Cynical lines.

Cynical lines. Standing next to the printing press, With notes-a-plenty piled to the roof, Their fingers all stained, a veritable mess, Disdainfull snorts, empty hollow denials of sorts, The bankers and generals, politicians their advisers, the courts... Whilst all the while, with little understanding or guile, We taxpayers and workers pay for this farce and smile, Quantative easing and wars for oil , No dissent or protest permitted. They`ve got battleships, bombs, submarines,snipers and tasers, Listening devices, surveillance cameras, protection teams and lasers, More than just an ongoing financial farce, The whole bloody thing`s a pain in the arse. WGC 2009.

9 11 revisited, yet again.

There are many theories and untold numbers of articles written about the event, if demolition charges were set, then the questions would be, "Who set them?" One name keeps coming up, mostly in chat rooms and on far-left forums... personally, I have no idea if the man did set up a controlled demolition, but the name Peer Segalovitz gets mentioned over and over...a former Israeli explosives expert, he was arrested near Orlando, and then released... A google search gives some varied points of view. Whispers are beginning of forthcoming countermoves by the US against the Israelis, not so much a visible act of revenge, but simply that the US will cease to fund Israeli military budgets, and will not help them should the Arabs restart wars. Who knows, but with so many pundits expressing disbelief at the official version, it might be foolish to believe the matter is fully resolved.

Pictures speak a thousand words...

Red Russian Army Choir & Leningrad Cowboys-

To understand other cultures, music and art, play a good part.

Returning soldiers.

They`re coming back, they`re coming back,
Leaving one million dead in Iraq.
They`re coming back to cry,
To live in subways, untill they die.

All the screams of Afghan children,
Behind them now, the tortured limbs,
Of women they never even kissed,
Before they killed them.

Never no more, willl they salute,
A bloodstained worthless rag,
The symbol of oppression and hate,
That has become the American flag.

June 2010. By Dave Colbourne.

Spy vs Spy, spooks, crooks and free-fall collapse.

Another reminder, from America itself, that some people still won`t believe the official story of the twin tower attacks....another fairly well-known name, Firedoglake, and once again, thy name has been spoken, Israel.

It`s still just talk and opinion, however we look at it, the matter has not been investigated to any proper extent.

@ beautiful sound.

A tribe has many faces.

The impossible Hamster (and economic growth)

Aye aye.....Been a few months since writing here, busy with work, and sorting out a few odds and sods.
I often wonder if the current state of macro-economics can continue, I`m getting towards retirement, and naturally find myself *downsizing*....
In the race to build everything bigger and better, faster and more efficient, ....is there going to be a winner?....Or will we just consume all of this planet in a futile show of competitive destruction.



.

Tools of peace.

The clip from youtube features three brave and spirited ladies, who are taking an ambulance to the residents of Gaza, donated by the people of Swansea in South Wales, bless`em.
Making peace takes an effort, and now there`s a multi-national convoy heading towards Gaza, of ambulances and medical supplies.
No guns, no ammunition, no security guards, none of that silly nonsense, Gazans have seen enough of war and absolutely need medical assistance, and from the UK, a convoy of around 80 vehicles set off earlier this month.

All driven by volunteers, and loaded with gifts, now in Turkey, being hailed and cheered, the Turks have also donated further vehicles and ambulances.
Most welcome too, is the news that almost 50 more supporters with vehicles have joined in from the USA no less!... including even some decidedly kosher gentlemen who feel that Palestine needs to be *Free*. (Click for link to Turkey.)



That`s over 200 vehicles due to arrive in Gaza on the 27th of December.



No drones, no smart bombs, no missiles, no soldiers, no weapons at all.




Just men and women, with more guts than any warmongering fool.

Hypocrites assemble.

In the city of Copenhagen, the illustrious and powerful are gathering to pronounce their opinions on "global warming"...or "climate change", and it appears that the ever-increasing consumption of fossil fuels is giving rise to a larger "carbon footprint".
The solution, according to some will be a "carbon-permit trading scheme."

A tax on consumption, the revenue that will be collected and administered by the same clever people who brought in "credit default swaps"(link...)
Good story here, from a young lady in New York.


Whilst telling us to be frugal and mindfull of our consumption, the stewards of our society are themselves living way beyond "our means". Some might call it a blatant plot to transfer yet more hard-earned capital from the pockets of the workers to the bank accounts of the elites and their sleazy servants.
Politicians do not create wealth, they only tax it!




In London, no less a news outlet than the Daily Telegraph picks up on the numbers involved that enabled this conference.

Caviar, limousines, private jets, luxury hotels, and prostitutes.....these hypocrites are not fooling anyone.

Nobody begrudges taxes, when they are used wisely, for roads, schools, hospitals, the disabled, our fire and police services etc, etc.
Indeed, "from each according to ability and to each according to need", a Marxism, but in the case of taxation, a sound ethic.
So why do these charlatans need to be "ensconced in luxury"?

Their carbon footprint comes from the shoe of conspicuous consumption!

Ridiculous, Sublime, Ongoing.

Capitalism seemingly creates millionaires and poverty in the same breath, it gives the oportunity to undertake an enterprise using borrowed money on the promise of future reward.
So when academics discovered some hitherto allegedly "unknown" properties of a common weed, they got themslves to the stock market with a bagfull of medicinal oils and wedge of scientific research.
"They done well", and after several years of documented research and hard work, "their plan is paying good".

A simple process to make plant-based tincture that can alleviate the pain caused by cancer.....wow... amazing.

Here`s how the "Pharma times" plays the news....

Shares in UK group GW Pharmaceuticals were on the rise yesterday following the publication of promising results from a trial of its cannabis-based drug Sativex in cancer pain in a peer reviewed journal.

The multinational, randomised, placebo-controlled trial was designed to pit the effectiveness of Sativex (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] and cannabidiol) in improving pain against THC alone and a placebo, and involved 177 patients with advanced cancer who had failed to gain adequate pain relief with strong opioids.

Click to full article.



Of course, capitalism is a cruel thing, and financially, for those who aren`t in the investment circle, this news is of no relevance whatsoever.
For those in pain from cancer or other diseases, the news is perhaps bittersweet comfort.

About two thousand years ago, there was another group of researchers and investors with a similar medicinal compound.
Some saw it as a commodity to be sold and controlled, by the elders and the inner circle of the already wealthy.

Then there were those who estimed that by making the oil available to the sick as a charitable act, and a function of their class, they would thus civilise and improve the lot of the whole community, rather than enhancing the wealth of a minority few.

Link to an older story about a magic oil.

(Unusual graphics, but relevant tale)..... It creates some interesting asides, the website is an excellent resource for further information on the uses and histories of hemp....)

It`s good to know that science can identify and evaluate the properties of such a beneficial plant, however, the question of reinforcing a market monopoly using prohibition as a bar to all competition is downright ridiculous, sublime even...

A soldiers` job.

The first goal in life, our first breaths, are taken to survive..... the Cossacks certainly survived and thrived, more perhaps in their homelands than anywhere else...Fine bit of singing, if you enjoy the thoughts of galloping towards battle, with swords clashing, cannon and rifle shots etc, etc...

Clear images too, of what those men wore, their customs and outlook writ upon their frames.

Meanwhile, the US government strategy of avoiding battles by paying ransom is coming to the fore.....

A good article in the Guardian names the players and the amounts involved.
Once again, the names are familiar, sons and cousins of ministers and warlords, and the amounts run to billions, around 10% of the US money spent on war goes straight to Afghan "Security firms." (link).

So it seeems that all the talk of "new tactics", or "improved weapon systems", or even increasing troop numbers is simply adding good money to bad.

From another angle, there`s an Afghan minister, who alleges that some of the foreign troops, rather than shutting down the poppy fields, are actually profiting from the drug trade.

Nah... who`d a thunk it(link).

To say that the "war on terror" has become a sad and tangled parody of all wars is perhaps an understatement, but it has started to resemble in parts, the plot of the Joseph Heller novel, here`s a lovely clip or two from the film, with insights

....Milo Minderbinder from Catch 22, (link).....

The singing starts.

It`s been a quiet few days in Afghnistan and Iraq, maybe the winds of change are blowing.

Whilst career soldiers clamour for more troops and more helicopters, wiser political minds are calling for negotiation and settlement.





From Britain, Kim Howells calls for withdrawal....




The UK and the US are still in financial doo-doo, with rising unemployment, falling currency values, and they have earned the contempt of the Asian/ Moslem world, and are not particularly welcome in Latin America, or Africa....


The independent carries a fair editorial comparing the situation to that of former presidents, who "inherit" a war.




Apart from these two leading voices for ending the war, there is also a growing sense of disbelief and scepticism amongst the taxpaying voters.
No-one really believes any more that the Taliban are planning to invade the world, or that Iraq is/was full of WMD`s.



Whilst some think wars are won on the battlefields, the tactics and weapons are far more diverse, and it`s fair to say that if nothing else the US/NATO incursions have exposed the military forces of the West as lacking the most important pre-requisite for winning a war, and that is, as according to the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu the moral imperative..., that is to say the full support of their people, the troops and the generals.


It`s pretty obvious, given the rising amount of public protest, even the troops are beginning to doubt the purpose of these wars, and without doubt, the huge spending defecits in the UK and US are going to have to be curbed, and cuts to budgets will have to be made.

We use £50 million helicopters, which are downed by Taliban fighters with cheap Kalashnikovs,... Multi-million pound tanks, destroyed by £100 roadside bombs.

Maybe that`s what we should do in terms of defence spending... equip every town and village with a cache of roadside bombs, give every one a Kalashnikov , and then if any stupid warmongering bastards come round wanting a war, we can follow the example of the the Afghans, and the Vietnamese, the Irish, (to name but a few!) and send any invaders back whence they came.

Let`s face it, the "war" has been lost, not because of insufficient soldiers, nor because of tactics, nor for lack of helicopters or troop transporters, but simply because US and NATO forces lacked the moral imperative.

Mental disorders.

For a change.....I thought it might be interesting to look at the issue of ADHD, rather than the constant focus on war and political corruption.

Call it adhd, call it autism, or even FAS... it`s a sad fact that often children are victimised for non-conformist behaviour.
The system doesn`t appreciate being called into question, and those who show signs of alternative behaviour or opinion are often isolated or sidelined.

The Learning Breakthrough Bulletin November 4, 2009...(click for link to original website)
Parent Tip:

THINK OF ADHD SYMPTOMS IN TERMS OF THE MIRROR TRAIT!
Take the negative stereotypes of ADHD on the list below and turn them into
positive, actionable ideas instead.



Negative traits on left are converted to POSITIVES on right...

Instead of ADHD being thought of as X...Consider them to be Y


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hyperactive or restless.....Energetic

Unable to stay on point....Sees connections others don’t

Forgetful.....Gets lost in what he is doing


Inconsistent.....Shows flashes of brilliance

Stubborn.....Persistent, won’t give up

Disorganized....Spontaneous

Moody.....Sensitive

Intrusive.....Eager


Some research has been done into the causes of autism, and given the debate over the effects of alcohol on the unborn child , anyone who has ties to children or adults affected by the realities of ADHD etc might like to compare and study the traits of FAS, or Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Is it just me, or are the alcohol producers suppressing any investigations into the phenomenon of children with behavioral difficulties?
There seems to be little or no research into the possible connections, and indeed the government seems to have little or no appetite to curtail the alcohol trade.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome... for more ...

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is the biggest cause of non-genetic mental handicap in the western world and the only one that is 100% preventable. (Click/Link to website)




Not much from government on this subject, one wonders if the alcohol producers lobby is suppressing the message, it wouldn`t be the first time that corporations have hidden the truth, as in tobacco causes cancer, or that fossil fuels are toxic.

Alcohol during pregnancy is the number one cause of non-genetic mental handicap in the Western world.
Jesus H. fucking Christ, that is one extremely sad statistic.

Choosing flocks.

(Click on chart to enlarge.)

"What about the Catholics?"......

They don`t get a mention?....

Well I absolutely don`t know... I didn`t draw the chart....most likely the artist has made a point "by omission".

Burning money, and boiling blood.

Years ago, whilst attending a safety awareness course, a lecturer made it quite clear...
"There`s no such thing as an accident", he taught..... "There`s carelessness, lack of planning or maintainance, there`s stupidity, and all accidents show a failure of anticipative prevention by the management."

At 50 million dollars, loosing one Chinook helicopter and crew is unfortunate, even careless to say the least, but loosing three in one morning is bordering on stupidity.

Fourteen Americans dead as helicopters crash in Afghan raids.


The sheer waste of taxpayer money in this arrogant war is more than stupid, it has become pointless.
The helicopters can be replaced, and as long as the servile taxpayer doesn`t mind, and no doubt the military will want more, as for replacing the crew, it`s "Next please".... until there are no more replacements, willing to die for futile glory and the whims of the rich.

Off to work now, so here`s a tune for anyone feeling a little under the weather.

Thoughts that cross the water.

Have you ever gone to the `phone, thinking I`ll call *^^&*, and suddenly as you do, the ring tones sound, and there`s the very person, with the same notion in mind.

Is it the power of thought, or just a coincidence?

Did you ever wonder how millions of migratory birds can agree to meet, twice a year at the same place and time, to fly across continents and between nations?..

Anyway.....looking at two articles on the internet, one from Britain, the other from the US, one might ask if the writers were aware of each other, or is it just a coincidence of thought and time.

From Texas the voice of Len Hart:

FACT TIME: there is only ONE justification for war under International Law and that is ''imminent threat'.
.....
I say file capital charges against George W. Bush, his guilty staff and the Pentagon brass who knowingly and willing planned the entire heist on behalf of big oil!
........

I say charge every member of the Dick Cheney 'Energy Task Force' for planning it all, literally carving up the oil fields of Iraq before the all-too-convenient Riechstag Fire called 911 gave them the broad and wide ranging pretext to begin a perpetual war in which the US would plunder the Middle East."

Full text.


More moderate, but with the same tone, in London, writing about Afghanistan in the Guardian newspaper, from the columnist Simon Jenkins....

Not calling for the politicians and generals to be charged and tried, but it seems that the same conclusion is reached;

That our armed forces are no longer defending the interests and safety of the taxpayer, but instead are serving the greed of the oil barons and defending the stagnant ineptitude of politicians.

"...We have blown $230bn of US and UK taxpayers' money and left 1,463 soldiers dead. Everything has been tried, from gender awareness courses to carpet-bombing Tora Bora......
...The West is not under any threat that remotely justifies this wreckage. Instead, weak politicians, bored by domestic ills, have seized on any passing threat to boost their standing at home by fighting small wars abroad and making them big...
..Western leaders seem unable to resist the seduction of military power. .."

Original article here.

The military wants more soldiers, more weapons, more drones, more helicopters, tanks, more more more, but perhaps, in terms of meeting the realities of less developed nations, the time has come for the West to consider sending architects, bricklayers, carpenters, engineers, electricians, plumbers, doctors, nurses, teachers.....

In return, maybe the human race will start travelling in the same direction at the same time.

Harps, chords and other notes.

Karl Jenkins, a modern Welsh composer, conducts his own "Palladio", with Catrin Finch playing the electric harp.

Both are said to be "at the edge". Enjoy!

The message from Hakimullah Mehsud.

Hakimullah Meshud is a leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, supposedly killed by a drone, or was it a missile, or.... anyway, he`s still alive, and would like Obama to withdraw all his troops from Muslim soil.
If not, he says, "send two million, and it will still not be enough."

The military solution from the US/NATO is doing nothing except wasting the blood of young soldiers, leaving many of them as amputees and /or mentally incapacitated and billions of taxpayer funds on armaments and weapons that after eight long and wasted years have brought neither peace nor stability, nor even an honest election...but of course, without war, the generals would have no career, and the arms manufacturers would have no markets.

Hakimullah has also constantly affirmed that his only goal is to drive out all invading troops, and nothing more.
His methods, the roadside bomb, and the ambush are typical of guerilla tactics the world over... the IRA against the British, Castro and Guevara in Cuba, the Algerian resistance against the French, and of course, in some ways, the Vietcong.

The location, tactics and timing are always in his control, a first rule of warfare.


In the clip, Mehsud appears with his retinue, their demeanour has an air, a spirit that exudes self-confidence, but without the swagger of most military enclaves.

Nothing radical or new in his tactics, except that he believes fervently that he represents the views of almost 1.5 billion Muslims, many of whom are exceptionally wealthy.
Along with the news that the Chinese, French, Russians and most Arab oil producers are calling for an end the dollar dominance in oil trade, it looks like it`s time for America and Nato to consider withdrawal, before they bankrupt their citizens.

Ending war.

So what happens next... the Taliban are seemingly all powerful and unrelenting, the American military and NATO are now the most expensive the world has ever seen, and want more funds, but confess they are loosing both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The war machine wants billions...to build... more means of destruction, an oxymoronic affair indeed.

But there we are, why build and sell tractors for 10 K, when army jeeps fetch a hundred K, why produce hammers and chisels, when machine guns and rifles fetch a thousand times the price.

Why train teachers, or doctors for the good of the entire community, when soldiers and airmen will bring the power of life and death to their masters.

But sooner or later, politicians all realise that warmongering is a dangerous game, and with no real progress in Afghanistan, Obama has very little time before the cost of the American military becomes a topic of public discussion.

The price of an armoured troop carrier approaches a million or so bucks, jeeps like the hummer cost less, whilst helicopters fetch 20 milion or more.

All from the hard working taxpayer, whilst the roadside bomb costs the Talibans just 50 bucks or so, and is raised from "donations".

Britain/Westminster is spending billions too, and still has no specific mandate or objective.

"Get the terrorists"... "Stop the extremists", are hardly well thought out reasons for occupying a country that for the most part seems to support the ejection of foreign troops. After the obviously corrupt elections in Kabul, the notion of bringing democracy is another transparent falsehood.

Meanwhile, back at the bankers banquet.

Looks like most of the "change" has ended up in the pockets of the rich.