Current Events

[RobertGraves]

Did you know that the Communists have submitted a list of 257 candidates drawn from across ethnic and faith groups for the January elections? The candidates are joined under the banner, 'Union of the People'. The Culture Minister Mufid al-Jazairi, already represents the communists in the interim Government.

They are the oldest political group in Iraq. It was founded in 1930 and became one of the most powerful parties in the Arab world, before being progressively weakened by the former ruling Baath Party and the advance of socialist ideology throughout the world.

Wonder how Bush et al feel about that type of democracy?

[Tenarke]

Since, as you point out, the Communists are the oldest continuing political party in Iraq perhaps the administration’s “newspeak” opinion spinners will prove that they are really Iraq’s Conservative Party in disguise.

Meanwhile, in our news this past week has been the President’s appointment of Bernard Kerik as head of Homeland Security and his subsequent withdrawal. Since Kerik hadn’t yet been appointed he was unable to fall back on the old reliable need to spend more time with his family. Instead, he revealed to the press that while he recently was going over some old family records he discovered; for the first time, mind you; that a former housekeeper and a former nanny might have been undocumented aliens.

However, last Wednesday’s Washington post had additional background:

www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A45175-2004Dec7

On newscasts it also came out that Kerik held a management position in the company that makes and sells “Taser” stun-guns at the same time that he was NYC Police Commissioner for Mayor Giuliani. But, of course, there was no conflict of interest there, just as there is none with Cheney and Halliburton.

It looks as though the American public has dodged another bullet.

Or is it “Taser”?

[demgoddess]

My favorite coverage of the Kerik "scandal" is from MSNBC's article today:

"It is unclear why White House lawyers could not uncover a warrant that Newsweek discovered after a few days of research, although some are blaming Bush's insistence on speed and secrecy for failing to catch this and other potential red flags in Kerik's background."

After the whole WMD debacle does it come as a suprise to ANYONE that the Bush administration relies on speed and secrecy which ultimately leads to failure and/or inaccuracies?

[Wyndham]

Quite the mess! If its any consolation, you're not alone in this. One of our cabinet ministers, responsible for misappropriation of funds, was, by all accounts, a made man in the mob. You'd have thought that the name -- Alfonso Guiliani ( ) -- would have tipped somebody off.

Still, though, guess set a weazle to do a weazle's job. If surveillance is required, I guess best to use a Himmleresque little worm who actually enjoys it!

[Wyndham]

Just read in the paper that Gen. Pinochet has just been indicted for the illegal arrest of eight dissidents, who brought an action, and on behalf of another who died during the dirty war. Pinochet has always claimed that he was too ill to stand trial. Apparently, an interview that he'd given on Spanish TV convinced a judget that he was just fine.

Never thought I'd see this! What's next? The indictment of Henry Kissinger for Cambodia and/or the assassination of Salvadore Allende? Perhaps this judge will indict Kissinger as Pinochet's co-conspirator, in the trial shortly to begin . . .

[Tenarke]

One form of proof in classic logic is the “reductio ad absurdum”. Sometimes I think that “W” and his boys are doing that number on themselves.

Once again it appears that the Department of Defense is trying to create its own Propaganda Ministry:

www.nytimes.com/2004/12/13/politics/13info.html?th

It appears established that it’s OK to lie; but just how big a lie is OK, is being debated.

And once more from the Prez and his righteous brethren:

www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1369643,00.html

What passes for my mind, is yet again boggled.

[Aravis]

Tenarke, I had heard about the book banning thing. And while it boggles the mind, at the same time it somehow doesn't. Not in this administration.

I just came across this article. It tells of how charges against those who refused that convoy mission a while back have been dropped, but that 6 others are being court-martialed for borrowing parts from abandoned vehicles in Kuwait to complete another mission.

[Wyndham]

Thanks for the links. Interesting stuff. I'm finding some of this fascinating -- the intersection of truth and law.

True: this platoon refused orders (charge: MUTINY! slam dunk). Result: no charge.

True: this mechanic cannibalised a scrapped vehicle (they'r trained to do that. Charge: nil) Result: charged . . . for what, I can't imagine.

True: we're considering laws to inhibit the production of certain theatrical pieces we find abhorrent. Myth: it isn't censorship.

Here's another along the same line. A significant number of Marines have been tried for, well, let's call it torture. The ACLU, if I read this correctly, is more or less taking their side. Their position appears to be that this sort of 'hostile' interrogation is so general in Iraq that this can't really be a crime (or so that appears to me to be their position, sort of . . .).

Link:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64736-2004Dec14.html?referrer=email


On the lighter side, Britain's Law Lords recently shot down Tony Blair's emergency legislation. They find it contrary to European law that suspects have been detained without charge for three years. One might have thought that the words 'habeas corpus' would have appeared in their brief. Seems, however, that they're falling back on the old position that right to habeas corpus is specific to British subjects. That position, incidentally, would have been found paleolithic a century ago. During WWI, for example, the same argument was made. Position of Imperial Courts (Britain, Canada etc.) was that a resident alien had the right to the King's protection, as if he were a British subject, and owed the King loyalty for protection. An enemy alien could stop being an 'enemy' easily: simply had to declare his loyalty. Makes me sad to be a member of the Anglo-sphere. We've fought civil wars for smaller principles. Home Secretary responsible for this illegal detention got the sack today, but not for that. He has fast-tracked an ex-lover's nanny's visa application. Here that would have been a snicker, not a scandal. We just assumed that government Ministers do things like that (I would). Cripes our immigration minister was in the news recently for fast-tracking the papers of a Rumanian stripper who had worked on her campaign, on the grounds, it appears, that we have a shortage of strippers.

Link: www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041216.wbritter1216/BNStory/International/

Tenarke: read the bit about the Army thinking about using propaganda abroad. You mean they haven't been doing that? I always assumed that they always were . . . Have to say that one of the things that has most disturbed me about the US this year is the saccarine tone of almost all media. Cripes. You were engaged in a bitterly polar election, with important issues on the table -- the fact that you're waging a losing war for one. Turn on the TV, and what do you see? Barbara Walters interviewing the hip-hopster Ludicrous; 60 minutes airing yet another gratifyingly sentimental story about a guad dwarf; and 'reality' TV shows up the eyes. Papers weren't much different. Its like a great big shot of national-strength valium. I just assumed that either the government or the advertisers had warned the networks. Oh. This too is a form of censorship . . .

On the other side of the coin . . .

www.spectator.co.uk/article.php?id=5432&issue=2004-12-18

[demgoddess]

Aravis...I would bet that those soldiers are still being prosecuted because their story was not as widely publicized as the soldiers who refused the convoy mission. Hence, not as much public support for them. It's all about media coverage and public opinion.

[Aravis]

Dem and Wyn, I think you're both probably right. Dem, I posted this article over at MajorDad's as well, and he gave his thoughts on it.

For those of you here who are unfamiliar with MajorDad, he is an ex-military/ex-intelligence officer conservative republican blogger with whom Dem and I have had some discussions.

[RobertGraves]

Bhutan bans all tobacco sales

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan was to enforce a ban on all tobacco sales, a world first, official media reported.

Smoking in public places is also outlawed, but people can still light up in their homes.

Bhutan's trade and industry ministry issued a notice giving shops, hotels, restaurants and bars until December 17 to dispose of tobacco stocks, the kuenselonline.com website said.

Bhutan's national assembly voted in July to ban tobacco sales nationwide and levy a 100 per cent tax on tobacco products brought into the country for personal consumption.

Cities such as New York ban smoking in public places and several countries including India ban tobacco advertising.

Bhutan, a Mahayana Buddhist nation of 734,000 people nestled between India and China, proclaims a development goal of "gross national happiness".

It is the first nation to ban tobacco sales outright, according to the website of the anti-smoking group, Action on Smoking and Health.

"We had declared in the World Health Assembly that we would be the first country in the world to be smoke-free," Sangay Thinley, secretary in Bhutan's health ministry told AFP last month.

"We hope with the initiative others would also follow. The main intention is to protect the health of the people," he said.

Anyone caught selling tobacco in Bhutan faces a $US225 fine, a hefty sum in a country where the poverty line is set at around $US16 a month.

Only about 7 per cent of the population chew or smoke tobacco.

Community leaders and businesses in the nation known as the land of the thunder dragon have reportedly been cooperating to enforce the measure.

The kingdom has always taken a cautious approach to modernisation, only allowing foreign visitors since the 1970s.

They must pay $US200 dollars a day on guided tours.

Television was introduced just five years ago.

King Jigme Singye Wangchuck has tried to preserve the culture of the majority Drukpa (dragon people) by means such as practising the national sport of archery and wearing the national dress.

Bhutan is still primarily rural with the majority living off agriculture.

The anti-smoking initiative has been encouraged by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which says tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world.

The country has "No smoking" days during the year and local communities hand out medals to those considered to have worked particularly hard to fight against tobacco.

One such medal winner, Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup, went on to become the country's health and education minister.

-AFP

[RobertGraves]

www.smh.com.au/news/Unusual-Tales/Last-puff/2004/12/16/1102787219734.html

[Wyndham]

I had a grandfather like that Robert. Lived to 102. Finally gave up smoking at age 96 because a doctor advised him that the habit would 'kill him' -- stupid bugger. Also advised him to give up drinking, or at least reduce it to one glass a day. So one glass a day it was -- a water glass full of neat Scotch, normally consumed while listening to baseball on the radio. Made for some interesting commentary on the game, by about the fifth inning. ;D

[RobertGraves]

My Dad smoked from 11 years of age until 61 without once having a break or attempting to give up. 5 years ago he went cold turkey and hasn't had a drag since. He always said he'd be able to give up and wouldn't need patches or chewing gum etc. The catalyst was a close friend dying and the birth of his first granddaughter. When I was a kid Dad smoked more than a carton of camel a week. I was always suffering motion sickness in the car - looking back on it I was just being poisoned. Never have been carsick since leaving home at 18.

I've never ever fancied nicotine and I think the film I saw as a kid - you know the one where the sponge is wrung out to show the impact of tar on one's lungs - was the key factor. I told Dad his number was up after I saw that; he wasn't impressed.

[Aravis]

My mom and dad both smoked when I was a kid and I always tried to make them stop. I even went so far as to hide their cigarettes. Not recommended, btw. I'm still alive because I was a cute 6 yr. old and for no other reason.

They quit when I was eighteen. Which is of course when I started to smoke! It was never easy for them to quit and to this day they still get the occasional craving. As do I when things are stressful. I quit about 4.5 years ago. That was hard work, as Bush might say.