Mayfair Set (Documentary, 1999)
Produced, Written, Directed by Adam Curtis
#1 Who Pays Wins
With an uninspiring name like that, I thought the documentary would deal with something related to British affairs. The only Mayfair that I knew was the most expensive property in the original 'Monopoly' game. (Dark Blue, together with Park Lane)
Glad I watched it as it opened another Pandora Box of evil that lurk in what appear to be a kind gesture. Again, the dictum, 'there is no such thing as a free lunch' holds true.
It narrates the concept of mercenary soldiers and arms sales business that helped to sustain and rejuvenate the British economy after being battered in the World War 2. Colonel David Stirling, a gung ho nationalistic soldier ran SAS (Special Air Services) in Northern Africa, a mercenary army during the fight with Rommel.
After WW2, he led a quiet life in Rhodesia but got embroiled in its politics there at a time of Black nationalism, through the Capricorn Party to safeguard the interests of the whites there. This movement was not, however, supported by the then government.
He then returned to London to start a gambling den named Clairmont in Mayfair, in a building befitting the grandiosity of the past history of Britain. It catered exclusively for the aristocrats and the rich and famous.
His big break came in 1958 when President Naseer of Egypt (who is considered to have the blessings of the Russians) attacked Yemen. An important seaport Aden which is of British interest is situated there. As Naseer had humiliated them in Suez, the British government was not keen to get involved in the debacle. As Saudi was scared of being attacked, SAS offered their expertise for a fee, of course.
This was the beginning of the era of arms dealer like the American stooge, Adnan Kashogi.
1964 saw England, under the Labour Government, in an economic quagmire. The pound sterling took a tumble and foreign funds started moving out. Spending was cut back, the British troops were pulled and Britain was no longer 'Great'. What better way to make money than to sell off the remnants of the arsenal of weaponry left over from the second World War.
Naseer was defeated.
UK, unofficially, through private ventures continued selling weapons of high sophistication and auxillary support (radar, training, etcetera). Corruption started rearing its ugly head as whitemen tried to sell their arms to the royal Saudi family via agents. Modern off-shoots of arms trade flourished between Saudi and UK.
During the Nigerian civil war, UK supplied arms to the federal army. It was leaked to the public view by a journalist, Jonathan Atkins. A brouhaha ensued in UK, while its watch-dog continued supplying mercenaries to influence and prevent violent overthrows of despots in the Middle East and Africa.
In 1974, Stirling was involved in a bad accident.
After recovering from it, he found his den in London infiltrated by rich Arab big gamblers with oil money. These nouveau riche found pleasure in mingling with aristocrats of their former masters.
With the increase in industrial revolt and unemployment, Stirling, the nationalist, yearned for the good old days where Britain was great. He and his group of friends had a contingency plan to take over the executive powers of the country if political chaos were to occur. They infiltrated into the trade union.
Arab money return to UK to buy as tension in their land escalate. Corruption set in the UK as the Arab buyers started bribing their British sellers for merchandise.
Looks like the whole Arab thing went a full cycle, Arabs bribing the British as they did to the Arabs 20 years previously. To top it all, Stirling's castle in Scotland was bought over by an Arab.
And move over to the second episode....
Produced, Written, Directed by Adam Curtis
#1 Who Pays Wins
With an uninspiring name like that, I thought the documentary would deal with something related to British affairs. The only Mayfair that I knew was the most expensive property in the original 'Monopoly' game. (Dark Blue, together with Park Lane)
Glad I watched it as it opened another Pandora Box of evil that lurk in what appear to be a kind gesture. Again, the dictum, 'there is no such thing as a free lunch' holds true.
It narrates the concept of mercenary soldiers and arms sales business that helped to sustain and rejuvenate the British economy after being battered in the World War 2. Colonel David Stirling, a gung ho nationalistic soldier ran SAS (Special Air Services) in Northern Africa, a mercenary army during the fight with Rommel.
After WW2, he led a quiet life in Rhodesia but got embroiled in its politics there at a time of Black nationalism, through the Capricorn Party to safeguard the interests of the whites there. This movement was not, however, supported by the then government.
He then returned to London to start a gambling den named Clairmont in Mayfair, in a building befitting the grandiosity of the past history of Britain. It catered exclusively for the aristocrats and the rich and famous.
His big break came in 1958 when President Naseer of Egypt (who is considered to have the blessings of the Russians) attacked Yemen. An important seaport Aden which is of British interest is situated there. As Naseer had humiliated them in Suez, the British government was not keen to get involved in the debacle. As Saudi was scared of being attacked, SAS offered their expertise for a fee, of course.
This was the beginning of the era of arms dealer like the American stooge, Adnan Kashogi.
Naseer was defeated.
UK, unofficially, through private ventures continued selling weapons of high sophistication and auxillary support (radar, training, etcetera). Corruption started rearing its ugly head as whitemen tried to sell their arms to the royal Saudi family via agents. Modern off-shoots of arms trade flourished between Saudi and UK.
Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling,
DSO, OBE (15 Nov 1915 – 4 Nov 1990)
|
In 1974, Stirling was involved in a bad accident.
After recovering from it, he found his den in London infiltrated by rich Arab big gamblers with oil money. These nouveau riche found pleasure in mingling with aristocrats of their former masters.
With the increase in industrial revolt and unemployment, Stirling, the nationalist, yearned for the good old days where Britain was great. He and his group of friends had a contingency plan to take over the executive powers of the country if political chaos were to occur. They infiltrated into the trade union.
Arab money return to UK to buy as tension in their land escalate. Corruption set in the UK as the Arab buyers started bribing their British sellers for merchandise.
Looks like the whole Arab thing went a full cycle, Arabs bribing the British as they did to the Arabs 20 years previously. To top it all, Stirling's castle in Scotland was bought over by an Arab.
And move over to the second episode....
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