Old Holborn's appeal to pay Nick Hogan's fine has reached its target. In a matter of days.
ASH (Wales indoctrination chapter), the tyrannical inquisition pretending to be concerned for you non-smoker's health, the hideous band of control freaks who are in the news every day, who pronounce their doctrines based on pretend science and twisted realities, managed to obtain charitable donations from the public of £2,697 IN AN ENTIRE YEAR.
A blog managed to raise £9,712 to release a victim of ASH's indoctrinations IN UNDER A WEEK.
Think about that for a moment, you rabid antismokers. While it's trying to get past your conditioning, here's a hammer to drive it home with.
ASH are funded by the makers of nicotine gum, patches and pills - the only thing ASH will accept as stop-smoking devices and which don't work - to the tune of £45,168. Why do you think they want to push smokers onto those things? For the good of their health? For the good of yours? Or for the money?
Money trumps life for the Righteous, and ASH are models of Righteousness.
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There is some kind of spat between OH and Freedom2choose. Seems F2C found an anonymous donor willing to loan the money to get Nick Hogan out early and want OH to repay him. I've dealt with PayPal and one thing is for sure, getting your cash out of them isn't a quick process. It will take a few days before the funds are cleared in a bank account and available to be withdrawn in cash. So blaming OH for not having the money this afternoon is a little over the top. It's simply not possible.
Expecting OH to transfer all the donations into the account of someone he doesn't know is also unreasonable. I am not saying there's anything out of the ordinary going on but this is the Internet and let's face it, it's full of dodgy characters. OH is right to be cautious.
The only aim of the fund is to get Nick Hogan out of jail. His crime is to stand up for our right to choose. Not, as the brainwashed drones of ASH would howl, 'the right to poison everyone's air'. The right to choose. We don't want to be out on the street and you antismokers don't want us out there. We want to be in those pubs and transport cafes you antismokers never visited anyway. You threw us outside and now complain that we are outside. Now you have brought the country to this -
Nick Hogan was convicted of a political crime and imprisoned for being unable to pay the fines, which were imposed by a court that was perfectly aware he would not be able to pay them. They knew, when they imposed the fines, that they were going to jail him for non-payment and that was always the intention. To make an example. He did not refuse to pay. He was unable to pay.
A political prisoner in a debtor's prison. In the UK. You, antismokers, made this happen. Your drooling spite has made this country less free than Cuba. And you moronic cretins really believe this technique will only be used against smokers, don't you?
That is what we must fight. Injustice. Soviet-style show trials based on oppressive and unfair laws. It must stop now because it is already an offence to 'not agree with the law' on smoking, and it is a trivial matter to extend that to 'not agreeing with the government' on anything.
We are fighting the Righteous here. Not each other. Infighting will put us back outside those pub doors. The pubs will die. ASH will win.
The Righteous are exceptionally good at splitting groups that oppose them. Somewhere in this spat is the hand of a Righteous. It is not one of the visible combatants. It never is.
But it's there. Whispering words of division and hate and 'see, the other guy wants to push you aside'. Sly weasel words of paranoia and mistrust. Sowing discord behind the scenes. Breaking us into factions so we can't fight effectively.
It's how they work and they are very, very good at it. Know your enemy and more importantly, know your friends.
UPDATE: F2C have removed the rant. Good. Divided, we will fail. The matter has been enough to put OH off doing this again, which is not good. If Anna Raccoon and OH had not done this, Mr. Hogan would have months, not days, of jail time still to face. I think that is worth keeping in mind.
25 comments:
I'm not very impressed by either OH or Freedom2choose. There's a lot of cynical publicity-seeking going on here, and poor Mr Hogan has been a pawn in the middle of it all.
Looks like F2C rustled up a donor so that they could be the ones to let Hogan out of prison. Meanwhile, OH was soliciting donations so that he could be the hero. Quoting F2C, he "REFUSED to pay the donated monies into the willing 3rd parties bank account...stating that HE will be travelling up to Manchester (with a gentleman from another organisation) and a media entourage, to 'pay the prison & spring Nick'".
And nobody seems to be saying, "hang on a minute, is paying the fine actually the right thing to do?" Paying the fine is accepting guilt! It's giving the lunch money to the bully! It's saying "The law is right and I was wrong." But the law isn't right, as we all know. Strange that Freedom2choose should be so willing to pay up in the circumstances. Maybe the PR coup is worth more than letting the Government win.
Vladimir - the guy's been sent to one of the nastiest jails in the country. He is in with some of the most violent, evil, sadistic criminals this country can produce.
There's 'making an example of' and then there's 'pure and absolute spite.' This is the latter.
While benefits fraudsters get to repay tens of thousands of stolen money at pennies per week, Nick Hogan was required to pay the fine and costs at £500 per month. That's more than I pay for my mortgage and utility bills combined.
He asked for it to be reduced and was promptly sentenced to six months with Hairy Dave O'Stabby and Sweaty Bob McBastard. Not in a cushy open prison such as Labour peers who kill people are sent to. In a hell hole. We don't have room for violent criminals in there but it took no time at all to find a slot for a smoking ban heretic.
The first priority must be to get him out of there and if that means paying, then that's the way.
Publicity is important. This can't just end when he's out. It's way beyond mere smoking now, this is political imprisonment.
Sure, it would be good if he could have been out today. It would have been better if he was out yesterday but the nature of these electronic money systems makes it impossible. It takes them days to press a button.
The money is in, the fine will be paid and he will be freed. Fighting over who should get credit is exactly what the likes of ASH want. It should not be an issue. Suddenly it has become a very big issue, and it's overshadowing the real story here. Which is what, no doubt, its instigator intended.
There's someone out there stirring this pot. It's someone acting as a friend to one or maybe both of the parties involved. They will split the anti-ban movement if they can and render it ineffective.
I don't know who it is but someone out there might.
I have received 20 or so emails from various people about this tonight. It is messy.
Some tool lobbed a hand-grenade into the room then ran off.
CR.
A well considered post, LI. As usual, you get to the heart of the matter.
Vladimir - I'm appalled at what's happening between OH and f2c. Your first paragraph is more-or-less exactly what I said to my husband half an hour ago. This spat is reducing Nick and his wife to the level of political punch-balls.
I agree with your misgivings. What made us cough up in the end was sympathy for Nick, who we've met, and the thought that a speedy conclusion would say more than words about the widespread disgust felt about Nick's treatment in particular and the smoking ban in general.
This twist in the tail is shameful.
Karen
I am never, ever doing this again
All I wanted Nick Hogan out of prison
I obviously don't know the ins and outs of the spat but if F2C did find an anon donor who's suddenly come up with the money, I wouldn't put it past ASH to be behind it (or is my hatred making me paranoid?) They've got the funds, courtesy of err, us, and they're masters of manipulation. They know exactly how to cause division.
I'm so sorry that OH is saying never again. What's he's co-ordinated is absolutely fantastic: direct action without begging permission from the police or cosying up to the MSM.
On his blog OH said that he'd refund all the donations if necessary. I'd rather that he and Anna held these as a 'fighting fund' to finance more direct action.
The issue now seems academic as it would appear that there is no anon F2C donor - but I'd like to see a smokers' union with monthly donations to a fighting fund.
Jay
OH - be very careful once you have the cash. I would not put it past ASH cronies to stage a 'robbery'.
Where you're going, and how much cash you'll be carrying, is in the public domain, remember.
If I were you I'd post details of his release after it's done, not while you're on the way.
I find this issue of cash payment only very strange
You have to jump through hoops to withdraw your own money in cash from banks or building societies if you want over a relatively small amount yet here is HMG insisting that £10K is paid only in cash.
If this is to do with money laundering (and withdrawing certainly is) then it's a double whammy.
Jay
Finally, some common sense kicks in stopping an outright defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory.
OH - you WOULD do it again because you hate the present system as much as any of us, and as you've demonstrated, you can make things happen.
F2C have raised funds for Nick and other landlords before, not as much as this admittedly, but as much as a small organisation with few active members could do. But this doesn't excuse the stupid mix-up that started tonight.
There are very few of us who will stand up and fight, let alone put our hands in our pockets so let's all come out of this stronger as a united force against the evil this Country has descended into.
Congratulations Old Holborn and thank you.
OH - another thing. If you are caught in possession of more than £1000 in cash, it will be assumed to be drug money and confiscated.
You'll be running the gauntlet all the way there because you are up against people who really don't like to lose.
What you need is a distraction. Several others with V masks riding as passengers in cars...
Cheers guys, I think I understand this matter a bit better now. I'm glad to see that F2C have retracted their statement.
Good work, OH. Happy to see the spat with Freedom to Choose is sorted.
And if the money does appear from somewhere I don't want it back. Put it in a high interest account somewhere. Nick won't be the last....
It all sounds like a bit of a storm in a teacup.
Good on Anna Raccoon. Good on OH for setting up the petition. Good on everyone who donated. Good on whoever stepped in to try to release Nick right away. If that didn't actually happen, it sounds like the offer came too late for anything to be done about it.
I read Phil Johnson's piece on the F2C blog, and thought he was in too much of a hurry. That's understandable. But what he wrote was hasty and uncalled for. I'm glad he's now withdrawn it. I think he owes OH an apology. And if that's accepted, all concerned should bury their differences, and meet up next week to release Nick.
And when they do, it may well be No Smoking Day (10 March, I believe), and so they should all be smoking.
I adopted the motto from the Godfather, keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer
Leg-Iron, with his bloodhound-like ability to sniff out Righteous activity wherever it occurs is, as ever, spot-on with his suggestion about their involvement in this whole debacle. Which at least shows that they are worried enough to invoke direct action, I guess. It’s just a shame that they’ve managed to spoil the first chance of a public display of really united action against the unfairness of the anti-smoking legislation – but then I guess that’s what they do, and they’ve certainly had lots of practice, unlike those of us who are just starting out on this very new journey of campaigning/resistance/protest (or whatever we’re individually doing). I certainly think that Freedom2Choose should be a bit more careful about who they are dealing with in future. As Leg-Iron says, these people will masquerade as “friends” or “supporters” very convincingly, whilst quietly planning ways to subvert any successful campaign activities. This big donor says that he/she wants to remain anonymous, so he/she clearly isn’t after the publicity, so why didn’t he/she just donate a large amount to OH’s fund and then leave the publicity-generating in OH’s capable hands?
OH, I think it was a wonderful thing which you did and, for all the problems, it’s been an incredible success. Remember, Nick should be out of jail in a matter of days (provided you are careful, as Leg-Iron suggests – no trick is too low for these blighters), and that was, after all, the main aim of your campaign. I’m sorry that you wouldn’t feel like doing the same again for anyone else, and I hope that once the dust has settled, you’ll change your mind – because there will, no doubt, be further “trophy” cases to come in the future ……… I for one would be pleased to donate a regular monthly amount towards a “fighting fund” as suggested by Anon above, and I’d be delighted if such an account was in your capable hands to manage and look after and use as you saw fit. Good luck, my friend, and give all of our regards to Nick when you see him – soon, I hope!
I'm starting to believe that F2C may have been set up by this mysterious someone - it makes sense. If someone wanted to remain anonymous, then someone could have sent in a donation anonymously and that would have been the end of it. And I wouldn't at all think it unlikely that ASH, government and others involved in bringing us tyranny would hesitate to not play whatever dirty tricks they can think up. These are very ruthless people. Look at the state of things to understand the direction we are moving. This case with Nick Hogan should have made clear the line has been stepped over. If another similar political prisoner case comes up again, as it will, then if the blogosphere were to establish another account, I would donate again. I hope there is someone like OH with the blog already in place who would again be willing to provide the link and account to donate. Screw the MSM and ignoramuses in the government and fake charity groups who manipulate and lie. Eventually they'll be found out. They'll be found out sooner if there's no divisions left behind because of some back and forth misunderstandings from this one - and it was the first in a series coming up - there's bound to be some confusion and openess to deception from the enemy, if that is what might have been at the root. Next time, follow the same course, but with more wisdom to draw upon, lessons learned, next time flows more smoothly. Now everyone kiss if anyone feels uncertain, lips on cheeks, lips on lips - yes, that's nice - lovely.
OH: Don't let this put you off! Stirring like this is only to be expected, and good that it was resolved so quickly.
like it or not, you're *that guy*(and good on ya), while people like me sit in their armchairs and watch. More power to your arm.
@Leg-iron, 6 March 2010 00:23:
OH - another thing. If you are caught in possession of more than £1000 in cash, it will be assumed to be drug money and confiscated.
What you need is a distraction. Several others with V masks riding as passengers in cars...
Better still, before the journey split the cash into sub-£1000 lots amongst a dozen of your friends, who'll all go in seperate vehicles, then only amalgamate it in the office where you're due to pay the money.
Inconvenient and a pain in the arse, but much less easy for "them" to do anything about it.
Jesus, I hate this country. Isn't it appalling that we have to even consider splitting the delivery up to avoid State confiscation? But then after £7000 in court costs (!), a kangaroo show trial and putting him in one of the most violent jails in the country we can be sure that there are no depths they won't sink to to try and force this unwanted law on an unwilling population.
Good work everyone and congratulations to all involved.
LI, this could easily be posted under Brain Pain also; but Lance Corporal Joe Glenton was sentenced yesterday, not for the crime he was charged with, but as a deterrent to others. So it didn't matter whether he was guilty or not, they already knew they were going to jail him and no defence he offered would have sufficed.
OH
Keep up the good work, an earlier commenter's suggestion of a fighting fund would be great and you and Anna Raccoon being the driving forces behind this one would I think be excellent promoters, if we had a counter on all the supporting blogs like the one for Nick on your sight that would bring it into the minds of many people on a daily basis.
This would hopefully encourage people to think about why we are having to raise money to fight injustices.
I am David Atherton on the Executive for Freedom2Choose (F2C) and would like to put the record straight. Firstly with an apology to Old Holborn (OH).
Just to give you a bit of background, F2C were set up on 2005 just around of the smoking ban debate by Bob Feal-Marinez a Swindon publican and I joined a three years ago. Our association with Nick Hogan goes back to 2007 on the first day of the ban when the bulk of the people who turned up at his pub were F2C members. (1) In the intervening two to three years I have had had numerous communications with him, and was in Hereford with him for Tony Blow’s of the Dogg Inn show trial, the “Save The British Pub” debate organised by the IPPR in 2008 with the Labour Licensing Minister Gerry Sutcliffe and in TICAP conference in Brussels in March last year. To accuse us of being Jonny come lately type people would be wrong in respect of Nick. I was informed personally by the press office of UKIP on the 26th February 2010 of Nick’s sentence. The Facebook page was set up by F2C on the 27th February, so we can’t be accused of arriving late, which OH has been generous enough to contribute to.
Without trying to sound like a one man PR machine F2C broke the story of the G20 smoking rooms in Docklands, (2) were successful in stopping hospitals banning the general public smoking in hospital grounds (3) and on the science on passive smoking (the reason for the bans in the first place) ASH refuse to debate me in public . I have had work published in the British Medical Journal and currently have two papers pending. (4)
Let me get to the point. While the Chairman of F2C had a legitimate point to make, it should have been done in the privacy of a private email and we judge the publication of a front page and blog posting an error. Last night, 5th March I spoke to OH personally and apologised and would like to take this opportunity to do so in public.
In plain English the monetary target to release Nick would never have been reached without OH’s involvement who can claim most, of the credit for Nick’s release. Can I also thank personally Anna Raccoon and Guido Fawkes too.
In these days of an oppressive, stifling, government out best protection is the power of the blog and a united front in the face such illiberal provocation is compulsory. It is a tribute to us all out there that so much has been achieved.
May I wish OH well on his visit to Manchester, and thank him for his pivotal role in releasing political prisoner Nick Hogan. I hope we can all move on now.
1. http://www.freedom2choose.info/docs/F2CSN3.pdf
2. http://www.politics.co.uk/news/health/g20-exempt-from-smoking-ban-$1279775.htm
3. http://www.freedom2choose.info/docs/F2CN10.pdf
4. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/326/7398/1057#230033
Just a warning to everyone who is only coming to the anti-smoking ban issue in recent days. F2C have been fighting the ban since day 1 and despite being a small organisation (sadly there were far too many people on Old Holborn's blog saying, "Who the Hell are F2C?") they have a LOT of experience of Antis and how they work. Believe it or not ASH do have paid stooges to troll their forums (as proven by extracts from the forums appearing in ASH's literature and press releases) and their website has been the victim of a number of sophisticated hacking attacks.
So I say this to everyone who is only now joining in with this fight - be careful. I note that there are already anonymous posters on Old Holborn's blog claiming that F2C were actually founded by a tobacco machine vendor (a lie propagated by ASH many, many times to try and undermine F2C's credibility (just Google "Freedom 2 Choose Bullough" and you will find most of the hits are ASH memos or transcripts of ASH giving evidence at Committees)).
So be careful - there are no depths these people won't sink to. They are truly dangerous people.
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