And a piece on why it is about Islam (and about the USA, not the whole Western world).
Some interesting views there. Especially the facts and figures for those aid drops, which at least partly undermine Bush & Blair's humanitarian claims.
"If you choose to not support your own country, then you choose to not support the system that gave you the freedom to choose whom you support. It is like taking the life of your own mother..."
"My country, right or wrong" is a very dangerous song to sing. Democracy is meant to be guided by the will of the people. If you unfailingly support the government, regardless of what they do, then democracy becomes pointless.
And, IMHO, it's even more important than usual to make your voice heard at times like this...
"Think about it, would the US extradite one of its own citizens without conclusive proof being offered?"
Sometimes not even when conclusive proof is offered. Excerpt from a recent Guardian (UK) article by Arundhati Roy:
From what is known about the location of Bin Laden and the living conditions in which he operates, it's entirely possible that he did not personally plan and carry out the attacks - that he is the inspirational figure, "the CEO of the holding company". The Taliban's response to US demands for the extradition of Bin Laden has been uncharacteristically reasonable: produce the evidence, then we'll hand him over. President Bush's response is that the demand is "non-negotiable".
(While talks are on for the extradition of CEOs - can India put in a side request for the extradition of Warren Anderson of the US? He was the chairman of Union Carbide, responsible for the Bhopal gas leak that killed 16,000 people in 1984. We have collated the necessary evidence. It's all in the files. Could we have him, please?)
I have to admit that I'd almost forgotten about Bhopal. Twice as many dead as the WTC bombing, albeit through (alleged) criminal corporate negligence, not terrorism. But I can see why India, definitely no friend to the Taliban, might perceive a slight double standard here...
Well said. And the dangerous thing is that the "War on Terrorism", which isn't really a war in the accepted/legal sense (which is why so many foreign allies are getting twitchy about that word...) has no well-defined conclusion.
So measures introduced for "the duration" could potentially be there for a very long time...
One new measure which I've not seen mentioned on here, btw - increased scrutiny of all foreign students studying in the USA. See this link for a British newspaper report on it - and this one for a very good piece on politicians supporting whatever the President says for fear of being seen as apologists or unpatriotic (it concentrates on defence and foreign policy, but the logic also applies to rights issues)...
While the French government are being rather tentative, the survey results quoted in this article claim that the French public are more strongly in favour of taking part in a joint response than most other European countries are...
And, perhaps unsurprisingly, it also seems that the Israeli public is more in favour of military action (77%) than the US public (54%) is...
"What's antisemititic about saying the truth that jews are greedy?"
Well, at best, it's on a par with saying that Arabs are fanatical, Americans are arrogant, French people are cowards, English people are snobs...
It's a generalisation that treats an entire cultural/ethnic group as if they shared an identical worldview, which is dangerous thinking.
Saying "some jews are greedy" would be a little less antisemitic, IMHO. Although it still carries the nasty implication that you think they're intrinsically greedier than whichever ethnic/cultural group you're using as a benchmark.
"Or, as is more obvious in South Africa, the government has made it more difficult to own or acquire personal firearms, which means that the hijacker with the illegal personal firearm has no resistance"
Bad example, I think. This logic would only apply if you allow passengers (including any potential hijackers) to take weapons onboard with them, for self-defence.
And whatever your views on the more general issue of gun ownership, I think we can probably agree that's a bad idea...? Aircraft and ships, like govermnent buildings, should be places where only the designated security folks are allowed weapons, surely?
"These are people that come from a country where it's a crime if you teach a woman, that's right, you go to JAIL if you teach a woman.. A country that sends you to jail if you don't have a beard.. A place where you can't give woman rides, dancing is illegal and playing any music other then music approved by the government will also land you in prison.."
None of which was the case before the USA, UK and Pakistan destabilised Afghanistan to get at the USSR, laying the groundwork for the Taliban to get into power in the first place...
"It was the Americans, after all, who poured resources into the 1980s war against the Soviet-backed regime in Kabul, at a time when girls could go to school and women to work. Bin Laden and his mojahedin were armed and trained by the CIA and MI6, as Afghanistan was turned into a wasteland and its communist leader Najibullah left hanging from a Kabul lamp post with his genitals stuffed in his mouth."
Quoted from the UK's Guardian newspaper - the full (rather cynical) article is here
"I'd say history proves that economic desperation fosters extreme governments who will ignore treaties
I'd agree. Unfortunately, over here in Europe, a lot of people are starting to wonder if Bush's America is actually one of the governments that falls into that category.
The original article is also a little inaccurate with its description of Millar's achievements - he certainly didn't create the "first gay superheroes" (although he inherited a couple of them, Midnighter and Apollo, when he took the reins on The Authority).
The article also mentions his new role at Marvel - IIRC, this is as part of Grant Morrison's X-Men revamp, which starts in a couple of months.
Morrison, btw, has already done some extreme alternate versions of Superman (all-powerful tyrannical king of the world), Batman (psychotic mobster) and Wonder Woman (yes, "a slapper"...) in a "Mirror Mirror" style alternate world story, the JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel. Which was itself an update of a story from several decades ago - it's hardly a new idea!
Slashdot Mirror
On Al-Jazeera - the only TV channel with access to Afghanistan, and one of the few 'independant' channels in the Arab world.
[BTW, I'm still not too sure what I think of Colin Powell asking Qatar to muzzle their 'free press'...]
A good piece on airdropping aid and other issues.
And a piece on why it is about Islam (and about the USA, not the whole Western world).
Some interesting views there. Especially the facts and figures for those aid drops, which at least partly undermine Bush & Blair's humanitarian claims.
"My country, right or wrong" is a very dangerous song to sing. Democracy is meant to be guided by the will of the people. If you unfailingly support the government, regardless of what they do, then democracy becomes pointless.
And, IMHO, it's even more important than usual to make your voice heard at times like this...
Sometimes not even when conclusive proof is offered. Excerpt from a recent Guardian (UK) article by Arundhati Roy:
From what is known about the location of Bin Laden and the living conditions in which he operates, it's entirely possible that he did not personally plan and carry out the attacks - that he is the inspirational figure, "the CEO of the holding company". The Taliban's response to US demands for the extradition of Bin Laden has been uncharacteristically reasonable: produce the evidence, then we'll hand him over. President Bush's response is that the demand is "non-negotiable".
(While talks are on for the extradition of CEOs - can India put in a side request for the extradition of Warren Anderson of the US? He was the chairman of Union Carbide, responsible for the Bhopal gas leak that killed 16,000 people in 1984. We have collated the necessary evidence. It's all in the files. Could we have him, please?)
I have to admit that I'd almost forgotten about Bhopal. Twice as many dead as the WTC bombing, albeit through (alleged) criminal corporate negligence, not terrorism. But I can see why India, definitely no friend to the Taliban, might perceive a slight double standard here...
The BBC is now reporting on the civil liberties issues raised, too...
The article is here.
So measures introduced for "the duration" could potentially be there for a very long time...
One new measure which I've not seen mentioned on here, btw - increased scrutiny of all foreign students studying in the USA. See this link for a British newspaper report on it - and this one for a very good piece on politicians supporting whatever the President says for fear of being seen as apologists or unpatriotic (it concentrates on defence and foreign policy, but the logic also applies to rights issues)...
While the French government are being rather tentative, the survey results quoted in this article claim that the French public are more strongly in favour of taking part in a joint response than most other European countries are...
And, perhaps unsurprisingly, it also seems that the Israeli public is more in favour of military action (77%) than the US public (54%) is...
Well, at best, it's on a par with saying that Arabs are fanatical, Americans are arrogant, French people are cowards, English people are snobs...
It's a generalisation that treats an entire cultural/ethnic group as if they shared an identical worldview, which is dangerous thinking.
Saying "some jews are greedy" would be a little less antisemitic, IMHO. Although it still carries the nasty implication that you think they're intrinsically greedier than whichever ethnic/cultural group you're using as a benchmark.
Bad example, I think. This logic would only apply if you allow passengers (including any potential hijackers) to take weapons onboard with them, for self-defence.
And whatever your views on the more general issue of gun ownership, I think we can probably agree that's a bad idea...? Aircraft and ships, like govermnent buildings, should be places where only the designated security folks are allowed weapons, surely?
"These are people that come from a country where it's a crime if you teach a woman, that's right, you go to JAIL if you teach a woman.. A country that sends you to jail if you don't have a beard.. A place where you can't give woman rides, dancing is illegal and playing any music other then music approved by the government will also land you in prison.."
None of which was the case before the USA, UK and Pakistan destabilised Afghanistan to get at the USSR, laying the groundwork for the Taliban to get into power in the first place...
"It was the Americans, after all, who poured resources into the 1980s war against the Soviet-backed regime in Kabul, at a time when girls could go to school and women to work. Bin Laden and his mojahedin were armed and trained by the CIA and MI6, as Afghanistan was turned into a wasteland and its communist leader Najibullah left hanging from a Kabul lamp post with his genitals stuffed in his mouth."
Quoted from the UK's Guardian newspaper - the full (rather cynical) article is here
Is Amnesty International considered a reliable/unbiased source? (and if not, why not and what is?)
You can find their summary of what's going on in Israel - covering both sides of the struggle - here. It makes pretty grim reading.
I'd agree. Unfortunately, over here in Europe, a lot of people are starting to wonder if Bush's America is actually one of the governments that falls into that category.
Good for them. I'm glad to know that when our guys are acting like jackasses they at least are careful enough not to hit someone else.
Except, of course, when they're not...
The original article is also a little inaccurate with its description of Millar's achievements - he certainly didn't create the "first gay superheroes" (although he inherited a couple of them, Midnighter and Apollo, when he took the reins on The Authority).
The article also mentions his new role at Marvel - IIRC, this is as part of Grant Morrison's X-Men revamp, which starts in a couple of months.
Morrison, btw, has already done some extreme alternate versions of Superman (all-powerful tyrannical king of the world), Batman (psychotic mobster) and Wonder Woman (yes, "a slapper"...) in a "Mirror Mirror" style alternate world story, the JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel. Which was itself an update of a story from several decades ago - it's hardly a new idea!