Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Power, :
The FBI began a full-scale criminal investigation Tuesday into whether White House officials illegally leaked the identity of an undercover CIA officer, and President Bush ordered his staff to cooperate with the first major probe of his administration.
corruption
New Bridge Strategies, on its Web site, says it will ``seek to expedite the creation of free and fair markets and new economic growth in Iraq, consistent with the policies of the Bush administration.''
The firm is headed by Joe Allbaugh, Bush's campaign manager in 2000 and director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until March. Other directors include Edward Rogers Jr., vice chairman, and Lanny Griffith. Both were assistants to the first President Bush and now are closely linked to the White House.
``This is an administration of the insiders, by the insiders and for the insiders. This is just further evidence of it,'' Edwards, a senator from North Carolina, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ``Vice President Cheney's Halliburton has more than $2 billion in Iraq reconstruction contracts and we now find out that Bush's campaign manager, Joe Allbaugh, who just left government, has set up a business to procure business contracts on Iraq.''
and lies:
US military intelligence has concluded that almost all the claims made by Iraqi defectors about Saddam Hussein's alleged secret weapons were either useless or false, it was reported yesterday.
The assessment by the Pentagon defence intelligence agency (DIA), leaked to US journalists, amounts to an indictment of the Iraqi National Congress, which brought the defectors to Washington's attention, adding to the momentum towards invasion. A DIA official would not confirm or deny the report's existence yesterday, saying any such document would be classified, but adding: "Any intelligence we get from an individual we never use as a sole source but we add it to our database.
"We don't make decisions or take action based on sole sources."
The leak reflects a growing backlash by the US intelligence agencies - principally the CIA, DIA and the state department's intelligence arm - whose findings and recommendations on Iraq were overruled before the war in favour of far more sensational assessments made by ideologically driven groups in the Pentagon and the vice-president's office.
The FBI began a full-scale criminal investigation Tuesday into whether White House officials illegally leaked the identity of an undercover CIA officer, and President Bush ordered his staff to cooperate with the first major probe of his administration.
corruption
New Bridge Strategies, on its Web site, says it will ``seek to expedite the creation of free and fair markets and new economic growth in Iraq, consistent with the policies of the Bush administration.''
The firm is headed by Joe Allbaugh, Bush's campaign manager in 2000 and director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until March. Other directors include Edward Rogers Jr., vice chairman, and Lanny Griffith. Both were assistants to the first President Bush and now are closely linked to the White House.
``This is an administration of the insiders, by the insiders and for the insiders. This is just further evidence of it,'' Edwards, a senator from North Carolina, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ``Vice President Cheney's Halliburton has more than $2 billion in Iraq reconstruction contracts and we now find out that Bush's campaign manager, Joe Allbaugh, who just left government, has set up a business to procure business contracts on Iraq.''
and lies:
US military intelligence has concluded that almost all the claims made by Iraqi defectors about Saddam Hussein's alleged secret weapons were either useless or false, it was reported yesterday.
The assessment by the Pentagon defence intelligence agency (DIA), leaked to US journalists, amounts to an indictment of the Iraqi National Congress, which brought the defectors to Washington's attention, adding to the momentum towards invasion. A DIA official would not confirm or deny the report's existence yesterday, saying any such document would be classified, but adding: "Any intelligence we get from an individual we never use as a sole source but we add it to our database.
"We don't make decisions or take action based on sole sources."
The leak reflects a growing backlash by the US intelligence agencies - principally the CIA, DIA and the state department's intelligence arm - whose findings and recommendations on Iraq were overruled before the war in favour of far more sensational assessments made by ideologically driven groups in the Pentagon and the vice-president's office.
Monday, September 29, 2003
Yesterday, as delegates gathered in Bournemouth for the Labour Party's annual conference, Tony Blair defended his decision to invade Iraq. The Independent reports:
The Prime Minister admitted he was concerned about security in Iraq but insisted that the situation on the ground was improving. "What we have delivered in that country is freedom and for all the difficulties, let's ... be proud of what we have done," he said.
But Occupation Watch tells us:
Baghdad today is another city. Everything has changed -- in the streets, buildings and squares that are void of women and almost deserted after 6 p.m., at the money-changing tables lining the main streets, among the homeless children or families squatting public buildings, with the camera- and notebook-laden foreigners looking for the next story, and at the fuel queues snaking out of the petrol stations. However, the most significant change is on Iraqi faces that articulate mounting bewilderment and shock.
Given the casualties of war, the mass deaths inflicted by bombing, the chaos of looting, the immolation of public buildings, the shock of the rapid fall of the state, people now understand the real face of the occupation, its true meaning: negligence, lies, arrogance and humiliation. In no time Iraqis have discovered that all the promises have led only to more empty promises, projected into some unforeseeable future.
Proud, Mr Blair? Not me. I'm sickened and disgusted.
The Prime Minister admitted he was concerned about security in Iraq but insisted that the situation on the ground was improving. "What we have delivered in that country is freedom and for all the difficulties, let's ... be proud of what we have done," he said.
But Occupation Watch tells us:
Baghdad today is another city. Everything has changed -- in the streets, buildings and squares that are void of women and almost deserted after 6 p.m., at the money-changing tables lining the main streets, among the homeless children or families squatting public buildings, with the camera- and notebook-laden foreigners looking for the next story, and at the fuel queues snaking out of the petrol stations. However, the most significant change is on Iraqi faces that articulate mounting bewilderment and shock.
Given the casualties of war, the mass deaths inflicted by bombing, the chaos of looting, the immolation of public buildings, the shock of the rapid fall of the state, people now understand the real face of the occupation, its true meaning: negligence, lies, arrogance and humiliation. In no time Iraqis have discovered that all the promises have led only to more empty promises, projected into some unforeseeable future.
Proud, Mr Blair? Not me. I'm sickened and disgusted.
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Sunday already. So much to do and so little time. So why am I sitting here in front of the pc and not getting on with other things? Hmm.
Today I have to do the shopping. The cupboards are getting a bit bare, especially big stuff like cat litter, for which supermarkets and taxis home are necessary. But I also want to clear out part of the cellar so that I can store coal (well, smokeless fuel actually) down there. Last winter I stored it in the shed outside, but thats not very secure and far from ideal on a cold morning when I have to get all wrapped up to go out and fill the coal bucket. Now I have the little door thingy that gives access to the cellar unblocked so I can store it downstairs. Much handier. Except that at the moment there is a lot of rubbish down there left behind by the little old lady who owned the house before me. Some of it is wooden, and I can chop that up for kindling, but most of it is just crap. Not a job I'm looking forward to. I've been putting it off for nearly a year. Its not the best day to do it really because it is a lovely sunny autumn day and I'd rather take the dog for a long walk. Maybe I will.
Today I have to do the shopping. The cupboards are getting a bit bare, especially big stuff like cat litter, for which supermarkets and taxis home are necessary. But I also want to clear out part of the cellar so that I can store coal (well, smokeless fuel actually) down there. Last winter I stored it in the shed outside, but thats not very secure and far from ideal on a cold morning when I have to get all wrapped up to go out and fill the coal bucket. Now I have the little door thingy that gives access to the cellar unblocked so I can store it downstairs. Much handier. Except that at the moment there is a lot of rubbish down there left behind by the little old lady who owned the house before me. Some of it is wooden, and I can chop that up for kindling, but most of it is just crap. Not a job I'm looking forward to. I've been putting it off for nearly a year. Its not the best day to do it really because it is a lovely sunny autumn day and I'd rather take the dog for a long walk. Maybe I will.
Saturday, September 27, 2003
MoveOn are running a campaign to get rid of Rumsfeld. They placed an ad in the New York Times on behalf of the families of the soldiers to illustrate the point that "The US occupation in Iraq has left American soldiers unprepared and vulnerable, the country degenerating into chaos, and the Iraqi people embittered and hostile". Any US readers of my little blog can go here to sign the petition.
Today's Guardian features a very astute analysis of the 'sexed up' dossier that Blair used to justify the invasion of Iraq. As an English Lit graduate I particularly enjoyed the way the language of the dossier is examined. Its amazing what can be acheived by small changes in grammar.
Do you think genetically modified crops should be grown in the UK? No? Then have a look at this. Greengloves are asking people to sign a pledge "to take, or support others who take, non-violent action to prevent genetic pollution and its damage to life and livelihoods."
Friday, September 26, 2003
This is bad news.
Brazil, the last big country to resist GM crops, dashed the hopes of environmentalists yesterday and gave in to pressure from the US and its own big farmers to allow them to be grown for at least a year.
Will they stop after a year? I doubt it. As the report says,
The GM company Monsanto now stands to gain up to $100m ($62m) a year from farmers who have been growing its seed illegally.
It has invested more than $600m in setting up seed plants and buying Brazilian seed companies. It recently announced that it would start charging farmers royalties on this year's soya crop.
US producers have long complained that Brazil has had an unfair advantage because many of its farmers do not pay royalties for black-market GM soya.
Monsato will make a lot of money.
One of the problems, however, with the situation up to now, is that farmers have been smuggling in the seed and growing the stuff anyway. The environment is polluted by GM, and the goods are then sold on as 'normal' soya. So this nasty adulterated produce is out there, in the fields, on the shelves, in our bodies whether we like it or not.
Brazil, the last big country to resist GM crops, dashed the hopes of environmentalists yesterday and gave in to pressure from the US and its own big farmers to allow them to be grown for at least a year.
Will they stop after a year? I doubt it. As the report says,
The GM company Monsanto now stands to gain up to $100m ($62m) a year from farmers who have been growing its seed illegally.
It has invested more than $600m in setting up seed plants and buying Brazilian seed companies. It recently announced that it would start charging farmers royalties on this year's soya crop.
US producers have long complained that Brazil has had an unfair advantage because many of its farmers do not pay royalties for black-market GM soya.
Monsato will make a lot of money.
One of the problems, however, with the situation up to now, is that farmers have been smuggling in the seed and growing the stuff anyway. The environment is polluted by GM, and the goods are then sold on as 'normal' soya. So this nasty adulterated produce is out there, in the fields, on the shelves, in our bodies whether we like it or not.
Petrol prices are going up. Good. Maybe some people will be discouraged from driving their kids to school, or themselves to work. Maybe some of them will decide to share their vehicles. One day last week I (stupidly) decided to get the bus to work instead of walking. While I stood there at the bus stop I saw that perhaps only 1 car in 5 had more than 1 person in it. The traffic was horrendous. I was at that bus stop for half an hour - I could have walked to work in 20 minutes from there. Three buses went by full up, so our local service is already stretched beyond its capacity. We need fewer cars on the road and more buses. Dedicated cycle lanes would be an excellent idea. I'm dangerously uncoordinated on wheels - I don't drive, never have - and if you saw me coming towards you on a bike your best plan would be to get out of the way fast. But if there were safe cycle lanes and I got a bit of practice and confidence, even I might attempt to cycle to work. Not that I mind walking, but it is a bit slow. Anyway, I doubt that many motorists will change their habits unless they are forced to - either by making fuel less economical, or legislating against non-essential journeys, or both.
Here's an interesting item about illegal logging in Indonesia. I had never even thought about where snooker cues come from. I suppose they just seemed like random bits of ordinary wood to me.
An investigation has discovered that nearly 300,000 cues imported into the UK annually are made from the timber of ramin trees - a rare species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - chopped down and exported illegally from Indonesia's dwindling tropical forests.
The Indonesian Government banned all cutting and export of ramin wood in 2001, yet Red Pepper has learnt that a number of British companies continue to import cues made from ramin for supply to hundreds of pubs, clubs and retail outlets, including Argos which advertises ramin cues for sale at 7.99. The timber is smuggled into China by criminal gangs before being manufactured into cues for export to the west.
There's more:
According to industry sources around 99 in every 100 cues used in British pubs are made from ramin.
Devon based Pot Black Ltd distributes cues by mail order to high street outlets including Argos, Littlewoods, Toys R Us and John Lewis. Cuecraft Ltd of Nottingham supplies snooker club chains with ramin cues supplied from China; the Merseyside based Leisure Services Group also imports them.
Another importer of ramin cues is Bristol Coin Exchange (BCE) / Critical Place Limited. The company, which sponsors leading snooker players Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White, is understood to import around 100, 000 cues each year from a Taiwanese owned factory in Xiamen, China.
But I added the links myself. Next time you fancy a game of pool in the pub, think about that piece of wood.
An investigation has discovered that nearly 300,000 cues imported into the UK annually are made from the timber of ramin trees - a rare species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - chopped down and exported illegally from Indonesia's dwindling tropical forests.
The Indonesian Government banned all cutting and export of ramin wood in 2001, yet Red Pepper has learnt that a number of British companies continue to import cues made from ramin for supply to hundreds of pubs, clubs and retail outlets, including Argos which advertises ramin cues for sale at 7.99. The timber is smuggled into China by criminal gangs before being manufactured into cues for export to the west.
There's more:
According to industry sources around 99 in every 100 cues used in British pubs are made from ramin.
Devon based Pot Black Ltd distributes cues by mail order to high street outlets including Argos, Littlewoods, Toys R Us and John Lewis. Cuecraft Ltd of Nottingham supplies snooker club chains with ramin cues supplied from China; the Merseyside based Leisure Services Group also imports them.
Another importer of ramin cues is Bristol Coin Exchange (BCE) / Critical Place Limited. The company, which sponsors leading snooker players Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White, is understood to import around 100, 000 cues each year from a Taiwanese owned factory in Xiamen, China.
But I added the links myself. Next time you fancy a game of pool in the pub, think about that piece of wood.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Last night I went to a performance by Jaleo, a flamenco dance company from Seville. They are doing a big tour of the UK at the moment. Highly recommended by me. The music, dancing and singing were so full of energy, and it was authentic, the real thing. I saw them at Wakefield Theatre Royal, but couldn't find a link to the show at that venue. The theatre is a typically ornate small English theatre. Have a look for yourself. My mum came with me, and told me that she had danced there when she was 16 - her first professional appearance.
Found this company who design sustainable buildings and communities via Sam Rantz. The site has lots of fascinating ideas and information about sustainable living and the projects they have worked on. Excellent stuff.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Next time you head off to the garden centre, or tend your lawn, think about this:
The Scotts Company is the world's leading supplier and marketer of consumer products for do-it-yourself lawn and garden care. It also supplies a range of products for professional horticulture. Scotts owns the leading brands in every major category in virtually all of the countries where it has a significant presence.
Scotts embraces biotechnology, pesticides and Europe In 1997 Scotts further expanded its empire by purchasing the remaining interest in the UK company Miracle Garden Care Ltd, which had been one-third owned by Miracle-Gro when Scotts bought the company in 1995. 1997 also saw Scotts purchase UK-based Levingtons, thereby obtaining the rights to peat extraction at a number of sites in the UK. Scotts also acquired a majority interest in US-based Emerald Green Lawn Services, providing the company with a base for establishing the new Scotts Lawn Service in 1998.
Scotts also entered into a collaboration with the Monsanto company to “bring the benefits of biotechnology to the multi-billion dollar turfgrass and ornamental plants business.
At least five Scotts workers have died and dozens more have become ill due to asbestos fibres that they inhaled while handling vermiculite, which the company used in potting soil and in fertilizers.
This is an edited extract from a Corporate Watch report on Scotts. Read the whole thing to find out exactly who Scotts are and which companies they own. There is also a lot of information in the report about the pesticides they use, and the effects those chemicals have on the workers in the factories, and the environment. Scotts are involved in peat extraction in the UK, but are very likely to move their destruction elsewhere if that is stopped - or when there is no peat left to extract.
Go here for more info on Scotts peat activities, and here for details of local campaigns and actions to protect peat bogs in the UK.
The Scotts Company is the world's leading supplier and marketer of consumer products for do-it-yourself lawn and garden care. It also supplies a range of products for professional horticulture. Scotts owns the leading brands in every major category in virtually all of the countries where it has a significant presence.
Scotts embraces biotechnology, pesticides and Europe In 1997 Scotts further expanded its empire by purchasing the remaining interest in the UK company Miracle Garden Care Ltd, which had been one-third owned by Miracle-Gro when Scotts bought the company in 1995. 1997 also saw Scotts purchase UK-based Levingtons, thereby obtaining the rights to peat extraction at a number of sites in the UK. Scotts also acquired a majority interest in US-based Emerald Green Lawn Services, providing the company with a base for establishing the new Scotts Lawn Service in 1998.
Scotts also entered into a collaboration with the Monsanto company to “bring the benefits of biotechnology to the multi-billion dollar turfgrass and ornamental plants business.
At least five Scotts workers have died and dozens more have become ill due to asbestos fibres that they inhaled while handling vermiculite, which the company used in potting soil and in fertilizers.
This is an edited extract from a Corporate Watch report on Scotts. Read the whole thing to find out exactly who Scotts are and which companies they own. There is also a lot of information in the report about the pesticides they use, and the effects those chemicals have on the workers in the factories, and the environment. Scotts are involved in peat extraction in the UK, but are very likely to move their destruction elsewhere if that is stopped - or when there is no peat left to extract.
Go here for more info on Scotts peat activities, and here for details of local campaigns and actions to protect peat bogs in the UK.
Grrr! Seem to have taken a double hit from the spammers since the weekend. I'd like to have a bit of a browse through some sites, but I'm determined to report those unsolicited ads for viagra first.
I started my new job yesterday, providing admin support to a fostering scheme for children with disabilities. So far I've been filling my head with bits of knowledge about the department, and aspects of my job. My predecessor sounds like she was something of a wonderwoman; a hard act to follow. But then she did the job for 10 years so I'm sure my new colleagues will bear that in mind as I learn the ropes. They all seem to be lovely people anyway, so I'm looking forward to being part of the team.
Last night I watched John Pilger's film Breaking the Silence on tv. It was quite similar to his article featured in Saturday's Guardian, but the pictures increased its impact many times over. Quite horrifying.
Last night I watched John Pilger's film Breaking the Silence on tv. It was quite similar to his article featured in Saturday's Guardian, but the pictures increased its impact many times over. Quite horrifying.
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Listening to Seize the Day. They have a good site as well as some quality music.
Can anyone out there give me any help or advice on setting up a home network? I think that when I start my new job next week I'm going to be too busy learning new things to blog during working hours - and for a while at least I'll be too conscientious. So I will be blogging in the evenings, which means sharing the internet connection with my son. We have the second pc already, and the hardware is all installed. I've run the Network Set Up Wizard on both machines - the host pc (my pc) runs Windows XP, the other has Windows ME, and I've used the XP Wizard on both, as instructed by my pc. I've set up an incoming connection on the host. But my pc tells me that the network won't run because it isn't connected to the network!?! I don't understand. What do I need to do?
My must-read item of the week is this article about Afghanistan by John Pilger. While Iraq is still making headlines, especially when US soldiers die, there are very serious problems still to be resolved in Afghanistan. People are still dying from leftover cluster bombs. Local men are being captured and transported to cages in Guantanamo Bay, with little regard as to whether they are actually involved in terrorism. Local women are losing freedoms more and more with every day. Warlords are increasing their power. There are still British and America troops there. Pliger points out that we hear little of what is happening there because it is so dangerous that few journalists will risk their lives to investigate.
Friday, September 19, 2003
I'm really stuck in this pirate loop tonight. I really ought to go to bed. But before I go I'll leave you with this, where you can listen to pirate sounds and a very silly song..
The pirate speaks,"A whole dayo'unemployedness be drawin't'a close, and very lazy it was too. We had a good farewell night out last night, includin' delicious tapas at La Dorada, a little Spanish restaurant on t'university campus. It seems wherever I look on t'web tonight I find pirates, it bein' Talk Like A Pirate Day, so I figured 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'."
Courtesy of the English-to-pirate translator at Talk Like a Pirate.
And I couldn't resist a pirate quiz, so I did "Whats your pirate name?". The answer is:
Mad Ethel Rackham
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
Pity there was no picture to go with it.
Courtesy of the English-to-pirate translator at Talk Like a Pirate.
And I couldn't resist a pirate quiz, so I did "Whats your pirate name?". The answer is:
Mad Ethel Rackham
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
Pity there was no picture to go with it.
Where have my comments gone??
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Have a look at the studio where I got my tattoos done. I had the first one done by Butch not long after it first opened, and was so impressed that I returned another 4 times for more artwork. All except the most recent were done by Butch, but now he spends quite a lot of his time in Barcelona, which is a bit too far for me to travel. If I ever get round to buying some webspace I'll post some photos.
Although I won't be able to vote in the US Presidential elections, I would like to encourage any American readers to consider this candidate.
Today is my last day working for the student union . Term starts in 10 days, and next week is Fresher's Week, so it will be total chaos. But I won't be here! I didn't actually aim to get a new job with such unfortunate timing for the student union - it just kind of happened that way. But I haven't enjoyed it here much for quite some time, so it had to be done. I suppose I should get busy with clearing up outstanding tasks, and making sure everything is ready to hand over to my colleagues - the vacancy I will create hasn't even been advertised yet, so there will be a big gap before there is someone to take my place (unfortunate for those who have to fill in - but I gave plenty of notice).
After work I'm planning on having a few farewell drinks downstairs in the bar, then after that my department are going to see the Fun Loving Criminals who are playing here.
After work I'm planning on having a few farewell drinks downstairs in the bar, then after that my department are going to see the Fun Loving Criminals who are playing here.
I finished reading Dead Famous last night, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ben Elton manages to satirise both reality tv and the genre of detective fiction. At the same time he exposes what we all know but (speaking personally) avoid acknowledging - namely that there is something distinctly unpleasant about watching reality tv shows. I admit to having watched 2 series of Big Brother (the first and the fourth), and yes, I gossiped with my workmates about it, criticised the contestants, laughed at their misfortunes. There is an argument that if those people are desperate enough for fame and fortune to take part in reality shows then they deserve whatever they get, but at the same time they are real live human beings so should be accorded some respect. But Elton reminds us just how contrived such shows are. What we see is what the producers want us to see, and bear little relation to the actuality of the lives and relationships of the people involved.
The novel is a 'whodunnit', but you don't actually find out who it was done to until half way through the book, although the crime itself is known from the beginning. It kept me turning the pages, and trying to work out "who is dead?", then as more theories are proposed, more motives uncovered, there is the compulsion to find out who the perpetrator is. Elton maintains the tension, and kept me grinning and wincing by turn at his characters and their ups and downs.
I didn't work out 'whodunnit' until very near the end. Chief Inspector Coleridge's revelatory performance at the end is up there with Columbo's best conclusion, or Perry Mason courtroom theatricals. Recommended reading!.
The novel is a 'whodunnit', but you don't actually find out who it was done to until half way through the book, although the crime itself is known from the beginning. It kept me turning the pages, and trying to work out "who is dead?", then as more theories are proposed, more motives uncovered, there is the compulsion to find out who the perpetrator is. Elton maintains the tension, and kept me grinning and wincing by turn at his characters and their ups and downs.
I didn't work out 'whodunnit' until very near the end. Chief Inspector Coleridge's revelatory performance at the end is up there with Columbo's best conclusion, or Perry Mason courtroom theatricals. Recommended reading!.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
There is an interesting post on Baghdad Burning about the position of girls and women in occupied Iraq. Girl Power and Post War Iraq points out that education for girls is very far from liberated, and is in fact much more precarious and dangerous now than it was before the invasion.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Robert Fisk tells it straight:
"A human brain lay beside the highway. It was scattered in the sand, blasted from its owner's head when the Americans ambushed their own Iraqi policemen."
Read the full story.
"A human brain lay beside the highway. It was scattered in the sand, blasted from its owner's head when the Americans ambushed their own Iraqi policemen."
Read the full story.
In his final article on the WTO at Cancun, George Monbiot writes:
"The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund had better watch their backs now. The UN security council will find its anomalous powers ever harder to sustain. Poor nations, if they stick together, can begin to exercise a collective threat to the rich. For this, they need leverage and, in the form of their debts, they possess it. Together they owe so much that, in effect, they own the world's financial systems. By threatening, collectively, to default, they can begin to wield the sort of power that only the rich have so far exercised, demanding concessions in return for withholding force."
So maybe some good can come out of the Cancun talks after all. I certainly hope so.
"The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund had better watch their backs now. The UN security council will find its anomalous powers ever harder to sustain. Poor nations, if they stick together, can begin to exercise a collective threat to the rich. For this, they need leverage and, in the form of their debts, they possess it. Together they owe so much that, in effect, they own the world's financial systems. By threatening, collectively, to default, they can begin to wield the sort of power that only the rich have so far exercised, demanding concessions in return for withholding force."
So maybe some good can come out of the Cancun talks after all. I certainly hope so.
Monday, September 15, 2003
I mulled over The Deep Green Sea on my walk home, and in the shower, and this is what I came up with:
I read The Deep Green Sea from a feminist post-colonial perspective. I see Tien and Vietnem as the colonised female, and Ben and the USA as the Imperial male.
Ben has returned to Vietnam to come to terms with his experiences there during the war. His time there as a soldier, he insists, was not as a fighter, and he tried to ensure he was not in a position of danger or in a situation where he had to hurt or kill anyone. But his actions caused damage. The bargirl ‘Kim’ became pregnant by him, although he didn’t know, and he rejected her suggestion that he take her back to America. This rejection finished their relationship and resulted in radically affecting the lives of 4 generations of women – ‘Kim’, her mother, her daughter and her grand-daughter.
In this I see that the USA had and has a profound effect on Vietnam and her people during the years since the war, long after the soldiers went home.
Tien and Ben attempt to disregard the past, but this proves impossible. The continuing legacy of the war refuses to be cast off. Tien and Ben’s relationship seems very different to that of ‘Kim’ and Ben, if Ben is to believed - but how accurate is his memory? He doesn’t recall telling ‘Kim’ about his father’s fight in the furnace, but he obviously did.
And then Ben repeats his action of abandonment. He leaves Tien to parent a daughter alone, just as he did her mother. His action demonstrates the selfishness and irresponsibility of the imperial, the USA and of the aspects of masculinity they embody.
I read The Deep Green Sea from a feminist post-colonial perspective. I see Tien and Vietnem as the colonised female, and Ben and the USA as the Imperial male.
Ben has returned to Vietnam to come to terms with his experiences there during the war. His time there as a soldier, he insists, was not as a fighter, and he tried to ensure he was not in a position of danger or in a situation where he had to hurt or kill anyone. But his actions caused damage. The bargirl ‘Kim’ became pregnant by him, although he didn’t know, and he rejected her suggestion that he take her back to America. This rejection finished their relationship and resulted in radically affecting the lives of 4 generations of women – ‘Kim’, her mother, her daughter and her grand-daughter.
In this I see that the USA had and has a profound effect on Vietnam and her people during the years since the war, long after the soldiers went home.
Tien and Ben attempt to disregard the past, but this proves impossible. The continuing legacy of the war refuses to be cast off. Tien and Ben’s relationship seems very different to that of ‘Kim’ and Ben, if Ben is to believed - but how accurate is his memory? He doesn’t recall telling ‘Kim’ about his father’s fight in the furnace, but he obviously did.
And then Ben repeats his action of abandonment. He leaves Tien to parent a daughter alone, just as he did her mother. His action demonstrates the selfishness and irresponsibility of the imperial, the USA and of the aspects of masculinity they embody.
Finished reading The Deep Green Sea. I enjoyed it, and didn't really find it contrived as the reviewer in the link suggests. Well, not much anyway. The book doesn't say a great deal about US-Vietnamese relations. Neither of the central characters closely examine the politics of their relationship, or the relationship in the past, but that's part of the 'sweetness' of the story. It is, essentially, a love story. Politics are minor. But you do get a taste of Vietnam, and I did get involved with the characters. Would I recommend it? As a bittersweet love story, yes I would. As a critique of the relationship between Vietnem and the United States, maybe not. I'll probably mull it over more on my walk home, and perhaps there's more in there yet to digest.
Its the start of my final week working here - well, I actually leave on Thursday, then start my new job next Monday. So only 4 days to go!!
Went to a party on Saturday and did a bit of matchmaking. An acquaintance, Carl, was there and I knew that my friend Cath had a soft spot for him, but hadn't been confident enough to make a move. Cath wasn't at the party, but after a few glasses of wine I decided to do her a favour, so I told Carl "My mate fancies you!" - something I haven't said in, ooh maybe 20 years. But sometimes juvenile behaviour is appropriate, and Carl was very excited at the possibility of some romance with Cath. He gave me his number to pass on to her, which I did yesterday. The outcome - they are going out for a drink next weekend! Lets hope things work out for them. They are both 40ish with kids, and opportunities for love are fewer and farther between as middle age approaches.
Went to a party on Saturday and did a bit of matchmaking. An acquaintance, Carl, was there and I knew that my friend Cath had a soft spot for him, but hadn't been confident enough to make a move. Cath wasn't at the party, but after a few glasses of wine I decided to do her a favour, so I told Carl "My mate fancies you!" - something I haven't said in, ooh maybe 20 years. But sometimes juvenile behaviour is appropriate, and Carl was very excited at the possibility of some romance with Cath. He gave me his number to pass on to her, which I did yesterday. The outcome - they are going out for a drink next weekend! Lets hope things work out for them. They are both 40ish with kids, and opportunities for love are fewer and farther between as middle age approaches.
The Arms Fair provoked much fun & games in London, as Schnews reports:
"In the run-up to DSEi the death fair’s organisers Spearhead had their offices occupied while at the same time people in rubber dinghys blocked DSEi warships. On Saturday morning DSEi attempted to sail 4 warships along the Thames to the ExCel Centre but, alas, 30 water-tight activists were there blocking the lock gates and the swing bridge with good ol’ D-locks. There was a four hour window in which the tide allowed entry into the docks so the last 2 ships had to abort their mission. During the week protesters posing as arms dealers joined the hundreds of other dealers and buyers on the trains to the ExCel Centre. Three suited protesters couldn’t wait for the fair and started selling their wares on the train: Announcing they had arms for sale they opened their brief cases revealing dismembered Barbie dolls’ arms."
There were plenty of other actions throughout the week, so read the story.
"In the run-up to DSEi the death fair’s organisers Spearhead had their offices occupied while at the same time people in rubber dinghys blocked DSEi warships. On Saturday morning DSEi attempted to sail 4 warships along the Thames to the ExCel Centre but, alas, 30 water-tight activists were there blocking the lock gates and the swing bridge with good ol’ D-locks. There was a four hour window in which the tide allowed entry into the docks so the last 2 ships had to abort their mission. During the week protesters posing as arms dealers joined the hundreds of other dealers and buyers on the trains to the ExCel Centre. Three suited protesters couldn’t wait for the fair and started selling their wares on the train: Announcing they had arms for sale they opened their brief cases revealing dismembered Barbie dolls’ arms."
There were plenty of other actions throughout the week, so read the story.
Ok, this is my final final quiz. And this time I blame Bud.
What fiction genre are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
What fiction genre are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Friday, September 12, 2003
Been getting a bit carried away with these quiz things recently!
Athena
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Athena
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla
The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest challenges people to write a truly awful opening sentence for a novel. The results have now been announced, and they are well worth a look. Guaranteed to cheer you up! Thanks to The Padacia for the link.
Bumped into the Absent Man (aka the father of my child) on my way home from work yesterday. He lives just a few minutes away from the office, so its surprising we don't come across each other more often - unless he just keeps his head down between around 5pm. Anyway, after exchanging greetings on the pavement outside his flat I suggested he invite me in for a cup of tea, which he did.
Its almost 6 months since I last saw him. He left a phone message on his son's birthday (promising to call back later which he didn't do), but thats the only recent contact. I'm not one to hold a grudge though, so I wasn't feeling any hostility towards him. Besides, he's still the sexiest man I've ever met. The chemistry won't go away, no matter how much rationality tells it to, and it is always better to be friendly, even if he does repeatedly let us down.
I was surprised to see he was still smoking. He's quite good at willpower and has successfully given up before, for quite long periods of time. We were seeing each other last winter and he mentioned several times an intention to dump the habit. But that was nothing compared to the surprise I got when, after bringing me my tea, he went back to the kitchen and emerged with a can of Guinness! He stopped drinking a couple of years ago, and I really thought he wouldn't start again. He said he had been away on holiday with some friends last week, and as they got drunker and drunker he decided he might as well join them.
He looked well, all healthy and tanned - he works outdoors - but he was feeling fed up with work and life. He told me that the Child Support Agency had caught up with him and were taking £50 a week from him. "Are they going to give it to me?", I asked. But no. They are taking the money for his other son, from an early disastrous marriage. Son no.1 is 18, 19 at the end of October. I thought maintenance payments would only be due until a child's 18th birthday but apparently 19 is the cut off age. But there are also some arrears due. So Absent Man feels compelled to continue being employed, much to his disgust. He tends to hibernate in winter so at this time of year he would usually be planning to pack in work for a while. Well, ha ha. Even though that particular situation doesn't affect me and my son, and I don't think the CSA have records connecting Absent Man to us, I can't help having a chuckle. As an Absent Man to both his sons, he has always pleased himself, come and gone when he liked, spent time travelling or taking it easy while the mothers of his sons have worked hard, made sacrifices and put the boys first. So its only right that he now has to take some responsibility, isn't it?
Its almost 6 months since I last saw him. He left a phone message on his son's birthday (promising to call back later which he didn't do), but thats the only recent contact. I'm not one to hold a grudge though, so I wasn't feeling any hostility towards him. Besides, he's still the sexiest man I've ever met. The chemistry won't go away, no matter how much rationality tells it to, and it is always better to be friendly, even if he does repeatedly let us down.
I was surprised to see he was still smoking. He's quite good at willpower and has successfully given up before, for quite long periods of time. We were seeing each other last winter and he mentioned several times an intention to dump the habit. But that was nothing compared to the surprise I got when, after bringing me my tea, he went back to the kitchen and emerged with a can of Guinness! He stopped drinking a couple of years ago, and I really thought he wouldn't start again. He said he had been away on holiday with some friends last week, and as they got drunker and drunker he decided he might as well join them.
He looked well, all healthy and tanned - he works outdoors - but he was feeling fed up with work and life. He told me that the Child Support Agency had caught up with him and were taking £50 a week from him. "Are they going to give it to me?", I asked. But no. They are taking the money for his other son, from an early disastrous marriage. Son no.1 is 18, 19 at the end of October. I thought maintenance payments would only be due until a child's 18th birthday but apparently 19 is the cut off age. But there are also some arrears due. So Absent Man feels compelled to continue being employed, much to his disgust. He tends to hibernate in winter so at this time of year he would usually be planning to pack in work for a while. Well, ha ha. Even though that particular situation doesn't affect me and my son, and I don't think the CSA have records connecting Absent Man to us, I can't help having a chuckle. As an Absent Man to both his sons, he has always pleased himself, come and gone when he liked, spent time travelling or taking it easy while the mothers of his sons have worked hard, made sacrifices and put the boys first. So its only right that he now has to take some responsibility, isn't it?
I think its time Blair packed his bags and scurried off under a stone somewhere. Actually, no, he should scurry off to Iraq and do something useful for the people who are suffering there due to the destruction of the country's infrastructure. I don't know what he could do that would be useful, but even if its just helping out at a petrol station, it would be better than having him sitting cosily in Downing Street.
On the other hand, politicians are probably all lying, scheming scumbags so it probably wouldn't make much difference.
What has got me wound up today then? This has:
"Tony Blair was warned on the eve of war by his intelligence chiefs that an invasion of Iraq would increase the danger of terrorist attacks, which they considered by far the greatest threat to western interests"
Didn't everybody realise this anyway? And didn't everybody know that Blair was misleading the country while panting after Bush? Yes, of course. But the report on the September dossier shows beyond doubt that Blair and his friends are incompetent at the very least, and in my opinion not fit to run the country. Shame there's no-one else in the picture who is fit to do the job. So if you know of any comfortable caves where I can retire to and grow vegetables, do let me know.
On the other hand, politicians are probably all lying, scheming scumbags so it probably wouldn't make much difference.
What has got me wound up today then? This has:
"Tony Blair was warned on the eve of war by his intelligence chiefs that an invasion of Iraq would increase the danger of terrorist attacks, which they considered by far the greatest threat to western interests"
Didn't everybody realise this anyway? And didn't everybody know that Blair was misleading the country while panting after Bush? Yes, of course. But the report on the September dossier shows beyond doubt that Blair and his friends are incompetent at the very least, and in my opinion not fit to run the country. Shame there's no-one else in the picture who is fit to do the job. So if you know of any comfortable caves where I can retire to and grow vegetables, do let me know.
A group of scientists in the UK are conducting a large-scale experiment to try and project climate change scenarios. They are asking pc users everywhere to help by running a climate change model on their machines. The data will be sent straight to them and will then be analysed. They need many, many people to help out with the experiment - the more participants, the more variables they can examine.
Join the climateprediction.net experiment!
Join the climateprediction.net experiment!
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Resurgence is a magazine I've seen on news-stands for years and have flicked through occasionally. Today I found their on-line version and had time to have a proper look at some of the articles it features. Its an absolute treasure trove of writing on environmental, spiritual and humanitarian issues.
A few choice pickings from recent issues include:
Affluence Threshold by Jonathon Porritt
A Legacy of Loss by Natasha Walter
Devastating the Earth by Jane Goodall
A few choice pickings from recent issues include:
Affluence Threshold by Jonathon Porritt
A Legacy of Loss by Natasha Walter
Devastating the Earth by Jane Goodall
Read the second part of George Monbiot's article about trade, where he discusses the pros and cons of localisation. Thought provoking stuff. I'm largely in favour of localisation, but Monbiot makes a good argument against it where certain industries are concerned, and his points on Aubrey Meyer's "contraction and convergence" plan for tackling climate change.
While people are slaughtering each other all over the world, it would do everybody some good to look around, and back in time and ask why? The event in most people's minds today will be the attack on the Twin Towers, but we mustn't forget other horrors, and others who have died. The Guardian writes:
"30 years ago today General Pinochet toppled Chile's elected government. Read accounts of the terror that followed".
"30 years ago today General Pinochet toppled Chile's elected government. Read accounts of the terror that followed".
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
you have an ominosity quotient of five. you are somewhat more ominous than average. find out your ominosity quotient. |
A quick glance at today's Guardian gave me this:
"Cluster weapons were on show yesterday at the opening of Europe's largest arms fair in London Docklands despite an appeal from the organisers to hide them away.
The controversial weapons, which pose a potential threat to civilians because they contain many bomblets which can fail to explode in the initial attack, were on offer at the stand of an Israeli arms company, Israel Military Industries Ltd."
I know I've already mentioned the arms fair this morning, but WHAT KIND IF WORLD DO WE LIVE IN WHERE PEACEFUL PROTESTERS ARE ARRESTED UNDER THE TERRORISM ACT WHILE THAT GOES ON UNHINDERED????????
More:
"A spokesman for BAE Systems, Britain's largest arms company, said last night that it had bought 26,000 rounds of Israeli L20 artillery cluster shells in a contract agreed shortly before the Iraqi war. The Ministry of Defence has admitted that the army fired more than 2,000 Israeli cluster munitions from howitzers during the battle for Basra."
It is sick, immoral, disgraceful, shameful, appalling......wish I had a thesaurus handy.
"Cluster weapons were on show yesterday at the opening of Europe's largest arms fair in London Docklands despite an appeal from the organisers to hide them away.
The controversial weapons, which pose a potential threat to civilians because they contain many bomblets which can fail to explode in the initial attack, were on offer at the stand of an Israeli arms company, Israel Military Industries Ltd."
I know I've already mentioned the arms fair this morning, but WHAT KIND IF WORLD DO WE LIVE IN WHERE PEACEFUL PROTESTERS ARE ARRESTED UNDER THE TERRORISM ACT WHILE THAT GOES ON UNHINDERED????????
More:
"A spokesman for BAE Systems, Britain's largest arms company, said last night that it had bought 26,000 rounds of Israeli L20 artillery cluster shells in a contract agreed shortly before the Iraqi war. The Ministry of Defence has admitted that the army fired more than 2,000 Israeli cluster munitions from howitzers during the battle for Basra."
It is sick, immoral, disgraceful, shameful, appalling......wish I had a thesaurus handy.
My son went back to school today, after an extra long summer break. The school has moved into a new building - hence an extra week tacked onto the end of the holidays. They had an extra week at the beginning too! He affected a cool demeanor, as you would expect from a 13 year old. But I could tell he was actually quite excited. He complained, lightheartedly, all the way to the bus stop about the new shoes he had to wear. This is a tightening up of the school uniform that has been introduced to go with the shiny new premises. Having sloped around in chunky skaters trainers for the past couple of years, he is mortally offended at having to wear 'proper shoes'. Anyway, he's only there for the morning, having a half-day induction to the new building. School doesn't officially start til Friday.
I'm counting the minutes because I leave my current job next Thursday, then start a new one the following Monday. I'm not going to have a good rant about this job yet though; I'll wait until next week!
I'm counting the minutes because I leave my current job next Thursday, then start a new one the following Monday. I'm not going to have a good rant about this job yet though; I'll wait until next week!
Since when did peaceful campaigning become terrorism? Police in London are using the Terrorism Act to harrass people protesting against the arms trade. The BBC reports:
"A total of 67 people have so far been arrested in connection with the show at the ExCel Centre in Docklands since 1 September, including 13 on Tuesday, Scotland Yard confirmed.
"Some individual police officers used sections (1) and (2) of the Terrorism Act to arrest some protesters where they deemed it necessary," a spokeswoman told BBC News Online."
"A total of 67 people have so far been arrested in connection with the show at the ExCel Centre in Docklands since 1 September, including 13 on Tuesday, Scotland Yard confirmed.
"Some individual police officers used sections (1) and (2) of the Terrorism Act to arrest some protesters where they deemed it necessary," a spokeswoman told BBC News Online."
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Last night I watched a report on BBC2s Newsnight about the European Galileo Satellite Sytem. Apparently the US government are a bit unhappy about it:
"In a letter to EU defence ministers, US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the EU's Galileo global positioning project could complicate America's ability to provide satellite information to its own forces in times of crisis.
Galileo is a flagship EU project aimed at establishing a rival to the US Global Positioning System (GPS) system - a device which allows the user to pinpoint his location anywhere on the planet.
The EU is keen to have a system which is independent of US influence, but America fears this would hamper its ability to control unauthorised access to this important military tool."
That particular link is quite old, but its a story that keeps popping up every few months. Search Google and you'll find plenty more. The main point, though, is that the US government want total control of global communications. They want their military interests to come before European communications - which includes life & death communications eg ambulances navigating between emergencies and hospitals - in that they want to be able to block all satellite communications when they feel it necessary.
"In a letter to EU defence ministers, US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the EU's Galileo global positioning project could complicate America's ability to provide satellite information to its own forces in times of crisis.
Galileo is a flagship EU project aimed at establishing a rival to the US Global Positioning System (GPS) system - a device which allows the user to pinpoint his location anywhere on the planet.
The EU is keen to have a system which is independent of US influence, but America fears this would hamper its ability to control unauthorised access to this important military tool."
That particular link is quite old, but its a story that keeps popping up every few months. Search Google and you'll find plenty more. The main point, though, is that the US government want total control of global communications. They want their military interests to come before European communications - which includes life & death communications eg ambulances navigating between emergencies and hospitals - in that they want to be able to block all satellite communications when they feel it necessary.
"It began as an internet joke with a friend in Jordan. But then the media - including the Guardian - picked it up, and suddenly he was the Baghdad blogger, the most famous web diarist in the world. Salam Pax describes what it was like to play cat-and-mouse with Saddam's censors." Read the full story.
Monday, September 08, 2003
Ha ha. This made me laugh. Get the impression I haven't got enough work to do?
Ha ha. This made me laugh. Get the impression I haven't got enough work to do?
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies has produced the World Disasters Report 2003. This extract comes from the Introduction.
"Humanitarian aid tends to favour high-profile emergencies at the expense of more invisible suffering far from the media or political spotlight. While countries targeted in the ‘war on terror’ have attracted unprecedented levels of humanitarian and reconstruction aid, other – arguably more pressing – crises languish in the shadows. Africa is besieged by droughts, floods, conflict, infectious diseases and – most deadly of all – the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which claimed an estimated 6,500 lives every day last year. Floods and snowstorms have wrecked hundreds of thousands of lives across the Russian Federation and Mongolia. Tens of millions of Asians, Africans and Latin Americans have been forced by violence, natural disasters or economic ruin to flee their homes in search of survival.
Humanitarian aid does not deal an equal hand to all those suffering under the shadow of conflict, disease or disaster. Within weeks of ousting Saddam Hussein, the US Department of Defense reported that it had raised US$ 1.7 billion in relief for the Iraqi people. While this will certainly be gratefully received, what about the 40 million people in 22 countries across the African continent on the verge of starvation? In Angola alone, more than 4 million people depend on aid to help them survive. In September 2002, the International Federation launched an emergency appeal for humanitarian assistance to 100,000 of the most vulnerable in the country. Four months later, the appeal was less than 4 per cent covered. Sadly, the story is repeated across West Africa, the Sahel and around the world."
And meanwhile, billions are being spent on weapons. There are people are trying to do something about that anyway.
"Humanitarian aid tends to favour high-profile emergencies at the expense of more invisible suffering far from the media or political spotlight. While countries targeted in the ‘war on terror’ have attracted unprecedented levels of humanitarian and reconstruction aid, other – arguably more pressing – crises languish in the shadows. Africa is besieged by droughts, floods, conflict, infectious diseases and – most deadly of all – the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which claimed an estimated 6,500 lives every day last year. Floods and snowstorms have wrecked hundreds of thousands of lives across the Russian Federation and Mongolia. Tens of millions of Asians, Africans and Latin Americans have been forced by violence, natural disasters or economic ruin to flee their homes in search of survival.
Humanitarian aid does not deal an equal hand to all those suffering under the shadow of conflict, disease or disaster. Within weeks of ousting Saddam Hussein, the US Department of Defense reported that it had raised US$ 1.7 billion in relief for the Iraqi people. While this will certainly be gratefully received, what about the 40 million people in 22 countries across the African continent on the verge of starvation? In Angola alone, more than 4 million people depend on aid to help them survive. In September 2002, the International Federation launched an emergency appeal for humanitarian assistance to 100,000 of the most vulnerable in the country. Four months later, the appeal was less than 4 per cent covered. Sadly, the story is repeated across West Africa, the Sahel and around the world."
And meanwhile, billions are being spent on weapons. There are people are trying to do something about that anyway.
I wanted to post this link on Saturday, but didn't get round to it. And I spent much of Sunday in an unsuccessful attempt to set up a home computer network.
"This war on terrorism is bogus" , writes Michael Meacher, former UK Cabinet Minister. The US disregarded his comments, questioning his credibility. I think 6 years in government is a pretty good background and makes him perfectly credible.
"This war on terrorism is bogus" , writes Michael Meacher, former UK Cabinet Minister. The US disregarded his comments, questioning his credibility. I think 6 years in government is a pretty good background and makes him perfectly credible.
Friday, September 05, 2003
While death & destruction continue in Iraq, plans for yet more death & destruction are afoot at the DSEI Arms Fair in London. Schnews reports:
" This weekend, thousands of terrorists from all over the world will be descending on the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands for the DSEI Arms Fair.
To greet them will be one million pounds worth of security – paid for by the taxpayer. Two thousand officers from the Met, 300 British Transport Police, City of London police officers, Ministry of Defence police, plain clothes detectives, security guards and specialists from the Met’s marine, dogs and horse units, have all been drafted in. Not to arrest those selling weapons of mass destruction but to protect those same, poor, arms dealers from demonstrators who’ve vowed to try and shut down this ‘trade in death.’
Welcome to the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi - pronounced dicey) Exhibition 2003, Europe’s biggest arms fair. Opening the fair will be Minister of War Geoff Hoon, while delegations from no less than sixty countries will have their accommodation and board paid for by the taxpayer while they shop for weapons. Somewhat astutely, a senior officer from the Met says they are anticipating a “major public order headache.”"
What is wrong with these people? Isn't there enough suffering in the wold already? Haven't they got anything better to spend their money on? Actually, its not even their money is it? They're taking food from the mouths of babies, medicines from the sick, to pay for this evil.
" This weekend, thousands of terrorists from all over the world will be descending on the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands for the DSEI Arms Fair.
To greet them will be one million pounds worth of security – paid for by the taxpayer. Two thousand officers from the Met, 300 British Transport Police, City of London police officers, Ministry of Defence police, plain clothes detectives, security guards and specialists from the Met’s marine, dogs and horse units, have all been drafted in. Not to arrest those selling weapons of mass destruction but to protect those same, poor, arms dealers from demonstrators who’ve vowed to try and shut down this ‘trade in death.’
Welcome to the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi - pronounced dicey) Exhibition 2003, Europe’s biggest arms fair. Opening the fair will be Minister of War Geoff Hoon, while delegations from no less than sixty countries will have their accommodation and board paid for by the taxpayer while they shop for weapons. Somewhat astutely, a senior officer from the Met says they are anticipating a “major public order headache.”"
What is wrong with these people? Isn't there enough suffering in the wold already? Haven't they got anything better to spend their money on? Actually, its not even their money is it? They're taking food from the mouths of babies, medicines from the sick, to pay for this evil.
Thursday, September 04, 2003
It seems like bad news to me that:
"Geoff Hoon, the embattled defence secretary, yesterday claimed to have played the decisive role in persuading the Indian government to award a $1.7bn (£1bn) contract to BAE Systems for 66 Hawk jet trainer aircraft.
India ended 18 years of tortuous negotiations, often accompanied by allegations of bribery, to opt for BAE's advanced Hawk100 series in a move that safeguards 5,000 British jobs, including 2,200 at Brough, East Yorkshire, where the plane is built. The Indian deal gives the plant up to six years' work."
If the contract hadn't been secured it would have threatened the jobs of those workers, but what kind of a job is it that supports death & destruction? The story goes on to say that these planes will be used to train pilots, not to take part in combat. But whats the difference if the training is for combat? Anyway, how do we know that India won't follow Indonseia in using them to slaughter people?
"Geoff Hoon, the embattled defence secretary, yesterday claimed to have played the decisive role in persuading the Indian government to award a $1.7bn (£1bn) contract to BAE Systems for 66 Hawk jet trainer aircraft.
India ended 18 years of tortuous negotiations, often accompanied by allegations of bribery, to opt for BAE's advanced Hawk100 series in a move that safeguards 5,000 British jobs, including 2,200 at Brough, East Yorkshire, where the plane is built. The Indian deal gives the plant up to six years' work."
If the contract hadn't been secured it would have threatened the jobs of those workers, but what kind of a job is it that supports death & destruction? The story goes on to say that these planes will be used to train pilots, not to take part in combat. But whats the difference if the training is for combat? Anyway, how do we know that India won't follow Indonseia in using them to slaughter people?
I don't think this Talking George Bush Action Figure will be on my Christmas present list this year. But my son might like this Farting George Bush Talking Doll.
Yesterday the Hutton enquiry into Dr David Kelly's death heard from intelligence officials. The Guardian reports:" A senior government intelligence official who was deeply involved in the production of the dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction yesterday accused the government of "over-egging" the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and of ignoring concerns about central claims made in the document.
Brian Jones, a top analyst in the defence intelligence staff, described how the "shutters came down", preventing experts on chemical and biological weapons from expressing widespread disquiet about the language and assumptions in the dossier. "
So someone, somewhere misled the British people and their parliamentary representatives. Will we ever be told the truth? Will anyone admit to leading us into a war, causing the deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians, and destroying the infrastructure of Iraq on the basis of fantasy? I'm not optimistic.
Brian Jones, a top analyst in the defence intelligence staff, described how the "shutters came down", preventing experts on chemical and biological weapons from expressing widespread disquiet about the language and assumptions in the dossier. "
So someone, somewhere misled the British people and their parliamentary representatives. Will we ever be told the truth? Will anyone admit to leading us into a war, causing the deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians, and destroying the infrastructure of Iraq on the basis of fantasy? I'm not optimistic.
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
Arundhati Roy writes on Zmag:
"Mohandas, Mandela, Martin.
India, South Africa, the United States.
Broken dreams, betrayal, nightmares.
A quick snapshot of the supposedly "Free World" today."
Read the full story. Heartbreaking stuff.
"Mohandas, Mandela, Martin.
India, South Africa, the United States.
Broken dreams, betrayal, nightmares.
A quick snapshot of the supposedly "Free World" today."
Read the full story. Heartbreaking stuff.
Ok, so I can't resist reading The Guardian. Today, George Monbiot begins a three-part report on trade:
"A new report by Oxfam, published today, shows that the poorer a nation is, the higher the rates of tax it must pay in order to export its goods. The United States imposes tariffs of between 0-1% on major imports from Britain, France, Japan and Germany, but taxes of 14 or 15% on produce from Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal. The British government does the same: Sri Lanka and Uruguay must pay eight times as much to sell their goods over here as the United States."
Does that sound fair? Do you think the poorer nations are going to come away from Cancun with a good deal?
"A new report by Oxfam, published today, shows that the poorer a nation is, the higher the rates of tax it must pay in order to export its goods. The United States imposes tariffs of between 0-1% on major imports from Britain, France, Japan and Germany, but taxes of 14 or 15% on produce from Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal. The British government does the same: Sri Lanka and Uruguay must pay eight times as much to sell their goods over here as the United States."
Does that sound fair? Do you think the poorer nations are going to come away from Cancun with a good deal?
My pc at work got a dose of the sobig blues today, so if I've ever emailed you from work, you might have it too. Anyway, work's pc isn't really my problem and the IT people are sorting it out. Later on today our server went down, leaving me twiddling my thumbs for a while. I had filing I could have done, but I pretended I didn't and sloped off a little early. All in a good cause though, because I had an old lady to visit in hospital. Kath had a stroke about 4 weeks ago. She's 88, and quite poorly. The stroke affected her right side and her speech, so we had rather a one-sided conversation. I told her about my holiday, chattered on about work and home until I couldn't think of anything else to tell her about. I've known her for about 10 years and she's always been really good to me, and shown an interest in even the dullest bits of my life.
My infected pc at work prompted me to get my home pc protected - I got rid of my anti-virus program a few weeks ago when I was having other problems with my pc - my Norton subscription was due for renewal anyway, and several people and websites suggested Norton could have been contributing to my problems. Anyway, there seem to be so many viruses around at the moment I thought I really should get sorted. So I'm downloading at the moment and thought 'what shall I do while I download?'. Can't be bothered looking for news to post, so you get a bit of general blather!
Today I bought Teenage Kicks: The Best of The Undertones, which represents a chunk of my youth, and its blasting out at me now. I went to one of The Undertone's last ever gigs - might have been THE last one, before they split up. They were on at Crystal Palace football stadium in South London in 1983, along with Peter Gabriel and The Thompson Twins. Peter Gabriel and The Undertones were excellent, but The Thompson Twins weren't really my thing. It was an anti-racism fundraiser. Ah, those teenage kicks!! But I see they are touring again now to promote this album, and they are playing at my mate Richard's club, The Cockpit, in Leeds. Richard is a friend from those early 80s punky youth days, and has done amazingly well for himself. He always was the sensible one, though you wouldn't have known it to look at him. He had black spiky hair, leather bikers jacket, tight black jeans (lovely bum), studded belts and bootstraps. He even went through a phase of an Adam Ant stripe across his nose! Back then I was a bit of a Siouxsie Sioux lookalike, with big black hair and little black skirts, fishnets and long boots. How I had the energy to go clubbing til 2am and still go to work the next day I don't know!
My infected pc at work prompted me to get my home pc protected - I got rid of my anti-virus program a few weeks ago when I was having other problems with my pc - my Norton subscription was due for renewal anyway, and several people and websites suggested Norton could have been contributing to my problems. Anyway, there seem to be so many viruses around at the moment I thought I really should get sorted. So I'm downloading at the moment and thought 'what shall I do while I download?'. Can't be bothered looking for news to post, so you get a bit of general blather!
Today I bought Teenage Kicks: The Best of The Undertones, which represents a chunk of my youth, and its blasting out at me now. I went to one of The Undertone's last ever gigs - might have been THE last one, before they split up. They were on at Crystal Palace football stadium in South London in 1983, along with Peter Gabriel and The Thompson Twins. Peter Gabriel and The Undertones were excellent, but The Thompson Twins weren't really my thing. It was an anti-racism fundraiser. Ah, those teenage kicks!! But I see they are touring again now to promote this album, and they are playing at my mate Richard's club, The Cockpit, in Leeds. Richard is a friend from those early 80s punky youth days, and has done amazingly well for himself. He always was the sensible one, though you wouldn't have known it to look at him. He had black spiky hair, leather bikers jacket, tight black jeans (lovely bum), studded belts and bootstraps. He even went through a phase of an Adam Ant stripe across his nose! Back then I was a bit of a Siouxsie Sioux lookalike, with big black hair and little black skirts, fishnets and long boots. How I had the energy to go clubbing til 2am and still go to work the next day I don't know!
This John Pilger article is a couple of weeks old, but I've got a lot of catching up to do after my holiday, so bear with me if you have already read it somewhere else:
"The "liberation" of Iraq is a cruel joke on a stricken people. The Americans and British, partners in a great recognised crime, have brought down on the Middle East, and much of the rest of the world, the prospect of terrorism and suffering on a scale that al-Qaeda could only imagine."
The article finishes with mention of a Pilger documentary to be shown on British tv on September 22nd. I'll be watching that.
"The "liberation" of Iraq is a cruel joke on a stricken people. The Americans and British, partners in a great recognised crime, have brought down on the Middle East, and much of the rest of the world, the prospect of terrorism and suffering on a scale that al-Qaeda could only imagine."
The article finishes with mention of a Pilger documentary to be shown on British tv on September 22nd. I'll be watching that.
Monday, September 01, 2003
Greenpeace are currently running a campaign to raise awareness about the World Trade Organisation and the up coming meeting in Cancun. As they explain,
"The WTO is a tool of the rich and powerful. By placing trade above all other goals, it threatens our health and the environment. Its more powerful members use arm-twisting tactics to push developing countries into making bad deals. And it's being used by corporate interests and the US to force-feed the world genetically engineered food."
There is a weblog to keep us up-to-date with the goings on. I'll put a link on the left for regular checking.
Click here to send a letter to the Argentinian and Canadian governments to object to their support of US attempts to force the European Union to accept genetically modified foods.
And click here to send your own message to the world leaders meeting in Cancun.
"The WTO is a tool of the rich and powerful. By placing trade above all other goals, it threatens our health and the environment. Its more powerful members use arm-twisting tactics to push developing countries into making bad deals. And it's being used by corporate interests and the US to force-feed the world genetically engineered food."
There is a weblog to keep us up-to-date with the goings on. I'll put a link on the left for regular checking.
Click here to send a letter to the Argentinian and Canadian governments to object to their support of US attempts to force the European Union to accept genetically modified foods.
And click here to send your own message to the world leaders meeting in Cancun.
