[Paquadez]

The last remaining privately held copy of the Magna Carta, the English agreement forcing the monarchy to to grant basic human rights to serfs, has been bought by the billionaire "Private Equity Group" head honcho, David Rubenstein.

Who just happens to head up - the Carlysle Group.

You know, that little biz which includes or did, the Bin Laden family, George Bush senior and a host of well-connected ex politicos and oil biz peeps!

When you have a moment, Google "David Rubenstein and read his far right wing NeoCon credentials.

Also Google "Carlysle Group".

What on earth this man wants with a document which is probably the most crucial statement on freedom and human rights I know not.

It's rather like Ehud Olmert and his Knesset mates setting up a museum of Nazi memorabilia, since "It's a wonderful investment!"

At times, lately, I could weep.

And no Linksy: before you jump in with your usual perjuratives, using my example above is simply illustrative analogy and nothing else implied or meant!

(He probably will, anyway! )

[Ciberblade]

Paq ~ with all your googling, I'm surprised you hadn't noticed that his purchase was for it to be placed in the National Archives in D.C.

[wacor]

Originally Posted by Ciberblade

Paq ~ with all your googling, I'm surprised you hadn't noticed that his purchase was for it to be placed in the National Archives in D.C.

Guess that shoots a hole in the theory then don't it.

[Knotbored]

Don't ya just hate it when a conspiracy gets shot down before it can make it onto all the blogs and into those rag magazenes at the checkout stands!

[Paquadez]

On loan: at least that's what the man himself stated when interviewed on BBC TV News at 1.00 PM UK GMT.

Perhaps he lied............................

I still think that even if an outright gift, that guy spending 19 million$ for a priceless document relating to freedom's core is totally risible!

Perhaps he ought to have gifted it to the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad..........................................

Well they have peace and demohracry now, don't they!

[Stoner]

Does seem inconsistent of a neocon....to just give something away without a profit..........wonder what his angle is?

Maybe he had a stroke?.........

[Paquadez]

Cheapest way to store a priceless artifact. Environment conditioned; fully alarmed; fully insured and a host of trained conservators to look after it.

And when the time comes to cash in, the museum is sort of compelled to pay top dollar.

Not a bad deal.

[TooBad]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Does seem inconsistent of a neocon....to just give something away without a profit..........wonder what his angle is?

Maybe he had a stroke?.........

Maybe, just maybe, all the stereotyping of Neocons is simply wrong! Or maybe he is not a Neocon. Or maybe it is all just in your minds.

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by TooBad

Maybe, just maybe, all the stereotyping of Neocons is simply wrong! Or maybe he is not a Neocon. Or maybe it is all just in your minds.

Or maybe it isn't.

[Paquadez]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/s...583869,00.html

http://www.wanttoknow.info/030316post

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/080...004_08_24.php3

http://counterpunch.org/leser05152004.html

[SlackAli]

The Magna Carta was the result of the landowning classes asserting their rights against the power of the Crown. It had nothing to do with the freedoms or rights of the common man. The Yanks are welcome to it.

[Wino]

Originally Posted by SlackAli

The Magna Carta was the result of the landowning classes asserting their rights against the power of the Crown. It had nothing to do with the freedoms or rights of the common man. The Yanks are welcome to it.

Based on that premise, it fits right in with our current situation in the USofA with the exception that our Crown is helping the Corporate World bend the common man (& woman) over the proverbial barrel whilst dry shagging them.

[Paquadez]

Not quite, Slack.

It established the beginnings of the common man's rights.

Perhaps more critically, it began the process of removing absolute power over everything from the monarchy.

English translation:

http://www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/translation.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle3048307.ece

And this is fascinating, too!

http://www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex...WATMCA2006.htm

[SlackAli]

Well we're going to have to disagree on this Paq. Unless of course you're talking about the role of Robin Hood in shaping rights for the common man

In a nutshell, the events preceding the signing was the barons leading a rebellion against John, due to them becoming increasingly hacked off with his tax demands to finance his foreign military adventures (plus ça change)

John saw the magna carta as a stalling procedure to give him time to win over the majority of barons who had not joined the rebellion.

It did subject the Crown to the common laws of the country for the first time, and of course there was habeas corpus (pretty much now a historical concept in the UK since the rise of the New Labour Stalinists). But, there is bugger all about the rights of the common man.

As you know the idea of "free man" referred to in the Times, is not referring to the common subjects, who were far from free under feudal social relations of production.

[Paquadez]

Robin Hood: Robin Ba$tard more like!

MC did presage changes which led to certain rights for the commoner.

As I said, at very least it started wresting absolute power from the monarchy.