Former UK Ambassador Craig Murray on the death of Robin Cook: "I was one of a few enthusiasts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who welcomed the arrival of Robin Cook as Foreign Secretary and his declaration of an “Ethical foreign policy”. The majority were hostile and cynical, but not nearly so much as was Tony Blair.

"Within a very few weeks, Blair arranged Robin Cook’s defeat at Cabinet when Cook wanted to stop the export of British Aerospace Hawk jets to the Suharto regime of Indonesia, which has a strong history of vicious repression of its disparate peoples. I was told by a Cabinet Minister who sided with Cook, that Blair managed Cook’s cabinet defeat in as confrontational and humiliating a manner as possible.

"Plainly there would be no ethical foreign policy under Blair, and “New Labour” would be even snugger in bed with the arms industry than the old version. One of Blair’s lead men on Hawks to Indonesia was Jack Straw, who declared in the register of members’ interests that 50% of his election expenses had been paid by Lord Taylor, a Director of British Aerospace."

"Cook was the country’s most influential advocate of proportional representation, the surest safeguard against abuse of power by narrow and unrepresentative government. He also wanted to see executive authority checked by a powerful and fully elected House of Lords. This was the great work of his second ministerial post, as Leader of the House. It should not be forgotten that just as Blair deliberately blocked Cook over ethical foreign policy, so he blocked an elected House of Lords. And Blair blocked it for exactly the reason Cook wanted it, because it would be a brake on the Prime Minister’s authority.

"It amazes me that, when Blair made clear he wanted a largely appointed House of Lords, most people still didn’t tumble to just how power-mad the man is. Now we face proposals to hold people for three months without charge, and to deport people for entering the wrong bookshop or visiting the wrong website. We are to accept “assurances” from murderous regimes that they won’t torture or kill dissidents we hand over to them.

"Blair bangs on as if it wasn’t already illegal to be a terrorist, to kill people, to make or supply bombs or assist those who do. It is noteworthy that the alleged London bomber now charged is facing longstanding laws, like murder and conspiracy to murder, without any need for the raft of new legislation already in place, let alone Blair’s latest proposals."

"These are the most dangerous times for liberty in the UK since the government of Lord Liverpool. Those of us who believe freedom is important, face a huge battle over many years, and against great odds. We have lost our best leader."

Former UK Ambassador Craig Murray on the death of Robin Cook: "I was one of a few enthusiasts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who welcomed the arrival of Robin Cook as Foreign Secretary and his declaration of an “Ethical foreign policy”. The majority were hostile and cynical, but not nearly so much as was Tony Blair.

"Within a very few weeks, Blair arranged Robin Cook’s defeat at Cabinet when Cook wanted to stop the export of British Aerospace Hawk jets to the Suharto regime of Indonesia, which has a strong history of vicious repression of its disparate peoples. I was told by a Cabinet Minister who sided with Cook, that Blair managed Cook’s cabinet defeat in as confrontational and humiliating a manner as possible.

"Plainly there would be no ethical foreign policy under Blair, and “New Labour” would be even snugger in bed with the arms industry than the old version. One of Blair’s lead men on Hawks to Indonesia was Jack Straw, who declared in the register of members’ interests that 50% of his election expenses had been paid by Lord Taylor, a Director of British Aerospace."

"Cook was the country’s most influential advocate of proportional representation, the surest safeguard against abuse of power by narrow and unrepresentative government. He also wanted to see executive authority checked by a powerful and fully elected House of Lords. This was the great work of his second ministerial post, as Leader of the House. It should not be forgotten that just as Blair deliberately blocked Cook over ethical foreign policy, so he blocked an elected House of Lords. And Blair blocked it for exactly the reason Cook wanted it, because it would be a brake on the Prime Minister’s authority.

"It amazes me that, when Blair made clear he wanted a largely appointed House of Lords, most people still didn’t tumble to just how power-mad the man is. Now we face proposals to hold people for three months without charge, and to deport people for entering the wrong bookshop or visiting the wrong website. We are to accept “assurances” from murderous regimes that they won’t torture or kill dissidents we hand over to them.

"Blair bangs on as if it wasn’t already illegal to be a terrorist, to kill people, to make or supply bombs or assist those who do. It is noteworthy that the alleged London bomber now charged is facing longstanding laws, like murder and conspiracy to murder, without any need for the raft of new legislation already in place, let alone Blair’s latest proposals."

"These are the most dangerous times for liberty in the UK since the government of Lord Liverpool. Those of us who believe freedom is important, face a huge battle over many years, and against great odds. We have lost our best leader."

Remarkable rape/murder case in India

Remarkable rape/murder case in India

Cost and Surplus value of Saudi oil - Matthew Simmons: "You know one of the problems is coming up with a proper definition of what you are including as your costs. For years they [Saudi Arabia] were undoubtedly the world's lowest cost oil producer because they had already paid for the fields. And the only costs they were counting were the operating costs to pull the oil out and they weren't charging anything for electricity or water, which is most of the cost.

"It was a very artificial cost. Now, today they've announced that they are going to spend something like $50 billion between now and 2009 to try and create a million and half barrels a day of spare capacity. And so, if they properly for charging for their water handling and their electricity they would be not the highest cost, but right up there. There isn't any real cheap, low cost oil left. They will tell you their costs are $.40-.50 a barrel. Basically it's a fictitious number. If you take the costs of things that have been totally written off, they really aren't real costs and figure out how much you want to charge for the water and electricity it could easily be between $10-20 a barrel."

50c a barrel or $20 a barrel, it has always been cheap in Arabia. And with market prices of $50, $100, $500 - there is a staggering quantity of pure economic rent or surplus value to be had from control of this resource. It only gets more valuable as it runs out.

Cost and Surplus value of Saudi oil - Matthew Simmons: "You know one of the problems is coming up with a proper definition of what you are including as your costs. For years they [Saudi Arabia] were undoubtedly the world's lowest cost oil producer because they had already paid for the fields. And the only costs they were counting were the operating costs to pull the oil out and they weren't charging anything for electricity or water, which is most of the cost.

"It was a very artificial cost. Now, today they've announced that they are going to spend something like $50 billion between now and 2009 to try and create a million and half barrels a day of spare capacity. And so, if they properly for charging for their water handling and their electricity they would be not the highest cost, but right up there. There isn't any real cheap, low cost oil left. They will tell you their costs are $.40-.50 a barrel. Basically it's a fictitious number. If you take the costs of things that have been totally written off, they really aren't real costs and figure out how much you want to charge for the water and electricity it could easily be between $10-20 a barrel."

50c a barrel or $20 a barrel, it has always been cheap in Arabia. And with market prices of $50, $100, $500 - there is a staggering quantity of pure economic rent or surplus value to be had from control of this resource. It only gets more valuable as it runs out.

Alan Greenspan admits the froth: "In a series of stunning about-faces, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has just recast his perceptions of the critically important relationship between monetary policy and asset markets. Not only does he finally own up to the perils of America’s housing bubble, but he now concedes that speculative froth in asset markets may well have been a direct outgrowth of the Fed’s policy stance. These revisionist views are in stark contrast to the Chairman’s public stance over the last decade."

Its a heck of a bubble - described as the biggest in history. A collapse of the bubble, the dollar, the US economy and hegemony, combined with unsustainable Chinese growth and the energy crises could lead to a depression that the kapitalist system never recovers from.

Alan Greenspan admits the froth: "In a series of stunning about-faces, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has just recast his perceptions of the critically important relationship between monetary policy and asset markets. Not only does he finally own up to the perils of America’s housing bubble, but he now concedes that speculative froth in asset markets may well have been a direct outgrowth of the Fed’s policy stance. These revisionist views are in stark contrast to the Chairman’s public stance over the last decade."

Its a heck of a bubble - described as the biggest in history. A collapse of the bubble, the dollar, the US economy and hegemony, combined with unsustainable Chinese growth and the energy crises could lead to a depression that the kapitalist system never recovers from.

1999 Chomsky interview on Iraq war and peakoil - same old same old: "The U.S. and Britain have simply announced, very clearly and loudly, that they are violent criminal states that are intent on destroying totally the fabric of international law, a fabric that has been built up laboriously over many years. They have announced that they will do as they please and will use violence as they please, independently of what anyone else thinks. In my view, that is the sole significance of the bombing and is probably the reason for it."

"This action is in fact a call for a lawless world in which the powerful will rule. The powerful happen to be the United States and Britain, which is by now a pathetic puppy dog that has abandoned any pretence of being an independent state."

"There are background issues here that are undoubtedly decisive. It is obvious to everyone that the main concern of external powers in West Asia is oil, or energy production. In the first place, there is now a consensus among geologists that the world may be heading for a serious oil crisis. In spite of new technology and deep-sea drilling, the rate of discovery of oil has been declining from about the 1960s. It is expected that within a decade or two, the magic halfway mark - or the destruction of half the world's known exploitable hydrocarbon energy resources - will be reached, and after that the way is downhill.

"Secondly, the rate of use of oil is accelerating. Close to half of the total use of oil in history has been in the last 20 years, that is, after the oil price rise.

"The third crucial point is that a very substantial part of the world's oil resources is in the Arabian peninsula-Persian Gulf region. The resources that exist elsewhere are nowhere near as abundant or as exploitable. The share of West Asian oil in total world production is getting back to what it was in about 1970, and that share will increase. That means that the importance of the region as a strategic centre and as a lever of control over world affairs is increasing. It is a very volatile region, very heavily armed, with many conflicts and with most of its population brutally suppressed in one way or another. For the last 50 years, the U.S. has been determined to run that region with the assistance of Britain. Nobody else, particularly the people of the region, is supposed to have any significant role there. All this makes for a highly inflammatory situation."

"Every time Tony Blair opens his mouth, he looks more disgusting and ridiculous, and his performance marked a painful and shameful day in the history of Britain."

1999 Chomsky interview on Iraq war and peakoil - same old same old: "The U.S. and Britain have simply announced, very clearly and loudly, that they are violent criminal states that are intent on destroying totally the fabric of international law, a fabric that has been built up laboriously over many years. They have announced that they will do as they please and will use violence as they please, independently of what anyone else thinks. In my view, that is the sole significance of the bombing and is probably the reason for it."

"This action is in fact a call for a lawless world in which the powerful will rule. The powerful happen to be the United States and Britain, which is by now a pathetic puppy dog that has abandoned any pretence of being an independent state."

"There are background issues here that are undoubtedly decisive. It is obvious to everyone that the main concern of external powers in West Asia is oil, or energy production. In the first place, there is now a consensus among geologists that the world may be heading for a serious oil crisis. In spite of new technology and deep-sea drilling, the rate of discovery of oil has been declining from about the 1960s. It is expected that within a decade or two, the magic halfway mark - or the destruction of half the world's known exploitable hydrocarbon energy resources - will be reached, and after that the way is downhill.

"Secondly, the rate of use of oil is accelerating. Close to half of the total use of oil in history has been in the last 20 years, that is, after the oil price rise.

"The third crucial point is that a very substantial part of the world's oil resources is in the Arabian peninsula-Persian Gulf region. The resources that exist elsewhere are nowhere near as abundant or as exploitable. The share of West Asian oil in total world production is getting back to what it was in about 1970, and that share will increase. That means that the importance of the region as a strategic centre and as a lever of control over world affairs is increasing. It is a very volatile region, very heavily armed, with many conflicts and with most of its population brutally suppressed in one way or another. For the last 50 years, the U.S. has been determined to run that region with the assistance of Britain. Nobody else, particularly the people of the region, is supposed to have any significant role there. All this makes for a highly inflammatory situation."

"Every time Tony Blair opens his mouth, he looks more disgusting and ridiculous, and his performance marked a painful and shameful day in the history of Britain."

Government conspiracy to subvert the Australian constituion: "Australia's heads of government joined in a shameless conspiracy to pervert the constitution by depriving us, the people, of our ancient legal protection from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment without trial. Strong words, but that is what has happened. When these new anti-terrorism measures become law, police can arrest whoever they like, people as young as 16, and imprison them for 14 days if they have 'reasonable grounds' for believing they pose a terrorist threat. What those reasonable grounds might be is anyone's guess. The fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence is out the window."

"On top of that, "suspects" could be tagged with electronic tracking devices or held under house arrest for up to a year, again without charge. This would be subject to judicial review but - and here's the crunch - a review only to determine that the letter of the law had been obeyed. The judge would not be permitted to establish if there was factual evidence for branding any person a terrorist suspect.

"Nor is there any mechanism to guard against these periods of detention, either 14 days or a year, being rolled over indefinitely. Detainees could be released, then re-arrested within minutes."

Having lost the basic liberty of freedom from detention without charge or trial, how long will it be before it is regained, if ever? It took but moments to lose, and nearly forever to gain or regain.

Government conspiracy to subvert the Australian constituion: "Australia's heads of government joined in a shameless conspiracy to pervert the constitution by depriving us, the people, of our ancient legal protection from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment without trial. Strong words, but that is what has happened. When these new anti-terrorism measures become law, police can arrest whoever they like, people as young as 16, and imprison them for 14 days if they have 'reasonable grounds' for believing they pose a terrorist threat. What those reasonable grounds might be is anyone's guess. The fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence is out the window."

"On top of that, "suspects" could be tagged with electronic tracking devices or held under house arrest for up to a year, again without charge. This would be subject to judicial review but - and here's the crunch - a review only to determine that the letter of the law had been obeyed. The judge would not be permitted to establish if there was factual evidence for branding any person a terrorist suspect.

"Nor is there any mechanism to guard against these periods of detention, either 14 days or a year, being rolled over indefinitely. Detainees could be released, then re-arrested within minutes."

Having lost the basic liberty of freedom from detention without charge or trial, how long will it be before it is regained, if ever? It took but moments to lose, and nearly forever to gain or regain.

Countering Terrorism: Power, Violence and Democracy Post 9/11 | Church of England: "The book of Revelation, far from being a justification of American expansionism, is in fact a fierce critique of the imperial enterprise. It is not about detailed predictions of how history will unfold, but a revealing of what has truly happened through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although Roman power appeared to remain rampant in fact, according to the visionary writer of Revelation, the Lamb of God has defeated all the forces of evil and death. All imperial systems have been in principle overthrown by God’s rule in Jesus.... “Revelation is in other words a powerfully anti-imperial tract. Its coded and symbolic language pointed the first Christian to the real truth of history, which is that all empires will ultimately fail and be supplanted by the direct rule of God through the communion of the saints.”

According to Wikipedia, as recently as May 2005, scholars looking at the Oxyrhynchus collection (a tremendous discovery of ancient papyri) have added confirmation to the thesis that 'the number of the beast' is none other than a numerical code for Nero Ceasar. If one is allowed to 'interpret' Revelations, then its meaning, far from being God's approval for George W Bush, the American Empire and American Exceptionalism, would rather be something like this:

'The Beast' is the United States empire itself; Dubya Bush is the 'beast from the land'; Cheney is the 'beast from the (oily?) sea', aka Cthulhu; Barbara 'beautiful mind' Bush is the 'whore of Babylon'; the 'mark of the beast' is the US dollar ("... no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or name of the beast, or the number of his name"); Rupert Murdoch is 'the false prophet' (liar for evil); Pat Robertson is 'the antichrist' (Christ's teachings of love and mercy twisted into their polar opposite, hate and killing); the Pale Rider and the Four Horseman are Death and War (of course), avian flu, global warming and nuclear irradiation (depleted uranium, fallout); etc etc. And this too shall pass.

However, bad as Bush and the US empire are, of course, nothing can quite compare with the corruption and depravity of the Julio-Claudian imperial family. Which just might be another way of saying that Jesus' message, although having made some progress, still has a ways to go.

Countering Terrorism: Power, Violence and Democracy Post 9/11 | Church of England: "The book of Revelation, far from being a justification of American expansionism, is in fact a fierce critique of the imperial enterprise. It is not about detailed predictions of how history will unfold, but a revealing of what has truly happened through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although Roman power appeared to remain rampant in fact, according to the visionary writer of Revelation, the Lamb of God has defeated all the forces of evil and death. All imperial systems have been in principle overthrown by God’s rule in Jesus.... “Revelation is in other words a powerfully anti-imperial tract. Its coded and symbolic language pointed the first Christian to the real truth of history, which is that all empires will ultimately fail and be supplanted by the direct rule of God through the communion of the saints.”

According to Wikipedia, as recently as May 2005, scholars looking at the Oxyrhynchus collection (a tremendous discovery of ancient papyri) have added confirmation to the thesis that 'the number of the beast' is none other than a numerical code for Nero Ceasar. If one is allowed to 'interpret' Revelations, then its meaning, far from being God's approval for George W Bush, the American Empire and American Exceptionalism, would rather be something like this:

'The Beast' is the United States empire itself; Dubya Bush is the 'beast from the land'; Cheney is the 'beast from the (oily?) sea', aka Cthulhu; Barbara 'beautiful mind' Bush is the 'whore of Babylon'; the 'mark of the beast' is the US dollar ("... no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or name of the beast, or the number of his name"); Rupert Murdoch is 'the false prophet' (liar for evil); Pat Robertson is 'the antichrist' (Christ's teachings of love and mercy twisted into their polar opposite, hate and killing); the Pale Rider and the Four Horseman are Death and War (of course), avian flu, global warming and nuclear irradiation (depleted uranium, fallout); etc etc. And this too shall pass.

However, bad as Bush and the US empire are, of course, nothing can quite compare with the corruption and depravity of the Julio-Claudian imperial family. Which just might be another way of saying that Jesus' message, although having made some progress, still has a ways to go.

Geo-Sequestration Revisited: "The PDF summary report (which is all that's currently available) starts out by describing in detail the currently available processes for carbon capture and storage; the document doesn't address biological sequestration options, as they are largely useful for reduction of existing concentrations, not reduction of new emissions. The three broad families of capture systems -- 'post-combustion,' 'pre-combustion,' and 'oxyfuel' -- are described, and discussions of costs, geographic requirements for storage, and risks (from the environmental to the legal) close out the document.

"The summary report runs a brief 25 pages, and it makes for sobering reading. Under best case scenarios, carbon capture and storage wouldn't make a significant difference in CO2 levels until the mid-point of this century; in addition, the current available sequestration options all pose significant challenges, including the possibility of actually exacerbating the global environmental situation rather than ameliorating it."

Industry demands will probably see interminable talk about geo-sequestration, but (like the nuclear lobby) it is simply a distraction and a diversion. Research, publicity, time and energy spent on these two is not being spent on the real answers - clean, renewable energy.

Geo-Sequestration Revisited: "The PDF summary report (which is all that's currently available) starts out by describing in detail the currently available processes for carbon capture and storage; the document doesn't address biological sequestration options, as they are largely useful for reduction of existing concentrations, not reduction of new emissions. The three broad families of capture systems -- 'post-combustion,' 'pre-combustion,' and 'oxyfuel' -- are described, and discussions of costs, geographic requirements for storage, and risks (from the environmental to the legal) close out the document.

"The summary report runs a brief 25 pages, and it makes for sobering reading. Under best case scenarios, carbon capture and storage wouldn't make a significant difference in CO2 levels until the mid-point of this century; in addition, the current available sequestration options all pose significant challenges, including the possibility of actually exacerbating the global environmental situation rather than ameliorating it."

Industry demands will probably see interminable talk about geo-sequestration, but (like the nuclear lobby) it is simply a distraction and a diversion. Research, publicity, time and energy spent on these two is not being spent on the real answers - clean, renewable energy.

New Danger from Global Warming: Escape of deadly viruses: "Ice sheets are mostly frozen water, but during the freezing process they can also incorporate organisms such as fungi, bacteria and viruses. Some scientists believe that climate change could unleash ancient illnesses as ice sheets drip away and bacteria and viruses defrost. Illnesses we thought we had eradicated, like polio, could reappear, while common viruses like human influenza could have a devastating effect if melting glaciers release a bygone strain to which we have no resistance. What is more, new species unknown to science may re-emerge. And it is not just humans who are at risk: animals, plants and marine creatures could also suffer as ancient microbes thaw out."

New Danger from Global Warming: Escape of deadly viruses: "Ice sheets are mostly frozen water, but during the freezing process they can also incorporate organisms such as fungi, bacteria and viruses. Some scientists believe that climate change could unleash ancient illnesses as ice sheets drip away and bacteria and viruses defrost. Illnesses we thought we had eradicated, like polio, could reappear, while common viruses like human influenza could have a devastating effect if melting glaciers release a bygone strain to which we have no resistance. What is more, new species unknown to science may re-emerge. And it is not just humans who are at risk: animals, plants and marine creatures could also suffer as ancient microbes thaw out."

King of Zembla links to two interviews with Matt Taibbi and Chris Floyd, which manage to cover some interesting material and also express the deep anxiety people feel about the last 30 years of political and cultural development in the US.

King of Zembla links to two interviews with Matt Taibbi and Chris Floyd, which manage to cover some interesting material and also express the deep anxiety people feel about the last 30 years of political and cultural development in the US.

Howard regime makes biofuels go backwards: "Ethanol use in Australia has fallen from 75 megalitres in 2002-03 to a projection of only 23 megalitres in 2005-06, a drop of 70 per cent in two years. It now accounts for only 0.1 per cent of the automotive fuel market.

"Ethanol sales have fallen since 2002 when it was revealed
discount petrol stations in Sydney were selling blends with 20 per
cent ethanol, and some manufacturers warned warranties for new cars were not valid if it was used."

Given the magnitude of the energy crisis, it is simply amazing to see that ethanol use has actually fallen by 70% in the last 2 years. Shouldnt biofuels and other renewables source be achieving steady if not dramatic growth? 'Where there is no vision, the people perish.'

The debate on petrol prices in the media and the politicians has been marked by breathtaking shallowness. No one is even attempting to explain to the public the real crisis and the urgent steps that need to be taken.

Howard regime makes biofuels go backwards: "Ethanol use in Australia has fallen from 75 megalitres in 2002-03 to a projection of only 23 megalitres in 2005-06, a drop of 70 per cent in two years. It now accounts for only 0.1 per cent of the automotive fuel market.

"Ethanol sales have fallen since 2002 when it was revealed
discount petrol stations in Sydney were selling blends with 20 per
cent ethanol, and some manufacturers warned warranties for new cars were not valid if it was used."

Given the magnitude of the energy crisis, it is simply amazing to see that ethanol use has actually fallen by 70% in the last 2 years. Shouldnt biofuels and other renewables source be achieving steady if not dramatic growth? 'Where there is no vision, the people perish.'

The debate on petrol prices in the media and the politicians has been marked by breathtaking shallowness. No one is even attempting to explain to the public the real crisis and the urgent steps that need to be taken.

Policy brilliance: Jet fuel untaxed: "But how can [air] fares be so much cheaper by plane than rail? One reason is the fact train companies pay duty on the fuel used - although the low-grade diesel that powers locomotives has lower taxes than fuels used by motorists.

"Airline fuel, however, is untaxed - thanks to a series of treaties between countries. For airlines which have to buy 200,000 litres to fill a jumbo jet, this is quite a saving and in turn helps keep fares low."

"British Airways has launched a scheme that allows customers to off-set damaging carbon-dioxide emissions by paying a voluntary sum which is then invested in sustainable energy projects."

An observor could be forgiven for suspecting policy is determined by the interests of influential corporations and industries. A carbon tax by tonne, with no exemptions, would tackle the problem head on.

Policy brilliance: Jet fuel untaxed: "But how can [air] fares be so much cheaper by plane than rail? One reason is the fact train companies pay duty on the fuel used - although the low-grade diesel that powers locomotives has lower taxes than fuels used by motorists.

"Airline fuel, however, is untaxed - thanks to a series of treaties between countries. For airlines which have to buy 200,000 litres to fill a jumbo jet, this is quite a saving and in turn helps keep fares low."

"British Airways has launched a scheme that allows customers to off-set damaging carbon-dioxide emissions by paying a voluntary sum which is then invested in sustainable energy projects."

An observor could be forgiven for suspecting policy is determined by the interests of influential corporations and industries. A carbon tax by tonne, with no exemptions, would tackle the problem head on.

New Orleans: Survivor Stories: A collection of fascinating first person accounts of the Hurricane disaster.

New Orleans: Survivor Stories: A collection of fascinating first person accounts of the Hurricane disaster.

Digby on the US abortion debate: Digby predicts that US Supreme Court nominee John Roberts will vote to overturn Roe vs Wade, and argues that "the right of the fetus is not the real issue --- the reasons a woman wants an abortion are the issue."

Digby on the US abortion debate: Digby predicts that US Supreme Court nominee John Roberts will vote to overturn Roe vs Wade, and argues that "the right of the fetus is not the real issue --- the reasons a woman wants an abortion are the issue."

Woolsey Hearing Begins Debate on Iraq Exit Strategy - A Report and Next Steps: Tom Hayden discusses a coherent strategy for exit from Iraq - worthy of publicity and support by the peace movement. No such coherence is coming from any government figure, whether Bush, Blair or Howard, or any of the official government oppositions. Hayden's ideas therefore are correctly targeted conjointly at the anti-war coalition, and at those elements of the ruling elite which will eventually be prepared to begin a shift in the light of political and military reality.

One key point in Hayden's approach - "Declaring No Interest in Permanent Bases or Control of Oil" - will of course be particularly difficult for the corporate-state-military establishment to accept, until forced to do so by a combination of military defeat and political activism. Without permanent bases or control of oil and the economy, the invasion is without purpose, and so therefore it can be anticipated that this will be resisted to the last drop of troops' blood and taxpayers' money.

Woolsey Hearing Begins Debate on Iraq Exit Strategy - A Report and Next Steps: Tom Hayden discusses a coherent strategy for exit from Iraq - worthy of publicity and support by the peace movement. No such coherence is coming from any government figure, whether Bush, Blair or Howard, or any of the official government oppositions. Hayden's ideas therefore are correctly targeted conjointly at the anti-war coalition, and at those elements of the ruling elite which will eventually be prepared to begin a shift in the light of political and military reality.

One key point in Hayden's approach - "Declaring No Interest in Permanent Bases or Control of Oil" - will of course be particularly difficult for the corporate-state-military establishment to accept, until forced to do so by a combination of military defeat and political activism. Without permanent bases or control of oil and the economy, the invasion is without purpose, and so therefore it can be anticipated that this will be resisted to the last drop of troops' blood and taxpayers' money.

Jailbreak in Basra: "British soldiers used 10 armored vehicles to break down the walls of the central jail in this southern city Monday and freed two Britons, allegedly undercover commandos arrested on charges of shooting two Iraqi policemen, witnesses said. But the British government said the two men were released as a result of negotiations.

"The different versions of events came on a chaotic day that raised questions about how much sovereignty Iraqi authorities really were granted when the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority handed over power to an interim Iraqi government in the summer of 2004."

Very droll.

"The arrests of the two Britons on Monday appeared to have been the first real and public test of how far that sovereignty extends. There have been no known incidents of Iraqi authorities arresting U.S. soldiers operating in the Iraqi heartland."

Not bloody likely.

"About 150 Iraqi prisoners fled as British commandos stormed inside and rescued their comrades.... defense officials insisted they had been talking to the Iraqi authorities to secure the release of the men, but acknowledged a wall was demolished as British forces tried to “collect” the two prisoners."

You couldnt make this stuff up.

UPDATE: John Pilger asks the questions that should be asked, including: what were those 'undercover' SAS guys doing? Setting bombs?

Jailbreak in Basra: "British soldiers used 10 armored vehicles to break down the walls of the central jail in this southern city Monday and freed two Britons, allegedly undercover commandos arrested on charges of shooting two Iraqi policemen, witnesses said. But the British government said the two men were released as a result of negotiations.

"The different versions of events came on a chaotic day that raised questions about how much sovereignty Iraqi authorities really were granted when the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority handed over power to an interim Iraqi government in the summer of 2004."

Very droll.

"The arrests of the two Britons on Monday appeared to have been the first real and public test of how far that sovereignty extends. There have been no known incidents of Iraqi authorities arresting U.S. soldiers operating in the Iraqi heartland."

Not bloody likely.

"About 150 Iraqi prisoners fled as British commandos stormed inside and rescued their comrades.... defense officials insisted they had been talking to the Iraqi authorities to secure the release of the men, but acknowledged a wall was demolished as British forces tried to “collect” the two prisoners."

You couldnt make this stuff up.

UPDATE: John Pilger asks the questions that should be asked, including: what were those 'undercover' SAS guys doing? Setting bombs?

Uri Avnery on 1967 and the settlers: "[The religious-nationalist] approach [represented] a very minor and even despised faction of Zionism before 1967. It took the settlement project over, robbed the socialist-Zionist camp of its original vision, and turned it into the hallmark of the national religious Zionist camp. And this is a change, not just in quantity, but also in quality. It is this camp which has become stronger every year for the last thirty-eight years. It has been promoted by all Israeli governments, whether Labor or Likud. It has been assisted not only by the Israeli army, but also by every part of the Israeli government and every ministry, both openly and covertly. This camp has become a very important force in Israeli society."

"The old socialist part of the Zionist movement and the kibbutz movement has broken down. It is economically bankrupt, and, what's more important, it is ideologically bankrupt. A third generation has now come to the fore in the Labor Party, a generation without ideology, without any real motivation. They are as capitalist as other parts of Israeli society. They're out to make money. The Labor Party is nothing but a reeking cadaver today, and is typical of this process. "

The religious Zionist movement has grown in force, ideological motivation, and fanaticism. It is a new kind of Jewish religion -- a tribal religion, a very aggressive nationalist religion -- and has elements (as I've said before) that must be characterized as fascist. And this force is now the only force in Israel that has a clear-cut ideology, that has thousands of people believing in it. Its thinking is clearly aimed at evicting the Palestinian population, and [creating] a homogeneous Jewish religious state, subject to the Halachah, and governed by rabbis. This is not often clearly articulated, but you can find it in the writings and the sayings of the leaders of this movement."

"Why did the majority of Israelis allow that to happen?

"UA: That's a very good question, and it's not easy to answer. When a majority doesn't have a clear and dominant ideology, and is faced with a strongly motivated, ideologically fanatical minority, the majority is at a great disadvantage.

"A majority of Israelis believe in democracy, but don't feel the urge to go out into the streets. For years, my friends and I have been demonstrating for an end to the Occupation, for peace with the Palestinians, and for democracy in Israel. We have experienced many heartbreaking moments when we called on people to come out and demonstrate and found that there is no force that can bring Israelis out, except on the annual day of mourning for Yitzhak Rabin. The only thing that mobilized these people was his murder and his memory. But it is very difficult to get them out for any other aim.

"It is a basic weakness of democracy that the democratic majority only comes out when it is severely provoked. And what is happening now in Israel, perhaps, is that the provocation by the settlers may reach a point where it will succeed in provoking the majority of Israelis to come out and fight for what they believe is important."

Nearly everyone believes or say they believe in democracy and liberty but how many are prepared to fight for it? Democracy hangs by a thread.

"All this shows that there is no clear will of the government to fight against the settlers. They find themselves in a fight that they did not expect to have. Sharon is completely bewildered, because when he started this so called "disengagement plan" he did not dream of entering a battle with the settlers. Quite the contrary. Ariel Sharon has been the father of the settlers more than any other person in the country. He put the settlements where they are and has worked tirelessly for years for the settlers. Sharon did not think that his plan was aimed against them. What he told the settlers was something like "we should give up a few settlements in the Gaza Strip, which are quite small and unimportant, in order to consolidate and save the big settlements in the West Bank and annex all the territory on which these settlements are sitting.""

"This sounded logical to Sharon. It is the logic of an army officer used to giving up territory in order to gain other territory. But the settlers did not accept it, and Sharon found himself unexpectedly confronted by them. This is a difficult situation, not only for Sharon personally, but for the entire Israeli political system to operate with any sense of consistency and determination because it [represents] a kind of cognitive dissonance."

"The great majority of Israelis are not aware of the real and present danger to Israeli democracy. They still have the illusion that this is something that will pass. Only when people realize that real danger is there and that people must come out and face it will there be a chance that some leadership will emerge. One can only hope that it will not be too late. I'm very much reminded of the last days of the Weimar Republic. I think about it constantly. And I think that the dangers that people were facing at that time are here. It has been said that the Weimar Republic collapsed not because the fascists overthrew it, but because at the moment of truth no one was ready to step up and defend the Republic. This nightmare pursues me. I think about it all the time."

Uri Avnery on 1967 and the settlers: "[The religious-nationalist] approach [represented] a very minor and even despised faction of Zionism before 1967. It took the settlement project over, robbed the socialist-Zionist camp of its original vision, and turned it into the hallmark of the national religious Zionist camp. And this is a change, not just in quantity, but also in quality. It is this camp which has become stronger every year for the last thirty-eight years. It has been promoted by all Israeli governments, whether Labor or Likud. It has been assisted not only by the Israeli army, but also by every part of the Israeli government and every ministry, both openly and covertly. This camp has become a very important force in Israeli society."

"The old socialist part of the Zionist movement and the kibbutz movement has broken down. It is economically bankrupt, and, what's more important, it is ideologically bankrupt. A third generation has now come to the fore in the Labor Party, a generation without ideology, without any real motivation. They are as capitalist as other parts of Israeli society. They're out to make money. The Labor Party is nothing but a reeking cadaver today, and is typical of this process. "

The religious Zionist movement has grown in force, ideological motivation, and fanaticism. It is a new kind of Jewish religion -- a tribal religion, a very aggressive nationalist religion -- and has elements (as I've said before) that must be characterized as fascist. And this force is now the only force in Israel that has a clear-cut ideology, that has thousands of people believing in it. Its thinking is clearly aimed at evicting the Palestinian population, and [creating] a homogeneous Jewish religious state, subject to the Halachah, and governed by rabbis. This is not often clearly articulated, but you can find it in the writings and the sayings of the leaders of this movement."

"Why did the majority of Israelis allow that to happen?

"UA: That's a very good question, and it's not easy to answer. When a majority doesn't have a clear and dominant ideology, and is faced with a strongly motivated, ideologically fanatical minority, the majority is at a great disadvantage.

"A majority of Israelis believe in democracy, but don't feel the urge to go out into the streets. For years, my friends and I have been demonstrating for an end to the Occupation, for peace with the Palestinians, and for democracy in Israel. We have experienced many heartbreaking moments when we called on people to come out and demonstrate and found that there is no force that can bring Israelis out, except on the annual day of mourning for Yitzhak Rabin. The only thing that mobilized these people was his murder and his memory. But it is very difficult to get them out for any other aim.

"It is a basic weakness of democracy that the democratic majority only comes out when it is severely provoked. And what is happening now in Israel, perhaps, is that the provocation by the settlers may reach a point where it will succeed in provoking the majority of Israelis to come out and fight for what they believe is important."

Nearly everyone believes or say they believe in democracy and liberty but how many are prepared to fight for it? Democracy hangs by a thread.

"All this shows that there is no clear will of the government to fight against the settlers. They find themselves in a fight that they did not expect to have. Sharon is completely bewildered, because when he started this so called "disengagement plan" he did not dream of entering a battle with the settlers. Quite the contrary. Ariel Sharon has been the father of the settlers more than any other person in the country. He put the settlements where they are and has worked tirelessly for years for the settlers. Sharon did not think that his plan was aimed against them. What he told the settlers was something like "we should give up a few settlements in the Gaza Strip, which are quite small and unimportant, in order to consolidate and save the big settlements in the West Bank and annex all the territory on which these settlements are sitting.""

"This sounded logical to Sharon. It is the logic of an army officer used to giving up territory in order to gain other territory. But the settlers did not accept it, and Sharon found himself unexpectedly confronted by them. This is a difficult situation, not only for Sharon personally, but for the entire Israeli political system to operate with any sense of consistency and determination because it [represents] a kind of cognitive dissonance."

"The great majority of Israelis are not aware of the real and present danger to Israeli democracy. They still have the illusion that this is something that will pass. Only when people realize that real danger is there and that people must come out and face it will there be a chance that some leadership will emerge. One can only hope that it will not be too late. I'm very much reminded of the last days of the Weimar Republic. I think about it constantly. And I think that the dangers that people were facing at that time are here. It has been said that the Weimar Republic collapsed not because the fascists overthrew it, but because at the moment of truth no one was ready to step up and defend the Republic. This nightmare pursues me. I think about it all the time."

Sealing them in: Digby's post and the links he supplies discuss the amazing callousness, neglect, mismanagement, racism and incompetence of the authorities in dealing with the people trapped in New Orleans after the hurricane.

Sealing them in: Digby's post and the links he supplies discuss the amazing callousness, neglect, mismanagement, racism and incompetence of the authorities in dealing with the people trapped in New Orleans after the hurricane.

The Outer Limits of Empire - Tom Engelhardt interviews Howard Zinn: "It's interesting that we've had short wars ever since [Vietnam], except for this one, and those wars were deliberately designed to be short so that there wouldn't be time for an antiwar movement to develop. In this case, they miscalculated. Now, I don't think it's a question of if, just when. When and how. I don't think there's any question that the United States is going to have to get out of Iraq. The only questions are: How long will it take? How many more people will die? And how will it be done?"

"It does seem like a hard concept – war crimes, war criminals – to catch on here. There's a willingness to say the leadership is wrong, but it's a great jump from there to saying that the leadership is vicious. Unfortunately, in American culture, there's still a kind of monarchical idea that the president, the people up there, are very special people and while they may make mistakes, they couldn't be criminals. Even after the public had turned against the Vietnam War, there was no widespread talk about Johnson, [Secretary of Defense Robert] McNamara, and the rest of them being war criminals. And I think it has to do with an American culture of deference to the president and his men – beyond which people refuse to think."

One might think the idea of 'deference to the monarch' is not exclusively American.

"I would guess that a very large number of Americans against the war in Vietnam still believed in the essential goodness of this country. They thought of Vietnam as an aberration. Only a minority in the antiwar movement saw it as part of a continuous policy of imperialism and expansion. I think that's true today as well. It's very hard for Americans to let go of the idea that we're an especially good nation. It's comforting to know that, even though we do wrong things from time to time, these are just individual aberrations. I think it takes a great deal of political consciousness to extend the criticism of a particular policy or a particular war to a general negative appraisal of the country and its history. It strikes too close to something Americans seem to need to hold onto."

"Of course, there's an element that's right in this as well – in that there are principles for which the United States presumably stands that are good. It's just that people confuse the principles with the policies – and so long as they can keep those principles in their heads (justice for all, equality, and so on), they are very reluctant to accept the fact that they have been crassly, consistently violated. This is the only way I can account for the stopping short when it comes to looking at the president and the people around him as war criminals."

Hence the singular importance of the anarchistic philosophy.

"I like to think that the American empire has reached its outer limits with the Middle East. I don't believe it has a future in Latin America. I think it's worn out whatever power it had there and we're seeing the rise of governments that will not play ball with the United States. This may be one of the reasons why the war in Iraq is so important to this administration. Beyond Iraq there's no place to go. So, let's put it this way, I see withdrawal from Iraq whenever it takes place – and think of this as partly wish and partly belief [he chuckles at himself] – as the first step in the retrenchment of the American empire. After all we aren't the first country in history to be forced to do this.

"I'd like to say that this will be because of American domestic opposition, but I suspect mostly it will be because the rest of the world won't accept further American forays into places where we don't belong. In the future, I believe 9/11 may be seen as representing the beginning of the dissolution of the American empire; that is, the very event that immediately crystallized popular support for war, in the long run – and I don't know how long that will be – may be seen as the beginning of the weakening and crumbling of the American empire."

"Although lots of things are unclear to me, one thing is very clear. [War] is not in our genes. Whenever I read accounts, even by people who have been in war, that suggest there's something in the masculine psyche that requires this kind of violence and militarism, I don't believe it. I say this on the basis of historical experience; that is, if you compare the instances in which people, mostly men, have committed violent acts and gone to war to those in which people have not gone to war, have rejected war, it seems people don't naturally want war.... To me the strongest argument against an inherent drive to war is the extent to which governments have to resort to get people to go to war, the huge amounts of propaganda and deception of which we had an example very recently. And don't forget coercion. So I discard that idea of a natural inclination to war."

Let's hope the old man has got the wisdom here. The rest of us could be forgiven for thinking it most certainly is in the genes. The veneer of civilisation, including the modern veneer of besuited savages, seems just that, a veneer.

"When you look at the ratio of civilian to military dead, it changes from 50-50 in World War II to 80-20 in Vietnam, maybe as high as 90-10 today.... When you face that fact, war is now always a war against civilians, and so against children. No political goal can justify it, and so the great challenge before the human race in our time is to solve the problems of tyranny and aggression, and do it without war. [He laughs quietly.] A very complex and difficult job, but something that has to be faced – and that's what accounts for my becoming involved in antiwar movements ever since the end of World War II."

The Outer Limits of Empire - Tom Engelhardt interviews Howard Zinn: "It's interesting that we've had short wars ever since [Vietnam], except for this one, and those wars were deliberately designed to be short so that there wouldn't be time for an antiwar movement to develop. In this case, they miscalculated. Now, I don't think it's a question of if, just when. When and how. I don't think there's any question that the United States is going to have to get out of Iraq. The only questions are: How long will it take? How many more people will die? And how will it be done?"

"It does seem like a hard concept – war crimes, war criminals – to catch on here. There's a willingness to say the leadership is wrong, but it's a great jump from there to saying that the leadership is vicious. Unfortunately, in American culture, there's still a kind of monarchical idea that the president, the people up there, are very special people and while they may make mistakes, they couldn't be criminals. Even after the public had turned against the Vietnam War, there was no widespread talk about Johnson, [Secretary of Defense Robert] McNamara, and the rest of them being war criminals. And I think it has to do with an American culture of deference to the president and his men – beyond which people refuse to think."

One might think the idea of 'deference to the monarch' is not exclusively American.

"I would guess that a very large number of Americans against the war in Vietnam still believed in the essential goodness of this country. They thought of Vietnam as an aberration. Only a minority in the antiwar movement saw it as part of a continuous policy of imperialism and expansion. I think that's true today as well. It's very hard for Americans to let go of the idea that we're an especially good nation. It's comforting to know that, even though we do wrong things from time to time, these are just individual aberrations. I think it takes a great deal of political consciousness to extend the criticism of a particular policy or a particular war to a general negative appraisal of the country and its history. It strikes too close to something Americans seem to need to hold onto."

"Of course, there's an element that's right in this as well – in that there are principles for which the United States presumably stands that are good. It's just that people confuse the principles with the policies – and so long as they can keep those principles in their heads (justice for all, equality, and so on), they are very reluctant to accept the fact that they have been crassly, consistently violated. This is the only way I can account for the stopping short when it comes to looking at the president and the people around him as war criminals."

Hence the singular importance of the anarchistic philosophy.

"I like to think that the American empire has reached its outer limits with the Middle East. I don't believe it has a future in Latin America. I think it's worn out whatever power it had there and we're seeing the rise of governments that will not play ball with the United States. This may be one of the reasons why the war in Iraq is so important to this administration. Beyond Iraq there's no place to go. So, let's put it this way, I see withdrawal from Iraq whenever it takes place – and think of this as partly wish and partly belief [he chuckles at himself] – as the first step in the retrenchment of the American empire. After all we aren't the first country in history to be forced to do this.

"I'd like to say that this will be because of American domestic opposition, but I suspect mostly it will be because the rest of the world won't accept further American forays into places where we don't belong. In the future, I believe 9/11 may be seen as representing the beginning of the dissolution of the American empire; that is, the very event that immediately crystallized popular support for war, in the long run – and I don't know how long that will be – may be seen as the beginning of the weakening and crumbling of the American empire."

"Although lots of things are unclear to me, one thing is very clear. [War] is not in our genes. Whenever I read accounts, even by people who have been in war, that suggest there's something in the masculine psyche that requires this kind of violence and militarism, I don't believe it. I say this on the basis of historical experience; that is, if you compare the instances in which people, mostly men, have committed violent acts and gone to war to those in which people have not gone to war, have rejected war, it seems people don't naturally want war.... To me the strongest argument against an inherent drive to war is the extent to which governments have to resort to get people to go to war, the huge amounts of propaganda and deception of which we had an example very recently. And don't forget coercion. So I discard that idea of a natural inclination to war."

Let's hope the old man has got the wisdom here. The rest of us could be forgiven for thinking it most certainly is in the genes. The veneer of civilisation, including the modern veneer of besuited savages, seems just that, a veneer.

"When you look at the ratio of civilian to military dead, it changes from 50-50 in World War II to 80-20 in Vietnam, maybe as high as 90-10 today.... When you face that fact, war is now always a war against civilians, and so against children. No political goal can justify it, and so the great challenge before the human race in our time is to solve the problems of tyranny and aggression, and do it without war. [He laughs quietly.] A very complex and difficult job, but something that has to be faced – and that's what accounts for my becoming involved in antiwar movements ever since the end of World War II."

American evangelist Rev Fred Phelps praises the destruction of New Orleans: "Thank God for Katrina. New Orleans, symbol of America, seen for what it is: a putrid, toxic, stinking cesspool of fag fecal matter. America is irreversibly doomed. It is a sin to pray for the good of this evil fag nation. It is a sin NOT to rejoice when God executes His wrath and vengeance upon America. Pray for more dead bodies floating on the fag-semen-rancid waters of New Orleans."

American evangelist Rev Fred Phelps praises the destruction of New Orleans: "Thank God for Katrina. New Orleans, symbol of America, seen for what it is: a putrid, toxic, stinking cesspool of fag fecal matter. America is irreversibly doomed. It is a sin to pray for the good of this evil fag nation. It is a sin NOT to rejoice when God executes His wrath and vengeance upon America. Pray for more dead bodies floating on the fag-semen-rancid waters of New Orleans."

"Man loots store" vs "Residents find food": What would that be about?

"Man loots store" vs "Residents find food": What would that be about?

Hurricane Katrina - Our Experiences: 2 Paramedics at a conference in New Orleans relate their survival experiences after the Hurricane struck.

Hurricane Katrina - Our Experiences: 2 Paramedics at a conference in New Orleans relate their survival experiences after the Hurricane struck.

Playing Poker With Dick Cheney

Playing Poker With Dick Cheney

Do Americans know how they are perceived by many in the world? Commenters rant: "Why Americans are, and should be, hated

The time has come for Americans to realise a very simple truth: You can no longer hide behind the excuse that the war in Iraq, and all the other crimes of which America stands accused in the eyes of the rest of the world, “is the fault of the current Administration”.

Get this: You, as a nation, started a war of aggression, based on a lie, against a country that had done you no harm. You called it a pre-emptive war. It wasn’t. It was naked aggression, launched with overwhelming firepower, targeting a nation crushed by over a decade of inhuman sanctions that had left hundreds of thousands dead, many of them children. For that alone, you, as a nation, deserve to be hated and despised, and never to be forgiven.

I am tired of talking to Americans who bemoan the idiocy of the current US administration and its leaders. You, as a nation, voted for him. Twice. And don’t give me that song and dance about how the elections were stolen. Once, yes. But not twice. Besides, knowing what you knew even then about Bush, the man, how was it possible that more than two people in the entire United States – Bush and his mother – could vote for him? The very fact that more than two people put a cross against his name damns you as a nation, for ever.

There used to be a time when I admired America and Americans. Now, I cannot reach low enough to begin to describe the contempt I feel towards America.

I used to be a moderate in all things political. Now I’d freely describe myself as “rabidly anti-American” – and I’m not even Palestinian, or Arab, for that matter. I’m not even the victim of the daily outrages perpetrated by the Israeli apartheid state, that American aircraft carrier in the Middle East, that state which, with the moral support and financial assistance of the US, has created more than two hundred nuclear bombs, while around us wails a media choir, hysterical at the thought that Iran might, in ten years’ time, come close to producing a smidgeon of nuclear fuel that might, just might, one day be diverted for making an atomic weapon.

It’s all so amusing, isn’t it? If only it weren’t all so deadly. As some wit put it: “When Clinton lied, no-one died.”

What makes this crime even worse than the many other illegal invasions that America has perpetrated (read Noam Chomsky if you’d like to know more) is that, at the time when the lie was being fed to the world, everyone – EVERYONE – knew that it was a lie. Colin Powel knew. Bush knew. Blair knew. The boy in the street outside, shining shoes, knew.

America, collectively, has insulted the intelligence of every person on this planet.

America ignores international treaties, laws, and agreements at will. Kyoto is meant for other nations. The International Court, likewise, is for other nations because, as we all know, Americans would never commit war crimes – certainly nothing like Abu Ghraib. And then, just to make sure that we get the message, America appoints a man who hates children to be their nanny: it appoints as ambassador to the UN a man who cannot stand the UN.

That really was overkill. You see, we got the point long, long ago. You just don’t care. Well, we do. We care enough to hate you.

Even if tomorrow, by some miracle, you came to your senses and impeached Bush and sent him off to the International Court to answer for his war crimes, we would still not forgive you. That would take, at the very least, another ten or twenty years. Because that’s how long it would take to begin to undo some of the damage that America has done to the world, to global relations, and to trust and our sense of brotherhood in this world.

When the planes flew into the twin towers, I was at work, in an office full of Saudi employees in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. One after the other, they all trooped across to our boss, an American, and expressed their horror and heartfelt sympathy at what had happened. So did I.

That sympathy has been squandered by a reckless moron and those who voted for him. Hate has taken the place of sympathy, even amongst those who used to be moderate, like myself.

Your “War on Terror” is a monster of your own creation. And it is breeding more and more terror, day by bloody day.

I am not a stranger to war. I write as someone who served as a conscript in the military for two and a half years, of which thirteen months as an officer in the South African special forces in Angola, in 1982-83. That (CIA-funded and supported!) war was wrong, too. We had no business being there.

Being a soldier didn’t take courage – real courage would have been refusing to serve. I was a coward — I didn't have the courage to refuse to kill those I had no business killing. Your troops in Iraq will one day say the same, I don't doubt that for a second.

In the meanwhile, they will continue to kill or be killed. If they had real courage, they would refuse to serve. The war is wrong. They know it by now – even without me or anyone else telling them so. They're not “just doing their job” – they are doing someone else’s job, and it’s time they started asking, whose job, and why?

Americans: You are hated and despised, throughout the world. You deserve it. - Johan"

"Well spoken Johan. Your sad commentary is one I hear repeated by all of my foreign friends. The world is turning its' back on America, and with good reason.

The American people will pay dearly for allowing this unholy clan of rightwingideologue supremist warmongers, warpimps, and profiteers to redefine America in the perverted cloth of a predatory imperialist state ruled with an iron fist by tyrants, pirates, and fundamentalist religious zealots.

"Deliver us from evil." - Tony Foresta

Do Americans know how they are perceived by many in the world? Commenters rant: "Why Americans are, and should be, hated

The time has come for Americans to realise a very simple truth: You can no longer hide behind the excuse that the war in Iraq, and all the other crimes of which America stands accused in the eyes of the rest of the world, “is the fault of the current Administration”.

Get this: You, as a nation, started a war of aggression, based on a lie, against a country that had done you no harm. You called it a pre-emptive war. It wasn’t. It was naked aggression, launched with overwhelming firepower, targeting a nation crushed by over a decade of inhuman sanctions that had left hundreds of thousands dead, many of them children. For that alone, you, as a nation, deserve to be hated and despised, and never to be forgiven.

I am tired of talking to Americans who bemoan the idiocy of the current US administration and its leaders. You, as a nation, voted for him. Twice. And don’t give me that song and dance about how the elections were stolen. Once, yes. But not twice. Besides, knowing what you knew even then about Bush, the man, how was it possible that more than two people in the entire United States – Bush and his mother – could vote for him? The very fact that more than two people put a cross against his name damns you as a nation, for ever.

There used to be a time when I admired America and Americans. Now, I cannot reach low enough to begin to describe the contempt I feel towards America.

I used to be a moderate in all things political. Now I’d freely describe myself as “rabidly anti-American” – and I’m not even Palestinian, or Arab, for that matter. I’m not even the victim of the daily outrages perpetrated by the Israeli apartheid state, that American aircraft carrier in the Middle East, that state which, with the moral support and financial assistance of the US, has created more than two hundred nuclear bombs, while around us wails a media choir, hysterical at the thought that Iran might, in ten years’ time, come close to producing a smidgeon of nuclear fuel that might, just might, one day be diverted for making an atomic weapon.

It’s all so amusing, isn’t it? If only it weren’t all so deadly. As some wit put it: “When Clinton lied, no-one died.”

What makes this crime even worse than the many other illegal invasions that America has perpetrated (read Noam Chomsky if you’d like to know more) is that, at the time when the lie was being fed to the world, everyone – EVERYONE – knew that it was a lie. Colin Powel knew. Bush knew. Blair knew. The boy in the street outside, shining shoes, knew.

America, collectively, has insulted the intelligence of every person on this planet.

America ignores international treaties, laws, and agreements at will. Kyoto is meant for other nations. The International Court, likewise, is for other nations because, as we all know, Americans would never commit war crimes – certainly nothing like Abu Ghraib. And then, just to make sure that we get the message, America appoints a man who hates children to be their nanny: it appoints as ambassador to the UN a man who cannot stand the UN.

That really was overkill. You see, we got the point long, long ago. You just don’t care. Well, we do. We care enough to hate you.

Even if tomorrow, by some miracle, you came to your senses and impeached Bush and sent him off to the International Court to answer for his war crimes, we would still not forgive you. That would take, at the very least, another ten or twenty years. Because that’s how long it would take to begin to undo some of the damage that America has done to the world, to global relations, and to trust and our sense of brotherhood in this world.

When the planes flew into the twin towers, I was at work, in an office full of Saudi employees in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. One after the other, they all trooped across to our boss, an American, and expressed their horror and heartfelt sympathy at what had happened. So did I.

That sympathy has been squandered by a reckless moron and those who voted for him. Hate has taken the place of sympathy, even amongst those who used to be moderate, like myself.

Your “War on Terror” is a monster of your own creation. And it is breeding more and more terror, day by bloody day.

I am not a stranger to war. I write as someone who served as a conscript in the military for two and a half years, of which thirteen months as an officer in the South African special forces in Angola, in 1982-83. That (CIA-funded and supported!) war was wrong, too. We had no business being there.

Being a soldier didn’t take courage – real courage would have been refusing to serve. I was a coward — I didn't have the courage to refuse to kill those I had no business killing. Your troops in Iraq will one day say the same, I don't doubt that for a second.

In the meanwhile, they will continue to kill or be killed. If they had real courage, they would refuse to serve. The war is wrong. They know it by now – even without me or anyone else telling them so. They're not “just doing their job” – they are doing someone else’s job, and it’s time they started asking, whose job, and why?

Americans: You are hated and despised, throughout the world. You deserve it. - Johan"

"Well spoken Johan. Your sad commentary is one I hear repeated by all of my foreign friends. The world is turning its' back on America, and with good reason.

The American people will pay dearly for allowing this unholy clan of rightwingideologue supremist warmongers, warpimps, and profiteers to redefine America in the perverted cloth of a predatory imperialist state ruled with an iron fist by tyrants, pirates, and fundamentalist religious zealots.

"Deliver us from evil." - Tony Foresta

War of the Future: Oil Drives the Genocide in Darfur: The scandal, corruption and cruelty of the Sudanese war. Governments, corporations, militaries and empires are not the solution: they are the problem. The world public must rise to force these institutions to end the rapaciousness and injustice.

War of the Future: Oil Drives the Genocide in Darfur: The scandal, corruption and cruelty of the Sudanese war. Governments, corporations, militaries and empires are not the solution: they are the problem. The world public must rise to force these institutions to end the rapaciousness and injustice.

The Coming Avian Flu Pandemic: "The new U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told the Associated Press in early August that an influenza pandemic was now an 'absolute certainty,' echoing repeated warnings from the World Health Organization that it was 'inevitable.' Likewise Science magazine observed that expert opinion held the odds of a global outbreak as '100 percent.'

"In the same grim spirit, the British press revealed that officials were scouring the country for suitable sites for mass mortuaries, based on official fears that avian flu could kill as many as 700,000 Britons. The Blair government is already conducting emergency simulations of a pandemic outbreak ('Operation Arctic Sea') and is reported to have readied 'Cobra' -- a cabinet-level working group that coordinates government responses to national emergencies like the recent London bombings from a secret war room in Whitehall -- to deal with an avian flu crisis."

One wonders what preparations State and Federal governments have made in Australia. The issue seems to attract scant attention.

The Coming Avian Flu Pandemic: "The new U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told the Associated Press in early August that an influenza pandemic was now an 'absolute certainty,' echoing repeated warnings from the World Health Organization that it was 'inevitable.' Likewise Science magazine observed that expert opinion held the odds of a global outbreak as '100 percent.'

"In the same grim spirit, the British press revealed that officials were scouring the country for suitable sites for mass mortuaries, based on official fears that avian flu could kill as many as 700,000 Britons. The Blair government is already conducting emergency simulations of a pandemic outbreak ('Operation Arctic Sea') and is reported to have readied 'Cobra' -- a cabinet-level working group that coordinates government responses to national emergencies like the recent London bombings from a secret war room in Whitehall -- to deal with an avian flu crisis."

One wonders what preparations State and Federal governments have made in Australia. The issue seems to attract scant attention.

Uri Avnery on the 'miracle' of the withdrawal from Gaza: "Sharon's is a classic Zionist ideology, consistent and pragmatic: to enlarge the borders of the Jewish State as much as possible, in a continuing process, without including in it a non-Jewish population. To settle everywhere possible, using every possible trick. To do much and talk little about it. To make declarations about the desire for peace, but not to make a peace that would hinder expansion and settlement.

"Moshe Dayan, another pupil of Ben-Gurion's, in one of his more revealing speeches, preached to the country's youth that this is a continuous enterprise. 'You have not started it, and you will not finish it!' he said. In another important speech, Dayan said that the Arabs are looking on while we turn the land of their forefathers into our land, and they will never reconcile themselves to that. The conflict is a permanent situation.

"That is also Sharon's outlook. He wants to expand Israel's borders as much as possible, and minimize the number of Arabs within them. Therefore it makes sense to him to give up the tiny Gaza strip with the million and half Palestinians living there, and also the centers of Palestinian population in the West Bank. He wants to annex the settlement blocs and the sparsely populated areas, where new settlement blocs can be set up. He is content to leave to future generations the problem of the Palestinian enclaves.

"Ben-Gurion laid down a basic principle: the State of Israel has no borders. Borders freeze the existing situation, and to this Israel cannot agree. Therefore, all his successors, including Yitzhak Rabin, were ready to reach interim agreements, but never a final agreement that would fix permanent borders. That's why Sharon insists that all his steps are unilateral, and that, after the disengagement, new interim agreements may be reached - but under no circumstances a final peace agreement."

"This week, a great event will take place: for the first time, settlements in Palestine are being removed. The Settlement enterprise, which has always moved forward, is for the first time moving backwards. And that is more important that the intentions - good or bad - of Ariel Sharon."

Chomsky, however, is somewhat more prosaic: "Any sane Israeli government would want to remove Israeli settlements from Gaza, where about 8000 settlers take a large part of the land and resources, and have to be protected by huge army contingents.

"Far more rational, now that the occupation has turned Gaza into a hell-hole, is to get out and leave it as a prison in which the population can rot. The “Gaza disengagement plan” is, in fact, a US-Israeli West Bank expansion plan, designed to incorporate valuable land and resources of the West Bank into Israel, and leave Palestinians in a few unviable Bantustans which the US and Israel can call a “state”—rather as South Africa called the Bantustans “independent states.”

"There is great agonizing now in Israel about the tragedy of the settlers who were handsomely subsidized to settle illegally in Gaza, where they have tortured and terrorized the population and stolen their land and resources, and now will be handsomely subsidized by the same generous fairy godmother (you and your friends) to settle somewhere else. People are wearing orange, etc. As the better Israeli journalists have eloquently described, it is a shame and disgrace. The same is true of the “trauma” of Jews evicting Jews. If Sharon wants to remove the settlers quietly, nothing is easier. Simply announce that the IDF will be withdrawn on date X, and a few weeks earlier the settlers will be gone. It’s mostly cynical show to justify the US-Israel West Bank expansion programs."

Uri Avnery on the 'miracle' of the withdrawal from Gaza: "Sharon's is a classic Zionist ideology, consistent and pragmatic: to enlarge the borders of the Jewish State as much as possible, in a continuing process, without including in it a non-Jewish population. To settle everywhere possible, using every possible trick. To do much and talk little about it. To make declarations about the desire for peace, but not to make a peace that would hinder expansion and settlement.

"Moshe Dayan, another pupil of Ben-Gurion's, in one of his more revealing speeches, preached to the country's youth that this is a continuous enterprise. 'You have not started it, and you will not finish it!' he said. In another important speech, Dayan said that the Arabs are looking on while we turn the land of their forefathers into our land, and they will never reconcile themselves to that. The conflict is a permanent situation.

"That is also Sharon's outlook. He wants to expand Israel's borders as much as possible, and minimize the number of Arabs within them. Therefore it makes sense to him to give up the tiny Gaza strip with the million and half Palestinians living there, and also the centers of Palestinian population in the West Bank. He wants to annex the settlement blocs and the sparsely populated areas, where new settlement blocs can be set up. He is content to leave to future generations the problem of the Palestinian enclaves.

"Ben-Gurion laid down a basic principle: the State of Israel has no borders. Borders freeze the existing situation, and to this Israel cannot agree. Therefore, all his successors, including Yitzhak Rabin, were ready to reach interim agreements, but never a final agreement that would fix permanent borders. That's why Sharon insists that all his steps are unilateral, and that, after the disengagement, new interim agreements may be reached - but under no circumstances a final peace agreement."

"This week, a great event will take place: for the first time, settlements in Palestine are being removed. The Settlement enterprise, which has always moved forward, is for the first time moving backwards. And that is more important that the intentions - good or bad - of Ariel Sharon."

Chomsky, however, is somewhat more prosaic: "Any sane Israeli government would want to remove Israeli settlements from Gaza, where about 8000 settlers take a large part of the land and resources, and have to be protected by huge army contingents.

"Far more rational, now that the occupation has turned Gaza into a hell-hole, is to get out and leave it as a prison in which the population can rot. The “Gaza disengagement plan” is, in fact, a US-Israeli West Bank expansion plan, designed to incorporate valuable land and resources of the West Bank into Israel, and leave Palestinians in a few unviable Bantustans which the US and Israel can call a “state”—rather as South Africa called the Bantustans “independent states.”

"There is great agonizing now in Israel about the tragedy of the settlers who were handsomely subsidized to settle illegally in Gaza, where they have tortured and terrorized the population and stolen their land and resources, and now will be handsomely subsidized by the same generous fairy godmother (you and your friends) to settle somewhere else. People are wearing orange, etc. As the better Israeli journalists have eloquently described, it is a shame and disgrace. The same is true of the “trauma” of Jews evicting Jews. If Sharon wants to remove the settlers quietly, nothing is easier. Simply announce that the IDF will be withdrawn on date X, and a few weeks earlier the settlers will be gone. It’s mostly cynical show to justify the US-Israel West Bank expansion programs."

de Menezes - London police death squad killing of innocent man: "At 9.30am ... Jean Charles left his flat in Scotia Road, South London. Surveillance officers wrongly believed he could have been Hussain Osman, one of the prime suspects, or another terrorist suspect.

"The documents and photographs confirm that Jean Charles was not carrying any bags, and was wearing a denim jacket, not a bulky winter coat, as had previously been claimed. He was behaving normally, and did not vault the barriers, even stopping to pick up a free newspaper.

"He started running when we saw a tube at the platform. Police had agreed they would shoot a suspect if he ran. A document describes CCTV footage, which shows Mr de Menezes entered Stockwell station at a 'normal walking pace' and descended slowly on an escalator.

"The document said: 'At some point near the bottom he is seen to run across the concourse and enter the carriage before sitting in an available seat.... A member of the surveillance team is quoted in the report. He said: 'I heard shouting which included the word `police' and turned to face the male in the denim jacket.

"'He immediately stood up and advanced towards me and the CO19 officers. I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. 'I then pushed him back on to the seat where he had been previously sitting. I then heard a gun shot very close to my left ear and was dragged away onto the floor of the carriage.'

"The report also said a post mortem examination showed Mr de Menezes was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder, but three other bullets missed, with the casings left lying in the tube carriage."

Let us hope that any death squads in Australia are immediately stood down. No politician or bureaucrat should ever be permitted to deploy death squads to the streets. Terrorism is by definition a political activity and needs a political solution.

de Menezes - London police death squad killing of innocent man: "At 9.30am ... Jean Charles left his flat in Scotia Road, South London. Surveillance officers wrongly believed he could have been Hussain Osman, one of the prime suspects, or another terrorist suspect.

"The documents and photographs confirm that Jean Charles was not carrying any bags, and was wearing a denim jacket, not a bulky winter coat, as had previously been claimed. He was behaving normally, and did not vault the barriers, even stopping to pick up a free newspaper.

"He started running when we saw a tube at the platform. Police had agreed they would shoot a suspect if he ran. A document describes CCTV footage, which shows Mr de Menezes entered Stockwell station at a 'normal walking pace' and descended slowly on an escalator.

"The document said: 'At some point near the bottom he is seen to run across the concourse and enter the carriage before sitting in an available seat.... A member of the surveillance team is quoted in the report. He said: 'I heard shouting which included the word `police' and turned to face the male in the denim jacket.

"'He immediately stood up and advanced towards me and the CO19 officers. I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. 'I then pushed him back on to the seat where he had been previously sitting. I then heard a gun shot very close to my left ear and was dragged away onto the floor of the carriage.'

"The report also said a post mortem examination showed Mr de Menezes was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder, but three other bullets missed, with the casings left lying in the tube carriage."

Let us hope that any death squads in Australia are immediately stood down. No politician or bureaucrat should ever be permitted to deploy death squads to the streets. Terrorism is by definition a political activity and needs a political solution.

Public opposed to sale of Telstra: "Around 70 per cent of people surveyed were against the $30 billion sale, compared with 66 per cent in July 2002, according to a Newspoll published in News Ltd newspapers. Support for the sale has dropped four per cent over the past three years to 16 per cent."

So how did the Howard government win an absolute majority of both Houses of Parliament? Communications, along with transport, water and sewage and power are fundamental infrastructure resonsibilities of government. Privatizations such as these amount to a giveaway to the corporate sector of crucial monopolistic functions.

Public opposed to sale of Telstra: "Around 70 per cent of people surveyed were against the $30 billion sale, compared with 66 per cent in July 2002, according to a Newspoll published in News Ltd newspapers. Support for the sale has dropped four per cent over the past three years to 16 per cent."

So how did the Howard government win an absolute majority of both Houses of Parliament? Communications, along with transport, water and sewage and power are fundamental infrastructure resonsibilities of government. Privatizations such as these amount to a giveaway to the corporate sector of crucial monopolistic functions.

The Ironies of Conquest: Michael Schwartz on efforts by Russia and China to block US hegemonic ambition. More and more commentators are prepared to declare the US has basically lost the war in Iraq; if so, this defeat represents a significant strategic setback, indeed an historic turning point. The neocons' dream of 'global domination' is over virtually as soon as it was announced.

"At the June 2005 meeting of the SCO [Russia, China and allies], after guest Iran was invited into full membership, the group called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from member states, and particularly from the large base in Uzbekistan that was a key staging area for American troops in the Afghanistan War. The SCO thus became the first international body of any sort to call for a rollback of U.S. bases anywhere in the world."

As Chalmers Johnson has pointed out, the US empire is an empire of bases. Shutting the bases means shutting down the empire.

The Ironies of Conquest: Michael Schwartz on efforts by Russia and China to block US hegemonic ambition. More and more commentators are prepared to declare the US has basically lost the war in Iraq; if so, this defeat represents a significant strategic setback, indeed an historic turning point. The neocons' dream of 'global domination' is over virtually as soon as it was announced.

"At the June 2005 meeting of the SCO [Russia, China and allies], after guest Iran was invited into full membership, the group called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from member states, and particularly from the large base in Uzbekistan that was a key staging area for American troops in the Afghanistan War. The SCO thus became the first international body of any sort to call for a rollback of U.S. bases anywhere in the world."

As Chalmers Johnson has pointed out, the US empire is an empire of bases. Shutting the bases means shutting down the empire.

Iraq: Conditions worse than under Saddam: "Living conditions for the people of Iraq, already poor before the war, have deteriorated significantly since the US invasion. This is confirmed in a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation. Based on a survey of 21,000 households conducted in 2004, the study shows that the Iraqi people are suffering widespread death and war-related injury, high rates of infant and child mortality, chronic malnutrition and illness among children, low rates of life expectancy and significant setbacks with regard to the role of women in society."

Iraq: Conditions worse than under Saddam: "Living conditions for the people of Iraq, already poor before the war, have deteriorated significantly since the US invasion. This is confirmed in a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation. Based on a survey of 21,000 households conducted in 2004, the study shows that the Iraqi people are suffering widespread death and war-related injury, high rates of infant and child mortality, chronic malnutrition and illness among children, low rates of life expectancy and significant setbacks with regard to the role of women in society."

Declaration of the Jury of Conscience World Tribunal on Iraq - Istanbul June 23 - 27, 2005: Comprehensive, damning charges against the offending parties.

Declaration of the Jury of Conscience World Tribunal on Iraq - Istanbul June 23 - 27, 2005: Comprehensive, damning charges against the offending parties.

Greenpeace Closes World's Largest Coal Port: "Greenpeace's flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, closed down the world's largest coal export port in Newcastle today and called on Australia to quit coal and tackle climate change by moving to a clean energy economy. The Rainbow Warrior dropped anchor in the channel leading to the Kooragang and Carrington terminals in Newcastle harbour. In addition, teams of activists occupied a 2.5 million tonne coal stockpile and one of four huge coal loaders.

"Greenpeace Australia climate and energy campaigner Ben Pearson said: 'We are here today to expose Australia's dangerous addiction to coal export dollars and its significant contribution towards global climate change. Newcastle sends 80 million tonnes of coal to the world each year, and every tonne causes worse droughts, bushfires, storms and floods. Every hour that we are here, we stop coal that could emit thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases from leaving.'

"Australia is a major exporter of pollution and a climate destroyer. It exports coal to thirty-five countries. In 2002-03, 80 % (165 million tonnes) went to Asia. The main customers are Japan and South Korea. Taiwan, India, China, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines buy Australian coal.... Australia has the potential to be a world leader in renewable energy exports, sharing its vast solar and wind resources to its neighbouring countries in the region. It could play a more constructive role in addressing poverty and environmental issues in these already vulnerable economies by supporting their shift to safe, clean energy sources. "Coal burns our common future but renewable energy unites us. By embracing renewable energy, Australia will embrace a future common to Asia as well - a clean, sustainable future," Ronquillo concluded."

Greenpeace Closes World's Largest Coal Port: "Greenpeace's flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, closed down the world's largest coal export port in Newcastle today and called on Australia to quit coal and tackle climate change by moving to a clean energy economy. The Rainbow Warrior dropped anchor in the channel leading to the Kooragang and Carrington terminals in Newcastle harbour. In addition, teams of activists occupied a 2.5 million tonne coal stockpile and one of four huge coal loaders.

"Greenpeace Australia climate and energy campaigner Ben Pearson said: 'We are here today to expose Australia's dangerous addiction to coal export dollars and its significant contribution towards global climate change. Newcastle sends 80 million tonnes of coal to the world each year, and every tonne causes worse droughts, bushfires, storms and floods. Every hour that we are here, we stop coal that could emit thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases from leaving.'

"Australia is a major exporter of pollution and a climate destroyer. It exports coal to thirty-five countries. In 2002-03, 80 % (165 million tonnes) went to Asia. The main customers are Japan and South Korea. Taiwan, India, China, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines buy Australian coal.... Australia has the potential to be a world leader in renewable energy exports, sharing its vast solar and wind resources to its neighbouring countries in the region. It could play a more constructive role in addressing poverty and environmental issues in these already vulnerable economies by supporting their shift to safe, clean energy sources. "Coal burns our common future but renewable energy unites us. By embracing renewable energy, Australia will embrace a future common to Asia as well - a clean, sustainable future," Ronquillo concluded."

Flu Wiki: Bird flu: Genuine risk of global pandemic

Flu Wiki: Bird flu: Genuine risk of global pandemic

British poll: Bomb blasts 'linked to Iraq war': "The overwhelming majority of the public believe that the London bombings were, at least in part, due to Britain's involvement in the Iraq war, according to a new opinion poll. The YouGov survey for the Daily Mirror and GMTV found that 23% thought the war was the main cause of the attacks, while another 62% thought it was a contributory factor. Only 12% said they thought that it was not a significant cause.

"The Government has consistently rejected the argument that the bombings were the result of the conflict, insisting that extremist Islamic terror attacks began long before the invasion."

85% of the British people do not believe Blair. The position of Blair and his government is ridiculous wriggling. Bush, Blair and Howard are trapped under a lie of their own making - the big lie that Iraq had WMDs, links to terror and was a threat to Western countries. The truth is 9/11 was cynically exploited by Bush to get up a war he wanted anyway, and that the real reason for invading Iraq was to control the region's energy reserves. The world's supply of oil is steadily depleting, expected to last only another 30-40 years, and the war criminals' plan is to seize what is left by force.

British poll: Bomb blasts 'linked to Iraq war': "The overwhelming majority of the public believe that the London bombings were, at least in part, due to Britain's involvement in the Iraq war, according to a new opinion poll. The YouGov survey for the Daily Mirror and GMTV found that 23% thought the war was the main cause of the attacks, while another 62% thought it was a contributory factor. Only 12% said they thought that it was not a significant cause.

"The Government has consistently rejected the argument that the bombings were the result of the conflict, insisting that extremist Islamic terror attacks began long before the invasion."

85% of the British people do not believe Blair. The position of Blair and his government is ridiculous wriggling. Bush, Blair and Howard are trapped under a lie of their own making - the big lie that Iraq had WMDs, links to terror and was a threat to Western countries. The truth is 9/11 was cynically exploited by Bush to get up a war he wanted anyway, and that the real reason for invading Iraq was to control the region's energy reserves. The world's supply of oil is steadily depleting, expected to last only another 30-40 years, and the war criminals' plan is to seize what is left by force.

Melting Greenland Glacier May Hasten Rise in Sea Level: "If the entire Greenland ice sheet were to melt into the ocean it would raise sea levels by up to seven meters (23ft), inundating vast areas of low-lying land, including London and much of eastern England.

"Computer models suggest that this would take at least 1,000 years but even a sea-level rise of a meter would have a catastrophic impact on coastal plains where more than two-thirds of the world's population live."

Melting Greenland Glacier May Hasten Rise in Sea Level: "If the entire Greenland ice sheet were to melt into the ocean it would raise sea levels by up to seven meters (23ft), inundating vast areas of low-lying land, including London and much of eastern England.

"Computer models suggest that this would take at least 1,000 years but even a sea-level rise of a meter would have a catastrophic impact on coastal plains where more than two-thirds of the world's population live."

Arundhati Roy: World Tribunal on Iraq: "Let me say categorically that this tribunal is the defense. It is an act of resistance in itself. It is a defense mounted against one of the most cowardly wars ever fought in history, a war in which international institutions were used to force a country to disarm and then stood by while it was attacked with a greater array of weapons than has ever been used in the history of war."

Arundhati Roy: World Tribunal on Iraq: "Let me say categorically that this tribunal is the defense. It is an act of resistance in itself. It is a defense mounted against one of the most cowardly wars ever fought in history, a war in which international institutions were used to force a country to disarm and then stood by while it was attacked with a greater array of weapons than has ever been used in the history of war."

A Defeat Bred in Deceit: "'Anyone who has proclaimed violence his method inexorably must choose lying as his principle.' - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

"When Bush decided, prior to Sept. 11, to attack Iraq, he committed himself to lies and deceit. As his British co-conspirators realized, only victory could save them from the consequences.... The Bush administration has squandered America's diplomatic, economic, and military power and is heading for defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the Middle East. Bush's invasion of Iraq is fast becoming one of the greatest strategic blunders in history."

A Defeat Bred in Deceit: "'Anyone who has proclaimed violence his method inexorably must choose lying as his principle.' - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

"When Bush decided, prior to Sept. 11, to attack Iraq, he committed himself to lies and deceit. As his British co-conspirators realized, only victory could save them from the consequences.... The Bush administration has squandered America's diplomatic, economic, and military power and is heading for defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the Middle East. Bush's invasion of Iraq is fast becoming one of the greatest strategic blunders in history."

Mike Steketee: Fixing this absurd system should be mandatory: "HAVING been denied political asylum, Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin, together with his wife and six-year-old daughter, should be picked up immediately and put into a detention centre. With the customary efficiency of the Immigration Department, the Refugee Review Tribunal and the courts, it should then take only a few years to determine whether they are refugees. In the meantime, they would be safe from Chinese goons.

"Only joking. Chen's case highlights the absurdity of a system that discriminates between refugees according to how they arrive in this country. Those who carry a visa and apply within 45 days to stay as refugees can live in the community on bridging visas that entitle them to work, Medicare benefits and, in some cases, welfare. These claims are running at 3000 to 3500 a year. In a typical year, fewer than 15 per cent are successful. Those who are become permanent refugees with the full rights of Australian residents and access to English-language classes and job placement services.

"By contrast, those who come by boat are locked up, mostly behind razor wire in remote camps. They have no entitlements other than being allowed to lodge an application for refugee status. Of the 9160 who did so between July 1999 and June 2002, 8260 were assessed as refugees; 90 per cent compared with the 15 per cent who come by air."

The assault on boatpeople (the nonsensical mandatory detention and 'pacific solution' policies) is racist and political in origin. Howard's strategy has been to recognise the existence of racist sentiment in Australia (as plainly demonstrated by Hanson and her 1m votes) and deliberately manoeuvre to ultimately pick up that vote. This has been the basic approach through the whole of his 9 years of government, and the secret of his lasting success. At the same time a number of people in the political establishment have either failed to admit that the racist sentiment exists or naively expected Howard to distance himself from it, instead of exploiting it in the most calculated and skilled manner possible.

The approach to racism (or nationalism, sexism, fundamentalism, homophobia etc) has to be the same as ever: expose and condemn it, both as irrational and inhumane in itself; and as a tool of ruling elites used to divide the public from their genuine interests.

Mike Steketee: Fixing this absurd system should be mandatory: "HAVING been denied political asylum, Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin, together with his wife and six-year-old daughter, should be picked up immediately and put into a detention centre. With the customary efficiency of the Immigration Department, the Refugee Review Tribunal and the courts, it should then take only a few years to determine whether they are refugees. In the meantime, they would be safe from Chinese goons.

"Only joking. Chen's case highlights the absurdity of a system that discriminates between refugees according to how they arrive in this country. Those who carry a visa and apply within 45 days to stay as refugees can live in the community on bridging visas that entitle them to work, Medicare benefits and, in some cases, welfare. These claims are running at 3000 to 3500 a year. In a typical year, fewer than 15 per cent are successful. Those who are become permanent refugees with the full rights of Australian residents and access to English-language classes and job placement services.

"By contrast, those who come by boat are locked up, mostly behind razor wire in remote camps. They have no entitlements other than being allowed to lodge an application for refugee status. Of the 9160 who did so between July 1999 and June 2002, 8260 were assessed as refugees; 90 per cent compared with the 15 per cent who come by air."

The assault on boatpeople (the nonsensical mandatory detention and 'pacific solution' policies) is racist and political in origin. Howard's strategy has been to recognise the existence of racist sentiment in Australia (as plainly demonstrated by Hanson and her 1m votes) and deliberately manoeuvre to ultimately pick up that vote. This has been the basic approach through the whole of his 9 years of government, and the secret of his lasting success. At the same time a number of people in the political establishment have either failed to admit that the racist sentiment exists or naively expected Howard to distance himself from it, instead of exploiting it in the most calculated and skilled manner possible.

The approach to racism (or nationalism, sexism, fundamentalism, homophobia etc) has to be the same as ever: expose and condemn it, both as irrational and inhumane in itself; and as a tool of ruling elites used to divide the public from their genuine interests.

Senator Andrew Bartlett on Downer and 'Communist Tyranny': "The attempt by a senior Chinese Consular official to seek asylum has rightly attracted a lot of interest in Australia (you can read some statements made by the Australian Democrats by clicking here, here and here.) But I found it particularly absurd that Alexander Downer had a column in The Australian this week attacking the Labor Party of the 1950s for being 'too accommodating to communist tyranny' just days after his officials turned away a senior Chinese Consular official seeking asylum from the Chinese communist government. The wilful blindness of the current Australian Government over the last decade in ignoring and appeasing the tyranny of the Chinese government has been just as hypocritical, mealy-mouthed and complicit as the left-wing deniers of communist atrocities of the 50s and 60s.

"For Alexander Downer, the Foreign Minister who has presided over nearly ten years of appeasement of human rights abuses by Chinese dictatorships (not to mention other countries with an appalling human rights record like Burma), to try to lecture about alleged isolationism and appeasement by John Curtin – a Prime Minister who worried and worked himself right into his grave out of his concern for Australians during wartime – is simply breath-taking."

Amnesty International state that in China "Torture and ill-treatment continued to be reported in a wide variety of state institutions despite the introduction of several new regulations aimed at curbing the practice. Common methods included kicking, beating, electric shocks, suspension by the arms, shackling in painful positions, and sleep and food deprivation. Political interference in the rule of law, restricted access to the outside world for detainees, and a failure to establish effective mechanisms for complaint and investigation continued to be key factors allowing the practice to flourish.

"The authorities officially announced an intention to reform “Re-education through Labour”, a system of administrative detention used to detain hundreds of thousands of people for up to four years without charge or trial. However, the exact nature and scope of reform remained unclear.

"People accused of political or criminal offences continued to be denied due process. Detainees’ access to lawyers and family members continued to be severely restricted and trials fell far short of international fair trial standards. Those charged with offences related to “state secrets” or “terrorism” had their legal rights restricted and were tried in camera."

Senator Andrew Bartlett on Downer and 'Communist Tyranny': "The attempt by a senior Chinese Consular official to seek asylum has rightly attracted a lot of interest in Australia (you can read some statements made by the Australian Democrats by clicking here, here and here.) But I found it particularly absurd that Alexander Downer had a column in The Australian this week attacking the Labor Party of the 1950s for being 'too accommodating to communist tyranny' just days after his officials turned away a senior Chinese Consular official seeking asylum from the Chinese communist government. The wilful blindness of the current Australian Government over the last decade in ignoring and appeasing the tyranny of the Chinese government has been just as hypocritical, mealy-mouthed and complicit as the left-wing deniers of communist atrocities of the 50s and 60s.

"For Alexander Downer, the Foreign Minister who has presided over nearly ten years of appeasement of human rights abuses by Chinese dictatorships (not to mention other countries with an appalling human rights record like Burma), to try to lecture about alleged isolationism and appeasement by John Curtin – a Prime Minister who worried and worked himself right into his grave out of his concern for Australians during wartime – is simply breath-taking."

Amnesty International state that in China "Torture and ill-treatment continued to be reported in a wide variety of state institutions despite the introduction of several new regulations aimed at curbing the practice. Common methods included kicking, beating, electric shocks, suspension by the arms, shackling in painful positions, and sleep and food deprivation. Political interference in the rule of law, restricted access to the outside world for detainees, and a failure to establish effective mechanisms for complaint and investigation continued to be key factors allowing the practice to flourish.

"The authorities officially announced an intention to reform “Re-education through Labour”, a system of administrative detention used to detain hundreds of thousands of people for up to four years without charge or trial. However, the exact nature and scope of reform remained unclear.

"People accused of political or criminal offences continued to be denied due process. Detainees’ access to lawyers and family members continued to be severely restricted and trials fell far short of international fair trial standards. Those charged with offences related to “state secrets” or “terrorism” had their legal rights restricted and were tried in camera."

How Bob Somerby got to channel Socrates: "Plato described [Socrates] in the Seventh Letter as "without question, the most upright man then living." ... In 399, an Athenian jury condemned Socrates to death on charges of impiety and subverting the young. Again to quote Plato, in the Seventh Letter: "When I saw all this, and other things as bad, I was disgusted and drew back from the wickedness of the times..."

"There is one key point I should make crystal clear before beginning my account of The Greek’s detailed findings. At the time The Great Greek was channeled back to D.C., he had never even heard of a professional press corps. In his own day, of course, there were sophists and poets; and winded harriers would occasionally pound their way from the coast; but there was no institution expressly devoted to discussing the day’s crucial happenings. It intrigued him to think that a group of trained specialists might be devoted to crafting a great public discourse. Instantly it leaped to his mind, he’d later tell me: Perhaps this “press corps” could serve as a “guardian” class--could serve as a brilliantly-trained, skillful cohort that could rein in the murderous work of the sophists. For the very first time in his greatest of lives, he began to imagine that democracy might work--dared to dream the public discourse could be wrestled away from those who lived to distort and mislead us!

"I shuddered to think what The Great Greek would find when he began to read actual work of the press corps."

And thus began the Daily Howler.

How Bob Somerby got to channel Socrates: "Plato described [Socrates] in the Seventh Letter as "without question, the most upright man then living." ... In 399, an Athenian jury condemned Socrates to death on charges of impiety and subverting the young. Again to quote Plato, in the Seventh Letter: "When I saw all this, and other things as bad, I was disgusted and drew back from the wickedness of the times..."

"There is one key point I should make crystal clear before beginning my account of The Greek’s detailed findings. At the time The Great Greek was channeled back to D.C., he had never even heard of a professional press corps. In his own day, of course, there were sophists and poets; and winded harriers would occasionally pound their way from the coast; but there was no institution expressly devoted to discussing the day’s crucial happenings. It intrigued him to think that a group of trained specialists might be devoted to crafting a great public discourse. Instantly it leaped to his mind, he’d later tell me: Perhaps this “press corps” could serve as a “guardian” class--could serve as a brilliantly-trained, skillful cohort that could rein in the murderous work of the sophists. For the very first time in his greatest of lives, he began to imagine that democracy might work--dared to dream the public discourse could be wrestled away from those who lived to distort and mislead us!

"I shuddered to think what The Great Greek would find when he began to read actual work of the press corps."

And thus began the Daily Howler.

Administration's offenses impeachable - Robert Shatterley on the Downing st memo: "So we got aluminum tubes, mushroom clouds imported from Niger, biological weapons labs in weather trucks, fear and trembling, the phony ultimatums to Saddam Hussein to turn over the weapons he didn't have and thus couldn't. We got the call to arms, the stifling of dissent, the parade of retired generals strategizing on the 'news' shows, with us or against us, flags in the lapel, a craven media afraid to look for a truth that might disturb their corporate owners who would profit from the war. Shock and Awe. Fallujah. Abu Ghraib.

"It was all a lie. Many of us have said for a long time it was a lie. But here it is in black and white: Lies from a president who has taken a sacred trust to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

"So, what does it mean? It means that our president and all of his administration are war criminals. It's as simple as that. They lied to the American people, have killed and injured and traumatized thousands of American men and women doing their patriotic duty, killed at least 100,000 Iraqi civilians, destroyed Iraq's infrastructure and poisoned its environment, squandered billions and billions of our tax dollars, made a mockery of American integrity in the world, changed the course of history, tortured Iraqi prisoners, and bound us intractably to an insane situation that they have no idea how to fix because they had no plan, but greed and empire, in the first place.

"What does it mean? It means that everyone in this administration should be impeached. It means that our Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and our Congressmen Tom Allen and Mike Michaud should call for immediate impeachment. They were lied to by their president, voted for war, and are thus complicit in the multiply betrayals of the American people unless they stand up now for the truth.

"Richard Nixon was impeached for a cover-up of a two-bit break-in. William Cohen, a young Maine Republican, played an important role for the prosecution in those proceedings. Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about sex with an intern. Now we have the irrefutable evidence that George W. Bush lied about the reasons for taking the United States to war. The intelligence wasn't flawed. The weapons weren't hidden. Our elected leaders were lying."

Administration's offenses impeachable - Robert Shatterley on the Downing st memo: "So we got aluminum tubes, mushroom clouds imported from Niger, biological weapons labs in weather trucks, fear and trembling, the phony ultimatums to Saddam Hussein to turn over the weapons he didn't have and thus couldn't. We got the call to arms, the stifling of dissent, the parade of retired generals strategizing on the 'news' shows, with us or against us, flags in the lapel, a craven media afraid to look for a truth that might disturb their corporate owners who would profit from the war. Shock and Awe. Fallujah. Abu Ghraib.

"It was all a lie. Many of us have said for a long time it was a lie. But here it is in black and white: Lies from a president who has taken a sacred trust to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

"So, what does it mean? It means that our president and all of his administration are war criminals. It's as simple as that. They lied to the American people, have killed and injured and traumatized thousands of American men and women doing their patriotic duty, killed at least 100,000 Iraqi civilians, destroyed Iraq's infrastructure and poisoned its environment, squandered billions and billions of our tax dollars, made a mockery of American integrity in the world, changed the course of history, tortured Iraqi prisoners, and bound us intractably to an insane situation that they have no idea how to fix because they had no plan, but greed and empire, in the first place.

"What does it mean? It means that everyone in this administration should be impeached. It means that our Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and our Congressmen Tom Allen and Mike Michaud should call for immediate impeachment. They were lied to by their president, voted for war, and are thus complicit in the multiply betrayals of the American people unless they stand up now for the truth.

"Richard Nixon was impeached for a cover-up of a two-bit break-in. William Cohen, a young Maine Republican, played an important role for the prosecution in those proceedings. Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about sex with an intern. Now we have the irrefutable evidence that George W. Bush lied about the reasons for taking the United States to war. The intelligence wasn't flawed. The weapons weren't hidden. Our elected leaders were lying."

Orcinus on the classic nature of fascism/racism: "nothing makes me angrier than seeing working-class people suffer, as they seem to do in places like Idaho, where the right has been in control for decades now. The most disturbing feature of this is the way it is self-inflicted; conservatives wrap themselves in these people's 'values' in a way that convinces them they're operating on behalf of their best interests, when policy after policy demonstrates exactly the opposite.

"To me, the real slap in the face is seeing the good will of working-class people being used, manipulated cynically for alterior purposes: for profit, for political gain, for spreading divisiveness and ill will. Xenophobia (racial, religious, and otherwise) has been fanned for generations to make scapegoats to cover the real root of the problems that plague the working class -- namely, economics and class.

"Working-class whites are in this fight not against other races, but with working-class blacks and Asians and Latinos. Jews, Muslims, and gay people aren't their enemies. Their real enemies are the snakes who come hissing lies into their ears to make them blame their black and Jewish and gay neighbors for what's wrong with the world. I've seen the havoc these snakes can wreak among families and communities, and it can be devastating.

"The right of the past two decades, as a clear tool of the wealthy class, has been about widening those divisions, in a kind of divide-and-conquer strategy that, sadly, has succeeded too well. And now the real extremists of the right are pouncing, eager to take the reins as so-called 'mainstream conservatives' relinquish them.

"We're being warned that immigration is going to be Republicans' big re-election issue in 2006, which means we're going to be seeing a lot more of this. A lot more Nazis coming out of the woodwork, emboldened by the realization of their longtime hopes and dreams. They see the political momentum heading their way -- and so far, they may be right."

Orcinus' racist commenter 'Border Ruffian' in comments quotes Kunstler and the coming chaos of peak oil. This is the second occasion I have seen racists clearly positioning themselves to exploit the energy crisis. These people are almost ahead of the Greens on this issue, not to mention the mainstream media and the major parties. Scum like Howard and the Liberal brownshirts will have to be dealt with first, and firmly, before knuckling down to a committed fight in favour of tolerance and multiculturalism as we move to a sustainable society based on renewable energy.

Orcinus on the classic nature of fascism/racism: "nothing makes me angrier than seeing working-class people suffer, as they seem to do in places like Idaho, where the right has been in control for decades now. The most disturbing feature of this is the way it is self-inflicted; conservatives wrap themselves in these people's 'values' in a way that convinces them they're operating on behalf of their best interests, when policy after policy demonstrates exactly the opposite.

"To me, the real slap in the face is seeing the good will of working-class people being used, manipulated cynically for alterior purposes: for profit, for political gain, for spreading divisiveness and ill will. Xenophobia (racial, religious, and otherwise) has been fanned for generations to make scapegoats to cover the real root of the problems that plague the working class -- namely, economics and class.

"Working-class whites are in this fight not against other races, but with working-class blacks and Asians and Latinos. Jews, Muslims, and gay people aren't their enemies. Their real enemies are the snakes who come hissing lies into their ears to make them blame their black and Jewish and gay neighbors for what's wrong with the world. I've seen the havoc these snakes can wreak among families and communities, and it can be devastating.

"The right of the past two decades, as a clear tool of the wealthy class, has been about widening those divisions, in a kind of divide-and-conquer strategy that, sadly, has succeeded too well. And now the real extremists of the right are pouncing, eager to take the reins as so-called 'mainstream conservatives' relinquish them.

"We're being warned that immigration is going to be Republicans' big re-election issue in 2006, which means we're going to be seeing a lot more of this. A lot more Nazis coming out of the woodwork, emboldened by the realization of their longtime hopes and dreams. They see the political momentum heading their way -- and so far, they may be right."

Orcinus' racist commenter 'Border Ruffian' in comments quotes Kunstler and the coming chaos of peak oil. This is the second occasion I have seen racists clearly positioning themselves to exploit the energy crisis. These people are almost ahead of the Greens on this issue, not to mention the mainstream media and the major parties. Scum like Howard and the Liberal brownshirts will have to be dealt with first, and firmly, before knuckling down to a committed fight in favour of tolerance and multiculturalism as we move to a sustainable society based on renewable energy.

Car bombings, Iraq's time bomb: Michael Schwartz analyses the insurgents' evolving strategy, especially the relentless carbombings and the effect this is having on the occupation and on Sunni-Shiite relations.

A 'civil war' is and always has been in the interests of the occupiers. Divide and rule. They pick the side they want to support and back them to win, which then becomes dependent on the colonial power. One might have thought that the Sunnis would have been the obvious choice as a local ruling elite, but the US has put itself in a situation where it is backing the Shiites.

Car bombings, Iraq's time bomb: Michael Schwartz analyses the insurgents' evolving strategy, especially the relentless carbombings and the effect this is having on the occupation and on Sunni-Shiite relations.

A 'civil war' is and always has been in the interests of the occupiers. Divide and rule. They pick the side they want to support and back them to win, which then becomes dependent on the colonial power. One might have thought that the Sunnis would have been the obvious choice as a local ruling elite, but the US has put itself in a situation where it is backing the Shiites.

Unleash the sadists within: "THOSE two academic lawyers from Deakin University in Melbourne have struck a bold blow for liberty in advocating the use of torture in our war on terrorism.

"You will have read their argument in Tuesday's Herald. 'The belief that torture is always wrong is … misguided and symptomatic of the alarmist and reflexive responses typically emanating from social commentators,' wrote Professor Mirko Bagaric, head of the Deakin law school, and his beautiful brunette assistant, law lecturer Julie Clarke.

"Questioned on ABC radio, the professor said that sticking needles under people's fingernails to cause excruciating pain would be the way to go. Even to the point of 'annihilation', although that 'only in extreme circumstances'.

"What a refreshing change from the leftie hand-wringing so common in our universities these days.

"And economically sound, too: no more need for rendering, as it is called, the expensive business of dispatching terrorist suspects for a spot of outsourced torture at the hands of the professionals in Egypt or Saudi Arabia. We can do it cheaper here at home.
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"OBVIOUSLY there is not a moment to lose. I urge the Howard Government to act immediately, with an advertising campaign along these lines:

'ASIO, Director of Torture, Grade 6. Salary range $175-200K (plus benefits). The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is seeking to recruit an experienced sadist to join the front line in the fight for freedom as head of its newly formed Directorate of Torture. The successful candidate will be a self-starter, demonstrating outstanding qualities of leadership and interpersonal violence. You will be forward looking and outcomes oriented, confident in managing stakeholder relationships in a dynamic environment, with extensive, hands-on experience in the administration of all forms of physical and psychological pain to subjects under interrogation, including the use of thumbscrews, the rack, near-drowning, partial garrotting, testicle crushing, solitary confinement and sleep deprivation, and the application of electricity to male and female genitalia. A postgraduate law degree would be desirable although not essential.'

"Surely there would be a rush of applications from right-thinking people eager to serve our country. Our free way of life is at stake."

Unleash the sadists within: "THOSE two academic lawyers from Deakin University in Melbourne have struck a bold blow for liberty in advocating the use of torture in our war on terrorism.

"You will have read their argument in Tuesday's Herald. 'The belief that torture is always wrong is … misguided and symptomatic of the alarmist and reflexive responses typically emanating from social commentators,' wrote Professor Mirko Bagaric, head of the Deakin law school, and his beautiful brunette assistant, law lecturer Julie Clarke.

"Questioned on ABC radio, the professor said that sticking needles under people's fingernails to cause excruciating pain would be the way to go. Even to the point of 'annihilation', although that 'only in extreme circumstances'.

"What a refreshing change from the leftie hand-wringing so common in our universities these days.

"And economically sound, too: no more need for rendering, as it is called, the expensive business of dispatching terrorist suspects for a spot of outsourced torture at the hands of the professionals in Egypt or Saudi Arabia. We can do it cheaper here at home.
AdvertisementAdvertisement

"OBVIOUSLY there is not a moment to lose. I urge the Howard Government to act immediately, with an advertising campaign along these lines:

'ASIO, Director of Torture, Grade 6. Salary range $175-200K (plus benefits). The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is seeking to recruit an experienced sadist to join the front line in the fight for freedom as head of its newly formed Directorate of Torture. The successful candidate will be a self-starter, demonstrating outstanding qualities of leadership and interpersonal violence. You will be forward looking and outcomes oriented, confident in managing stakeholder relationships in a dynamic environment, with extensive, hands-on experience in the administration of all forms of physical and psychological pain to subjects under interrogation, including the use of thumbscrews, the rack, near-drowning, partial garrotting, testicle crushing, solitary confinement and sleep deprivation, and the application of electricity to male and female genitalia. A postgraduate law degree would be desirable although not essential.'

"Surely there would be a rush of applications from right-thinking people eager to serve our country. Our free way of life is at stake."

Galloway vs. The US Senate: Transcript of Statement: Gorgeous George gives the US Senate a hell of a serve. That would be a video to see. How many times would these crooks and liars have been told, to their faces, that they are crooks, liars and war criminals?

"'Now, Senator, I gave my heart and soul to oppose the policy that you promoted. I gave my political life's blood to try to stop the mass killing of Iraqis by the sanctions on Iraq which killed one million Iraqis, most of them children, most of them died before they even knew that they were Iraqis, but they died for no other reason other than that they were Iraqis with the misfortune to born at that time. I gave my heart and soul to stop you committing the disaster that you did commit in invading Iraq. And I told the world that your case for the war was a pack of lies.

"“I told the world that Iraq, contrary to your claims did not have weapons of mass destruction. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to al-Qaeda. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to the atrocity on 9/11 2001. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that the Iraqi people would resist a British and American invasion of their country and that the fall of Baghdad would not be the beginning of the end, but merely the end of the beginning.

"'Senator, in everything I said about Iraq, I turned out to be right and you turned out to be wrong and 100,000 people paid with their lives; 1600 of them American soldiers sent to their deaths on a pack of lies; 15,000 of them wounded, many of them disabled forever on a pack of lies.""

One commenter paraphrased the whole speech as follows: "It was your shameless hubris, greed and ghastly appetites that killed those people, those troops, those civilians. Your fuckin' arrogance and blindness and mendacity put the knife in the world, and you twisted it the way small time hoods do, and you have the temerity to drag my ass up here all fuckin' hoity-toity, but you're the ones who are the liars and murderers. May God have mercy on your worthless fuckin' souls, for I fear the world will not."

Galloway vs. The US Senate: Transcript of Statement: Gorgeous George gives the US Senate a hell of a serve. That would be a video to see. How many times would these crooks and liars have been told, to their faces, that they are crooks, liars and war criminals?

"'Now, Senator, I gave my heart and soul to oppose the policy that you promoted. I gave my political life's blood to try to stop the mass killing of Iraqis by the sanctions on Iraq which killed one million Iraqis, most of them children, most of them died before they even knew that they were Iraqis, but they died for no other reason other than that they were Iraqis with the misfortune to born at that time. I gave my heart and soul to stop you committing the disaster that you did commit in invading Iraq. And I told the world that your case for the war was a pack of lies.

"“I told the world that Iraq, contrary to your claims did not have weapons of mass destruction. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to al-Qaeda. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that Iraq had no connection to the atrocity on 9/11 2001. I told the world, contrary to your claims, that the Iraqi people would resist a British and American invasion of their country and that the fall of Baghdad would not be the beginning of the end, but merely the end of the beginning.

"'Senator, in everything I said about Iraq, I turned out to be right and you turned out to be wrong and 100,000 people paid with their lives; 1600 of them American soldiers sent to their deaths on a pack of lies; 15,000 of them wounded, many of them disabled forever on a pack of lies.""

One commenter paraphrased the whole speech as follows: "It was your shameless hubris, greed and ghastly appetites that killed those people, those troops, those civilians. Your fuckin' arrogance and blindness and mendacity put the knife in the world, and you twisted it the way small time hoods do, and you have the temerity to drag my ass up here all fuckin' hoity-toity, but you're the ones who are the liars and murderers. May God have mercy on your worthless fuckin' souls, for I fear the world will not."

The $4.7 Trillion Pyramid: Michael Hudson criticises the Bush plot to privatize social security.

The $4.7 Trillion Pyramid: Michael Hudson criticises the Bush plot to privatize social security.

Howard's Gestapo Openly Advocate Torture: "Torture should be legalised and is a 'morally defensible' interrogation method, even if it causes the death of innocent people, according to an article by two Victorian academics.... [the authors state that] the belief that torture is always wrong is, however, misguided and symptomatic of the alarmist and reflexive responses typically emanating from social commentators. It is this type of absolutist and short-sighted rhetoric that lies at the core of many distorted moral judgements that we as a community continue to make, resulting in an enormous amount of injustice and suffering in our society and far beyond our borders."

"Professor Bagaric [one of the authors] is a part-time member of the [Howard] Government's Refugee Review Tribunal and Migration Review Tribunal."

To bring this up at this stage indicates that Professor Barbaric is not the slightest bit deterred by the mind numbing revelations that the Iraq war was a high level conspiracy sold on a lie (the 'Downing St memo'); or that the vast majority of the unfortunate inmates of Guantanamo bay were admittedly not terrorists; or the general scandal surrounding the Bush administration and its 'torture memos'.

This development illustrates how sustained government lying about important issues assists the rise of fascism and barbarism. The 'war on terror' is no such thing: it is a war against the Arabs for control of the oil (which, incidentally, is what produces the insurgency or 'terrorism' of the Arabs; and the reduction of which terrorism is not, obviously, the priority of the 'Allies'). Torture (the purpose of which is to repress and terrorise, not to acquire information) is immoral and barbaric and must remain totally banned.

As the world and the country slide ever deeper into a great global crisis of energy, ecology, economics and politics, the debate over such matters as torture, concentration camps and the loss of civil liberties is a battle for the soul of the country and the future of freedom and democracy in a new era.

Howard's Gestapo Openly Advocate Torture: "Torture should be legalised and is a 'morally defensible' interrogation method, even if it causes the death of innocent people, according to an article by two Victorian academics.... [the authors state that] the belief that torture is always wrong is, however, misguided and symptomatic of the alarmist and reflexive responses typically emanating from social commentators. It is this type of absolutist and short-sighted rhetoric that lies at the core of many distorted moral judgements that we as a community continue to make, resulting in an enormous amount of injustice and suffering in our society and far beyond our borders."

"Professor Bagaric [one of the authors] is a part-time member of the [Howard] Government's Refugee Review Tribunal and Migration Review Tribunal."

To bring this up at this stage indicates that Professor Barbaric is not the slightest bit deterred by the mind numbing revelations that the Iraq war was a high level conspiracy sold on a lie (the 'Downing St memo'); or that the vast majority of the unfortunate inmates of Guantanamo bay were admittedly not terrorists; or the general scandal surrounding the Bush administration and its 'torture memos'.

This development illustrates how sustained government lying about important issues assists the rise of fascism and barbarism. The 'war on terror' is no such thing: it is a war against the Arabs for control of the oil (which, incidentally, is what produces the insurgency or 'terrorism' of the Arabs; and the reduction of which terrorism is not, obviously, the priority of the 'Allies'). Torture (the purpose of which is to repress and terrorise, not to acquire information) is immoral and barbaric and must remain totally banned.

As the world and the country slide ever deeper into a great global crisis of energy, ecology, economics and politics, the debate over such matters as torture, concentration camps and the loss of civil liberties is a battle for the soul of the country and the future of freedom and democracy in a new era.

British Columbia (Canada) referendum on adopting Hare-Clarke voting system: "The thing that interests me even more is the way that the referendum came about. A couple of farcical election results (the current BC parliament has 77 government MPs to 2 lonely opponents) sowed the seed for change, but there is an obvious problem here. When discussing electoral reform, if every MP with a conflict of interest left the room you’d have an empty chamber. Independent inquiries are all very well, but often end up being made up of a bunch of retired pollies, who may not be much better. So the BC government did something really radical – they trusted the people. Not by handing them a referendum most people couldn’t understand, but by setting up a “Citizen’s Assembly”. 160 people were selected off the electoral roll at random. There is no evidence that any of them had even thought about the issue before, let alone held a formed opinion, but for 11 months they read submissions, quizzed experts and discussed.

"In the end an overwhelming majority agreed that the electoral system should change, that the change should be to what they call BC-STV (basically Hare-Clark but with electorates of varying populations and numbers of MPs) and a referendum giving final choice to the voters. The whole process restores one’s faith in the wisdom of the population. In discussing their conclusions the assembly members get to the heart of what democracy should be about, and they weighed up which system will best provide this. What's more, they communicated their decision in clear and moving prose of the kind that is now an endangered species in Australian political discourse.... It may all come undone. The major flaw in the BC process seems to have been the post recommendation publicity. An opinion poll taken a few months before the referendum showed that most people were still confused about the whole thing, and quite a lot didn’t even know it was on."

The British Columbia proposal, apart from some electorates having only two members, is a reasonably pure form of the Hare-Clark quota preferential method, and includes such advanced features as 'Robson Rotation'. A good case can be made that the Hare-Clark quota-PR (STV) system with its latest refinements is about the best and fairest method of electing representative bodies that is possible. And one must admit it is gratifying to see that a Citizen's Assembly comprised of people selected at random has also come to that conclusion. The first-past-the-post system is primitive, and it is symptomatic of how difficult and slow reform, politics and activism is that such primitiveness could endure for so long when plainly superior alternatives have long been known.

British Columbia (Canada) referendum on adopting Hare-Clarke voting system: "The thing that interests me even more is the way that the referendum came about. A couple of farcical election results (the current BC parliament has 77 government MPs to 2 lonely opponents) sowed the seed for change, but there is an obvious problem here. When discussing electoral reform, if every MP with a conflict of interest left the room you’d have an empty chamber. Independent inquiries are all very well, but often end up being made up of a bunch of retired pollies, who may not be much better. So the BC government did something really radical – they trusted the people. Not by handing them a referendum most people couldn’t understand, but by setting up a “Citizen’s Assembly”. 160 people were selected off the electoral roll at random. There is no evidence that any of them had even thought about the issue before, let alone held a formed opinion, but for 11 months they read submissions, quizzed experts and discussed.

"In the end an overwhelming majority agreed that the electoral system should change, that the change should be to what they call BC-STV (basically Hare-Clark but with electorates of varying populations and numbers of MPs) and a referendum giving final choice to the voters. The whole process restores one’s faith in the wisdom of the population. In discussing their conclusions the assembly members get to the heart of what democracy should be about, and they weighed up which system will best provide this. What's more, they communicated their decision in clear and moving prose of the kind that is now an endangered species in Australian political discourse.... It may all come undone. The major flaw in the BC process seems to have been the post recommendation publicity. An opinion poll taken a few months before the referendum showed that most people were still confused about the whole thing, and quite a lot didn’t even know it was on."

The British Columbia proposal, apart from some electorates having only two members, is a reasonably pure form of the Hare-Clark quota preferential method, and includes such advanced features as 'Robson Rotation'. A good case can be made that the Hare-Clark quota-PR (STV) system with its latest refinements is about the best and fairest method of electing representative bodies that is possible. And one must admit it is gratifying to see that a Citizen's Assembly comprised of people selected at random has also come to that conclusion. The first-past-the-post system is primitive, and it is symptomatic of how difficult and slow reform, politics and activism is that such primitiveness could endure for so long when plainly superior alternatives have long been known.

Torture’s Dirty Secret: "This is torture’s true purpose: to terrorize—not only the people in Guantanamo’s cages and Syria’s isolation cells but also, and more important, the broader community that hears about these abuses. Torture is a machine designed to break the will to resist—the individual prisoner’s will and the collective will.

"This is not a controversial claim. In 2001 the US NGO Physicians for Human Rights published a manual on treating torture survivors that noted: “perpetrators often attempt to justify their acts of torture and ill treatment by the need to gather information. Such conceptualizations obscure the purpose of torture….The aim of torture is to dehumanize the victim, break his/her will, and at the same time, set horrific examples for those who come in contact with the victim. In this way, torture can break or damage the will and coherence of entire communities.”

"Yet despite this body of knowledge, torture continues to be debated in the United States as if it were merely a morally questionable way to extract information, not an instrument of state terror."

Jenny Brockie and a whole SBS studio full of people discredited themselves recently by 'debating' the proposition that torture may be justified by the gaining of information. Torture is a tool of tyranny and dictatorship. Its purpose is to terrorise and suppress the population. Failure to understand this or to protest vigourously against it is to make oneself an accomplice to barbaric torture. De-nazification is needed, it seems, not only in the US, but also in Australia.

Torture’s Dirty Secret: "This is torture’s true purpose: to terrorize—not only the people in Guantanamo’s cages and Syria’s isolation cells but also, and more important, the broader community that hears about these abuses. Torture is a machine designed to break the will to resist—the individual prisoner’s will and the collective will.

"This is not a controversial claim. In 2001 the US NGO Physicians for Human Rights published a manual on treating torture survivors that noted: “perpetrators often attempt to justify their acts of torture and ill treatment by the need to gather information. Such conceptualizations obscure the purpose of torture….The aim of torture is to dehumanize the victim, break his/her will, and at the same time, set horrific examples for those who come in contact with the victim. In this way, torture can break or damage the will and coherence of entire communities.”

"Yet despite this body of knowledge, torture continues to be debated in the United States as if it were merely a morally questionable way to extract information, not an instrument of state terror."

Jenny Brockie and a whole SBS studio full of people discredited themselves recently by 'debating' the proposition that torture may be justified by the gaining of information. Torture is a tool of tyranny and dictatorship. Its purpose is to terrorise and suppress the population. Failure to understand this or to protest vigourously against it is to make oneself an accomplice to barbaric torture. De-nazification is needed, it seems, not only in the US, but also in Australia.

The Biggest Story of Our Lives: "At 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Election Day, I checked the sportsbook odds in Las Vegas and via the offshore bookmakers to see the odds as of that moment on the Presidential election. John Kerry was a two-to-one favorite. You can look it up.

"People who have lived in the sports world as I have, bettors in particular, have a feel for what I am about to say about this: these people are extremely scientific in their assessments. These people understand which information to trust and which indicators to consult in determining where to place a dividing line to influence bets, and they are not in the business of being completely wrong. Oddsmakers consulted exit polling and knew what it meant and acknowledged in their oddsmaking at that moment that John Kerry was winning the election.

"And he most certainly was, at least if the votes had been fairly and legally counted. What happened instead was the biggest crime in the history of the nation, and the collective media silence which has followed is the greatest fourth-estate failure ever on our soil.

"Many of the participants in this blog have graduate school educations. It is damned near impossible to go to graduate school in any but the most artistic disciplines without having to learn about the basics of social research and its uncanny accuracy and validity. We know that professionally conceived samples simply do not yield results which vary six, eight, ten points from eventual data returns, thaty's why there are identifiable margins for error. We know that margins for error are valid, and that results have fallen within the error range for every Presidential election for the past fifty years prior to last fall. NEVER have exit polls varied by beyond-error margins in a single state, not since 1948 when this kind of polling began. In this past election it happened in ten states, all of them swing states, all of them in Bush's favor. Coincidence? Of course not.

"Karl Rove isn't capable of conceiving and executing such a grandiose crime? Wake up. They did it. The silence of traditional media on this subject is enough to establish their newfound bankruptcy."

The Biggest Story of Our Lives: "At 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Election Day, I checked the sportsbook odds in Las Vegas and via the offshore bookmakers to see the odds as of that moment on the Presidential election. John Kerry was a two-to-one favorite. You can look it up.

"People who have lived in the sports world as I have, bettors in particular, have a feel for what I am about to say about this: these people are extremely scientific in their assessments. These people understand which information to trust and which indicators to consult in determining where to place a dividing line to influence bets, and they are not in the business of being completely wrong. Oddsmakers consulted exit polling and knew what it meant and acknowledged in their oddsmaking at that moment that John Kerry was winning the election.

"And he most certainly was, at least if the votes had been fairly and legally counted. What happened instead was the biggest crime in the history of the nation, and the collective media silence which has followed is the greatest fourth-estate failure ever on our soil.

"Many of the participants in this blog have graduate school educations. It is damned near impossible to go to graduate school in any but the most artistic disciplines without having to learn about the basics of social research and its uncanny accuracy and validity. We know that professionally conceived samples simply do not yield results which vary six, eight, ten points from eventual data returns, thaty's why there are identifiable margins for error. We know that margins for error are valid, and that results have fallen within the error range for every Presidential election for the past fifty years prior to last fall. NEVER have exit polls varied by beyond-error margins in a single state, not since 1948 when this kind of polling began. In this past election it happened in ten states, all of them swing states, all of them in Bush's favor. Coincidence? Of course not.

"Karl Rove isn't capable of conceiving and executing such a grandiose crime? Wake up. They did it. The silence of traditional media on this subject is enough to establish their newfound bankruptcy."

ACT Human Rights Act 2004 (pdf - 34pp): A noble document which expresses many of the classic values, principles and freedoms we love so much, hardwon over the centuries, and that are now endangered by current events. This act can also serves as a basis for public discussion and a template for any future similar act for the State and Federal parliaments, or for a constitutional referendum.

ACT Human Rights Act 2004 (pdf - 34pp): A noble document which expresses many of the classic values, principles and freedoms we love so much, hardwon over the centuries, and that are now endangered by current events. This act can also serves as a basis for public discussion and a template for any future similar act for the State and Federal parliaments, or for a constitutional referendum.

Senator Brandis: Dog-whistling is the secret of Howard's success: "The political columnist Matthew Parris, a former Conservative MP, has written a wonderful piece which begins: 'May I claim my prize? Unless I am much mistaken, and unless my internet searches have missed something, it was I who brought the expression 'dog-whistling' to British politics. I did not invent it. For this honour - as for a good deal of vulgarly succinct modern slang - we have the Australians to thank. I borrowed the phrase from John Howard's election campaign.

"'It happened like this. In July 2003 two senators from Queensland contacted me to say they were shortly to visit Britain on a study tour and would like to meet me to discuss British politics. Flattered, I readily agreed. Senators George Brandis and Brett Mason came round to my flat and the three of us sat by the Thames on a late July day, discussing our politics and theirs.

"'They seemed decent, clever and interesting men, both members of Prime Minister John Howard's governing Liberal Party, although (I sensed) a little to the liberal side of that deeply conservative politician. I asked them what their leader's secret might be, given he seemed to have all the charisma of a stoat, and yet he had a habit of sneaking through to victory at the hustings.

"' 'Dog-whistling,' they replied."

'Dog-whistling' is a skill that Howard learned after being punished in the 80s for his more or less openly racist, anti-Asian stance. However if the tactic proves successful, and as things begin to deteriorate, one cant see why the racism will not be open and undisguised in future.

Senator Brandis: Dog-whistling is the secret of Howard's success: "The political columnist Matthew Parris, a former Conservative MP, has written a wonderful piece which begins: 'May I claim my prize? Unless I am much mistaken, and unless my internet searches have missed something, it was I who brought the expression 'dog-whistling' to British politics. I did not invent it. For this honour - as for a good deal of vulgarly succinct modern slang - we have the Australians to thank. I borrowed the phrase from John Howard's election campaign.

"'It happened like this. In July 2003 two senators from Queensland contacted me to say they were shortly to visit Britain on a study tour and would like to meet me to discuss British politics. Flattered, I readily agreed. Senators George Brandis and Brett Mason came round to my flat and the three of us sat by the Thames on a late July day, discussing our politics and theirs.

"'They seemed decent, clever and interesting men, both members of Prime Minister John Howard's governing Liberal Party, although (I sensed) a little to the liberal side of that deeply conservative politician. I asked them what their leader's secret might be, given he seemed to have all the charisma of a stoat, and yet he had a habit of sneaking through to victory at the hustings.

"' 'Dog-whistling,' they replied."

'Dog-whistling' is a skill that Howard learned after being punished in the 80s for his more or less openly racist, anti-Asian stance. However if the tactic proves successful, and as things begin to deteriorate, one cant see why the racism will not be open and undisguised in future.

Planned US-Israeli Attack on Iran: Michel Chossudovsky reviews the preparations for the June or later attack on Iran. He concludes it will be a bombing attack, but Iran has promised to retaliate with a missile strike on Israel and/or US bases and ships. This raises the prospect of escalation and all-out war.

Planned US-Israeli Attack on Iran: Michel Chossudovsky reviews the preparations for the June or later attack on Iran. He concludes it will be a bombing attack, but Iran has promised to retaliate with a missile strike on Israel and/or US bases and ships. This raises the prospect of escalation and all-out war.

Top secret Downing st memo leaked: There have been a number of leaks around the world which have devastated the US/UK/AUS case for war, but this is probably one of the most important ones. It provides documentary evidence of the widely believed view that the policy of attacking Iraq was decided upon early by Bush (with Blair concurring) and "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

Top secret Downing st memo leaked: There have been a number of leaks around the world which have devastated the US/UK/AUS case for war, but this is probably one of the most important ones. It provides documentary evidence of the widely believed view that the policy of attacking Iraq was decided upon early by Bush (with Blair concurring) and "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

Review of Israeli nuclear arsenal and policy: "According to Israel Shahak, "The wish for peace, so often assumed as the Israeli aim, is not in my view a principle of Israeli policy, while the wish to extend Israeli domination and influence is." and "Israel is preparing for a war, nuclear if need be, for the sake of averting domestic change not to its liking, if it occurs in some or any Middle Eastern states.... Israel clearly prepares itself to seek overtly a hegemony over the entire Middle East..., without hesitating to use for the purpose all means available, including nuclear ones.""

Review of Israeli nuclear arsenal and policy: "According to Israel Shahak, "The wish for peace, so often assumed as the Israeli aim, is not in my view a principle of Israeli policy, while the wish to extend Israeli domination and influence is." and "Israel is preparing for a war, nuclear if need be, for the sake of averting domestic change not to its liking, if it occurs in some or any Middle Eastern states.... Israel clearly prepares itself to seek overtly a hegemony over the entire Middle East..., without hesitating to use for the purpose all means available, including nuclear ones.""

Finkelstein 'Ambushes' Alan Dershowitz: "The brazenness! But it's not just brazenness, it's brazenness because they think they're teflon. He figures that with his credential, and the fact that everybody's terrified of answering him back, he thinks he can get away with anything. Yes, there's a certain amount of brazenness, there's a large amount of arrogance. But there's also a desperation, because he has to invent things. He has to fabricate because the reality is so completely at odds with his claims to being just. The reality is so overwhelmingly on the side of those who are looking for a decent resolution of the conflict. We have the information, we have truth, we can win. I am absolutely certain of that."

Finkelstein argues in relation to Dershowitz's 'book' "The Case for Israel" that 1. the book is plaigiarised from Joan Peters, another hoax and piece of rubbish that was previously exposed by Finkelstein; 2. Dershowitz didn't actually write his 'book'; 3. Dershowitz hasn't even read his own 'book'.

Amazing stuff. One day the US propaganda system will come down, hard and fast.

Finkelstein 'Ambushes' Alan Dershowitz: "The brazenness! But it's not just brazenness, it's brazenness because they think they're teflon. He figures that with his credential, and the fact that everybody's terrified of answering him back, he thinks he can get away with anything. Yes, there's a certain amount of brazenness, there's a large amount of arrogance. But there's also a desperation, because he has to invent things. He has to fabricate because the reality is so completely at odds with his claims to being just. The reality is so overwhelmingly on the side of those who are looking for a decent resolution of the conflict. We have the information, we have truth, we can win. I am absolutely certain of that."

Finkelstein argues in relation to Dershowitz's 'book' "The Case for Israel" that 1. the book is plaigiarised from Joan Peters, another hoax and piece of rubbish that was previously exposed by Finkelstein; 2. Dershowitz didn't actually write his 'book'; 3. Dershowitz hasn't even read his own 'book'.

Amazing stuff. One day the US propaganda system will come down, hard and fast.

Far-right group muscles onto peak oil issue: "I went up to Nick Griffin [British National Party leader], confirmed his identity and then asked why he was here amongst all these left-wingers. His measured answer was that though Peak Oil received minimal coverage in their manifesto, they see it as a long-term issue which may well make its way up to the top of their policy list. What an irony, I thought to myself. Not even the Green Party in Britain has put Peak Oil on their election agenda, but the far right BNP may beat them to it."

We have already seen how the governments of Bush, Blair and Howard have responded to the energy crisis by a distinct drift to proto-fascist policies, including international lawlessness, aggressive warfare, internal repression, torture, concentration camps and racial vilification. There can hardly be any doubt that preserving the values of liberal and social democracy will be as big a challenge as the transition itself to a sustainable economy using renewable energy.

Far-right group muscles onto peak oil issue: "I went up to Nick Griffin [British National Party leader], confirmed his identity and then asked why he was here amongst all these left-wingers. His measured answer was that though Peak Oil received minimal coverage in their manifesto, they see it as a long-term issue which may well make its way up to the top of their policy list. What an irony, I thought to myself. Not even the Green Party in Britain has put Peak Oil on their election agenda, but the far right BNP may beat them to it."

We have already seen how the governments of Bush, Blair and Howard have responded to the energy crisis by a distinct drift to proto-fascist policies, including international lawlessness, aggressive warfare, internal repression, torture, concentration camps and racial vilification. There can hardly be any doubt that preserving the values of liberal and social democracy will be as big a challenge as the transition itself to a sustainable economy using renewable energy.

American Taliban on the march: "Bad news: deaths from cervical cancer are on the increase.

"Good news: there's a new vaccine that stops the virus that causes the cancer.

"Unfortunate news: the virus in question, human papilloma virus (HPV), is sexually transmitted.

"Obvious news: you simply have to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active.

"Unbelievable news: 'religious groups are gearing up to oppose vaccination, despite a survey showing 80 per cent of parents favour vaccinating their daughters.' Bridget Maher of the Family Research Council, a leading Christian lobby group says, 'Giving the HPV vaccine to young women could be potentially harmful, because they may see it as a licence to engage in premarital sex.' So stopping a generation of women from getting cervical cancer is a big no-no, but insisting that a feeding tube be provided to a woman who has been dead for fifteen years is the work of angels. That's some culture of life you've got going there, guys."

American Taliban on the march: "Bad news: deaths from cervical cancer are on the increase.

"Good news: there's a new vaccine that stops the virus that causes the cancer.

"Unfortunate news: the virus in question, human papilloma virus (HPV), is sexually transmitted.

"Obvious news: you simply have to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active.

"Unbelievable news: 'religious groups are gearing up to oppose vaccination, despite a survey showing 80 per cent of parents favour vaccinating their daughters.' Bridget Maher of the Family Research Council, a leading Christian lobby group says, 'Giving the HPV vaccine to young women could be potentially harmful, because they may see it as a licence to engage in premarital sex.' So stopping a generation of women from getting cervical cancer is a big no-no, but insisting that a feeding tube be provided to a woman who has been dead for fifteen years is the work of angels. That's some culture of life you've got going there, guys."

Blair the appeaser: "Tony Blair has been the worst prime minister since Neville Chamberlain, a figure with whom he shares a number of significant characteristics. Chamberlain was a supremely confident and arrogant politician, an excellent speaker and a deeply religious man with a hotline to God. He had an unassailable majority in parliament, was popular in the country and presided over a cabinet stuffed with nonentities."

"Blair has followed in his footsteps, and is destined for the same place in history's hall of infamy. Like Chamberlain, he is an arrogant and God-fuelled appeaser, the unseemly ally of an unbridled country that presents a global threat similar to Germany in the 1930s.

"Instead of seeking a grand alliance to confront this new danger - "a coalition of the unwilling" that would include the Europeans, the Russians and the Chinese - Blair has sided with the evil empire. He has taken up a role as its principal cheerleader, obliging Britain to become a participant in its wars of aggression. Today's Labour party has been a supine collaborator in this policy of appeasement, just like the Tory party in the 1930s. Blair's war party must be defeated at the polls."

"The most popular slogan at the moment is "Blair must go".... It clearly has majority support in the country. Blair is a war criminal who should be locked up behind bars without a vote, not standing for election."

Blair the appeaser: "Tony Blair has been the worst prime minister since Neville Chamberlain, a figure with whom he shares a number of significant characteristics. Chamberlain was a supremely confident and arrogant politician, an excellent speaker and a deeply religious man with a hotline to God. He had an unassailable majority in parliament, was popular in the country and presided over a cabinet stuffed with nonentities."

"Blair has followed in his footsteps, and is destined for the same place in history's hall of infamy. Like Chamberlain, he is an arrogant and God-fuelled appeaser, the unseemly ally of an unbridled country that presents a global threat similar to Germany in the 1930s.

"Instead of seeking a grand alliance to confront this new danger - "a coalition of the unwilling" that would include the Europeans, the Russians and the Chinese - Blair has sided with the evil empire. He has taken up a role as its principal cheerleader, obliging Britain to become a participant in its wars of aggression. Today's Labour party has been a supine collaborator in this policy of appeasement, just like the Tory party in the 1930s. Blair's war party must be defeated at the polls."

"The most popular slogan at the moment is "Blair must go".... It clearly has majority support in the country. Blair is a war criminal who should be locked up behind bars without a vote, not standing for election."

Gallipoli and Anzac day an antiwar memorial, not a war memorial: "While praising the Anzacs as 'the bravest of the brave', [New Zealand Defence Force chief, Vice-Marshal Bruce Ferguson] said 'there was no glory 90 years ago'- only a tragic slaughter of young men on all sides. With Prince Charles sitting opposite him, the vice-marshal labelled the Gallipoli campaign as 'joint warfare at its worst, at least on the British side ... There was inspired leadership at the lower levels and gross incompetence at the senior levels.'

"The effect, he said, was to forge a lasting bond between Australians and New Zealanders, as 'side by side they grew critical of the high command and the British strategy'. At Gallipoli, 'We learnt to shake off the shackles of colonial dependency - we learnt we must stand for what we believe in.' The New Zealand defence chief said that even now armies heeded the lesson of the Dardanelles campaign. 'No commander today will risk young lives so needlessly.

"'None of us can ever conceive what a hell on earth this place was for eight months.' He said we must never forget that the Turks, 'who were defending their homeland', lost 87,000 lives. Vice-Marshal Ferguson's speech underlined the remarkable nature of Anzac Day: 17,000 people, most of them young Australians, gathered at Gallipoli yesterday to remember not a triumph, but a defeat.

"The [Anzac Day] commemoration has no parallel anywhere, said Duncan Anderson, a historian at Britain's Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, who visited Gallipoli last week."

The Anzac Gallipoli disaster was a pointless slaughter of colonial cannon fodder for Imperialist and militarist purposes, as well as an unprovoked invasion of a country and people against which we had no cause of animosity. But it has left its mark on Australia. No longer could any Australian government ever send its young people on such a folly again. During the First World War two hotly contested referenda to introduce conscription to keep up the numbers of the fodder were defeated. During the Second World War the government insisted (over Churchill's objections) on bringing the troops home for the defence of Australia. And even today the unrepentent Royalist, Imperialist and Colonialist Prime Minister John Howard is starkly limited in his ability to send cannon fodder abroad for imperialist wars. Although of course they should never have taken part in the war whatsoever, the troops in Iraq are a token force in number, and the country would not stand for heavy casualties.

Howard's presence at the Gallipoli ceremony was a painful incongruity. Perhaps no member of the executive government or the high military command (above the rank of those that served and died at Gallipoli) should be present at such events. The commemorative event is for the people, to remember the dead, their skill and bravery, and the ultimate futility of it; and to recall how the Empire and the Government, and the State and military power is the cause.

Gallipoli and Anzac day an antiwar memorial, not a war memorial: "While praising the Anzacs as 'the bravest of the brave', [New Zealand Defence Force chief, Vice-Marshal Bruce Ferguson] said 'there was no glory 90 years ago'- only a tragic slaughter of young men on all sides. With Prince Charles sitting opposite him, the vice-marshal labelled the Gallipoli campaign as 'joint warfare at its worst, at least on the British side ... There was inspired leadership at the lower levels and gross incompetence at the senior levels.'

"The effect, he said, was to forge a lasting bond between Australians and New Zealanders, as 'side by side they grew critical of the high command and the British strategy'. At Gallipoli, 'We learnt to shake off the shackles of colonial dependency - we learnt we must stand for what we believe in.' The New Zealand defence chief said that even now armies heeded the lesson of the Dardanelles campaign. 'No commander today will risk young lives so needlessly.

"'None of us can ever conceive what a hell on earth this place was for eight months.' He said we must never forget that the Turks, 'who were defending their homeland', lost 87,000 lives. Vice-Marshal Ferguson's speech underlined the remarkable nature of Anzac Day: 17,000 people, most of them young Australians, gathered at Gallipoli yesterday to remember not a triumph, but a defeat.

"The [Anzac Day] commemoration has no parallel anywhere, said Duncan Anderson, a historian at Britain's Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, who visited Gallipoli last week."

The Anzac Gallipoli disaster was a pointless slaughter of colonial cannon fodder for Imperialist and militarist purposes, as well as an unprovoked invasion of a country and people against which we had no cause of animosity. But it has left its mark on Australia. No longer could any Australian government ever send its young people on such a folly again. During the First World War two hotly contested referenda to introduce conscription to keep up the numbers of the fodder were defeated. During the Second World War the government insisted (over Churchill's objections) on bringing the troops home for the defence of Australia. And even today the unrepentent Royalist, Imperialist and Colonialist Prime Minister John Howard is starkly limited in his ability to send cannon fodder abroad for imperialist wars. Although of course they should never have taken part in the war whatsoever, the troops in Iraq are a token force in number, and the country would not stand for heavy casualties.

Howard's presence at the Gallipoli ceremony was a painful incongruity. Perhaps no member of the executive government or the high military command (above the rank of those that served and died at Gallipoli) should be present at such events. The commemorative event is for the people, to remember the dead, their skill and bravery, and the ultimate futility of it; and to recall how the Empire and the Government, and the State and military power is the cause.

Housing bubble peaking worldwide: "The great American housing bubble, like its obese counterparts in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Australia, is a classical zero-sum game. Without generating an atom of new wealth, land inflation ruthlessly redistributes wealth from asset-seekers to asset-holders, reinforcing divisions within as well as between social classes. A young schoolteacher in San Diego who rents an apartment, for example, now faces an annual housing cost ($24,000 for a two-bedroom in a central area) equivalent to two-thirds of her income. Conversely, an older school bus-driver who owns a modest home in the same neighborhood may have 'earned' almost as much from housing inflation as from his unionized job.

"The current housing bubble is the bastard offspring of the stock-market bubble of the mid-1990s. Housing prices, especially on the West Coast and in the East's Bos-Wash corridor, began to rocket in the second half of 1995 as dot-com profits were ploughed into real estate. The boom has been sustained by sensationally low mortgage rates, thanks principally to the willingness of China to buy vast amounts of U.S. Treasury bonds despite their low or negative yields. Beijing has been willing to subsidize American mortgage borrowers as the price for keeping the door open to Chinese exports.

"In a bubble city like San Diego, for instance, less than 15% of the population earns enough to finance the cost of a median-value new home."

Housing bubble peaking worldwide: "The great American housing bubble, like its obese counterparts in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Australia, is a classical zero-sum game. Without generating an atom of new wealth, land inflation ruthlessly redistributes wealth from asset-seekers to asset-holders, reinforcing divisions within as well as between social classes. A young schoolteacher in San Diego who rents an apartment, for example, now faces an annual housing cost ($24,000 for a two-bedroom in a central area) equivalent to two-thirds of her income. Conversely, an older school bus-driver who owns a modest home in the same neighborhood may have 'earned' almost as much from housing inflation as from his unionized job.

"The current housing bubble is the bastard offspring of the stock-market bubble of the mid-1990s. Housing prices, especially on the West Coast and in the East's Bos-Wash corridor, began to rocket in the second half of 1995 as dot-com profits were ploughed into real estate. The boom has been sustained by sensationally low mortgage rates, thanks principally to the willingness of China to buy vast amounts of U.S. Treasury bonds despite their low or negative yields. Beijing has been willing to subsidize American mortgage borrowers as the price for keeping the door open to Chinese exports.

"In a bubble city like San Diego, for instance, less than 15% of the population earns enough to finance the cost of a median-value new home."

Final Empire - how empire destroys ecology: land monopoly and 'cash crops': "The story of El Salvador is of native tribes who lived stably with their habitat, the forests and other ecosystems of the isthmus. The events since that time have been created by the far different culture of empire, which invaded, to extort valuables from the area. The pattern displayed has been consistent since empire culture began. The industrial revolution and markets have added a few new wrinkles. The pattern is that of a small powerful elite taking land and labor from the colony for free or at very low price. The extorted valuables are then exported in exchange for currency that supports the elite of the colony who, in return, keep the native populations in control. This is the classic picture of third world colonies and is the picture of El Salvador. This pattern has persisted in El Salvador and is largely the reason for its environmental destruction."

"These three countries, Bangladesh, El Salvador and Ethiopia, with their varying histories and varying types of impact from civilization characterize the periphery of what we may term the industrial empire.... This is the beginning of the end for the Final Empire of civilization."

"Possibly the most important source of life on this planet is the thin film of topsoil.... The soil depth and its richness are a basic standard of health of the living planet. As a general statement we may say that when soil is lost, imbalance and injury to the planet’s life occurs. In the geologic time-span of the planet’s life, this is a swift progression toward death. Even if only one per cent of the soil is lost per thousand years, eventually the planet dies. If one per cent is gained, then the living wealth, the richness, of the planet increases. The central fact must be held in mind of how slowly soil builds up. Soil scientists estimate that three hundred to one thousand years are required for the build up of each inch of topsoil."

"The climax system then is a basic standard of health of the living earth, its dynamic equilibrium state. The climax system is the system that produces the greatest photosynthetic production. Anything that detracts from this detracts from the health of the ecosystem. Climax ecosystems are the most productive because they are the most diverse.... [The earth's] vegetative cover maintains the soil and in optimal, balanced health, this cover is the natural climax ecosystem.... the principle of soil says that if the humans cannot maintain the soil of the planet, they cannot live here.

"In 1988, the annual soil loss due to erosion was twenty-five billion tons and rising rapidly. Erosion means that soil moves off the land. An equally serious injury is that the soil’s fertility is exhausted in place. Soil exhaustion is happening in almost all places where civilization has spread. This is a literal killing of the planet by exhausting its fund of organic fertility that supports other biological life. Fact: since civilization invaded the Great Plains of North America one-half of the topsoil there has disappeared."

Final Empire - how empire destroys ecology: land monopoly and 'cash crops': "The story of El Salvador is of native tribes who lived stably with their habitat, the forests and other ecosystems of the isthmus. The events since that time have been created by the far different culture of empire, which invaded, to extort valuables from the area. The pattern displayed has been consistent since empire culture began. The industrial revolution and markets have added a few new wrinkles. The pattern is that of a small powerful elite taking land and labor from the colony for free or at very low price. The extorted valuables are then exported in exchange for currency that supports the elite of the colony who, in return, keep the native populations in control. This is the classic picture of third world colonies and is the picture of El Salvador. This pattern has persisted in El Salvador and is largely the reason for its environmental destruction."

"These three countries, Bangladesh, El Salvador and Ethiopia, with their varying histories and varying types of impact from civilization characterize the periphery of what we may term the industrial empire.... This is the beginning of the end for the Final Empire of civilization."

"Possibly the most important source of life on this planet is the thin film of topsoil.... The soil depth and its richness are a basic standard of health of the living planet. As a general statement we may say that when soil is lost, imbalance and injury to the planet’s life occurs. In the geologic time-span of the planet’s life, this is a swift progression toward death. Even if only one per cent of the soil is lost per thousand years, eventually the planet dies. If one per cent is gained, then the living wealth, the richness, of the planet increases. The central fact must be held in mind of how slowly soil builds up. Soil scientists estimate that three hundred to one thousand years are required for the build up of each inch of topsoil."

"The climax system then is a basic standard of health of the living earth, its dynamic equilibrium state. The climax system is the system that produces the greatest photosynthetic production. Anything that detracts from this detracts from the health of the ecosystem. Climax ecosystems are the most productive because they are the most diverse.... [The earth's] vegetative cover maintains the soil and in optimal, balanced health, this cover is the natural climax ecosystem.... the principle of soil says that if the humans cannot maintain the soil of the planet, they cannot live here.

"In 1988, the annual soil loss due to erosion was twenty-five billion tons and rising rapidly. Erosion means that soil moves off the land. An equally serious injury is that the soil’s fertility is exhausted in place. Soil exhaustion is happening in almost all places where civilization has spread. This is a literal killing of the planet by exhausting its fund of organic fertility that supports other biological life. Fact: since civilization invaded the Great Plains of North America one-half of the topsoil there has disappeared."

Green Car Congress: A site brimful of news on everything to do with conservation and sustainability in motor transport: fuel efficiency, hybrids, biofuel, hydrogen etc etc. One wonders however whether it is not all 30-40 years too late, and whether motoring has much of a future at all.

Green Car Congress: A site brimful of news on everything to do with conservation and sustainability in motor transport: fuel efficiency, hybrids, biofuel, hydrogen etc etc. One wonders however whether it is not all 30-40 years too late, and whether motoring has much of a future at all.

New Zealand Greens leader Jeanette Fitzsimons: Delay Steals our Only Chance: "Solar, wind and biomass are our best hope, as the Greens have been saying for decades, and we should get on with it. Biomass, however, has to compete for land with food production. Of course, the market will sort that out - fuel for people with cars will be more profitable to grow than food for the poor, who will go without both cars and food.

"Whether we can make the transition to a world much less reliant on oil and survive with some kind of civilisation depends on both time and political will. If we really have got 30 years, as the Government thinks, we could plan a reasonable future provided we start right now. But there is no sign that anyone other than the Greens wants to start right now.

"If the petroleum geologists such as Collin Campbell, who have spent their lives in the oil exploration industry, and the energy bankers and financial analysts such as Matthew Simmons and all their colleagues in the Association for the Study of Peak Oil are right, we have much less time - probably less than 10 years, maybe less than five.

"If we believe them, with all their expertise, and they are wrong, all we lose is the cost of making the changes a few years too soon. If they are right and we ignore them, delay steals our only chance."

New Zealand Greens leader Jeanette Fitzsimons: Delay Steals our Only Chance: "Solar, wind and biomass are our best hope, as the Greens have been saying for decades, and we should get on with it. Biomass, however, has to compete for land with food production. Of course, the market will sort that out - fuel for people with cars will be more profitable to grow than food for the poor, who will go without both cars and food.

"Whether we can make the transition to a world much less reliant on oil and survive with some kind of civilisation depends on both time and political will. If we really have got 30 years, as the Government thinks, we could plan a reasonable future provided we start right now. But there is no sign that anyone other than the Greens wants to start right now.

"If the petroleum geologists such as Collin Campbell, who have spent their lives in the oil exploration industry, and the energy bankers and financial analysts such as Matthew Simmons and all their colleagues in the Association for the Study of Peak Oil are right, we have much less time - probably less than 10 years, maybe less than five.

"If we believe them, with all their expertise, and they are wrong, all we lose is the cost of making the changes a few years too soon. If they are right and we ignore them, delay steals our only chance."

Boy Soldiers: "Colin Hadley spends most of his days after school skateboarding or playing Halo II on his new X-Box with friends. He sleeps until noon or later on weekends and rarely, if ever, does any schoolwork outside the classroom, where he pulls down solid C's and a few D's - just enough to get by. He's the typical 15-year-old American boy: cocksure in demeanor, certain the world revolves around him, and confident that life is going to serve him well.

"And he's the new 'target of interest' for U.S. military recruiters who've begun signing up boys as young as 14 for military service, which they will be required to begin when they turn 18. 'It's a sweet deal,' says Hadley, who boasts that he bought his X-Box with the enlistment bonus he received after signing up last month. 'I don't have to do hardly anything for three years, but they're paying me now.'"

"Once these kids sign up under this program, they are committed to serving in a combat zone and face strict punishment if they refuse duty when they come of age. If any refuse to show up for duty they will be charged with desertion in a time of war and be subject to military court martial, which, theoretically at least, could result in the death penalty."

Boy Soldiers: "Colin Hadley spends most of his days after school skateboarding or playing Halo II on his new X-Box with friends. He sleeps until noon or later on weekends and rarely, if ever, does any schoolwork outside the classroom, where he pulls down solid C's and a few D's - just enough to get by. He's the typical 15-year-old American boy: cocksure in demeanor, certain the world revolves around him, and confident that life is going to serve him well.

"And he's the new 'target of interest' for U.S. military recruiters who've begun signing up boys as young as 14 for military service, which they will be required to begin when they turn 18. 'It's a sweet deal,' says Hadley, who boasts that he bought his X-Box with the enlistment bonus he received after signing up last month. 'I don't have to do hardly anything for three years, but they're paying me now.'"

"Once these kids sign up under this program, they are committed to serving in a combat zone and face strict punishment if they refuse duty when they come of age. If any refuse to show up for duty they will be charged with desertion in a time of war and be subject to military court martial, which, theoretically at least, could result in the death penalty."