The General Discussion Thread

[Publish Date updated to restore to front page]

Okay as an experiment here it is. Discuss your favourite generals here!

Well perhaps… Really this is simply the place to post news-items, fun-items or whatever takes your fancy. In short just post what you want here.

It’s just another wee experiment – comments welcome.

Squonk.

[Image: General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett (Stephen Fry)]

17,285 thoughts on “The General Discussion Thread

  1. One suggestion I have seen suggested elsewhere Ben is that he is absent for reasons known to the West and the “usual suspects” (Stratfor and Debka reported the news early on) are taking advantage to suggest something much worse. At the other end of the scale are suggestions he has suffered a stroke or that a coup is taking place.

  2. Also his Wiki page. Once a press officer for CEGB and their nuclear power stations!

    It’s conceivable that not -everyone- involved in the nuclear power industry is completely evil.

  3. @John, perhaps I didn’t make myself clear enough, as I assumed that the word “abhorrent” would have indicated that I’m not meaning a mundane, almost theoretical political difference, or “mere nuances of opinion”; I’m meaning a core difference that can cause real harm to other people. For example, I believe that all human life is sacred, and indeed everybody states that they value human life above all else, yet many people end up supporting many of the West’s recent “wars”, seemingly accepting, if not oblivious to, the inevitable massive death tolls & prolonged amounts of human misery, simply because in actual reality, they don’t really share my paramount belief at all, otherwise supporting any war of aggression would be something they would never ever do.

    Take the attack on Iraq, only simple minded brain-washed fools, hypocritical self-righteous arm-chair murderers, or agenda driven liars, really believed that we had to attack Iraq, and in my circle of friends I immediately dropped people from all three categories, because if they couldn’t share such a fundamental principle with me that all life is sacred & of equal worth, I didn’t feel comfortable associating with them anymore, never mind calling them “friends”. I have no doubt that most of these ex-friends who revealed their true colours, & harped on & on about the mythical Iraqi WMD’s, also went on & on about the phantom Benghazi massacre that never was, & the bogus Assad chemical attack, and are now going on, no doubt about Russian aggression, well I’m sorry but personally I cannot turn a blind-eye to a person doing something I find totally abhorrent, such as endorsing our Government’s right to murder people overseas, by hiding under the cowardly selfish mantra of “ you shouldn’t discuss politics with friends”, or the other equally morally bankrupt acceptance of “agreeing to disagree” just so to stay friends.

  4. http://www.nasa.gov/

    LIVE: NASA Readies for Tonight’s MMS Launch

    At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41, all remains on schedule for the liftoff of NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 10:44 p.m. EDT. Weather forecast is now 80 percent favorable during the 30-minute launch window. NASA Television and blog coverage of launch will begin at 8 p.m. and continue through spacecraft separation, about an hour and 30 minutes after liftoff.

    http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv



    Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

  5. Macky: I find it hard to disagree. How could one maintain a friendship, for example, with a total bigot who liked to see blacks lynched? If they’re not willing to examine facts, and see that coloured people are no less human, and don’t need terrorising, than the rest of us, who would want such a person to associate with?

    Likewise, if someone thinks it’s just fine to go bombing, sanctioning, and then invading and occupying another entire country, goddammit, just “because” – then what sort of person are they?

    At what point does it become personal? “Well, I don’t think it was right for you to go over there and beat that woman up, Jim – but that’s just my opinion. Another pint?”

    No – values are so drawn into question when it comes to how willing one is to deeply inflict damage upon another. If you’re a religiously intolerant, war-mongering, right wing chicken-hawk bigot, I do not like you, and would not want your company. (And I’m sure they would be just fine with that too, of course.)

  6. Macky, I realised that and just wanted to make it clear that you are not a bigot. However there will be some, I hope, almost 50% of the UK population who did not oppose Blair’s war in Iraq. Much of this was down to brainwashing by the media. So if any of them want to come back into the fold having realised the error of their ways it would be unproductive not to engage them, with caution. 🙂

    Take Phil, who believes I called him a fascist, who very often makes comments totally incongruous to the debate and is a disruptive influence. You engage him. That is fair enough. In some respects he makes a witty contribution. If he talks sense which he is capable of doing I am happy to entertain him. However he is a twister and therefore not one in my book to be trusted. He twisted this in which I correct a typo.

    “As things stand I oppose the fascists and those who oppose the opposers of fascism including Resident Dissident, and perhaps yourself and Clark, but I am happy to be contradicted on the latter.

    If you want to take me up on something take me up on my stance against fascism.”

    From it he made the claim that I had called him a fascist.

    “Your response to my mocking your ridiculous assertion is to call me a fascist!”

    This is something he has repeated almost as often as Noddy has called me a Stalininist, well not quite.

    I realise he is lonely, like Clark, but I suspect it will be after the war when they realise who the aggressors were, and by then it might be too late.

  7. I’ve long suspected that there is a rogue Mod at CM’s, who is a total nutcase, now I’m sure;

    “Mary, Macky and RobG join Jemand on the pre-mod list. This will make lots of (unpaid) work because they post quite a lot.

    A post from Craig would be nice, but not to save us from ourselves.

    Greetings from your fascist lunatic site team (RobG, 23:31 yesterday). See you all in Hell.”

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/02/amnesty-international-conference-on-torture/comment-page-18/#comment-513783

    Dreoilin’s deranged pure personal attack on Mary doesn’t put her on pre-Mod, or even deleted, RD can link to articles without reffering to a discussion point, yet my similar links last night were deleted with warnings !

    Moderation at CM’s has always been a sick joke, that is only get increasingly worse.

    LOL !! There’s more !

    “Those commenters who would have “pro establishment trolls” banned might like to consider that metaphorically you are asking moderation to restrain your enemies so that you can beat them without fear of retaliation. Well moderation at this site are not your lackeys. Comments that make political points or engage with arguments will be approved when convenient but insults, slurs and innuendo will remain unpublished.”

  8. Now my reply to Dreoilin has been zapped !

    So Dreoilin, here’s your reply to ;

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/02/amnesty-international-conference-on-torture/comment-page-18/#comment-513781

    “@Dreoilin, I was suggesting a reason that would directly answer this;

    “He commented on the fact that you constantly condemn the British political establishment regarding child abuse but that you had never mentioned the Pakistani gangs – and he’s correct. It’s a matter of fact”

    Dreoilin; “Here it is again, just in case you hadn’t noticed it the first time:”
    Yes, I saw it the first time, and what’s the problem ? It is a fact that when Mary posts about politicians & child abuse, Habby often goes ballistic, to the extent of not being even able to post a comment not full of abuse, & littered with uncharacteristic typos, indicating a high level of anxiety; it seems entirely reasonable to assume that he may have some sort of vested interest in this topic , and you only have to recall the detailed grillings he gives to others, most recently RobG, when they also post on this subject; as to what that “interest” could be, nobody knows, he might be touchy about it because it effects people he knows, or maybe he gets so angry because he only wants the crime of child abuse to be associated with Asian gangs, or maybe it all a hype of self-righteous indignation as a stick to beat Mary with over alleged but phony accusations of “double standards”.”

    Message from Mod

    “Macky your biased cod-psychology has been deleted unapproved. It was Mary’s choice to answer Habbabkuk with unfounded innuendo instead of logical argument. If Mary puts out food for those she considers trolls it is not moderation’s responsibility to protect her when her bait hooks a bite.”

  9. Well it at least it confirms in B&W the loaded moderating; my comments are”baised”, and because the Mod suffers from basic comprehension problems he doesn’t even realise that I explain that there is no “unfounded innuendo” at all.

    I love to be able to debate this individual, and just goes to show that indeed if Clark can be a Moderator at CM’s, so can any other fool.

  10. Mrs Macky Top Dog Of Comments Page 184, John Marks&Sparks Goss The Only True Anti-Fascist.

    Your sanctimonious verbiage gets ever duller. I applaud the mods on CM – just for pissing you two off.

  11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31867829

    Julian Assange case: Sweden U-turn on questioning

    Swedish prosecutors have offered to travel to London to question Wikileaks founder Julian Assange over sex assault allegations.

    Prosecutors had previously insisted on questioning Mr Assange in Sweden, after seeking his arrest in 2010.

    Mr Assange denies the assault claims and has been living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012.

    He fears that if he is sent to Sweden he could then be extradited to the US to face charges over leaking material.

    A lawyer for Mr Assange, Per Samuelson, welcomed the move. “He is willing to co-operate fully now in conducting this interrogation – this is a great victory for him,” he told the BBC World Service.

    “We’ve been waiting for this for over four years.”

  12. Why don’t you address the issue, or issues, Phil, instead of your perpetual ad hominems?

    You might well approve of the mod who has taken to controlling anti-fascists on CM’s blog. You might even go out walking with him.

  13. Thanks for the Julian Assange link Squonk. The way they’ve treated him is abominable, as though he had been charged with a crime. While this is a welcome move in the right direction, and flies in the face of all the lies the prosecution team previously made about not being able to interview him in London, I suspect the fact that the European Arrest warrant is due to expire in August is the only reason they have agreed. Marianne Ny and Elisabeth Massi Fritz fall below my contempt. Fritz, who represented the former prime minister Reinfeldt, even had anti-Assange articles on her legal web-page. From the start it has been a political honey-trap.

  14. From the ‘naughty step on CM’ I left a comment which is in moderation so of course the character assassination that Dreolin indulged in cannot be countered even though I understood that comments of a personal nature were not tolerated.

    This is not the first time that she has had a pop at me on behalf of the troll. Why? A touch of green eyed jealousy maybe or some other obscure reason? Furthermore, for someone who purports to support the Palestinians’ cause, does she ever support my posts in that respect or anyone else’s for that matter.

    A strange psyche.

    Bye. 😉

  15. I see the sexual smut left by the troll on CM earlier has remained extant. Amazing.

    PS I abhor and condemn ALL child sexual abuse, historic and current, whomsoever perpetrates it.

  16. “A touch of green eyed jealousy maybe?”

    Don’t flatter yourself Mary.

    “I abhor and condemn ALL child sexual abuse, historic and current, whomsoever perpetrates it.”

    You’re a bit late coming out with that.

    “This is not the first time that she has had a pop at me on behalf of the troll.”

    I don’t post “on behalf of” anyone. I post my own opinions. If they occasionally coincide with something Habbabkuk has said, that’s the luck of the draw. I don’t agree with taking sides on CM. I don’t believe in “sides”. I think people should speak honestly from their own hearts and minds — and that’s what I do. There is not a word of mine on CM’s since I arrived there is 2005 that I would take back or edit.

    Not. One. Word.

  17. “Furthermore, for someone who purports to support the Palestinians’ cause, does she ever support my posts in that respect or anyone else’s for that matter.”

    “Purports”? What are you attempting to do now? Exhume Fedup’s ridiculous accusation that I am a “Zionist-enabler”?

    I have never seen you support my posts re Palestine. Or anything else. So stop being a damned hypocrite.

  18. From Mod to me;

    “Instead of supporting Mary in everything she does and thereby encouraging intellectual laziness in her, you should stimulate her to raise her quality of argument. Indulgence is not respect.”

    LOL ! Sounds like control freak Clark is back moderating again! 😀

  19. Maybe you should try the mod’s advice, Macky – see how fast you get slapped down, called a “troll” and so on.

  20. Sigh… The human tendency to tribalism is so depressing.

    “My [country | group | party | whatever] right or wrong”

    Without justice there cannot be peace, and without truth there cannot be justice, so peace begins with honesty.

  21. @glenn_uk, I hope you are being sarcastic; so many people want to control Mary, or as in this case ask me to do it, as if she some sort of errant child or mentally impaired fool; it’s a testament I guess to how effective she is, in what she does, that rubs some people up the wrong way, but judging by the fact that she is also the only poster that has ever been called the best poster on CM, & by several different people now, I think it’s safe to assume that her detractors are only the small but vocal minority.

    This clown of a mod, choosing to get involved on sides, is really a disaster for the Blog, totally unsuited for the role of moderating a political blog, but nobody will have a quite word as long as he/she continues to err in favour of Craig’s prejudices.

  22. “because the Mod suffers from basic comprehension problems” — Macky

    and now you say, “so many people want to control Mary, or as in this case ask me to do it”

    You’re the one with “basic comprehension problems”. Go back and read the Mod’s advice again.
    No wonder you saw no innuendo in what Mary said about Habbabkuk and child abuse – you’re completely out of your depth.

  23. Macky, so you do see this in terms of “sides” then?

    My opinion is that you continually attempt to control other commenters including Mary, and all who read the comments. You do so by writing approvingly to and about those whose opinions you wish to promote, and writing unpleasant criticisms and derogatory remarks to and about those whose opinions you wish to denigrate, any alignment with truthfulness being entirely incidental. It’s a simple manipulative strategy that can be seen throughout your contributions by any who care to look back through the threads.

  24. Of course, Clark. To Macky, you are stupid, nasty and utterly wrong if you fail to agree. She wants to gather all her little friends around for a good nodding-fest, while they say nasty things about you. There is nothing positive to say about you should you fall out of favour – you are lacking in every respect.

    On the other hand, you can do no wrong if you’re on the right side of her.

    Bet she’s been that same spiteful, vindictive, venom-filled way since her early school-days, hoping to frighten others into not crossing her.

    If everything about CM, his blog and most of the posters is so dreadful, why doesn’t Macky just piss off and find somewhere else to loiter? It’s not as if she’d be missed! 😉

  25. Macky, the sad thing is that you probably don’t even realise what you do. The herd mentality in you is so strong that you actually believe the group-think that appeals to you. You think that you’ve escaped the influence of propaganda, but you’re simply substituting less popular propagandas for the mainstream ones, and then you evangelise for them with all the enthusiasm of Jehovah’s Witnesses “out on the doors” trying to “place” the Watchtower and Awake! magazines.

    Here; go watch yourself trying to construct a “false flag” consensus, doing your utmost to bludgeon all evidence to fit your preferred fictions:

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/01/terrorism-and-nuance/comment-page-5/#comment-503869

    It was myself and Je that prevented you succumbing to your own prejudices. How many misconceptions have you internalised when there were no rationalists there to guide you away from your own fevered imagination?

  26. If Macky is a woman, I would miss her contributions, if a man, his contributions. The single biggest issue facing European security is Ukraine. Macky has at no time, as far as I can recollect, supported the illegal and dare I say it fascist government in Ukraine. This issue has divided everyone on Craig’s blog right down the middle and I don’t think anyone has the right to arbitrate in favour of one set of supporters or the other. To me it is as plain as the nose on my face. The AZOV forces are the new stormtroopers. If it was Franco’s Spain in the thirties those militants who could see the rise of fascism would be supporting the Republicans and joining the International Brigade. Franco, like Poroshenko today, was being supplied with weapons by right-wing regimes, in Spain’s case Germany and Italy, in Poroshenko’s by US/UK and other NATO countries.

    After the Second World War the fascists were still in control in Spain. Fascism in Germany and Italy had been defeated at a devastating cost. “In retrospect, however, the Spanish Civil War was not a prelude to the Second World War, but rather an indicator of the growing instability encompassing the whole of Europe.” Macky has learnt from history. This, call it nationalism if you prefer, is what is happening with AZOV forces. Even they may not recognise what they are, or not be prepared to accept it. You can draw your own conclusions from what I consider a balanced report.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-13/inside-the-mariupol-base-of-ukraines-azov-battalion/6306242

  27. John: The Ukraine issue hasn’t divided everyone, the insistence that you’d better follow one line or the other – or else you are a [fill in the blank] is the problem.

    At one point, a year or so back, I offered a mild criticism of one of Mary’s posts. I’d hoped for a discussion, in which I might learn something.

    The result? I get referred to – in the third person – as having “thrown acid” at her. Seriously. Jesus H Christ – I had the temerity to step out of line!

    Mary does not provide mere information (that we apparently couldn’t get ourselves, very easily, elsewhere). It’s received wisdom. Question it, and you WILL be regarded as the enemy. You WILL be referred to in derogatory terms in the third person. No, you can’t question Mary, you can’t question Macky.

    I’ve politely sat on the fence on this for long enough, out of deference I suppose to seniority and Mary’s medical problems (with which I sympathise a great deal, and wish her the very best).

    But to see the way Dreoilin has been spat upon, by Mary and her loyal attack-dog Macky, that takes deference too far – for me, at least.

    If you can’t see that either, John, then you must enjoy having your own loyal attack dog (Macky, again) so much, that you don’t care how viciously or badly it behaves, just as long as it’s on your side.

  28. Oh – one more thing. Macky will appreciate this because (as is everything else), it’s _all about her_. All the time. Attention is everything.

    Can anyone recall Macky expressing anything except self-approval, ever? Isn’t this the most infallible, perfect and utterly in control person we’ve ever come across?

    Has Macky ever made a mistake (well of course, but in her mind), ever made an apology, ever got anything wrong, ever behaved incorrectly? Of course not!

    Control freaks are always perfect!

    Prove me wrong, Macky. Tell us something negative about yourself. Have fun.

    ——
    PS – No, dear. I haven’t spent the entire night thinking about you. I had plenty to do between writing these posts. But I know you thought that 😉

  29. Dreoilin;”You’re the one with “basic comprehension problems”. Go back and read the Mod’s advice again.”

    Really ? Nobody, especially a Mod, has the right to ask somebody to control/influence another adult poster; you obviously can’t see why that is wrong on so many levels, but try thinking about it a bit deeper. Further how come this “advise” is only given to me, when there are pages & pages of others in ugly pack attacks, each egging the other on ?

    Dreoilin; “No wonder you saw no innuendo in what Mary said about Habbabkuk and child abuse – you’re completely out of your depth.”

    One of the beauties of the art of debate is the use of the ambiguous, especially when used in retorts or put-downs; of course I realized the innuendo, ( justified in my opinion for the reasons I gave you before), but she didn’t actually directly say Habbabkuk abuses children, instead I believe she, just like many politicians & others do, made a deliberate ambiguous comment that could be interpreted in various different ways. But only she knows what she what she was actually refferring to, nobody else.

  30. Clark; “Macky, so you do see this in terms of “sides” then?”

    The openly biased Mod clearly sees it as so;

    “Those commenters who would have “pro establishment trolls” banned might like to consider that metaphorically you are asking moderation to restrain your enemies so that you can beat them without fear of retaliation. Well moderation at this site are not your lackeys. Comments that make political points or engage with arguments will be approved when convenient but insults, slurs and innuendo will remain unpublished.”

    Notice the terms of “enemies” or to “beat”; also notice the lie iro “pro establishment trolls”, (a term that I frequently use, so I’m guessing this is aimed at me), being requested for banning; I have only ever called that for Habbabkuk, and that was on the grounds that at one considerable long stage, his constant trolling was making any meaningful discourse impossible; I’m happy to note that he has curtailed his excessive trolling lately, so I wouldn’t advocate banning him for this at present.

    Clark; “My opinion is that you continually attempt to control other commenters including Mary, and all who read the comments. You do so by writing approvingly to and about those whose opinions you wish to promote, and writing unpleasant criticisms and derogatory remarks to and about those whose opinions you wish to denigrate, any alignment with truthfulness being entirely incidental. It’s a simple manipulative strategy that can be seen throughout your contributions by any who care to look back through the threads.”

    With respect this is all mumbo-jumbo nonsense for two very good reasons; firstly YOU do exactly the same, whetever you realise it or not; second, of course, everybody approves of people with whom they agree with, and disapprove of people with whom they disagree with, it’s perfectly natural & logical !! Do you really think I would back-up a point that Mary or John may make that I actually disagree with ?!! Your comment about “any alignment with truthfulness being entirely incidental” is a slanderous lie, and I challenge you to provide any basis for such a cheap slur.

  31. Clark; “Here; go watch yourself trying to construct a “false flag” consensus, doing your utmost to bludgeon all evidence to fit your preferred fictions:”

    That is pathetic; I have never advocated ANY theory about the Charlie Hebdo murders, apart from stating that I keep an open mind until persuaded by rational evidence; a logical reasonable position that even you must agree with.

    That I provided information for consideration in the course of the debate does not mean that I support any theory, or even the information itself, and in fact on this exact piece of new information, it was I that semi-debunked it myself, by asking various French friends to account for the strange anomaly .

    So better luck next time in trying to fling CT dirt on me.

  32. @John, yes you are right that the Ukraine issue has indeed not just divided people at CM’s, but it has almost done much more; it’s caused a few people to actually leave, and it has revealed some very unpleasant loyalty traits in others, notably Gestapo like Clark who insists on all totally towing the Russophobic line for the infallible Leader Craig, yes the same Clark who accuses others of not arguing from true principles, but on “sides” or “tribalism” !

    However Glenn-uk is also right to state there is another longer standing problem, which is basically hostility towards Mary.

  33. Glenn_uk; “, you can’t question Macky. ”

    Well, despite several miserable attempts, yes you can’t question any of my povs; how must that grate with you !

    Glenn_uk; “But to see the way Dreoilin has been spat upon, by Mary and her loyal attack-dog Macky, that takes deference too far – for me, at least.”

    The only spitting I’ve seen is the periodic venom from Dreoilin; where were you all those long months when Mary with being viciously troll-packed attacked by Habbabkuk, RD (& their many sock-puppets), Villager, Techn & Dreoilin ? Oh yes, you were joining in the attack.

    Glenn_uk; “Isn’t this the most infallible, perfect and utterly in control person we’ve ever come across?”

    Yes this is;

    Dreoilin ; “There is not a word of mine on CM’s since I arrived there is 2005 that I would take back or edit. Not. One. Word.”

    Glenn_uk; “Prove me wrong, Macky. Tell us something negative about yourself.”

    Yes, my biggest fault is spending valuable time debating venal, petty, sad messed-up individuals such as yourself.

    On that note, good day ! 😀

  34. http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/03/14/this-is-why-its-impossible-for-the-kremlin-to-lie-about-putins-weird-disappearance/

    This is why it’s impossible for the Kremlin to lie about Putin’s weird disappearance

    It’s been more than a week now since anybody’s seen Russian President Vladimir Putin. He had a mundane meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on March 5, and then … nothing. Since then, Putin hasn’t been seen in public, and the Russian blogosphere can talk about nothing else. Their president skipped a number of events—including one with his FSB bigwigs—and the Kazakhs, with whom Putin was supposed to meet this week, said the Russian president was ill. They quickly walked it back after the Kremlin denied it. The Kremlin began fiddling with Putin’s schedule. State television began broadcasting news of meetings planned for the future as if they had already happened in order to show that Putin was alive enough to attend meetings. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s mustachioed spokesman, has been stonewalling all week, insisting that his boss is not only breathing, but “breaking hands” with his manly handshake.

    …Which tells you why Russian liberals are so worried and, strangely, implicitly hoping for Putin’s reappearance. Two weeks ago, one of their main leaders was assassinated. The other one, Alexey Navalny, has basically admitted that the opposition has been neutered and marginalized. And if Putin’s gone, they certainly won’t be the ones to take power. It will be the real strongmen.

  35. As I mentioned early this morning there is a serious threat to world peace from NATO countries, who have backed Putin into a corner, without any justification. Whether the fact that the UK has opened business with the new bank of China has anything to do with the current crisis and announcement I, like others outside of the circle, can only speculate. There has been rumour for some time that Putin is about to announce what really happened at 9/11 and apparently the Russians have satellite images which show it was an inside job. It is highly unlikely that Red Square is being prepared for the announcement of the birth of Putin’s latest addition to the family. That could be done without ceremony.

    It is time for the madmen in the USA to go. My guess is that is what the announcement is going to be about. Putin has been taking it on the chin for above a year without any retaliation. My guess is that in response to US/UK ramping up of a proxy war in Ukraine he is about to take the only option to support the pro-Russian populace of Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia. The US in installing NATO bases in these countries has renegued on its agreement not to do so following the break up of the Soviet Union. I fear for the future.

  36. BBC website seemed to be down. Going there from a bookmark gave me “Error 500 – Internal Error” and a picture of the old test card. I followed a Google search page link which said to be bbc.co.uk/news and it worked. Still happening…

  37. Tracert gets through with timeouts. Could be a dicky line at Telehouse could be a DOS attack.

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