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| Now is the time |
| 01.26.05 (9:35 am) [edit] |
...for all good men and women to come to the aid of humanity.
I am being de-programmed. I am 'not' a robot nor am I hypnotized, not anymore. I refuse to 'not' look. I refuse to be silent and find I now look forward to my comments being filled with hatred. It says to me that I am making someone angry. I am hitting their buttons. I can't give you all the answers. Hell, I don't understand half the questions. But, I allow myself to be struck down by the pain of the woman sitting in what remains of her home with empty arms that once held her child. I here the voices of those in third world countries as they shout at the corporate machine while they toil and slave for just enough to feed them for the day. I see the woman struggling to keep the flies off of her emaciated child and know she could be me and her child could be mine. I see the man under the flattened cardboard boxes. I will stop and see what I can do to help him, maybe a coat, a blanket, a meal.
I will not avert my eyes and harden my heart at those that are less fortunate than me. They are real not just an image. I have to know they are real! I am looking at their reality every day of their lives. They need our heart and soul. They need our voices. They need our bodies if we can give them. They need whatever money we can give as often as we can give it. They need our sacrifice. They need us to be more than great thinkers. There comes a time when we take that we have learned and put it to use. Now is the time isn't it?
Thanks to Ran for pushing my buttons. He has a way of doing that.
"For love does not seek its own, it labors, sweats, watches to build up the brother: nothing is inconvenient to love, and by the help of God it turns the impossible into the possible... Without it, what is the use of prayer? What use are hymns and singing? What is the use of building and adorning churches? What is mortification of the flesh if the neighbor is not loved? Indeed, all are of no consequence... As an animal cannot exist without bodily warmth, So no good deed can be alive without true love; it is only the pretence of a good deed".
-St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
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| Sign The Petition To President Bush |
| 01.26.05 (8:19 am) [edit] |
The documented torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib underscores the need for President Bush to rededicate the United States to the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that came about following World War II. Join us in urging the Bush administration to respect and honor the legacy of U.S. leadership, sacrifice, and American values that became international law.
To support the following statement and U.S. respect for international law, sign the petition today.
“We, the undersigned citizens of the United States, affirm the international cooperation, universal humanitarian principles, and human rights law that arose from the ashes of World War II, thanks to the unprecedented national sacrifice and service of a generation of Americans.
We call upon President George W. Bush to honor that legacy by rededicating our nation to the Geneva Conventions, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a framework of law that protects the lives and dignity of civilians, prisoners of war, and wounded combatants – including the Iraqi people and our men and women serving today in Iraq.”
Sign Now
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| Racial problems in France |
| 01.24.05 (11:39 am) [edit] |
This article is also cross-posted on Pourquoi Pas. It was written by WhyNot in response to an ongoing conversation concerning rampant racism in France.
"Just recently, I yet again came across articles/blogs inferring France is the dark pit of anti-semite sentiments.
While my blogging experience has been that nobody has hardly ever shown any interest on my occasional posts denouncing the wrongs of this country, I'll give it another shot.
So, do you ppl want to know what racial problems WE have here? If yes, read on. If no move to the next post.
Arabs/Muslims
Ever since the infamous Algeria war and the chaos France left behind her after her imperialist, greedy & brutal conquests, South West Europe has been progressively inundated with North Africans. Little wonder: we French went there like Ceasar, veni vidi vici and fuckedi alli, then left the place looking like a disaster zone.
This Arab population is now one tenth of France's population. One person in 10 here is not caucasian but from Arabic origin. This explosion has taken place in less than 50 years.
As seen elsewhere time and time again, such a rapid influx of foreigners invariably results in resentment at the grass-root level, especially when economic harshness sets in and jobs are a scarcity. The usual xenophobic sentiment takes over, making those *foreigners* responsible for every evil our great western democracies would otherwise be immune from if we kept them White and clean.
So, yes, here we are: there is widespread racism here in France, and it's directed against the Arabic population. It's by and large very subdued because 1) the anti-racial laws are significant here, and 2) there is something in the culture that makes overt racial statements very uncool, even if ppl think it within.
Still, whichever reason predominates, the fact is that anyone who lives here for an extended period of time can sense the underlying racism, but the racism very rarely blows out into ugly outburts. In fact, incidents of violence against Arabs by caucasians are extremely rare, much rarer than the everyday non-racially motivated youth delinquence in general.
If anything, in the last few years the situation has improved significantly, in part because Arabs living here are stepping into the broad culture in a decisive way (music and sport in particular).
The only really worrying bit is the openly fascist and racist component of the caucasion population, rallying under the banner of Le Pen's exteme right party. But they are still a small minority.
Conversely, there is a small minority of nutcase Muslims who want nothing else but the total eradication of the entire French culture and its secular way, and replace is with an Islamic government. LOL, sure. But here again they are an even smaller minority. I've never come across one in the 20 odd years I lived in this country. And yet, living in the south, close to the Mediteranean sea, and thus where Arabs abound, I sure bump into them all the time. In fact, the small block of apartments Dianne and I live in is occupied all by Arabs - we're the only caucasians in the joint. I yet have to come across more friendly and helpful neighbors. They are all thrilled Dianne is American - wow, a *real* American, right here. An old lady, with the complete muslim apparel, veil and all, who lives upstairs, knocked at the door a few weeks ago, and in broken French explained she wanted to make a gift to Dianne. The gift was a huge plate of arab cakes and sweets she'd made herself.
Jews
Only 3 hours ago, on the 8pm national news, we saw the inauguration of a monument, right in the heart of Paris, in commemoration of the holocaust. A Great Wall of Names of French Jews deported during the war, some 76 thousand names, carefully researched by historians to avoid painful mistakes - not such an easy task in the midst of people whose identity papers disappeared and whose bodies went in smoke, literally.
Anyway, more to the point:
Whereas I can observe a subjacent anti-arab feeling at the grass root level in this country, even if unspoken, it is obvious that there is no such anti-jew/anti-semite sentiment equivalent. It is pure fiction. It exists NOT.
Of course, there are nutcases around, like everywhere else. Whether caucasians or arabs, there are a few psycopaths who will scream for the death of every jew on this planet. What's new? Same with nutcase jews who scream for the death of every palestinian. And so on. Take you pick.
The reality though is that claiming there is a rampant & wide-spread anti-jew sentiment here is not only bullshit, it's actually ridiculous. Anyone who would like to spend 6 months here would realize it. It simply doesn't make sense. One of the reasons is simply that to the average French caucasian, nothing differentiates a jew from a caucasian. Furthermore, jews who practice their religion do it here in a very private manner. Half the staff at my work place could be practising Jews and I wouldn't have a fuckin' clue, nor would anyone else.
And lastly, for those religious paranoiacs, religion in France is all but dead. Nobody gives a fuck about what religion you belong to. The only thing ppl care about is the preservation of a secular system by which anyone can practice any religion they want so long as they don't try to shove it down other ppl's throats. The still overwhelming *christian/catholic* population is so reserved and private about their *religiousness* that once again, you'd be hard pressed to know, even after working for 5 years with a colleague, whether (s)he is catholic or atheist.
And so a *possible* religious motive for anti-semite sentiment clearly does not stand to reason. Religion conflicts here are a thing of the past, thank goodness. Religious-based hatred of other ppl, let alone entire sections of the population, is pure fiction. Chritians fanatics are as rare as hen's teeth. So are Jewish ones (Jewish in the religious sense). Muslim fanatics are also a very tiny minority even if they get very vocal.
Bullshit headline news
A few months ago, France got the world media focus, mostly thanks to the US mass media always in search of a good French-bashing story. It was about the jewish cemeteries desecrated in Alsace, region north east of the country, right next to Germany. Oh boy, what a brouhaha there was. Even asshole Sharon made his grand ignorant speech calling for all French Jews to urgently go home to Israel as if their lives were on the line.
Strangely enough there was no international coverage on the fact that as many catholic and muslim cemeteries were also desecrated. And when, just recently, the investigations at last bore their fruits and found that in all cases, it wasn't at all a case of *broad* anti-jew sentiment born by either caucasions nor arabs, but in fact the product of a handful of neo-nazi youths, then the entire world media was silent about it.
Now, fire the questions. I'll answer them as honestly, truthfully and knowledgeably as I can. I know this country pretty well, and can certainly give you a more meaningful understanding of its problems than a once-off Reuters article taken out of context and read without having a single clue of the entire picture.
I don't make the mistake of reading a few headlines about KKK members actions and equating it with "the entire US is one big anti-black pit". I have the unfair advantage over most of you that I also understand the American culture very well, for both having lived there and being married to a *native*.
Lastly, I also know all about the Australian way of life, after 24 years of hell living there, LOL.
Take advantage of my advantage if you're fair dinkum, as they say in Oz, and really want to know what it's like here."
WhyNot
Pourquoi Pas.
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| America's vital interest |
| 01.23.05 (11:40 am) [edit] |
Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom...
Click Here
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| A Shameless Advert |
| 01.22.05 (10:21 am) [edit] |
This is a blog to advertise another that I'm very excited about. We are seven at the moment but this will probaby grow. We are 'left' but have managed to find 1 Conservative brave enough to join us. She is a friend and though I differ with her opinions on many things I respect her very much. She's not of the stupid variety.
If this sounds interesting to you please visit Pourquoi Pas and join in the debate. It's just beginning but we have high hopes that it will be a forum for discussion. Of course, we have no problems in bashing if it's necessary. We won't delete comments unless it's obviously spam. Our nationality is mankind.
I'm keeping a keen eye out for other rational Conservatives who are open to discussion and have a sense of humor. If you think you qualify visit the site, enter the discussion and leave your url so I can have a look.
Pourquoi Pas
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| Break out the bottle, bring on the old nurses |
| 01.22.05 (6:30 am) [edit] |
Women who enjoy a drink of beer or wine daily have sharper minds into old age than women who abstain, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
The report, based on a study of nearly 12,500 nurses, adds to the apparent benefits of light to moderate drinking, which can also prevent heart disease and stroke.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Grodstein and colleagues said they found that drinkers aged 70 to 81 were 20 percent less likely to experience a decline in their thinking skills over a two-year period than women who did not drink at all.
On average, the women who quaffed a beer or a glass of wine each day tended to have the mental agility of someone a year and a half younger than abstainers.
And it didn't seem to matter whether the women drank wine or beer, according to the team, led by Dr. Meir Stampfer, also of Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Whether alcohol produces long-term benefits is not known.
I can definitely confirm this. Call me. Sounds like nurses live longer to. Is this because of the drinking? I'm confused.
AP
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| Why is George Bush President? Stupidity! |
| 01.20.05 (7:35 pm) [edit] |
Well, I have never gone along with calling Conservatives stupid. Many have and do. I haven't and don't until now. After reading this article which is filled to overflowing with stupidity I will conceed that Conservatives are stupid, dazed, stupified and just plain old unintelligent. The article is 5 pages long but worth every bit. It will make you gasp and at time laugh right outloud. Then you will cry. God help us all. As a person who believes in God consider this a prayer.
Oh yes, John Kerry and the DNC are stupid as well.
Yes, I know they're nice people and all that. You can be nice and stupid at the same time.
You can't make a judgement without proof. Don't just say they're stupid without reading the article. Read the article, dammit! Yes, I know it's long. Read it anyway!
As a tease I'll give you this little gem taken from the article:
"We might not have had to fight World War II if someone had stood up to Hitler."
The Red Sea
I'll be cross-posting this one to Pourquoi Pas as well. I just took a shower and thought I would look at the news, read a bit and sleep. I'm mad as a wet hen now. I'll probably be up all night. Maybe I'll apologize tomorrow...maybe.
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| Coronation Day Loopholes |
| 01.20.05 (11:42 am) [edit] |
With a price tag of roughly $40 million, boasting a huge fireworks display over the city as well as lavish balls and star-studded concerts, President Bush's inauguration will be a pricey, no-expense-spared event paid for by the country's biggest companies seeking favors and breaks in Washington.
Such corporate wining and dining of public officials and large cash contributions are normally prohibited under ethics laws, but as with the Democratic and Republican conventions, there is an exemption for inaugural week. ABC
Protest! Protest! Protest! It does work. If the 49% of Americans who tried to remove Bush from office will take to the streets someone will listen.
Turn your back on Bush today. Meet with others from your state.
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| Desperate People Do Desperate Things |
| 01.20.05 (10:01 am) [edit] |
I think it goes without saying that widespread poverty, homelessness, and hopelessness can produce a variety of ugly social pathologies, such as violent crime. Despite the efforts of American criminology to place the motivating factors of crime elsewhere, in psychology, physiology, or addictive, class or ethnic behavioral syndromes, the greater part of the crime that we are witnessing in America today is, in my view, a direct result of misery plus despair.
Violent crime is the most profound expression of the social crisis in America and it is the most damning indictment of the American economic and political system. This inhumane system has already led to the moral bankruptcy of American society, a bankruptcy which breeds the alienation of people, the breakdown of families, and an enormous crime epidemic.
Crime exists everywhere but it predominates in the United States more than in any other country, especially violent crime. While there are killings and other crimes of violence elsewhere in the world, their depth and scope do not compare to that of the United States. There is no question that for a country which is not beset by widespread civil unrest or insurrection, the United States of America today is one of the most violent, most crimeridden societies on earth. This is not occasional terrorist violence as it happens in other countries but the terror of everyday life as it is lived by millions of Americans today.
Violence is as much a part of the American way of life as Coca-Cola or Big Mac hamburgers. In no other developed nation are the people held hostage to such an unrestrained and seemingly unrestrainable amount of violent crime. As the Philadelphia Inquirer journalist, Art Carey, wrote:
We pride ourselves on being an advanced, civilized society. But how civilized are we when children in New York City have begun wearing bulletproof clothing for protection on their way to and from school? How civilized are we when in the nation's largest city, there were a record twenty-two hundred killings, an average of more than six a day, in 1990? How civilized are we when our nation's capital has the highest homicide rate of any city in America? How civilized are we when the United States has the highest homicide rate, by far, in the industrialized world?
"How far is far? Nearly twenty times that of most other nations," says Carey. According to a recent international survey, among males fifteen to twenty-four, the U.S. homicide rate is 21.9 per 100,000. Compare that to 1.4 per 100,000 in France, or 1.2 per 100,000 in England, or 0.5 per 100,000 in Japan. Homidde rates among young adults in the United States are twenty-nine times as high as in Japan and thirty-six times as high as in Great Britain. The risk of being robbed is 208 times greater in the U.S. than in Japan! More people are murdered in Los Angeles in an average month than in Great Britain during the course of a year. 6 The United States far outpaces all other developed countries in homicide deaths, which are ten times higher than neighboring Canada's.
Homicide rates among young adults in the United States are twenty-nine times as high as in Japan and thirty-six times as high as in Great Britain.
PhpWiki Excerpted from Chapter 7, "Desperate People Do Desperate Things" - "Discovering America as It Is" by Valdas Anelauskas
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| Driving the French way |
| 01.19.05 (1:01 pm) [edit] |
I happened on an article about driving in France at the Telegraph that has some hilarious bits that I must share. I love British humor. The writer feels he understands the reasons why the driving standards in a country of intelligent and cultured people, are abominable. LOL
"One overriding facet of the French mentality is the very basic, almost subconscious, aversion to any form of authority. This goes all the way through French society.
The population of France is around 56 million, and it has been said that there are 56 million political parties. The reluctance to accept or comply with any dictate which smacks of regulation is as prevalent in the country's ruling bodies, irrespective of party, as it is in the Gallic masses.
It can hardly be a surprise, therefore, that anyone old enough to sit behind the wheel of a car is either ignorant of the road rules, or, more likely, considers it his or her duty to break them in the name of liberty, equality and fraternity.
Roundabouts are relatively new in France, however, the sign always placed at the approach to a roundabout that says: ``You do not have priority,'' is like a red rag to a bull, and should be abolished as a road hazard.
Drivers would then have only a broken white line to ignore, which would be less stressful and would not cause the indignation level to rise to a sufficient height to justify a short cut.
My brother-in-law – the best driver in France, in his own estimation – once proudly told me that he had just made a 180km journey home in one hour. He could not understand my simple question: "Why?" He has only three points left before losing his licence – at least the government has started making some sensible rules – and feels that he is being singled out by the state, quite unjustly, because he drives only slightly faster than others, uses the phone while driving and takes his seat belt off when his CB radio tells him there are no police around.
In most countries drivers believe that they are the best in the world, and will criticise the actions of other nationalities. In France however, national pride dictates that the French driver will not be beaten by anyone, especially a – perish the thought – foreigner.
Another possible reason for this blot on the nation's roadscape is impatience. The Frenchman is always in a hurry to move on to the next situation, and a simple problem like driving should not be allowed to delay his transition."
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| The High Cost of Freedom of Speech |
| 01.18.05 (12:55 pm) [edit] |
By Amir Sulaiman
This experience made me wonder, what is freedom of speech? The reality is that speech has never been free. There have been many poets, writers, and speakers who blazed the trail upon which I walk whose free speech cost them their livelihood, their families and in some cases even their lives. Whether they were inspiring the powerless or chastising the powerful, people like Amiri Baraka, Soujourner Truth and Peter Tosh paid the cost for this “free” speech we talk about.
In a new world, wrought nearly insane with paranoia, I, simply by being Muslim, have become a threat. In an old world, still stuck in the muck of racism, I, as a young Black man, am still a threat. This fear is further compounded by my refusal to remain silent in the face of such blatant hypocrisy, thievery, and tyranny. As a Muslim, as a man, as a member of the Human Family, I must speak the Truth with the loudest, most effective voice I can muster, especially when the virtue of justice has been so casually ignored. It is my sacred obligation.
Islam, my way of life, does not allow me to remain still and quiet while a war is being waged not only against Islam and Muslims, but against the Human Family and Life itself. As the hadith of prophet Muhammad states, “Whoever among you sees wrongdoing should change it with his hand. If he is unable, then with his speech. If he is unable, then with his heart, and that is the weakest level of faith.”
I was born and raised in America. My mother and father were born and raised in America and their parents were born and raised in America. I consider America my country. This is beyond the sentiments of patriotism or pride. It is a matter of fact. My people have deep roots and a long history in this land. They have invested their blood in the soil of the South, in the factories of the North and the frontiers of the West. Upon the backs of my foreparents, this nation was built. My family’s history in this country precedes the White House, the Pentagon even the Constitution. America is my country.
Continue reading Amir's words
Thanks to Muhammad at The Frontline for pointing the way.
This is not the first example I've read about the FBI showing up on the doorstep of someone's home because they dared to speak out against this administration. I imagine your chances for a visit double if you're Muslim.
Those of you who value your freedom, such as it is, in America better start working harder to speak out against this kind of government action. It may be you next that hear the knock on the door. Living in France I don't worry about the US government. But, I wonder if US bloggers that are protesting this administration worry about what they write on their blogs.
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| Bush's tangled web of deceit |
| 01.16.05 (10:44 am) [edit] |
The U.S. force that scoured Iraq for weapons of mass destruction -- cited by President Bush as justification for war -- has abandoned its long and fruitless hunt, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
"I felt like we would find weapons of mass destruction ... like many -- many here in the United States, many around the world," Bush told ABC's Barbara Walters, according to excerpts from an interview airing on Friday.
Bush said "we need to find out what went wrong in the intelligence gathering," and that the invasion was "absolutely" worth it even if there were no weapons of mass destruction.
"Citing the continuing search by the Iraq Survey Group, President Bush has refused to concede what has been obvious for months: the primary justification for the invasion of Iraq was not supported by fact. Now that the search is finished, President Bush needs to explain to the American people why he was so wrong, for so long, about the reasons for war." Nancy Pelosi Reuters
So, at last the hunt for weapons of mass destruction is over. There are none. How does anyone consciously continue to support Mr. Bush? His 'feeling' WMD would be found is not good enough after telling us all without a doubt they would be found, they were there. His attempt to blame the lack of them on faulty intelligence is not good enough. Evidence was created to convince us of the need to go to war. We bombed a country unmercifully, murdering, maiming and destroying. And yet, most of the good Christian right continues trying to convince us that God is behind the lies and deceit. He's not. They want to believe that God has a plan and in order to bring it about he must use deception. Whatever God's plan is he no doubt will not change his character in order to fullfill it.
Deception is still wrong no matter how you dress it up to make it look and smell good. Coming from a President it's a crime.
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| The 23rd Sigh |
| 01.13.05 (2:45 pm) [edit] |
Bush is my shepherd; I dwell in want. He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests. He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness. He restoreth my fears. He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war, I will find no exit, for thou art in office. Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control, they discomfort me. Thou preparest an agenda of deception in the presence of thy religion. Thou anointest my head with foreign oil. My health insurance runneth out.Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of thy term, And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.
I have no idea who wrote this but I like it, agree with it and have posted it here.
Please feel free to take it.
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| UN brings top US firm to audit tsunami relief aid |
| 01.12.05 (7:09 pm) [edit] |
Nearly USD one billion has already been pledged by various countries and international monitoring agencies, in addition to the private donations for relief and rebuilding effort in 12 tsunami-hit countries across the South-East Asian region.
Over 80 foreign countries gathered in Geneva yesterday to decide on the quantum of aids and to channel it through an appropriate mechanism to ensure that there will be no mishandling or misuse of these resources by political leaders, bureaucrats of various countries and that it speedily reached the needy people.
According to reports, the world body has accepted an offer made by the well-recognized US audit firm, the PricewaterhouseCoopers to audit the huge sum of aid deliveries. This is in addition to the UN beefing up it own auditing services to ensure that all donations meant for tsunami victims were properly accounted for.
TamilNet
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| France and America together? |
| 01.12.05 (10:21 am) [edit] |
A Frenchman and an American woman team up to fight for peace and justice around the world. WhyNot takes great pleasure in using satire to make his case. Dianne uses news and opinion to make hers. It should be interesting, informative and sometimes funny. We hope to have guest bloggers in the future. Maybe you will be one.
Join us at Pourquoi Pas
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| The UN is the better choice for nation building |
| 01.12.05 (10:05 am) [edit] |
The Right is pushing the UN Oil-For-Food scandal in order to discredit the UN and France.
Yes, one would think from reading their pages that French companies were the only ones making money off this program. But, we've come to expect this from the neocons. US coverups obviously get their approval.
"The complete contracts were only circulated to the U.S. and Britain, which had expressly asked to see them and would have been in the best position to have known if anything improper was going on. Though a number of contracts were put on hold by the American and British delegations on security-related grounds, no contract was ever held up because malfeasance, such as illegal kickbacks, had been detected.
France was never a major destination for Iraqi oil during the program. In 2001, 8% of Iraqi oil was imported by France, compared with 44.5% imported by the U.S., which was the No. 1 importer all along." Jean-David Levitte
Maybe the U.N. missed or turned a blind eye to those inflated contracts. But so did every Security Council member, including the U.S. And let's not forget what the U.N. did accomplish in Iraq. In the 15 districts of southern and central Iraq, the U.N. ensured that food was distributed efficiently and equitably to millions of people. U.N. monitors ensured that every canister of chlorine was used for water purification — and was not diverted to military use.
In fact, in northern Iraq, the U.N. functioned as the government. It gave employment to thousands, ran water projects, generated electricity and worked effectively with local leaders to build a civil society. Under U.N. governance, northern Iraq was stable, well run and far more prosperous than it had been before.
Though the U.N. is not yet involved in rebuilding Iraq, the U.S. is. But is its track record so much better? Have we forgotten that massive no-bid contracts were handed out to U.S. corporations such as Bechtel and Halliburton? Or that Ahmed Chalabi, the Iraqi Governing Council member leading the investigation into the oil-for-food charges, fled embezzlement charges in Jordan?
The U.N. is the better choice for nation-building with integrity and competence. Read More
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| France has a bloated central bank but no currency |
| 01.12.05 (5:28 am) [edit] |
WHAT DO they all do? France’s central bank employs 15,000 staff — more than seven times the number who work at the Bank of England — despite the absence of a currency to manage or interest rates to set. Furthermore, according to the 2005 Central Bank Directory from Central Banking Publications, despite the fact that the Banque de France lost control of interest rates in 1999, staff numbers have fallen by only 3.6 per cent. Read More
This is hilarious but not surprising. I'm only guessing but I assume their jobs are protected i.e. they have them for life. The protections built into the system here have backfired on the employer and the employee and need to be changed.
Many French adults want the government to create more jobs, according to a poll by CSA published in L’Humanité. 46 per cent of respondents think unemployment should be a priority in 2005.
Around 2.7 million French adults are out of work.
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| Mamoud Abbas |
| 01.11.05 (9:39 am) [edit] |
Mamoud Abbas is now the new Palestinian leader. Will things change? I'm pessimistic but will watch and wait. Lawrence of Cyberia has a must read on his site Worse Than War Crimes
"It looks as if the shine is beginning to wear off Mahmoud Abbas' run for the PA Presidency, among Americans and Israelis who were previously touting him as the "pragmatic" PLO leader, i.e. the one who will sign off on an imposed one-and-a-half-state solution and declare that an end to the conflict. Suddenly the "grandfatherly" Abbas has thrown a spanner in the works: instead of running as the candidate who is acceptable to Israel and the U.S., he has gone off-script and is inexplicably running as a candidate who is acceptable to his own electorate.
The issue that seems to have set off alarm bells is Abbas' widely-reported reference to Israel as "the Zionist enemy" in a campaign speech at Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on 4 January 2005. This is language uncomfortably reminiscent of the "Zionist entity" rhetoric that regimes hostile to the very existence of the Jewish state use as an alternative to uttering the name "Israel", and reflects a level of anger and hostility toward the Israelis that is uncharacteristic of Mahmoud Abbas." Read More
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| This is justice? |
| 01.09.05 (10:39 am) [edit] |
Charles Walker's execution has been temporarily overturned but he was sentenced to be executed Dec. 3. The attorney's for Mr. Walker have to show this month why the execution should not be carried out.
The state presented no physical evidence of any kind that linked Charles Walker to the murder: no fingerprints, no blood evidence, no autopsy, no DNA evidence, and no ballistics evidence. Indeed, there was no physical evidence of a murder, and no confession from the defendant. Yet Walker is to be executed for that death on Dec. 3. Only the testimony of five co-defendants ties Walker to Davidson's killing.
In the case of Army Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins serving in Iraq:
An Army platoon sergeant who ordered his soldiers to throw Iraqis into the Tigris River was sentenced Saturday to six months in military prison, but will not be discharged.
The military jury also reduced the rank of Army Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins by one grade to staff sergeant, which cuts his pay and responsibilities.
Sgt. Perkins, 33, was convicted Friday of two counts of aggravated assault, assault consummated by battery and obstruction of justice. He was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter and making a false statement.
No soldiers disputed that the Hassoun cousins were forced into the river in which one man died.
An Iraqi civilian has testified that US soldiers forced him and his cousin to jump into the River Tigris and laughed as his relative was swept to his death.
"He was calling my name, said: 'Help me! Help me!'" Marwan Fadel Hassoun told a military trial in Texas.
Mr Fadel said he and his cousin were transporting plumbing supplies from Baghdad to the city when they were approached by US troops when their truck broke down a few minutes before a 2300 curfew.
He said they were forced to the river at gunpoint.
As one who is against the death penalty I'm not calling for Mr. Perkins to be executed. But, how does the unproven guilt that lead to the death of one man merit the death penalty and the proven guilt and death of another merit a 6 month jail term?
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| Doctor blogging from Iraqi front lines has been shut down |
| 01.07.05 (8:42 am) [edit] |
A Bucks County military doctor serving in Iraq says he was forced to shut down his Internet war diary last week after Army officials decided his gripping accounts of frontline medicine constituted a breach of Army regulations.
Maj. Michael Cohen, a doctor with the 67th Combat Support Hospital unit, had chronicled the bloody aftermath of the Dec. 21 mess-hall bombing in Mosul that killed 22. That account and 12 months of other postings on his Web log, www.67cshdocs.com, were replaced with a short notice:
"Dear Family, Friends, Colleagues, Loyal Readers, New Readers, and Everyone else that finds this site interesting,
I have some very unfortunate news. Levels above me have ordered, yes ORDERED, me to shut down this Web site. They cite that the information contained in these pages violates several Army Regulations. I certainly disagree with this. However, I have made a decision to turn off the site pending further investigation as to whether or not I have violated these Army Regulations," Cohen wrote.
csh commentary
Via
Grunt Doc
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| Not One Damn Dime Day! |
| 01.06.05 (8:26 am) [edit] |
Update:
I will be onto something different tomorrow but I want to add this little bit to this before moving on. I've already seen a couple of bloggers putting this down. It won't work they say. It WILL work if everyone does it. Will everyone do it? No, not yet but the day may come when people will finally get it. I'm just planting the seed. On the 20th of this month turn your back on Bush and don't spend one damn dime! Thanks
Thanks to BlogOsphere ZoO for pointing this out.
Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America.
On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending.
During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money, and don't use your credit card. Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Nor toll/cab/bus or train ride money exchanges. Not one damn dime for anything for 24 hours.
On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Walmart, KMart and Target. Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter).
For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down. The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it.
"Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics.
"Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The politicians put the troops in harm's way. Now 1,200 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan -- a way to come home.
There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed.
For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.
Please share this as an email with as many people as possible, and please express your opinion at Not One Damn Dime Boycott
"Consumption alone vitalises capital and makes it capable of yielding profits...It is idle to attack Imperialism or Militarism as political expedients or policies unless the axe is laid at the economic root of the tree." J.A. Hobson
"The U.S. economy, "is strung out across the globe. It's economic outposts are exposed and vulnerable. Our strategy must be to isolate Empire's working parts and disable them one by one. No target is too small. No victory too insignificant."
"We could reverse the idea of economic sanctions imposed on poor countries by Empire and its Allies. We could impose a regime of People's sanctions on every corporation that has been awarded a contract in post-war Iraq. Each one of them should be named, exposed and boycotted—forced out of business. It would be a great start." Arundhati Roy
Do It!
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| Guantanamo, human rights and US government |
| 01.04.05 (10:30 am) [edit] |
It looks like current administration has studied Saddam, Hitler and Stalins methods of judicial administration. Hundreds are held at Guantanamo without any access to legal counsel, family visits or court. They are denied their rights under international law being held in inhuman and degrading conditions. Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and many others have called on the US authorities to bring all detainees to trial, in full accordance with international law and standards, or else release them immediately and unconditionally.
The Supreme Court has ruled that prisoners in Guantánamo have access to American courts, citing the fact that the U.S. has exclusive control over Guantánamo Bay.
The court was divided 6-3. The majority opinion was written by Justice John Paul Stevens and hinged on the definition of "sovereignty." He argued that, even though Cuba retained "ultimate sovereignty", the United States exercised, in the words of the lease from Cuba, "complete jurisdiction and control" at Guantanamo Bay.
Therefore federal jurisdiction applied there and "aliens, no less than American citizens, are entitled to invoke the Federal courts' authority." BBC
But in spite of all this we read:
Administration officials are preparing long-range plans for indefinitely imprisoning suspected terrorists whom they do not want to set free or turn over to courts in the United States or other countries, according to intelligence, defense and diplomatic officials.
The Pentagon and the CIA have asked the White House to decide on a more permanent approach for potentially lifetime detentions, including for hundreds of people now in military and CIA custody whom the government does not have enough evidence to charge in courts. The outcome of the review, which also involves the State Department, would also affect those expected to be captured in the course of future counterterrorism operations. Washington Post
The Pentagon has built a new 100-cell prison on Guantanamo Bay, known as Camp 5, and plans to ask Congress this year for $25m (£13m) to build Camp 6, a 200-bed version. The two jails are intended for suspected members of al-Qaida, the Taliban or other extremist groups, who are unlikely to go before a military tribunal because military prosecutors lack proof. Guardian
Some detentions could potentially last a lifetime, the newspaper added.
But influential senators swiftly denounced the idea on Sunday as probably unconstitutional.
"It's a bad idea. So we ought to get over it and we ought to have have a very careful, constitutional look at this," Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana
Aljazeera
John Derbyshire at National Review wants to see the evidence of abuse. The ignorance continues to stagger me. Is he the only one who hasn't see the pictures?
Three Britons freed from Guantanamo Bay in March have released a 115-page dossier accusing the US of carrying out torture and sexual degradation at the military concentration camp in Cuba.
Outlining the practices employed by US forces in Guantanamo, lawyer Gareth Pierce said chillingly, “There was not a single method that was not used to break their will to make them confess to something they were not guilty of, and all three did.” WSWS
The current administration is slowly eroding the concept of American democracy and freedom? Some would argue there never was one. Hmm I once believed America was the best place on earth to live. A place of true freedom. I no longer believe this and perhaps I was idealistic to believe it in the first place.
Sidenote:
If you would like to leave a comment and are not a Tblog member please replace 'newbie' with some kind of name so I can identify you and respond appropriately. If you would like a return visit please leave your url.
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| Racism is a crime and should be punishable by law |
| 01.02.05 (6:24 am) [edit] |
In my previous post I made a plea that as the media moved on to other world issues that we not forget the earthquake victims. We all know this happens easily. In my own way I put down the squabbling about who has given more. As I read over my words I can see nothing partisan about it. But, true to their convictions some of the far-right left comments that I need to highlight in order to show the real face of evil. They're sickening today as they were yesterday and part of the problem we see in the world today. We have laws here in France that would put these people in jail. This is where racist belong. They are a danger to the community and the world at large.
The first comment wasn't of the racist variety but the heart of the person is evident. Looking at their blogs notice the proclamation of Christian values. Growing up in the deep south I remember all too well the KKK expounding these same values.
Caoifhionn said:
"You better pack up and go help, then."
As I said, this was mild and I responded with how I had thought of doing this and wished this person a Happy New Year.
Caoilfhionn has a mirror site here.
The next comment was left by someone unwilling to leave a name or url but called themselves 'guesswho'. This person was jumping to the defense of Cao when a comment was left calling her/him a racist/facist and a few other not so nice names...although not racist.
"Only thing abusive here is your fucking comments. Now if ya wanna go "abusive"... well, .. screw it. I'm sure Cao has better things to do than argue with a 24/7 on the rag, tin-foil hat wearing, dried up twat having ass liberal scumfuck bitch like yourself.
All she asked of the Neo-Com queen who runs the blog is if she's feeling their pain like a certian impeached disgrace former president, and that donating money isn;t enough.. then just go DOWN there. that didn't sound mean at all. Now what I said.. yeah, that was mean, but I'm just an asshole."
Other comments were left in my post 'Indian Ocean Earthquake' again by people leaving no name or url.
"sheesh ... why the hell are we even giving a single cent to help save those sand nigger towelheads who have been trying to kill us all this while
You people have obviously forgotten 911.
But we must never forget.
NEVER FORGET !"
"The earthquake was a punishment from God for the attack the sand niggers carried out on American soil on 911"
"These chinks and niggers aren't even fit to govern their own countries. Look at what happened when we gave the niggers their own country ? ie. Haiti ? They turned it into a piece of crap. There's always a reason for everything. Think about it"
"if America has been punished with these "acts of God" in the past, its because our morals have been severely compromised by liberals, homosexuals, sodomites and nigger lovers like yourself"
Someone calling himself/herself Sand Nigger Exterminator left this.
"soon you sand niggers will all be engulfed by a watery hell
repent now, or face the consequences !
then again, 'tis good riddance ... cos, the more sand niggers die, the better off the world is"
These are the people leading us down the path of destruction today. Are all Conservatives of this ilk? Of course not. But, it only takes one rotten apple and sad to say there is more than one. I am not for censorship so I don't delete the comments. They're useful in proving how demented these folks are. But, if they lived in France and I had any way to prove who they were I would report them to the authorities. Racism or inciting hate is a crime here in France as it is in Germany.
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| Share the wealth in 2005 |
| 01.01.05 (9:58 am) [edit] |
I made my Happy New Year to everyone yesterday and I do mean it. I wish a better world for all of us in the coming year. But, we didn't celebrate the new year. It's impossible to find a party spirit in the midst of so much tragedy. The earthquakes's death toll is reaching 150,000. And now there are flash floods in Sri Lanka. What are these people to do?
On top of the earthquakes destruction I read last night of 175 people dying in a nightclub fire. This included children left in a type of childcare in the building. If I remember correctly the exit doors were locked to prevent anyone from entering the club without paying. 4000 people were in a club meant to hold 1500. Oh what the love of money does to us.
I see many are haggling over who is giving the most in donations. We should just concentrate as people on giving as much as we can to the organizations doing this very tremendous work. Governments of all countries rarely get it right. Most are making promises of money they don't actually have. Aren't most countries up to their proverbial necks in debt? I have read of a suggestion to drop the debt owed by these countries. This seems to me a great idea.
As the media slowly moves on to other things in the coming days and weeks we must not forget. This is a world disaster that will require longterm help. Put aside whatever you can each month in the coming year to give. We are doing this. Hell, if we can buy computer toys, cell phones, fancy cameras etc. surely we can give each month to saving a life.
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