Britain, UK news from The Times
This morning's Times, link above, suggests that the UK military may have sent the London whale up the Thames as it swam away to escape military testing. Residents in Kent report that activities from Tuesday to Thursday last week resembled a "war zone" with offshore "detonations" cracking floors, windows and ceilings in local homes. This would certainly have been more than enough to disorientate and scare the shit out of the poor creature. One also wonders if its injuries were also a result of those events.
Also in the Times, the vague logic of British law. A woman who hired a hitman to kill her has sucessfully sued him for failing to do the job. Weird - it's here.
Alternet report on how the hub of empire, Amerika itself, has been left behind by the broadband revolution. The main reson seems to be greed. See here. Britain too is plagued by the high price of what this article refers to as "21st Century electricity" but in our case takeup has been pretty high. Edinburgh is currently experimenting with a public access broadband wireless network and the trials are slated to extend elsewhere later this year. My own area, Kensington & Chelsea (London) will be among them, so with luck I'll be able to give first-hand reports.
I may moan about beaurocracy but I'm not sure this is a solution. The Independent reports that the government is waking up the trend now prevelent in the commercial sector - outsourcing. Whitehall propose to axe tens of thousands of civil service jobs bu switching their call centre operations to India. Communication and attitude problems with foreign telephone operators are becoming legendary and many private companies are re-examining the wisdom of this policy in public relations terms. Whether the government is simply behind the times as usual or whether this is a strategy to make access health, safety and welfare departments even more difficult remains to be seen. It certainly won't help with the demand for immigrant labour, since those opportunities are largely for work that demands a physical presence. More than likely it's just another Blairite "bright idea" that hasn't been thought through for long-term effect.
Later.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Clandestine in Palestine
U.S. Funds Enter Fray In Palestinian Elections
A notable story in the link to Washington Post above. The ape emperor must be seriously doubting the wisdom of promoting the notion of democracy to achieve his ends, since elections in both Latin America and the Middle East are backfiring with a vengence as polls produce governments which do not quite suit Amerikan ideals.
Given that the root of so much international discontent lies with Israel's illegal occupation of its neighbouring territories, local pride (if nothing else) will ensure that an authentic election will produce a government intent on doing something about the state of affairs. The jewish state, like contemporary Amerika, seems to believe it has the divine right to take over anything it pleases - indeed, their policies are both interlinked. That Amerika is using underhand tactics in an attempt to engineer a situation that will result only in the "illusion" of a true democracy is symptomatic of their own desparation to implement a "hidden" agenda which is becoming rapidly all-too-visible. With luck, Palestinians will see through the subterfuge in making their choice at the ballot box.
Following my last blog on Friday, I went down to say hello to our whale. I've seen dolphins and all manner of sea creatures, but never a whale. It was an opportunity not to be missed. Sadly, it died around 7pm (UK time) last night. My own photos didn't really capture the spectacle. The subject moved far to fast to snap easily and I really needed a zoom lens. The memory will however remain with me.
Something rather disturbing was the media coverage of this. Four helicopters hovered above the scene with television cameras focused on the whale and the small flotilla of boats surrounding it. What I saw in the flesh and found completely absent in the news coverage, was the constant traffic of huge barges lugging containers up and down the river, seemingly oblivious to these events. The noise and water disturbance they created can only have increased the stress levels of such a sensitive creature. The self-congratulation in the pitch of the media reports was contrived - the crowds were not nearly a vast as implied (I had more than enough space to myself on the riverback beside the whale) and there was clearly no will to disrupt the usual industrial activities to better ensure the creature's welfare. More sad than heartening in my view.
Also in the UK, news has broken about the DNA database of "juveniles" - previously held without their knowledge and regardless of whether they have been involved in criminal activities. This may not be direct "surveillance" but a simple excercise in maths reveals the danger. The teenage generation in question will soon be adults and suceeded by a new generation of teenagers who will be recorded in a similar manner. Within the span of a few decades, intimate details of almost all the active population will be on an information network held by a civilian police force. Everywhere we go, virtually anything we do, we leave traces of our DNA behind us. It can be transmitted by touch. Criminals on the database can be identified almost immediately - but so can anyone else who may have excercised their freedom of movement in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Permission for this activity has not passed through parliament and legislated for. Nor should be be.
Later.
A notable story in the link to Washington Post above. The ape emperor must be seriously doubting the wisdom of promoting the notion of democracy to achieve his ends, since elections in both Latin America and the Middle East are backfiring with a vengence as polls produce governments which do not quite suit Amerikan ideals.
Given that the root of so much international discontent lies with Israel's illegal occupation of its neighbouring territories, local pride (if nothing else) will ensure that an authentic election will produce a government intent on doing something about the state of affairs. The jewish state, like contemporary Amerika, seems to believe it has the divine right to take over anything it pleases - indeed, their policies are both interlinked. That Amerika is using underhand tactics in an attempt to engineer a situation that will result only in the "illusion" of a true democracy is symptomatic of their own desparation to implement a "hidden" agenda which is becoming rapidly all-too-visible. With luck, Palestinians will see through the subterfuge in making their choice at the ballot box.
Following my last blog on Friday, I went down to say hello to our whale. I've seen dolphins and all manner of sea creatures, but never a whale. It was an opportunity not to be missed. Sadly, it died around 7pm (UK time) last night. My own photos didn't really capture the spectacle. The subject moved far to fast to snap easily and I really needed a zoom lens. The memory will however remain with me.
Something rather disturbing was the media coverage of this. Four helicopters hovered above the scene with television cameras focused on the whale and the small flotilla of boats surrounding it. What I saw in the flesh and found completely absent in the news coverage, was the constant traffic of huge barges lugging containers up and down the river, seemingly oblivious to these events. The noise and water disturbance they created can only have increased the stress levels of such a sensitive creature. The self-congratulation in the pitch of the media reports was contrived - the crowds were not nearly a vast as implied (I had more than enough space to myself on the riverback beside the whale) and there was clearly no will to disrupt the usual industrial activities to better ensure the creature's welfare. More sad than heartening in my view.
Also in the UK, news has broken about the DNA database of "juveniles" - previously held without their knowledge and regardless of whether they have been involved in criminal activities. This may not be direct "surveillance" but a simple excercise in maths reveals the danger. The teenage generation in question will soon be adults and suceeded by a new generation of teenagers who will be recorded in a similar manner. Within the span of a few decades, intimate details of almost all the active population will be on an information network held by a civilian police force. Everywhere we go, virtually anything we do, we leave traces of our DNA behind us. It can be transmitted by touch. Criminals on the database can be identified almost immediately - but so can anyone else who may have excercised their freedom of movement in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Permission for this activity has not passed through parliament and legislated for. Nor should be be.
Later.
Friday, January 20, 2006
A whale of a sight
No link here yet but try the BBC. As I write there is the extraordinary sight of a rather large deep sea whale engaged in water activities outside the House of Commons. Having swum up the Thames to parliament, one wonders if it might be there to protest about pollution.
In their ignorance, the TV newsfeeds are still refering to it as an "animal" wheras it is actually a "mammal" of a species known to have a degree of intelligence. Sadly, it doesn't have the words to communicate with us. A rescue attempt (eviction) will be underway shortly. It is a remarkable sight.
Later.
In their ignorance, the TV newsfeeds are still refering to it as an "animal" wheras it is actually a "mammal" of a species known to have a degree of intelligence. Sadly, it doesn't have the words to communicate with us. A rescue attempt (eviction) will be underway shortly. It is a remarkable sight.
Later.
US demands internet records
U.S. Obtains Internet Users' Search Records
This is a direct follow-up from my early morning musings. As the above link reports, Google may be resisting calls to hand over information to the Bush imperial database - but Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo seem to have no such qualms. Nor is there any comfort for those of us living outside Amerika - these are global search engines that operate beyond national boundaries.
Just how long Google can battle alone against this conspiracy only time will tell. For now, you can be sure I'll be restricting my searches to a route free of data highwaymen.
Later.
This is a direct follow-up from my early morning musings. As the above link reports, Google may be resisting calls to hand over information to the Bush imperial database - but Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo seem to have no such qualms. Nor is there any comfort for those of us living outside Amerika - these are global search engines that operate beyond national boundaries.
Just how long Google can battle alone against this conspiracy only time will tell. For now, you can be sure I'll be restricting my searches to a route free of data highwaymen.
Later.
Communication Shakedown
Feds Seek Google Records On Porn
It's gone midnight here in Britain. I was about to annouce a late blog but the witching hour has passed. I was offline most of yesterday so still have to catch up on late news.
This quick link above reports on the Bush government's attempts to get hold of data from Google - a major threat to our privacy that is being "vigourously contested". The issue is not one concerning pornography at all - that is simply the excuse. A precedent here would effectively be a back door to total surveillance. Google need the most support they can get on this - their own business interests are under threat, but in reality our own freedom is under even more threat.
This is hot on the heels of Blair's education secretary finding herself in hot water over sex offenders working in UK schools. As usual, the rabble-rousing breed of press have jumped on the bandwagon and stirred up a load of paranoia about child molesters and the like. One of the teachers in question seems to have done little more than download a packet of pictures, only one of which was remotely suspect and probably accidental. My own spambox is deluged every day with invites to view "hot rabid teens" (or somesuch) in all manner of wholly unattractive activities. Once in a blue moon an odd one gets by the filters and if opened accidently will, of course, copy that content to my cache. Twice infact, since I also connect to the internet via my own proxy server. Browser pre-fetch handlers also mean this stuff can come down the line without my having seen it at all. So - am I guilty of some crime for having been invaded by material I have not even seen and have no want of? If the criteria described can get me a "caution" which itself would put me on a sex offender's register, it would seem so. Frightening.
Since the time of 9.11, I have kept an eye on signs of excessive surveillance by Blair's government. The sad fact is that it is police, security services and civil servants to conduct such mischief and the legacy of such practices will, if allowed to take root, outlive the present government itself. It is a sad fact that activities involving child sex do plague our society. We are right to be outraged and the issue is a highly emotive one. The solution is not, however, to rally around the vigilantee cause promoted by the media in order to give a totalitarian state more ammunition with which to impose draconian measures which affect personal freedom. I have long suspected that the huge public support for catching child sex offenders has provided the government with the approval it needs to build a surveillance infrastructure that is designed to monitor far more that that which this particular excuse provides. The current dilemma simply shows how inept the system is. If such confusion, mismanagement and practical failures can exist where the protection of children is concerned, one can only imagine the false prosecutions, imprisonments and character assassinations that will ensue when that system reveals its full potential as a mechanism for the supression of civil liberties and dissenting voices.
Hey - I said it was way gone midnight. So goodnight.
Later.
It's gone midnight here in Britain. I was about to annouce a late blog but the witching hour has passed. I was offline most of yesterday so still have to catch up on late news.
This quick link above reports on the Bush government's attempts to get hold of data from Google - a major threat to our privacy that is being "vigourously contested". The issue is not one concerning pornography at all - that is simply the excuse. A precedent here would effectively be a back door to total surveillance. Google need the most support they can get on this - their own business interests are under threat, but in reality our own freedom is under even more threat.
This is hot on the heels of Blair's education secretary finding herself in hot water over sex offenders working in UK schools. As usual, the rabble-rousing breed of press have jumped on the bandwagon and stirred up a load of paranoia about child molesters and the like. One of the teachers in question seems to have done little more than download a packet of pictures, only one of which was remotely suspect and probably accidental. My own spambox is deluged every day with invites to view "hot rabid teens" (or somesuch) in all manner of wholly unattractive activities. Once in a blue moon an odd one gets by the filters and if opened accidently will, of course, copy that content to my cache. Twice infact, since I also connect to the internet via my own proxy server. Browser pre-fetch handlers also mean this stuff can come down the line without my having seen it at all. So - am I guilty of some crime for having been invaded by material I have not even seen and have no want of? If the criteria described can get me a "caution" which itself would put me on a sex offender's register, it would seem so. Frightening.
Since the time of 9.11, I have kept an eye on signs of excessive surveillance by Blair's government. The sad fact is that it is police, security services and civil servants to conduct such mischief and the legacy of such practices will, if allowed to take root, outlive the present government itself. It is a sad fact that activities involving child sex do plague our society. We are right to be outraged and the issue is a highly emotive one. The solution is not, however, to rally around the vigilantee cause promoted by the media in order to give a totalitarian state more ammunition with which to impose draconian measures which affect personal freedom. I have long suspected that the huge public support for catching child sex offenders has provided the government with the approval it needs to build a surveillance infrastructure that is designed to monitor far more that that which this particular excuse provides. The current dilemma simply shows how inept the system is. If such confusion, mismanagement and practical failures can exist where the protection of children is concerned, one can only imagine the false prosecutions, imprisonments and character assassinations that will ensue when that system reveals its full potential as a mechanism for the supression of civil liberties and dissenting voices.
Hey - I said it was way gone midnight. So goodnight.
Later.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Al Gore declares constitutional crisis
AlterNet: Rights and Liberties
Yesterday also saw a major speech from Al Gore. For those with short memories, he was Vice President under the Clinton administration and knows what he's talking about.
The above link will take you to a transcript of the full speech.
Later.
Yesterday also saw a major speech from Al Gore. For those with short memories, he was Vice President under the Clinton administration and knows what he's talking about.
The above link will take you to a transcript of the full speech.
Later.
Abuse of freedom's memory
Protesters at King March Oppose Air Force Flyover
Yesterday was Martin Luther King day in the US - a traditional time to celebrate freedom and civil rights. This link tells us that protesters were less than happy about an air force flyby and the suggestion that King would have approved of this excercise of military muscle.
Most ironic of all must be the words of the ape emperor himself, getting in on the act with the following ...
"Dr King roused the dozing conscience of a complacent nation."
One presumes the Bush copywriter in this instance has a wicked sense of humour.
Later.
Yesterday was Martin Luther King day in the US - a traditional time to celebrate freedom and civil rights. This link tells us that protesters were less than happy about an air force flyby and the suggestion that King would have approved of this excercise of military muscle.
Most ironic of all must be the words of the ape emperor himself, getting in on the act with the following ...
"Dr King roused the dozing conscience of a complacent nation."
One presumes the Bush copywriter in this instance has a wicked sense of humour.
Later.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Planetary ecosystem moves beyond point of no return
Independent Online Edition > Environment
The above links leads to a tragic, but not altogether surprising feature on the destruction of Gaia's lifeblood. It's today's headline news in the Uk's Independent newspaper - a worthy editorial choice.
The Galloway TV fiasco has been described by his aide as a "Worst Case Scenario" as the Respect party loses all respect. Also, as Gordon Brown annouces he has another baby on the way (keeping himself in the limelight after the weekend's "British Day" comments) a new poll suggests the English MPs do not want a Scotsman as Prime Minister in the new age of devolution.
"Violence entered my life, destroying what I loved. Because I was a victim of hate, I have dedicated my life to turn that hate into understanding, into tolerance and, why not say it, into love."
The new (female) President Bachelet of Chile.
Bachelet's election represents another move away from Amerikan influence in Latin America. This is becoming a trend, with Peru next on the agenda.
Later.
The above links leads to a tragic, but not altogether surprising feature on the destruction of Gaia's lifeblood. It's today's headline news in the Uk's Independent newspaper - a worthy editorial choice.
The Galloway TV fiasco has been described by his aide as a "Worst Case Scenario" as the Respect party loses all respect. Also, as Gordon Brown annouces he has another baby on the way (keeping himself in the limelight after the weekend's "British Day" comments) a new poll suggests the English MPs do not want a Scotsman as Prime Minister in the new age of devolution.
"Violence entered my life, destroying what I loved. Because I was a victim of hate, I have dedicated my life to turn that hate into understanding, into tolerance and, why not say it, into love."
The new (female) President Bachelet of Chile.
Bachelet's election represents another move away from Amerikan influence in Latin America. This is becoming a trend, with Peru next on the agenda.
Later.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Patriotism is the last refuge ... ?
Brown's flag day divides opinion
And another link to the Scotsman above, though hardly breaking news. With Cameron enjoying the rollercoaster of Tory renewal and the Liberal Democrats deciding on their own new leader, Britain's chancellor pops up to remind us that he also has aspirations to occupy the number ten slot.
It's a nice little diversion, raising issues as it does that do not collide with anything else obvious in the current news agenda. Sadly, it fails in that it stinks of Labour's "Nanny State". In essence, "Thou shalt remember and celebrate" is not really something I want to hear - the approach is all wrong! I also suspect a hi-jacking of Rememberence Sunday to include other things would upset a lot of people, if not myself.
We do not have a constitution that provides focus for such a National Day - nor thankfully do we have the kind of facism that "demands" allegience to the flag. But Brown's reference to the latter does imply one needed change. He wants to reclaim the Union Jack as a symbol of our nation without the current association with the National Front and racist right. This itself is an applaudable quest - extreme damage to Britain's cultural identity has been done by misuse of the flag by football hooligans, right-wing extremeists and others. Given that there are restrictions on the use of the words "British" and "Britain" in the naming of corporations and general promotional excercises, it seems right that similar prohibitions should apply to our flag itself.
Provided Brown does want to reclaim it as a masthead for his own version of the New Labour project, I would support its use as a unifying cultural symbol. Provided too, that it was employed in such a way that ethnic and racial minorities who are part of our culture be able to rally around it too.
Later.
And another link to the Scotsman above, though hardly breaking news. With Cameron enjoying the rollercoaster of Tory renewal and the Liberal Democrats deciding on their own new leader, Britain's chancellor pops up to remind us that he also has aspirations to occupy the number ten slot.
It's a nice little diversion, raising issues as it does that do not collide with anything else obvious in the current news agenda. Sadly, it fails in that it stinks of Labour's "Nanny State". In essence, "Thou shalt remember and celebrate" is not really something I want to hear - the approach is all wrong! I also suspect a hi-jacking of Rememberence Sunday to include other things would upset a lot of people, if not myself.
We do not have a constitution that provides focus for such a National Day - nor thankfully do we have the kind of facism that "demands" allegience to the flag. But Brown's reference to the latter does imply one needed change. He wants to reclaim the Union Jack as a symbol of our nation without the current association with the National Front and racist right. This itself is an applaudable quest - extreme damage to Britain's cultural identity has been done by misuse of the flag by football hooligans, right-wing extremeists and others. Given that there are restrictions on the use of the words "British" and "Britain" in the naming of corporations and general promotional excercises, it seems right that similar prohibitions should apply to our flag itself.
Provided Brown does want to reclaim it as a masthead for his own version of the New Labour project, I would support its use as a unifying cultural symbol. Provided too, that it was employed in such a way that ethnic and racial minorities who are part of our culture be able to rally around it too.
Later.
The television that demanded rescue
TV receiver sparks £20,000 helicopter rescue
A rather extraordinary story is revealed at the link above. A Portsmouth resident's set-top box accidently sent a distress signal to an RAF base nearly 700 miles away in Scotland. The resulting mobilisation cost £20,000 to conduct. In the age of concerns about the spying habits of government, one has to ask exactly what technology in the box was capable of sending such a clearly "outbound" signal.
All the news today concerns the Amerikan imperial incursion into Pakistan. Not only is this country a supposed "ally" in Amerika's phantom wars, but it is so despite the opposition of a great majority of its people. The arrogance of this attack and the subsequent murder of 17 innocent villagers has now provoked nationwide protest and raises the prospect of further isolation for the Bush Oil theft projects.
If you haven't heard, it seems that George Galloway's fee for the big brother debacle will be going to a charity for the homeless in Palestine. Not wishing to be left out on the act, Bush has publicly declared the same charity to be a "terrorist organisation", thus giving Blair more ammunition with which to discredit and maybe penalise Galloway himself. Ever increasing circles in the realm of political juveniles.
Later.
A rather extraordinary story is revealed at the link above. A Portsmouth resident's set-top box accidently sent a distress signal to an RAF base nearly 700 miles away in Scotland. The resulting mobilisation cost £20,000 to conduct. In the age of concerns about the spying habits of government, one has to ask exactly what technology in the box was capable of sending such a clearly "outbound" signal.
All the news today concerns the Amerikan imperial incursion into Pakistan. Not only is this country a supposed "ally" in Amerika's phantom wars, but it is so despite the opposition of a great majority of its people. The arrogance of this attack and the subsequent murder of 17 innocent villagers has now provoked nationwide protest and raises the prospect of further isolation for the Bush Oil theft projects.
If you haven't heard, it seems that George Galloway's fee for the big brother debacle will be going to a charity for the homeless in Palestine. Not wishing to be left out on the act, Bush has publicly declared the same charity to be a "terrorist organisation", thus giving Blair more ammunition with which to discredit and maybe penalise Galloway himself. Ever increasing circles in the realm of political juveniles.
Later.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Asolute control for an absolute ass
Bush could seize absolute control of U.S. government
It may be called "domestic" policy but the guy in charge is not exactly what civilised people would call a domesticated beast. The above link discusses how the ape emporer could impose martial law in his precious homeland itself - even to the extent of employing mercenary troops to do so.
One of the more edifying facts about Bush's aspirations for world domination has been the blatent lack of manpower available for the quest. The imperial military machine may be capable of slaughtering 100s, 1000s or even millions of our fellow men and women, but it is relient on a level of detachment that leaves it ill-equipped to cope with the aftermath or, indeed, any real affairs on the ground. The majority of Amerikans may be apathetic to the huge changes that surround them, but in equally apathetic fashion there is no rush to sign up for the presidential cause - or should I say, follies. Although military recruiters are falling over themselves trying to seduce those in high school and other sources of young blood (emphasis on "blood" and blood to be spilt), a direct return of the draft has so far been avioded - probably because it would signal a level of desparation that might just trigger the kind of social unrest experienced in the 1960s.
There is of course some degree of fallback to the massive corporate conglomerates. Mercenaries can be found through the likes of Blackwater (see link article) and others could be hijacked to serve the war machine by virtue of harnessing existing employees of those companies. Like monetary collapse, that would preserve the illusion for a while, but at the end of the day would become transparent. Abroad, Bush could resort to using nuclear weapons - at home this is hardly an option. That the administration cannot cope with natural disasters or all manner of human concerns on the ground may be its greatest failing. Like so much of commerce and industry in the modern world, it is so dependent on its technological tools that it has forgotten that the art, crafts and skills of people themselves are still essential to the workings of the machine.
In the UK, it seems the Respect party leader, George Galloway, will remain incommunicado for at least another week. One can't help but wonder whether the mindless mass of big brother voters deliberately chose to keep him in the house in order to perpetrate and enjoy the shit flying around outside it. Miow!
Later.
It may be called "domestic" policy but the guy in charge is not exactly what civilised people would call a domesticated beast. The above link discusses how the ape emporer could impose martial law in his precious homeland itself - even to the extent of employing mercenary troops to do so.
One of the more edifying facts about Bush's aspirations for world domination has been the blatent lack of manpower available for the quest. The imperial military machine may be capable of slaughtering 100s, 1000s or even millions of our fellow men and women, but it is relient on a level of detachment that leaves it ill-equipped to cope with the aftermath or, indeed, any real affairs on the ground. The majority of Amerikans may be apathetic to the huge changes that surround them, but in equally apathetic fashion there is no rush to sign up for the presidential cause - or should I say, follies. Although military recruiters are falling over themselves trying to seduce those in high school and other sources of young blood (emphasis on "blood" and blood to be spilt), a direct return of the draft has so far been avioded - probably because it would signal a level of desparation that might just trigger the kind of social unrest experienced in the 1960s.
There is of course some degree of fallback to the massive corporate conglomerates. Mercenaries can be found through the likes of Blackwater (see link article) and others could be hijacked to serve the war machine by virtue of harnessing existing employees of those companies. Like monetary collapse, that would preserve the illusion for a while, but at the end of the day would become transparent. Abroad, Bush could resort to using nuclear weapons - at home this is hardly an option. That the administration cannot cope with natural disasters or all manner of human concerns on the ground may be its greatest failing. Like so much of commerce and industry in the modern world, it is so dependent on its technological tools that it has forgotten that the art, crafts and skills of people themselves are still essential to the workings of the machine.
In the UK, it seems the Respect party leader, George Galloway, will remain incommunicado for at least another week. One can't help but wonder whether the mindless mass of big brother voters deliberately chose to keep him in the house in order to perpetrate and enjoy the shit flying around outside it. Miow!
Later.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Will Oil abandon the dollar?
The Story About Oil You Need to Hear
I've been going on about that worthless almighty dollar for some time and have just been sent this link above. It explains a lot in far plainer language than yours truely is prone to indulge, plus it gives a few new revelations on unreported Bush administration actions to hide the coming damage from public view. A must read.
In the house of big bothers, it seems George Galloway is going to regret his last career move. Forgetting the fuss about his being incommunicado and absent from both his constituants and the serious houe of debate, he has unwittingly played into the hands of those who would discredit him anyway.
I don;t care a damn about whther he wants to crawl around on all fours pretending to be a cat in an attempt to bring his political views to the masses - I'm more concerned that this behaviour will actually give cause for many to ridicule his views rather than the man himself. Labour's orchestrated campaign to discredit him in his absence is just the start of it.
The producer of the big brother programme has revealed what Galloway may not realise, especially has be was not exactly familiar with the situation he was getting into. Sure, he'll get a substantial fee for the "job" and considerably more in the unlikely event he wins. This keeps him in the house and stops him walking out deliberately to both ridicule and financial loss. The problem is he has no political platform here at all
It would be easy to discount those in the house with him as having no interest in politics, but he has tried to open conversions of interest. Unfortunately, we don;t get to hear them. Under UK law, any political comment made by him in the house has to be censored - yes, censored - simple because there is nobody else on hand to give "a fair and balanced" counterpoint. If indeed Galloway went in the place to promote his views, he clearly didn't bother to investigate the legal restraints that obviously defeat that object.
In isolation as he is, he probably still doesn't even know it yet either. More the fool. More the shame. Whether he is evicted tonight or somehow last a few weeks more, he is likely to be the butt of a thousand jokes in the real debtaing chamber for a considerable time to come.
Saddest of all is that with both Galloway and Charles Kennedy discredited, I can think of no strong anti-war spokesperson remaining sitting in the House of Commons. Whover wins the leadership election, I predict the Liberal Democrats will tone down on the issue in order the address the cventre ground. We'll see.
Later.
I've been going on about that worthless almighty dollar for some time and have just been sent this link above. It explains a lot in far plainer language than yours truely is prone to indulge, plus it gives a few new revelations on unreported Bush administration actions to hide the coming damage from public view. A must read.
In the house of big bothers, it seems George Galloway is going to regret his last career move. Forgetting the fuss about his being incommunicado and absent from both his constituants and the serious houe of debate, he has unwittingly played into the hands of those who would discredit him anyway.
I don;t care a damn about whther he wants to crawl around on all fours pretending to be a cat in an attempt to bring his political views to the masses - I'm more concerned that this behaviour will actually give cause for many to ridicule his views rather than the man himself. Labour's orchestrated campaign to discredit him in his absence is just the start of it.
The producer of the big brother programme has revealed what Galloway may not realise, especially has be was not exactly familiar with the situation he was getting into. Sure, he'll get a substantial fee for the "job" and considerably more in the unlikely event he wins. This keeps him in the house and stops him walking out deliberately to both ridicule and financial loss. The problem is he has no political platform here at all
It would be easy to discount those in the house with him as having no interest in politics, but he has tried to open conversions of interest. Unfortunately, we don;t get to hear them. Under UK law, any political comment made by him in the house has to be censored - yes, censored - simple because there is nobody else on hand to give "a fair and balanced" counterpoint. If indeed Galloway went in the place to promote his views, he clearly didn't bother to investigate the legal restraints that obviously defeat that object.
In isolation as he is, he probably still doesn't even know it yet either. More the fool. More the shame. Whether he is evicted tonight or somehow last a few weeks more, he is likely to be the butt of a thousand jokes in the real debtaing chamber for a considerable time to come.
Saddest of all is that with both Galloway and Charles Kennedy discredited, I can think of no strong anti-war spokesperson remaining sitting in the House of Commons. Whover wins the leadership election, I predict the Liberal Democrats will tone down on the issue in order the address the cventre ground. We'll see.
Later.
The legless of Whitehall
Can a lush run the country?
They may make a big hue and cry about maintaining the prohibtion of a herb like marijuana, but the lifeblood of the UK parliament seems to depend on one of the most dangerous drugs we know - namely, alcohol. Westminster's status as an den of inebriation is legendary. Ironic then that the fate of Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy be the result of his having been seduced by the mind-altering pursuits of his colleagues.
Today's headline link above leads to an interesting retrospective.
There is of course one other thing that fuels the British government. Find it here.
Later.
They may make a big hue and cry about maintaining the prohibtion of a herb like marijuana, but the lifeblood of the UK parliament seems to depend on one of the most dangerous drugs we know - namely, alcohol. Westminster's status as an den of inebriation is legendary. Ironic then that the fate of Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy be the result of his having been seduced by the mind-altering pursuits of his colleagues.
Today's headline link above leads to an interesting retrospective.
There is of course one other thing that fuels the British government. Find it here.
Later.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
"What began as a miracle substance subsequently became a youth cult drug, and thus a political danger for America."
LSD Chemist Wants Drug Ban Eased
The words of Albert Hofmann as he celebrates his 100 birthday in Switzerland today. See link yesterday for a full profile. See link above for today's take at CBS.
Hofmann used the occasion to speak out against the continuance of LSD prohibition for medical purposes. He believes its use in psychoanalysis can be a therapeutic experience and that outlawing its use was a result of the political motivations of a paranoid government unable to cope with a generational shift in the 1960s.
Also, for a different take on the making of the evil empire, click here. Op-Eds also ask Why do Christians need so much "Saving" anyway? and Whatever happened to the Bush "integrity" thing? Not that we really need to ask.
HEALTH WARNING: The author suggests you use extreme caution before considering the use of LSD whilst also under the influence of bush. It may seriously damage your perceptions.
Later.
The words of Albert Hofmann as he celebrates his 100 birthday in Switzerland today. See link yesterday for a full profile. See link above for today's take at CBS.
Hofmann used the occasion to speak out against the continuance of LSD prohibition for medical purposes. He believes its use in psychoanalysis can be a therapeutic experience and that outlawing its use was a result of the political motivations of a paranoid government unable to cope with a generational shift in the 1960s.
Also, for a different take on the making of the evil empire, click here. Op-Eds also ask Why do Christians need so much "Saving" anyway? and Whatever happened to the Bush "integrity" thing? Not that we really need to ask.
HEALTH WARNING: The author suggests you use extreme caution before considering the use of LSD whilst also under the influence of bush. It may seriously damage your perceptions.
Later.
Toward the fall of imperial resources
2006: The Year of Oil Collapse?
There has been a theme to some of my recent blogs, although not wholly intentional. It is the pending collapse of the Amerikan economy and the effect it will have on the rest of the world. The data keeps coming - and so do the opinions. The above link leads to an in-depth article at Alternet and should be taken seriously whether you live in the dying empire of consumerism or not.
Admidst all the holiday programming on TV, there was a countdown of the most significant events of the last century. The 9.11 attacks, the creation of the world wide web - you name it. My own choice was not included.
In science-fiction there is an intruiging and popular theme that concerns the notion of parrallel universes or timelines. It is the idea that if, at a given point in our perception of linear time, events had taken a different course then our entire history would be different. Some contend that maybe such diversions really took place and that for each of these there exists a parallel universe. In choosing the most significant event I would apply this concept to my choice - in other words, what would life be like without that event.
In every scenario I've been drawn to events before my birth - mostly to the late 1930s and the Second World War. It would be easy eliminate the rise of Hitler from history or alternately muse upon a world where he rose and achieved his goals. In both instances, one has to question whether the US would have ever interfered in Europe or elsewhere, whether the state of Israel would ever have emerged and whether the Soviet Union would have risen to provide the only power-bloc to counter that of Amerika. It is the stuff of stories I will never write.
So my own choice of crucial event is actually the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Amerika, formerly a refuge for the disaffected of the world had pursued its own isolationist path until that moment. Then, for the first time, it was attacked on its own soil. Then, in shock, it entered the war. It also made sure everyone else knew it was in charge - largely by virtue of providing the manpower and resources needed by the ailing combat machine at work in Africa, Europe and Asia. Their involvement almost certainly helped win the war, but the help came at a very high price.
The war cost Amerikan lives and affected its economy, but unlike the fate of those on other continents, its infrastructure was barely dented. Amerikan soil remained very distant from the conflict itself. Post-war, the threat was over but the rest of the world had to rebuild itself and in the chaos, Amerika appointed itself as a supervisor of global affairs. It exported is wayward, mercenary culture around the planet, held in check only by the communist bloc and the highly ambiguous "cold war" with Russia and its satellites. So innocent and benevolant did it look that even the newly formed United nations adopted it as a safe home.
The decades that followed were a time of what we Brits call "one-up-manship" as the two superpowers taunted each other in the race for scientific advancement, idealogical prominence and military prowess. Every territory was ripe of colonisation and almost every subsequent conflict involved one or both of these two superpowers. By appealing to baser human instincts, namely greed and self-comfort, Amerika ultimately won the "cold war"and found itself dominant in world affairs, but without an "enemy" to justify continued imperial pursuits. Even the likes of "commie" China had adopted the idea of a market-driven economy and the planet's trade revolved around Amerika's almighty dollar.
By the end of the century there was a big hole in the super-structure. Capitalism was in firm control of the superficial side of world trade, but was (and is) dependent on an underlying hierarchy of winners and losers. In Amerika and other so-called "rich" nations, the increasing polarisation of those living in wealth and those living in poverty had become acute and is only hidden from view by ensuring a majority live in the illusion of "comfort". Television has become the usual opiate whilst cheap petrolium is offered as a kind of subsidised freedom. The myth of this false reality is maintained less by the political elite than the vast corporate interests that control them. For the increasingly disenfranchised and the ignorant, the same corporate mindset has repackaged mythology and religion to the point of a total distraction. Money flows, yet the continually recycled "capital" grows stale. "Buy" and "Sell" have become like binary code - the sole functions behind the ryhthm of western lifestyles. Profit is all as the civil and civic obligations of government are abandoned because they fail to "recycle" that treasured capital.
As capital is the new lifeblood of everything, so it needs to replenish itself. Having wasted the resources to regenerate its own, it is forced to become a "vampire" preying on others to survive. It pays little heed to the time when even its prey become extinct. This is Amerika today. It is also to a lesser or greater extent, the fate of all nations tied to the insidious web of Amerikan dependency. The imperial vampire will now engineer any excuse to drain the lifeblood of others - and when "enemies" are exhausted it will turn on its "friends". No wonder it want to hide the science that gives evidence to "survival of the fittest" - it is desparate to survive but unfit to do so.
So I return to Pearl Harbour. Without Amerika's intervention there is no doubting today's world would be a very different place indeed. Maybe one far worse than we can know. Yet it is worth considering what North America might have become. Unattacked it may well have purused its own course and grown into a society that better reflected the ideals expressed in its constitution. Without the cold war it may not have developed the vast military complex which costs it so much and wastes its resources. Without the Soviet Union and the state of Israel it may never have taken upon its the meddle too much in foreign affairs. Without the intent of cultural colonialism and military imperialism, it may not have wasted its huge continent-wide natural resources and may have developed a self-sustaining ecostructure. Without its involvement in WW2 it would not have the scientific pre-eminence it gained by providing a home for ex-Nazis and those in the later economic "brain drain" for the UK and elsewhere. Nor would it have gained dominion over technologies developed by others and simply stolen in the aftermath of war. Would we even be living in a world without nuclear weapons scattered around the globe?
Then again, maybe Amerika would not have been the nation that pioneered civil rights. Maybe mankind would not yet have set foot off this planet. Horror of horros, we may not even have had Rock & Roll. Too many things that actually form our known history, too many things we can never know. What is clear is that we have reached a time where the US needs to put its own house in order again. Until then, the rest of the world will increasingly seek to survive without it.
Later.
There has been a theme to some of my recent blogs, although not wholly intentional. It is the pending collapse of the Amerikan economy and the effect it will have on the rest of the world. The data keeps coming - and so do the opinions. The above link leads to an in-depth article at Alternet and should be taken seriously whether you live in the dying empire of consumerism or not.
Admidst all the holiday programming on TV, there was a countdown of the most significant events of the last century. The 9.11 attacks, the creation of the world wide web - you name it. My own choice was not included.
In science-fiction there is an intruiging and popular theme that concerns the notion of parrallel universes or timelines. It is the idea that if, at a given point in our perception of linear time, events had taken a different course then our entire history would be different. Some contend that maybe such diversions really took place and that for each of these there exists a parallel universe. In choosing the most significant event I would apply this concept to my choice - in other words, what would life be like without that event.
In every scenario I've been drawn to events before my birth - mostly to the late 1930s and the Second World War. It would be easy eliminate the rise of Hitler from history or alternately muse upon a world where he rose and achieved his goals. In both instances, one has to question whether the US would have ever interfered in Europe or elsewhere, whether the state of Israel would ever have emerged and whether the Soviet Union would have risen to provide the only power-bloc to counter that of Amerika. It is the stuff of stories I will never write.
So my own choice of crucial event is actually the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Amerika, formerly a refuge for the disaffected of the world had pursued its own isolationist path until that moment. Then, for the first time, it was attacked on its own soil. Then, in shock, it entered the war. It also made sure everyone else knew it was in charge - largely by virtue of providing the manpower and resources needed by the ailing combat machine at work in Africa, Europe and Asia. Their involvement almost certainly helped win the war, but the help came at a very high price.
The war cost Amerikan lives and affected its economy, but unlike the fate of those on other continents, its infrastructure was barely dented. Amerikan soil remained very distant from the conflict itself. Post-war, the threat was over but the rest of the world had to rebuild itself and in the chaos, Amerika appointed itself as a supervisor of global affairs. It exported is wayward, mercenary culture around the planet, held in check only by the communist bloc and the highly ambiguous "cold war" with Russia and its satellites. So innocent and benevolant did it look that even the newly formed United nations adopted it as a safe home.
The decades that followed were a time of what we Brits call "one-up-manship" as the two superpowers taunted each other in the race for scientific advancement, idealogical prominence and military prowess. Every territory was ripe of colonisation and almost every subsequent conflict involved one or both of these two superpowers. By appealing to baser human instincts, namely greed and self-comfort, Amerika ultimately won the "cold war"and found itself dominant in world affairs, but without an "enemy" to justify continued imperial pursuits. Even the likes of "commie" China had adopted the idea of a market-driven economy and the planet's trade revolved around Amerika's almighty dollar.
By the end of the century there was a big hole in the super-structure. Capitalism was in firm control of the superficial side of world trade, but was (and is) dependent on an underlying hierarchy of winners and losers. In Amerika and other so-called "rich" nations, the increasing polarisation of those living in wealth and those living in poverty had become acute and is only hidden from view by ensuring a majority live in the illusion of "comfort". Television has become the usual opiate whilst cheap petrolium is offered as a kind of subsidised freedom. The myth of this false reality is maintained less by the political elite than the vast corporate interests that control them. For the increasingly disenfranchised and the ignorant, the same corporate mindset has repackaged mythology and religion to the point of a total distraction. Money flows, yet the continually recycled "capital" grows stale. "Buy" and "Sell" have become like binary code - the sole functions behind the ryhthm of western lifestyles. Profit is all as the civil and civic obligations of government are abandoned because they fail to "recycle" that treasured capital.
As capital is the new lifeblood of everything, so it needs to replenish itself. Having wasted the resources to regenerate its own, it is forced to become a "vampire" preying on others to survive. It pays little heed to the time when even its prey become extinct. This is Amerika today. It is also to a lesser or greater extent, the fate of all nations tied to the insidious web of Amerikan dependency. The imperial vampire will now engineer any excuse to drain the lifeblood of others - and when "enemies" are exhausted it will turn on its "friends". No wonder it want to hide the science that gives evidence to "survival of the fittest" - it is desparate to survive but unfit to do so.
So I return to Pearl Harbour. Without Amerika's intervention there is no doubting today's world would be a very different place indeed. Maybe one far worse than we can know. Yet it is worth considering what North America might have become. Unattacked it may well have purused its own course and grown into a society that better reflected the ideals expressed in its constitution. Without the cold war it may not have developed the vast military complex which costs it so much and wastes its resources. Without the Soviet Union and the state of Israel it may never have taken upon its the meddle too much in foreign affairs. Without the intent of cultural colonialism and military imperialism, it may not have wasted its huge continent-wide natural resources and may have developed a self-sustaining ecostructure. Without its involvement in WW2 it would not have the scientific pre-eminence it gained by providing a home for ex-Nazis and those in the later economic "brain drain" for the UK and elsewhere. Nor would it have gained dominion over technologies developed by others and simply stolen in the aftermath of war. Would we even be living in a world without nuclear weapons scattered around the globe?
Then again, maybe Amerika would not have been the nation that pioneered civil rights. Maybe mankind would not yet have set foot off this planet. Horror of horros, we may not even have had Rock & Roll. Too many things that actually form our known history, too many things we can never know. What is clear is that we have reached a time where the US needs to put its own house in order again. Until then, the rest of the world will increasingly seek to survive without it.
Later.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
The true cost of Bush Con Jobs
Paul Craig Roberts: Counterpunch
The author of this link muses on whether Amerika will need the International Monetary Fund to bail them out of a debt crisis. One might wonder what would happen if the IMF refused. In the free world, most are disgusted with Bush's imperial pursuits and some might question the wisom of financing the bankrupt dollar anyway.
The article also reveals that the true cost of the war in Iraq is almost 30 times more than Bush's own estimate, with dark implications for an already shakey economy.
One thing about all this does scare the shit out of me. Were we all to stop buying dollars for trade and subsequently force Amerika to face the reality of having less income than its expenditure, it is all too comfortable to predict that without available funding its military muscle would go limp. This, however, does not solve the problem an it having an existing nuclear arsenal capable of destroying the planet several times over. Were Bush forced to consider using the weapons of last resort to get his way, I would not trust him to hesitate for a second.
If the IMF or other world bodies ever needed to come to the aid of the US, then Amerika should be forced to give up both state terrorism, foreign occupation and its own weapons of mass destruction. After all - isn't that just what they are demanding of the rest of the planet! Hypocrisy is just not acceptable and if it takes the fall of their wasteful consumerist charade to ram the message home - so be it.
Later.
The author of this link muses on whether Amerika will need the International Monetary Fund to bail them out of a debt crisis. One might wonder what would happen if the IMF refused. In the free world, most are disgusted with Bush's imperial pursuits and some might question the wisom of financing the bankrupt dollar anyway.
The article also reveals that the true cost of the war in Iraq is almost 30 times more than Bush's own estimate, with dark implications for an already shakey economy.
One thing about all this does scare the shit out of me. Were we all to stop buying dollars for trade and subsequently force Amerika to face the reality of having less income than its expenditure, it is all too comfortable to predict that without available funding its military muscle would go limp. This, however, does not solve the problem an it having an existing nuclear arsenal capable of destroying the planet several times over. Were Bush forced to consider using the weapons of last resort to get his way, I would not trust him to hesitate for a second.
If the IMF or other world bodies ever needed to come to the aid of the US, then Amerika should be forced to give up both state terrorism, foreign occupation and its own weapons of mass destruction. After all - isn't that just what they are demanding of the rest of the planet! Hypocrisy is just not acceptable and if it takes the fall of their wasteful consumerist charade to ram the message home - so be it.
Later.
Hofmann at 100 and tripping toward reappraisal
Independent Online Edition > Profiles
LSD - the chemical discovery that changed Psychiatry forever and influenced the perception of generations from the 1950s through the hippie era and beyond. Advocates like Tim Leary are well known, but its discoverer, Albert Hofmann, less so. Tomorrow Hofmann will be 100 years old and this link to the Independent gets in early with an excellent profile of the man.
In the 21st century world of propaganda, mind-control and thought manipulation, the world of medicine is increasingly geared to the supression of individuality and the sedation of independent thought. Anything that enhances the senses or encourages intellectual self-examination is strictly off limits in the robot society.
Hofmann didn't just discover LSD - he experienced its effects with a large accidental dose. It was the trip of a lifetime that now spans an entire century. Hardly what they call an acid casualty. As with most drugs, it is the user not the chemical itself that should be the focus. As this profile points out, the is now some serious reappraisal of LSD in the area of psychiatry and therapy - maybe the human quest for a degree of higher consciousness is not dead yet.
Later.
LSD - the chemical discovery that changed Psychiatry forever and influenced the perception of generations from the 1950s through the hippie era and beyond. Advocates like Tim Leary are well known, but its discoverer, Albert Hofmann, less so. Tomorrow Hofmann will be 100 years old and this link to the Independent gets in early with an excellent profile of the man.
In the 21st century world of propaganda, mind-control and thought manipulation, the world of medicine is increasingly geared to the supression of individuality and the sedation of independent thought. Anything that enhances the senses or encourages intellectual self-examination is strictly off limits in the robot society.
Hofmann didn't just discover LSD - he experienced its effects with a large accidental dose. It was the trip of a lifetime that now spans an entire century. Hardly what they call an acid casualty. As with most drugs, it is the user not the chemical itself that should be the focus. As this profile points out, the is now some serious reappraisal of LSD in the area of psychiatry and therapy - maybe the human quest for a degree of higher consciousness is not dead yet.
Later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)