November 2006
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November 21st, 2006
Seymour Hersh on US Plans for Iran
Iraq and Syria Restore Diplomatic Relations
Lebanese Cabinet Minister Assassinated
Agreement Reached to End Nepal's Civil War
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November 20th, 2006
Will Somebody Please Talk to Iran?
Have you noticed the recent upswing in media propaganda against Iran? From the 13th to the 18th of November, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and other Israeli leaders visited the US, all the while talking up their need to start a war with Iran. They railed on and on about the danger posed by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and his phantom nuclear weapons program. Last week's news coverage reminded me of the way things were back in late 2002 and early 2003, when the smoking gun in the search for Iraq's WMD's was about to come in the form of a mushroom cloud. I am not a fan of Iran's President Ahmadinejad. He has spewed a lot of irresponsible rhetoric that has destabilized the Middle East. His government is guilty of grave human rights abuses. Iran has no free press. It is not a democratic country, but a theocracy. Iran is not a free country. Ahmadinejad's regime may or may not be developing nuclear weapons. I do not trust anyone who says that the world will be made safer by dropping bombs on their enemy's weapons facilities. Israel has done this time and time again and the end result is always dead civilians. The children of these dead civilians make great future terrorists. I also do not trust anyone who says that another nation should be "wiped off the map". Whether Ahmadinejad was just playing to his base or not with that speech, his words must be taken seriously. I don't take either side in this conflict, I think that the two countries are equally criminal in pushing the world closer to a devastating war. What I want to see is peace. However, I will play devil's advocate for a moment and ask an important question. Why would Iran want to build a nuclear bomb? The answer is not "because they are evil." Let's put ourselves in Ahmadinejad's shoes for a moment and consider the following. George Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech and subsequent invasion of Iraq (but not North Korea) has taught the world an important lesson. If you have a nuclear weapon, the United States will not invade. Why do you think there has been no action taken against Pakistan, the likely home of Osama Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders? The US has a long history of interfering in Iran's affairs. In 1953, the US orchestrated the overthrow of Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh. They instigated a coup d'état, replacing Mossadegh him with a brutal (but pro-US) dictator they called the Shah. Later, when Iran was at war with Iraq, the US armed Saddam Hussein with WMD's. At the time, the US knew that Saddam Hussein had used chemical weapons against the Kurds in Northern Iraq. Donald Rumsfeld's sales call was essentially a green light for Saddam Hussein to use to use WMD's against Iranian troops. Israel has nuclear weapons. Israel also has a proven track record of violence against its neighbours. Here is an interview where former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, talks with fascist radio host Glenn Beck about their shared desire to see a war that would result in the death of millions of Muslims. Netanyahu must be taken seriously as he is still a major player in Israeli politics. Given the unstable nature of the coalition governments that characterize the Knesset, it may only be a matter of time until he is once again Prime Minister. So again I ask, what would you do if you were in Ahmadinejad's shoes? Really its a no-brainer. You'd do anything and everything you could to build, steal or buy a nuclear weapon, to be used as a deterrent against the perceived threats of Israel and the United States. This is Iran's reality. We in the West MUST do more to understand our perceived enemies. Talking to them would be a great first step. We must understand why Iran does what it does. Simply saying that their leader is evil and insane does little to help anyone but the defence contractors. It is too risky to let the present rhetoric continue to build to the point where war becomes inevitable. Somebody must stand up and engage in serious diplomacy. Luckily for everyone, there may be motivation for powerful people in the United States to do so. The days of an all-volunteer US military, where only the poor get killed may be coming to an end. In January, the US Congress will debate a bill to reinstate the military draft. I wonder how enthusiastic the corporate leaders, US government officials, and warmongering media types will be to have their children take turns getting killed while defending an oil pipeline in Khuzestan. How do you feel about going over there yourself? If somebody doesn't stand up soon, that may be your future.
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November 15th, 2006
Stephen Harper's Canada is a Fossil
Stephen Harper's Conservatives are doing nothing to combat global warming. His government was rightfully called to task for this at a UN conference on climate change in Kenya this week. Thank you to Europe and the Green NGO's for your rightful criticism...we need to hear it. Canadians deserve to be embarrassed on the world stage. Our government has followed the Dick Cheney approach to climate change policy. They let the biggest polluters help to write the legislation. They called it the "Clean Air Act." A more fitting title would be the "Do Nothing Act." We have shown the world that we are not serious about meeting our commitments. We have let our grandchildren down. I wish for a Canada where Prime Minister Dion takes real action on climate change. Luckily, I may only have to wait until February for that wish to come true.
Oaxaca Bin Lopez
Fear-mongering propaganda from South Texas. The media-literate among you will chuckle. The idiot sheep that this "news" was meant for may demand the building of an Israeli-style Apartheid Wall along the Mexican border. I guess brown people are all the same to them.
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November 7th, 2006
Vote!
To my American friends, Today is the day to catch up with your great-aunt or the lady who teaches your yoga class or the guy who runs the corner store or the guys on your softball team. Today is the day to motivate your disinterested family, friends, co-workers, neighbours, and anybody else in your life. Today is the day to be a pain in the ass to all of the apolitical people that you know. Call them up and ask them if they've voted. Do what you can to get them to the polls. Bribe them with coffee or shame them if you have to. Their votes may be the ones that decide the close races. Their votes may be the ones that bring an end to a rubber stamp congress that has aided and abetted the most criminal administration in your country's history. Be change you wish to see. You can do it!
Find Your Polling Place
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November 4th, 2006
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, UAE and Saudi Arabia plan
to start nuclear programs.
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November 4th, 2006
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, UAE and Saudi Arabia plan to start nuclear programs.
Its the start of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, and Emperor George is to blame.
In his 2002 State of the Union address, Bush made what was perhaps the most stupid and destabilizing
statement in history by referring to Iraq, Iran and North Korea as members of an "Axis of Evil." When Bush
made that statement, he intended to give a sound-bite to the news media. What he said, however, will
go down in history as a monumental blunder. With one astoundingly ignorant sound-bite, Bush began
a new era of nuclear proliferation. Here is why.
Iraq had no nuclear weapons, but was invaded by the US. Iran has no nuclear weapons but may be developing
them. The US hints that it may invade Iran to prevent them from getting the bomb. North Korea has nuclear
weapons, they recently tested one. The US has made it clear that there will be no invasion. The rest of
the world has taken a pretty basic lesson from all of this. Its simple really, arm yourself with a nuclear
deterrent and the US will leave you alone. I almost wonder if my fellow Canadians would like to build a
bomb now. A recent poll showed that even its closest allies (Canada, Mexico, Israel and the United Kingdom)
see the United States as a grave threat to world peace.
This is what America has become. On September 12th, 2001, the whole world was with the US. In five short years
their President has squandered it all. America has lost its way and the whole world suffers for it. Luckily though,
there is an election on Tuesday. American voters have one last chance to right the ship. Americans can send the
world a message and take their country back by removing Bush's Republicans from office.
Do what you can to get the vote out!
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November 2nd, 2006
2 + 2 = 5
Here is a two part exercise in cognitive dissonance, a chance to practice your "doublethink" skills. Consider the Cheney quote while reading the chart. Consider the Bush quote while watching the video. Are you capable of simultaneously believing these two contradictory positions? If so, congratulations! You are a Republican, and your vote WILL be counted.
Part A
"The insurgency in Iraq is in its last throes." - Dick Cheney
Part B
"And my message today to those in Iraq is: We'll stay the course; we'll complete the job. My message to our troops is: We will stay the course and complete the job and you'll have what you need." - George W Bush
Bush Video - youtube video
Now consider the following...
"We're winning and we will win, unless we leave before the job is done," - George W Bush
Feeling confident about how things are going to go? I can see US officials on the rooftops of the Green Zone being evacuated by helicopter. Do what you can to get the vote out on Tuesday.