The Goldstone Report has been criticised in many quarters. Perhaps most surprisingly by people who have never read the Report itself. This is evident because the comments related to bias have yet to be supported by any reference at all to a portion or part of the Report. There is a very basic reason for [...]
Archive for October, 2009
A Resignation
October 28, 2009
With all the recent talk of a troop surge, the elections and the Obama post peace prize initiatives it seems that someone was not impressed with the efforts in Afghanistan by the US Matthew Hoh, who was a key civilian representative for the US government in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, said in a letter released on [...]
Zionism and Denial
October 27, 2009
There is a new article available by Gilad Atzmon. The Jewish saxophonist who now lives in the UK. He discusses his background and the nature of his upbringing.
How To Arrest Blair
October 27, 2009
George Monbiot has written a valuable piece on Blair becoming President of Europe. Surprisingly he supports Blair becoming El Presidente. The article is at link
Israeli Self Defence
October 27, 2009
The Goldstone Report although labelled as biased by Israel and Israel supporters is yet to be greeted by a comment aimed directly at its comments in the 500 or so pages it is made up of. The Report as far as Israel is concerned expresses opinions that Israelis just cannot get around with assertions of [...]
The walls have ears and eyes
October 26, 2009
Recently in the UK there has been a lot of discussion about the activities of police as far as protesters and dissidents are concerned. Police regularly photograph activists and the like at demonstrations and rallys.
A Nation
October 24, 2009
“A nation is a group of people united by a common mistake regarding its origin and a collective hostility towards its neighbours.” Karl W. Deutsch
Israeli Nonsense
October 24, 2009
When it comes to the Goldstone Report it seems that Israel can be counted on to supply both irrational and hysterical responses to an inquiry into their own behaviour. A recent article in Haaretz highlights their position
No Awe in War
October 22, 2009
The endless war or Obama’s war or whatever name you wish to give it continues in Afghanistan. ikners.com
Let us pray
October 21, 2009
“When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray’. We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.” Desmond Tutu The Observer, “Sayings of the Week”: 16 Dec 1984. (George Ikners ikners.com Joomla)
Eyes open
October 21, 2009
“When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray’. We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.” Desmond Tutu The Observer, “Sayings of the Week”: 16 Dec 1984.
War on Islam
October 21, 2009
There always seems to be new war on the horizon. From the war on drugs to the war on terrorism there is the devastating reality to many people in the countries where these wars are fought that it is really a war on them. Often for reasons that have nothing to do with the catch [...]
Afghan Elections
October 20, 2009
While a lot of main stream news sources are talking about some agonizing over a new election in Afghanistan and also discussing it as an intellectual matter there have been measures in place for some time in complete anticipation of a new election. Just another example of what is often called a media lag or [...]
Palestine and Shame
October 19, 2009
The Goldstone Report continues the assault on Israel’s attitude to criticism and exposure. In an informative article Ramzy Baroud the Editor of the Palestine Chronicle keeps up the pressure on those Israeli elements who feel that Israel has nothing at all to answer for. This comment is very appropriate, “The level of barbarity in that [...]
Living out of garbage bins
October 19, 2009
As huge numbers of people starve and die, farmers so graciously pour milk they produce onto the ground or into drains. So much food is discarded that in a recent book called Waste, the writer who has lived out of garbage bins reveals several shocking ways edible food is discarded.
The earth has a use by date not a guarantee
October 19, 2009
There is a video at the RealNews site that deals with the drought in Peru. The opening line is that the people in the area do not consider global warming is a future problem. The simple logic of their position is that it is happening right now. ikners.com a Joomla site
A good site to link to.
October 18, 2009
I have often mentioned and placed links to articles at the TomDispatch site on this page. You can receive regular emails from that site. They arrive as Tomgrams. More often than not these include very up to date material on news from around the world. Of course the material presented and the views given more [...]
The Law
October 18, 2009
The Rule of Law has always been and will always be the Law of the Rulers ikners.com a Joomla site
Equality
October 18, 2009
La majestueuse égalité des lois, qui interdit au riche comme au pauvre de coucher sous les ponts, de mendier dans les rues et de voler du pain. § The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread. [...]
Terrorism
October 15, 2009
“Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich.” (Sir) Peter Ustinov ikners.com a Joomla site
Is Obama worthy and obvious?
October 15, 2009
The following quote is from an article at the Al Jazeera site. President Barack Obama’s willingness to confront the lawlessness and the calumnies of the Bush administration makes him a worthy and obvious recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Prize has been given in the past to those who fight oppression and restore [...]
Afghan invasion no end in sight
October 14, 2009
The latest announcement from the UK Prime Minister Brown about further troops to Afghanistan would dim anyone’s enthusiasm for the Peace Prize winning Obama’s efforts in the area. This follows hot on the heels of yet another Israeli attempt to not negotiate for peace in Palestine. Now NATO forces and the UK in particular seem [...]
Elections and fraud
October 12, 2009
There has been a continuing reference to the fraud allegations in the recent Afghan election process. This is not surprising when you consider that Karzai is there by the grace of what seems to be former US support. The country is rapidly becoming a holding area for a rag tag bunch of military troops. Rag [...]
Chomsky on a Unipolar World
October 12, 2009
There is an excellent article by Chomsky available to read at link. He starts with the basic proposition that, “Every powerful state relies on specialists whose task is to show that what the strong do is noble and just and, if the weak suffer, it is their fault.” ikners.com A joomla site
Eduardo Galeano
October 11, 2009
If you have not had the opportunity to read “Open veins of Latin america” by Edouard Galeano, you should make every attempt to get a copy and read it. It gives a history of Latin America covering about two centuries or more in a rare form of prose for what yo may expect in an [...]
Secret meeting on how to make money
October 10, 2009
I have been getting emails from a group that publish Wealth Daily. Most go unread. However, I received something today that seems worth looking at and considering. The first proposition is that there was a meeting in a hotel in Manhatten recently. At that meeting were people who collectively represent 20% of the worlds GDP [...]
Israelis lawsuits for crimes
October 10, 2009
It appears that even Israel has admitted to the fact that there are almost one thousand lawsuits that have been filed against Israeli people for war crimes. The Israelis interpret this as a continuing effort to deligitimise Israel. The difficulty for the Israelis is of course if some or a lot of the suits are [...]
Peak Oil and disaster
October 8, 2009
Several years ago while on holidays in New Zealand I had the opportunity to do some extra reading. During this time I read a book called Crude by Sonia Shah. When I finished it my view was that it represented one of the best examples of what some call investigative journalism. I thought it was [...]
Afghanistan, Iran and estimates
October 8, 2009
There are a very straight forward videos available at the RealNews site. You can view it at link. The first part is a talk by Ray McGovern who worked as an analyst at the CIA for 27 years. It provides major insights into the workings of the CIA and allied US institutions as well as [...]
conversion to Islam and Guantanamo Bay
October 7, 2009
There is an extremely interesting article at the guardian site. It deals with a former Guantanamo guard’s conversion to Islam. ” Terry Holdbrooks arrived at Guantánamo detention camp in the summer of 2003 as a godless 19-year-old with a love of drinking, hard rock music and tattoos. (ikners.com A Joomla site)
Blair for President
October 4, 2009
After what seems to be an Irish Yes vote there is a very daunting prospect that Tony Blair is to be reincarnated as the President of Europe. It brings back some old memories from spreading lies about weapons of mass destruction to some of the most sickening sites of good old fashioned crawling to George [...]
Netanyahu; the pathology of evil
October 4, 2009
Gilad Atzmon a former member of the Israeli Army as well as being a gifted musician and now living in London has always made his opposition to racist policies very plain. He is particularly concerned at what is happening and has happened in Israel. In a recent article of his that I received as an [...]
Goldstone report may not just fade away
October 4, 2009
The effect of shelving the Goldstone Report will ultimately come back to haunt the Israelis and all their supporters. In what is a completely blatant attack on any opposing opinions the Israelis will learn that there is a tide of contrary thought to theirs, that will not be turned back. ikners.com A Joomla site
Israeli protester does not pay fine is gaoled
October 3, 2009
An article about Israeli Kobi Snitz makes interesting reading, it is available at link. Snitz is serving a 20 day sentence for refusing to pay a fine. The fine was the result of his taking part in an act of civil disobedience in supporting Palestinian demonstrations about the wall. ikners.com A Joomla site