20051228
Red blogule to Logan International Airport - Better late than sorry
Associated Press reported yesterday an anti-terrorism drill at the Boston Airport "revealed flaws in the ability to respond to an attack", reminding the reader both 9/11 WTC torpedoes were launched from Logan.
Nothing to be amazed about : it took the authorities four and a half years to perform the said simulated hijacking (June the 4th) and six more months to release their report.
Who said the war on terror was a priority ? Who's in charge there ? Governors Ted Kennedy and JF Kerry ? The Prez whose vision of war on terror is to repeat "fasten your Bible belt" ?
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 07:00
20051221
White blogule to unconstitutional ID and illegal eavesdropping
In Seattle, WA, the Discovery Institute receives $9.5M from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. That's a charity supposed to eradicate evil bugs from all children of the world. I mean the B&MGF, not the Discovery Institute, a known promoter of Intelligent Design.
In New York, NY, Fox intelligently designs new films fit for the fundamentalist audiences (FoxFaith.com). Next time, they won't let Mel Gibson take all the risks on his own (nor grab all the benefits).
In Washington, DC, President George W. Bush, still waging his intelligently designed war in Iraq,maintains illegal eavesdropping is not only legally but morally OK.
In Dover, PA, U.S. District Judge John Jones rules Intelligent Design teaching illegal. At last, somebody is waking up this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 01:19
20051213
Red blogule to die hard habits - blood on your face, big disgrace
At last, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the club of the really tough guys : instead of injecting steroïds in his own body, he had something more directly lethal injected in the body of Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Driving a Hummer wasn't enough for a Prez candidate, especially one pushing a rather environmentaly ambitious agenda ; hardliners prefer Gubernator when he's praising Adolf Hitler or when he's actually killing some punk (even without using his NRA right to shoot). Am I my brother's keeper ? Am I my Beta Kappa ? You are a beta beta now, Arnie ; welkome to the Fraternity.
At last, Saudi Arabians are diversifying their economy : instead of leading the world in oil production, they're going for a much more noble output : fertilizers. Smart move : at least, next generations will still find some stinking stuff when they dig their deserts.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:27
20051212
Red blogule to CENTCOM pictures incorporated
At last ! The US Army liberating from evil treatments hundreds of detainees, including 13 needing hospitalization. And this time, we are not responsible for the torture : it's that nasty Iraqi regime we put at the head of the new and improved Iraq. We've got bad guys within our ranks but look : torture is an Iraqi thing. It's embedded in their DNA ! Who knows, it could be Saddam's WMDs and nerve gases attacking the very souls of every single person living there !
The US have nerves, all right. This telegenic bravado is supposed to remind the audience Amerika is not the only country fighting this nasty war, but it should remind everybody this war wasn't necessary. There were other ways of castrating Saddam Hussein, and there were certainly other things to do to truly fight terror.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:48
20051208
White blogule to the Law Lords - find another al-Libi, Dubya
Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, the Lybian detainee who confessed in 2002 a link between al Qaeda and Iraq, did it under torture but in an Egyptian jail (back then, the C.I.A. would still outsource this nasty business).
In London, the Law Lords just ruled that evidence obtained under torture (even on a foreign soil) could not be used in British courts.
The US have used the "foreign soil" loophole since the Cold War and torture has been banned since 1640 in England.
Talking about cold wars and smoking guns... Amerika's Real Estate Agent Condi Rice just clinched a deal with Romania where 4 US military bases will be installed. This former Soviet satellite enjoys a view on the European Gulf (the Black Sea ? an epitome of the Bush doctrine : a major oil and gas hub and an environmental nightmare), locates in Europe but not yet in the EU (perfect timing as far as the European agenda is concerned), and happens to be neither too close from the Middle East (the Gaza Tigers can draft Roger Clemens, their stones will never reach the Constanta shores), nor too far (when the boys are withdrawn, their toys will remain nearby). Of course, today's EU members won't budge and The Company Airlines gets all the time slots they need.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 18:51
20051201
Red blogule to The Lincoln Group - painting Iraq green
Behind the stage, where the Commander in Thief gave a vibrant state of the disunion, the Bush Administration are focusing on their core know-how : pre-election propaganda. This time, they need to win the war in Iraq (that is, get the hell outta there or at least set a positive timetable before next mid-term US elections).
A DC-based PR firm, Lincoln Group, got the $6M contract. We already knew from Odwyer PR News they'd been hiring "Senior PR help" for their Iraqi operations, now we know for sure they're paid by the US, as the NYT put it, "to plant articles in Iraq papers".
How charming. Planting, without the help of Monsanto ? Karen Hughes could make sure these six millions are taken from the environment budget : after all, The Lincoln Group are working for a better environment for US troops in Iraq.
Abductions, torture, usage of WMDs, and now plain propaganda... Iraqi certainly feel the difference between Uncle Saddam and Unkle Sam...
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 17:15
20051122
White blogule to John Murtha - My kingdom for a horse
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) : "I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and sent people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions that what may need to be done."
VP** Dick Cheney (R-BA*) : "A few politicians are suggesting these brave Americans were sent into battle for a deliberate falsehood. This is revisionism of the most corrupt and shameless variety. It has no place anywhere in American politics, much less in the United States Senate." NB : Lobby Dick, who couldn't win any Purple Hart since he doesn't have any (last time he tried it attacked him) should know about revisionism, corruption and shamelessness, which take place anytime in Amerika's White House.
Scott McClellan (R-BA*) : (Murtha) "is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party."
Michael Moore (I-MI) : "Is that the best you can do to persuade them to stick with you -- compare them to me? You gotta come up with a better villain. For heaven's sakes, you had a hundred-plus million other Americans who think the same way I do -- and you could have picked on any one of them! But hey, why not cut out the name-calling and the smearing and just do the obvious thing: Come join the majority! Be one of us, your fellow Americans! Is it really that hard? Is there really any other choice? George, take a walk on the wild side! Your loyal representative from the majority, Michael Moore."
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) : "By misrepresenting the facts, by misunderstanding Iraq and misleading the war, I believe the administration has brought us to the verge of a national security debacle."
VP*** George Bush (R-BA*) : "I'm here (NB : in Mongolia) on an important international mission. Secretary Rumsfeld asked me to check on his horse." A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!
Who said that ? Richard The Third ? Dick, The Turd ? I don't care : here comes the Debate, at last.
But so late. More than one year behind schedule. We knew all about the lies, the torture, the disinformation, the CIA Airlines FFPs..., yet Dubya got reelected.
Both the Democrats and the Media hold a share of responsibility in this failure. To do the right thing, I'd expect them to lead the first double impeachment in History. A Late Summer Night's Dream ?
* Bush Administration
** Vicious President
*** Virtual President
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:05
20051117
White blogule to Bob Woodward - Blowing another fuse
Going for another impeachment ? With an exquisite sense of timing, Bob Woodward revealed I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby wasn't his Plame-Wilson deep throat. The Bush Administration may have to blow another fuse and look for another scapegoat.
They easily replaced Scooter with another hawk : the only specie to avoid the laws of evolution does breed by entire flocks at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC, USA (watch out : herd flu hazards). David Addington is already at work to please his masters Lobby Dick and King Dubya, revising the U.S. Army Field Manual in order to allow torture and escape such un-american and un-patriotic documents as the Geneva Convention, the UN Convention Against Torture or the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights.
If he were to chose, W could pick Rummy instead of Dick or even Roberto. He would then please a great part of the Army and even find an alibi to change strategies in Iraq, "his" Rep majority pushing harder than ever for a clear withdrawal agenda before 2006 elections.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:14
20051111
White blogule to France's wake up call
You keep asking me what's going wrong with France these days, especially after my critics on Amerika's social collapse (ie "This is America" or "Quagmires and bayous").
My answer is : "about everything". The poor are getting poorer, the masses are getting poor and the wealthy have already left the country. The IMF can praise the government's ability to perform reforms through consensus, the country needs to go further and quicklier.
First, "social" investments are often diverted / perverted and France is paying for the so called "social peace" : I give favors to social activists in order to buy stability, but I transform them into new elites disconnected from their bases and only devoted to the protection of their own interests. The counterproductivity of this tradition of compromises becomes all the more evident than growth times are over.
Second, ethnical / racial "égalité" is a myth. The French national soccer team became the "black blanc beur" alibi for a nation of tele-spectators / non-actors. Decision makers and opinion leaders must reflect the country's diversity.
Third, the Republic kept clinging to an ideal image of itself without actually taking care of itself. It must revive its own dynamics and instead of protecting yesterday's, we must unleash the locomotives of tomorrow. Education remains to be truly reformed (beyond the content, the mindframes and inerties).
The solutions lie in both a "bottom up" and "top down" approach. Bottom up : voting, getting involved in the community beyond one's own existing circles, marketing a positive peer-pressure at the individual as well as the entrepreneurial level (I'm doing something, how about you ?). Top down : transfering investments in the socially productive hands and giving back the ability to spend to the doers and makers : saving the budget by replacing only half of the new pensionners in the civil sector, luring back the wealthy - even if unethically at the start, ie through amnisty (but with a reform of heritage in favor of productive investments and socially efficient foundations).
This crisis could prove to be the opportunity to wake the country up and to focus the energies on the right priorities.
The only positive output of this "annus horribilis" (no to Europe, no to Paris 2012, no to social exclusion...) is the existence of a genuine debate. At very last, the key issues are outspoken. To the point one could talk about a 1968 revival, with still the same idealists at one extreme and cynists at the other one, but a stronger and more mature mainstream in-between.
Let's hope France will go for the structural change instead of Sarkozy's radical reformism. One year from now, I hope we can measure the evolution in the good (if not right) direction.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:07
20051102
Red blogule to Junichiro Koizumi - Too right to be right
I did wish Japan's PM good luck for his 9/11 elections, provided he would actually seize the opportunity and get rid of the country's extremists. The fact is I'm not even surprised Koizumi nominated a few of them in his government, especially at such key positions as Foreign Affairs.
I actually finished that white blogule by a rather pessimistic "on the other hand, if he didn't seize such an opportunity, I wonder what could save Japan".
I can now complete this bright red blogule by a totally realistic Nothing can save Japan because Japan doesn't want to be saved.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 13:36
20051025
White blogule to John McCain vs cruel, inhuman, or degrading Amerika
The Reps have their moral leader back on time for 2006 and 2008. Karl Rove managed to ruin his 2000 campaign but Senator John McCain once again proved how great he could be as the commander-in-chief.
His amendment specifying no "cruel, inhuman, or degrading" treatment should be performed by the US against detainees puts the Commander-in-thief in front of a dilemma : if I veto the bill (since, as McClellan put it, it "would limit the president's ability as commander-in-chief to effectively carry out the war on terrorism"), I may have to renegociate a $400bn check. If I don't veto it, I'm losing the face as a commander-in-chief.
McCain said : "The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights. They don't deserve our sympathy. But this isn't about who they are. This is about who we are. These are the values that distinguish us from our enemies." How about Saddam's trial ?
Saddam Hussein's trial is only about who he is, not about who we Western democracies are : the only charge is about a massacre of villagers. Relevant, but nothing about gassing the populations (with gas manufactured in Germany or in Iraq with French & US facilities). Nothing about the ugly war against Iran (sponsored by the US and "old Europe"). Nothing about the post Gulf War I retaliation on Kurds (abandonned by Dubya's father). Nothing about the honoris causa Doctor Hussein behind the evil Mister Saddam.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:11
20051023
Red blogule to the Department Of Justice - Denial Of Justice
A couple of months ago, French soldiers would try to cover up an incidental death in Ivory Coast : as soon as the Government understood it, they suspended the general in charge of the whole operation in the country.
Just days later, the US DOJ decided not to charge CIA felons for the institutionalized abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan, considering enough people paid. Only low rank soldiers have been charged but everybody knows who's responsible for the Abu Ghraib and Salt Pit infamies ; the man who even wrote down in memos his vision of an Amerika refusing the Geneva Convention and embracing torture ; the man George W. Bush put at the very head of the Department Of Justice.
You don't want to stir bitter feelings among CIA people these days. So Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales decided not to sue Senior Adviser Alberto R. Gonzales.
Shame, shame, shame ? Not really : this mob keeps talking about the pride of defending Freedom and Democracy against fascism.
Lynnie England definitely found her master in sick jokes.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:12
20051018
Red blogule to the White House's Upper Deck - Trading Card and dis-Carding scapegoats
The scapegoat has eventually been found : he is Karl Rove's boss and no decision is taken in the White House without his knowledge. This powerful leader must quit at once.
Andrew H. Card Jr is responsible for everything, from the disastrous handling of Katrina to the surrealistic nomination of Harriet E. Miers. He is certainly the one who said there were WMDs in Iraq and for all we know, he could even have shot JFK.
So the great decision maker who spends less time finding a scapegoat when he's under attack than reading "my pet goat" when his country's under attack, the great thinker who writes down such powerful memos as the now famous "I think I may need a bathroom break. Is this possible ?", The Great King Dubya, Lord of the Banana Republic of the Divided States of Amerika, will once again prove his wisdom and his character : He will fire His Chief of Staff or rather dis-Card him.
God bless Amerika and someone bring me a barf bag.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 14:17
20051016
Red blogule to the first amendment - Land of Opportunity for Nazis, Land of Plenty for fascism
Last January, I already blamed the First Amendment for allowing the American National Socialist Movement (a.k.a. America's Nazi Party) to exist an even become a sponsor for the Adopt-A-Highway program.
Now Toledo, OH allowed this mob to march proudly through the city, provoquing a riot and even a curfew. As a result, more publicity than these Nazis could ever dream of - not to mention my blogules.
When I said "let's face it, they're fascists" last year, I was just noticing the similarity between the Mussolini definition of fascism and the Bush Administration's (ab/mis/)use of power. I knew Dubya's reelection would free the darkest sides of Amerika but never did I expect America's Nazi Party to become that bold.
Just a few days ago, Bush would mention for the first time "fascist islamists / fascist islamism". He didn't invent the expression, which perfectly suits the worst part of radical islamists. But still it shocked me to hear Bush using this kind of vocabulary at this stage. Now I know it was a clear signal. We're raising the level of terror threat, but we're also raising the level of permissivity. You may not have the toughest fundamentalist nominated for the Supreme Court, but be sure the country is yours.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:33
20051013
Red blogule to Dubya's Believe It or Not! museum in Bakersfield, CA
After Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Dubya's visit it or bust.
A new Bush museum will open in 2007 in the house 41 & 43 inhabited for 3 months back in 1949. The owner, a Republican, intends to add a reading center for kids in the backyard. No doubt the cornerstone of 43's Prez Library... that is, unless the College Station, TX based Bush The Elder's Presidential Library decides to keep "My Pet Goat".
The royal family enjoyed sunny California as well as Yankee New England : Bakersfield, CA hosts California State University and a few country clubs. Back then, Coast-to-Coast Dubya wasn't a newborn Texan yet but the Official Propaganda already unhearthed a couple of pictures of the young John Wayne lookalike dressed in a cow boy suit.
They're supposed to refurbish the place the way it was in the late forties. I suggest to spray some petrol around to make it even more realistic.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 16:20
20051011
Red blogule to the Gunshine State - shootfirstlaw.org Hammered down by the NRA
Remember this excellent ad sponsored by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ? Well. One week after its publication, the ShootFirstLaw.org website is down... or should I say it's been Hammered down ?
I would then pay a well deserve tribute to a former NRA president, Marion P. Hammer, now head of Unified Sportsmen of Florida and the main lobbyist behind this amazing law signed by Jeb Bush last april ("44" proudly declared the so called "Castle Doctrine" a "good, common sense, anti-crime issue").
The crime is to let these gangsters run the country. The Far West is heading further to the extreme right and still no sheriff in sight.
And where on Earth are the Dems ? They should be the ones shooting on sight : consider what a Rove could do with all the material this excuse for an administration delivers every day, how come no Dove is able to expose it ?
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 14:47
20051008
Red blogule to Homeland Security's rainbow warriors
Rainbow Warrior was the name of the Greenpeace ship sunk by the French intelligence service as the organization tried to reach the site of nuclear tests, about 20 years ago.
Rainbow warrior is the name of the sinking US president as he tries to reach a more decent approval rate by raising both fear and the US Department of Homeland Security's threat level from Green to Blue to Yellow to Orange to Red*.
Neither Greenpeace nor Bush did swallow Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei's Nobel Price, the IAEA promoting from the start civil nuclear energy and its leader contesting from the start the existence of WMDs in Iraq.
Yesterday, you had to see Greenpeace leaders go nuclear and Dubya turn green... Now that's quite a weird association. And considering the intensity of the attacks on a former Nobel duet (the UN & Kofi Annan), ElBaradei could be considered an endangered specie.
* Is Amerika Ready ? For those feeling nostalgic for the McCarthy era, enjoy the government's website devoted to readiness. Coming soon after Ready Business and Ready America : Ready Kids. After Katrina, I guess they're working on Ready Pets as well.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 08:56
20050929
White blogule to the NBA Hall Of Shame - from indictment to impeachment
As soon as I mentioned ethic cleansing within the GOP, Tom DeLay joined the NBA Hall Of Shame (Nasty Bush Administration) : his fingerprints being all over corruption scenes (in favor of the then Governor Dubya), no new cast should be needed for his indiction into the Crawford based HOS.
All members of the President's closest circles enjoy a criminal record now : in an unprecedented series of controversies, they all had to testify before a commission - and for the weaker links, to quit. All smoking guns point to a man who owes his pristine criminal record to his Daddy. But 41 cannot erase anything anymore and at one moment 43bis* will have to pay. The sooner the better.
*For those who missed the news : Bush Jr hijacked Al Gore's presidency and crashed the country against his own two wins towers. Amerika's leaders are corrupt, America is financially, socially and morally bankrupt.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 18:29
20050927
Red blogules to Walkers - oil for fool programs
George Walker B. asking US citizens to drive less in order to save gas ? That Born Again Drunk Driver ? That very ruler of the Kingdom of SUV ? Next thing you know, Tom Waits will ask'em to quit smokin'... Amerika is running on empty, the budget trunk is empty, even the Pretzel Prez is empty. Coke wasn't strong enough for him : OD'ed on oil, then snorted pretzels and now gags on Greenhouse Gases. Yuck.
John B. Walker (head of the Independent Petroleum Association of America - or is it Petroleum Association Independant of America ? anyway, certainly not America Independant of Petroleum Association) seizes the opportunity and resumes lobbying : Alaska must save Amerika. Yuck.
America must save Alaska, but who will save America ? Joan Baez ? A new Kennedy ? Pat-Barack O'Bama ? Democrats ?
Nope : can't wait that long. Besides, the Reps must clean their own mess. They want to keep the power next year ? They'd better sideline the people who ruined their reputations. I expected this war of secession to start earlier but better late than sorry.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 20:34
White blogule to new signs o' new times
Stunning. Sharon's face as he was listening to his rival's speech. Lost, his own fat self sitting alone, without the ability to communicate thanks to a spectacular sabotage from members of his own party... Let him grow some beard and wear the kaffiyeh and you've got the spitting image of his longtime ennemy Yassir Arafat.
So the old man wrote down his vision for his Likud peers : we had to give up Gaza, you can't cheat demography. And this time, he wasn't the one to ignite the violence in the strip : "harderliners" would drop the bomb from his very right, which proves wider by the day.
Yet, Netanyahu was supposed to win but didn't. Ditto Donald Tusk and Angela Merkel. Le Petit Nicolas Sarkozy should be careful : times they are a-changin for US neocons' faves. The world needs reforms but the people craves for moderate leaders.
Besides, everywhere, fundamentalists and extremists confirm their strong footprints but cannot rule on their own. Radical stances losing ground, they're using less subtle ways to win over democracy : their words proving empty, they just eliminate moderate voices. Bringing fear pays in the short term but not in the long one.
This is certainly not a U-turn (and shouldn't be) but for the first time in 4 years, being the toughest one doesn't pay.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 14:40
20050920
Red blogule to stop-and-goes - the wisdom of crocodiles
A slomo brain can be something other than a curse. Take President Bush, for instance. After yesterday's signature of the deal with North Korea, he took a "wait and see" stance. Hours later, Pyongyang would add more conditions and threaten all previous efforts. And as Mayor C. Ray Nagin called for a homecoming of New Orleans citizens, King W said more time was needed. Hours later, a new hurricane alert would support this piece of wisdom.
After crocodile tears, the wisdom of crocodiles... Now that he knows the UN is not for him, Bill Clinton tries as hard as he can to get Dubya's skin and offer a nice bag to his lady. But the beast ain't dead yet.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:16
20050919
White blogule to South Korea's diplomacy
It ain't over till it's over but at least North Korea declared they would cease their nuclear weapon program. The US envoy, former Ambassador to Seoul Christopher Hill, eventually accepted South Korea's proposal : light water is better than heavy fuel.
The Seoul-Beijing team defeated the Washington-Tokyo axis. Beyond nationalities, doves won over hawks in a most crucial part of the world.
Let's see what Karen Hughes can spin out of this new insult to the Bush doctrine.
Furthermore, let's see how far Seoul can go : pleasing Pyongyang was an easy job, tackling the human rights issue a much tougher challenge.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:44
20050916
Red blogule to Europe's Genetically Modified candidates
While Dominique de Villepin exposed his ego to the UN spotlights among actual world leaders, Nicolas Sarkozy paid a visit to a fellow White House nominee for the Supreme Court of New Europe Courtisans, Poland's Donald Tusk.
Tusk had already met with yet another neocon favorite, Angela Merkel, and received the support of a longtime US Christian Fundamentalists' icon, Lech Walesa. Sarkozy also shook the hand of this great servant of Mother Amerika.
Merkel is suffering a tough campaign but Tusk is left with no opponent since Wlodziemierz Cimoszewicz, the man who weeks ago was supposed to win the elections, gave up after a smear campaign so perfectly led it could have been directed by The Great Architect himself (a walk in the park considering the quality of the building material : oil scandal).
Now that W.C. has been flushed down the toilets of History, press group from all across the world rejoice : they won't have to invest massively in Scrabble boxes and can save time each time they write about both Tusk and the ennemy of "Old Europe", Donald Rumsfeld.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:12
20050915
Red blogule to the UN Bomber - remember FDR words
As George W. Bush is rehearsing his United Nations speech, I propose a few words by a great American President who designed this institution, a man he is so often pretending to resemble ; Franklin Delano Roosevelt :
. "Why should one outlaw nation be able to run amock and murder or maim a brother nation without being called to account for it, without being prevented from further misdeeds in the community of nations?"
. "We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that our own well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations-far away. We have learned that we must live as men, not as ostriches, nor as dogs in the manger. We have learned to be citizens of the world, members of the human community. We have learned the simple truth. Emerson said that "the only way to have a friend is to be one". We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust and with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding and confidence and courage which flow from conviction."
No wonder Dubya sends his UN Bomber to get rid of such a subversive outfit.
And no wonder the US reject France's proposal of a tax on plane tickets : NWA and Delta can't be listening to Villepin's speech while reading chapter 11.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:05
20050911
Red blogule to Halliburton and the 40 thieves
Remember last sunday, when George W. Bush was criticized for not acting quickly enough in the Hurricane Katrina aftermath ? To the contrary, the Prez proved to show a lot of compassion for his most beloved citizens, Halliburton management : on monday, The Houston Business Journal noticed Kellog Brown & Root had already begun work on a $500 M U.S. Navy contract in the Gulf (the Hurricane Katrina damaged Gulf of Mexico, that is*).
No wonder both the Administration and Cheney Inc set the same priorities : earlier this year, the company subsidiary hired Joe Allbaugh, Bush's former campaign manager. A man who would know all about spotting a potential jackpot since he chaired the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) after leading Dubya to the crown in 2000.
Wars and natural disasters meant as business opportunities. Budget deficits built for big corporation profits. An again, please don't show any picture of these dead bodies, will you ? Let the official Propaganda celebrate the 4th anniversary of the destruction of the Twin Towers and The Pentagon by Saddam Hussein. Welcome to the Banana Republic of the Divided States of Amerika.
Impeachment ? No way, unless the Reps flunk badly next year, which I doubt since The Architect, the ultimate Intelligent Designer of smear campaigns, the very Karl Rove who should be charged for treason, is at work too.
* Regarding the other Gulf, more about "Ali Burton and the forty thieves" in my 2003-2004 hand-made blogules.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:25
20050907
Red blogule to pro-life / pro-death pro-teges
How many black people among how many dead people down in the South ? Thousands ? Yet a fraction of the country cries over the death of one single individual in Arlington, VA. White supremacists and Christian fundamentalist expect a "good" successor to William Hubbs Rehnquist, praised by his November 2000 Protégé (and pro-life+pro-death-penalty pal*) King Dubya for "improving the delivery of justice for the American people".
John Roberts was not supposed to take the helm that soon but the US should be very careful who will replace Sandra Day O'Connor. Edith "Joy" Brown Clement, a woman from 'bama with a New Orleans pedigree, would be the perfect post-Katrina nominee but for his potential last shot and one year before key elections, W needs to send a much stronger message to his "base"**.
Besides, since she's still sitting in Louisiana, Brown may have a not so Clement word to say during the inquiry about Katrina's aftermath.
* "pro-life" people tend to be "pro-death", but there's nothing funny about it
** Speaking of which... Newsweek just published in their 20050901 edition the mild extract of my 20050708 blogule on London bombings I sent them : "President Bush keeps talking about good vs evil (...) - Tony Blair keeps talking about attacks against civilization... but such speeches are music to the ears of fundamentalists. What these leaders need to protect is not their own "way of life" but the basic rights of moderate majorities under the spell of extremist minorities."
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:54
20050906
Red blogule to Freedom Walk - the Grey Pride
Strange. America Supports You's Freedom Walk website isn't working today.
As if it weren't such a good idea to link the war in Iraq and 9/11 anymore.
As if it sounded like a sick Grey Pride : keep walking with us folks, we brought you war, we brought you social collapse, and we sure have lotsa good ideas for the years to come.
As if they suddenly feared no one would turn out. Don Rum can't even mobilize army people : he needs them to fish corpses in Iraq and Louisiana.
So because the site is down, people cannot register or enroll to enjoy their Freedom to Walk. America supports you, but who is supporting Bush's Amerika ???
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:44
20050905
Red blogule to quagmires and bayous
To those who doubted Bush was a fake, Cindy and Katrina exposed the truth : a quagmire abroad and a bayou at home, that's how deep the US have sunk. "Our Dear Compassionate Leader", a newborn Christian with a well trained Texan accent, turns out to be a selfish and amoral stubborn New England brat, enjoying two more days off in his own ranch when real people from the South die in their own feces.
Time to rehearse the National Anthem's lyrics, folks :
Q : Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
A : Err... no, actually I can't see. I did see quite a few rockets and bombs but the banner people tend to follow is that of the Red Cross.
Q : On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
A : Lemme get you some glasses. The reflection on the stream is a dead body.
Q : And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
A : "That band" is still at large at the White House. "The hireling and slave" happen to be US citizens. Some were ordered to bring "the havoc of war and the battle's confusion" overseas, others found no refuge and ended in "the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave".
Q : Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
A : "Rescued land"? "Victory" ? "Peace" ? That remains to be seen. Blame the power that hath made the US a despised nation : Lord Dubya, King of the Banana Republic of the Divided States of America.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 16:42
20050904
White blogule to "this is America"
My last visit to New Orleans was a business trip in the gloomy days before the invasion of Iraq. In the early hours of the morning, I would stroll the decaying streets of the city, empty but for the occasional hobo, wild cat or mad dog, thinking to myself no one is awake in this country. Each individual is living his own life and in an illusion of unity, the masses are blindly following a warmonger faking compassion and cynically heralding moral virtues. No one realizes the country is falling apart.
After that, I would come back for breakfast and then walk to the Ernst N. Morial Convention Center before the opening of the gates, crossing Tchoupitoulas under freeways obviously knitted by giant spiders on crack, wondering how such an urbanistic nonsense could deserve sounding like a memorial.
The other day, at the same angle, the TV would show people passing by corpses without even noticing. Up the 90, in the Superdome, women and kids would be raped in public. In other parts of the state cameras couldn't reach : chaos, anarchy, cannibalism, the collapse of the idea of society itself. And these words echoing on and on : "this is America, can you believe it ?".
Such things can happen anywhere anytime, but never at this scale. The saddest point is I'm not even surprised. Sad, yes. Because I love the US and have this special feeling for Louisiana and New Orleans. Not puke smelling Bourbon Street New Orleans but abandoned New Orleans, where long before Katrina came, ghost cities would pretend to exist in the present time.
Beyond the humanitarian tragedy, the realization of America's social collapse may leave even bitter marks.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 07:31
20050902
White blogule to Japan's 9/11
Junichiro Koizumi pretends to be the last samurai, sending assassins to get rid of reformophobic politicians and lashing by himself the throats of the Empire's most dangerous thugs : the infamous postmen.
Well. The least one could say is I'm not a supporter of his, but I wish him luck.
If he loses, the old guard wins : even if the LDP ended up in shatters, nothing would change since the opposition is already welcoming hardliners and so called "rebels" on board.
If he wins, the old guard may still win. That is if Koizumi maintains his suicidal revisionist agenda.
What if Weirdo Hairdo Junichiro actually played the bad boy just to please Hirohito fanatics, and simply got rid of them after the elections ? What if his seppuku diplomacy were to end right after the 9/11 elections ? Imagine the winner over the ruins of the conservative fortress, asking the ultimate forgiveness for the crimes of a whole nation, accepting the past, enlightening the present and embracing the future...
On the other hand, if he didn't seize such an opportunity, I wonder what could save Japan.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 17:46
20050901
White blogule to Orhan Pamuk
So mentioning the genocide of the Kurds is an insult to the Turkish nation and Orhan Pamuk should be jailed for telling the truth. The poor man was already cruising dangerous waters in his beautiful book "Snow", exposing fundamentalists and radical politicians from all sides in the same crude light, now Pamuk may turn out to be yet another victim of France's no to the EU constitution.
Because this nationalistic bravado represents the stupidest answer to the recent attacks from Erdogan's former friends. All charges should be dropped and if a trial were to take place, it should be about Turkey's troubled past.
And as far as the French are concerned, they can frown and denounce such a medieval censorship, but still have to answer for their own History.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 16:59
20050831
White blogule to Katrina and Cindy
Katrina succeded where Cindy failed : in shortening Dubya's holiday and exposing the scandalous sun tan of a man who rested 20% of his time the first five years of his reign. Since the man sleeps 10 hours a day, W's been active less than 40% of his mandate. Let's consider ourselves happy : what if he'd done 2,5 times as much damage !
A natural catastrophy is all it takes to make dictators look more human and popular - ask Fidel : talking for hours about the weather is far easier than delivering a few words about failing policies - not to mention the most stupid war of our time. Today, Our Dear Compassionate Leader won't need Hurricane Jeb on his side : he will shine on his own, walk on the water like his favorite philosopher, try to surf on the 27 feet wave that devastated the cherished South of this New England brat pretending to be a Texas hunk.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:37
20050828
Red blogule to counterterrorism in Korea
Judge Brugiere warned Asian financial capitals : Al Qaeda may strike anytime soon. Hong-Kong, S'pore and Tokyo reacted more or less quickly but Seoul doesn't seem to realize Korea has soldiers in Iraq and a quite nice flock of Pakistanese fundamentalists around Itaewon's mosque. They don't seem to realize Seoul is a perfect hub for central asian terrorists the police cannot even dream of infiltrating.
Of course terrorists would have a tough time escaping the country safely and retaliation would easily strike the harmless bulk of these small communities, but they shouldn't care if they're ready to blow themselves up. I think the country could afford doing some research about this kind of stem cells too.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 07:40
20050824
Red blogule to Ayatollah Pat Robertson
Tell me the difference between Christian fundamentalists and Islamist fundamentalists now that both are issuing fatwahs. According to Ayatollah Pat Robertson, killing Chavez wouldn't cost $200 bns and killing Chavez is "a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don't think any oil shipments will stop".
I don't think any craziness will stop soon either.
I'm just amazes me how Bu(ll)shites manage to make the weaker minds feel even more sympathy for such madhatters as Osama Bin Laden or Hugo Chavez.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:26
20050822
Red blogule to "Intelligent Design" - Fundamentals and fundamentalism - Creationism and cretinism
"Pro-Life", "Intelligent Design"... these guys do have a knack for positive wording (don't even think about positive thinking). I gather they call torture in Abu Ghraib "Truth Quest" and the negation of all independant safeguards or watchdogs (the UN, the Geneva Convention, the International Criminal Tribunal...) something like "Active Freedom".
Bush's position on evolution resembles that of Revisionists on gas chambers : since there are alternative theories, students should be taught both angles*. This image may strike you as indecent and it is, but it clearly exposes the loopholes in the argumentation.
I'm not making any sick parallel between the existence of gas chambers and the existence of God, nor between proven facts and beliefs : I'm comparing people who knowingly manipulate opinions through biased rethorics.
I'm not even defending the theory of evolution, which is the best to date but won't explain everything. I just think the fundamentals of human society should be protected from religious fundamentalism.
Creationism** puts faith at the same level as science and that is the very negation of science. You can believe in ID if you want but you cannot call this science (and of course you have no right to believe in the non-existence of gas chambers).
Just the same, you cannot call "democracy" any approach of politics based on nor even mixed with religious beliefs. That is one of the reasons why, once again, Bush thinks and acts as an enemy to democracy, justice or science.
* or as the Washington Post relates it : "Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand what the debate is about". You want to "teach" about Creation, Dubya ? If there were a place for it in school, it would be the History of Religions (with a "S" so that, this time, all angles could be presented). And you want "debate" now ? That's what I call "evolution" : you've been avoiding the debate on every other issue and the one you picked doesn't rely on any facts. Can you believe it ? No one can contest your belief !
** I realize that up to now my blogules on this issue have been spilled in French (see "National Geographic - Points de vue et images du monde" or "Creationism & Cretinism"). And I guess "creationism" should be rebranded into something more suitable : I suggest a generic term like "Religion-Based Beliefs" for all the likes of Creationism.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 07:12
Red blogule to Karen Hughes
If you managed not to punch your TV set each time this most iritating Bush passionaria would comment on her Texas pal's crushing victories in last year's prez debates, get ready for it : Karen Hughes's now in charge of sweetening US' world image. Within the US State Department, she will manage "rapid response" teams to counter all foreign liars, the "liars" being people who lie about the Bush Administration's policies (Hughes even dared taking the so called "flushed Quran scandal" as the ultimate example), people who defend Geneva Conventions or the freedom of journalism, people who are "against us", people who voted Kerry, people who said the Iraqi invasion was poorly planned, people who demonstrate their un-Americanness because they lost their kid at the market the other day (the Baghdad market, not your average Iraqi-village-sized Wal-Mart)...
So the best response to your own failing policies is not to change them but to change the background music with which you advertize them. The best answer to fair foreign criticism is to strenghten US unfair propaganda. The best way to cure Amerika's sickness is to send a spin doctor. The best way to make up for your own lies is to put more make up on them and lie even further, be it at the cost of turning unpopular USA into masquerade-ugly unpopular USA.
According to the NYT, Hughes isn't even dealing with the 80% who are already questioning US policies but focusing on the last 20% who are not among the "insurgents" yet. But Karen, how many will sing along with you : "I see your face, I'm a believer" ?
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 03:22
20050816
Red blogule to US - Japan erasers
As they celebrated the 60th anniversary of liberation from Japan and listened to Koizumi repeat the same empty excuses for an excuse as his predecessor ten years ago, Koreans learned why they couldn't get the proof of major wartime atrocities committed by Japan.
They knew the proof was in the US, they now know why it landed there in the first place : the US purchased all data related to Japan's sick medical experiments on civilians of occupied countries. Actually, they bribed the perpetrators to get the exclusivity and even granted them immunity for this favor. This completed the scandalous Hiroshima-Nagasaki cleanup : you don't sue us for using weapons of mass destruction against your civilians, we don't sue you for committing atrocities on civilians from other countries. The 1951 San Francisco Treaty put an ultimate lid on this sick stew between one of History's most fascist regimes and the World's most cynical country.
Sixty years have passed and Japan is just realizing it may have to postpone its claim for a permanent seat at the UN council. Ten years from now, all witnesses and survivors to their atrocities will have vanished. Japan's radical old guard too, but they've made sure younger generations got overwhelmed by their forgetful propaganda and textbooks.
The US ? Don't worry about them : they know propaganda by heart. Hell : it didn't take them sixty years to have most people believe they defeated the Nazis singlehandedly (if it weren't for another master in propaganda - Vladimir Putin - who would remember the lighter side of Uncle Joe ?). And if you ask US citizens about the use of WMDs or torture against civilians, they point the finger to some far away Evil.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 03:13 + comments
Very intriguing and eye-opening post. No matter how accustomed I've become to the depth of underhanded policies governments (most notably my own) use, I'm still shocked when they're spelled out right in front of my face.
I am left wishing for some links, so I can investigate further.
# posted by DUB : August 29, 2005 3:33 PM
That's a tricky issue and the web is full of info/intox from both sides.
My opinion :
- Japanese atrocities are facts
- the possession of Japanese "experiments" files by the US are facts (most were given back in 1958)
- the existence of a deal between the US and members of the infamous Unit 731 is a fact
- but all the details of this deal are not clear
I would recommand the Wikipedia article on Unit 731 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731). It's wiki and thus cannot be totally trusted but it gives a rather balanced view of the issue which would anyway deserve much further research.
---
Besides Wikipedia links :
Among scores of partisan websites (generaly Korean or Chinese) :
http://www.nesa.org.uk/html/unit731.htm
http://www.skycitygallery.com/japan/japan.html
http://www.alpha-la.org/
http://cnd.org/mirror/nanjing/NMTT.html
Among many books :
"Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare 1932-45 and the American Cover-Up" (Sheldon H. Harris - Routledge, 1994)
"Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan" (Herbert P. Bix)
# posted by Stephane MOT : August 30, 2005 11:25 AM
20050805
Red blogule to the UN bomber
I've been asked why no blogule had been spilled following John Bolton's scandalous appointment*.
Well, I'm on a 7 red blogule hitting streak and I already dubbed the guy both a UN bomber and a Troyan horse. What could I possibly add ?
Bolton said "There is no such thing as the United Nations" ? I answer "so what ? there is no such thing as the United States" anymore.
* Just like with Iraq, Bush didn't wait for an official nod to launch his unilateral attack : John "the UN bomber" Bolton arrives on time to blow the institution up during the september reshuffle. This "recess appointment" badly resembles a "regress appointment" : once again, the "Washington Dodger" bypassed democracy and accountability inorder to push his not so hidden agenda.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 17:21
Red blogule to neolibs
(...) A radical counterforce to neocons is gaining momentum across the world, leveraging on Bush's extreme stance and on the popularity of "alternative" themes (no to total deregulation / free market, no to war, no to polluters, no to neocons...) to recruit beyond the traditional extreme left side of the spectrum. Among them, (not always former) Troskyists have a knack for infiltrating the administrations and the youth.
The French press is noticing an infiltration of education by radical "altermondialists" (in today's Le Figaro "Enquête : comment ATTAC infiltre l'école" ). ATTAC are known for supporting the so called "Tobin tax", riots during G8 summits, or the NO vote to the European constitution. There is a fierce debate within the movement : we are acting like a political party, shall we turn into one and nominate a candidate for the 2007 presidential elections ? This could mean the implosion of the socialist party.
An interesting phenomenon is the way these radicals deal with the "weaker" ones, very similar to the high pressure / terror put by hawks on potential doves : if you don't agree with us you are with them, and thus you are a fascist.
What I feared is happening : the extremes feeding each other, the moderates crushed in between, and radicalism getting overall mainstream.
As I see it, Howard Dean seems to extend towards the center right instead of locking the far left (see Newsweek Intl's article on abortion : "A Case of Roh vs. Reality" ). I don't know how long it will take for the two-party system to implode, but it seems to be well protected by the shortness of mandates (4 years).
SM on disinfopedia
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 13:29
20050801
Red blogule to Hiroshima-Baghdad parallels
How will the Bush Administration spin on the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima & Nagazaki bombings ? Over 150,000 civilians got killed in Hiroshima within days. "Only" 25,000 died within two years in Iraq, and mostly by the hands of opponents to the US army invasion.
Yet. A sick parallel could be done - the "overall, lives were saved" kind of parallels, the "democracy has a price" kind of parallels.
Just like with Hiroshima, the people of Baghdad well-foundedly feels victimized : the people is paying for the leaders. Unlike the Japanese people, the German people did admit his guilt for the country's extremist past and yet, the people of Dresden feels just the same.
The fact is the bombers never truly said they were sorry. They never asked for forgiveness.
It's high time for the Allies to do it, to admit their share of the crimes committed during WWII.
Should the United States do it for Hiroshima's 60th anniversary, they necessarily would have to do it for their Iraq aggression. Can the Stubborn Again Christian leading this country truly make an act of contrition ? I doubt it.
Too bad : the US proved they could liberate people, but they also proved they didn't care for the long term consequences of the liberation of unhuman forces : dropping atomic bombs on civilians then, gassing fighters with agent orange in the 70s, torturing detainees today.
"What do I do when lightning strikes me ?" Bush answered wrongly. Among other things, he forgot those were the lyrics of a song called "Sorry seems to be the hardest word".
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 15:04
20050727
Red blogule to semantic transfusions
A recent recent NYT article quoted by the Center for Media and Democracy explains how "Terror War Gets New Slogan" : "A new emphasis on reminding the public of the broader, long-term threat to the United States may allow the administration to put into broader perspective the daily mayhem in Iraq and the American casualties" as "global struggle against violent extremism" replaces "global war on terror".
Could this also mean the "last throes of neocons against World peace" (did Dick dig that one ?) or an end to the "global destruction of the American ideal by warmonger fanatics" ? No way Jose : they're talking about "violent extremism", which is so much unlike White House extremism. When a "violent extremist" performs torture, he is attacking civilization. When a White House extremist makes torture legal, he is protecting the nation.
It took them four years to realize the solution was "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military" ? It won't take long for the World to remember diplomacy and economy are in the hands of Lobby Dick Cheney while politics remain in the pristine claws of Karl Rove.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 16:05
20050725
Red blogule to Lance Armstrong
"It's up to you guys". I've delivered my stuff (and certainly taken some other) and now I'm done. Even Indurain looks human compared to me. I've turned into a soulless machine to break the record and the next one will have to go even further.
Well Lance, I do respect you for your courage and will, but I don't think you did much for the image of cycling. And I miss Greg LeMond's boyish smile.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:30
20050720
Red blogules to hypocrisy - what Bush doctrine ?
North Korea back to the 6 party talks ? Thank the very official US-NK meeting, a total renouncement to the Bush dogma : we don't talk to dictators (er... make that "this kind of dictators").
Iran and Irak restoring diplomatic links ? Thank the US-backed Iraqi government for initiating a meeting the US wouldn't want to be known as the actual initiator.
$500M for Iraq from the World Bank ? Thank the same US-backed Iraqi government for asking a favor which had been denied to the country since 1973. Thank also Paul Wolfowitz for making a priority of what we expected from him (outsourcing the US deficit created by the Iraqi quagmire) instead of what he said he would do (fighting against poverty in Africa).
The World is better when the US don't follow the Bush doctrine.
And the World would definitely be even a better place if the US didn't follow it in the first place.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:04
20050719
Red blogule to deniers
Dubya doesn't mind Karl taking a leak.
Tony doesn't see any link whatsoever between Iraq and 7/7.
Ariel doesn't understand how his Gaza trick could terminate the peace process.
The fact is Rove deliberately crossed the line.
The fact is Blair deliberately betrayed his fellow citizens.
The fact is Sharon deliberately sticks to his usual hardline : he turned the Gaza strip into an unmanageable ghetto, getting rid of it will unknot the demographic dilemma for Israeli radicals, and the inevitable failure of "independant Gaza" will end all talks about Cisjordania (not to mention Jerusalem).
The fact is no one can stop them as they keep insulting History.
Shame on terrorists, but furthermore shame on those who were supposed to eradicate terror.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 13:48
20050714
White blogule to Yee-haoo! Mail
This time, Howard Dean's spam got all my attention : "I agree with George Bush" is not precisely the kind of title you would expect from this Democratic National Committee Chairman. The e-mail was worth the click, thanks to this interesting quote : "Even though I'm a tranquil guy now at this stage of my life, I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors." (speech given by George W. Bush on April 26, 1999).
I'm not proud of revealing the source of this quote but I love the idea : Karl Rove as the traitor and NYT's Judith Miller as the hero.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:30
Red blogule to dognuments
Let's take a rather conservative figure : only 1% of all Parisian tourists experience the traditional visit of the city's dognuments. Considering the given fact that every bad experience is told to an average 20 people, this means about 10 million foreigners have either slipped on a dog's pooh or heard someone tell them about the ride.
Some say it's a lucky charm - hey, the most famous complaint turned an Italian hit into an Italian hit ("oh sole mio") - but I say we should get rid of them (the dog turds, not the Latin singers). Or at least curb the pace. Dog forbid, that would be a small step for man, but a giant leap for Parisians. Let's do it quick. Please step on it.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:53
20050708
Red blogule to Bush's terrorist training camps
Even if, this time again, the bombs didn't strike the US, the landscape looks terrible : propaganda, torture, gulags, illegal abductions on foreign soil and now journalists in prison... George W. Bush's Amerika looks everyday more like Kim Il-Sung's North Korea.
As terror strikes London like Baghdad any given day, as Bosnia / Chechnya veteran fighters start messing with what's left of Afghanistan, one can only imagine how long the World will pay for the US historical suicide in Iraq. Thanks to Uncle Sam, today Iraq is a much easier training camp for foreign terrorists than 1980s Afghanistan, 1990s Bosnia or 2000s Chechnya.
Bush keeps talking about good vs evil and the use of force to retaliate - Blair keeps talking about attacks against civilization... but such speeches are music to the ears of fundamentalists. What these leaders need to protect is not their own "way of life" but the basic rights of moderate majorities under the spell of extremist minorities.
After this awful wake up call in the deadest middle of the G8 meeting, will the World eventually admit how wrong that war was ? Back then, Iraq had nothing to do with terror, and Saddam was more under stronger control than ever (even he wouldn't have performed that much destruction that quickly) - a smarter approach was possible and almost under way. The US is not only wasting people and key ressources in Iraq ; it keeps fueling the extremists with more energy. Off course Iraq shouldn't be abandoned now, but the World would be safer without this unnecessary front.
Removing the Talibans was a true war on terror, but the right way to fight terror was and still remains at its very roots : solving the Palestine issue (following the footprints and roadmaps of moderate 1995 leaders), supporting the moderates versus the fanatics and moreover eradicating the very world poverty G8 members were supposed to meet for...
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:57
20050706
White blogule to "Paris 2020"
The year of the Trafalgar bicentennial, the year when Saint Tony reached the European throne, the year France said merde to Europe, how could Paris win over London for the 2012 Olympics ?
Paris has to wait at least after New York 2016 : (ex-) Europe can't possibly get two Olympic Games in a row and the Lords of the Rings cannot offer more than three consecutive gifts to non-US televorus popcornicum vulgaris. Dubya's successor is a sure winner in 2009, but he'll also need a second mandate to fully enjoy the show... and if Hillary is not that one, she can always claim part of the success (exhibit A : a token for attending Singapore 2005 board meeting).
If Paris were eventually awarded the 2032 Games, Chirac could be celebrated for the centennial of his birth as a turn of the millenium Coubertin breathing to his last gasp the spirit of Olympism : "the important thing in the Baghdad 2028 Olympic Games is not to win, but to participate", citius, altius, fortius, fabius...
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 18:42
ALL BLOGULES SINCE 2003
ON THE BLOGULES PORTAL
|
|
|
|
20050628
Red Blogule to JFK - Out of the blue(s) ?
I read "The Speech the President Should Give" by John F. Kerry in the NY Times dated 20050628. Including the laconic footer "John F. Kerry is a Democratic senator from Massachusetts".
Not as thrilling as "I was a teenage mutant presidential candidate", but better than "John Edwards is a former North Carolina senator and now a sorry podcaster (does One America Committee have more than one member ?)".
The said speech doesn't bring any news but the fact Senator Kerry is still alive and not kept hostage in a dark Abu Ghraib / Gitmo / Congress cell. Yet the torture must have been intense : being deprived of media exposure for over half a year can drive any warrior insane. But Senator Kerry is not insane. Just unlucky enough to have faced Karl Rove at his best - that is at his worst.
In the meanwhile, my Yee-haaoo! Mail box got saturated by Howard Dean's deep thoughts. The laxative kind you got for attending the second part of Saturday Night Live. Only not as funny.
In the meanwhile, Hilary tries to raise other things than eyebrows in front of her latest hairdo.
In the meanwhile, Barack does his job and listens to the next plans of the Architect for Illinois.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 17:54
20050614
Red blogule to President Cheney and his "unlawful combatants"
Hypocrisy is not Lobby Dick's middle name. You can easily translate Dubya's doubletalk by catching the not so innocent pieces of ultraconservative wisdom his VP keeps releasing with the precision of a Swiss clock. Who was there to put some (Halliburton ?) oil on the fire at the peak of North Korean tension last week ? President Cheney. Who is there to defend Guantanamo under fire ? Richard The Second.
According to the NYT, the man a heartbeat away from becoming the world leader of democracy said Guantanamo detainees do not qualify for treatment under the Geneva Conventions because they are "unlawful combatants" who have not "operated in accordance with the laws of war" because they don't wear uniforms and have targeted civilians.
Here are the facts, Mr Cheney :
. Yes, atrocities are also committed by American people because you told them not to abid to any laws. Refusing the Geneva Conventions and any other kind of accountability goes beyond "unlawfulness" : you are training outlaws and torturers and this administration brought the shame on your country like no other one before.
. Yes, terrorists did and do commit atrocities - against the American people but more fundamentally (indeed !)against moderate muslims who are now defenseless because of the illegal war you sold - these are the perfect target civilians who get killed while you, as usual, stay safe far away from the actual war.
. Yes, this can also be said about you : you are "unlawful", you have not "operated in accordance with the laws of war", you don't wear uniforms and your so called war on terror mainly targeted civilians (the fact that US soldiers die because of you doesn't hurt the feelings of your buddies : after all, you traded their big corporation losses for a massive public deficit).
You say you want to bring Osama to justice but I wonder what kind of justice USA can bring under the helm of a known promoter of torture and at a time when even paedophiles are acquitted.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 03:51
20050611
White blogule to Park Chu-Young - take me to the ball, Park
As expected, Park Chu-Young and Park Ji-Sung led the Korean national soccer team to a qualification for the World Cup 2006. They even outscored another mediatic Park couple ; the former dictator Park Chung-Hee (strongly criticized in recently released books and movies) and his daughter Park Geun-Hye (now the successful ruler of the Grand National Party).
I wish Korean politicians were shining as brilliantly as the country's soccer players. Roh Moo-Hyun seems a fairly smart guy but he's been wasting opportunities with the same dedication as Jacques Chirac (whatever happened to the momentum following last year's failed impeachment / coup ?). Lee Myung-Bak, Seoul's Mayor and a former presidential favorite, is drowning in corruption scandals around his much acclaimed Cheonggyecheon project. The rest of the league looks like pre-Koizumi Japan's snake nest : conservative SIG representatives with dark blue suits.
Park Chu-Young will be 20 for Germany 2006, Park Ji-Sung was 21 during Korea-Japan 2002.
Bring us fresh blood in politics and, in order to motivate new candidates, get rid of this one-term-limit. The times of dictatorship are over in Korea. Let the new wave rule !
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 07:57
20050609
White blogule to impeachment
At last, someone like Carter dares demanding an end to the Guantanamo scandal and Amnesty International dares mentioning USA's network of legal-free but torture-laden prisons as a global gulag archipelago. Every day, the Bush Administration immorality makes the news and Clinton's Oral Offices performances sound relatively harmless compared to the deliberate use of propaganda and falsification (ie the recent NYT paper on the politically alteration of scientific reports on global warming by Philip Cooney, Mr Environment at the White House - yeah, I know it sounds weird but consider there ARE more than a couple of guys in charge of economy in the French government)...
Here is the closest thing to a dictator Amerika ever had, the biggest insult to the spirit of the US constitution, an almost farcical caricature of what a ruler shouldn't be. A notorious dodger, cheater and lyar. Unlike Nixon, Bush didn't have the other party's quarters taped, but he manipulated the total mediasphere of his country and people died for the wrong reasons.
Yet, no ones ever mention impeachment.
What is wrong with the people of America ? What is wrong with the people of France ? What is wrong with democracy ?
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:52
20050601
White blogule to deep throats
If W. Mark Felt actually is Watergate's "Deep Throat", the best kept secret in journalism has come to an end.
What puzzles me is first the timing of the disclosure... right after the "flushed Quran" scandal (which, as I suspected, should never have been called the "Neesweek scandal") : just to remind the not so courageous guy who leaked the Guantanamo mess before retracting the whistle blower can be the hero.
What puzzles me next is the paper releasing the scoop, "Vanity Fair" being a joke on the media exposure. Exposing himself as Deep Throat to the mass media mirrors wasn't about vanity - the guy is 91 and just wanted the truth to come out. What wasn't fair was the necessity to hide for telling it in the first place.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 00:02
20050531
Red blogules to veto abuses
NON it is, then. At least, not the vicious knuckleball kind of nay : a straight to strikezone fastball backing a solid .700 batting average for a nice 55 to 45 lead.Yet, France lost for walking first. Not to first base but outta the ballpark : Europe may not be lost but the country's out of the game for the World Series and the UN reshuffle. This misuse of the veto right at the EU level brings the spotlight on the mid-XXth-century-but-so-XIXth-century heritage of the French veto right at the UNO. Can the country which tore apart the European constitution written by one of his own citizens decently play any role in the building of the new UN ?
This time, and even without his Troyan horse Bolton on board, President Bush won't have much to fear from the Gallic diplomacy.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:10
20050519
Red blogule to the flushed Quran scandal
Tough times for journalists : you need bullet proof evidences and witnesses to publish anything in BC04 Amerika or else... you're to commit seppuku publicly, explain you told lies*, that you never meant to criticize Uncle Joe... er... Uncle Sam. Dubya's mob is as efficient as Stalin's : they can forge any untruth they want (hey, that got'em reelected) but if you can't have your own sources confirm their off the record leaks (which could get them fired) you're a bold liar. So you become the one responsible for fueling hatred within the Muslim world, you're the one carrying the scapegoat nickname (Rathergate) while the Karl Rove squad of forgers walks away, you're the one shooting a sick remake of sex, lies and videotapes in Abu Ghraib, you're the one bringing shame on Guantanamo, that pleasant resort for tourists from the Middle East...
I suppose the Quran was truly desacrated in Guantanamo but I can't prove it. But I know for sure America has been desacrated by its own rulers : Bush flushed the US Constitution down the toilet of History.
* Newsweek's mea culpa : "On Monday afternoon, May 16, Whitaker issued the following statement: Based on what we know now, we are retracting our original story that an internal military investigation had uncovered Qur'an abuse at Guantanamo Bay."
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 02:19
20050517
Red blogule to Junichiro Koizumi - Wake up Japan !
Strange way of apologizing : just a few days after restoring a public holiday as Showa Day, a controversial homage to war-time emperor Hirohito and when asked by a parlementary committee IF he would get back to the Yasukuni shrine after all the turmoil it caused across Asia, Japan's Prime Minister answered he would decide on time WHEN his next visit is appropriate...
Strange how Showa sounds like Shoah... as if revisionist Japan wanted to destroy the memory of that tragedy too...
Strange how this man plays a dangerous game at the international level as well as at home : Japan Inc could get tired of his boldness (Sony and Co surely were instrumental in the said parlementary committee).
Once again : no way Japan should be allowed a permanent seat at the UN.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 02:58
20050501
Red blogule to the "oil for fools" program
- "Am I my brother's keeper ?"
Jeb should answer "sorry Georgie but I'm affraid you ain't. Bush '08 relies on the Architect's craft again. Say... what have you done for America ?"
Terror is on the rise (and the next generation gets all the motivation it needs from Uncle Sam), WMDs are blooming in North Korea and still nowhere to be found in Iraq, and George II is almost rejoicing to the perspective of using anti-nuclear devices against his fellow tyrant Kim Jong-Il. Besides, lies and torture have been institutionalized by Amerika and the "age of diplomacy" is about destroying the international bodies the Bush Administration snubbed during the first mandate (in order to get rid of these embarrassing bodies, Bolton is supposed to act as a UN-bomber and Wolfie to take the money and run). The Axis of Evil got stronger, the Axis of Weasels exhibited courage and King Dubya is still leading the Axis of Liars, a lame duck asking for a few lame bucks...
Yet, Neocondi still has a crush on "my husband", and her disdainous snarl keeps resembling that of Lobby Dick by the day.
Barf bag anyone ?
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:32
20050427
Red blogule to Bae Yong June Airlines
Yonsama Grandeur ? Winter Sonata ? Korea Pride ? How about Secondhand Tico ? Instead of milking the Bae Yong-Jun cow, the KNTO (Korea National Tourism Organization) should move towards better vehicles and more perennial attractions.
Wake up Korea ! How dare you want to be reknown for this scarf-wrapped excuse of an actor (Choi Min-Sik doesn't need scarves, but he is an actor) ? Can't you see this mirage is bound to crash, this "April Snow" is bound to melt ? Why not sponsor Dan Brown's next blockbuster so that the plot sits in Seoul while you're at it ? Don't waste time on fads and invest on the country's unique know how, what makes its culture so much tastier and spicier, even in the movie pictures industry.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 03:36 (comments)
20050420
Red blogule to the Red Army - I smell a Ratz
Astonishing ! Opus Dei defeated Orbis Tertius and George Louis II has eventually been overthrowned by Benoit XVI, a young ayatollah who may well rule till he turns 120 : smart Kardinal Ratzinger pretended to be sick a couple of years ago but you just have to see him radiate power over Saint Peter's Square to know he's here to stay. Besides, don't expect this florentine shadow to exhaust himself giving rockstar concerts all over the world or playing tennis at Castel Gandolfo with Wojtek Fibak (Boris Becker ?).
So what's the score lads ? The Church decided to protect his king with a tower and a dark horse, prefering a stalemate with fundamentalists instead of moving one step ahead in a world where Bush got reelected and Al Qaida are experiencing new playgrounds (Mexico, South America, Central Asia...).
So "be not affraid", remain in the dark and keep faith in Benito XIV - oops put that back in Order before somebody notice, quick.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 13:40
20050413
White blogule to the Cardinal of Uqbar - Habemus Papam !
Habemus papam ! Don't look for white smoke yet (the vote didn't even start) but here's the scoop : the cardinals will elect the Cardinal of Uqbar as the next Pope.
Besides speaking perfect Italian, Latin, Tlön, German, English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic, this erudite man is a brilliant tennis player, go master and poker champion. He was made cardinal long before John Paul II took over by George Louis I and is expected to rule as George Louis II.
George Louis II is already working on Vatican III - The war of the domes (a sequel to Vatican II and a prequel to Vatican IV, the Rise of the Elderlies) and will give next week the first benediction Urbi, Orbi et Orbis Tertius.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 17:33
20050410
Red blogule to Japan - No UN Council seat for an Unrepentant Nation
Japan shouldn't be offered a UN Council seat before they fully apologize for their past and moreover for their unacceptable present continuously devoted to revisionism (Dokdo, Yasukuni Shrine, Comfort Women, history textbooks, even archaeological hoaxes...).
Germany showed the way and can be proud of it. This is worthy of a great nation and a great people, both responsible and respectable.
Japan is simply wrong : just like Bush, Junichiro Koizumi keeps sending the wrong messages at the wrong places and the wrong moments. In order to please hardliners and prevent them from losing face he doesn't realise he actually has his whole country lose face in front of History and the rest of the world. Humility is their only way out of utter humiliation, but this is too disturbing a concept for such a stubborn bunch of fanatics.
I fully support the opposition to a permanent seat for Japan at the UN Council : the world should seize this opportunity and demand a true act of contrition (without the religious flavor, of course), which would be a genuine act of grandeur. Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 14:19
20050407
Red blogules to Empire Strokes (Back to Back)
On one side, 440 m² and 768 inhabitants experts in holy sacraments (but don't expect a single birth nor a wedding there). On the other, 1,950 m² and 33,084 inhabitants experts in tax evasion (here again, a pensioners' heaven) : the World's two smallest countries lost their rulers.
Something to worry about for the next on the list : Gibraltar (7 km²), Tokelau (10 km²) and Nauru (21 km²). Liechtenstein has plenty of time ahead (14 th on the list with its huge 160 km², the Isle of Man is safe with its impressive 572 km² territory (42 nd spot), and "43" can have as many pretzels as he wishes thanks to his 9,629,047 km² domain (rank : 230 th). But the mother Russia of them all (16,894,741 km²) gives Putin quasi-eternity. "The Pope ! How many divisions ?" asked his role model Joe. The answer : about 4 million people flooding Roma and 1,3 billion supporters across the globe. How many will turn out for Vlad's farewell party ?
Let's not be too unkind to Putin : Russia does have quite a few divisions to exhibit. Ask him about Ukraine, Georgia, kyrgyzstan or even Chechnya.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 18:10
20050406
Red blogule to New York University's Jacob Jacoby
Professor Jacob Jacoby may reconsider the name his NYU students picked for their agency devoted to the promotion of the CIA ("Agent C Marketing"). What's the usual color of C Vitamins ? Orange. Thus, I'd recommand "Agent Orange Marketing", definitely the most relevant description for this outfit.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 18:35
20050404
Red blogule to the Dear Compassionate Leader
This man has been humiliated by John Paul II when he decided to launch his illegal war. But just because the Pope accepted to meet the Stubborn Again Christian before last year's elections, just because both were on Terry Schiavo's parents side last week, George Walker Bush wants to attend the funerals of this great defensor of "liberty". A small man trying to get a sun tan from a great man's radiance. Over his dead body. Because he couldn't stand the stare of a moral and mortal watcher. Pitiful.
Karol Wojtyla could be stubborn too, but at times only, and this man was truly compassionate. He established interesting ties with other religions but in order to preserve the Church he didn't allow any evolution to alter the dogma at a time when it was badly needed. His successor should leverage on this more stable ground to make the necessary moves into the XXIst century.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 09:52
20050331
Red blogule to North Korea's hooligans
The small riot in Pyongyang's Kim Il-Sung Stadium yesterday (following the defeat of North Korea to Iran 2-0) could be considered as good news since it exposes the deliquescence of the ruling power. I don't think it should.
The problem is the same as for Iraq, only worse : a regime change is badly needed, but the changing itself means a highly dangerous situation and should be carefuly planned. The chaos in Iraq may look very peaceful compared to what could happen the other side of the DMZ and at the frontiers (especially with China).
Something big is definitely going to happen in North Korea, and much sooner than expected. A collapse by the end of the year wouldn't surprise me. Chosun's neighbors should get ready, and so should the UN, the only international body which could be accepted by Pyongyang or what's left of it. Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:54
20050327
Red blogule to the "Bush doctrine"
The big question nowadays is : was Bush right ? Is the man responsible for democracy's tidal wave in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan...?
The answer is yes, the US did play a major role, but not the way they dreamed it.
Washington did invest in the opposition in former soviet republics, and keeps laying greenbacks over Iraq (even watering them with the blood of honorable marines and local citizens, but I'm not sure it will help them grow). But the US also made their point in revealing their own weaknesses : here is an allmighty warlord getting humiliated, losing face (faith ?), uniting the international community against this negation of respect. Bush even managed to pass for the bad boy while fighting Bin Laden and Saddam. This man did everything he could to crush the Palestinian side during his first mandate. And when his top aides dare say about Lebanon elections cannot be considered democratical when held in an occupied country, how do you think Iraqis should take it ?
The world knows well the US are not likely to repeat their Iraqi failure that soon, that their military forces are far too stretched to allow one more "shock & awe" mission right now. The world knows the US are no more the center of the world, the only economical superpower. The world knows the US are weaker than ever.
But the world knows the world is watching. Not necessarily with enough strength to avoid the abuses of a Bush or a Putin, but with enough intensity to make it count.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 16:15
White blogule to You
I started a joke... which started the world both laughing and crying. For over two years now, I've been hearing from some of you. You sent me encouragements and hate mails, sometimes pictures, links to your own blog / site, and even a couple of viruses. Students & researchers, soccer addicts & gimchi lovers, Reps & Dems, Christians & Buddhists, Muslims & Jews, moderates & extremists, even a negationist (portals have to be open and sometimes you do catch a cold). Oddly enough, you land from all 6 continents on my personal portal or on one of my blogs (blogules, blogules VF and mot-bile). Sometimes by accident, sometimes with enough masochism to come back more often than I refresh my sites.
Yet, not all of you dare feeding me back. Don't hesitate and go ahead !
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 15:41
20050323
Red blogule to the Department Of Justice - "Preserving life and liberty" or Propaganda 101
The Department Of Justice proposes a justification to the Patriot Act on its "Preserving life and liberty" website (http://www.lifeandliberty.gov), with a special focus on "dispelling the myths" because this is about providing truth to those who dare objecting to the Propaganda and refusing "the pursuit of Happiness" (ignorance).
Note the site's title : this Administration sure knows how to preserve liberty (at the cost of thousands of lives, the apology of torture and the negation of justice), and it just proved it knew how to preserve life (theotherapeutical harassment for Terri Shiavo, not one finger lifted for Columbine II).
Right under the title lies a quote from the Declaration of Independence : "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted..." And that's it. They don't go any further. "Governments are instituted" in this context means this is the right, self-evident unalienable and secure body which shall do the job. Yet, I'll complete the quote, just for the education of the masses (not for fun, alas) : "... among Men, deriving their JUST POWERS from the CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED, that WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO ABOLISH IT, AND TO INSTITUTE NEW GOVERNMENT." This site is definitely a masterpiece in editing for the sake of Propaganda...
Their justifications are very clear : the Patriot act...
... "Allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more crimes of terror" ("courts could permit law enforcement to conduct electronic surveillance to investigate many ordinary, non-terrorism crimes"... translation : we decide who is a terrorist)
... "Allows federal agents to follow sophisticated terrorists trained to evade detection" (translation : federal agents can act as terrorists, kidnap anyone anywhere anytime and evade the detection of human right groups)
... "Allows law enforcement to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists" (translation : get rid of all safeguards to democracy. tipping off journalists is just as dangerous as tipping off terrorists so lets get rid ov'em too)
..."Allows federal agents to ask a court for an order to obtain business records in national security terrorism cases" (strange : they care about legality only when corporate money is involved)
... "Enhanced the inadequate maximum penalties for various crimes likely to be committed by terrorists" (translation : illegal detention without any proof, torture or death for the luckiest. shall we consider "likely to be" as "not committed yet but with such a profile it's just as well" ?)
... "Enhanced a number of conspiracy penalties" ("conspiracy" as in "I wish Bush weren't reelected" ? "penalties" as in "torture" ?)
The propaganda goes on with the "support of the people" section where polls justify the Patriot Act :
=> These two questions were asked by USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll on August 29, 2003, at a time when the heat was not at its peak on the Patriot Act : "Do you think the Bush administration has gone too far, has been about right, or has not gone far enough in restricting people's civil liberties in order to fight terrorism?" and "Based on what you have read or heard, do you think the Patriot Act goes too far, is about right, or does not go far enough in restricting people's civil liberties in order to fight terrorism?".
=> These two questions were asked even earlier (July 31, 2003) by a very trustable propaganda tool (Fox News/Opinion Dynamics) : "After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed the Patriot Act which, in part, gives federal officials wider authority to use wiretaps and other surveillance techniques. Some people say the Patriot Act is a necessary and effective tool in preventing terrorist attacks, while others say the act goes too far and could violate the civil liberties of average Americans. Which comes closer to your view - overall, would you say the Patriot Act is a good thing for America or a bad thing for America?" and "To the best of your knowledge have you or a member of your family had your civil rights affected by the Patriot Act?"
Now moving on to the "stories and articles" section : the first quote is an editorial from a very conservative magazine, National Review and the rest is a selection you would expect from a political brochure but not from a Government's official site.
This is a textbook example of a dictatorship justifying itself. Stephane MOT on a forum
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 12:10
20050320
Red blogule to Paul Wolfowitz - World Bankable
The US are withdrawing from all international bodies but the ones they initiated, especially when they can help putting some of the Iraqi mess away from the national flags (casualties, deficits, counter-propaganda). But the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz for the head of the World Bank sounds like the ultimate insult to the international community.
The man is anything but "a compassionate and decent man", as a master in both compassion and decency, George Walker Bush, dared dub him. How could an expert in dissimulation promote transparency ? How can this man handle the World Bank's priorities ? I just pick 3 out of the 6 "hot topics" mentioned on the World Bank's website : "Chad-Cameroon pipeline", "extractive industries transparency initiative" and "Iraq"... Come on !!! The World Bank is about reducing poverty ? It sure will if you consider Halliburton a poor entity. Look at the chest Wolfie will be able to pump from :
. IBRD : The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development , $11bn in 2004
. IDA : The International Development Association, $9bn in 2004
. IFC : The International Finance Corporation, $4.8bn in 2004
. MIGA : The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, $1.1bn in 2004
. ICSID : The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (that definitely settles it, doesn't it ?)
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 17:57
20050313
Red blogule to the Contra-terrorism squad
Much has been said about John Negroponte's past in the troubled Contra scandal, involving torture in Honduras and sponsoring terrorist activities. Well this man should know about intelligence, and the former Honduras, UN and Iraq ambassador may have changed. Everybody has a right to make mistakes, but there is a pattern : strangely enough, 3 other former Contra men have been promoted at key positions since last november elections :
. John Poindexter : the new Information Awareness Office Director at the Pentagon lied to the Congress and was convicted several times
. Elliot Abrams : this man pleaded guilty to have not disclosed information about the scandal. Five years later Bush I forgave him and now Bush II appoints him head of his Middle East task force
. Otto Reich : from the State Department, Reich would be involved in illegal pro-Contra propaganda. He's now working for the Western Hemisphere Affairs.
So in this lovely Administration, the head of justice promotes torture and the people in charge of counter-terrorism and diplomacy used to sponsor terror and torture. You know what you've got to do if you want to be promoted. Just stick to the stick.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:26
20050305
Red blogule to private accounts - SoCal Security
Funny how the Americans can sound French when they talk about reforming their Social Security system. The Dems seem reluctant to contribute to a potential Bush victory and say there's no hurry to do what they pointed out as a priority during the campaign while the Reps are having one of these gallic fights where the conservative, the neo-conservative, the ultra-conservative, the not-so-conservative and the don't-tell-ma-i'm-rather-liberal-conservative discuss the consistency of the reform with the Adam Smith dogma. Even Dubya manages talking about being a good civil servant and boosting private accounts. I say if I needed some private security I'd hire Governor Arnold to get rid ov'em bugs. That would be the so-called social SoCal sekurity.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 08:49
20050221
Red blogule to the Red machine - The potential RNC tickets for 2008 :
. Jeb Bush - John McCain
. Rudolf Giuliani - Condoleeza Rice
. Arnold Schwarzennegger - Buzz Lightyear
. Ken Mehlman - Barbie
. Billy Graham - Abu Masab Al Zarqawi
. Dick Perle - Paul Wolfowitz
. Alberto Gonzales - Hannibal Lecter
. Dick Cheney - Dick Cheney
. George Prescott Bush - Chelsea Clinton
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 17:21
20050212
Red blogule to the Clintonian Republic - Spamilial planning
3 mails in one day from the DNC... are the Dems that desperate ? And I still have to receive Howard Dean's greetings. Obviously, "Yee-haa" scared the Clintons so badly they had to attack first : Hillary ignites a motion to secure the ballot system so that "every vote counts" - a great initiative launched with her dear friend McAuliffe but why announce it the very day the minority leaders sends his farewell note ? And between both mails Billy manages to release his own message : come visit my library and help me fight AIDS across the globe. Here again, a noble crusade and a nice reminder weeks after the inauguration of the Presidential Library. But the royal couple had to communicate today : "hey guys, we now the crazy boy from Vermont is taking over, but this remains our party and we're still the front runners for 2008 - besides we don't know if the new leader will let us use this channel for our personal messages".
Washing your laundry in public seems the latest reality TV / reality spam trend. That's how modern and developped countries proceed. Poor Togo relies on foreign news providers to relate the familial succession matters, changes in constitution included. Great Britain may be developped but not modern yet. Imagine receiving your Buckingham palace mail newsreel : in the morning a mail from Harry ("Save on drugs : get rid of hangovers and other nuisances"), at noon Charles' delivery ("Petition : support the institution of marriage in the U.K."), and in the evening Camellia's first mail ("Fight the blues with the blue pill : cheaper viagra now"). Pathetic.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:13
20050208
White blogule to good intentions - Mind the gap
Strike the pose, George. You'll have your snapshot next to that of Jimmy & Anwar, or even better that of Billy, Yassir & Itzhak. All smiles at home, at your dear lil' White House on the prairie. After blocking all peace attempts for over 4 years and setting the World on fire... Luckily enough, you can put the blame on Arafat or even Powell for the failures of your first mandate. Not on you ("Make no mistake" is your middle name)... But tell you what : I'll even swallow my pride and endure your presence on that picture for posterity if you manage to make Palestine happen during your second mandate. Heck, even Russia celebrates Stalin for Yalta's 60th anniversary.
And you're also tackling that deficit issue now ? What a week ! Well... even divided by two this remains a huge deficit to be compared to the comfortable surplus you inherited. And you don't even take into account your little extras in Iraq. I'm sure a very efficient cut will be performed, but it's likely to be on your project by the very majority you got elected on that radical program of yours a couple of monthes ago...
I should rejoice and yet I can't help but smell a rat. Let's name it Karl for convenience. How is dear Karl gonna cope with the hardliners for 2006 and 2008 ?
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 18:35
20050129
White blogule to the "Stop Government Propaganda Act"
I love this no nonsense name - the perfect answer to the "Patriot Act" and its likely sequels ("Freedom Act" ? "Stop Tyranny But Collect Intel Efficiently Act" ?). I just wish it weren't just a daring project from a few Democrats but a strong commitment by this Administration. Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:13
20050125
White blogule to the Straw man - pet stop boy
It's your time to shine, Jacko. The President pet's pet dares say "no" to the Bush administration even before (at least officially) being asked the question*. What question ? "Will you please back our attack on Iran, provide a few thousand troops and lose this year's elections for us ?" The message : the US won't set the so-called-"diplomatic"-but-poorly-hidden agenda for the rest of the World anymore, happy new year Condi, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to pass for a courageous man (who could possibly believe the US would open another front when they can't even draft enough fighters or torturers for Iraq).
Actually, the agenda may be set by North Korea, where gimchi will hit the fan much earlier than scheduled. Stephane MOT
* Sunday Times 20050123 "Straw snubs US hawks on Iran"
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 13:47
20050123
Discussion (following "the invasion of the buddy snatchers")
(answering the question : how about the word "tyranny" ?) In very deed, "Tyranny" is their new flavor for 2005... seems like the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" series don't sell anymore. "T-Rex vs Godzilla" ? Now that would be a winner ! Don't you think "Godzilla" sounds like "God Zealot" ? A quick look at some definitions of "tyranny" :
. Wikipedia : "a tyrant (from Greek ????????) is a usurper of rightful power, possessing absolute power and ruling by tyranny. In the original Greek meaning "tyrant" carried no ethical censure, a tyrant was anyone who overturned the established government of a city-state, usually through the use of popular support, to establish himself as dictator, or the heir of such a person."
. Merriam-Webster : "Etymology: Middle English tyrannie, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, from Latin tyrannus tyrant1 : oppressive power ; especially : oppressive power exerted by government 2 a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant3 : a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force 4 : a tyrannical act
"Usurper" ? "absolute power" ? "no ethical censure" ? "popular support" ? "heir" ? "single ruler" ? "outside agency" ?... looks like tyranny could be summed up by "George W Bush". Stephane MOT on a forum
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 19:33
20050122
Red blogule to the Rotten Globe Awards - Invasion of the buddy snatchers
Hard to tell which flick will win the Terror movie category among this year's Rotten Globe Awards nominees :
. "The invasion of the buddy snatchers" : a remake of Romero's masterpiece directed by Karl "The Architect" Rove, "The invasion" turns Joe Sixpack into a zombie voting machine unable to utter any word but "freedom" or "terror", contaminating friends & neighbors across the county ("you're against Him ? You're not one of us").
. "Lara Whitchcraft" : in this sick parody of America's Funniest Home Videos, GI Jane becomes a shameless torturer. X rated. Explicit material and language. A tremendous success for director Gonzales - even the boldest piracy won't deter much awaited sequels.
. "Shock & Awe" : and you thought Godzilla was the only towering menace to civilization ? The trillion dollar deficit is back, baby : angry and hungry.
. "Donald's wonderful adventure" : thanks to a powerful lobbying, Disney's creatures won't fall into the public domain anytime soon. But Rummy is very much likely to fall back into the private sector after january the 30th (ballot in Iraq ? pentagone out of track). Money, power, greed, handshakes with dictators... expect the most gruesome moments of animated movie.
. "The exorcist - reloaded" : brother Jeb is plagued with floods and hurricanes, father Herb's running out of stamina but Saint George has the power to defeat the dragon once again with a double barrel tommy gun. Mel Gibson's brilliant (err... make that "enthusiastic" instead) impersonation of "never doubting dubya" brings tears to the audience and blood all across the Middle East.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 11:05
20050121
Red blogule to 2008 - Losers Inc
This uneasy smile, this greasy voice... I can't stand it anymore. I must confess I hate the guy even beyond what he represents now. I've had an overdose of Bush-watching lately and my hears and eyes hurt each time he's on air. Look at him parading on a Penn avenue liberated from all insurgents (ethic cleansing for beginners), delivering a speech more loaded with references to "tyranny" and "liberty" than a 1950s soviet propaganda leaflet.
And now this. Bypassed Bubba licking Dubya's a-s to get in Kofi's shoes (how disgusting anatomy lessons can possibly get ?), Joe Bidden casting his ballot in favor of unrepentant Condi (now THAT was a "wonderful opportunity"), John F. Kerry redeeming a couple of gazillion miles earned at home last year for a Middle-East tour for what ? some lobbying to draft 40,000 more soldiers... Gimme a break ! Or rather, gimme a F, gimme a.... Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 14:35
20050116
Red blogule to Prince Harry - When Harry met nazis
First time I saw the picture of Di's kid with that swastika armband I thought it was a fake (sweet Harry turning into "brown sugar" ?). About the same day Di Canio performed a "perfect" fascist salute to the Lazio fans. And then came Jean-Marie Le Pen's latest provocation. Already controversial public figures in unison. A pattern. Extremes on the rise across Europe and the World. Fundamentalist Christians and Muslims competing in a sick draft over Aceh's ruins. Wrong start for 2005. No wonder : last year ended with a wrong message from the US. Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 03:42
20050115
Red blogule to Uncle Sam's cabin - A day in the life of US led democracy in Iraq :
. 28 prisoners (including foreign fighters) managed to escape during a transfer from Abu Ghraib (guards to busy torturing car thieves ?)
. US soldier found guilty of killing a teenager (did that one steal some candies ?)
. The Patriotic Front of Iraqi Tribes (275 candidates) calls for a boycott of the elections - 3 M people may follow
. Baghdad election center director gets killed
. Allawi admits the turnout may not be successful in some "pockets" across the country (this great democrat seems to care more for the pockets of the people he bribes)
. Prayers will be performed at Bush's inauguration - a judge made sure a lawsuit launched to prevent this violation of the constitution failed. Dubya's spin doctors will especially pray for a good cover up of the massive protests around the event, just like 4 years ago.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 01:54
20050113
Red blogule to propaganda - How much for a journalist ?
How to tell the difference of wealth between an American and an Iraqi ? The price of a Big Mac ? You'd better check the value of the journalist in the commodities section :
. in DC and in the heat of the Presidential campaign, the Bush administration paid columnist Armstrong Williams $240,000 to have him praise the successes of educational reforms on the TV
. in Baghdad and in the heat of the campaign, Allawi offered $100 to all journalists showing up at a campaign press conference (read FT's Allawi group slips cash to reporters)
A 2,400:1 ratio ??? Keep working on it if you want to catch up with your model democracy, King Dubya's banana republic of the divided states of america. Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 10:37
20050107
Red blogule to Guggenheim - Ghost in a shell
Since the issue of "Guggenheim Economics" is raised (Newsweek 20041220), let me add that this franchise has the business model of a low cost carrier sponsored by minor league airports. But don't think economies of scale : the more outlets they open, the more dilluted the collections. The space and architecture makes for the cultural void and the original Guggenheim in New York now looks like a "ghost in a shell". Visiting Guggenheim Bilbao is quite an architectural experience but you're more marvelling at the craft of a software than the inspiration of an artist. And after the ride you realise you were lured into believing you actually met great works but hey, that's how the Planet Hollywood concept managed to sell for a little while. Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 03:11
20050105
Red Blogule to Jeb Bush - The Disaster Brothers
So Mr Natural Catastrophe decided to pay a visit to the Asian shores devastated by last week's tsunamis. Unlike his brother George, a master in manmade disasters, Jeb seems more interested in the destructions caused by Mother Nature. Anyway, the Governor of Florida feels like getting some international exposure. Wonder why ?
Habemus papam folks ! Our Dear Compassionate Leader has found the next ruler for the Bush dynasty. Daddy Herb may call him "44" soon. Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 01:20
20050104
Red blogule to France - Papy blues
France, Europe and the World - papy blues ?
France will hold a referendum on the EU constitution this year. A "no" sure would make the news, but is there any way the country could get an identity back ?
Jacques Chirac has a knack for finding ways of putting his country back on the map, and the resistance to the American domination seems an inspirational source - from nuclear explosions in the Pacific Ocean (the rationale : some coral crushing is the price to pay in order not to depend on the US for some sensitive data crunching) to more glamourous fights (in favor of the "cultural diversity", against the Bush mob about Iraq).
Now it's time to define France and Europe a more subtle way. Both shouldn't exist simply as a negative or counterbalancing force to such superpowers as the US or China.
Up to now, the French have somehow succeeded in being instrumental in the creation and development of the European Union. This influence is now over, even if former president Giscard d'Estaing led the EU Constitution project in 2004. Even the golden seat at the UN (veto power can deter as efficiently as nukes) may soon become history.
So France welcomes this referendum as the main event of the year to come. A proof of its very existence. Discovering with stupor what it means to become Europe's "Belle Province" - a proud, scenic and original spot without much influence on its environment nor its own destiny.
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 05:23
White blogule to cultural diversity - China is already on top
The US don't even realize it yet but they've already been overtaken by China. Forget the traditional measuring tools supposed to tell you what a superpower is (GDP, RBI... you name it). We're talking about the way a country's culture attracts people from all over the world. The US model is already dead and the Chinese one just finishing its warm up period.
This time, China won't try to overwhelm the region with its mandarin style rococco but peacefully let the world enjoy and spread the word about a second to none variety of cultures and ethnies... provided they get rid of their tradition of coating everything in a disneylike display of radical colors or in a tasteless MSG saturated sauce.
In the meanwhile, come enjoy beautiful Yunnan before mass tourism takes too much flavor out of it. Back from Kunming, Lijiang, Dali and Zhongdian - Stephane MOT
# posted by Stephane MOT @ 02:30
ALL BLOGULES SINCE 2003
ON THE BLOGULES PORTAL
|
|
|
