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In the Herald, yesterday:
Nicola Sturgeon has praised former US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton as a “class act” and said the world would have been better if she had defeated Donald Trump. Posting on social media after Ms Clinton’s testimony to the House Oversight Committee was made public, Ms Sturgeon paid a glowing tribute to her fellow politician.
This topic has caused me much angst over the years. Throughout those years, in TuS, I have praised and defended Nicola Sturgeon, time and again but she has a really surprising, for such an intelligent person, blind spot – Hilary Clinton.
Clinton is a ‘class act’ but she’s fully and enthusiastically, in a class along with US foreign policy hawks, including every US president, since Jimmy Carter perhaps, who have launched devastating attacks on weaker nations, killing now millions of civilians, women and children, in pursuit of those countries’ resources and to take out popular, left-of-centre, democratic governments deemed as damaging to US corporations and their right to extract, to pollute and to impoverish the local population. They do so, backed by US arms pretending to bring liberation and civilisation with them, as did Rome, as did the European Empires.
In addition to, as First Minister and SNP leader, without asking the people or even the members, unilaterally, backed Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016.
Surely, Nicola Sturgeon can see this or is she just another law graduate, like Blair, uneducated in this regard. Is that why she felt it appropriate to tweet that the war criminal (Cambodia 1975ish), Henry Kissinger’s book is a good read.
I have no doubt that Clinton is a war criminal with a track record worse than Trump, so far. If she’d been on the losing side, a Libyan, a Syrian, a Yemeni or a Somali, she’d be in jail.
What is her actual record?
A quick AI search gives you this:
Hillary Clinton, as U.S. Secretary of State (2009–2013), was involved in decisions related to U.S. foreign policy, including military interventions in Libya, Syria, and drone strikes in multiple countries. Critics, particularly from anti-war and progressive circles, argue her actions contributed to significant harm, pointing to:
Libya (2011): Clinton supported the NATO intervention that led to Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow. The operation, authorized by UN Resolution 1973, aimed to protect civilians but resulted in prolonged instability, with critics claiming it violated international law by exceeding the UN mandate. Posts on X and some web sources, like antiwar.com, call her a war criminal for this, citing civilian deaths and Libya’s descent into chaos.
Drone Strikes: As Secretary of State, Clinton was part of an administration that expanded drone warfare in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Leaked documents (e.g., The Drone Papers) suggest high civilian casualties, fueling accusations of war crimes for violating principles of distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian law.
Syria and Other Conflicts: Her advocacy for arming Syrian rebels and hawkish stance on Iran and Afghanistan are cited by detractors as contributing to regional destabilization.
Frankly, Nicola, I just don’t get it.
Trump is a monster, clearly, and the US population might haver been better under Clinton though she too serves first the interests of the rich who sponsor her campaigns and has a poor track record even on women’s rights more so on those of the poor.
The rest of the world? The Middle East? She’d have been a nightmare for them. Iran would have been attacked 10 years ago with 1 million civilians, mostly women and children dead and countless millions homeless and displaced. She’d have dragged the UK into further boots-on-the-ground post-imperial adventures across the globe.
Why, on earth does Sturgeon not know this and see that it’s not enough to just be a woman denied a top job.
Finally back to the Donald. As I said, he’s a monster, in many ways, and the people of the US are paying a price for electing him, but:
If you look instead at US military deaths, Trump has far, far, fewer attributable to him.
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Talking-up Scotland 
I do take your point about Clinton…and many previous American Presidents who were and still are being falsely promoted as somehow being the opposite of Trump…….while really it is more a case of Trump is now saying the things out loud that many other former presidents only said in private.
Also since you have mentioned Nicola Sturgeon……..
Well her husband has been charged with doing something bad and accusations are that she, Ms Sturgeon, must have known about it.
So , with that argument and also with a slight change of topic (by me) from your post which is entitled “Sturgeon and Clinton – does being a woman any woman trump (sic) her war crimes, her murder and betrayal of the poor”?
Breaking news: “Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid has said ‘she is not part of her husband’s business activities’ after he was arrested on suspicion of spying for China”
The BBC have reported that:
“Earlier, the Metropolitan Police said men, aged 39, 43 and 68, had been arrested in London and Wales as part of a counter-terrorism policing investigation under the National Security Act”
“Reid, who represents East Kilbride and Strathaven, said:
“She is “not part of” her husband David Taylor’s business activities”
She added: “Neither I nor my children are part of this investigation, and we should not be treated by media organisations as though we are. Above all I expect media organisations to respect my children’s privacy.”
(Well yes I agree make the children exempt from scrutiny , but not Joanie Reid who is currently a UK Labour MP,)
Also if you look on the website for the UK parliament , under Joanie Reid, and look at her registered interests, then the last one states this:
“10. Family members engaged in third-party lobbying”
“Name of lobbyist – David Taylor
Relationship – Spouse
Role – Director
Name of Employer – Earthcott Ltd and
Date registered – 2 August 2024″
So sorry , but it is not for her to decide who and what should be investigated in this situation but it is for others to decide that, unless she thinks rules applicable for other politicians need not be applied to her.
The BBC article continues in stating that:
“The men have been accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service under section three of the National Security Act, which was introduced in 2023 to target suspects accused of working against UK interests”.
Also “As part of the investigation, searches were carried out in London, East Kilbride and Cardiff” .
“A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Wednesday, 4 March, we carried out a search of an address in East Kilbride on behalf of an investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London”.
“Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch posted a video on X, saying: “The spouse of a sitting Labour MP has reportedly been arrested for spying, alongside the partner of a former Labour MP”
(Then of course we also had Peter Mandelson recently arrested for allegedly releasing UK Government information to his pal Jeffrey Epstein , this happened when Mandelson was the UK Business Secretary and when Gordon Brown was the UK PM).
Ms Reid’s former prominent profile on various UK MSM and rogue media outlets like GB News, where she ranted on about the SNP failing to address what she declared was a huge problem in Scotland with Grooming gangs (prior to any actual official inquiry or investigation verifying this) .
So we may now see that her former prominent media profile suddenly becomes one that is non existent , as it appears she is using the Fawlty Towers Manuel excuse of………I know nothing…….as well as also using the Greta Garbo one of seeking solitude in saying “I want to be left alone”.
The run of bad luck for Labour , much of which is self inflicted, just keeps going on and on, to the point where, it seems it will never stop or indeed “Change” as a constant situation with Labour.
Liz S
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Nicola Sturgeon’s ex-husband has not been convicted of any wrong doing. It is both wrong and illegal to publish and assumption of his guilt before a conviction which may or may not take place.
Nicola Sturgeon was cleared of any wrong doing and that would include complicity in wrong doing her ex-husband may (or may not) have been guilty of.
This is a matter on which I strongly disagree with Ms. Sturgeon. Hillary Clinton is a war criminal deserving no kudos.
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“Nicola Sturgeon’s ex-husband has not been convicted of any wrong doing”
Indeed but I never said that.
I wrote “Well her husband has been charged with doing something bad and accusations are that she, Ms Sturgeon, must have known about it”.
“has been charged with” and not that he is “guilty of”.
Also it is not I who says “she, Ms Sturgeon, must have known about it” but it is others , as in opponents, who are accusing her of that.
My real point on that was because Ms Reid automatically stated in her own defence (when her husband was arrested on spying charges) that:
“She is “not part of” her husband David Taylor’s business activities”
So then she also said “Neither I nor my children are part of this investigation, and we should not be treated by media organisations as though we are”.
Agree her children should be exempt………
But why should she be exempt as a sitting Labour MP.
Sorry if my comment seemed to represent what you have written, not intended at all .
🙂
Liz S
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I apologise if I read something into your post that you did not intend.
To put it mildly, I am no fan of Ms. Reid, but I do object to any assumption that a wife is necessarily complicit in a husband’s (possible in this case) crimes. I am a little unclear if you are doing that or not. I don’t want to for a second time misinterpret your post. 😉
She went to some length to point out that as an MP she has had nothing to do with UK relations with China and for the family’s sake I hope that she was unaware of what he may have been doing.
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“I do object to any assumption that a wife is necessarily complicit in a husband’s (possible in this case) crimes”
As a woman , but also as someone who tries to be fair minded, then I too , like you, also see that same “assumption” as being very objectionable.
However within this site and also on other Indy sites, we do often get to expose, via examples, the hypocrisy of double standards being applied on matters concerning the SNP compared to similar matters connected to other parties.
Ms Reid’s objection to any suggestion of complicity is one that she will expect to be assumed as something no one would or should challenge, however that same respect , by others including Labour politicians, was not given to Ms Sturgeon when her husband was arrested.
The problem with written comments is that they can so easily be misinterpreted……..especially , if I am honest , they are worded as badly as I worded my above comment (Ha Ha) in relation to Ms Sturgeon and her ex hubby.
I always think it is far better to talk face to face when debating anything connected to politics , as politics can be so contentious…..especially if in Scotland …or so it seems…..Ha Ha
Anyway thank you for responding…. hope this comment is not as badly worded as my other one clearly was, and so then it also is not open to being misinterpreted too…..
That’s the story of my life , misinterpreted , (but then that’s another matter…or rather another story)………Ha Ha
😉
Liz S
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Saw this online……
Someone posted this below (was James Foster’s X account) as a person who is not a Starmer fan nor is he a ‘right of the Labour party’ fan either….
“@JeremyCorbnyn should write a letter seeking clarification from @JoanieReid & Keir Starmer”
“She likes letters. She wrote that daft one back along to Jeremy (and then followed up with another daft one)”.
“She is one of @UKLabour’s most sanctimonious MPs”.
Good that someone within England also sees her obvious #bad side as well us many of us within Scotland (though I am sure it is not unique as a ‘take’ upon Joanie Reid either here in Scotland or elsewhere within the UK) .
Labour politicians can never stop “Playing politics” can they , while accusing the SNP of doing it , which mostly sees them, Labour, always trying to play to the (public) gallery.
Once they Labour, as individuals and also as a party, find themselves in the spotlight, but not in a good way, then they become less smug and less triumphalist in their attitude and demeanour.
As to borrow yet another quote:
“They (Labour) do not like it up ’em”.
But currently it is indeed “up ’em” in so many ways….scandal after scandal after scandal……etc etc
Liz S
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A fascinating compilation of the mass murders carried out by previous incumbents of the White House. Well done, and glad someone has dome that.
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