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"We forge the chains we wear in life" -- Charles Dickens
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 UN Strikes Back
cleaves, Saturday, Mar 12 2005, 5:32am
Kofi Annan recently announced the UN is attempting to define “terrorism” in a universal sense; he hopes that a ‘new’ definition would apply both to States and groups. In view of the flagrant disregard for international law and convention by the US, one wonders whether this is a flight of fancy or a feeble attempt to regain some relevance for the UN. This new definition largely hinges on ‘civilian’ attacks. Analysts would view this as a purely ideological manoeuvre. The definition of “civilian” is no longer clear.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Modern Warfare
cleaves, Tuesday, Mar 8 2005, 3:49am
A popular myth of today is that America is the “undisputed” leading military power of the world. However, does this claim stand up to the scrutiny of even the simplest analysis? All things are relative in a military context so the obvious question is against whom is this ‘power’ dominant? The combined nuclear assets of the Sino-Russian alliance alone is enough to dispatch the entire American continent, if the sheer force of numbers (manpower) is included, the ‘winner’ would be the Chinese and Russians. In the context of all-out war the one absolute fact (that the US attempts to ignore) is mutual assured destruction. The Zionist lunatics (Perle, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld) who persuaded Bush to abandon nuclear disarmament treaties, thereby giving other nations similar license, have put us all in jeopardy.
international /
peace/war /
feature
Bush and EU (Update)
cleaves, Friday, Feb 25 2005, 11:31pm
For pure entertainment value the gloved Punch & Judy or Balinese shadow puppets are preferable to Bush and the EU leaders. The images the media presents of these flesh and blood puppets, all ‘stringed’ by their respective Transnational Corporations, are amusing if not entertaining.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Chieftain’s Lament
cleaves, Sunday, Feb 20 2005, 9:11pm
Are we fools that we cannot see that America has become everything it once despised? Is the Bill of Rights merely a fanciful document to be disregarded whenever it suits. Have the words freedom, liberty, equality been reduced in meaning to the level of advertising slogans, or worse, utilised as a veil to cloak despotism, conquest and exploitation? Are we so stupid that we believe the absurd proposition that we must surrender our liberties in order to safeguard our liberties? Reality signals an unambiguous yes to all the above. A nation is only its people and there is no blame to lay elsewhere. How profound is the contradiction that is ourselves?
international /
social equality/unity /
opinion/analysis
State of the Union
cleaves, Tuesday, Feb 15 2005, 5:32am
There has never been an instance in recorded history when a nation that achieved military superiority did not attempt to dominate other nations. This is the inevitable result of gaining a strategic or technological ‘advantage.’ In view of the historical record, is it unusual that America would abandon its founding principles in favour of despotism and the pursuit of world domination? The path the US has taken is not new; it is a tired well-worn path that leads to certain destruction.
international /
peace/war /
feature
Myopia
cleaves, Wednesday, Feb 2 2005, 12:38am
Never before in modern history has the sensibility of the population been so anaesthetised. And never before will such a high price be extracted for the failure to reign in nefarious groups that have taken control of the major institutions of power.
While we brood in self-involved distraction, our options are being slowly but effectively eroded and our hard-won liberties are being curtailed. Yet where is the reactive response to these occurrences? With the exception of people of conscience, inertia and apathy has permeated the majority.
international /
social/political /
feature
The Slave Syndrome
cleaves, Tuesday, Jan 25 2005, 7:29pm
Throughout human history people have sought (or accepted) leadership in one form or another. Whether the subservient mentality manifests as identification to a pre-existing belief system or the need to follow another human being – the result is subjection. Forfeiting one’s sovereignty in either or both cases relegates the subscriber to subservience. Anthropologists and sociologists accept this behaviour as a fundamental aspect of human society and an essential element in the formation of ‘civilised’ societies. This particular worldview is now taken as a given social reality.
international /
social/political /
feature
 Patterns
cleaves, Wednesday, Jan 19 2005, 11:28am
Recent events involving the actions of certain nations have highlighted a pattern that most freedom loving people would find extremely disturbing. Is it possible, in the absence of a strategic balance of power in the world, that some nations with the means and opportunity would attempt to impose their will and value systems on other nations? (story and 1 image)
international /
imperialism /
feature
Malaise
cleaves, Wednesday, Jan 19 2005, 7:33am
The model of rule (government in the hands of the few) hasn’t changed since the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt! Eliminating the voice of the people at the community level is a mistake. If community leaders – elected by the people and representing the people at all times – were able to keep our leaders in check and in accord with the wishes of the majority we would prevent government taking a course that nearly half the population oppose. In this way government’s actions would truly reflect the wishes of the majority or be adjusted in a balanced compromise when necessary. To allow a government to rule unchecked for a number of years is the height of folly.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Tangled Webs
cleaves, Wednesday, Jan 19 2005, 7:31am
This situation is amusing to some analysts who know that the ‘winner’ of the Iraq intervention is Israel. Unlike the public, analysts do not have short memories or suffer from bias induced blindness. It was clear that following the missile attacks on Israel by Saddam Hussein, Zionist interests were compelled to remove this dictator from power and eliminate any further threat from Iraq. It was relatively easy to lure the ‘avaricious pig’ to the trough of Oil – a brilliant incentive to invade an eliminate Saddam.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
The First and Last Front
cleaves, Wednesday, Jan 19 2005, 7:04am
The American fiction industry has taught its citizens that an enemy will surrender when ‘superior’ force is confronted. It hasn’t taught its citizens how to cope with an enemy that will never capitulate, an enemy that continues to fight in the face of overwhelming odds. What to do? It is impossible in today’s world to "kill them all." The hard reality of US intervention is combat, men against men, and today we learn that the US military has lost what little nerve it had.
international /
peace/war /
opinion/analysis
Condoleezza Rice
cleaves, Wednesday, Jan 19 2005, 7:00am
We would all like to ask Condy (her oil tankers notwithstanding) just what price Iraqi Oil against the life of one Iraqi child or one US citizen? Never in the history of the USA has it spawned a more dangerous group of clowns than George W and his neo-cons. They have only one motive – and that is money. The scant regard for human life is matched only by their total disregard for our environment. To watch them now attempting to contradict their way out of their previous fabrications is truly a pathetic comedy.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Theotech
cleaves, Wednesday, Jan 19 2005, 6:56am
Awesome demonstrations of new computer assisted warfare technologies and the resurrection of a new Starwars defence strategy have recently ‘dazzled’ American society. The principal proponents of these ‘strategies’ are the same men – Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz – who assured the world that the Iraqi population would welcome invaders with open arms and that the discovery of WMDs was inevitable! These ‘experts,’ have only confirmed that they are in dire need of medication; however, they have (momentarily) succeeded in convincing governments that these new advanced ‘solutions’ are the answer for an increasingly fearful domestic population and fearful allied governments – most notably John Howard’s Australian conservatives
international /
social/political /
feature
Prelude USA
cleaves, Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 10:28am
The recent South Asian tsunami disaster has drawn attention to geological articles and reports written by the world’s leading geophysicists. [Your favourite search engine would furnish you with ample information in this regard.] From even a layperson’s perspective it becomes clear that this type of event is a relatively minor ‘rumbling’ of the earth’s crust. (story and 1 image)
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Aussies May Target Bank
cleaves, Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 10:24am
The recent [tsunami] tragedy in South Asia revealed the ugly face of Capitalism, specifically the behaviour of Australian banks in not waiving their parasitic fee imposition on financial donations to victims of the tsunami disaster. Let it be known where their priorities lie. Banks needed to be reminded before displaying some humanitarian empathy.
international /
social/political /
article
Polarisation
cleaves, Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 10:21am
The people of the free world have not forgotten the citizens of America who oppose the ultra-right-wing regime of Bush. A similar situation occurred in Nazi Germany with the rise of another madman to power. The population became polarised; however, those with a conscience were swept along with the fanatics to the ruin of all. Failure to act against the regime in the early stages resulted in a greater calamity for the entire nation. Let it not happen again. It is never too late to alter the course of a nation with concerted effort from those in opposition.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
New Year’s Memorandum
cleaves, Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 10:16am
Memo to the present US Administration:
In view of the following quote, just how long do you think your lies and deceit will prevail?
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts." (Abraham Lincoln)
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Circus Yukos
cleaves, Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 10:07am
The antics of opposing groups of Oil interests played out by the performances of their respective governments have reached new levels of absurdity. As the Russian ‘due process of law’ dismantles Yukos for take-over by one of its lackey interests, the West screams outrage and accuses Russian courts of corruption, ‘confirming’ that the Russian legal system is the “tool of a corrupt government.” Really! Since when has the legal system of any nation been anything other than a tool of the prevailing regime?
international /
injustice/law /
opinion/analysis
Update (Ukraine)
cleaves, Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 9:59am
The observations and re-actions of various ‘experts’ to events in the Ukraine amuse some analysts. Did anyone expect the US not to intervene, do leopards change their spots? Have we all forgotten the US government is merely a pawn of Corporate Capitalism? If it wasn’t an orange scarf it may just as well have been pink – let’s not miss the ‘forest for the trees’ (and in some cases the veins of the leaves.)
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Trends
cleaves, Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 9:55am
As American society contracts in fear and adopts the social and psychological shackles of totalitarian rule – the other side of the world expands in fearless, peaceful, Unity. The people of the Ukraine have united in opposition to a corrupt and oppressive regime. The recent (peaceful but supremely effective) demonstrations are the inevitable result of eighty years of social oppression in the form of an autocratic totalitarian system of ‘government.’ Whereas alienated American culture continues to rapidly devolve as its citizens become ever more fragmented and separated from each other.
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
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