Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Independent Kelly death probe urged
No inquest was ever completed into the death of Dr Kelly in 2003, just days after he was identified as the source of stories questioning then prime minister Tony Blair's case for war in Iraq.
It seems that a hand and arm injury meant that the 59-year-old even 'had difficulty cutting his own steak', let alone killing himself as had been suggested by the brief inquiry organised by millionaire Tony Blair.
IMO: It also seems Kelly was a religious man, but clearly not the same religion as Tony Blair. Blair's religion actually seems to be "Greed is Good", though he did not admit this before becoming UK Prime Minister. "Greed is Good" seems to be a very common religion for UK Prime Ministers and indeed ordinary UK politicans.
It seems that a hand and arm injury meant that the 59-year-old even 'had difficulty cutting his own steak', let alone killing himself as had been suggested by the brief inquiry organised by millionaire Tony Blair.
IMO: It also seems Kelly was a religious man, but clearly not the same religion as Tony Blair. Blair's religion actually seems to be "Greed is Good", though he did not admit this before becoming UK Prime Minister. "Greed is Good" seems to be a very common religion for UK Prime Ministers and indeed ordinary UK politicans.
Only in America
When Lonnie Tinsley's 86-year-old bedridden grandmother didn't take her medicine, he called emergency services in El Reno, Oklahoma. A dozen armed officers arrived at the scene.
According to officer Duran’s official report, Mrs Vernon had taken an 'aggressive posture' in her hospital bed. In order to ensure 'officer safety', one of his men 'stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation'.
Another of the officers then shot her with a 60,000 volt taser, but the connection wasn’t solid. A second fired his 60,000 volt taser, 'striking her to the left of the midline of her upper chest, and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain', and unconsciousness. Lona was then handcuffed with sufficient ruthlessness to tear the soft flesh of her forearms, causing her to bleed. After her wounds were treated at a local hospital, Lona was confined for six days in the psychiatric ward at the insistence of the El Reno Police Department.
IMO: If a bunch of armed American coppers need to taser an old lady to get her to take her medicine, there really seems little point in sending US troops to face the Taliban. They definitely need drones.
According to officer Duran’s official report, Mrs Vernon had taken an 'aggressive posture' in her hospital bed. In order to ensure 'officer safety', one of his men 'stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation'.
Another of the officers then shot her with a 60,000 volt taser, but the connection wasn’t solid. A second fired his 60,000 volt taser, 'striking her to the left of the midline of her upper chest, and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain', and unconsciousness. Lona was then handcuffed with sufficient ruthlessness to tear the soft flesh of her forearms, causing her to bleed. After her wounds were treated at a local hospital, Lona was confined for six days in the psychiatric ward at the insistence of the El Reno Police Department.
IMO: If a bunch of armed American coppers need to taser an old lady to get her to take her medicine, there really seems little point in sending US troops to face the Taliban. They definitely need drones.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
CPI (Maoist)
Barely three months after the Dantewada massacre comes another brutal Maoist attack. 26 CRPF personnel, including an assistant commandant, fell to Maoist bullets on Tuesday (June 29).
CPI (Maoist) claim to be fighting for the rights of the tribes in the forest belt around central India. That region contains deposits of minerals which are of interest to mining companies like Tata and Essar. There have been numerous human rights violations of the tribal people at the hands of government agencies.
IMO: Current view for many is that CPI (Maoist) are real bastards and should be shot on sight. Firms like Tata are far from spotless in good behaviour but the Maoists seem to overdo responses by any reasonable standards at all.
While under detention in June 2009, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative indicated that the LeT and the CPI (Maoist) had attempted to coordinate activities in Jharkhand state.
The CPI (Maoist) maintains dialogue with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) who control most of Nepal in the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA) according to several intelligence sources and think tanks. These links are however denied by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
Latest reports indicates that the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines Southeast Asia’s longest-lived communist insurgent group—has been reported to have engaged in conducting training activities for guerrilla warfare for Indian Maoists.
Some members of the Indian government argue that operational links with China do exist, with training coming from Sri-Lankan Maoists and small-arms from China. China denies and is embarrassed by any suggestion that it supports foreign Maoist rebels, citing improvements in relations between India and China, including movement towards resolving their border disputes. Maoists in Nepal, India and the Phillipines are less reticent about their shared goals.
IMO: CPI(Maoist) seems to be a bad thing and whilst relations with China could be improved, the difficult international situation and unrest within and throughout China must be borne in mind. In fact Maoists within China may have a case, but irrespective of some bad US and internal Indian corporate behaviour, India should be currently without CPI(Maoist). Closest to the correct view is probably held by people, like Didi (Mamata Banerjee), who far from being an extremist as the Marxist liars are prone to claim, is apparently a friend of Sonia Gandhi ! And there is no need to kill innocent people for a rather vague and self-centred view like CPI(Maoist) do, whatever fancy platform they try to put forward. Their attempted association with the Taliban is bad enough.
CPI (Maoist) claim to be fighting for the rights of the tribes in the forest belt around central India. That region contains deposits of minerals which are of interest to mining companies like Tata and Essar. There have been numerous human rights violations of the tribal people at the hands of government agencies.
IMO: Current view for many is that CPI (Maoist) are real bastards and should be shot on sight. Firms like Tata are far from spotless in good behaviour but the Maoists seem to overdo responses by any reasonable standards at all.
While under detention in June 2009, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative indicated that the LeT and the CPI (Maoist) had attempted to coordinate activities in Jharkhand state.
The CPI (Maoist) maintains dialogue with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) who control most of Nepal in the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA) according to several intelligence sources and think tanks. These links are however denied by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
Latest reports indicates that the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines Southeast Asia’s longest-lived communist insurgent group—has been reported to have engaged in conducting training activities for guerrilla warfare for Indian Maoists.
Some members of the Indian government argue that operational links with China do exist, with training coming from Sri-Lankan Maoists and small-arms from China. China denies and is embarrassed by any suggestion that it supports foreign Maoist rebels, citing improvements in relations between India and China, including movement towards resolving their border disputes. Maoists in Nepal, India and the Phillipines are less reticent about their shared goals.
IMO: CPI(Maoist) seems to be a bad thing and whilst relations with China could be improved, the difficult international situation and unrest within and throughout China must be borne in mind. In fact Maoists within China may have a case, but irrespective of some bad US and internal Indian corporate behaviour, India should be currently without CPI(Maoist). Closest to the correct view is probably held by people, like Didi (Mamata Banerjee), who far from being an extremist as the Marxist liars are prone to claim, is apparently a friend of Sonia Gandhi ! And there is no need to kill innocent people for a rather vague and self-centred view like CPI(Maoist) do, whatever fancy platform they try to put forward. Their attempted association with the Taliban is bad enough.
How many Americans are targeted for assassination?
Some people do not like the idea that McChrystal should have been fragged, but the Washington Times' Eli Lake has an interview with Obama's top Terrorism adviser John Brennan in which Brennan strongly suggests that the number of U.S. citizens targeted for assassination could actually be "dozens".
The Washington Times seems to claim that the Obama administration has adopted the core Terrorism policies of Bush/Cheney - that is "kill US citizens if we do not care for their views". Long article in Salon about this. The article even ends saying "is it time yet to have a debate about whether we think the President should be able to exercise a power like this?"
IMO: So we are left with the puzzle, that if that is Obama's policy (not just the administration's) then why was McChrystal NOT fragged ?
The Washington Times seems to claim that the Obama administration has adopted the core Terrorism policies of Bush/Cheney - that is "kill US citizens if we do not care for their views". Long article in Salon about this. The article even ends saying "is it time yet to have a debate about whether we think the President should be able to exercise a power like this?"
IMO: So we are left with the puzzle, that if that is Obama's policy (not just the administration's) then why was McChrystal NOT fragged ?
Afghanistan
CIA Director Leon Panetta said there may be fewer than 50 al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan, with "no question" that most of the terrorist network is operating from the western tribal region of Pakistan.
IMO: Quite likely. So the US should do something about it, and not just allow US, UK, and EU soldiers to die needlessly.
IMO: Quite likely. So the US should do something about it, and not just allow US, UK, and EU soldiers to die needlessly.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Bomb Pakistan back to stone ages
Pakistan is exploiting the troubled United States military effort in Afghanistan to drive home a political settlement with Afghanistan that would give Pakistan important influence there but is likely to undermine United States interests, Pakistani and American officials said. The dismissal of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal will almost certainly embolden the Pakistanis in their plan as they detect increasing American uncertainty, Pakistani officials said.
IMO: Intensive area bombing of Pakistan with US drones may be the only answer for US security. The immediate problem has been with US Republicans who had manoevred Obama into an otherwise untenable position. Taliban has been supported by failed state Pakistan since the outset of US involvement and the US should act before another 500,000 deaths occur in Afghanistan, leaving the US corruption and incompetence evident to all. Bush's threat to bomb Pakistan back to the stone ages now is possibly the only real solution. McChrystal should have been fragged when he was in Afghanistan - that sort of thing was frequently done in Vietnam and even in Iraq - but basically he was only a self-centred tool.
IMO: Intensive area bombing of Pakistan with US drones may be the only answer for US security. The immediate problem has been with US Republicans who had manoevred Obama into an otherwise untenable position. Taliban has been supported by failed state Pakistan since the outset of US involvement and the US should act before another 500,000 deaths occur in Afghanistan, leaving the US corruption and incompetence evident to all. Bush's threat to bomb Pakistan back to the stone ages now is possibly the only real solution. McChrystal should have been fragged when he was in Afghanistan - that sort of thing was frequently done in Vietnam and even in Iraq - but basically he was only a self-centred tool.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
New answer for UK football followers and UK ConDemn politicians
Dr. Sonnet Ehlers has invented Rape-axe, a female device with jagged hooks that latch onto a man's penis during penetration. The doctor is distributing 30,000 of these condoms in South Africa during this year's World Cup. South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world, according to Human Rights Watch. It is also believed that 16 percent of the population is living with HIV. "It hurts," Ehlers told CNN. "He cannot pee and walk when it's on. If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter." Rape-axe is inserted like a tampon and when embedded to a man the device can only be removed by a doctor.
Better still, the new US version will only be removable by a doctor, together with the offending organ. Indeed, it would probably work on members of the Texas Republican party.
India leads, the world should follow.
The Indian leader, Manmahon Singh, told the rest of the world to follow India’s example when it comes to economic policy. He urged industrial countries not to exit fiscal stimulus either in a hurry or altogether, because, at the present moment, “we have a much greater risk of deflation than of inflation”. Contractionary policies, if followed by many industrialised countries simultaneously, could provoke a double-dip recession.
Canada now becomes India's ninth civil nuclear energy partner
Thus far, India had civil atomic energy pacts with eighth countries, led by the US. The other countries are France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Namibia and Britain.
According to data available with atomic energy department, India currently has 19 nuclear reactors at six locations, all operated by the state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India, with a capacity to produce 4,560 MW of electricity. The plan is to quadruple this capacity to 21,180 MW by 2020, taking the share of nuclear energy in India's total installed electricity-generation capacity of around 150,000 MW, from around 3 percent to a little over 10 percent.
Four out of India's 129 reactors are at Tarapur in Maharashtra with a capacity of 1,400 MW. Six are at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan with 1,180 MW, three at Kaiga in Karnataka with 660 MW and two each at Naroda in Uttar Pradesh, Kakrapar in Gujarat and Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, with 1,320 MW. These apart, six new reactors are also under construction, some at advanced stages, with a capacity of 2,720 MW. These are two at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu with 2,000 MW, one at Kalpakkam with 500 MW and one at Kaiga with 220 MW.
IMO: Backward countries like the UK may not yet take note of Manmohan Singh, but if current backward Condemn policies in the UK allow it to fall to the level of the (EU) PIGS (or indeed the PIGSHIT) nations, then the penny may drop. Depriving the poor and the elderly in the UK, so that the "duckpond and moat" brigade can have 'blue plate' champagne celebrations at £450.00 a head, directly or indirectly from company or state funds, will not do. According to the media, most people seem to regard all UK politicians as lying frauds, and these politicians would do well to improve matters or face prison, like Joe Kagan and Rudy Sternberg had to do, and which so many of them doubtless deserve. The continued UK official policy to be "economical with the truth", as even Sir William Armstrong admitted, will not do.
Canada now becomes India's ninth civil nuclear energy partner
Thus far, India had civil atomic energy pacts with eighth countries, led by the US. The other countries are France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Namibia and Britain.
According to data available with atomic energy department, India currently has 19 nuclear reactors at six locations, all operated by the state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India, with a capacity to produce 4,560 MW of electricity. The plan is to quadruple this capacity to 21,180 MW by 2020, taking the share of nuclear energy in India's total installed electricity-generation capacity of around 150,000 MW, from around 3 percent to a little over 10 percent.
Four out of India's 129 reactors are at Tarapur in Maharashtra with a capacity of 1,400 MW. Six are at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan with 1,180 MW, three at Kaiga in Karnataka with 660 MW and two each at Naroda in Uttar Pradesh, Kakrapar in Gujarat and Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, with 1,320 MW. These apart, six new reactors are also under construction, some at advanced stages, with a capacity of 2,720 MW. These are two at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu with 2,000 MW, one at Kalpakkam with 500 MW and one at Kaiga with 220 MW.
IMO: Backward countries like the UK may not yet take note of Manmohan Singh, but if current backward Condemn policies in the UK allow it to fall to the level of the (EU) PIGS (or indeed the PIGSHIT) nations, then the penny may drop. Depriving the poor and the elderly in the UK, so that the "duckpond and moat" brigade can have 'blue plate' champagne celebrations at £450.00 a head, directly or indirectly from company or state funds, will not do. According to the media, most people seem to regard all UK politicians as lying frauds, and these politicians would do well to improve matters or face prison, like Joe Kagan and Rudy Sternberg had to do, and which so many of them doubtless deserve. The continued UK official policy to be "economical with the truth", as even Sir William Armstrong admitted, will not do.
Texas Republicans produce bizarre political platform
As this is not a blog for smut, I simply refer here to description and comment. But in the UK, we have recently had ConDemn politician Huhne who for unknown (to me) reasons left his wife of 26 years for another woman, who appears to be a bisexual punk who has apparently now left her girlfriend "heartbroken", whilst Huhne's own actual wife is reasonably attractive and seems OK but is naturally pretty unhappy about things.
These things happen, but it seems that Huhne has consistently publically supported Christian moral values in a very strong way for many years. Indeed Huhne was very recently pictured with his family in some of his election literature and he also had given an interview in which he said he would never leave his wife. He tried to promote a reputation as a squeaky-clean family man who wooed voters with photographs plucked from his family album
IMO: It seems to me that both Huhne and the Texas Republicans have not fully realised that in the modern age, this kind of dirty washing eventually comes out very quickly in public. Indeed, it has already made over a billion dollars for notorious "Dirty Digger" Rupert, for example. But if there is a moral, it is perhaps that those in public life who promote moral values must live up to them as well, not a bad idea. And it would appear that neither Huhne nor Texas Republicans do so.
These things happen, but it seems that Huhne has consistently publically supported Christian moral values in a very strong way for many years. Indeed Huhne was very recently pictured with his family in some of his election literature and he also had given an interview in which he said he would never leave his wife. He tried to promote a reputation as a squeaky-clean family man who wooed voters with photographs plucked from his family album
IMO: It seems to me that both Huhne and the Texas Republicans have not fully realised that in the modern age, this kind of dirty washing eventually comes out very quickly in public. Indeed, it has already made over a billion dollars for notorious "Dirty Digger" Rupert, for example. But if there is a moral, it is perhaps that those in public life who promote moral values must live up to them as well, not a bad idea. And it would appear that neither Huhne nor Texas Republicans do so.
Friday, June 25, 2010
HorseBoy found on Google Streetview
Video can be found on CNN here. CNN say "It is the body of a man. It is the head of a horse. They are on the very same being. You try and tell me that this not something from out there, rather than in here". But the real cause is said to be the newly discovered Pinnochio virus.
IMO: But surely such creatures are already quite common, as far up North as Aberdeen. And if politicians here in London catch the new "Pinnochio virus", then all the Westminster MPs will presumably be completely transmogrified into pigs. From Guido Fawkes's comments, the process seems to be well under way.
IMO: But surely such creatures are already quite common, as far up North as Aberdeen. And if politicians here in London catch the new "Pinnochio virus", then all the Westminster MPs will presumably be completely transmogrified into pigs. From Guido Fawkes's comments, the process seems to be well under way.
Prince Charles
The UK Guardian says "A high court judge today dealt an unprecedented blow to the Prince of Wales's ability to interfere in public life by describing his opposition to a major planning application in London as "unexpected and unwelcome"."
Seems that this problem arises from emails by Prince Charles to a Quatar firm leaked by a p.r. man working for the Quatar firm who subsequently took employment for a UK firm, apparently run by wealthy playboys, and then (hopefully) stood to make an £80,000 profit from leaking Prince Charles's emails.
These emails also seem to have been leaked to the Guardian newspaper who published these matters but did not mention details of the background, later revealed by Private Eye.
Justice Vos found that Qatari Diar, a property development company wholly owned by Qatar's royal family, changed its plans for the prime London site as a result of the prince's direct complaint to the emir that he did not like the designs by the firm of Lord Rogers, a leading modernist architect with whom he has clashed on several occasions.
IMO: By now all these characters, including the Guardian newspaper seem hell bent on personal profit, pushing any other motives aside. It also seems that Vos said "it would be “commendable” if the two sides “even at this late stage” started to work together to achieve planning permission". It is frequently the case when potentially profitable property deals are involved, that there is such high drama. Anybody who has been to the Gulf and sees the way foreign workers are treated out there, can perhaps be inclined to feel this matter more keenly.
Seems that this problem arises from emails by Prince Charles to a Quatar firm leaked by a p.r. man working for the Quatar firm who subsequently took employment for a UK firm, apparently run by wealthy playboys, and then (hopefully) stood to make an £80,000 profit from leaking Prince Charles's emails.
These emails also seem to have been leaked to the Guardian newspaper who published these matters but did not mention details of the background, later revealed by Private Eye.
Justice Vos found that Qatari Diar, a property development company wholly owned by Qatar's royal family, changed its plans for the prime London site as a result of the prince's direct complaint to the emir that he did not like the designs by the firm of Lord Rogers, a leading modernist architect with whom he has clashed on several occasions.
IMO: By now all these characters, including the Guardian newspaper seem hell bent on personal profit, pushing any other motives aside. It also seems that Vos said "it would be “commendable” if the two sides “even at this late stage” started to work together to achieve planning permission". It is frequently the case when potentially profitable property deals are involved, that there is such high drama. Anybody who has been to the Gulf and sees the way foreign workers are treated out there, can perhaps be inclined to feel this matter more keenly.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Australia mining
Rudd’s popularity plunged after criticism from mining companies including Melbourne-based BHP Billiton Ltd. and London-based Rio Tinto Group over plans to impose a 40 percent levy on mining profits from 2012. Julia Gillard, who took over from Rudd, said today she was “throwing open the government’s door” to negotiate with the mining industry.
IMO: Hmm, Ben Chifley would certainly not have put up with BHP the way the present Labor Party are doing. But perhaps more importantly, a lot more minerals are now being sold, with little profit to average Australians who perhaps do not realise just how much of Australia's mineral wealth is being sold off, somewhat like "Pig Iron Bob" did in the late 1930s. I can see that Rudd has been a difficult person for many to deal with, and that some compromises may now be made, but hopefully more along the lines of saving face than anything else. China does not seem to object either, and indeed why should it - they even put some of those BP types from the big mining companies in jail recently, and many still bear in mind the thoughts of Chairman Mao, certainly not always wrong..
IMO: Hmm, Ben Chifley would certainly not have put up with BHP the way the present Labor Party are doing. But perhaps more importantly, a lot more minerals are now being sold, with little profit to average Australians who perhaps do not realise just how much of Australia's mineral wealth is being sold off, somewhat like "Pig Iron Bob" did in the late 1930s. I can see that Rudd has been a difficult person for many to deal with, and that some compromises may now be made, but hopefully more along the lines of saving face than anything else. China does not seem to object either, and indeed why should it - they even put some of those BP types from the big mining companies in jail recently, and many still bear in mind the thoughts of Chairman Mao, certainly not always wrong..
Obama
re Petraeus, 'This is a change in personnel, but it is not a change in policy,' Obama said.
And in Pakistan, yesterday, the state-run 'China Daily' said Beijing is likely to go ahead with its decision to "finance" the construction of two 650 MW nuclear power plants in Pakistan disregarding the concerns raised by India and the United States. Neither Pakistan nor Iran appears intimidated by the US's increasingly tough attempts to crack down on Iran for its alleged ambitions to build a nuclear bomb, and demonstrates the limits on American power.
IMO: In the longer run, if the US wants to survive, heavy drone bombing of Pakistan at least is likely to be essential. Obama is almost in the same position as Chamberlain was before WW2, and arrangements to provide a lot of drones - when necessary - to the Afghanistan/Pakistan area are essential. Right now, as I have frequently mentioned here, in principle India has better fighters and missiles than USA in the area but cannot waste public money on that kind of thing. USA will have to defend itself so Indians do not starve more than they have to. And India has the Maoist terrorists to worry about. The Israelis, with the help of the Saudis, may hold down the Iran end of things UTAP. Obviously, many things about Israel could look ugly but hardly worse than usual.
And in Pakistan, yesterday, the state-run 'China Daily' said Beijing is likely to go ahead with its decision to "finance" the construction of two 650 MW nuclear power plants in Pakistan disregarding the concerns raised by India and the United States. Neither Pakistan nor Iran appears intimidated by the US's increasingly tough attempts to crack down on Iran for its alleged ambitions to build a nuclear bomb, and demonstrates the limits on American power.
IMO: In the longer run, if the US wants to survive, heavy drone bombing of Pakistan at least is likely to be essential. Obama is almost in the same position as Chamberlain was before WW2, and arrangements to provide a lot of drones - when necessary - to the Afghanistan/Pakistan area are essential. Right now, as I have frequently mentioned here, in principle India has better fighters and missiles than USA in the area but cannot waste public money on that kind of thing. USA will have to defend itself so Indians do not starve more than they have to. And India has the Maoist terrorists to worry about. The Israelis, with the help of the Saudis, may hold down the Iran end of things UTAP. Obviously, many things about Israel could look ugly but hardly worse than usual.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Petraeus
As the man credited with turning round the conflict in Iraq when it was at its most desperate, the decision to send Petraeus to take command of 120,000 US and allied troops in Afghanistan could be seen as an inspired choice.
That is, if the media are not still making up lies about this vital issue. This time I looked up the Guardian, dodgy at best, which even this week's "Private Eye" seems make it clear is hardly to be trusted any more, partly because of greedy admin type staff. But at least they are probably telling facts here.
IMO: Petraeus may be OK at least for the moment. He seems to be a nice fellow but has some health problems. And I hope he is not annoyed too much by that useless turd McCain.
That is, if the media are not still making up lies about this vital issue. This time I looked up the Guardian, dodgy at best, which even this week's "Private Eye" seems make it clear is hardly to be trusted any more, partly because of greedy admin type staff. But at least they are probably telling facts here.
IMO: Petraeus may be OK at least for the moment. He seems to be a nice fellow but has some health problems. And I hope he is not annoyed too much by that useless turd McCain.
General McKiernan
McKiernan says "I think what I would ask the American public to do is to continue to support their men and women in uniform here in Afghanistan. They're working at places like altitudes of 12 to 16 thousand feed above sea level in the east. They're working in very harsh desert conditions in the south and the southwestern part of this country. They're working in a very hostile, complex environment and I would simply ask the American public to continue to support the efforts and the resources needed to support the soldiers, airman, sailors and marines that are operating here in Afghanistan. I believe we are being successful. I believe success can be measured in terms of time and milestones, and the more we commit internationally to this Afghanistan problem, the faster we'll get to winning it. Winning it is all about, as I said, a viable Afghan government, and it's hard. Make no mistake about it. So I just simply ask the American people to continue to support their servicemen". ... and a lot more
IMO: Obama has taken one reasonable course - out of several - at this time and so far McKiernan sounds a sensible choice for the moment. He did a good interview, anyway. Let us hope for the best.
Added a few mins later: Now they say it is Petraeus. Also seems OK, but I wish the newspapers would not simply make it all up.
IMO: Obama has taken one reasonable course - out of several - at this time and so far McKiernan sounds a sensible choice for the moment. He did a good interview, anyway. Let us hope for the best.
Added a few mins later: Now they say it is Petraeus. Also seems OK, but I wish the newspapers would not simply make it all up.
McChrystal
The key to rolling back the Taliban’s influence in Afghanistan was to make it irrelevant or discredited in the eyes of Afghan civilians. Clearly this makes McChrystal's attitude unacceptable. You really would think that someone with his reponsibilities could have kept his mouth shut.
Petraeus wouldn't have behaved that way at that time.
It's been clear for a long that McChrystal was an insubordinate, power-hungry general who sees Afghanistan as the place to prove himself and his theories right, and everyone else wrong.
IMO: It is rather a pity that these people are so self-serving. Truman sacked McArthur because he had done deals behind his back. Karzai gives such a good testimony of McChrystal that we have to draw our own conclusions. I hold no brief for Obama, but some Republican leaders have continually acted unpatriotically and wrongly so as to try to back him into a corner. The intelligensia must still have some respect for Obama who probably needs it. As I say, perhaps with drones and a much dirtier war that McChrystal can stomach
Petraeus wouldn't have behaved that way at that time.
It's been clear for a long that McChrystal was an insubordinate, power-hungry general who sees Afghanistan as the place to prove himself and his theories right, and everyone else wrong.
IMO: It is rather a pity that these people are so self-serving. Truman sacked McArthur because he had done deals behind his back. Karzai gives such a good testimony of McChrystal that we have to draw our own conclusions. I hold no brief for Obama, but some Republican leaders have continually acted unpatriotically and wrongly so as to try to back him into a corner. The intelligensia must still have some respect for Obama who probably needs it. As I say, perhaps with drones and a much dirtier war that McChrystal can stomach
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Gen. Stanley McChrystal may be fired.
Apparently because he wrote for "Rolling Stone", full transcript here.
Roughly, conservative pundits are itching for Obama to fire McChrystal, hoping for a return to the kicking-ass, burn-the-village aggressive posture that was the signature of the neglected Afghan campaign under the Bush Administration.
But in fact according to "Time" magazine McChrystal actually said earlier to soldiers complaining that unarmed insurgents are assumed to be civilians: "That's the way this game is. It's complex. I can't just decide: It's shirts and skins, and we'll kill all the shirts".
IMO: In actual fact a much stronger policy may be needed, the surge seems to be failing. There may be a better approach than has occurred to me, I suppose I hope so, but they have not found it yet.
Roughly, conservative pundits are itching for Obama to fire McChrystal, hoping for a return to the kicking-ass, burn-the-village aggressive posture that was the signature of the neglected Afghan campaign under the Bush Administration.
But in fact according to "Time" magazine McChrystal actually said earlier to soldiers complaining that unarmed insurgents are assumed to be civilians: "That's the way this game is. It's complex. I can't just decide: It's shirts and skins, and we'll kill all the shirts".
IMO: In actual fact a much stronger policy may be needed, the surge seems to be failing. There may be a better approach than has occurred to me, I suppose I hope so, but they have not found it yet.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Pakistan still backing anti-India terror groups: US study
The rising number of Pakistan linked terrorist plots in the United States largely stem from Islamabad's continued support to some anti-India extremist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, blamed for the Mumbai terror attack, a new study concludes. "The country's acquisition of nuclear weapons emboldened its support to militant groups by dampening concerns of retaliation by India," says the report released Monday by the RAND Corp. a non-profit study group frequently hired by the Pentagon. The report was released after more details on the latest known attempted Pakistani NY Times Square bombing were given out.
IMO: Never mind India, next Pakistani threat may be to use nuclear bombs on London or New York. During G.W. Bush's presidency it was seriously suggested that Pakistan should be 'bombed back to the stone ages'. UK has already lost a lot of troops in Afghanistan, 300 that we know of, and the terrorists are obviously using Pakistan as a safe haven. Maybe it is not necessary - yet - to bomb Afghanistan and Pakistan back to the stone ages, but use of much - very much - more drone activity and very minatory negotiations indeed might save US and UK personnel.
IMO: Never mind India, next Pakistani threat may be to use nuclear bombs on London or New York. During G.W. Bush's presidency it was seriously suggested that Pakistan should be 'bombed back to the stone ages'. UK has already lost a lot of troops in Afghanistan, 300 that we know of, and the terrorists are obviously using Pakistan as a safe haven. Maybe it is not necessary - yet - to bomb Afghanistan and Pakistan back to the stone ages, but use of much - very much - more drone activity and very minatory negotiations indeed might save US and UK personnel.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
NOT SO PRETTY PIGS
On June 14th Moody's downgraded Greece's government bond ratings by four notches to Ba1 from A3. We expect to see more downgrades of PIGS countries in the not so distant future. Greece is junk
The PIGS countries got used to low borrowing costs. They splurged the cheap money on housing in excess of their needs and welfare without backing it with hard work. Unfortunately, there cannot be any quick fix solution to the issue. Bailouts, write offs and interest rate hikes will all have side effects of their own. The problem is structural. Hence, we expect the problem to linger on a bit.
German and French banks hold 61% of the “PIGS” countries’ debts (Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece). So, It’s the German and French banks who mainly stand at risk.
And, of course, Hungary has now moved from low-risk to higher-risk within a category that was already seen as above-average-risk by most institutional investors. Italy is said soon to be joining the PIGS to give us PIIGS.
IMO: Just as well Turkey is not likely to join the EU at the moment or we would certainly soon have PIGSHIT .
The PIGS countries got used to low borrowing costs. They splurged the cheap money on housing in excess of their needs and welfare without backing it with hard work. Unfortunately, there cannot be any quick fix solution to the issue. Bailouts, write offs and interest rate hikes will all have side effects of their own. The problem is structural. Hence, we expect the problem to linger on a bit.
German and French banks hold 61% of the “PIGS” countries’ debts (Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece). So, It’s the German and French banks who mainly stand at risk.
And, of course, Hungary has now moved from low-risk to higher-risk within a category that was already seen as above-average-risk by most institutional investors. Italy is said soon to be joining the PIGS to give us PIIGS.
IMO: Just as well Turkey is not likely to join the EU at the moment or we would certainly soon have PIGSHIT .
Friday, June 18, 2010
Obama on BP
Rather poor Hitler imitation here but it unfortunately shows the way most people (at least outside USA) may view Obama, certainly this may be the case if you work for BP. i.e., Obama and Hitler are much the same, but Hitler was smarter.
IMO: The whole BP matter, bearing in mind the way oil companies routinely behave away from the US mainland, leaves one with a sour feeling towards the USA. A minor bright spot is that, eventually, the general US public may realise that they must consider others as well as themselves, for mutual relevance and their own personal dignity and self-identification. But that is very doubtful.
IMO: The whole BP matter, bearing in mind the way oil companies routinely behave away from the US mainland, leaves one with a sour feeling towards the USA. A minor bright spot is that, eventually, the general US public may realise that they must consider others as well as themselves, for mutual relevance and their own personal dignity and self-identification. But that is very doubtful.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Diane Abbott again
Comments made on BBC Newsnight by Diane Abbott
On civil liberties, Diane Abbott says it is "tragic" that Labour has handed the issue to the Tories - ID cards were wrong, she says.
Diane Abbott says the DNA database idea is anything but "liberating" (as some claim) - young black boys in her Hackney constituency who are repeatedly stopped by police do not see it as liberating, for example. And she thinks the state should be bigger in some areas. Labour should look at a "wealth tax" before people start cutting jobs.
DIANE ABBOTT WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE CONTENDERS WHO MARCHED AGAINST THE IRAQ WAR.
Diane Abbott - who did not nominate Gordon Brown for leader in 2007 - says some of those who did were quick to "stab him in the back" when things went wrong
Diane Abbott says she's been an MP twice as long as some rivals - four times as long as the two Eds, who were only elected in 2005. She became an MP in 1987.
She says she is the "turn the page candidate" who has stood up on the big issues - like the Iraq war.
Diane Abbott backs John Smith as greatest PM
IMO: Yes ! (probably). But we can hope Diane Abbott may become greatest PM. She has already been on US TV (ABC News, as Britain's first black woman MP) and could maybe appear with Barack Obama to give him some positive, useful advice as she has been in politics longer than he has and should be the obvious UK PM designate. Maybe they could discuss Africa and pollution, etc. That sort of idea could be taken as a bit lefthanded but sounds fair to me.
On civil liberties, Diane Abbott says it is "tragic" that Labour has handed the issue to the Tories - ID cards were wrong, she says.
Diane Abbott says the DNA database idea is anything but "liberating" (as some claim) - young black boys in her Hackney constituency who are repeatedly stopped by police do not see it as liberating, for example. And she thinks the state should be bigger in some areas. Labour should look at a "wealth tax" before people start cutting jobs.
DIANE ABBOTT WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE CONTENDERS WHO MARCHED AGAINST THE IRAQ WAR.
Diane Abbott - who did not nominate Gordon Brown for leader in 2007 - says some of those who did were quick to "stab him in the back" when things went wrong
Diane Abbott says she's been an MP twice as long as some rivals - four times as long as the two Eds, who were only elected in 2005. She became an MP in 1987.
She says she is the "turn the page candidate" who has stood up on the big issues - like the Iraq war.
Diane Abbott backs John Smith as greatest PM
IMO: Yes ! (probably). But we can hope Diane Abbott may become greatest PM. She has already been on US TV (ABC News, as Britain's first black woman MP) and could maybe appear with Barack Obama to give him some positive, useful advice as she has been in politics longer than he has and should be the obvious UK PM designate. Maybe they could discuss Africa and pollution, etc. That sort of idea could be taken as a bit lefthanded but sounds fair to me.
Monday, June 14, 2010
World pollution problems
With 606 oilfields, the Niger delta supplies 40% of all the crude the United States imports and is the world capital of oil pollution
Imagine BP's Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil disaster happening every single year, with little or no public outcry, no media coverage, and all but silence from government and the companies involved. Welcome to Nigeria.
Over the last 50 years, foreign oil companies have spilled over 1.5 million tons of oil in Nigeria, but there have been no legal convictions against them, and no compensation for spill victims.
IMO: Overall the US wants to get cheap oil and could care less about the polluting results - as long as people other than Americans suffer. Now we have to consider what result the new Chinese-processed lithium and rare earth mining will produce in Afghanistan - mostly for export to USA. If one were an Afghan, one could well decide one preferred the Taliban to the US and Chinese capitalists. Already many Nigerians literally consider their oil a curse and not a blessing, only a small step for most of the world to consider the US as the 'Great Satan'. Obama may have to use 'gunboat diplomacy' and the use of nuclear weapons and worse to retain the status of the US, and most assuredly most US presidents would have been prepared to do that. One would have hoped that someone with Obama's provenance would have behaved better.
Imagine BP's Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil disaster happening every single year, with little or no public outcry, no media coverage, and all but silence from government and the companies involved. Welcome to Nigeria.
Over the last 50 years, foreign oil companies have spilled over 1.5 million tons of oil in Nigeria, but there have been no legal convictions against them, and no compensation for spill victims.
IMO: Overall the US wants to get cheap oil and could care less about the polluting results - as long as people other than Americans suffer. Now we have to consider what result the new Chinese-processed lithium and rare earth mining will produce in Afghanistan - mostly for export to USA. If one were an Afghan, one could well decide one preferred the Taliban to the US and Chinese capitalists. Already many Nigerians literally consider their oil a curse and not a blessing, only a small step for most of the world to consider the US as the 'Great Satan'. Obama may have to use 'gunboat diplomacy' and the use of nuclear weapons and worse to retain the status of the US, and most assuredly most US presidents would have been prepared to do that. One would have hoped that someone with Obama's provenance would have behaved better.
Afghanistan may be one of the richest countries on earth
"There is stunning potential here," General David Petraeus said. It seems Afghanistan has nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits, according to a US study.
China and India have bid for contracts to develop Afghan mines, with the Chinese winning a huge copper contract. An iron-ore contract is due to be awarded later this year.
IMO: Let us hope it benefits the Afghans who live there.
China and India have bid for contracts to develop Afghan mines, with the Chinese winning a huge copper contract. An iron-ore contract is due to be awarded later this year.
IMO: Let us hope it benefits the Afghans who live there.
Peer review redux
According to an article in the highly reputable PLoS One "The results of our analysis suggest that reviewers agree on the disposition of manuscripts – accept or reject – at a rate barely exceeding what would be expected by chance. Nevertheless, editors' decisions appear to be significantly influenced by reviewer recommendations."
Or, in layman's terms, peer review is total crap, and the UK give half a billion dollars to highly profitable firms on the basis of peer review, i.e. total crap .
IMO: The UK could economise but presumably will do so by starving pensioners and closing libraries rather than reducing payola to the Tories' pals, and to the logrolling University Vice Chancellors. I agree that there is some truth in that comment in the PLoS article - and journals like"Medical Hypotheses" also give us much pause for thought, for example. The PLoS article authors of course do tend to back off a little within their article. But UK Universities could save a lot of money in the long term by considering the article at length.
Or, in layman's terms, peer review is total crap, and the UK give half a billion dollars to highly profitable firms on the basis of peer review, i.e. total crap .
IMO: The UK could economise but presumably will do so by starving pensioners and closing libraries rather than reducing payola to the Tories' pals, and to the logrolling University Vice Chancellors. I agree that there is some truth in that comment in the PLoS article - and journals like"Medical Hypotheses" also give us much pause for thought, for example. The PLoS article authors of course do tend to back off a little within their article. But UK Universities could save a lot of money in the long term by considering the article at length.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
UK Peer review alone subsidises commercial science journals £210 million a year
The Open University's Martin Weller looks at the Peer Review Survey 2009's numbers on free participation by UK academics in the peer review process for commercial science journals and concludes that 10.4m hours spent on this amounts to a £209,976,000 subsidy from publicly funded universities to private, for-profit journals, who then charge small fortunes to the same institutions for access to the journals.
IMO: John Baez points out "University of California is considering a system-wide boycott of the Nature Publishing Group — for example, cancelling subscriptions to all their journals". That is since Nature recently raised the cost of its 67 journals to more than anyone can reasonably pay. £210 million looks enough to be worth the UK Government to save, e.g. by persuading Unis against peer review of commercial journals. But it would be better done by Union or University action. I believe University of California may be already considering some such action.
IMO: John Baez points out "University of California is considering a system-wide boycott of the Nature Publishing Group — for example, cancelling subscriptions to all their journals". That is since Nature recently raised the cost of its 67 journals to more than anyone can reasonably pay. £210 million looks enough to be worth the UK Government to save, e.g. by persuading Unis against peer review of commercial journals. But it would be better done by Union or University action. I believe University of California may be already considering some such action.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
BP meeting of Obama and Cameron
BP meeting of Obama and Cameron
Obama and Cameron agreed to make a bet on last night’s World Cup match between England and the USA, with the loser buying the winner a pint of their national beer.
IMO: These characters go beyond a joke. It is loony populism gone mad. And the general public have to pay for the banking errors, the global warming and the badly managed energy policies, never mind the way in which both UK and USA are deeply indebted to the third world and the developing economies.
Obama and Cameron agreed to make a bet on last night’s World Cup match between England and the USA, with the loser buying the winner a pint of their national beer.
IMO: These characters go beyond a joke. It is loony populism gone mad. And the general public have to pay for the banking errors, the global warming and the badly managed energy policies, never mind the way in which both UK and USA are deeply indebted to the third world and the developing economies.
Saudis may allow Israeli fighters to overfly to strike Iran
Saudi Arabia has carried out tests to stand down its air defences to allow Israeli fighters to make bombing runs on Iran's nuclear sites. "The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way," it was reported, quoting US sources in the Middle-East.
This won't be the first time that Israeli fighters have overflown Saudi air space to strike. On June 7, 1981, Israeli air force F-16 fighting falcons flew over the kingdom to strike and destroy the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak.
This won't be the first time that Israeli fighters have overflown Saudi air space to strike. On June 7, 1981, Israeli air force F-16 fighting falcons flew over the kingdom to strike and destroy the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Gotcha !!
UK MPs David Chaytor, Elliot Morley, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield to face trial for expenses fraud.
IMO: There are many more MPs who should face prison sentences. It is in the public interest for these people to be made to realise that MPs are not above the laws.
IMO: There are many more MPs who should face prison sentences. It is in the public interest for these people to be made to realise that MPs are not above the laws.
BP and the current oil leak
The crew of the drill rig Deepwater Horizon may have been overworked and short of key personnel before the explosion that unleashed the worst oil spill in U.S. history, a leading Democratic congressman suggested Tuesday. Payroll records show that 20 crewmen -- including seven of the 11 who died on the rig -- had worked a 24-hour shift six days before the explosion.
So it does look, for this and other reasons, as if Transocean, the drilling contractor, was to blame and not the frequently criticised BP.
IMO: So the Americans are now making their own people work like Chinese cocklepickers. And by putting the blame on BP and trying to penalise them by forcing them to pay no dividend, they are trying to make UK pensioners, who sometimes normally barely survive by living off their BP dividends, die like the Dow Chemical Bhopal victims. At least India tried to get Warren Anderson back to face trial. I wonder if the UK will eventually have to get Barack Obama extradited for a murder trial of thousands of pensioners - if the US ever agrees an honest extradition treaty.
So it does look, for this and other reasons, as if Transocean, the drilling contractor, was to blame and not the frequently criticised BP.
IMO: So the Americans are now making their own people work like Chinese cocklepickers. And by putting the blame on BP and trying to penalise them by forcing them to pay no dividend, they are trying to make UK pensioners, who sometimes normally barely survive by living off their BP dividends, die like the Dow Chemical Bhopal victims. At least India tried to get Warren Anderson back to face trial. I wonder if the UK will eventually have to get Barack Obama extradited for a murder trial of thousands of pensioners - if the US ever agrees an honest extradition treaty.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott, 56 - elected as Britain's first black woman MP in 1987 - only made it into the Labour leadership contest when Mr Miliband and half a dozen of his supporters signed her nomination papers to make sure of a wide choice for the electorate.
IMO: Well let us hope Diane Abbott gets made Labor leader. Right now it is a pretty hot seat and Balls would probably rather wait awhile. Diane Abbott is definitely the best of the bunch at Westminster, I think, particularly bearing in mind such characters as the incredible Laws, former director of a firm fined the top amount (£33 million) for bank fraud in the UK. UK politicans are incredibly corrupt. And as the pink Financial Times says "If there is one person where British politics, business, academia and busines meet, it is Lady Hogg", who was recently incredibly put in charge of the Financial Accounting Council. Incredible, partly because it was her husband who scammed the taxpayers for a moat and duck pond ! Well, I hope Mrs. Hogg keeps the taxpayer-assisted ducks well fed. But I would prefer the frugal Diane Abbott in charge of the country.
IMO: Well let us hope Diane Abbott gets made Labor leader. Right now it is a pretty hot seat and Balls would probably rather wait awhile. Diane Abbott is definitely the best of the bunch at Westminster, I think, particularly bearing in mind such characters as the incredible Laws, former director of a firm fined the top amount (£33 million) for bank fraud in the UK. UK politicans are incredibly corrupt. And as the pink Financial Times says "If there is one person where British politics, business, academia and busines meet, it is Lady Hogg", who was recently incredibly put in charge of the Financial Accounting Council. Incredible, partly because it was her husband who scammed the taxpayers for a moat and duck pond ! Well, I hope Mrs. Hogg keeps the taxpayer-assisted ducks well fed. But I would prefer the frugal Diane Abbott in charge of the country.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Swastikas
The Armenian Weekly contains a photograph, taken at a demonstration in Istanbul on June 5, in which the placard declares, “Legendary leader Adolf Hitler, our patience is running out, we need your spirit.” Another picture from the rally congratulates the Nazis – “Well done”.
IMO: It cuts both ways. An English paper recently stated that Israel was founded by a group of Jews who arrived in Palestine on a Nazi ship, emblazoned with swastikas. I have considered all my life that the svastika or swastika was an important religious icon, still used as such by millions throughout the world, and indeed there is even a large Swastik bank. This is not just in the Indian subcontinent, where I could probably count a couple of dozen swastikas if I walk down the main street where I live, but also in Mongolia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Tajikstan and by such religious movements as the Falun Gong in China. In the form of the gammadion, it is even an important Christian symbol. It is a pity that this religious symbol has been so desecrated for mundane and earthly reasons by the cynical West. This is almost as bad as certain picures of the prophet Mohammed.
IMO: It cuts both ways. An English paper recently stated that Israel was founded by a group of Jews who arrived in Palestine on a Nazi ship, emblazoned with swastikas. I have considered all my life that the svastika or swastika was an important religious icon, still used as such by millions throughout the world, and indeed there is even a large Swastik bank. This is not just in the Indian subcontinent, where I could probably count a couple of dozen swastikas if I walk down the main street where I live, but also in Mongolia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Tajikstan and by such religious movements as the Falun Gong in China. In the form of the gammadion, it is even an important Christian symbol. It is a pity that this religious symbol has been so desecrated for mundane and earthly reasons by the cynical West. This is almost as bad as certain picures of the prophet Mohammed.
Afghanistan corruption
US security companies — many of which have ties to top Afghan officials — are using American money to bribe the Taliban. The security companies may also engage in fake fighting to increase the sense of risk on the roads, and they may sometimes stage attacks against competitors.
“We’re funding both sides of the war,” a NATO official in Kabul said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was incomplete, said he believed millions of dollars were making their way to the Taliban.
“We’re funding both sides of the war,” a NATO official in Kabul said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was incomplete, said he believed millions of dollars were making their way to the Taliban.
10 French soldiers were killed in Sarobi district east of Kabul in August 2008 because they were not told that Italy had been paying the Taliban not to carry out attacks and failed to properly assess risks.
IMO: Of course, these are only rumours, but strong rumours. It probably pays the US to keep Afghanistan and as much of South East Asia as possible, including Pakistan (where it is blatantly obvious) and possibly even India eventually, in a state of unrest and faction, either internally, or one against the other, to prevent any dangerous unification of their enemies, The US has succeeded UTAP to turn China into a slave labor camp, with a relatively small handful of wealthy Chinese as trusties, and now they are sowing terror and despair in more inconvenient regions. Clearly this does not apply to all Americans, some of whom are almost incredibly helpful and sincere (eg Wikileaks) but then again all the owners of BP shares do not leak oil.
Monday, June 07, 2010
US Torture of prisoners - why won't Obama act?
Experiments in Torture is the first report to reveal evidence indicating that CIA medical personnel allegedly engaged in the crime of illegal experimentation after 9/11, in addition to the previously disclosed crime of torture. In their attempt to justify the war crime of torture, the CIA appears to have committed another alleged war crime—illegal experimentation on prisoners.
Report here. A little qualified detailed comment here.
IMO: One had hoped that the Obama government would have done more to deal with these matters, but the unfortunate tendency seems to be to go for votes and hide unfortunate facts, which were anyway often permitted to happen by an earlier regime.
Report here. A little qualified detailed comment here.
IMO: One had hoped that the Obama government would have done more to deal with these matters, but the unfortunate tendency seems to be to go for votes and hide unfortunate facts, which were anyway often permitted to happen by an earlier regime.
Bhopal gas leak: Each victim has got around £100
A US-caused chemical disaster in India in 1984. At least 2000 dead and 600,000 injured. There are still many horrible birth defects occurring. I believe the firm responsible, Union Carbide, is still part of Dow Chemical, well known since Vietnam days.
A Bhopal court issued a non-bailable warrant against Warren Anderson of Union Carbide as late as 1992. After dragging its feet for 12 years, the government formally asked for his extradition in 2004. But the US government rejected the request.
Nityanand Jayaraman, of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal campaign group,said " the punishment imposed on Union Carbide was wholly inadequate". "I feel that it portends ill for the country that industrialists and corporations are being told that they can actually get away with murder, and today's verdict is essentially that - a signal that [after] the world's worst industrial disaster, the people who were accused of that are just being let off with a rap on the knuckles."
IMO: CocaCola representatives are still on the Bilderberg steering committee and CocaCola is still damaging India's disastrously sparse water supplies. There is likely to be an excellent monsoon this year so naturally sugar futures dropped and overall the effect on US stockmarkets will be unfavorable. Perhaps the vile US capitalists and the Bilderberg group will cause weather modification which will weaken the monsoon to help the US stock market ! With that sort of 'friends', who needs enemies. The US is literally getting away with murder and perhaps it is no wonder that in some quarters the US is known as the "great Satan". All this cannot help US efforts in Afghanistan and the hard and risky work being done by US troops in Afghanistan.
A Bhopal court issued a non-bailable warrant against Warren Anderson of Union Carbide as late as 1992. After dragging its feet for 12 years, the government formally asked for his extradition in 2004. But the US government rejected the request.
Nityanand Jayaraman, of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal campaign group,said " the punishment imposed on Union Carbide was wholly inadequate". "I feel that it portends ill for the country that industrialists and corporations are being told that they can actually get away with murder, and today's verdict is essentially that - a signal that [after] the world's worst industrial disaster, the people who were accused of that are just being let off with a rap on the knuckles."
IMO: CocaCola representatives are still on the Bilderberg steering committee and CocaCola is still damaging India's disastrously sparse water supplies. There is likely to be an excellent monsoon this year so naturally sugar futures dropped and overall the effect on US stockmarkets will be unfavorable. Perhaps the vile US capitalists and the Bilderberg group will cause weather modification which will weaken the monsoon to help the US stock market ! With that sort of 'friends', who needs enemies. The US is literally getting away with murder and perhaps it is no wonder that in some quarters the US is known as the "great Satan". All this cannot help US efforts in Afghanistan and the hard and risky work being done by US troops in Afghanistan.
New Bilderberg Website
The English translation is here, the URL should be here, and here is the steering committee.
IMO: There are problems with the Bilderberg group, clearly, but probably less than with many national Governments. The present UK coalition government is perhaps a fair example.
IMO: There are problems with the Bilderberg group, clearly, but probably less than with many national Governments. The present UK coalition government is perhaps a fair example.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Tully's brief talk on BBC
Today Tully gave a brief talk on the Indian Government in Delhi. Here is the current URL. I do not care for most of the BBC propaganda broadcasts on India, but this one was worth hearing at least. Probably like Tully, I felt quite sorry for Manmohan Singh who really is doing an extremely good job in difficult circumstances, and also for Chidambaram whose problems with the Naxals must be one of India's very major concerns. Didi seems very willing to co-operate and there could be a prospect of a very good continuance of the coalition.
As an Australian in India/UK I have a good understanding, for a lay person, of coalition politics which has great advantages as well as disadvantages. UK is new to coalition politics but advantages are beginning to emerge. For example in the present UK state of affairs there seems somewhat less likely to be monolithic nepotism which we are beginning to find in the Labor opposition.
But there is a big problem that in coalition circumstances the UK babus will become even more unfettered. And likely corruption will increase with the UK babus, or clerks with a mere veneer of modern education, and often a title, who run the UK civil service and are so economical with the truth. This can lead to the worsening of UK commercial corruption overall, and a further deterioration in life in the UK.
Already drug pushing in UK schools, public drunkeness and immorality are universally common, but one hopes, perhaps without much hope, that coalition politics may at least moderate excessive libertarianism and reduce bribery by large companies.
I well remember the days of Lang Labor (oh, yes !) in NSW, and the DLP in the Commonwealth government, and whilst people these days are perhaps reluctant to admit their many virtues, they did come into existence because of a public perception of vicious corruption and unfairness. In India, Trinamool Congress clearly appears to have done a lot of good in Bengal, and it would not be beyond the realms of possibility for Abbott, McDonnell and others, to do the same for the UK.
As an Australian in India/UK I have a good understanding, for a lay person, of coalition politics which has great advantages as well as disadvantages. UK is new to coalition politics but advantages are beginning to emerge. For example in the present UK state of affairs there seems somewhat less likely to be monolithic nepotism which we are beginning to find in the Labor opposition.
But there is a big problem that in coalition circumstances the UK babus will become even more unfettered. And likely corruption will increase with the UK babus, or clerks with a mere veneer of modern education, and often a title, who run the UK civil service and are so economical with the truth. This can lead to the worsening of UK commercial corruption overall, and a further deterioration in life in the UK.
Already drug pushing in UK schools, public drunkeness and immorality are universally common, but one hopes, perhaps without much hope, that coalition politics may at least moderate excessive libertarianism and reduce bribery by large companies.
I well remember the days of Lang Labor (oh, yes !) in NSW, and the DLP in the Commonwealth government, and whilst people these days are perhaps reluctant to admit their many virtues, they did come into existence because of a public perception of vicious corruption and unfairness. In India, Trinamool Congress clearly appears to have done a lot of good in Bengal, and it would not be beyond the realms of possibility for Abbott, McDonnell and others, to do the same for the UK.
Vince Cable hits out at anti-British rhetoric over oil spill
Vince Cable has warned against “extreme and unhelpful” anti-British rhetoric as American politicians stepped up their criticism of BP’s handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Business Secretary also urged the (UK) Government not to resort to “gunboat diplomacy” by lobbying the White House on the oil company’s behalf and risk associating itself with the environmental disaster. Mr Cable said: “It’s clear that some of the rhetoric in the US is extreme and unhelpful.” Public anger was “a reaction to big oil”, he added.
IMO: I have stated my views here and hopefully indicated clearly the likely deep involvement of the US administration with "big oil". Presumably Cable understands current strategy and is distant enough from the problem not to have stated views based on self interest, unlike others.
The Business Secretary also urged the (UK) Government not to resort to “gunboat diplomacy” by lobbying the White House on the oil company’s behalf and risk associating itself with the environmental disaster. Mr Cable said: “It’s clear that some of the rhetoric in the US is extreme and unhelpful.” Public anger was “a reaction to big oil”, he added.
IMO: I have stated my views here and hopefully indicated clearly the likely deep involvement of the US administration with "big oil". Presumably Cable understands current strategy and is distant enough from the problem not to have stated views based on self interest, unlike others.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Guido Fawke's Quote of the day
Guido says: "Diane Abbott writes…
“…why, in a pivotal moment, is Labour being asked to select a leader from the narrowest gene pool in its history? David Miliband, Ed Miliband and Ed Balls are brilliant and charming. And it is undoubtedly heart-warming for Mrs Miliband that two thirds of the candidates are her lads.” "
IMO: Seems we have finally found an advantage in a coalition Government. This is really nepotism at its finest. Even the Torys probably cannot match it - yet.
“…why, in a pivotal moment, is Labour being asked to select a leader from the narrowest gene pool in its history? David Miliband, Ed Miliband and Ed Balls are brilliant and charming. And it is undoubtedly heart-warming for Mrs Miliband that two thirds of the candidates are her lads.” "
IMO: Seems we have finally found an advantage in a coalition Government. This is really nepotism at its finest. Even the Torys probably cannot match it - yet.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Vasai-Virar: Congress should "wake up and smell the coffee"
Independent MLA Vivek Pandit made inroads into Hitendra Thakur's votes in Vasai taluka, and he pointed out that his strong protests had to continue.
Pandit alleged that Congress was responsible for his party’s poor show. “The votes were divided due to the Congress candidates and the division directly benefited the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.”
In fact Bahujan Vikas Agadhi Party managed to bag 55 seats out of the 89 zones.
Vivek Pandit’s Jan Andolan Samiti won 19 seats out of 38 of zones in which the party contested.
The Congress party fielded candidates in 48 Zones but just manage to win two wards.
IMO: Congress must be aware that they are now considered by many as a party that supports criminals. After Kolkata and Didi's victory, Congress should "wake up and smell the coffee" and get back on the path of honesty. They still have a lot of national support, and should strive to retain respect.
Pandit alleged that Congress was responsible for his party’s poor show. “The votes were divided due to the Congress candidates and the division directly benefited the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.”
In fact Bahujan Vikas Agadhi Party managed to bag 55 seats out of the 89 zones.
Vivek Pandit’s Jan Andolan Samiti won 19 seats out of 38 of zones in which the party contested.
The Congress party fielded candidates in 48 Zones but just manage to win two wards.
IMO: Congress must be aware that they are now considered by many as a party that supports criminals. After Kolkata and Didi's victory, Congress should "wake up and smell the coffee" and get back on the path of honesty. They still have a lot of national support, and should strive to retain respect.
CPI(Marxist) seems routed in Kolkata
Trinamool supporters went into a frenzy on Kolkata's streets. Delirious with joy, they bathed each other in green abir, jigged on the roads, burst crackers, and joined victory processions that meandered through the lanes and bylanes. It was a comprehensive victory that was duly celebrated by the Trinamool in every nook and corner of the city till late in the evening.
IMO: Seems like a good thing. Indian democracy in action, and Didi has earned everyone's respect.
IMO: Seems like a good thing. Indian democracy in action, and Didi has earned everyone's respect.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
A dog trying to bark while biting his own tail.
"A dog trying to bark while biting his own tail". Or so said members of the TC, just before the White House launches criminal probe into BP spill.
British Petroleum (BP) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast would have to be a “major and ticklish topic” for the TC and Bilderberg. That’s because Big Oil is a major player at the TC and Bilderberg meetings. BP will have to pay for the spill with big bucks at a time when the TC is planning giant hikes in U.S. gasoline costs.
Hayward is an active member of the Bilderberg Group, with which Obama has many active connections. Some say the secretive Bilderberg Group is the "highest form of world government", others that it is a criminal conspiracy.
The Trilateral Commission (or TC) is a private organization, established to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan. It was founded in July 1973 at the initiative of David Rockefeller.
IMO: By now we know more about the actual cost of UK politicians and the intended power of the EU Government than about Bilderberg and the TC, and the very little we do know about any of these things, certainly does not inspire confidence. So far, the only relatively 'clean' , Labor politicians, Abbott and McDonnell, have got hardly any votes for Labor leadership, for example.
British Petroleum (BP) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast would have to be a “major and ticklish topic” for the TC and Bilderberg. That’s because Big Oil is a major player at the TC and Bilderberg meetings. BP will have to pay for the spill with big bucks at a time when the TC is planning giant hikes in U.S. gasoline costs.
Hayward is an active member of the Bilderberg Group, with which Obama has many active connections. Some say the secretive Bilderberg Group is the "highest form of world government", others that it is a criminal conspiracy.
The Trilateral Commission (or TC) is a private organization, established to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan. It was founded in July 1973 at the initiative of David Rockefeller.
IMO: By now we know more about the actual cost of UK politicians and the intended power of the EU Government than about Bilderberg and the TC, and the very little we do know about any of these things, certainly does not inspire confidence. So far, the only relatively 'clean' , Labor politicians, Abbott and McDonnell, have got hardly any votes for Labor leadership, for example.
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