Harry's Place

Talibanette… nice. But I still don’t see why you bother with irrelevant imbeciles like her; there are plenty of relevant imbeciles in the present crisis.

The dream dies hard but it dies, nonetheless.

“Left” and “Right” are irrelevant markers from a bygone era.

You can’t argue with the likes of Yvonne Ridley any more than you can with the likes of Nick Griffin.

Get a clue, Harry’s Place. The vast majority of people, the world over, are eminently intelligent, sane, non-partisan and non-ideological.

You should write for them, and quit worrying the toilet/sewage system in your First World Leftist ideological ghetto.

“The vast majority of people, the world over, are eminently intelligent, sane, non-partisan and non-ideological. ”

I don’t think is remotely true.

I am starting to agree with this site that there is no left-right distinction anymore, only those that want to prevent bloodshed and those that are sexually excited by it. The Iranian Govt no longer belongs to the first camp (though it is debatable they ever belonged because of the death penalty)

“The vast majority of people, the world over, are eminently intelligent, sane, non-partisan and non-ideological. ”

I don’t think is remotely true.

Sure you Bozo, just admit you fear the people and oppose democracy.

After that, admit that you are such a narcissist, you actually think you aren’t required to make an argument.

Only morons are non-partisan and non-ideological.

Brennan says:

“Only morons are non-partisan and non-ideological.”

What is the chance Brennan is not Left-wingey?

Zero.

Ah, Yvonne al-Ridley al-Stockholm al-Syndrome speaks! The normal half-baked bollocks, laced with utterly delusional bullshit, I see.

Ridley’s performances on Press TV are such rubbish, one can almost hear the winces from the crew as she asks one incredibly weak or unchallenging question after another, or launches into one of her now infamous incoherent babbles about nothing-in-particular.

Of course, the fact that a weather presenter from Points West might achieve a more searing inquisition of guests than achieved ever by Ridley has absolutely nothing to do with the reason why al-Jazeera sacked the silly bitch.

The Stockholm-Syndrome Talibanette is quite a fan of Admadinejad! But then she’s always liked a bit of rough from bearded misogynistic fanatics.

She says that “journalists are often mere accomplices or tools for darker forces”; well, certainly in her case this could be argued to be true (along with fellow loon and cartoon-TV presenter, Galloway).

Stockholm syndrome.

Stockholm syndrome is a misogynistic urban legend, read:

www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119385981/abstract

BiffLarkin:

You are obviously partisan and under the influence of some kind of ideology.

Clearly you are not a moron!

But I dispute your claim to eminent intelligence and sanity.

I am starting to agree with this site that there is no left-right distinction anymore, only those that want to prevent bloodshed and those that are sexually excited by it. The Iranian Govt no longer belongs to the first camp (though it is debatable they ever belonged because of the death penalty)

I would like to suggest that there be a standard for intelligence on this site. Roughly, mental deficients used to be classified into morons, imbeciles and idiots. Read that quote again; clearly Ex-Fallujahn is at best an imbecile, can we agree that he doesn’t belong here? Long experience has taught all of us that the comedy value wears thin quickly.

I have one simple question:

What planet does this woman live on?

Lighten up Josh – laughter is the best medicine.

Get to fuck, ex-Fallujahn.

I hope that is suitably misogynistic, as inurbane as it may be.

Ex-Fallujahn, I think it is generally accepted that some people are susceptible to becoming sympathetic to the cause of those who once held them captive against their will; Patty Hearst being an extreme example. Forgive me for going in for a spot of pat psychology, but perhaps it’s just an extreme case of “going native”.

The journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia, which you cite, says that the characterization of any of these events as Stockholm syndrome could have been due to reporting bias. Ironically, claims of events being characterized by reporting bias is exactly Yvonne Ridley’s stated position with regard to Iran; now that definitely is a faulty thesis.

“I hope that is suitably misogynistic, as inurbane as it may be.”

You people offend women and offend psychologists. But for someone that claims to be scholarly yet using obsolete psychological labels is beyond the pale.

“Lighten up Josh – laughter is the best medicine.”

This too, what journals do you people subscribe to?

“Scholar” is my surname. I’m one of those people who isn’t ashamed to post using my real name.

“Ex-Fallujahn, I think it is generally accepted that some people are susceptible to becoming sympathetic to the cause of those who once held them captive against their will; Patty Hearst being an extreme example. Forgive me for going in for a spot of pat psychology, but perhaps it’s just an extreme case of “going native”.”

The thing is that no-one diagnosed her after the fact, it could have been a myriad of non-related imbalances. Nothing is a bigger slam on “Stockholm syndrome” than the inability to define it as an affinity for one’s captors or to their ideology.

The journalists are often mere accomplices or tools for darker forces.

From Ridley, the tool of everything hateful, antisemitic and terrorist.

Since Ridley is such a fan of oppressive totalitarianism, she’ll have no objection if our government suddenly grows a set of balls and forcibly sections her.

Then she can finally get treatment for that Stockholm Syndrome and truly expunge the bad memories of her Taliban detention, stop dressing like a ninja, stop siding with the enemy and rejoin civilised society.

Until this happens, she’ll remain as sick in the head. Really, the relatives should do something about her. It’s so damn sad.

Perhaps it’s because it’s too early in the morning but I don’t see why accusations of s.s. are ‘misogynistic’?

uppity stop assuming that mental problems are treatable.

Anyway, maybe she LOVED her captivity.

Don’t see why you argue you is suffering from ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. i think she just likes a bit of rough. She was married to a Palestinian (then divorced) before she ever went out to Afghanistan, so that suggests to me that she has issues about ‘hard men’. If it hadn’t been Islam, it would have been the IRA.

She was married to a Palestinian (then divorced) before she ever went out to Afghanistan, so that suggests to me that she has issues about ‘hard men’. If

She was originally married to an Israeli intelligence guy before she switched to the Palestinian, who was a member of PLO intelligence. Then she was a newspaper reporter who went into Afghanistan to get behind the scenes stories when the Taliban was fully in charge of the country. Suggests there’s a more interesting back story there than the usual deranged-Yvonne or lover-of-rough dismissal suggests. If anyone’s deranged, it’s presumably the outfits that employed her or, even worse, recruited her as a covert asset…

The vast majority of people, the world over, are eminently intelligent, sane, non-partisan and non-ideological.

Human history proves the exact opposite.

Ridley may be exceptionally dumb, but if most people were ‘eminently intelligent’, the world wouldn’t be such a mess after 10,000 years of civilisation.

ex-Fallujahn

Name me 5 coffee shops in Fallujah. Go on, give it a try.

Yes, and I bet before that she fantasised about being tied to the bed and ravished by blokes in SS uniform.

Why do you appropriate the identity of a Fallujahn when you appear to be no more and no less than a bog standard stopper raised in some English speaking country?

And let me get this straight: Is it really your belief that Fallujah would be much better off today if instead of US General Petraeus’ counterinsurgency doctrine, Fallujah would still be controlled by Zaraqawi and a host of foreign freelance Al Qaeda thugs, Baathists and opportunists running around butchering their enemies’ families, burning women alive, slashing children’s throats with kitchen knives, and massacring other families for accepting food from US Marines.

And is it really your belief that Zarqawi’s Talibanesque reign of terror in Fallujah was consistent with “preventing bloodshed”, while Petraeus’ counterinsurgency strategy, the Sahawa al-Anbar sheiks’ war on Al Qaeda, the American training of the Iraqi police force, etc., was consistent with being “sexually excited by bloodshed”?

If not, what is the significance of your appropriating the identity of a Fallujahn?

Who cares what she says she’s an idiot, her and all the rest of the Neo-fascist left have chosen their side, so screw them, all of them.

Are you suggesting, Judy, that Ms Ridley is an agent involved in a complicated game of double bluff? You, mean, she’s really on the side of the West? Better not let that get out, or Sister Yvonne will be in trouble.

Yvonne Ridley, is as usual on the wrong side of history, and worse, on the wrong side of morality, decency and humanity.

There also seems to be something very solopcistic about her, which leads her to think that all who do not share her views, must be dupes of “dark forces”. The protesters apparently can’t possibly disagree with her due to their own rational calculations, no of course not, they have just been hoodwinked by some hidden hand.

The reality is that one day this evil (I rarely use this word to describe people, but in this case, I just can’t find a better word) woman, will hang her head in shame at what she has lent her support to.

She should visit Iran this week, and attend one of the protests, and in a loud and clear voice, should inform the assembled that they are dupes of the CIA, and that Ahmadinajad is a great man, of whom she is a great fan.

Ex-Fallujah wrote: “Nothing is a bigger slam on “Stockholm syndrome” than the inability to define it as an affinity for one’s captors or to their ideology.”

I’m not familiar with the way you have used “slam” in the above sentence, but I guess it means something along the lines of putting the kibosh on something. Accepting this interpretation, I am then at a loss as to who should be precluded from talking about Stockholm because of an apparent inability to define the term.

“Talibanshee” is more like it.

In my previous post, I meant to say talking about Stockholm syndrome rather than the Swedish capital.

SueR that’s a fascinating possibility.

Thermaland: If there is a prize you win it: Talibanshee: excellent

uppity stop assuming that mental problems are treatable.

I have refrained so far from commenting on the sneering and offensive comments regarding people suffering from mental illness, which is a distressing medical condition. Its sufferers should be treated with compassion, not laughed at as people did in the Middle Ages. Or do you go around mocking people with heart disease?
What motivated me to comment this time is the ignorant assumption that mental illness can never be treated. Some conditions are refractory, other not (to differing degrees), and can be alleviated with drugs, psychotherapy or a combination of various approaches.

what political party does Yvonne Ridley belong to? I forget!

If Ridley hadn’t become so obnoxious and outrageous, we would never have heard of her. She is not an attractive person, her personality is not endearing, and her writing and journalism skills are mediocre. She would never have achieved fame, so she has chosen notoriety instead.

So, you are arguing that Yvonne should be treated with respect, then, Me?

Not respect. Powerful anti-spychotics, CBT and the occasional slap across the face and a stern, ‘No. Bad Yvonne!’

*anti-psychotics, dah.

Hardly a surprising position taken by the Ridley Creature. Even her sometimes hagiographic Wikipedia entry concedes the following:

“Critics have accused her of defending the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his campaign of violence in Iraq and Jordan, describing the victims of the 9 November 2005 Amman bombings in Jordan, which saw 60 persons killed and 115 injured, as Iraqi collaborators, Saudi, Indonesian and Chinese intelligence officers and the upper echelons of society. The outpouring of public outrage manifested in spontaneous demonstration she described as staged and the work of “Jordanian troops out of uniform” and “government lackeys” together with “Christian and Muslim Bedouins” who had all been commandeered or paid to demonstrate by the Jordanian government and the CIA.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_Ridley#cite_note-0

ex-Fallujahn:

Sexism is a red-herring.

So, you are arguing that Yvonne should be treated with respect, then, Me?

Not at all. I don’t know whether or not she is mentally ill. That is a matter between her and her medical practitioner. If she is, she should be treated with compassion, but her political posturing ignored. But we simply don’t know.
Those, however, who claim to know that she is mentally ill and still mock her for it, are exhibiting a disappointing degree of callousness.

the occasional slap across the face

You really have no clue, have you?

I am flattered I am keeping you all so occupied – you’ve certainly entertained me.
Sorry, must go now to take my latest gadgets from M.

ps: The dateline of my original story would have been of some relevance had you not all stampeded to sign up to this latest vigilante-style attack.

Me, I think t’was a pun. You argued for treatment and respect for her clearly fragile mental state – Respect is the name of her political vehicle, of course.

The dateline of my original story would have been of some relevance had you not all stampeded to sign up to this latest vigilante-style attack.

Why? If you were capable of coming down on the side of repression a few days ago, what has changed now? To some of us, Yvonne, it’s been obvious what’s been going on in Iran for 30 years– not just in the last few days.

In a way, she is the counterpart of the successful Leftwing media person. She is paid well to do interesting and not overy tough or hard work….just propagandize. She only had to adopt the right propaganda and voila, money, fame, easy living. This has been done on the Left since the 60s Baby Boomers started marching through the institutions funded by the Soviets and Communists, now Arabian and Muslim petrodollars are easy to come by if you support the party line.

Yvonne Syndrome: “I am flattered I am keeping you all so occupied – you’ve certainly entertained me.
Sorry, must go now to take my latest gadgets from M.”

Keep taking the tablets, dear.

Stupid woman doesn’t even know that one gets one’s gadgets from Q, not M. At least one would if one weren’t a fucking traitor. The security services can recognise those when they see one.

Anyway don’t you worry about what the nasty kufr say. Big sexy chaps with beards will be along to kill them all in a minute.

Why does Ridley insist on wearing a style of hijab only elsewhere seen in low-budget historical soap-operas produced in Egypt?

Are you suggesting, Judy, that Ms Ridley is an agent involved in a complicated game of double bluff? You, mean, she’s really on the side of the West? Better not let that get out, or Sister Yvonne will be in trouble.

No, nothing as sophisticated as that, but her story has too many bizarre angles to add up. As O Wilde might have said, to marry one intelligence agent may be deemed a misfortune, but to then marry another on the opposite side looks like carelessness. Oh, and I must apologise for attributing her first marriage to the Mossad guy–it seems he was her third. Don’t know what the story is about Mr In Between.

There are those who think her whole story of sudden conversion to Islam and even *capture* by the Taliban is fake, given that husb. no 1 was a Muslim.
I’ve no idea.

She’s clearly able to believe at least six impossible things before (and after) breakfast, so one possibiity is that she’s an accomplished fantasist and embellisher of mundane realities, not least in her own biography. Seems a useful talent for a news reporter working for the more sensationalist sector of the British press, followed by a post with Press TV.

Even more weird, for someone who’s so ferociously a self-declared hunter down of zionists, it seems she’s been continuing to use the surname of the presumably hated Israeli Mossad husb no 3 as an email handle some eight or nine years after she claims she chucked him out. Maybe this is evidence of a rather subtle wit not otherwise on display in her writings? Still, let’s consider the more mundane possibility that she’s just such a busy bee she hasn’t yet had time to tidy up the string of surnames that comes with a sequence of ended marriages. You know how it is.

Of course it is the case that British intelligence has used journalist status as a cover for its semi-detached assets in the past. It seems hardly credible that any intelligence service anywhere would recruit anyone so obviously exhibitionistic and sensation-seeking as Yvonne Ridley. But then there’s that maverick MI6 ex agent who now regularly puts out fantasies and conspiracy absurderies on the internet…..

Another possibility is that life’s hard out there, and she’s only trying to make a living….

“Another possibility is that life’s hard out there, and she’s only trying to make a living….”

Well, yes, but we all have a living to make, and most of us manage to do it without selling ourselves as shills to fascist dictators.

“There are those who think her whole story of sudden conversion to Islam and even *capture* by the Taliban is fake, given that husb. no 1 was a Muslim.
I’ve no idea.”

As a Muslim man he is quite entitled, under Islamic religious law, to marry a non-Muslim wife – just in case she belongs to one of the “People of the Book”.

Yvonne Ridley a NOC? :O

I think bloody not!

As a Muslim man, indeed, he is quite entitled to take any woman he wants, by consent or not, so long as she “belonged” to one of his enemies – the “Prophet” (piss be upon him) did it all the time.

Me

Quite agree.

The vast majority of posters here will suffer from some kind of mentral trauma or distress that will cause them profound agony at some point in their lives.

Holding to these views of mental illness as a latter day leprosy will not give them the compassion they need to understand the pain and suffering that many of their friends and loved ones will experience.

They will not seek the care and understanding they need if they are suffering from a neuro-psychological condition that can be alleviated.

I say neuro-psychological condition because it is simply not the case that mental illness is ‘all in the mind’ and thus a failure of strength of character as they imagine.

The more we understand about such conditions the more we realise the mind is not seperate from the brain but that ‘psychological conditions’ rewire the brain’s nueral pathways neurotransmitter activity.

I myself suffer remitting bouts of PTSD when exposed to events of senseless slaughter that recall or trigger the senseless slaughter I have witnessed.

These are now of diminished intensity as I have received drug treatment and psychotherapy.

We know from brain imaging studies that PTSD alters the structure of the brain and that successful treatment can stimulate neurogenesis, reformatting the architecture to use a computor metaphor.

prolonged unrelieved stress, produces elevated cortisol levels this assists in the depletion of Dpoamin producing neurones in the brain.

We are only born with 30,000 to 40,000 of these.

When these cells are depleted below a threshold we develop parkinsons disease, automatically.

So we are all just a degree of stress away from Parkinsons disease.

Stress kills and disables and there is no character strong enough to resist the neuro-psychological effects of stress.

Interviewing taxi drivers is surely just about the laziest way for a journalist to get a story.

If you interviewed London taxi (black cab) drivers you would get the impression that all Black people in London are muggers, that all road accidents are caused by cyclists and that LBC is the most popular radio station in the capital.

I expect journalists to get out and about a bit.

The best I’ve ever seen from Ridley is her “fashionable” Outfit.

In:

http://castollux.blogspot.com/2008/08/humanitre-leichtmatrosen.html

Haha….

What I don’t understand is why the Taliban let her go. Because she converted to islam? Actually being a muslim didn’t help poor Margaret Hassan, who was doing humanitarian work for muslims when she was kidnapped and killed. (Does anybody know what, if any, non-muslim people are ever helped by muslim charities? I suspect none, but maybe my cynicism is on show.) Ridley must surely have been brainwashed into not only converting, but also using her conversion to provide propaganda for her captors and their ‘brothers’.