For years, neo-con apologists for the invasion of Iraq have parroted the lie that at least life is better than it was under Saddam Hussein. That was always blatantly untrue, from the massive destruction of water, power and healthcare infrastructure; not to mention the million dead, two million maimed and five million displaced. The neo-con commentators, of course, have not actually been there. Those of us who have, found the situation far worse than anything reported in the mainstream media. Indeed, perhaps the most irrefutable proof of the propaganda model of Western media is that 59% of the population believed less than 10,000 people died as a result of the Iraq War. That poll itself only made the mainstream media in a letter by known dissenters published on the Guardian’s letters page – a way of “othering” the information.
It is now extremely difficult for the media to pretend that everything is OK in Iraq, bar the odd car bomb. The AL-Maliki regime has been in the remarkable position of being both pro-Iranian and supported by the West with masses of military hardware – substantial quantities of which is now in the hands of ISIS. I don’t expect Al-Maliki to fall soon, but his area of control is decreasing by the hour. Whether the Al-Maliki regime has been any less vicious than that of Saddam Hussein is arguable. Certainly there has been a great deal less social freedom in Iraq.
I abhor dictatorship, but waging massive high technology war on a country, destroying its infrastructure and many of its people, because it has the misfortune to suffer under a dictator, is crazy. Those who genuinely believe in “liberal intervention” must finally admit that the revival of the concept of the “civilising mission” of imperialism has failed, disastrously, and brought massive misery to the world.
The harder-headed men on whose behalf Blair and Bush were acting, who never believed or cared about spreading liberal democracy, but simply wanted to gain vast wealth through control of natural resources, are less likely to be disillusioned. “Liberal intervention” has successfully acquired for these men assets in the diamond and rutile mines of Sierra Leone, and the oilfields of Iraq and Libya. My main hope from the current violent convulsions is that as few people are killed or harmed as possible. But over the next few years, it is essential that mineral riches are removed from Western interests in those countries that suffered “liberal intervention”. Otherwise we will see more of it, if it continues to appear a viable business model to the establishment.
What is Tony Blair’s current personal wealth?
Hoped the BBC would be reporting the use of white phosphorus. No such luck! Only one article about Ukraine on BBC website… a claim about Russian tanks going over the border:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27815441
“Where does the dear girl get the energy from?”
I’m more inclined to ask about the money. She makes all sorts of snide observations about the comings and goings of others but is, herself, wholly occupied with online polemics. Doesn’t she have a job to go to? Who is paying her?
“Nothing to say about the horror of the Iraq war and the re-occurring nightmare for the poor souls?”
It would be nice if you could also contribute some commentary on the horrors of Islamic violence, Mary.
We all know that religious and political violence is not monopolised by the Israelis and West. And if it were not for the Western inventions of government accountability (as limited as it is) and mass media (as biased as it can be), we wouldn’t know anything at all about the systemic use of violence in other parts of the world.
If only we were allowed to look more closely at the daily misery suffered by your average Muslim peasant and slum dweller living under the fists of thugocracies. If only those Islamic regimes were open societies like that of Western countries.
The biggest irony, Mary, is that your preferred tool of anti-Western propaganda is an invention of the evil US military.
Long live the internet!
But maybe GWB doesn’t really know what’s going on now, lost his grip on reality (if he ever had a grip)
You know ‘bama’s gotta do somethin’ about these Islamic State In Space (ISIS) dudes, why it must be a threat to our International Space Station (ISS). People are allus misunderestimating me but they might even have nukular weapons up there! Ma good friend Pootin should hop on a Soyuz and go check it out.
The witch is not dead. She lives. Fresh from a makeover, she was on Newsnight last night with Paxman. Her shrill laughter which intersperses her commentary is quite chilling.
If there is a god, please let it not be her as the next president.
Hillary Clinton: Full Newsnight interview
The US should withhold military support for Iraq until certain preconditions are met, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.
In an interview with BBC’s Newsnight, Mrs Clinton said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki first had to show he was “inclusive” – seemingly conflicting with President Obama’s statement that the US was looking at “all options” in Iraq.
Mrs Clinton also discussed the crisis in Ukraine, the Scottish independence referendum, and whether or not she will make a second run for the US presidency in 2016.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-27826749
btw she is another of Hare’s psychopaths. Smaller %age female than male but still significant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare_Psychopathy_Checklist
I have spoken of this propaganda piece before. I see it has been given space on Cameron’s personal website.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-two-worlds-of-charlie-f-uk-tour
It was given a puff piece by John Humphrys the other morning. No mention written above or spoken below of the horror of the war for the people of Afghanistan nor of how many of them that have been left wounded or killed.
BBC Radio 4 Today @BBCr4today · Jun 11 34m
Theatre “incredibly powerful” in giving people a voice – Alice Driver, whose play Charlie F helps injured war veterans act out their stories
‘Giving people a voice’. Not the Afghan people Mr Humphrys, shill for the NWO.
@Jemand: Lay off Mary. You must know the actions of the US military in Iraq were off the scale bad, particularly the way they used White Phosphorus in Fallujah. American’s are nice people, and I don’t like to judge, but actions speak louder than words and their government in recent years has sanctioned, and continues to sanction, terrible forces of destruction. The fact that most of our “democratic” media no longer even reports on these excesses is bad for all of us, and I can’t understand why thinking people can condone such actions.
Prediction: The US will hit those pesky Iraq-based ISIL miltants — which seem to have acquired another level of military capability rather quickly — using the assets they, fortuitously, have been placing in Jordan for the last 6-10 months. Then — whoops! — this action will spill over into Syria as, hey, this is where ISIL are based too, right? THAT’S how the US will get their military into Syria — by “protecting” Iraq. Very clever, I must say. We’re all watching the World Cup anyway, so no one will notice.
Jemand
Maybe you’re just very naive.
The reason why Muslim countries are on about 20% iman/faith, is the same that non-Muslim countries are on about 1% iman/faith.
In India the British were taken on by the scholars of Islam and the streets of Delhi ran with their blood. The British then installed their own dodgy versions of Islam including Sikhism, Sufism, Qadianis and Salafis.
So don’t complain about weakness of faith in Muslim countries when you know the cause. Religious inspired Goodness, of any sort, in any country, is constantly persecuted by the status quo state, so that the people will praise the valliant actions of the state’s achievements.
In Northern Ireland the UK paid terrorists to cause the troubles. Lie, lie lie lie, until you convince them that you are telling the truth. Even the internet cannot prove a well-protected lie. You have to join the dots and use your imagination. You have to possess a conscience as an inner touchstone in order to detect the hidden lies.
The only way politicians can understand to put themselves up is to put others down.
I don’t know why someone so naive bothers to visit a political blog. Just because you don’t understand politics, is no reason to attack the truth of Islam.
Mike
What is the World Cup? Some massive communal drinking vessel?
Jemand
13 Jun, 2014 – 2:49 am
“If only those Islamic regimes were open societies…”
You mean like the regimes of Saudi Arabia; Qatar; UAE; Kuwait; Yemen; Oman; Egypt: Uzbekistan among others?
All BACKED by the West.
I met a couple at lunch today. The husband’s cousin was at Fettes with BLiar. BLiar was known as a fool, a play actor and was not very well liked. I think we could have guessed that.
Here he is in loutish mode making an obscene gesture.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0te6BD5LgvY/Tl3vLLxVGWI/AAAAAAAATuA/hVEQkYlrgGA/s400/Blair.bmp
ex http://tomcruiseandrewlloyd.blogspot.com/search/label/Tony%20Blair
“I met a couple at lunch today. The husband’s cousin was at Fettes with BLiar. BLiar was known as a fool, a play actor and was not very well liked. I think we could have guessed that.
Here he is in loutish mode making an obscene gesture.”
_____________________
Well, that bit about him being an actor has been in the public domain for yonks – a couple of his schoolmasters came out with that when interviewed by Blair’s biographer(s).
As to the “obscene gesture”, I’d merely congratulate Mary on her imagination, which must really have run riot over this! 🙂
The auld Divil!
Pedantry alert.
“Six Hundred …” at 5.29
I suspect that the etymology of ‘formicating’ stretches somewhat deeper into the past than the age of formica and has nothing to do with that material. Rather its origins are linked to the formic acid which ants produce. “Formicating” means milling about like ants.
Mind you, on the radio a couple of weeks ago some professor of something or other bogus decided to inform we iggerant plebs that a ‘phobia’ was an irrational hatred. No doubt he’s reasonably well paid, gives lectures to dweebs all of whom will pick up the message that a phobia is an irrational hatred because the ‘professor’ told them so. Oh, well, we’re buggered.
Mary, that second link is really scary. Looks like the Jimmy Saville case has opened cans of worms inside cans of worms…
Social media seem to have been blocked in Iraq. Reported by US and International media:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/iraq-tries-to-censor-social-media-but-its-success-is-limited/2014/06/13/19e1e918-f325-11e3-bf76-447a5df6411f_story.html
but nothing on BBC News, who seemed to have given up reporting at 7 pm to watch the world cup 🙂
Yes Peacewisher. A massive cover up. Rochdale Cyril Smith. Patrick Rock @ No 10 – nothing further. Greville Janner – nothing more was heard.
Yet one of these policemen on No 10 duties has just been dismissed following sentencing.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-officers-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sending-each-other-extreme-pornographic-images-9116209.html
Downing Street PC dismissed over obscene images
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27835947
The high-ups escape.
PS Who was that MP who was involved in such activity? He resigned.
Yes, Mary. The establishment really seems to have it in for the police at the moment. Not surprising that police are livid; I’m sure many high profile govt scandals over the years have been carefully managed by HMC.
However much some of us may dislike Margaret Thatcher, she did have joined up thinking, and wasn’t stupid enough to take the police on, on the public stage. I’m sure the number of “leaks” will have increased since Teresa insulted the Police Federation.
It was Mark Oaten. He became the head of the Fur Trade Federation. YCNMUIP That’s the trade that either kills wild animals or farms them in cages. Some of them are skinned alive for their fur coats to be put on the backs of rich insensible women.
Shame on you Oaten.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Oaten
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/8398268/Disgraced-MP-Mark-Oaten-takes-job-promoting-fur-trade.html
International Fur Trade Federation. As faceless as FIFA. No names, no pack drill. Based at Weybridge.
http://www.wearefur.com/contact-us
“International Fur Trade Federation. As faceless as FIFA. No names, no pack drill.”
____________________
Or as faceless as the often-referenced (by Eminences here) Canadian “global research org” outfit (Professor Michel Chud-whatever his name is).
Still trying to find out about its organisational structure, management and editorial boards, etc……nothing on its “homepage” and much less transparent than those American neo-con orgs.
No boards of neocons or warmongers like the think tanks have needed on Global Research. Just Prof Michael Chossudovsky and his assistant Julie Levesque. Do you think Craig should have ‘an organisational structure management and editorial boards’ and so on? Do you think Charles Crawford, also an ex Ambassador with a website should have the same? Have you heard of Charles Crawford btw? He has just been to Vienna on the same dates that you were absent from this blog. Just a coincidence of course.
The Australian government is even more cruel than the ConDems and IDS here.
Australian Petition: Re proposed 6-month waiting periods for unemployment for jobseekers under 30
If you are an Australian resident, please sign this petition, or if you know any Australians, please pass this petition info onto them.
You can read about the issue and sign the petition here:
https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/newstart/protect-our-young-jobseekers/protect-our-young-jobseekers
This Bill, if passed in the Senate in July, will require anyone under 30 seeking unemployment (Newstart) benefits to undergo a waiting period of 6 months. And after that, they must document a minimum of 40 job applications a month and work a minimum of 25 hours per week on Centrelink work schemes or lose their benefits, whereupon they must wait a further 6 months to be eligible to re-apply.
/..
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1402752371.html
Mary
You’re being silly again.
“No boards of neocons or warmongers like the think tanks have needed on Global Research. Just Prof Michael Chossudovsky and his assistant Julie Levesque. Do you think Craig should have ‘an organisational structure management and editorial boards’ and so on? ”
___________________
No, I don’t, because Craig is simply running a blog, whereas Professor Michel is running an organisation grandiosely and pretentiously entitled “Global Research” which solicits articles and contributions from outsiders, sells publications, invites donations, sells subscriptions and so on. So it has all the trappings of a business run, however by one man and his dog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A new piece from Heathcote……..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvVltIQjo-4
Formication is the sensation of having ants crawling around on your skin. Associated with some neuropathies and substance abuse. Thank you.
For anyone interested and with 2+ hours to spare –
The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair Channel 4/Andrew Rawnsley – made when Blair stepped down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_twlH_AG0A 1hr 36mins Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB7D6ZP2beA 48 mins Part 2
I watched the first few minutes of each. That was sufficient.