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?

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.

DEC for Gaza

These folks, an umbrella group of aid organisations, were instrumental in the recovery after the Asian Tsunami, and this is the video which the douchebags at the BBC and Sky refused to air.

WOT a copout

South Shields MP David Miliband says that it was rather bad show to use the old 'War on Terror' brand. Anyone reading this blog in August 2007 will know that the brand was dumped some time ago.

Few Tories will be in a position to criticise Miliband's about-turn without a severe bout of hypocrititis. Most Tory MPs voted for the war in Iraq and even Conservative Home still uses the 'War on Terror' tag, so they've clearly bought in to the whole paradigm.

Yet the relentless erosion of our liberties with so-called anti-terror laws continues, with police officers down to litter enforcement officers given powers to harass ordinary folk whose only crime is going about their lawful business. Peaceful demonstrators, photographers and even an OAP at a Labour conference have all felt the cold hand of Labour's anti liberty laws.

But it's not just the brand that needs dropping, but the real harm caused by attaching our nation to this morally corrupt philosophy: the rendition flights, the torture, the killing of innocents, the anti-terror legislation, the breeding of hate.

But most of all, will Miliband call for a real reckoning for the architects of the War on Terror, Bush and Blair in front of a war crimes court?

Justice? That's too much for Labour.

Oh Gaza, Oh Gaza

That's what local writer Lalon Amin wrote in his poem of the same name in yesterday's Shields Gazette. Amin's poem was used to publicise a 'gathering' outside the South Shields Town Hall tomorrow.

Next to his smug photo Amin grandly calls this a "remembrance day for all the children that die during wars, and specifically the Gaza conflict." All very commendable. However, the location of the event leaves me feeling a little disquieted about the real purpose behind it.

The Holocaust Memorial Garden at the Town Hall has been chosen for a reason. Mr Amin and his friends want to compare Israel's actions with the Nazi's methodical elimination of Jews and other people who didn't fit in with the Nazi ideology.

There is little doubt that some of Israel's actions are cruel and brutal, but both sides of this conflict have behaved barbarically. The world has not just failed to act to bring these events to a halt, but has been involved with supplying both sides with weapons.

But a holocaust it is not.

Using the holocaust to frame the demonstration at the Town Hall shows the real prejudices of Amin and his chums, and the message they want to send. This technique is nothing new - it's an attempt to dehumanise your opponents whilst at the same time turning them into bogey men.

It looks like, like some of the demonstrations across the UK that have been hijacked by radical and religious groups, the Holocaust Garden event will not cast light on the situation, but generate plenty of heat.

Troops come home

And they still haven't found WMD. No doubt more vote winners are on their way. I smell and election coming... unless Brown plans to just move them to Afghanistan.

Heroes on handouts

As everyone knows, tomorrow is the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day. The powerful icon of remembrance for our war dead, the poppy, is used to raise funds for the Royal British Legion for their excellent work for veterans and their families.

This symbol of honour and sacrifice also silently represents a shame upon our nation. Few dare speak of it.

Our heroes rely on charity.

According to the RBL,

"38% of ex-Service pensioners report an income below the minimum required for healthy living"

That's a national disgrace.

Until our governments recognise the sacrifices made by our service men and women and properly support them and their families, the selling of remembrance poppies will be stained by our country's failure to properly honour our heroes.

Legal rendition

Of all the stupid and pointless screwing over our government has taken from the USA over the War On Terror TM, the tale of computer hacker Gary McKinnon would be funny if he wasn't facing imprisonment by a government which loves to torture and kill people.

The US government, and by poodle extension ours, considers Gary a terrorist and evil genius who cleverly outwitted the mighty US Department of Defense and NASA by accessing their computers in the "the greatest military hack in history". He was trying to find out information on UFOs. When he successfully accessed the computers he left messages saying 'your security is crap'. Hardly public enemy number one.

There's no doubt he's been a very naughty boy and justice must be done. But why not here in the UK, where we don't execute or torture people?

Some MPs want a guarantee from the US that McKinnon will be allowed to serve any sentence imposed in Britain in special consideration that he has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Requiring guarantees from a government which executes people with mental problems seems a little optimistic.

But this is our government. They meekly excuse the human rights abuses of the US.

If only McKinnon had been a Chilean dictator responsible for the death and torture of thousands, instead of a UFO saddo, he would have been laughing.

Bush and irony

GW Bush praises his fight for freedom and free speech, as hecklers are escorted away by goons.

Wanker.

We went to war on lies

If there's anyone due for eternity with a rectally administered red hot poker it's Iraq war cheerleader John Bolton. Even though Monbiot's attempted arrest was a doomed stunt, it's important to continue to provoke debate, and never let those who backed this war think it's been forgotten about. That includes our local MP, David Miliband.

Liberating Iraq

Is this really what we invaded Iraq for?

Chilling:

"I know God is blessing me for what I did"

I suppose that's what people of faith do: let an imaginary being take responsibility for their brutal behaviour.

Five years ago

March 20th 2003. That's when the UK and the USA rolled into Iraq, starting a war built upon lies.

A Labour war enthusiastically supported by the Conservatives. 175 British troops lost and possibly over a million Iraqis. That's blood on the hands of the Labour and Conservative parties.

Blair has walked away from it smiling and into million dollar jobs. Bush is likely to do the same. Both used God as the basis of their convictions. Both should be facing convictions in front of a war crimes tribunal. Neither should see the light of day again.

However, I keep coming back to the same thought - that people keep voting Labour and Conservative despite this terrible war. Is our nation's ethical spirit lost? I keep thinking that from councillors to MPs they will still get the votes without a thought for the lives lost in this disastrous conflict. And it chills me.

If there is one reason not to vote for these two parties of the ethically vacant, Iraq is it.


respect to punkscience.

WOT, no War On Terror?

Gordon Brown's avoidance of the phrase "War on Terror" confirms that the term will no longer be used by UK government officials. It's seen as a change in direction where terrorism is redefined as a purely criminal action, stripping any context which might prompt examination of motives.

With an election looming Brown will want to avoid any terms linking himself with Tony Blair's handling of terrorism, so changing the landscape of the language used is a key tool.

This is a common marketing technique - rebranding. It's a bit like changing the name of the Marathon bar to Snickers. The product hasn't changed, just the name.

But the ghouls of extremism are still there, and Brown is going to stoke the fear of them to keep the rest of us terrified. Despite the change in arse keeping the PM seat warm, our government continues to invoke 'terrorism' and 'security' in order to control.

Move over Poodle, here's Scottie.

Conjuring the spectre of 'rogue states', the government's announcement that it is going to allow the USA, without any debate in Parliament, to use the listening station at Menwith Hill for it's nuke treaty-busting 'missile defence system' indicates that Brown views democracy with the same contempt as Blair. It also shows that Brown, like Blair, puts Bush's interests before that of Parliament. In a world teetering on the edge of a new cold war, Brown happily helps Bush to tip us into a new arms race.

Corporations are getting in on the 'security' act to quell protest, as is seen in BAA's attempt to stop climate protesters enjoying their liberty to demonstrate peacefully.

Like the Marathon rebranding, the War On Terror market repositioning exercise is being used by Brown and his chums to continue to sell us something that is as sticky and nutty - the erosion of our freedom and democracy.