Friday, December 29, 2006

Saddam Executed

Many officials within the Bush Administration will be heaving sighs of relief, including ex Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and others. Saddam Hussein, if he had been tried for the illegal invasion of Kuwait (amongst other crimes) could have caused a huge amount of trouble for numerous US and European officials and corporate executives, by calling witnesses pertaining to the sales of chemical and biological weapons throughout the 1980s, in its war against Iran.

He might also have called into evidence the Bush Sr. administration's complicity in the brutal suppression of the anti-Saddam revolt shortly after the conclusion of the Gulf War.

Finally, it would have also brought into public light illicit manipulations of international oil prices by Kuwait and other OPEC nations, which forced the then bankrupt Iraq to sell oil at a loss, leaving Hussein with no choice but to take military action, on the US assurance that there would no repercussions as a result of taking such actions.

It's hardly a wonder that Saddam was tried specifically for a rather obscure event (a massacre in Dujail, an Iraqi town) for which there was no easy connection with figures of current international standing, rather than the numerous, far more visible atrocities, with which (Saddam Hussein) was linked.

Monday, December 11, 2006

U.S. spied on Princess Diana?

Well, well. Surprise surprise.

Diana was a most unpopular figure with the (US and European) arms manufacturing industry:she was the world's most 'visible" woman, and she was heavily involved with the global movement to ban anti-personnel and other types of landmines: landmines are of little military use; the huge majority of people who are maimed and killed by these weapons are civilians. Her actions in spreading awareness of the effects of these types of weapons was extremely bad PR for a number of corporations which are not only household names, but also profit handsomely from the purveying of death and destruction.

Diana was just one of many people who were trying do something decent and moral in an uncaring world ,on behalf of civilized values and humanity, and end up being targeted by those who don't give a flying fvck about anything other than power and profit margins.

It's hardly surprising that she was "spied upon". Business as usual, whether if be under Clinton, Bush, or whoever.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Pinochet gets off the hook, yet again

Brutal dictator, supported by thugs allied to the Nixon regime, has escaped justice once more, in this lifetime that is. For those who acknowledges karma, Pinochet's next pairs of shoes will not be comfortable fits. For those who acknowledges the concept of heaven 'n' hell, Augusto had better don his asbestos suit.

However, his death meant that justice was never done. Tens of thousands of living relatives of innocent folk who were tortured, murdered or simply disappeared, have never had the chance of even that (unsatisfactory) degree of closure.

Back in the 1990s, the British Government had the chance to bring this slimebag to justice, when the Spanish government was trying to extradite him ... but in its usual form, Tony Blair's weasel administration chickened out, like the political cowards they are. They let him go back home to Chile, under the pretence (or lie) that he was "mentally incapacitated and unable to stand trial". He spent the rest of his days in comfort, instead of the jail cell he should have been in.

Then we have the disgusting spectacle of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who on one hand, blathered on about 'democracy and the rule of law"... and ridding the world of vicious dictators, (blah blah freakin' blah)... yet she was a close personal friend and supporter of this vicious scumball.

The most important question of all, of course, is how did someone like this manage to overthrow a democatically elected government, and get away with it?

Pinochet: What a sorry excuse for a human being.. a total non-starter.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

John Bolton: Good Riddance

It is with relief that John Bolton's tenure as US Ambassador to the U.N. is about to finish: it is evident from his track record that he has an unstable nature, and an anger management problem. Those in senior diplomatic positions should at least be capable of exhibiting diplomacy first and foremost.

With the United States' reputation for promoting liberty in shreds as a result of the last 5 years of foreign and domestic policy, it is now even more inappropriate for the likes of Bolton, an ideologue who shares the same extremist Neoconservative viewpoints as the crew who got us into this current mess, to be in public office.

Furthermore, the way in which he was appointed to this vitally important position, when Congress was out of session, added insult to injury.

His resignation will be for the good of all.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Our (d)evolving system in the US?

Mussolini did say that Fascism "should more properly be called corporatism, being a merger of state and corporate power". However, the modern term "fascism" has been redefined to imply totalitarianism and all that accompanies such (military or other style dictatorship, no real democratic/electoral process, relatively few civil liberties and rights, arbitrary imprisonment/kangaroo justice... and all the baggage that goes with such).

Bearing that redefinition in mind, it is absurd to suggest that the current system in place in the US is anywhere near that variety of "fascism", despite a number of current trends in that direction. However, "corporatism" is a pretty good fit: One just has to look at the parties and organizations who influence peoples' lives and livelihoods to the greatest extent.. and one comes up with non-governmental, private, unelected parties in big business every time... expecially the big banks and credit card companies. To argue that our elected representatives are the ones whose decisions affect us the most is also moot... since they are also in the pockets of big business and financial institutions.

No conspiracy required here: its the natural evolution of the system we have in place, which could be described as a "Quasi-Democratic Republicorporatocracy". (ouch)