By Katherine Juestel
These haven't been
good days for Bush and his pack of lap dogs. It certainly has not been
good for his stated goal of spreading democracy through the Middle
East. The main problem here is that the man is either totally oblivious
to the fact that his decisions and his actions have caused the deaths
of hundreds of thousands of people in the region, from Iraq to
Afghanistan to Lebanon and all areas in between, or he really believes
that all of these people deserve to die.
Bush continues to insist that Israel's battle with Hezbullah is part of
a wider struggle against terrorism. He blindly refuses to lay blame
equally on both sides, even as he professes to mourn the loss of
"innocent life" both in Israel and Lebanon. Bush continues to insist
that "Israel is exercising its right to defend itself," a right he
continues to deny the Iraqi people, the people of Lebanon, and the
Palestinians who have been the target of systematic genocide for nearly
60 years.
While the majority of the civilized world loudly condemns the excessive
force exercised by Israel, Bush continues to play God with peoples
lives, not only in the Middle East, but also in his own country where
he has seized upon the right to ignore domestic law with as much
impunity as he does International laws. And in the process he is
dragging Australia and Her people deeper and deeper into the same
quagmire of fear and hate and death, bringing the collective hatred of
a larger and larger alliance of enemies down upon all of our heads.
"Not In Our Name" was the cry of those who opposed the invasion of
Iraq. "Not In Our Name" will you kill innocent children and women and
elderly peoples who had nothing to do with any attacks on any citizens
of the countries who became part of the "coalition of the willing". But
it seems that Bush and Chaney and Rumsfeld and their poodle partners
Blair and Howard have succeeded in muting those voices by gagging the
opposition and the formerly objective media while letting loose the
likes of Coulter and Limbaugh and Drudge and Murdock to plaster the print and
electronic media with lies and distortions and cover ups and massive
amounts of distractions such as "when will Howard resign", the price of
bananas, which actor is cheating on their spouse or what some actor
said while in being arrested for driving drunk.
Once again the term "anti-Semitism" is being bantered about in an
attempt to silence the voices crying out for the killing to stop. Once
again the guilt of one generation is being used to silence another and
to justify the crimes committed by the descendants of one group of
those who died in the Holocaust.
Could it be that Bush revels in the God-like powers he has, in the life
and death decisions he makes, just as he did when he was governor of
Texas and presided over the record number of executions that occurred
in Texas under his watch?
Bush and those who serve him are true serial killers, mass murderers no
different from the mass killers who preceded them. They stand beside
Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussain and Melosavitch.
Bush has either deliberately set out to bring about another world war,
or he has seriously miscalculated in his stance in Iraq and on the
Israel-Hezbullah violence. By allowing Israeli violence against
Lebanese citizens to continue unabated, the tide of world opinion
against both Israel and the United States has swelled and has fanned
support across the Arab world for Hezbullah.
By the United States continued slaughter of the people of Iraq, and
it's continued threats against Iran, and it's unwavering support and continued arming of Israel it has helped to forge alliances
between many countries who have, until now, had little to do with each
other. With each innocent life lost Hezbullah and other organizations
of it's type gain more and more recruits, each dedicated to the
destruction of Israel, the United States and their allies.
Already the violence has begun to overflow into our own region, even
into our own country as the attacks on Synagogues and Mosques become
more and more frequent. Our country is becoming more and more polarized
as such issues the right of people to hold dual citizenship and the
rights of those who do to be rescued from a war zone or their right to
fight for their other country dominate talk back radio and blogs in all
major newspapers and many smaller local ones. The wars that are
occurring thousands of kilometres from our shores are tearing our own
people apart, causing friends and neighbours to turn on each other. How
long before the bombs begin to explode in our own back yards?
The madness must come to an end, one way or the other. Either the
killing has to stop or the nuclear weapons must be deployed and life as
we know it must end. There is no longer any middle ground left.
the race is on....
“We will agree to a ceasefire only when we know the conditions on the ground are different from those that brought the outbreak of war.” ~~ Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
The Times August 02, 2006
THOUSANDS of Israeli troops were fighting Hezbollah across a wide strip of southern Lebanon yesterday as the Government declared that it intends to seize territory up to the strategic Litani River.
Tanks and armoured bulldozers were massing along roads on the Israeli side of the border after the security Cabinet approved an expanded ground operation.
In Taibeh, a town in the shadow of the Crusaders’ ancient Beaufort Castle, Israeli generals claimed last night that troops had seized a crucial stretch of the Litani.
Commanders confirmed that they even have smaller groups of elite soldiers — presumed to be special forces — working north of the old “red line” delineating its pre-2000 security zone.
Helicopters landed Israeli soldiers near the northeastern Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek last night, Lebanese security sources said. The aim of the operation was not immediately clear.
Read the rest at:
Israel in race to 'clean' border area before arrival of UN force
You just need to be a flea against injustice. Enough committed fleas biting strategically can make even the biggest dog uncomfortable and transform even the biggest nation. ~~ Marian Wright Edelman
frustrated with Mr Bush....
"Unless we reappraise our strategy, unless we revitalise the broader global agenda on poverty, climate change, trade and in respect of the Middle East, bend every sinue of our will to making peace between Palestine and Israel, we will not win and it is a battle we must win." ~~ Tony Blair
The Times
Tony Blair is tonight calling for a total rethink of the approach to the Middle East in a speech which admits that military action in Iraq and Afghanistan had alienated moderate Muslims and undermined the War on Terror.
The Prime Minister, seeming to break from the tough stance adopted with President Bush four days ago, said that the wider problem of extremism would never be conquered unless there was a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
As soon as conflict in Lebanon ends, all efforts had to be focused on resolving that dispute, Mr Blair believes.
His plea for the use of more "soft power" was immediately interpreted as a rebuke to Mr Bush for failing to fully engage in the Middle East peace process, despite repeated claims that it was a priority for his administration, as well as an acknowledgement of the deep concerns over his tactics in his own party.
Mr Blair’s change of emphasis followed growing tensions within his Cabinet over his tough approach to the Lebanon crisis. The Times understands that Foreign Office officials pushed hard last week for Mr Blair to exert pressure on Mr Bush to call for an immediate ceasefire, but were rebuffed by No 10.
The move was understood to have been endorsed by Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, who then demanded that Mr Blair show some sign that he was not slavishly following Washington by banning from Britain US flights re-arming Israel.
Read the rest at:
Blair takes Bush to task over failure to deliver on Palestinians
Flea: True, Aussie Tony was backed into a corner by his own front bench so we can be sure his speech lacked personal sincerity, but the words have been spoken publicly. That is a start. ..... Mr. Howard, your turn.
You just need to be a flea against injustice. Enough committed fleas biting strategically can make even the biggest dog uncomfortable and transform even the biggest nation. ~~ Marian Wright Edelman
Awakenings
Blair takes Bush to task over failure to deliver on Palestinians
By Rosemary Bennett in Los Angeles and David Charter
Tony Blair is tonight calling for a total rethink of the approach to the Middle East in a speech which admits that military action in Iraq and Afghanistan had alienated moderate Muslims and undermined the War on Terror.
The Prime Minister, seeming to break from the tough stance adopted with President Bush four days ago, said that the wider problem of extremism would never be conquered unless there was a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
As soon as conflict in Lebanon ends, all efforts had to be focused on resolving that dispute, Mr Blair believes.
His [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2295292,00.html|plea] for the use of more "soft power" was immediately interpreted as a rebuke to Mr Bush for failing to fully engage in the Middle East peace process, despite repeated claims that it was a priority for his administration, as well as an acknowledgement of the deep concerns over his tactics in his own party.
Mr Blair’s change of emphasis followed growing tensions within his Cabinet over his tough approach to the Lebanon crisis.
_______________________
Gus: The sad, very sad part here, is that Mr Blair is appearing to wake up from the torpor that had descended upon the Western World from George Bush the Idiot's arse-brain. A bit late... For years we have been SCREAMING, unfortunately through the void between the President's ears, that aggression and war do nothing to improve peace... and that IT WOULD ALIENATE MOST OF THE MUSLIM WORLD. We've been SCREAMING that despite a few "terrorist" elements in the Muslim world (and there are also "terrorists" in other worlds too), THERE WAS a slow proper awakening to more open social systems. This moderation and relaxation of rules, WAS truly happening! BUT this process had to happen under Muslims own terms, own discoveries and own opening of heart... YES the process was happening. Media organisations like Al Jazeera, with no fear nor favour were also opening these doors to a greater, softer enlightenment of Muslims in a modern world.
All this AWAKENING, as slow as it was, was shattered to smithereens by an impatient ADHD affected little monster in the White House who has difficulty wiping his own arse. Blair and our own Howard were — and to some too great extend are still — Bush little yappers, doing his yapping to the two corners of the world, because in Bush's terms there are only two corners: You're with us or against us! What a load of codswallop! What a tragedy of humanity misconception! In a stupid vapid comment lapped on to by the other lackeys of the Bigbukaronnees — the media — the US president wiped out all the moires of humanity. In this stupid broad-bush of white and black paint, he erased the colourful identities of the people of this earth — No understanding of history and feelings and above all no understanding of hearts, of songs and of spirits.
Sure, there were conflicts, skirmishes and some serious tiffs... but adding to the sum total of latent misery with the might of the US armies and now with the might of the Israeli-US armies does nothing towards world peace or general improvement. All it does, as we have [here on this site and other places] SCREAMED for yonks, is to entrench, to solidify and to multiply a hardened resolve not to open up — as our enforcement of our ways — with bombs and bullets — can appear dangerous hypocritical like us... Thus one's is forced to become a "terrorist" — a resistance fighter to protect one's family from this deadly onslaught. The target we seek, the reduction of terrorism, is pitifully missed as, in fact, more people become incline to resist...
With might and awe, the US and their dogs have sadly demonstrated the path of vengeance, retaliation and sometimes aggression for the "fun" of it, is our way not to solve problems as if we did not want to let problems be solved by themselves or find their own solution. Despite all the highjacked good words used to morally justify US aggression here and there, the stench of its corruption is mucking up the world...
My rude words above, those describing the president, are deliberate. These words are definitely far less offensive that his Neo-Napoleonic attitude which leads to many people dying for nothing... That man should be charged for crimes against humanity, but unfortunately, history will glorify him in whatever his own advertising chooses.
A shock to everybody
THE PRESIDENT
Bush’s Embrace of Israel Shows Gap With Father
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: August 2, 2006
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 — When they first met as United States president and Israeli prime minister, George W. Bush made clear to Ariel Sharon he would not follow in the footsteps of his father.
The first President Bush had been tough on Israel, especially the Israeli settlements in occupied lands that Mr. Sharon had helped develop. But over tea in the Oval Office that day in March 2001 — six months before the Sept. 11 attacks tightened their bond — the [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/washington/02prexy.html?hp&ex=1154491200&en=dbd72c62c560623c&ei=5094&partner=homepage|new president] signaled a strong predisposition to support Israel.
“He told Sharon in that first meeting that I’ll use force to protect Israel, which was kind of a shock to everybody,” said one person present, given anonymity to speak about a private conversation. “It was like, ‘Whoa, where did that come from?’ “
That embrace of Israel represents a generational and philosophical divide between the Bushes, one that is exacerbating the friction that has been building between their camps of advisers and loyalists over foreign policy more generally.
---------------------------------
follow the link to read more at The NYT
relapse of dorkianism?
"It's nearly official", says professor Umay Askhim, "our great leader John Howard is a Dorkian – that is to say an alien from planet Dork"... All the professor needs to get certified confirmation is to perform a few more sampling of John's saliva while John uses a few key words, to check for sweet venom. The professor studied for example, words like "terrorism" "interest rates", and other vernacular that send zillion of people into submission to the Dorky powers. Dork is a planet of nerdy aliens, the Dorkians, and was named this way because of this extraordinary ability Dorkians have to turn any intelligent person into a total dork.
Professor Umay Askhim has been doing years of comprehensive research on these annoying and somewhat dangerous aliens, is himself from planet Dismay, where the inhabitants usually scratch their heads (and sometimes their butts) at the amazing power of the Dorkians on highly intelligent humans, not discounting those whose IQ is below the frozen state. The Dismaylians unfortunately only study the problem and do not have any real cure for this tragic state of affairs.
Mind you, the findings have also shown that Dorkians often work in teams of three, and may have achieved control of another alien species, the Snaikolians, who by sheer mastery of spruiking, usually rule the media outlets and are able to make you swallow anything.
"Humans", adds the dear professor, "do not stand a chance... unless... yes... hum... may be as a long shot, ... if they've read 'Not Happy John' and jump into the frozen lake of Wakeupcall."
Even then, humans have to further protect themselves with earmuffs, or a quick flick of the "sound off" button on the remote if they want to avoid a relapse of dorkianism. One can never be fully cured — unless one isolates oneself on a freezing mountain top... (but this defeats the purpose of living)— because the Dorkians are coming back for more, with more dorkian trickery up their sleeves. Beware.
Fear as the main meal
It's time for the US to sort its own problems before telling other nations what to do... It is obvious that the present US campaigns here and there is not about "freedom-this" and "freedom-that" but about conquest and protection of rackets.
The internal workings of the US are a shamble of racism, of fear, of schizophrenic communities. The strange part of this is that there are many good people living there, but they fall into the traps set by what they believe in. And people live with this strange permanent fear of the "other".
Business district in many US cities, abandoned at about 6.00 p.m. by daily working staff, turn till the following morning, into no-go zone where even cinemas have to shut down. Only the brave, the idiot and the gangster go there.
In ghettos (of course they call them something else like "palm Grove Estate or thus) for rich people, ghettos that are like fortresses and under surveillance 24/7 (boy, I hate this expression...), the image of a black person within can send frissons through the spine of any inhabitants even if that black person is twice as rich as the next neighbor...
In the US, where many people have seen the inside of prison for crime, with the highest percentage of population of people behind bars in the world by far, where guns are like smoking gods, the murder rates are nearly higher than those in Iraq and in Palestine combined.
And this fantastic, innovative country — full of god botherers fanatics who twist the lessons to be learned from Christ into crusades to go and kill in other nation — also rejects the poor, the destitute and the sick in many ways.
And strangely enough, that country of great people elects the most moronic of all presidents, to suit the cultivated majority of bigoted morons.
Mate, intelligent people in the US have my sympathy...
Whimps!
EU waters down ceasefire call
Tuesday 01 August 2006, 20:56 Makka Time, 17:56 GMT
The European Union has called for an immediate end to hostilities in Lebanon, [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1323AB41-AC11-4919-9730-E0E0A998F006.htm|watering down] demands for an immediate ceasefire at the insistence of Britain and other US allies.
A joint statement adopted at a crisis meeting of the 25-nation bloc on Tuesday said: "The council calls for an immediate end to hostilities to be followed by a sustainable ceasefire."
The 25 EU foreign ministers agreed to call for an urgent halt to the fighting, effective immediately.
Britain, Germany and others initially were against such a call.
Gus: If the countries in Europe have not picked up that the US is working tirelessly to make sure the union will never happen properly, then they should break up straight away and go their own way. Europe cannot and should not listen to the US, to the point it should always oppose what the USA are proposing unless it is a reverse trap... Hear that? never ever listen to the US of A if Europe want to exist as Europe. Otherwise, that conglomerate of countries will only become a dumping ground for US culture, goods and shonky ideology. Come on guys, drop kick those who are letting the game down... They have been paid off by the US to sabotage the Union and this includes the UK. Until the UK is using the Euro as a currency, no solace... Be warned!
I hope you've all been watching "Absolute Power" on ABC TV tonight (2/08/06)....
the prism of propaganda .....
‘As if we didn't know it already, the conflict in Lebanon shows that truth and war don't mix. All parties to the tragedy of the Middle East resort to disinformation and historical falsification to bolster their case, but rarely has an attempt to rewrite the past occurred so soon after the fact. Israeli ministers and their supporters have justified the bombardment of Lebanon as "a matter of survival". Total war has been declared on Israel, so Israel is entitled to use the methods of total war in self-defence. This would be reasonable if it were true, but it isn't. It's completely false.
The conflict was triggered by a Hizbullah operation in which two Israeli soldiers were captured and three killed. Let's be frank, this wasn't exactly the Tet offensive. It certainly didn't justify Israel's ferocious onslaught against the very fabric of Lebanese society. Yes, the rocket attacks on Haifa are an appalling crime, but they followed rather than preceded Israel's decision to escalate the fighting. They cannot provide retrospective justification for Israeli strategy.
The crisis has also been accompanied by the selective and often inappropriate use of the term "terrorism". Following the Israeli government, George Bush and Tony Blair were at it again on Friday, blaming "terrorists" for sparking the conflict. The purpose behind this is obvious enough. In the context of America's war on terror, anyone claiming to be engaged in the fight against this most contested of notions gets carte blanche to do as they please. But the result has been to politicise the term in ways that render it effectively useless as a category of moral judgment or policy analysis.’
How Can 'Terrorism' Be Condemned While War Crimes Go Without Rebuke?