De seneste posts fra danske RSS feeds og weblogs på Overskrift.dk om tag'et tony blair http://www.overskrift.dk Fri, 25 May 2012 03:01:10 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.overskrift.dk/images/overskrift.gif http://www.overskrift.dk Overskrift.dk http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Dansk-politik/~3/vjq-8ZTMU78/ Folketinget putter flere proteiner i den politiske debat fra efteråret. Statsminister Helle Thorning-Schmidt (S) skal dyste med de fem oppositionspartiers ledere to tirsdage i hver måned. Det skriver Ritzau. Det har Folketingets politiske ledelse, præsidiet, besluttet, fortæller Folketingets formand, Mogens Lykketoft (S). - Præsidiet har i meget lang tid – også før min tid som formand – diskuteret, om man kunne lave noget, som påkalder sig mere end almindelig interesse, siger han og tilføjer: - Så vi får en debatform, der mere ligner dén mellem premierministeren og oppositionslederen i det britiske parlament. Forsøget afprøves i tre kvarters spørgetime, hvor Thorning-Schmidt får fem minutters indledning. Metoden minder om det britiske underhus, hvor premierminister David Cameron i en ugentlig “Prime Minister’s Questions” (ikke Question Time, som Ritzau skriver) duellerer tværs over bordet med Labours oppositionsleder, Ed Miliband – og andre MPs. Statsministerens spørgetime flyttes fra onsdag til tirsdag, så hun skal duellere straks efter sit ugentlige pressemøde. Oppositionen må ikke erstatte partilederne med suppleanter. Debatten skal være overordnet og principiel, påpeger Folketingets formand. - Vi afprøver formen i det nye folketingsår fra oktober 2012 til udgangen af april 2013. Vi håber, at det bidrager til en mere indholdsrig, holdningspræget politisk debat, at vi også får det vindue i Folketinget, siger Mogens Lykketoft. Folketinget moderniserer også arbejdsformen andetsteds. Det gælder de store debatter. Afslutningsdebatten afholdes 31. maj, skønt Folketinget fortsætter et par uger ind i juni. (DTG) Som iagttager af folketingsdebatter igennem en årrække, er det svært ikke at juble over et hvert tiltag der forsøger at peppe debatten lidt op. Og den her form, hvor det kun er oppositionens ledere – og ikke alle mulige irriterende og ligegyldige backbenchere – der skal stille op, gør det jo automatisk til en vigtig mediebegivenhed. Det giver så at sige, mulighed for at tjekke dagsformen på henholdsvis statsministeren og hendes direkte modstandere. At sige, at debatten skal holdes overordnet er måske også en fordel for Helle Thorning Schmidt, fordi hun på den måde kan slippe for at skulle indgå i debatter, om hvad der sker af beslutninger der er foretaget i Fødevareministeriet etc. og dermed sende hende på glatis i forhold til manglende viden om konkret fakta, der indimellem volder hende nogen problemer – for at sige det mildt. Men det er jo lidt ærgeligt for Lars Løkke, fordi det betyder jo, at han ikke kan være på ferie hele tiden. Og det er måske i virkeligheden det der er mest afgørende for at Socialdemokraterne har sagt ja til det her forsøg, nemlig at det giver muligheden for at sætte Venstres leder under pres og ikke lader ham beslutte hvor og hvornår han vil indtræde i en debat. Man kan argumentere for, at det er lidt problematisk, at afgøre hvem der faktisk er partileder. I nogen partier er partilederen gruppeformand (Lars Barfoed og Anders Samuelsen) eller politisk ordfører (Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen og Pia Kjærsgaard) og  Lars Løkke Rasmussen er hverken politisk ordfører eller gruppeformand, men “kun” partiformand. Alle de fire borgerlige er selvfølgelig valgt som partiformænd af deres partier, men det er Johannes Schmidt-Nielsen (eller Margrethe Vestager – i den sitaution, at hun ikke længere er minister) ikke. kke at det er noget større problem, som ikke kan løses som man altid gør i dansk politik, ved at overse formalia, men det rejser da et spørgsmål om, at hvis et parti kan sende en der “kun” er almindeligt folketingsmedlem, hvorfor kan et andet så ikke? Ekstramateriale Man kan så bare håbe på, at det bliver lige så godt som det britiske forbillede. Her er det The Rt Hon Tony Blair, MP, der i 1996 skrubber gulvet med Prime Minister, The Rt Hon John Major, MP: Og lige en hvor samme Blair, nu som premierminister, smadrer The Rt Hon William Hague, MP: Kilde: Ritzau via jp.dk David Troels Garby Dansk-politik.dk Thu, 24 May 2012 21:00:25 +0100 http://www.poker.dk/poker-nyheder/ny-pro-hos-partypoker/ PartyPoker kunne mandag præsentere en ny mand i trøjen. Det var ingen større overraskelse når man kigger på hvem der lige er blevet ledig på markedet.Og lad os med det samme slå fast at det ikke drejer sig om Sam Trickett. Den engelske pokerkomet har sikkert fået mange gode tilbud, men med en indtjening i livepoker som har rundet ?1 mio. bare indenfor det sidste års tid, så har englænderen masser af tid til at vente på det rigtige tilbud.Marvin Rettenmaier ny pro hos PartyPokerDet drejer sig derimod om den tidligere kollega fra Titan Poker, Marvin Rettenmaier, som ligesom Trickett med få dages mellemrum meddelte at samarbejdet med det iPokerbaserede site var ophørt. Dette resulterede i spekulationer om hvorvidt Titan måske var ved at gå konkurs, da der ingen meldinger kom fra udbyderen selv. Efter et par dages radiotavshed, kom Titan så endelig med en kort meddelelse som lød på, at man ville satse på mere på lowrollersegmentet i stedet for dyre og højt profilerede proer. Hvad der er op og ned i den historie er der nok kun ganske få mennesker der ved.Men Rettenmaier skulle altså ikke gå arbejdsløs i mange dage før han kunne skrive kontrakt med en ny udbyder, og denne gang er der tale om et skridt opad med den kommende arbejdsgiver.Tony G glad for at have Rettenmaier på holdetPartyPoker som var verdens største pokersite inden man måtte trække sig fra USA, har i form af den karismatiske Tony G budt velkommende til det nye medlem af familien, og Tony G udtaler i den forbindelse, at han er glad for at have fået den 25-årige tysker med på Team Party Poker.- Det er fantastisk at have fået Marvin med om bord. Han er en spiller med karakter, siger Tony G og tilføjer:- Han spiller det matematiske tyske spil og har hjertet med, han er vindende, han drikker sig fuld og han taber sit pas? Hvis der var nogen andre end min søn John Eames som skulle have en kontrakt, så var det ham.Hovedpersonen selv er lidt mere beskeden i sine udtalelser men kan tilføje:- Det føles som et naturligt skifte for mig, og jeg ser frem til at repræsentere PartyPoker ved WPT turneringer og ud over det.Rettenmaier er oprindeligt fra Stuttgart, hvor han har taget sig en uddannelse indenfor management og virksomhedslovgivning, inden han begyndte at spille poker professionelt.Han har efterfølgende vundet mere end $1.7 mio. i liveturneringer og bor i dag i London. poker.dk Poker.dk Wed, 23 May 2012 16:10:14 +0100 http://anettelund.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/it-is-in-your-moment-of-decision/ Anette Lund Anette Lund Mon, 21 May 2012 06:00:12 +0100 http://www.ivaerk-tv.dk/anthony-robbins-intet-i-livet-er-permanent/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=anthony-robbins-intet-i-livet-er-permanent Den amerikanske coach, Anthony Robbins, fastslår bl.a. i dette interview, at intet i livet er permanent. Det gælder både for succes og fiasko. Verden er i konstant udvikling. Se også:Anthony Robbins: Fire trin der kan rykke ... Redaktionen Iværk-TV.dk Fri, 18 May 2012 18:03:10 +0100 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/reevesmodernreviews/HwLX/~3/wwT7w2zCxk4/the-bourne-legacy-official-trailer-2012-hd.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuJIdqy6Xn4 The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us [...] timreeves Koi Ponds,Nature,Wild Life,Gardening,Landscaping &Personal Interest Documentaries Mon, 14 May 2012 22:14:01 +0100 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/reevesmodernreviews/HwLX/~3/05IKIkBrKuw/the-bourne-legacy-official-trailer-2012-hd.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuJIdqy6Xn4 The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us [...] timreeves Koi Ponds,Nature,Wild Life,Gardening,Landscaping &Personal Interest Documentaries Mon, 14 May 2012 22:14:01 +0100 http://www.guska.net/a-hero-for-wondla-af-tony-diterlizzi Før slutningen af The Search for WondLa havde Eva Nine aldrig set et andet menneske, men efter at en dreng ved navn Hailey redder hende og hendes kammerater, kan hun ikke blive lykkeligere. Eva tror at hun har alt hvad hun nogensinde har drømt om, især da Hailey tager hende og kammeraterne med til kolonien New Attica, hvor mennesker i alle former og størrelser leve i tilsyneladende fred og harmoni. Men alt er ikke idyl i New Attica, og Eva Nine indser hurtigt at noget uhyggeligt er under opsejling, og hvis hun ikke stopper det, kan det betyde enden for alt og alle på planeten Orbona! Bogen er på engelsk og er udkommet på forlaget Simon & Schuster, 8.maj 2012 Læs mere her Boggnasker – unge om bøger admin Citater 2012, nyheder, spil, vittigheder, billede Mon, 14 May 2012 12:57:45 +0100 http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/nyhed/11-05-12/store-world-kunstnere-p-copenhagen-jazz-festival I slutningen af marts blev det annonceret, at afrobeat-ikonet Tony Allen og sitar-fænomenet Anouhska Shankar er blandt kunstnerne på sommerens jazzfestival. Nu er datoerne på plads. Relaterede nyheder:  FN fejrer jazz som en global kraft for sociale forandringer Kilde:  Copenhagen Jazz Festival læs mere U-landsnyt.dk Fri, 11 May 2012 11:53:02 +0100 http://ilpleuttoujours.tumblr.com/post/22786639166 -- Ingen beskrivelse -- il pleut toujours Thu, 10 May 2012 19:28:00 +0100 http://www.poker.dk/poker-nyheder/nye-regler-under-wsopen/ Poker er blevet kedeligt mener WSOP?en og derfor har verdens største pokerturnering taget konsekvensen og tilladt jubel ? og kortsnak.Hvis ovenstående lyder underligt, så er der faktisk en glimrende forklaring på det. WSOP?en har igennem de sidste par år rettet regelsættet til efter tidens trend, hvilket i Guds eget land betyder politisk korrekthed. Men da vicepræsidenten for WSOP?en Ty Stewart under sidste års turnering gik igennem lokalet efter at boblen var sprunget, bemærkede han, at til trods for at alle tilbageværende spillere var sikret en pæn pengepræmie og stadig havde udsigt til at vinde turneringen, så var det stille i lokalet som i en domkirke.Der må nu jublesWSOP?en har derfor taget konsekvensen og ændret i regelsættet til dette års udgave. Det er nu spillerne tilladt at diskutere deres hænder, såfremt de er sidste mand til at agere i hånden. Dette har været forbudt de seneste fem år, ligesom det nu er blevet tilladt at juble.Sidstnævnte skal dog stadig foregå indenfor rimelighedens grænser. Hvordan man så undervejs vil definere dem, må de første eksempler sætte standarden for.$1.000.000 buy-in turnering på skemaetUd over det ændrede regelsæt har man også haft et par andre ting med i posen. De 61 armbåndsgivende turneringer får desuden tilføjet et par nyskabelser i WSOP regi. Der vil bl.a. være en hold?em turnering med fire kort på hånden, en turnering hvor der kun spilles med ante og ingen blinds, en mix max udgave, hvor man spiller 9-mands borde, går ned til 6-mands og blandt de sidste 32 spiller heads-up. Den helt store nyhed, som allerede har trukket overskrifter er selvfølgelig ?Big One For One Drop?, som har et buy-in på $1.000.000.Man kunne fristes til at drage konklusionen, at WSOP?en har indført de nye regler af indlysende kommercielle årsager. Pokeren har kæmpet med dalende tilslutning, og hvis den skal få en opblomstring, så er måden man sælger den på via godt fjernsyn. Og livlige diskussioner ved bordene og overdrevne jubelscener er lige præcis hvad der skal til, få at få tv-stationerne til at betale ved kasse et og få folk samlet foran skærmen.Man har tidligere set lignende eksempler fra sportens verden, hvor kvindelige beach volleyspillere blev tvunget i små shorts ? ellers ville sporten jo ikke have nogen som helst appeal, og fra Formel 1, hvor hver sæson byder på helt nye regler for alt lige fra kørernes hjelme til vægt, ventiler og dæk. Alt sammen for at sikre sig en så spændende tv-oplevelse som overhovedet muligt.Farverige spillere er essentieltOg man kan da heller ikke klandre WSOP?en for at have ændret på lige præcis disse områder, uanset hvad årsagen måtte være. Poker er nu engang sjovest når personligheder får lov til at udfolde sig. Spillere som Phil Hellmuth følger man ikke fordi han har vundet 11 armbånd, men fordi han klynker som en fornærmet tøs når han taber. Og selvom berusede mennesker sjældent er sjove at høre på, så er Scotty Nguyen rigtig godt tv, når han efter lidt for mange besøg i baren for modstanderne til at eksplodere, når de taber til en mand som knapt nok kan holde på kortene.Og hvad er en pokerturnering uden Tony G. cyklende ind i spillelokalet og proklamere at han vil sende alle hjem på en lille cykel?Jo, verdens største cirkus har netop udvidet manegen. poker.dk Poker.dk Wed, 09 May 2012 10:47:06 +0100 http://miakispus.tumblr.com/post/22671971457 The Avengers (2012), aka ?Tony Stark Snark Hour?. Hahahha LOVE IT. OOOH-ooh-OOH-oh-WOH! MONA LISA Tue, 08 May 2012 23:30:09 +0100 http://playstadium.dk/34898/lidt-opdateret-tony-hawk-i-juni/ Det ser ud til at Activision brændte nallerne til sidst med Tony Hawk-serien - det næste spil kommer i hvert fald som digital download (så spares der på porto, trykning og CO2-afgifter), Og er - som du måske allerede ved - er der tale om en opsamling fra de første (og måske bedste) 2 spil [...] Related posts: Mere Tony Hawk fra Activision ? Lidt ny video fra I Am Alive Escalation DLC til PS3 den 10. juni Thomas Frederiksen Playstadium Tue, 08 May 2012 16:59:25 +0100 http://newmusicunited.com/2012/05/08/the-beach-boys-i-just-wasnt-made-for-these-times-1966/ “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” is a song by The Beach Boys from their album Pet Sounds. It is the eleventh song on the album. The lyrics were written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher about the ruminations on romance and the loss of innocence involved in growing up. Wilson stated in his [...] RONNIEROCKET.COM NEWMUSICUNITED.COM Tue, 08 May 2012 11:51:01 +0100 http://www.information.dk/300273 Da Charles Taylor, Liberias tidligere præsident, blev kendt skyldig i krigsforbrydelser, hed det sig, at der med dommen var sendt et utvetydigt budskab til siddende statsledere verden over: Tro ikke, at jeres høje embede giver immunitet. Men faktisk var budskabet snarere: Er du leder for en lille svag nation, risikerer du at blive ramt med den internationale rets fulde kraft. Står du derimod i spidsen for en stor og magtfuld nation, har du intet at frygte. George Monbiot Irak-krigen | information.dk Mon, 07 May 2012 19:46:21 +0100 http://www.information.dk/300273 Da Charles Taylor, Liberias tidligere præsident, blev kendt skyldig i krigsforbrydelser, hed det sig, at der med dommen var sendt et utvetydigt budskab til siddende statsledere verden over: Tro ikke, at jeres høje embede giver immunitet. Men faktisk var budskabet snarere: Er du leder for en lille svag nation, risikerer du at blive ramt med den internationale rets fulde kraft. Står du derimod i spidsen for en stor og magtfuld nation, har du intet at frygte. George Monbiot Nyheder fra information.dk | information.dk Mon, 07 May 2012 19:46:21 +0100 http://www.information.dk/300273 Da Charles Taylor, Liberias tidligere præsident, blev kendt skyldig i krigsforbrydelser, hed det sig, at der med dommen var sendt et utvetydigt budskab til siddende statsledere verden over: Tro ikke, at jeres høje embede giver immunitet. Men faktisk var budskabet snarere: Er du leder for en lille svag nation, risikerer du at blive ramt med den internationale rets fulde kraft. Står du derimod i spidsen for en stor og magtfuld nation, har du intet at frygte. George Monbiot Nyheder fra information.dk | information.dk Mon, 07 May 2012 19:46:21 +0100 http://gadgettjek.dk/iphone/den-forste-iphone-skulle-have-haft-tastatur.html Kendetegnet ved iPhone er en enkelt knap på fronten, og en flot skarp skærm. I følge en tidligere arbejder for Apple, skulle deres første iPhone angiveligt have haft et QWERTY-tastatur Alexander GadgetTjek Tue, 01 May 2012 20:21:43 +0100 http://miakispus.tumblr.com/post/21861532828 It was sooooooo awesome… Funny! Crazy! Wild! Great! Amazing! Did I say funny???? omg. I can’t !!!! Loki was sooo hot and great and … everything.. Hiddles is just… a genius.  And omg… Tony. TONY <33333  I LOVED IT. LOVED IT. LOVED IT……… Best movie I’ve seen in a LONG  time…  OOOH-ooh-OOH-oh-WOH! MONA LISA Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:35:00 +0100 http://www.tvserie.dk/tv-nyheder/vince-vaughn-og-tony-danza-i-nyt-komedie-projekt/ Vince Vaughn og Tony Danza skal sammen producere en ny komedieserie til ABC. Søren S. Schmidt Tvserie | nyheder om tv serier og tvserie anmeldelser. » Tvserie | Nyheder om tv serier og tvserie anmeldelser Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:22:51 +0100 http://www.nosferadio.dk/?p=8636&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=podcast-19042012 Lyt med når Natalie og Thea i dette program giver den helt store introduktion til CPH PIX og blandt andet får en lille update fra udsendte Frederik, der dækker festivalen. Desuden bliver der diskuteret sangere, der skifter domæne og forsøger sig i filmbranchen, og samtidig får du serveret lækre anmeldelser af Iron Sky, Haywire, Chronicle og Wallis & Edvard. Dette og meget mere kan du høre i podcasten her. Del denne post med andre Thea Filmmagasinet Nosferatu Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:13:01 +0100 http://thisisbandit.com/2012/04/the-3-best-tattoo-artists-you-didnt-know/ Everyone has tattoos these days and people don?t consider originality and quality, but only the individuality they believe comes with the ?custom? tattoo. Everyone who?s just a little bit interested in tattoos knows the artists from the Miami Ink and LA Ink TV-shows, and a lot of people also know who Mr. Cartoon is. He has for a long time been the go-to tattoo artist for the Urban music genre leaders and athletes. But Mr. Cartoon is just the front figure for probably the best tattoo artists in the world, residing in Los Angeles. - Tattoo Tony L.A Has skill level similar to Mr. Cartoon with the needle but is more versatile style-wise. He has tattooed in many different shops with some of the best and is a part of the inner circle of L.A Chicano style tattoos but now he just does his own thing. He does painting and even illustration. - NORM Owns and runs Will Rise Tattoo in L.A trained in traditional tattooing and applying his considerable graffiti skills to the tattoo craft. Even though he has only been tattoing professionally for 6 years he is a script savant, and a part of World known graffiti crew MSK, clothing brand THE 7thLETTER and is a part owner of KNOWN gallery that is right next to his tattoo shop. NORM also fabricates and sells tattoo machines of a high quality. - José Lopez Owns Lowrider Tattoo, 3 shops in the L.A area the shops have combined won an amazing 150 tattoo awards. Many in the tattoo game call José Lopez the king of black and grey tattoos, and I can only agree with that. He has also trained the best upcoming in the category, and says he?ll leave the color tattooing up to his friends that are better than him at that. José Lopez starting drawing after an accident that left him wheelchair bound when he was only 15 years old. He has been tattooing for almost 20 years and hasn?t even turned 40 yet. There are so many great tattoo artists out there but these are the ones I really like, I?ve met some and hope to meet more. Even though we have a plethora of great artists in Europe, I say: fuck your local tattoo artist, try a new one! Casper casper BANDIT Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:30:25 +0100 http://thisisbandit.com/2012/04/the-3-best-tattoo-artists-you-didnt-know/ Everyone has tattoos these days and people don?t consider originality and quality, but only the individuality they believe comes with the ?custom? tattoo. Everyone who?s just a little bit interested in tattoos knows the artists from the Miami Ink and LA Ink TV-shows, and a lot of people also know who Mr. Cartoon is. He has for a long time been the go-to tattoo artist for the Urban music genre leaders and athletes. But Mr. Cartoon is just the front figure for probably the best tattoo artists in the world, residing in Los Angeles. - Tattoo Tony L.A Has skill level similar to Mr. Cartoon with the needle but is more versatile style-wise. He has tattooed in many different shops with some of the best and is a part of the inner circle of L.A Chicano style tattoos but now he just does his own thing. He does painting and even illustration. - NORM Owns and runs Will Rise Tattoo in L.A trained in traditional tattooing and applying his considerable graffiti skills to the tattoo craft. Even though he has only been tattoing professionally for 6 years he is a script savant, and a part of World known graffiti crew MSK, clothing brand THE 7thLETTER and is a part owner of KNOWN gallery that is right next to his tattoo shop. NORM also fabricates and sells tattoo machines of a high quality. - José Lopez Owns Lowrider Tattoo, 3 shops in the L.A area the shops have combined won an amazing 150 tattoo awards. Many in the tattoo game call José Lopez the king of black and grey tattoos, and I can only agree with that. He has also trained the best upcoming in the category, and says he?ll leave the color tattooing up to his friends that are better than him at that. José Lopez starting drawing after an accident that left him wheelchair bound when he was only 15 years old. He has been tattooing for almost 20 years and hasn?t even turned 40 yet. There are so many great tattoo artists out there but these are the ones I really like, I?ve met some and hope to meet more. Even though we have a plethora of great artists in Europe, I say: fuck your local tattoo artist, try a new one! Casper casper BANDIT Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:30:25 +0100 http://www.denfri.dk/2012/04/at-hore-graesset-gro/ Backstage in an office at Boulevard Leopold III in Brussels the rehearsals for the forthcoming Iraq Commission are probably in full swing. The man handpicked by the US government in 2009 to head NATO, the man who took Denmark to war for the first time in 150 years, may be called to testify. The three-person committee ? made up of a lawyer and a law professor and chaired by a judge ? has been assigned by the current Danish Social-Democrat-led government to investigate the former VKO (Liberal-Conservative) coalition?s motives for joining the war in 2003 and accusations of torture and mishandling of prisoners held by Danish soldiers in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Predictably VKO are crying foul, insisting this exercise is nothing but politically motivated and an opportunity for ?petty mud throwing?, as Venstre?s Søren Pind has warned. But wasn?t going to war a ?politically-motivated? decision? As for mudslinging, I am not convinced it is worse now than it has ever been. There will always be politicians who would rather play at kindergarten level. In this the scene set in Denmark doesn?t differ from other scenarios in the UK, the Netherlands and other countries that participated in the Iraq war on dubious grounds and are now self-scrutinising. In fact, the similarities are striking and thought-provoking. In Britain, when the so-called Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war was announced in 2009, the then opposition leader David Cameron dismissed it as ?an establishment stitch up?. In Denmark, however, Justice minister Morten Bødskov was quick to conjure up a picture of accountability when he insisted ?the government does not rule out that people will be held accountable?. With an estimated cost of five to 12 million kroner a year, he naturally had to say it. But was he also hinting at the possibility of a political indictment, a resignation or, maybe even a simple (but very expensive) apology? Although seemingly a simple thing to do, real apologies are hard to come by. Politicians are actively discouraged from uttering them. Any red book of how to conduct yourself in public life will tell you that showing remorse is a clear and damaging sign of weakness. And everyone believes it (even if, when it comes to silencing a perceived threat, extorting an apology becomes in turn a favourite pastime). In Britain, watching Tony Blair testify at the Chilcot Inquiry and avoiding any sort of specifics (including distracting everyone by mentioning the possibility of military force to counteract the “looming challenge” posed by Iran) I couldn?t help but think of Pinocchio?s memorable cameo appearance in Shrek III, denying any knowledge of Shrek?s location to his inquisitor, Prince Charming: ?Prince Charming: You! You can’t lie! So tell me puppet… where… is… Shrek? / Pinocchio: Uh. Hmm, well, uh, I don’t know where he’s not. / Prince Charming: You’re telling me you don’t know where Shrek is? / Pinocchio: It wouldn’t be inaccurate to assume that I couldn’t exactly not say that it is or isn’t almost partially incorrect. / Prince Charming: So you do know where he is! / Pinocchio: On the contrary. I’m possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no way with any amount of uncertainty that I undeniably do or do not know where he shouldn’t probably be, if that indeed wasn’t where he isn’t. Even if he wasn’t at where I knew he was? That’d mean I’d really have to know where he wasn’t.? The outcome of the inquiry in Britain is expected this Summer, delayed as it was by the government?s refusal ? ?in the public interest? ? to make “public” details of the conversations and correspondence between Blair and George W. Bush about Iraq. Less ceremoniously, Wikileaks eventually released a secret cable in which the British Ministry of Defence assured US that it had “put measures in place? to protect American interests during the Iraq inquiry. So far we have heard that former Prime Minister Tony Blair was ?reluctant? to discuss Iraq plans with his cabinet for fear of leaks; that troops lacked proper equipment and that post-war planning was poor; and that intelligence in the run-up to the invasion was ?incomplete?. However, most charges remain unanswered. No one remembers exactly why the committee was set up in the first place and the public has dozed off in the process, bored with the protocol and anaesthetised by the media?s feeding frenzy. Will the Danish Iraq committee suffer the same fate? Unlike Britain, where a united parliament voted in favour of the invasion of Iraq, the Danish parties in power today voted against the war. They will have little sympathy towards the politicians who took it upon themselves to take Denmark to war without the full backing of Folketinget. Like Blair in Britain, Anders Fogh Rasmussen will be the star attraction if he testifies. Like Blair, his curriculum vitae and strong connections are both his armour and Achilles heel. If urban myths are to be believed, we are talking of a man whose aversion to germs made him bring his own napkin to State dinners and who at birthday parties would not allow his kids to blow candles unless they were removed from the cake first; yet upon arrival in Washington one day he let go of all phobias, readily embracing a sweat-drenched George W. Bush. Anders Fogh only learns from the best. At a NATO meeting in Tallinn he congratulated Estonia and its Baltic neighbours with, ?punching well above their weight?. The cliché used and abused by Barack Obama at bilateral meetings and hilariously revealed by DR?s programme Detektor. Many here in Denmark believe it was precisely this desire to ?punch above their weight? that may have got their country in a bit of a pickle in Iraq and other places. When and if he testifies it may suit him well to ditch any cavalier attitude and, after the Tallinn episode, he may also want to consider employing a good speechwriter, and if nothing else just play around a bit with Google. Similarly, in a secular, atheist society such as Denmark displays of religious fervour will surely fail to impress. Siding himself with God like Blair did by saying ?God will be my judge?, or admitting voices in your head had told you to fight evil in Iraq and Afghanistan, as in Bush?s case, will certainly give Anders Fogh Rasmussen enough scope to invoke pretty much anything he likes without raising much of an eyebrow. Inquiries such as these must be uncomfortable viewing for the military and those who directly suffered as a result of orders from above, on either side of the conflict. Politicians can get it right or wrong. The troops, however, have no other option but to get it right, and they expect to be able to do it with dignity. So, if there is one good thing to come out of this lengthy, morose and expensive exercise is the sense that politicians should be and still are under some degree of public scrutiny. Usually what starts with a lie ends with a lie. So, no claim, no matter how peremptory, should go unchallenged. The trust Danes have constantly deposited in their political system should also be allowed to continue to thrive. It is only reasonable to hope this inquiry will come up with relevant (certainly exhaustive) recommendations for the future conduct of politics. This, being Denmark, makes it a likely scenario. Whether anyone will care to listen to them is another story. For the time being, get ready to hear the grass grow. If you think it?s worth it. Luis Cardador DENFRI Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:34:00 +0100 http://www.denfri.dk/2012/04/at-hore-graesset-gro/ Backstage in an office at Boulevard Leopold III in Brussels the rehearsals for the forthcoming Iraq Commission are probably in full swing. The man handpicked by the US government in 2009 to head NATO, the man who took Denmark to war for the first time in 150 years, may be called to testify. The three-person committee ? made up of a lawyer and a law professor and chaired by a judge ? has been assigned by the current Danish Social-Democrat-led government to investigate the former VKO (Liberal-Conservative) coalition?s motives for joining the war in 2003 and accusations of torture and mishandling of prisoners held by Danish soldiers in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Predictably VKO are crying foul, insisting this exercise is nothing but politically motivated and an opportunity for ?petty mud throwing?, as Venstre?s Søren Pind has warned. But wasn?t going to war a ?politically-motivated? decision? As for mudslinging, I am not convinced it is worse now than it has ever been. There will always be politicians who would rather play at kindergarten level. In this the scene set in Denmark doesn?t differ from other scenarios in the UK, the Netherlands and other countries that participated in the Iraq war on dubious grounds and are now self-scrutinising. In fact, the similarities are striking and thought-provoking. In Britain, when the so-called Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war was announced in 2009, the then opposition leader David Cameron dismissed it as ?an establishment stitch up?. In Denmark, however, Justice minister Morten Bødskov was quick to conjure up a picture of accountability when he insisted ?the government does not rule out that people will be held accountable?. With an estimated cost of five to 12 million kroner a year, he naturally had to say it. But was he also hinting at the possibility of a political indictment, a resignation or, maybe even a simple (but very expensive) apology? Although seemingly a simple thing to do, real apologies are hard to come by. Politicians are actively discouraged from uttering them. Any red book of how to conduct yourself in public life will tell you that showing remorse is a clear and damaging sign of weakness. And everyone believes it (even if, when it comes to silencing a perceived threat, extorting an apology becomes in turn a favourite pastime). In Britain, watching Tony Blair testify at the Chilcot Inquiry and avoiding any sort of specifics (including distracting everyone by mentioning the possibility of military force to counteract the “looming challenge” posed by Iran) I couldn?t help but think of Pinocchio?s memorable cameo appearance in Shrek III, denying any knowledge of Shrek?s location to his inquisitor, Prince Charming: ?Prince Charming: You! You can’t lie! So tell me puppet… where… is… Shrek? / Pinocchio: Uh. Hmm, well, uh, I don’t know where he’s not. / Prince Charming: You’re telling me you don’t know where Shrek is? / Pinocchio: It wouldn’t be inaccurate to assume that I couldn’t exactly not say that it is or isn’t almost partially incorrect. / Prince Charming: So you do know where he is! / Pinocchio: On the contrary. I’m possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no way with any amount of uncertainty that I undeniably do or do not know where he shouldn’t probably be, if that indeed wasn’t where he isn’t. Even if he wasn’t at where I knew he was? That’d mean I’d really have to know where he wasn’t.? The outcome of the inquiry in Britain is expected this Summer, delayed as it was by the government?s refusal ? ?in the public interest? ? to make “public” details of the conversations and correspondence between Blair and George W. Bush about Iraq. Less ceremoniously, Wikileaks eventually released a secret cable in which the British Ministry of Defence assured US that it had “put measures in place? to protect American interests during the Iraq inquiry. So far we have heard that former Prime Minister Tony Blair was ?reluctant? to discuss Iraq plans with his cabinet for fear of leaks; that troops lacked proper equipment and that post-war planning was poor; and that intelligence in the run-up to the invasion was ?incomplete?. However, most charges remain unanswered. No one remembers exactly why the committee was set up in the first place and the public has dozed off in the process, bored with the protocol and anaesthetised by the media?s feeding frenzy. Will the Danish Iraq committee suffer the same fate? Unlike Britain, where a united parliament voted in favour of the invasion of Iraq, the Danish parties in power today voted against the war. They will have little sympathy towards the politicians who took it upon themselves to take Denmark to war without the full backing of Folketinget. Like Blair in Britain, Anders Fogh Rasmussen will be the star attraction if he testifies. Like Blair, his curriculum vitae and strong connections are both his armour and Achilles heel. If urban myths are to be believed, we are talking of a man whose aversion to germs made him bring his own napkin to State dinners and who at birthday parties would not allow his kids to blow candles unless they were removed from the cake first; yet upon arrival in Washington one day he let go of all phobias, readily embracing a sweat-drenched George W. Bush. Anders Fogh only learns from the best. At a NATO meeting in Tallinn he congratulated Estonia and its Baltic neighbours with, ?punching well above their weight?. The cliché used and abused by Barack Obama at bilateral meetings and hilariously revealed by DR?s programme Detektor. Many here in Denmark believe it was precisely this desire to ?punch above their weight? that may have got their country in a bit of a pickle in Iraq and other places. When and if he testifies it may suit him well to ditch any cavalier attitude and, after the Tallinn episode, he may also want to consider employing a good speechwriter, and if nothing else just play around a bit with Google. Similarly, in a secular, atheist society such as Denmark displays of religious fervour will surely fail to impress. Siding himself with God like Blair did by saying ?God will be my judge?, or admitting voices in your head had told you to fight evil in Iraq and Afghanistan, as in Bush?s case, will certainly give Anders Fogh Rasmussen enough scope to invoke pretty much anything he likes without raising much of an eyebrow. Inquiries such as these must be uncomfortable viewing for the military and those who directly suffered as a result of orders from above, on either side of the conflict. Politicians can get it right or wrong. The troops, however, have no other option but to get it right, and they expect to be able to do it with dignity. So, if there is one good thing to come out of this lengthy, morose and expensive exercise is the sense that politicians should be and still are under some degree of public scrutiny. Usually what starts with a lie ends with a lie. So, no claim, no matter how peremptory, should go unchallenged. The trust Danes have constantly deposited in their political system should also be allowed to continue to thrive. It is only reasonable to hope this inquiry will come up with relevant (certainly exhaustive) recommendations for the future conduct of politics. This, being Denmark, makes it a likely scenario. Whether anyone will care to listen to them is another story. For the time being, get ready to hear the grass grow. If you think it?s worth it. Luis Cardador DENFRI Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:34:00 +0100 http://www.denfri.dk/2012/04/at-hore-graesset-gro/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=at-hore-graesset-gro Backstage in an office at Boulevard Leopold III in Brussels the rehearsals for the forthcoming Iraq Commission are probably in full swing. The man handpicked by the US government in 2009 to head NATO, the man who took Denmark to war for the first time in 150 years, may be called to testify. The three-person committee ? made up of a lawyer and a law professor and chaired by a judge ? has been assigned by the current Danish Social-Democrat-led government to investigate the former VKO (Liberal-Conservative) coalition?s motives for joining the war in 2003 and accusations of torture and mishandling of prisoners held by Danish soldiers in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Predictably VKO are crying foul, insisting this exercise is nothing but politically motivated and an opportunity for ?petty mud throwing?, as Venstre?s Søren Pind has warned. But wasn?t going to war a ?politically-motivated? decision? As for mudslinging, I am not convinced it is worse now than it has ever been. There will always be politicians who would rather play at kindergarten level. In this the scene set in Denmark doesn?t differ from other scenarios in the UK, the Netherlands and other countries that participated in the Iraq war on dubious grounds and are now self-scrutinising. In fact, the similarities are striking and thought-provoking. In Britain, when the so-called Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war was announced in 2009, the then opposition leader David Cameron dismissed it as ?an establishment stitch up?. In Denmark, however, Justice minister Morten Bødskov was quick to conjure up a picture of accountability when he insisted ?the government does not rule out that people will be held accountable?. With an estimated cost of five to 12 million kroner a year, he naturally had to say it. But was he also hinting at the possibility of a political indictment, a resignation or, maybe even a simple (but very expensive) apology? Although seemingly a simple thing to do, real apologies are hard to come by. Politicians are actively discouraged from uttering them. Any red book of how to conduct yourself in public life will tell you that showing remorse is a clear and damaging sign of weakness. And everyone believes it (even if, when it comes to silencing a perceived threat, extorting an apology becomes in turn a favourite pastime). In Britain, watching Tony Blair testify at the Chilcot Inquiry and avoiding any sort of specifics (including distracting everyone by mentioning the possibility of military force to counteract the “looming challenge” posed by Iran) I couldn?t help but think of Pinocchio?s memorable cameo appearance in Shrek III, denying any knowledge of Shrek?s location to his inquisitor, Prince Charming: ?Prince Charming: You! You can’t lie! So tell me puppet… where… is… Shrek? / Pinocchio: Uh. Hmm, well, uh, I don’t know where he’s not. / Prince Charming: You’re telling me you don’t know where Shrek is? / Pinocchio: It wouldn’t be inaccurate to assume that I couldn’t exactly not say that it is or isn’t almost partially incorrect. / Prince Charming: So you do know where he is! / Pinocchio: On the contrary. I’m possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no way with any amount of uncertainty that I undeniably do or do not know where he shouldn’t probably be, if that indeed wasn’t where he isn’t. Even if he wasn’t at where I knew he was? That’d mean I’d really have to know where he wasn’t.? The outcome of the inquiry in Britain is expected this Summer, delayed as it was by the government?s refusal ? ?in the public interest? ? to make “public” details of the conversations and correspondence between Blair and George W. Bush about Iraq. Less ceremoniously, Wikileaks eventually released a secret cable in which the British Ministry of Defence assured US that it had “put measures in place? to protect American interests during the Iraq inquiry. So far we have heard that former Prime Minister Tony Blair was ?reluctant? to discuss Iraq plans with his cabinet for fear of leaks; that troops lacked proper equipment and that post-war planning was poor; and that intelligence in the run-up to the invasion was ?incomplete?. However, most charges remain unanswered. No one remembers exactly why the committee was set up in the first place and the public has dozed off in the process, bored with the protocol and anaesthetised by the media?s feeding frenzy. Will the Danish Iraq committee suffer the same fate? Unlike Britain, where a united parliament voted in favour of the invasion of Iraq, the Danish parties in power today voted against the war. They will have little sympathy towards the politicians who took it upon themselves to take Denmark to war without the full backing of Folketinget. Like Blair in Britain, Anders Fogh Rasmussen will be the star attraction if he testifies. Like Blair, his curriculum vitae and strong connections are both his armour and Achilles heel. If urban myths are to be believed, we are talking of a man whose aversion to germs made him bring his own napkin to State dinners and who at birthday parties would not allow his kids to blow candles unless they were removed from the cake first; yet upon arrival in Washington one day he let go of all phobias, readily embracing a sweat-drenched George W. Bush. Anders Fogh only learns from the best. At a NATO meeting in Tallinn he congratulated Estonia and its Baltic neighbours with, ?punching well above their weight?. The cliché used and abused by Barack Obama at bilateral meetings and hilariously revealed by DR?s programme Detektor. Many here in Denmark believe it was precisely this desire to ?punch above their weight? that may have got their country in a bit of a pickle in Iraq and other places. When and if he testifies it may suit him well to ditch any cavalier attitude and, after the Tallinn episode, he may also want to consider employing a good speechwriter, and if nothing else just play around a bit with Google. Similarly, in a secular, atheist society such as Denmark displays of religious fervour will surely fail to impress. Siding himself with God like Blair did by saying ?God will be my judge?, or admitting voices in your head had told you to fight evil in Iraq and Afghanistan, as in Bush?s case, will certainly give Anders Fogh Rasmussen enough scope to invoke pretty much anything he likes without raising much of an eyebrow. Inquiries such as these must be uncomfortable viewing for the military and those who directly suffered as a result of orders from above, on either side of the conflict. Politicians can get it right or wrong. The troops, however, have no other option but to get it right, and they expect to be able to do it with dignity. So, if there is one good thing to come out of this lengthy, morose and expensive exercise is the sense that politicians should be and still are under some degree of public scrutiny. Usually what starts with a lie ends with a lie. So, no claim, no matter how peremptory, should go unchallenged. The trust Danes have constantly deposited in their political system should also be allowed to continue to thrive. It is only reasonable to hope this inquiry will come up with relevant (certainly exhaustive) recommendations for the future conduct of politics. This, being Denmark, makes it a likely scenario. Whether anyone will care to listen to them is another story. For the time being, get ready to hear the grass grow. If you think it?s worth it. Luis Cardador DENFRI Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:34:00 +0100