap, high speed, broadband, wireless voice and data.

Indolence of Incumbents

What happened to energy? One can hear OPEC and the oil and gas concerns peddle their rapid fire excuses; however, the answer is simple – it’s called indolence. Indolence is the sclerosis that afflicted the communications industry before it faced serious competition. Competition, along with entrepreneurial innovation, revolutionized an industry that was once mired in monopoly. We now have Vodafone, Sprint, Vonage, Google, Yahoo, Nokia, Verizon, among others. We’ve also witnessed the tremendous growth in related hardware and software sectors. What a deal for the consumer. What a boost for the global economy.

Lessons Learned from Communications

We condemn ourselves if we do not rapidly create a new energy paradigm. As a communications entrepreneur, as I consider our energy dilemma, I believe that we can learn a great deal from the communications industry. Utilizing the lessons from the communications revolutions, I believe that we can reach energy security by harnessing one of our greatest assets – entrepreneurship – to revolutionize the way that we acquire and use energy. Through this asset, we can break our petroleum dependence and stimulate innovation and job creation with significant political and environmental dividends.

Breakup of Communications Incumbents

Several landmark initiatives sparked the recent communications revolutions. In the US, Judge Green’s ruling to break up AT&T was certainly one, but even more significant was an uncommonly good idea employed in Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Several European governments decided to reinvigorate the communications industry by granting wireless phone licenses to newcomers, bypassing the incumbents. This decision opened the marketplace to new and innovative players. Remarkably, these governments resisted the temptation to reap a windfall tax, and instead of selling the licences to the highest bidder, they awarded them through a competition to those applicants who could credibly commit to the widest coverage, fastest rollout, best services and applications, and lowest tariffs. There may have been a few less than perfect decisions but, by and large, the policy was a raging success. The incumbents, after years of pretending to innovate, were suddenly forced into a new paradigm.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080122130919/www.libertas.org/content/view/187/106/

Quote :

The Libertas Energy Initiative - European Energy Innovation Fund
New Energy Paradigm

So how do we create a new energy paradigm to promote energy alternatives? We need to create a new energy alternatives competition, and in this competition, engage the entrepreneurs of our time. Governments should levy big oil and gas access to consumers, thereby redirecting a portion of the tremendous wealth that we transfer to oil and gas concerns.

European Energy Innovation Fund

The Libertas Institute proposes the establishment of a European Energy Innovation Fund which will award licenses and matching funding to a limited number of new carbon neutral entrants to the energy market with the best proposals for carbon-neutral production of electricity, transport fuels and heating judged on criteria including, but not limited to, technological innovation, cost to consumers and fastest and most efficient rollout.


Funding Through CO2 Allowance Auctions

The European Energy Innovation Fund could be endowed with a portion of the proceeds of the European member state auctions of CO2 emissions allowances. In the period between 2005 and 2007, some 6.5 billion tonnes worth of allowances were allocated by national governments. At a projected mean price of €30 per tonne between 2008 and 2012, the member states could theoretically raise around €200 billion from these auctions, of which just 10% could provide a fund of €20 billion for European Energy Innovation.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080122130832/www.libertas.org/content/view/188/107/

Quote :

The Libertas Energy Initiative - Benefits & Conclusion
Benefits

1. Delivery of greater economic security, stability and growth to Europe through the establishment of new independent, sustainable and secure sources of energy.

2. Stimulation and support of indigenous European entrepreneurship and a means to position Europe as a global leader in energy innovation and environmental protection.

3. Helping Europe to break its massive dependence on oil and gas imports.

4. A means to address the negative impact of Co2 emissions and greenhouses gases responsible for climate change and achieve the stated European Commission target of a reduction by 20% of CO2 levels by 2020.

5. A means to stimulate genuine competition in the energy market by levelling the playing field for new entrants with carbon-neutral technology.

6. A means to deliver lower energy prices to European consumers, industry and business thereby increasing European competitiveness.


Conclusion

If we are brave and pursue this path, twenty years from now, we will have produced a number of major non-petroleum and gas energy players. The likely spin-offs in job creation and significant political and environmental benefits will have to be seen to be believed. As a consequence, we will have revolutionized energy, made history and taken major steps towards energy security and towards breaking our petroleum habit. In so many respects, the world might breathe a little more freely. To borrow a line from the Irish Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney, we can make “hope and history rhyme”.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080122130810/www.libertas.org/content/view/190/109/

Quote :

The Libertas Energy Initiative - News and Updates
News and Updates
In May 2007 at the European Growth Summit hosted by Europe’s 500 Entrepreneurs for Growth and IESE Business School in Barcelona, the principles of this proposal were welcomed by a panel of some of the world’s leading scientists and entrepreneurs in the fields of clean fuels, wind energy, solar power and geothermal energy generation.

In October 2007, the Libertas Energy Initiative was presented to the EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs by Mr. Bogdan Klich MEP (Now Minister of Defence of Poland) and Jana Hybaskova MEP. The Commissioner responded very positively to the plan describing it as: “a very good and timely” initiative and recommended that it be laid before the European Parliament as part of its debates on Phase Two of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

In November 26th 2007, Libertas founder and President, Declan Ganley was invited by Polish Minister for National Defence, Mr. Bogdan Klich to present the Energy Initiative to a special conference on energy security in Krakow, Poland hosted by the Institute of Strategic Affairs. Mr. Ganley opened his presentation by providing a stark context for the conference’s discussions which drew on the recent OPEC meeting in Riyadh at which Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called for the use of their control of oil supply as a political weapon to wield against the Western world.

Early in 2008, the European Commission will propose a new renewable energy Directive designed to increase the share of renewable energy produced in the EU. At the same time the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) will be amended so as to increase the use of allocation by auctioning. Libertas is currently reviewing its European Energy Innovation Fund and will press the European Parliament, the Commission and the member state governments to ringfence some of the proceeds of these auctions to endow the fund as a matter of national priority. Libertas will also present its Energy Initiative to the European Parliament and its relevant committees as part of their debate on Phase Two of the EU-ETS early in 2008.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080122124702/www.libertas.org/content/view/217/125/

So you obviously don't remember it that well.

A4 or foolscap ?

0.06 X 0.46 is unlikely to make that much difference...

Cookiemonster were the russkis bad to little Declan? he decries Putin for getting in the way of surgical strikes on Iran. What a boy. Semper Fi

Quote :

Mr Ganley added.
Iran
was "near guaranteed" to acquire nuclear weapons with little real
resistance, "save for at worst a few impotent 'look tough' Cruise
missile strikes or 'surgical raids' for the benefit of CNN and Fox News
viewers, even these options being hampered by a delusional Vladimir
Putin happily selling Russian anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran,"

Coookiemonster was your/Libertas support of Lisbion No campaign in any way associated with Declan Ganley's business links with a former Sinn Fein VP?
What are Libertas's aims re the north?

Do Libertas and their sister (on Lisbon at least) party Sinn Fein have any further plans to collaborate together on policies?

Frightened Albanian wrote:

Coookiemonster was your/Libertas support of Lisbion No campaign in any way associated with Declan Ganley's business links with a former Sinn Fein VP?

My support for Libertas No to Lisbon Campaign was associated with my opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. The Libertas No to Lisbon campaign was associated with Libertas's opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. SF has their own vehicle which they used very effectively.

Quote :

What are Libertas'saims re the north?

Obviously it will also be part of The Most Glorious Nation of Greater Ganlania once the takeover is complete.

Quote :

Do Libertas and their sister (on Lisbon at least) party Sinn Fein have any further plans to sollaborate together on policies?

Sister party? "sollaborate"? WTF?

Would it be correct to assume that Libertas is opposed to Turkey joining the EU?

cactus flower wrote:

Would it be correct to assume that Libertas is opposed to Turkey joining the EU?

No idea.

The question was Would Libertas tollaborate SF and it is a good question.

cookiemonster wrote:

Frightened Albanian wrote:

Coookiemonster was your/Libertas support of Lisbion No campaign in any way associated with Declan Ganley's business links with a former Sinn Fein VP?

My support for Libertas No to Lisbon Campaign was associated with my opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. The Libertas No to Lisbon campaign was associated with Libertas's opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. SF has their own vehicle which they used very effectively.

Quote :

What are Libertas'saims re the north?

Obviously it will also be part of The Most Glorious Nation of Greater Ganlania once the takeover is complete.

Quote :

Do Libertas and their sister (on Lisbon at least) party Sinn Fein have any further plans to sollaborate together on policies?

Sister party? "sollaborate"? WTF?

But Ganley being in business with a former VP of Sinn Fein who also had interests in Bulgaria? Does this add anything to the Ganley Sinn Fein collaboration on Lisbon?


Was the Anglo Adriatic cash stored in wheelie bins ever?

Frightened Albanian wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

Frightened Albanian wrote:

Coookiemonster was your/Libertas support of Lisbion No campaign in any way associated with Declan Ganley's business links with a former Sinn Fein VP?

My support for Libertas No to Lisbon Campaign was associated with my opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. The Libertas No to Lisbon campaign was associated with Libertas's opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. SF has their own vehicle which they used very effectively.

Quote :

What are Libertas'saims re the north?

Obviously it will also be part of The Most Glorious Nation of Greater Ganlania once the takeover is complete.

Quote :

Do Libertas and their sister (on Lisbon at least) party Sinn Fein have any further plans to sollaborate together on policies?

Sister party? "sollaborate"? WTF?

But Ganley being in business with a former VP of Sinn Fein who also had interests in Bulgaria? Does this add anything to the Ganley Sinn Fein collaboration on Lisbon?

Both Libertas and SF opposed the Lisbon Treaty. If you call that collaboration you have a very distorted view of the word.

Quote :

Was the Anglo Adriatic cash stored in wheelie bins ever?

Of course.