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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 9h

And the Defence were not able to challenge it.

Despite the fact that “national security material” is often of dubious validity and has been misused on several occasions- e.g. in the justification of the Iraq War.

The High Court’s reputation is hardly spotless either, particularly in security cases

Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 9h

The evidence was secret. So the Defence weren’t able to challenge it. How very authoritarian.

Your views are reflective of a rather toxic view among many in the British establishment that human rights investigations are only for foreigners.

Because miscarriages of justice never happen in Britain.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 10h

I notice you haven’t addressed either of my points. The reported quanta were excessive and none of this is relevant to the decision by the Human Rights Commissioner to review the cases.

Justice has to be done, even when inconvenient. What use is the ECHR if it can’t be used for political reasons?

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 10h

It wasn’t destroyed. It was spattered with red paint and straightforwardly repaired. The calculation of the quantum of damages was ludicrous if you care to look it up.

While you’re on Google, also look up the principle of “Fiat Justicia Ruat Caelum”, to which even British judges adhere.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

I would hope the Chair of NATO would have a better idea of their likely opponent’s equipment.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

Did you watch the entire video, or just the bit that supported your conspiracy theory?

Maternal age, space between kids (which may be folic acid deficiency), ACT, genetics. And looking at the slides he may be discounting that diagnostic child psychologists may not be present in low population areas

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

You have to come to the conclusion that Scott Bessent is really quite stupid. And, Yes, if you’re devoid of principles and in the right place at the right time, like Bessent was, you can make a lot of money even if you’re stupid.

Given the several pending financial crises though, he’s a disaster.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

Ever wonder why with all these new telescopes we see more stars?

Ever wonder why with all these space probes we get better imagery of the planets?

Science advances. Diagnosis improves. It’s not all a big fucking conspiracy. Take it from someone who investigates conspiracies for a living.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

I was hoping it was the late, unlamented Moskva, but unfortunately it’s the Marshal Ustinov (you can tell by the shape of the radar antenna.)

Still, I thought the US Navy had enough warships of its own.

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Reposted by Andy Harbison

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 3d

“No, Speaker Johnson — the No Kings rally on October 18 is not a hate America rally. In fact, it’s quite the contrary: It’s a love America rally.” #NoKings

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

Of course, every time Ben Gvir and Smotrich open their mouths the burden becomes a little lighter, but I’d guess Israel’s genuine security concerns after Oct 7 makes a genocide charge unlikely.

Which is not to say crimes against humanity charges and charges for war crimes aren’t in play - they are.

Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

The burden of proof for genocide under international law is very high. You have to demonstrate an intent to commit genocide in circumstances where there was no other justification whatsoever. That’s nearly impossible to prove. Had the charge been made at Nuremberg it would have been a heavy lift.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 1d

Perverse is an inadequate description.

Someone who would do this would willingly commit an atrocity. One can only imagine the level of hatred you would need even to consider doing it.

Reposted by Andy Harbison

Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 1d

A man was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit for more than 40 years. As soon as he was exonerated, ICE picked him up to deport him to a country he has not lived in since he was a baby www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

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Reposted by Andy Harbison

Kelly C @kacphl.bsky.social · 2d

Yup. This guy nailed it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Qv...

How I View the US After 13 Years Living in Europe

YouTube video by Evan Edinger

www.youtube.com

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 2d

At Jutland she fired 144 12” shells and missed with every single one of them…

She also had thin armour and completely insufficient watertight bulkheads to make space for the extra turrets.

She was originally designed for the Brazilians who wanted the extra turrets to make the ship extra macho. 🙄

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 2d

Sorry, not Jupiter, Talos.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 2d

You joke , but with JFK was shown the plans for the US’ first nuclear guided missile cruiser, the USS Long Beach, he saw it didn’t have any guns and insisted the Jupiter missile launcher midships be replaced with one.

In the end, the gun was the only weapon on the Long Beach ever used in action.

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 2d

Sands definitely said the Oct 7 attack could be interpreted as being genocidal under Lemkin’s definition.

Frankly, there are two homicidal ethno-nationalist groups at work in Gaza, and the Palestinians are being ground between those two millstones.

The mass-slaughter of civilians is wrong. Period.

Reposted by Andy Harbison

Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 3d

Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."

www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

Pope Leo calls for news agencies to stand as bulwark against "post-truths," lies and manipulation

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.

www.cbsnews.com

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Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 2d

Surely he’s a bit abrasive to be oleaginous? No matter how much oil you put on an angle grinder it’s still going to grind. Really he needs to adopt Ted’s evasiveness and oily dissimulation (and hair gel) to really fit the description.

I think the best description is the Victorian “Toad Eater”.

Andy Harbison @andrewharbison1.bsky.social · 2d

There’s an interesting Ezra Klein podcast discussing the topic with Philippe Sands KC where they discuss Israel’s actions.

I go with his view that, per Lemkin’s definition, Israel’s actions were genocidal (but so were Hamas’ on Oct 7.) In terms of current international law, really tricky to say.

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Reposted by Andy Harbison

Neil Mackay @neilmackay.bsky.social · 3d

God Bless America is just a song by Irving Berlin. It’s not the national anthem. America is so far down the moron hole it will never get out

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Reposted by Andy Harbison

Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 3d

My cartoon for this week’s @newscientist.com

A comic strip in six panels. The panels inerlock like a jigsaw with knobs and sockets. Two stick figures walk right to left through all the panels.

Panel 1: Person 1 says "I hear you're working on a new theory."
Panel 2 & 3: Person 2 says: "Yes, I'm calling it the jigsaw model. I think it could change our whole View of reality."
Panel 4: Person 1 says "When Will you publish?:
Panel 5: Person 2 says "But a couple of things are still bothering me." (this piece/panel is a bit squint)
Panel 6: This piece is rotated ninety degees and fits to the others very badly. Person 2 is saying "Soon. I feel like I'm really close"
A second look at the whole comic shows that the last two panels read in the wrong order because the jigsaw has been put together incorrectly.

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Reposted by Andy Harbison

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 3d

How good (or bad) are good (or bad) words? @yougov.co.uk includes comparing how Americans and British people hear these words
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...

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