Uppity Curly

Motherfuckin cracka!

Troops dying for phony war

Many British soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan. Osama Bin Laden hasn't been caught, and now the Afghan people are again to be made subject to oppressive theocratic laws to bolster Karzai's position. It looks increasingly like the Taliban never really left.

If we're not helping, what are we doing there?

Back to Year Zero

The start of the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, known as 'Duch', is a timely reminder of one of the most shameful episodes of the Thatcher years.

Unpublicised by her army of misty-eyed apologists, is her disgusting collaboration with the Khmer Rouge and its cronies, providing them with both political and military support.

Whilst Thatcher's brutal fiend friend Pinochet escaped justice, Duch will probably face execution for his part in the Killing Fields. Gordon Brown rewards Thatcher with tea at number 10 and a state funeral.

Torturous

Thanks to Punkscience for the alert on Craig Murray's attempts to be heard by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. Sent an email. If you want the truth then please do the same.

The great coal con

I wonder if the Gazette is being paid for advertising space, when I read tonight's shamelessly biased article calling for the return of coal mining. It's not the first such article to appear in the Gazette. When South Tyneside Green Party tried to respond to the last piece on carbon capture and storage (CCS) with this press release, the Gazette spiked it.

Tonight's piece is one of the most shocking examples of industry PR masquerading as journalism that I've seen for a long time. Claims are unsubstantiated and hyperbolic terms such as 'trailblazers' indicate an uncritical approach to coal. And frankly, the Gazette is wearing out the 'King Coal' brand.

Bryan has already covered the excellent U.S. this is reality campaign highlighting the simple reality: there is no such thing as clean coal.

Here is this is reality's new video, created by film gods the Coen Brothers:

Speaking of local-ish MPs

It's been awhile since I've been actively involved with Friends of the Earth, but I still get mail.

Friends of the Earth have run several campaigns, where constituents fill out postcards to send to their local MP on eco issues from the Climate Change Bill to the Marine Bill, to a call for a moratorium on biofuels. It can be hard work for the FOE volunteers to encourage people to get sign up but they do, in all weathers. So far it's proved a successful campaign technique.

Unfortunately, not all MPs are that interested in their constituents' concerns. Step forward Hexham's Tory MP Peter Atkinson. After several such campaigns 'Postcard Pete' wrote to Friends of the Earth asking them to stick their postcards where the ballot box don't shine, and instead has asked FOE to send Atkinson's constituents a letter he has drafted.

The letter, instead of directly addressing the concerns of the campaign just spews standard Tory greenwash.

Such arrogance is breathtaking.

It's difficult to imagine clearer evidence for the often heard accusation that many politicos only care about your opinion at election time.

Then I suppose since he's leaving the job at the end of this term, why should he care what his constituents think?