The importance of King Richard

(image from here)

We don’t know if the recent news, or to be more precise the article on February 15 in the Sun “I’m convinced my Maddie is still in the Algarve, says Kate McCann as she launches Child Rescue campaign” about Kate thinking Maddie is alive in the vicinity of Praia da Luz is anything related to the decision from the Appeal court on the McCann v Amaral judicial process undergoing its terms in Lisbon.

We do find it strange that an event to promote an alert system, that the system was completely and absolutely overshadowed by a speculative remark made by Kate McCann.

It seems that to the media it’s much more important for the public to know that Kate McCann thinks that her daughter was from May to September 2007 apparently very near her than to educate us all on how that alert system works and what we should do in case a child goes missing.

A system, without any of the news article of February 15 telling us it consisted of an app for a smartphone, which according to Kate if it had existed in 2007 would have mobilised and galvanised people:

“If enough people had been mobilised and galvanised early then who knows what the outcome would have been”.

Unless we start importing people from other planets we cannot see how many more people Kate expected to be galvanised and mobilised in May 2007.

Then, there were no smartphones, people got their information updates from two main sources: television and radio. One just has to read the statements in the files and see how many people claim to have learned that Maddie had disappeared from TV.

Two people come to mind, Stephen Carpenter and Yvonne Martin. And both were immediately galvanised and mobilised. Both left their residences at once.

One walked half of Praia de Luz together with 2 of the T9 men, during which they were able to find what we believe to have been the last specimen of a non-English speaking hotel receptionist in the Algarve - by sheer coincidence in the Ocean Club reception - and ends up finding a translator for the McCanns, sorry the PJ, just when he had the intention to return to his apartment where he has left his family but which he ends up not doing and we still have to know when does he that day.

The other, a senior social worker, drove from the other side of Lagos to have a very peculiar blockage of her memory when she had to remember the face of a supposed paedophile while having same memory with the precision to remember distinctly from that day 2 children she allegedly sees for the first time.

And from May 4, both TV and radio, together with the newspapers blared out only one thing: let’s galvanise and mobilise and find MADDIE, the British girl with a coloboma.

Having then the radios and TV putting out this single message would be today’s equivalent of having every single smartphone on the planet with one and only one app, the “Find Maddie” one!

Impossible to beat, impossible to ask for more participation from the public or the authorities. The entire planet was galvanised and mobilised.

Only that explains the alleged thousands of alleged sightings! So how can Kate speak of lack of mobilisation and galvanisation?

But as we said, and for us that is what matters, we don’t know if this piece of so-called news is or isn’t related to the decision from the court which has everyone from Maddie’s world in deep and anxious suspense.

Truth is, as we have said before, the Portuguese judicial system is absolutely anachronistic to the point that to make any sort predictions about its timings is as reasonable as predicting snow during summer in the Sahara.

Back in September last year, we were told by a friend that as the Appeal court is undermanned there would be only a decision around April.

Meanwhile we have heard on the grapevine, so absolutely unconfirmed, that it may be in March. We’re still in February. And please do reread the above before holding us accountable for any of the times mentioned.

However it must be said that experience has shown us that the McCann side seems always to be one up on the rest of us when it comes to knowing Portuguese court decisions.

It wouldn’t in our opinion be absurd to say that this sudden urge from Kate to tell us that Maddie may be in Luz could be  related with something team McCann know about the court decision that we, including Mr Amaral, don’t.

If this is the case, then it would seem to be a quite a desperate move on Kate’s part and good news for us. It would seem she’s desperately seeking sympathy by showing that after all these years she still believes in a live Maddie not far from Luz.

In other words, she would be anticipating an unfavourable decision from Lisbon. Trying to convince the executioner to be merciful, so to say.

But one has to say that it doesn’t seem to be a very brilliant move on her part. To say without any new fact that anyone is aware of, that Maddie is alive near Praia da Luz is basically saying that both the PJ and the Scotland Yard of are quite incompetent. Not to insult the hundreds, not to say thousands who searched every inch of that micro-region in 2007.

On the other hand it could also be said that all this was about the McCanns justifying the expenses related to hiring a new team of private investigators as Operation Grange will most likely close at the end of April (someone in the UK is crossing fingers really hard wishing Lisbon will say something before then!).

But then why point things towards the area of Praia da Luz? Hasn’t the PJ, Dave Edgar and Scotland Yard turned every possible stone there down to a mysterious sock?

And why justify the expense? They have already done that. They have already said they have earmarked £750,000 to go on investigating in case Operation Grange closes down.

Another option would be for them to be pressing the Met to keep Operation Grange open. Again, not a smart move to call them incompetent and then “ask” for them to go back to where they have already been and were not welcomed at all.

All three above options have one thing in common: they’re absurdly ridiculous by the simple fact that Kate even raises the possibility of her being alive and near Praia da Luz.

The most successful “abductor” of all time was a neighbour? And he eluded the entire world for 9 years?

No, the ridiculousness is such a statement is far too ridiculous to be innocent. Kate McCann is, in our opinion making a fool of herself with the intention of being ridiculous.

We think none of the three options above apply. We think all is summed up in in these words from the article in the Sun from Kate: “I want an end, an answer. Whatever that it is.”

That is the message the other side wants to put across, in our opinion.

Kate McCann is asking for this nightmare to end. She’s at the end of the line. She wants the game to stop.

If there’s an axe to fall on her neck, then let it fall but stop the anxiety of not knowing when. If there’s no axe, then send the executioner away. One or the other. Clarify things.

This seems to be confirmed on the next day’s news in the Sun two days after, on February 17, “Kate McCann: 'The twins know all about her disappearance and they want Maddie back'” with the following snippets:

Starting with the title “the twins know all about her disappearance” and continuing inside with “KATE McCann and husband Gerry have told their twins "everything" about Maddie's disappearance”, “the couple have strived to keep their other children in the loop”, “Kate explained: The twins are doing really well”, “they are up to date, they know everything, they know if we are meeting police” and “there is nothing kept from them”.

Or, in other words, the twins are ready for whatever outcome. Please let closure come, says Kate in our opinion.

These could be heartfelt words if not for the ridiculousness presented.

We think those who ordered her to be this ridiculous had in our opinion two goals:

- The first is to get this message across to the target listeners in a very crystal, crystal clear manner;

- The second is to make the couple as contemptible as possible. The more loathsome the couple appear to be, the less attention will be given those outside the T9 even if named. The couple are the loathsome ones and focus should be concentrated exclusively on them and their 7 friends.

Like us, the other side is in our opinion not looking only at the court decision but beyond it.

They want a decision from King Richard I, the Lionheart.

To understand why we bring King Richard into the picture we have to take the reader back into the tale of Robin Hood and a major detail everyone misses when hearing it.

We will skip the part of questioning whether Robin Hood even existed as well as the part of also questioning whether he ever met King Richard.

We will just stick to the “facts” of the tale that is currently in vogue which is the one where Robin ends up with Marian, hailed and no longer an outlaw by the hand of King Richard.

Everyone is enthralled by the courage of Hood and his Merry Men. Of how he robbed the rich and gave to the poor wanting nothing for himself.

The tale also has a love story, that of Marian and Robin, plus the comic reliefs of Little John knocking Robin into the creek, the quirks from Friar Tuck and Marian’s maid.

And who can forget the brilliant performance of the recently sadly lost Alan Rickman in the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham? What a loss to the world that death was. Our homage to an outstanding actor.

But we would like to centre our attention on the extremely happy ending.

King Richard comes and puts in their rightful place King John, the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Osborne. Blesses the love of Robin and Marian. Hails the hero and pardons all his crimes.

We all are enthralled with so much happiness and righteousness that we totally miss that the entire tale would have never been known if it wasn’t for King Richard.

(image from here)

Or if it was ever known it would be because of a thief who met a similar end as Che Guevara in Bolivia: one spectacular but fruitless death.

And Che’s death was only known because of who he had been in Cuba, and not because of his feats in Bolivia where he was killed.

None of Che’s companions who died with him in Bolivia gained any immortality. Fact is, if it wasn’t for Cuba, Che’s death would not be known to anyone outside Bolivia and we very much doubt by anyone from there.

Like Cuba validates Che, it’s King Richard who validates Robin Hood.

Without King Richard, Robin Hood would be just one completely unknown thief among so many others.

Where does this fit in the Maddie case?

In Maddie’s case, truth is Robin Hood.

We, all who strive for the truth, are his Merry Men.

The reality is that without a King Richard to validate the truth, the usurper, King John, will continue to ignore it completely and persecute those who defend it.

In Robin Hood’s tale, the kingdom was then ruled by a corrupt and evil ruler, John, who if given the chance, would have completely smothered Robin Hood, wiped him from any history book and replace him with a “hero” of his choice, much more convenient, for the sake of the public folklore.

In Maddie’s story we have in effect an evil and corrupt establishment who if given the chance, will completely smother the truth, wiping it from any history book and replace it with a version of its choice, much more convenient, for the sake of public closure.

Without our King Richard deciding in Robin’s, or to be more specific Truth’s favour we are indeed fighting a lost battle.

We look upon him waiting his decision.

Will he move to immortalise Robin Hood or is he unable to overcome John and so allow the lie to perpetuate?

We can only win the battle by making sure that our King Richard is convinced it’s best to bless Robin Hood, or in our case, the truth.

Note, we did not say we were Robin Hood.

We said we were his Merry Men. Only 3 among so many others in Maddie’s Sherwood Forest.

In this case, truth is Robin Hood. Nothing and no one else.

Merry Men care not about their own egos. Yes, the tales let us hear of names like Little John, Will and Friar Tuck. But none are heroes in individual feats against their foes, all are part of a collective heroism.

In that moment which King Richard legitimises Robin Hood, no individual Merry Man is counted individually, although each one was essential to put the hero in that position.

It’s about time people set individual egos aside. One reason we don’t lend our names to the blog is exactly we don’t want our egos interfering with our work here. Besides our egos are pretty well replenished:

It seems then our work has been validated since June 8 2013, with presently 183 posts in a blog and too many comments to count all over the internet, both published and unpublished. What better compliment could one ask for?

People must understand once and for all that fact finding time is over. It has been over since July 2008.

The establishment has all the facts, all the proof, all it needs to legitimise the truth. The truth is not legitimised for political reasons, not because further investigation is needed. The one that exists in the PJ Files is sufficient.

We here in the blog appear to be putting out new facts but we aren’t.

We are simply exposing old facts. Facts the establishment would prefer you not to see but still old facts. Facts from 2007/2008. Facts from the PJ Files.

Our detractors call us armchair detectives. We are not such thing. What we are, and very proud to be, is armchair journalists.

We do the job paid journalist can’t or won’t do in the Maddie case.

We analyse existing fact and expose it like journalists do. We don’t go out questioning people or look at vestiges. We do not seek to sit in the prosecutors chair in a court room. We inform. We read what has been written and we expose what is there to be read.

We do what journalists do, only we do it for free and from armchairs. We do love our armchairs.

What we have shown is all facts that are in the files. So if we have seen these facts, we’re certain the establishment also has been able to do the same.

Our foes are not stupid people, we keep repeating that. They should not be underestimated.

And they should not be underestimated especially when it comes to the manipulation of people.

If you want to fool someone look no further than someone who refuses to be fooled, for he is the easiest person to fool.

Place the right carrot in front of a donkey and the animal will follow the exact path you want it to follow. Convince him he’s choosing the “right” carrot and you have the advantage that he will walk your path thinking he’s the one choosing where he walks.

The choice of which carrot to follow will be his, he only fails to see that the variety of carrots put before him to choose from was not a decision of his making.

And there are times one doesn’t need to place a variety for choice. The type of carrot a particular donkey needs is so evident that is all needed is to keep feeding him with them.

When one chooses to ignore facts one knows are there, one is not being a Merry Man.

Then one not only one is not helping Robin Hood as one but is hindering him.

One is just acting like Will Scarlett – in Kevin Costner’s film version of the tale – who betrays Robin just because his ego is hurt for feeling his brother is getting better treatment than he is.

And when one is only worried about ego and not the truth, then all the opposing side has to do is to put on the end of a stick the right “ego-satisfying” carrot and very easily they have gained an unwitting but very helpful ally.

But as we have said, ultimately nothing depends on Robin Hood or the Merry Men. It all depends on King Richard for validation. It’s his call and his call only.

All we can, and must be, is like ticks on a human and become a really bothersome nuisance.

However, if he has reason to live with the irritating itch then he will live with it. That’s why we must bite, bite and bite and then bite again. Many ticks biting will drive anyone crazy and striving to stop the itch.

Like a tick when compared to a human we are also minuscule but like it we certainly can exert convincing pressure.

The reaction from the public to the latest stunt from Kate shows that this is a sensitive subject.

It may lay dormant but it will never go away.

Or as the February 17 article in the Sun says “Kate told how her family have been "completely amazed" by the fact Maddie, whose 13th birthday is in May, is still so much in the minds of the public despite being missing for so long.”

Yes, she is in the mind of the public. That is a fact. So much so that even the Sky News website is accepting comments against the couple.

And Kate does seem to be begging for closure. And by “boasting” a live Maddie near Praia the Luz she doesn’t seem to be pushing the archival option. More towards a merciful executioner one. 

To conclude, our collective very, very annoying tick bites may be what will convince our King Richard that best thing he can do is to hail Hood rather than try to smother him.

Make him understand that our “bite marks” will forever be visible on the internet for all to see that no matter how much he may say that Robin Hood, or the truth, doesn’t exist, it will persistently be here for all who have eyes to see, so best for him to assume the hero once and for all, stand next to him and raise his arm to the cheering crowd.

(image from here)

Then we will all be able to meet and celebrate at Nottingham castle where we will raise Robin, or Truth, in our arms, parade it on our shoulders and let the children throw rotten tomatoes at the likes of John, the Sheriff and Guy.