Permaculture ethics

Permaculture Reflections

All this leads us back to permaculture ethics, or, using Zizek’s approach, Permaculture’s guidelines for avoiding excess. The first tenet is to care for the Earth. Obviously, puerile fantasies of space colonization aside, we are all dependent on a healthy planet to sustain us. To endanger life on this planet is to endanger ourselves. This is clear enough. All life has an inherent value. Once this is recognised, thoughtless environmental destruction can be avoided. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development is a step in the right direction: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied…”

The second tenet, contained within the first, is to care for people. People need access to clean air and clean water. To borrow from Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, [sensible, sustainable] housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

Terror compensation

BBC-File on 4

Tony Blair stepped in to speed up compensation for those injured in the London bombings - but other victims of violent crime have to wait years.

Speaking of Tony Blair's recent intervention to help the victims of the London bombings get their pay-outs quicker, Mr Reid said it would be an "injustice" for those out of the public eye to experience longer delays.

An important question is why are they out of the public eye? Why is the victim of a homophobic, racist or even of an Northern Ireland-related (see Omagh) attack less important than the victim of Islamist terrorism? Could it be, that it is more useful for the PM to express outrage at such attacks and sympathy for it's victims than in other cases?

Police deaths

I'll just send you to Colcam on this one.

I'll add this from Reuters.

Oh and on the killing of Menezes? Well, here's something from UPI:

The bullets, which expand and splinter inside the victim's body, were prohibited for military use under the Hague Convention of I899. However, the Home Office said Wednesday there was no restriction on their domestic use.

Oh right, so it's ok to use something domestically which is forbidden in warfare...twisted logic.


And anybody charged? Well not yet, it would seem...
BBC

The report will then be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will decide whether to bring charges against any of the officers involved.

Jez takes on the plight of the elephants

News 24

There is a growing concern that the underlying motivation for the cull was profit from the sale of elephant meat, skin and by-products - estimated by The Earth organisation at R6,5m for every 800 elephants killed.

New births would ensure a stead supply of meat - and income - if the cull took place over many years, as was planned.

"This would of course explain the reluctance to fully explore contraception as a viable alternative, for contraception means no births, no meat and no extra income," said Anthony.

Now, I don't know much about elephants or nature conservation, but it seems to me the argument put forward by some, that we just don't understand that there are far too many elephants and that they are endangering other species, begs the question: is it perhaps not humans and human interference which is the problem? Perhaps a cull is needed.

Sparrow shot by TV company

BBC
Credit goes to Colcam

The bird's fate was sealed when it knocked over 23,000 and organisers feared it could knock down more. An exterminator cornered the sparrow and shot it.

The backlash followed as soon as the news got out - especially as the common house sparrow was put on the endangered list in the Netherlands last year.

That makes the shooting illegal, doesn't it?

But Big Brother creators Endemol said things started to get out of hand when staff started receiving threats.

"It was something we wish would never have happened at all," Endemol spokesman Jeroen van Waardenberg told the BBC News website. "But we made a decision because the project was very important to us and is to be screened in 16 countries."

Who cares about one stupid little bird compared to the international success of a domino-record programme?

"I just wish we could channel all this energy that went into one dead sparrow into saving the species," he said.

That's just plain sick.

Teenage abortion

The subject came up on Question Time last week. Should parents be told before a minor asks for an abortion?
What I find infuriating is that on sensitive cases such as this one many people seem to believe that one can give a simple 'for' or 'against' answer. There are many things to be taken into account. Parents obviously have a right to know when something like this happens. On the other hand a child has a right to confedentiality, and most importantly a child needs to be protected particularly in cases when it might be dangerous for them to let their parents know. It's just not the case, that parents are always fit to decide for their children. An 'outside' protection is necessary.
So, as with other issues concerning children, it is necessary to have flexibility with regards to laws.

Banksy by Jez!

Strange...I took this photo last year not knowing who the artist was. Then less than a month ago I saw this art work in Woody Allen's film Match Point. Two weeks later I come accross Banksy on the net and I think "that's familiar...". What's the all-seing One trying to tell me...?

Guardian vs Chomsky

A well-written piece in the Mail&Guardian (ZA)

But people like Brockes don’t like being told to use their heads. So people like Chomsky have to write books and books giving methodically “unsexy” detail about this, that and the other, and still get beaten with sticks by reactionary liberals in their own backyards, effectively (though this goes unspoken) for being heretics against the New World Order (which is not so different from the old one).

Guantanamo UN inspection

Daily Times

“The absence of a conclusive answer by midnight (2300 GMT) on Thursday will be taken as a refusal,” Nowak told AFP. “The situation is very clear: if the United States does not accept our conditions, we will not go,” Nowak added

Now that's what I call a threat!

Who knows this man Banksy?

Institutional racism in France

FT

Gérard Larcher said multiple marriages among immigrants was one reason for the racial discrimination which ethnic minorities faced in the job market. Overly large polygamous families sometimes led to anti-social behaviour among youths who lacked a father figure, making employers wary of hiring ethnic minorities, he explained.

“Since part of society displays this anti-social behaviour, it is not surprising that some of them have difficulties finding work ... Efforts must be made by both sides. If people are not employable, they will not be employed.”

This is in fact an attempt at minimising the responsinility of the government. However, it is evidence of racist attitudes among France's politicians. It is also a mark of disrespect to the French people, as it assumes we are a nation of racists.

Strange behaviour

Cross-dressing Hindu copper

Amazing, isn't it, how something like this can be deemed a 'mental problem', and yet kneeling open-mouthed before a man with a dog-collar who then proceeds to shove a bland piece of 'bread' into your mouth is deemed normal.

Nippon News

Sayako's farewell to her imperial life
A multicultural dawn for Japan?

If only Japan would open up to foreigners, foreign royals would be able to come and save Japanese princesses from life as a commoner...

Yee-haw baby!

Country Awards

Madge still got it?

Oh yeah, baby!

Bloody terrorists!

Watch video
Tony Blair on Football Focus on the BBC last week blamed increased security since september 11th for not allowing him to go to footie matches as often as he'd like to...honestly!those islamists really have it in for our culture, don't they?!

Incredible!

Last night on Newsnight, David Davis contender for the leadership came to the defense of Simon Hughes Lib Dem MP. Jezza Paxman asked in a disapointigly tabloidish fashion, how the Lib Dems would react if somebody died because of their opposition to the terorism bill. Hughes stuttered and in stepped Davis heroically. He made an astonishingly liberal intervention about the balance between police powers and civil rights. It was funny to watch Hughes feel compelled to reassert himself by attempting to temper Davis' stance.

Eco-bra

BBC

Being padded, the new bra packs a little more bulk than most regular designs, but the Japanese arm of Triumph insisted the look was more chic than sheep.

"We hope this will not only help prevent global warming but also provide a little fashion chic to the office," the company said in a statement.

The US offering to environmentalism

BBC

A spokesperson for the prince described lunch as an informal affair and said subjects discussed included farming and the Bush family's desire to farm sustainably on their ranch.

Crap Arrest

Download

Te Papa Tongarewa

Indymedia

Neuilly

Indymedia

On riots in France

I may have been unfair on the media.
Times Online

This has in turn fed the rise of Muslim radicalism, which has now become the dominant creed of the young in the French ghettos.

There is definitely a risk that the discrimination against against minorities could fuel radicalism. The fact remains, that these riots are not 'race riots' nor are they 'islamic fundamentalism' on the march.

France has always deemed its model superior to the Anglo-Saxon approach of diversity, which has enabled ethnic minorities to retain strong bonds in cultural and religious communities. France calls this “comunitarism” and says that it promotes ghettos, exclusion, poverty, race riots and religious extremism that can ultimately lead to actions such as the London bombings.

The London bombings were linked to Britain's involvement in the war in Iraq. France has witnessed more Islamist terrorism than the UK. Using the ostrich approach to cultural and ethnic differences is the preferred French 'republican' method.

Some, such as Nicolas Sarkozy, the iconoclastic Interior Minister who is at the centre of the present crisis, have provoked outrage by saying that France should copy aspects of the Anglo-American model, starting with policies to favour the entry of ethnic minorities into education and jobs

And at the same time, he ignores the root of the anger, dismissing the rioting youth as 'scum'. This man is an opportunistist.

Both Left and Right see them as a breach of France’s republican tradition and believe that affirmative action would play into the hands of the anti-immigrant Far Right, led by Jean-Marie Le Pen.

The reality is discriminatory treatment from both socialist and conservative governments. Le Pen is but a scarecrow mainstream politicians love to use in order to rally the masses.

Jean Charles de Menezes

Colcam

Cressida Dick, "gold command" of the operation that led to the death of Jean Charles de Menezes in the bungled Stockwell tube shooting incident shortly after the July bombings in London, says she never gave the seven letter code word telling police they should kill.

Times online

Commander Cressida Dick, 44, the Oxford graduate who was “gold command” of the operation,

Oxford University or Oxford Brookes?

Police have admitted that there were difficulties keeping in contact with the police teams once they went underground at the station

'hang on aminute chief, I've got bad reception...what's that?Shoot?'

Investigators from the Independent Police Complaints Commission have been unable to use the radio transmissions to the marksmen to discover exactly what was said because they were not recorded, unlike 999 calls, which are kept.

How bloody convenient.

Ten officers including Ms Dick have been served with police regulation warnings that they may face disciplinary action.

Thankyou Radio 4!

I had been trying to think of a suitable translation for Sarkozy's 'karcherisé'. Well, the BBC reporter in Paris found it: 'cleaned away with a high power hose' (talking about what he's going to do to the the so-called youths of Paris' poor suburbs). Well, I suppose, if you have 'scum' and you don't want to scrub...

Revolution vs riot

When oppressed people in an enemy state take power in a revolution, Western governments and media applaud and talk of history in the making. When oppressed people in a client state stand up and resist, Western governments train the oppressors and give them weapons to murder the opposition. When oppressed people in a Western 'democracy' let their anger explode, 'our' leaders dismiss them as 'thugs' in areas which need to be 'cleaned up', 'our' media talk of 'Islamisation', and 'our' police move in, like the dictator's military, to suppress the anger.

And this from Fox News!

Anger was fanned days ago when a tear gas bomb exploded in a mosque in Clichy-sous-Bois (search) -- the northern suburb where the youths were electrocuted.
The unrest is forcing France to confront long-simmering anger in poor suburbs ringing the big cities which are mainly populated by immigrants and their French-born families, often from Muslim North Africa. They are marked by high unemployment, discrimination and despair -- fertile terrain for crime of all sorts and Muslim extremists offering frustrated youths a way out.
Government officials have held a series of meetings with Muslim religious leaders, local officials and youths from poor suburbs to try to calm the violence.

And now it seems that 'bearded Muslim brothers'(the words of a 'youth' interviewed on French radio)are acting as a 'proximity police force', trying to calm everyone down...As another 'youth' said, it shouldn't be their job, but that of the police, but not provocative police who fire tear gas bombs into a mosque.
So, it would seem that if anyone is encouraging Islamism in our immigrant suburbs, it isn't rioting, but irresponsible and provocative policing.

Fascists on the block

Yesterday, a march was held in memory of a man who was killed last week at the start of the riots in the suburbs of Paris. During the march members of an extreme-right-wing group, Bloc Identitaire, called for people to 'open their eyes' to those who 'don't like France, don't like the French'. Most of the marchers, were extremely angry about this sickening opportunism.

More Race Hatred

BBC

And, by the side of a swastika on the front cover, it said: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.

Poor sad people.

Race hatred

BBC

Leaflets were scattered, with insults against Muslims which were attributable to "Black Nation".

Is this a new kind of supremacism, or what?

Honour Killing

BBC

The pair met in 2003 through school friends, who described them as devoted to each other, with Miss Begum becoming pregnant in August 2004.

The girl must be crushed. I feel terrible for the younger brother too.

How bizarre!

Daily Mail

Just hours after Sun editor Rebekah Wade was arrested for assaulting husband Ross Kemp, the ex-girlfriend of his co-star Steve McFadden was also arrested for assaulting him.

According to the Sky News anchorwoman, who was bearly able to keep a straight face, it is not thought the two incidents were linked...

On Chomsky

Prospect

Chomsky openly admits he prefers "pacifist platitudes" to belligerent mendacity. This makes some wrongly charge that he is "passive in the face of evil." But neither apartheid in South Africa, nor Stalinism in Russia, nor military rule in much of Latin America were defeated or dismantled by bombardment and invasion. Chomsky had no difficulty supporting the ultimately successful campaign against apartheid, or for the Indonesian withdrawal from East Timor. He simply opposes putting US soldiers in harm's way—also meaning where they will do harm and acquire a taste for it.

Smoking ban

On the BBC's Question Time last week, a member of the audience said that he had the "right to do what [he] wanted"
Apart from one member of the audience, nobody pointed out that right stops with harming others unless it's in self-defense.

Artificially and undemocratically promoting a language

Economist via Livejournal

The Welsh Language Society, a pressure group that has seen many of its
demands incorporated into law, wants restrictions on house-building in
Welsh-speaking areas and a language act that would require businesses to deal
with customers in their preferred language.

Mitchell brother beaten by wife

Channel4

Missed this in the news...

Thanks to this hate site for bringing this to my attention.

Guardian

Zubeidi says he feels responsible. "I pray for her to be freed," he says. "Especially because she is a woman. Men are stronger - though Tali is stronger than all the men." He says Fahima is by no means the only Israeli to have visited him and maintains she never sought to assist in any acts of terror. "She never said she wanted to betray her people, to help me in an attack or anything , because that's a treacherous thing, and Tali is not a traitor. She came here to help the Palestinian people ... to help is not to attack her people."

Lazy journalism and integration

BBC

Days of rioting in the bleaker suburbs of Paris have highlighted discontent among many French youths of North African origin.

As part of a series on French Muslims, the BBC News website's Henri Astier looks at the issue of discrimination, a leading source of frustration in France's unemployment-riddled ghettos.

France's Muslims are not all of north African origin, and North Africans in France are not all Muslim. Kabyles are very secular. Is an aetheist American still described as a Christian? It is not possible to tell a person's religion from their ethnic looks or the sound of their name.

"People always talk of the need to 'integrate' Muslims. But the youths are French. Why should they need integrating?" asks Samia Amara, 23, a youth worker near Paris.

Mr Sabeg agrees that "integration" is just hot air. "What does it mean? Are some French people supposed to integrate and others to be integrated?"

Indeed. 'Integration' in France is based on a 'republican' ideal that everyone should fit in to a French republican mould, and suppress their roots and original culture. Despite being an island and a monarchy, Britain integrates not only immigrants, but also their original cultures.

His country, he points out, has no black or Arab TV presenters, and all MPs from mainland France are white.

Mr Valls is a firm believer in "positive discrimination" - a very un-French concept that is beginning to gain acceptance.

I disagree. The media, however, should show more images of multicultural integration in Britain and the US for example.

It's the Muslims!

YARGB

This looks like it might be the beginning of large scale clashes between Moslem youth and Police in Europe.

These are the words of someone who either doen't know what he/she is talking about, or choses to ignore the facts. While France's minorities are predominantly North African and Muslim, there is no such thing, in France, as a 'Muslim ghetto'. There is nothing to suggest that rioters in french suburbs are predominantly Islamic funadamentalists or that the riots represent a clash between Islam and Christianity.
Religious, cultural or racial profile has little to do with these riots, except in the sense that the majority of those parked in inhospitable areas of french cities are immigrants and their children born here.

Veils

BBC

"Some teachers would not see beyond the scarf and judge us - it's best if we have to take it off," says Siham, 15.

I agree. It should be a matter of choice, though.

But the key to the ban's success has been its enduring popularity. All political parties endorsed it.

There is, in fact a lot of opposition to the ban-and not only from Muslims. Many who oppose the ban are secularists and feminists-they oppose the ban because they believe in a school for all, regardless of beliefs, ethnicity or whatever. In France, school-children no longer wear a uniform. If the so-called republican leaders want to tell kids what they can and can't wear, why not bring back the uniform?

It remains contentious, not so much for the French Muslim community as a whole - which includes many secularists - but for youngsters with North African roots who have found a sense of identity through religion.

I certainly don't wish for violent reaction, but this law is yet another example of colonial and latent racist attitudes in France. This is not the sole reason for violence in certain suburbs of Paris, but I doubt it favours integration.

Dangerous Muslims!

BBC

Terror, anti-zionism, anti-semitism?

I have posted here on the subject.

Dissent in the US

Indymedia

Tom vocally exercised his free speech rights which included a tee shirt with a powerful message, prior to being forcefully removed from Chrysler Hall by security personnel.
Tidewater peace activist, Tom Palumbo, of Virginia Beach was given an admittance ticket to President Bush's recent speaking event at Chrysler Hall.

That's democracy for you:get a ticket and support your president!
Bloody great T-shirt!

Kashmiris claim responsibility

Reuters India

A previously unknown Kashmiri militant group claimed responsibility for Saturday's serial blasts in New Delhi, television reports said on Sunday.

We can only imagine the pain.
I hope this doesn't lead to a backlash against India's muslims(or anywhere else for that matter).There may well be muslims among the injured and dead.
Pakistan and India are moving forward. India is, despite it's faults, a relatively good example of religious cohabitation. The president is muslim. The PM is sikh, and India almost had an italian born PM. Let's hope this relative harmony isn't broken.
It's important to remember, that just as nationalist Hindus don't represent Indians, fundamentalist Christians don't represent all Christians, and Israel doesn't represent Jews,neither do islamic fundamentalists and dictatorships represent Muslims.

Where was the UN?

Open your mind's eye

Usoooooo!!!!!!!

You Are a Henna Gaijin!

You're not Japanese, but you wish you were! You can use chopsticks with your eyes closed, and you've memorized hundreds of Kanji. You even answer your phone "moshi moshi." While the number of anime videos you've seen is way higher than the number of dates you've been on, there's hope. Play the sexy, mysterous gaijin, and you'll have plenty of Japanese meat.

What's Your Japanese Subculture?

Mais bien sûr!

You Should Learn French

C'est super! You appreciate the finer things in life... wine, art, cheese, love affairs. You are definitely a Parisian at heart. You just need your tongue to catch up...

What Language Should You Learn?

How sick!

BBC

The editor of the programme, which goes out on the Talpa TV station, said it was a shame Tanja was leaving because she had been "good television".

Iran

I can't believe there is even a debate as to whether Iran should be attacked after it's president's remarks over Israel. Anybody with half a mind knows his remarks were just that:remarks. Iran is not going to attack Israel. That would be daft to put it mildly-just as it would be daft for North Korea to attack Japan.
Iraq was attacked 'pre-emptively'.If the same happens to Iran, Bush and co. will just prove themselves to be the crazed fanatics that they are. These people have acted, whereas Ahmadinejad merely uttered words. Words which had they been uttered with regard to any other country than Israel, would hardly had been noticed. After all, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always(as farback as I can remember)called the US 'big Satan', and Europe 'little Satan'. Where's the difference? When are people going to get it in to their heads that Israel does not represent Jews? Israel is a state like any other, albeit a state defined by a religion, similarly to most middle-eastern states.

Apologies, yer highness

BBC

9. Prince Charles may not live the most carbon-neutral of lifestyles, but he does drive a hybrid car.

BINGO!

Now, this is funny.

Conservative Liberalism

I've finally understood what it is about conservatives and limited government. It isn't that they are some kind of right-wing anarchists who want to do away with government. No, they love government-just in the right places. As song as government gives to them and their causes, they are fine with government. If government defends minorities, the oppressed, those without money and/or power,it's called the 'nanny state'. However, if it gives to powerful oil barons, if it spends money building oil refineries, if it comes to the defense of powerful political and economic lobbies, then government is doing it's job.
The 'I'm for personal responsibility, not for intrusive government' argument is used to oppose those who call upon governments to defend the poor, the power-less, the planet.

Heroes of the day

Joe Wilson

Patrick Fitzgerald

God on Tv

BBC
Do communists believe in god?

"For me he is a god," Maradona said of the veteran communist leader.

Hero-worshipping?

He has a tattoo of the Cuban leader's face on his leg.

I'm in tears!(honestly)

BBC

Then there's Eddie Izzard, recounting how he saw a London Underground guard checking an unattended bag by shaking it: "Oh, Captain Clever! Rattle it, if it doesn't go off it can't be a bomb!"

And the king of sarcasm, Basil Fawlty, when Mrs Richards complains about the view of Torquay: "What did you expect to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...?"

Burger Bill

BBC

The bill's opponents included California Democrat Bob Filner, who said the fast-food industry marketed fatty food to children and should take responsibility.

Indeed. Do we accept marketing of alcoholic beverages and tobacco to children? I don't think the fast food industry needs defending. As for the 'loony' cases of suing fast-food restaurants for spilled coffee etc., these cases are often used and abused by the fast-food industry to deride those who sue them.

Meanwhile...

Nutrition information will now be written on the majority of McDonald's product packaging using an easy-to-understand icon and bar chart format.

This is a positive step, but far from enough. If we know fast-food is unhealthy, marketing it, particularly to children, should be banned as it is in several countries with cigarettes&alcohol...

We want right to be selfish polluting b***ards!

I wonder if the tobacco industry finances the 'pro-choice' brigade...
Forces.org

Vancouver smoking ban disappoints tourist

I have been reading the Forces page for several months now as I live in California and my husband and I are both smokers. I thank you for taking the fight for choice into Canada as I have been following Vancouver's fight to outlaw smoking in their restaurants. We have found, in the past, that Vancouver, B.C. was a nice place to visit and on two past cruises have spent an extra day. I must say however if they continue this anti choice policy we will not be visiting again.

I must say that getting stuck in Vancouver airport's International terminal was much like the story related by the gentleman who was in the Seattle airport.

We just got back from a cruise in Scandinavia and Russia and I must say that their approach to accommodation is refreshing. For the first time in a long time we did not feel as if we were plague infested rodents, as in the United States. I hope it stays that way although I fear getting there on a smoking flight will be much more difficult as time goes on.

I have just received word that next year British Airways will go non smoking on their SF to London flights which they said they would not as they already have a completely non-smoking flight and one that is both. I have come to understand that since American Airlines and BA are talking a companionship and American went the way of non choice this year it is probably in the best interest of this partnership for BA to do the same and was encouraged to do so.

Keep up the good work as your partner in the Bay Area is doing and continue to encourage smokers to speak up as those ambivalent smokers are our worst enemy.

I don't know why people cannot see that today it is cigarettes, tomorrow it will be whatever the antis choose it to be. It scares me to think that my grandchildren might be living in a "police state." And everyone will look at the situation and say "Gee, how did it get this way?"

Thank you for listening.

-- Sheila L. Johnson

Taiwan and bird flu

Forbes.com

'We will continue efforts seeking a patent authorization from the Swiss company Roche to mass manufacture Tamiflu but the trial production will go ahead to meet emergency needs,' said Li Jih-heng from the health department.

The taiwanese government has taken the right course of action here. Let's hope it gets support if it is attacked by the big drug pushers, Roche.

More to the point

BBC

Tony Blair has expressed "revulsion" at the Iranian president's assertion that he wanted Israel "wiped off the map".

Would he have been so 'revulsed' if, say, Dagestan had called for, hmmm, let me think, Northern Ossetia to be wiped off the map? How about if Israel had called for Iran to be wiped off the map-would his choice of words have been so strong?
Call me 'anti-semitic' if you so wish. Don't forget to add 'self-hating Jew'.

Mr Blair added: "Can you imagine a state like that with an attitude like that having a nuclear weapon?"

The US is and has been a far greater threat to the world than Iran ever was. We all know the US has nuclear weapons, but that is not what constitutes it's threat. It's threat is foreign intervention and support of state terrorism all over the globe. But of course, that's 'our' kind of terrorism. I feel revulsion at your cynicism, Mr Blair.

The Eco-Prince

Beeb

"We should be treating, I think, the whole issue of climate change and global warming with a far greater degree of priority than I think is happening now," he said.

Yes, how's about getting the Rolls converted to LPG, yer HIGH-ness?

Alcoholism

BBC

"We're disappointed, there's been these awful bouts of drinking which have gone on and he's had all these other sorts of social problems," he said.

Alcoholism should be treated as an illness. Obviously, only the sufferer can decide to get help, but it should not be treated as merely a matter of will-power, as that would be to deny the seriousness of the affliction.

Have to comment on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Like he would shout it out loud in front of reporters and diplomats if he really planned to 'wipe Israel off the map'. Yeah sure. I wonder if the Foreign Office found Mr Bush's talk of 'axis of evil' or 'crusade' "deeply disturbing and sickening".

What happens when the media fails to check it's sources

PR Watch via A Logical Voice

Media Matters for America, began raising questions about the story, which by then had been cited in publications ranging from the Christian Science Monitor to the Wall Street Journal.
(...)
"He's cooked this whole thing up," Dunkley said angrily.

Photo Competition

BBC

What predictable voting...

'Human Nature'

I have been moved to write a few deep thoughts of mine about the nature of Homo Sapiens.
Disclaimer:if anyone recognises themselves as having influenced this post, let no offense be taken!
Too often, one hears the phrase "It's human nature" or a variant of the "Humans will destroy the earth" kind. I'll be brief:it's a cop out. Either that or it's an attempt by those whom it best serves at 'brainwashing' the masses.
Personally, I don't buy the 'human nature' explanation. I am a human(or so it would seem). Yet, I do not view myself as one intent on destroying the MOTHERSHIP in order to satisfy my own greed. As far as I can remember, I have never picked up a weapon and lunged at my fellow human beings, and I certainly have never declared pre-emptive war on some guy/girl down the street 'cos he/she wouldn't play by my rules after I'd helped he/she beat up his/her neighbour.
What's more, I am a human being, and I am capable of rational thought. This means I am able to see the difference between what is right and what is wrong. I know that it is wrong for me to hate someone because they are of a different colour, religion, culture, birthplace or whatever. I know it is wrong to beat someone up because they don't live on my side of town. I know that ideally we would all live in harmony respecting each other's choices, tastes and opinions. In addition to that, I know many people who can see the difference between what is right and what is wrong. What I cannot understand is why among these people some continue to talk about 'human nature' being the root of all evil.
The war in Iraq was started by the US and UK governments with the help of big oil-not by the human race.
The Iran-Iraq war was a war between two sets of fanatical(in different ways)dictators-not by ordinary Iranians and Iraqis, and most definitely not by the human race.
Six million(give or take a few)jews were gassed by the Nazis, not by the german people, and not by the human race.
Need I go on ad vitam eternam?
I think the point I am trying to make is this: there are people who are responsible for atrocities and the destruction of our environment. We, the people are responsible for demonstrating our disaproval, and doing all we can to stop the pain, misery and environmental destruction going on around us, but we as humans are not responsible for the acts. There is much opposition to the evil powers that be, much of it in Britain and America.
It is all too easy and at the same time it is a magnificent gift to the elites to blame all the world's problems on 'human nature'.

Terrorist Profile

gizmonaut

Behavior. Does the individual act oddly, appear fearful, or use mannerisms that do not fit in? Examples include repeatedly circling an area on foot or in a car, pacing back and forth in front of a venue, glancing left and right while walking slowly, fidgeting with something under his or her clothes, exhibiting an unwillingness to make eye contact, mumbling (prayer), or repeatedly checking a watch or cell phone. [...]

I predict a few petty criminals are going to get shot. But they're expendible, right?

Update

BBC

All 117 passengers and crew of a commercial airliner which crashed on an internal flight in Nigeria on Saturday were killed, the government has said.

Beware of hasty news reporting...

It's a family affair

The Law and justice

Our aim is to build an inexpensive state - to do away with the waste of public money and corruption. As mayor of Warsaw, my brother has shown that public expenditure can be cut by several dozen percent.

Birmingham clashes

The Hindu

Riots erupted in the Lozells area of west Birmingham after members of the Afro-Caribbean and South Asian communities held a meeting Saturday over the alleged rape. The meeting was partially meant to calm tension in the community and encourage the 14-year-old girl _ reportedly an illegal immigrant _ to come forward.

Police State

Guardian
(with thanks to Colcam)

Under current laws the police are not only entitled to keep my fingerprints and DNA samples, but according to my solicitor, they are also entitled to hold on to what they gather during their investigation: notepads of arresting officers, photographs, interviewing tapes and any other documents they entered in the police national computer (PNC). So even though the police consider me innocent there will remain some mention (what exactly?) in the PNC and, if they fully share their information with Interpol, in other police databases around the world as well. Isn't a state that keeps files on innocent persons a police state? This erosion of our fundamental liberties should be of concern to us all. All men are suspect, but some men are more suspect than others (with apologies to George Orwell).

Half empty or half full?

The Optimists

About 50 people have survived a plane crash on a flight from Lagos to the Nigerian capital Abuja, officials say.

Another possibility had been evoked.

Meanwhile, the first lady has died.
No worries, he has a few in reserve...

Should Saddam Hussein be executed?

I am against the death penalty in any situation. That for me is the only reaon for opposing the execution of Saddam Hussein. It doesn't matter wheteher or not it would make him a martyr. To me, the death penalty is immoral. Full stop. That said, the real point is who is responsible for judging him. If Iraq is to be an independent country, then it is up to the iraqi courts to judge him and to decide whether or not he should be executed. Countries which oppose the death penalty should campaign and put pressure on Iraq to abolish the death penalty be it for Saddam Hussein or anyone else.

Police shootings(in french)

For those familiar with the language of Moliere(and Napoleon), click on the link above. No doubt I'll translate it in the near future(yes, I know I often say that, Scott!).

The height of arrogance

Officer.com

The head of London's police force said he considered resigning over the police shooting of a Brazilian electrician mistaken for a terror suspect, but insisted he had no plans to quit, according to comments released Sunday.

As I type, there seems to be nothing to add on the inquiry. What has happened to the officers. The only information I could find was one small sentence in a recen Independent article saying the officers were prosecuted pending the result of the investigation. Meanwhile a whistleblower was suspended. Is that also pending the result of an investigation? I doubt it.
If anyone has any further information, please let me know.

South Asia Earthquake Aftermath

Relief Web

Oxfam International has today said that the tent crisis is so severe that the world's Governments must make any reserves of winter tents that they have available now. There are no figures available for how many tents are sat in the warehouses of the world's armed forces but military experts believe the stockpiles could be significant

Invasion of these isles

Beeb

She said Lord Nelson's leadership qualities had helped lift "a very real threat of an invasion of Britain".

Isn't the Queen at least half german? Isn't she married to a Dane whose family took over the greek crown? Wasn't his family name changed from Battenberg to Mountbatten? Wasn't hers changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor? Wasn't her great-great-grandmother Victoria the last monarch of the House of Hannover?
At the time of Trafalgar, the King was George III,

the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, but the first to be born in Britain and use English as his first language.

So don't give me bollocks about being saved from foreign invasion!

The cutting edge

I'm with you Kanye...

Post Katrina Hip Hop

Watch this mothas!

Sensitive issues

I was told something yesterday which shocked me. It shocked me so, that I wanted to post immediately about it! However, I waited, thinking ‘sleep over it’. Well, I’ve slept over it, and I still feel angry, albeit much calmer…
“Sensitive issues leave no room for logical debate” she said. “Whaaaat?!?!?!” I screamed (inwardly).
The sensitive issue in question was prostitution. I had shown-with logical arguments-that prostitution having existed for ‘ever’ and it being unlikely to disappear, it is necessary to make it completely legal, thereby offering more protection to sex workers.
I accept that everyone does not necessarily agree with that opinion, but you need to put forward a logical (rational) argument if you want to prove that legalization is dangerous. All I got from my ‘opponent’ was arguments in the form of questions such as “in which profession-apart from boxing-are workers more at risk than in prostitution?”. Hmmm. What does that prove? I should not even have bothered answering such an illogical ‘argument’.
The worst is that I was accused of ignoring the facts- ie that prostitutes are routinely physically harmed. Exactly! By cops, pimps and clients mostly. If the law fully recognizes prostitutes, cops are much less likely to attack sex workers. In the Netherlands, prostitution is near-legal(similar to drugs), and pimping is prohibited. As for clients abusing prostitutes, it will be much easier to punish them if prostitution is legally recognized and organized.
That is how I logically put forward my argument. What do I get? There’s no room for logic regarding sensitive issues. God help the prostitutes!

Future PMs?

How David Cameron voted
Despite his apparently liberal stance on drugs, it would seem Mr cameron is a good old right-wing reactionary.

David Davis on death penalty

If somebody plans to carry out a series of murders ... then this is obviously an evil and pre-meditated attack and in that case, there could be a deterrent effect.

Liam Fox and racist jokes
Mr Fox was eager to join the chorus characterising an apparently purely political,albeit hypocritical, statement as antisemitic.
Antisemitism?

Ken Clarke and the tobacco industry

Murdoch date

yuk yuk yuk!

The Tory Leadership

What's your footprint?

You can test your ecological footprint here. I'm not sure it can be entirely trusted for accuracy, but nonetheless, it's food for thought.

Yasukuni

Again a japanese PM visits Yasukuni shrine where japanese war dead are enshrined, including war criminals. Again there are protests from abroad.
Let us not be fooled by the claims coming from certain Japanese such as Koizumi, that this is an issue of japanese culture and misunderstanding on the part of foreigners. The Japanese are perfectly intelligent enough to differentiate between those who gave their lives unwillingly and those who orchestrated crimes against humanity. They are also capable of separating religion and state.
Let us not be fooled either by the 'protests' emanating from the leaders of China and Korea. These states are hardly beacons of democracy, and it is obvious their 'protests' are merely political point-scoring, as is Lee Teng-Hui's so-called support of koizumi. The fact that Japan doesn't recognise Taiwan, just like the United States, should not make people forget that Japan, as the US is an important defence partner of Taiwan. Realpolitik at it's most cynical.

Nationalisms

Talking to Moustapha from the Chad is always thought provoking. I'll disagree with much of what he says, yet there's a lot of sense in his words. When he talks about homosexuality being wrong and how it's a crime in his home country, this disturbs me, but at the same time he has a very humanistic approach to life, even if he is a 'practicing' (in a sub-saharan kinda way) muslim.On this note, I find it interesting how he calls himself a religious believer with humanistic beliefs, while I would describe myself as a humanist who agrees with many christian(since that is my culture)beliefs.
What made me want to post about him, was when he said that too often people took religion(and here he was talking mainly about Islam, obviously)as a hereditary concept, while he believed one cannot be born a muslim.
What I wanted to know, in my western cliche manner, was if he described himself first and foremost as a muslim or as a Chadian or African. I felt there was no straightforward answer to this question. I would have expected him to say 'muslim', yet this was not so obvious to him.
As an African, his culture and nationality were at least as important as his faith, and he made comparisons between Chadians and other African nations such as Camerounians and Nigerians, saying his people showed more solidarity among one and other. On the question of a worldwide muslim nation, he was much more vague. I don't think he really felt as strong a bond with muslims from other cultures. Both him and the other 'Moussa' have quite strong anti-arab feelings(even if they have arab friends!).
Culture obviously has a strong role in determining the way people view and practice their religion.At the same time, Moustapha claimed there could be only one 'Islam'. Yet, Islam was brought to his people by the arab invaders. So whose 'Islam' is right? It's like the clash between european and african Christianity.
My question is, can organised religion and culture coexist? Is nationalism a substitute for religion, or do they go hand in hand?
To me, these two concepts contradict each other, and yet are routinely used and abused together by leaders in order to dupe the masses. My humanistic faith is universal, as is supposedly the Christian faith, and as such it cannot cohabit with nationalistic beliefs.

The Menezes shooting

BBC
Back in September, a woman was arrested for allegedly leaking information on the inquiry into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes. While the truth is being muzzled, the latest news of the possiblity of someone facing charges was in the Scotsman on October 8th. The Lifestyle Extra reports that

Mr de Menezes was shot after a senior Scotland Yard officer, Commander Cressida Dick, gave orders that he was not to be allowed to board the train.

Glorifying Terrorism

BBC

A proposed law banning the "glorifying" of terrorist acts has been revised, following criticism of the proposals.

People would have to "intend to incite" further acts of terror to be convicted, Home Secretary Charles Clarke has said

So does this mean it's ok to say "Suicide bombers are cool dudes" but not to say "I call on my brothers and sisters to go and kill infidels"? What if you say "We call on all our followers to refrain from using protection against sexually transmitted diseases"-could that be construed as 'incitement to mass murder'?

Urgent need of aid

Quake in Pakistan

The United Nations said there was a risk of cholera and pneumonia and Muzaffarabad's health director Khawaja Shabir said malaria and other diseases were already breaking out, with hospitals wrecked and many doctors dead.

Hurricane in Central America

The rains, which started gently last weekend and then turned torrential, caused a trail of death and destruction. In southern Mexico, an estimated 20 people were killed, 70 rivers overran their banks, 30 bridges fell and more than 150,000 people were left homeless. In El Salvador, an estimated 71 people died and about 65,000 were left homeless by the storm.

Food shortage in Malawi

The new money will be used to feed more than 100,000 people in some of the hardest hit districts, such as Nsanje and Phalombe in the south, and Mzimba and Chitipa in the north. It will also provide seed and fertilisers, so that people are able to plant next season’s crops.

Darfur crisis

"The worst humanitarian crisis in the world today" -- so relief agencies and news reports refer to the catastrophe still unfolding in the westernmost Sudanese province of Darfur. With the United Nations estimating that 50,000 people have been killed and 1 million displaced, the description is apt.

Other aid agencies are:
Oxfam
Médecins sans frontières
Islamic Relief

Katrina Rap

Rock 'n Roll Love

Radio One



That's Noel's head by the way.

Police beating

Thanks to Openyourmindseye

Racist or not, this is sickening.

Democracy and oil

SFGate

The House of Representatives descended into bedlam Friday as Republican leaders kept a five-minute vote open for more than 40 minutes -- and arm-twisted two of their members to switch their votes -- to pass a new energy bill.

(...)

In the final 15 minutes, three GOP votes shifted in favor of the energy bill under pressure from Republican leaders. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who recently stepped down temporarily as majority leader after being indicted in Texas over a campaign finance issue, worked hard on the House floor to convince wavering GOP lawmakers. In the end, 13 moderate Republicans remained opposed.

No Democrats voted yes, although three initially favored it. They changed their minds after talking to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the second-ranking Democrat.

It seems to me undemocratic to 'arm twist' voters whichever party you belong to.

Republican leaders insisted that Friday's vote was not an abuse of power, and that five-minute votes often run long while party officials round up votes.

It's no longer a 'five-minute vote' when it lasts 'over 40 minutes'.

Delaying a vote does not violate House rules, but lawmakers from both parties have long denounced it as an unfair tactic.

Is it legal to delay a vote by the general public 'while party officials round up votes', say in the presidential elections?

"We use 21 million barrels of oil a day and only have the refinery capacity for 16 million on a good day," Barton said.

So rather than reducing the amount of oil we use, let's just increase it. Who cares what we'll do when there's none left!

The energy bill that passed the House of Representatives by a two-vote margin after a controversial extended vote would:
(...)
Encourage carpooling.

How's it gonna do that?

Here's what Star Telegram has to say on the matter:

Another point of contention: the bill's provision to promote conservation via carpooling instead of by raising the federal government's fuel-economy standards.

(...)

"I think it's a good thing we have tough environmental laws and a good thing we enforce them," Barton said. "But if you were to build a refinery overseas in certain countries, you don't have to do anything environmentally. I don't think that's fair."

So instead of leading by example, we stamp our feet like spoilt kids.


(...)

Meanwhile, the House Committee on Resources will consider the National Energy Supply Diversification and Disruption Prevention Act, a bill that would open up Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling and enable states to permit drilling that is currently prohibited on the Outer Continental Shelf.

It's like stealing your mum so you can get your next smack hit.

Dilbert

Justice

BBC

She says there was very little delay in issuing her claim in December 2004, after learning of Hoare's win and realising it was "worthwhile" suing him.

How can it be 'moral' to sue someone years after the facts, simply because it's become worthwile? Have we forgotten that there must be justice for victims as well as perpetrators? Otherwise, we should just impose mandatory life or even death sentences. I obviously do not advocate this, since I believe in rehabilitation and reintegration. Isn't that what society has come to believe over recent decades? If so, there has to be a point when a criminal is judged to have paid his debt to society and can be reintegratted within society.Of course, it is clear that even after 'paying their debts', former prisonners aren't really reintegrated since nothing in prison or outside is done to help their rehabilitation.

Anti-semitism (cont'd)

David Baddiel's Harold Nicolson quote ‘Although I loathe anti-Semitism,I do dislike Jews.’ got me thinking. If Jews are a nation like any other, on the same level as Australians for example, why is it less acceptable to express dislike for Jews than it is for a nation such as Australians? I can only think of one other case where a specific word has been invented to define criticism of a nation: 'anti-americanism'. To paraphrase Noam Chomsky, who's ever heard of 'anti-frenchism' or 'anti-italianism'?

I'd like to add that 'jewishness' is indeed a complicated concept, and I say this as someone who assumes his jewish heritage. However, 'contradictions' embodied in judaism shouldn't be used to apply diferent rules to jews than to other religious or ethnic groups.

Anti-zionism and anti-semitism

On Hard Talk Extra tonight, comedian David Baddiel and journalist Jonathan Freedland both said they believed it was anti-semitic to question the state of Israel-or could at least seem so. This is a very simplistic claim. It doesn't rest on any logical or rational argument, and this is particularly disapointing coming from a journalist such as Freedland.

One could describe being opposed to the state of Israel as being "anti-zionist". Yet, this would be to ignore the zionists who opposed the concept of a jewish state before it was created. Noam Chomsky has told how he was a zionist from a young age yet has always opposed a 'jewish state' as an utterly undemocratic state.

For Jonathan Freedland, it would be unfair to allow Australians to have a state and not Jews. There is one blatant difference between Jews and Australians. 'Jewishness' is an exclusive concept. It carries religious overtones. To be an Australian, you don't need to be a christian, or even indigenous...Do we think islamic states are democratic? Do we allow christianity to define 'our' nations-other than symbolically?

Even if 'anti-zionism' means being opposed to the state of Israel, how can this be construed as being anti-semitic? David Baddiel himself said Israelis to him weren't really jewish(with a little humour, I admit).Couldn't such a statement be seen as anti-semitic by Israelis, especially if they lack a jewish sense of humour, as he suggested?

For David Baddiel Anne Widdecombe's "something about the night" comment about Michael Howard was unconsciously anti-semitic. Personally, I didn't know, at the time, that Howard was jewish, and yet I understood what she meant-even if I don't necessarily agree with her. Are all untrustworthy people supposed to be Jews?

Nobel Peace Prize

NYT

The Norwegian Nobel Institute's prize committee said it hoped that the prize will strengthen the United Nations organization and refocus energy on nonproliferation in the wake of a failure to strengthen the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at a United Nations conference earlier this year.

This must be the strongest indication that the Nobel peace prize is all about sending a message-a message that suits the agenda of a certain elite. When did the IAEA put pressure on the US, Israel or France (to name a select few) to halt their nuclear programmes?

On JC Menezes

A Logical Voice

The investigation into the shooting "will be carried out by the Met's own Directorate of Professional Standards", Sir Ian writes.

No independent inquiry, then?

Time and Space

BBC

"Empire raises many issues relating to time and space that are also explored in the Universal Experience exhibition."

There's an idea...

Global Leader

BBC

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the success of the American linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky, who came fourth. Another outspoken American, Michael Moore, was 15th.

Surprising, perhaps not. The irony is that Noam Chomsky doesn't believe in leadership-not political leadership anyway.

Death of a comedian

BBCAnd here's a quote from the funniest man in Britain:

Former Conservative prime minister John Major added: "Ronnie Barker will forever be remembered as one of the great comic actors."