Serfdom Safari

Fellow Peaceniks: Don't knee-jerk Afghanistan

2009-12-03T05:26:00.006Z

The following letter is a response to an e-activist email that I received today. It seems like everyone thinks that they are an expert on Afghanistan right now... as does your humble narrator :) It's the right decision, as I told CREDO: Hi Matt, I'm a Credo supporter and have endorsed all of the efforts that CREDO has embarked upon over the past 6 years. However, I cannot stand by CREDO and your efforts to withdraw from Afghanistan. My brother is currently on leave from Afghanistan as an Army Medic -- he also served in Iraq -- what he has told me along with my own research and career leads me to believe that this is a pivotal move in this region and for the United States' security and diplomatic future. Afghanistan is a country that can slip into an extreme chaos very quickly, leaving an even larger vacuum than existed before the Taliban grasped control in 1998. Since Pakistan's Army is now committed to hunting down Taliban along the Waziristan border and the hardline extremism is less appealing to the general public -- in comparison to security and consensus building -- the Afghani border regions are now more than ever in the history of this resilient and proud region, ready to make the change. My brother said that compared to Iraq, the people are ready to commit and push forward for a new tomorrow. He is extremely proud of the efforts underway and says that the difference between Iraq and Afghanistan are like "night and day." We must stand behind the president. He took his time and pitched a war effort with a clear timeline and framework. The knee-jerk reaction that "war is bad" is not well thought out. My job is to resettle refugees for a major international humanitarian agency. I have helped dozens of Afghanis come to the U.S. They are a great people and I can see that they wish to be in their homeland. I know that without this effort, thousands more will come. AFGHANIS HAVE THE LARGEST REFUGEE POPULATION IN THE WORLD. It is time to stop this, for our national security interests - regional security interests and humanitarian goals. Remember, those who attacked the U.S. on 9/11 are still at large. Let's finish the job - bring development to a prepared people and help them build tomorrows instead of fleeing as refugees in a timely and purposeful manner. Cheers, Stephen Allen MSc International Development and Poverty Reduction

Fighting Terrorism: Invasion vs. Tactical Strikes

2009-09-15T05:31:00.003Z

When "Big" Dick Cheney was wheeled out on Inauguration Day, with a joyous American public beaming as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President -- it seemed as if the "Walking Heartattack of Wyomin" would likely, well, have another heartattack and fade away. This, to much of our dismay, has not been the case. Cheney has enjoyed a new position of Presidential Dissenter, constantly doubting and blasting the Obama Administrations handling of Iraq and on prisoners of war. Rosy cheeked and half-giddy, Cheney has appeared on Face the Nation and other media outlets he used to sell Iraq to the American public -- defending torture and the policies he created in the shadows. As the financial and human costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars tower - trillions of tax-payer dollars and over a million lives lost for the sake of revenge and egomania; Cheney's mark has been permanently stained on the American image abroad and psyche at home. In imagining another way to carry out a war against extremists that utilize terror, the approach in East Africa being used by Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs is a total break from the hold/secure/build model of the John McCain wet dream. Instead, careful surveillance and patience today yielded the top Al-Qaeda kill since Al Zarqawi. Instead of punishing low-level brain washed foot-soldiers as the War on Terror has seemingly done - high level leadership in groups such as Shabab are hunted - as Hunter Thompson loved to say: "cut off the head and the body will die." Though Shabab will surely regroup, the killing of Nabhan will serve as inspiration for the hunt of Qaeda affiliates (as Qaeda really now only exists as a source of inspiration for groups wanting global jihad) and it should also show us that while many tactics maybe needed to protect Americans and our interests: the least invasive to a populace with the biggest results should be priority numero uno.

The Minute Man's Response to Sotomayor

2009-08-07T03:30:00.006Z

Chris Simcox, crazed founder of the anti-immigrant organization the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps is challenging John McCain's seat as the U.S. Senator from Arizona. In doing so, he has been grandstanding on a variety of issues... most recently on Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation. In an email to supporters, Simcox said that he would have denounced Sotomayor in a much stronger fashion than Sen. McCain because the woman "has ethnic biases" and "is involved in racist organizations." This from a man who organized the largest American racist organization in modern times. Simcox's story is a weird and tragic one -- a twisted history of fear, rejection and failure. Simcox propelled himself into the hate politics of Arizona after failing as to become an actor in L.A. It is a path that xenophobic sociopaths have traveled over and over through the ages -- blaming "the other" for personal inadequacies and all of society's ills -- building themselves up and then crashing to a disastrous end. His current campaign will be a failure, despite any relations he may make with neo-nazis in Arizona both elected and civilian. His Minutemen Project has also failed, splintering into dozens of factions... one prominent member recently murdered a 9 year old child and other Minutemen are asking for him to account for $1.6 million dollars in Minutemen donations. His marriage was a failure after the 9/11 attacks made Simcox "snap" -- he attempted to put his 8 year old son through a weapons class, convinced that foreigners were coming to take over the United States government. His disasterous campaign to bring down one of America's most trusted and revered Senators is a joke. If he is accepted as a legitimate Republican candidate, the embattled party will continue to suffer... and that is something we can all take joy in.

Our House is a very very very fine house

2009-03-31T04:06:00.000Z

Our house after a massive amount of paint, landscaping and elbow greese from very knowledgeable friends and family. After nearly a year, it finally feels like ours! Bamboo timber in the back, new paint and some custom work by our friends Roby and Eric, family member Jeff Nelson and my mom and dad the expert painters. Here's to friends and family!

Rice named Ambassador to the U.N. by Obama (Not You Condoleeza)

2008-12-01T05:10:00.001Z

President-Elect Barack Obama has chosen Susan E. Rice to be the Ambassador to the United Nations -- who unlike Condoleeza Rice, understands the complexity of conflicts outside of Europe and has devoted much of her career to crises in Africa. Unlike the Yosemite Sam characature that Bush's pick John Bolton represented (routin' tootin' peaceniks!), Rice represents an understanding of the moral high-ground and an attempt by Obama to help the United Nations avoid sitting on their hands while another genocide occurs on the African Continent.

While the Sudanese abomination in Darfur has stolen the show, the Congolese conflict has now come under the global spotlight and like Uganda, demands attention from the international community after more than a decade of destruction. Rice has extensive experience overseeing State Department and National Security Council staff, serving as Director of International Organizations and peacekeeping. Rice's experiences as Assistant Secretary of State in Africa under Clinton in the late 90s exposed her to the horrors of genocide in Rwanda and the bombings at U.S. Embassies in Kenya. Beyond terrorism and endless conflicts, much of the world is incapable of meeting their basic dietary needs and the issue of poverty reduction is now on the minds of all who want to avoid conflict and terrorism.

Regardless, the U.N. is stocked full of bright minds and ambition yet they fail to respond time and again. As was pointed out by Michelle in her change.org blog, the United Nations has become synonymous with inaction and the Obama administration must take a bold new angle to overcome the pig-circus that Bush et al turned it into in 2003. Likewise, the rush for resources and the vested interests of China and Russia, both veto holding members of the U.N. Security Council, will play out time and again. What Mrs. Rice brings to the table is an understanding of partnerships and peace-building, something that seems lost when looking at a U.N. that appears to only be picking up the pieces. In taking into account what "security" for those in Sub-Saharan Africa really means, the topic of poverty and HIV/AIDS must filter high in the equation as well. To address the root of the various humanitarian crisis from Senegal to Somalia, our best-foot must be put forward and Susan Rice represents our best hope in helping Africans realize a safe and prosperous tomorrow.

NYT Series explores the role of resources in African conflicts

2008-11-15T19:54:00.001Z

A new series from the New York Times is delving into the role of natural resources in African conflicts. The series begins in Congo, where an estimated 5 million people have died since the mid-90s. Mineral extraction companies and western markets have played indirect roles in these conflicts. Beginning in the mid-90s, armed groups saw natural resources as a means of propelling their efforts. The most notorious character to use resources such as diamonds in building armies and amassing incredible wealth was Charles Taylor, the Liberian President who is currently on trial for war-crimes at the Hague. Conversely, governments have used their untapped natural resources to pay private military companies to put down armed insurrections. Doing so has linked private military companies with mineral extraction companies, a very questionable partnership. This also begs the question of how "noble" armed insurrections, which can oust corrupt governments, can succeed when mercenaries with better technology and fighting skills allow anti-democratic leaders to cling to power. This catch-22, damned if you do damned if you don't climate shows that the wealth of diamonds, oil, gold, silver, etc. are more of a burden than a blessing to many Africans who are trapped in cycles of violence. This is a series that is long overdo but very important.

If Latinos vote in larger numbers...

2008-11-03T05:35:00.000Z

...expect Barack Obama to win big in western states and be propelled to victory in states like North Carolina, Florida and Virginia. Latinos have traditionally had the smallest turn-out of all voting blocks in American elections -- only 38% of registered Latinos voted in the last presidential election. However, this election may bring more Latinos to the polls, partially because of the efforts made by the Democratic Party to get more Latinos volunteering and opening offices in rural border towns and areas with large Latino populations. Also, Chicanos can identify better with Obama because his father was an immigrant and the social issues that once drew them to the GOP are less important because of the anti-immigrant/anti-Hispanic/illegals illegals illegals policies that Republicans have adopted as a cornerstone of their ideology in recent years. Obama, who has run without a doubt the most impressive campaign in modern history, obviously knew the impact that Latinos would have on the election. "Yes we can" has been the rallying cry for his campaign for these 20+ months. Even Latino voters who speak little English understand these words -- words that were spoken by their fearless leader, their own Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1970s -- Cesar Estreda Chavez. Si Se Puede! -- Yes We Can! Next to the Virgin Guadalupe, Cesar Chavez represents the greatest hope for Chicanos to achieve justice. For Barack Obama to choose this slogan was no accident and if he and Latino activists are able to bring Latinos (who recently surpassed blacks as the largest minority group) out in great numbers, McCain can forget about Florida, western states and his dreams of being president. Yes We Can! Si Se Puede!

McCain's failure to secure the South will cost him the election

2008-10-13T19:02:00.001Z

Eight years ago, the thought of a republican presidential nominee losing states like Virginia and North Carolina would have been like the law of gravity being destroyed. What a difference a lame-duck president can make. Now, Obama and democrats are surging ahead in states such as Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and making republicans spend money in places they never imagined, even in Georgia and Mississippi. Even in northern states such as North Dakota, Missouri and Indiana, McCain is on his heels and struggling to put out the fire. While he continues to side-step the economy and instead rely on criticizing Obama, his three decade dream of being in the White House slips away with each passing day. "My friends, I'm cooked. I'm going home to Arizona where the necks are red and everyone is as clueless as I am."

VP Job Opening: Large, Polluted Shoes to Fill

2008-10-04T03:25:00.001Z

I have spent way too much timing thinking and writing about Dick Cheney. This may very well be my last post on the Angler, the most powerful VP in American History. My admiration for Joe Biden and my joy in John McCain picking Sarah Palin, are but mere shadows in the enormity of Dick Cheney. May he burn in hell, if indeed hell exists. When he dies, I'll stand on his grave and curse him forevermore.

1) Spearheading the effort to scare the media into compliance over the Iraq Invasion

2) "We will be greated as liberators in Iraq"

3) "The war will be paid for in oil revenue. $17 Billion tops."

4) Detainees in the War on Terror are not Prisoners of War

5) Domestic Wiretapping is good for Americans

6) The Bush Doctrine was really the Cheney Doctrine

7) Torture, lies and coverups

8) Cost-Plus, no-bid contracts for his former company Halliburton (KBR, Bechtel, etc)

9) Valarie Plame

10) Massive environmental pollution, pushed bills with such lofty titles as "Clean Air Act" while allowing environmental law-breakers to go unpunished

11) The list goes on and what we don't know could fill the oceans.

Meanwhile in Africa...

2008-09-06T01:32:00.001Z

people are unable to live at subsistence level. Oil and mining companies continue to make incredible profits from resource rich environments but such revenues fail to reach the common citizen. Exxon Mobile's record quarterly profits of $11.1 Billion comes in the wake of record levels of poverty in Africa and a ever-growing gap between the world's richest and poorest nations.

Corruption reigns supreme, leaders hoard any wealth that is created, the local populace emulates such behavior and the day-to-day survival depends on a bribe here and a favor there. Swaziland, a country of incredible poverty and equally incredible mineral resources, is but one example of power run a muck and a populace ignored by its wealth-hungry leaders. Chumming with China, Shell and BP, these leaders grow to dismiss their people and lavish gifts upon themselves and their loved ones. To create a more egalitarian global economy and to improve the security of nations who depend on oil and other resources from overseas; a wise decision would be to promote real economic growth -- demanding that 50% of profits be made available to social projects and revitalizing foreign development, while simultaneously revoking the ability of foreign governments to handle or have access to currency. Or something like that.

Palin pick evidence of McCain's lunacy

2008-08-30T00:58:00.001Z

For weeks, it has been reported, Karl Rove was phoning the McCain Campaign, urging the aging senator to pick a running mate with experience in economics. Instead of taking his advice, McCain did quite the contrary and picked a running-mate that has only been in politics for one year and eight months. Furthermore, Rove had chided the Obama Campaign for considering Gov. Kaine of Virginia who "has been Gov. for only 3 years and has no real experience."

This pandering pick for female voters may encourage those who were already going to vote for McCain to follow the campaign more closely, simply because Palin is a MILF. It will not bring new recruits or tip those sitting on a fence or motivate the new-comer to get involved in politics. This country needs much more than a woman who loves guns and someone who doesn't believe in science. Palin majored in journalism and might have a home on Fox News but belongs NOWHERE near our nation's most prestiguous office. What a joke.

Dennis Kucinich @ the DNC: Wake up America!

2008-08-28T02:08:00.001Z

The Democrat who is fiercely independent: Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich at the DNC: Wake Up America!

Beware: drunken Britons about

2008-08-24T16:28:00.001Z

Class, sophistication, charm. These words could describe Europeans who frequent cafes, wine caves and pubs but they certainly don't describe British drinkers. Obsessed with football and achieving absolute annebriation, island folk are finding that continental Europeans may not be so happy about their 'holiday' -- according to this NY Times Article.

Hospitals deporting illegal aliens

2008-08-03T02:44:00.002Z

Incredible how the anti-immigrant sentiment that is widespread among Americans has made its way into institutions charged with providing care. Immigration reform is going to take some drastic changes in coming years; I just hope that ridiculous notions of walls and mass-deportations fall by the wayside. Those who create notions that these are some kind of 'silver bullet' solutions have no concept of the complexities of immigration trends around the world, what fuels immigration into this country and the important role that immigrants play in our economy and our culture as a whole. If people are apprehended by the police and discovered to be here illegally, I understand that they can be deported but don't think that they should unless they have broken a law (apart from residency). Regardless, for hospitals and non-law enforcement groups to take a role in the deportation of undocumented people is horrific and must not endure.

Police-state tax dollars at work

2008-02-28T18:47:00.003Z

Prisons are not just places to put people who can't obey the law. They grease the wheels of spending for law-enforcement, attorneys and the judiciary and are big money for private contractors. Likewise, prisons provide employment in rural or economically deprived places where there is otherwise little opportunity. This New York Times story reports that 1 in 100 Americans are now behind bars. As gaps have grown between the wealthiest Americans and the poorest, we have not only missed opportunities to tax the wealthy and create opportunities for the working-class poor but we have also created a new lower-class of people who cannot escape a time behind bars...whether it be from a lack of funds for decent representation or a court-system that intimidates and further-institutionalizes those from a lower socio-economic status. People love to bitch about taxes and believe that taxes must be raised in order to have more social programs. If we used our money more wisely we would have more than enough to better address big issues such as this.

Red for Rangoon

2007-09-28T12:08:00.001Z

Red for Rangoon They’re saying to don red clothing, For unity with freedom bleeders; Rangoon moral authority makers, Dreamers of peaceful revolution and A world of star gazers and monks. But when the baton meets the bald head What power does prayer and protest have, Let alone the color of the shirt I wear? A Molotov cocktail and a sniper Or a chant and a song, what revolution Has been born here on my television? The princess elect has been moved From house arrest to a prison cell. A disgruntled postman seized Power and fancies himself king. A world of sympathy knows not How to rectify the beleaguered beauty Of the possessionless peacemaker. Blinded by tear gas and deafened by Automatic rifles, tortured in the bowels Of an unidentified chamber. How this red shirt does so little and why A fist in the air fails to empathize. There are no strong words, only strong arms And tomorrow's revolution will be televised.

I don't know who you is, but you ain't OBL

2007-09-11T19:21:00.001Z

Another September 11th comes and goes, but this year bin Laden put out a video! I was so excited, I wanted to go out and buy it right away. I mean, its been like three years since his last one...I would have camped out overnight to get it. While waiting for my computer to download the file I called all my friends who were all, like, so excited about it too. I mean, whether you like him or not, the man is a legend. downloading took forever, eeeek! But when I opened the file and saw ...it....not him but...it... I was so disappointed. First, Brittany Spears can't get her lipsinking right on MTV, then it has to rub off on OBL? But wait, that isn't OBL. Who the fuck is that? The guy may be able to stand in as a stunt double, maybe, but he looks nothing like OBL. And even the speech. That ain't OBL. That's that American fuckwad who wants to be OBL, Azza the American or whatever dress-up name he took to sound hardcore. I am, utterly gutted. I mean, one thing that OBL could do was talk about modern day stuff like really poetically, you just don't get that out of today's jihadists. You certainly don't get that out of the carbon omission garbage that the impostor used on that video. And now its frozen while the voice continues? WTF? Well, like the Beatles and Nirvana, I guess its the end of an era. I'm just glad I knew when Kurt Cobain and John Lennon really died. Bummer.

Lame Duck Continues to Fuck the Dog

2007-08-20T17:21:00.001Z

George Bush is blaming everyone else in Washington DC for his government's failure to promote democracy around the world. Bush's lofty fantasy of the US as a promoter of justice and destroyer of tyrants has evidently shattered into pieces, some seven years into his presidency and four years since the invasion of Iraq. That he finally got the message is a breakthrough, that he has passed the buck, blaming "bureaucratic juggernauts" for such failures in democracy is telling of a man who has failed to accept responsibility for his deeds and above all, failed to reign in Dick Cheney. It has been Cheney and his attorney, David Appelton , who have taken foreign policy away from Bush and Condoleeza Rice and made American democracy a thing of the past. Guantanamo Bay above all things signifies the contempt for due process and the democratic values of justice that the US once stood for. But it has not been the wars or overt destruction that have most greatly tarnished democratic process in the United States, it has been the secrecy and contempt for dissidents that has most greatly scarred this presidency and probably the next generation of the American image. The next president will have his work cut out for him if it is a Democrat (please let it be Obama). He will have a leg-up in destroying the voice of the people if it is a Republican (Mitt Romney?). The end of empires always start with fool-hearted decisions by juvenile leaders combined with greed and treachery from powerful men who hid in the shadows and play puppet master.

War Czar believes reinstating draft should be on the table

2007-08-11T09:27:00.001Z

Afghanistan and Iraq may not have the number of casualties that conflicts from previous generations have had but the stress that they are putting on the 'voluntary' armed services are becoming very apparent. Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for Iraq and Afghanistan, said that armed forces are stretched to the limit and that we must at least begin to discuss the possibility of reinstating the draft. Leaving the job half finished in Afghanistan is now costing the US dearly as has become very apparent these past months, with a rise in deaths of British and US troops. The 'theater of war' that Bush sought to create in Iraq has turned into a production beyond his or anyone's control. Bush feared to make such a theater in Afghanistan based on the Soviet's failure in the 1980s. With Pakistan now on the brink of chaos and with Iran playing a significant role in Shiite politics and militias in Iraq, the War Czar is right to believe that a draft will be necessary to sustain these conflicts. As we rapidly approach the millionth death and the trillion dollar price tag for these wars, the real question is not how to sustain them but instead how have we benefited and what is at stake?

My trip to Ghana

2007-08-09T11:06:00.000Z

Ghana is considered to be an oasis in an Africa marred by conflict and poverty. I was surprised to find that human trafficking was so common and that I didn't have to dig to do my research. I thought to myself that if Ghana had such a problem there is likely to be an even greater problem in neighboring countries. But this may not be the case. The US State Dept. recently said that as many as 50,000 people are trafficked into the US each year. Ghana has a very well written law on human trafficking and slave-like exploitation but struggles to enforce it. I think that in the US there are similar laws and efforts and no one wants to say the word "slavery." Trafficking in humans doesn't necessarily rely on abductions or long journeys in shackles. Todays slaves often make the trip themselves, coerced into thinking that a job waits for them, only to arrive and find it impossible to leave. Forced prostitution is the most common form of this phenomena in the US and the most lucrative aspect of human trafficking globally. However, children are also used in forced labor in agriculture and as I learned, fishing. Areas that have economic opportunity are likely to also find ways to cut costs to the 'bottom line.' Globalization and capitalism run amuck is the source behind treating people as disposable units. It is why there are more slaves today than during the Trans-Atlantic trade and they are available at a fraction of the cost. some fascinating reads on this subject are written by Dr. Kevin Bales, such as "Disposable People" and "Understanding Global Slavery." Also worth looking at are the organizations Anti-Slavery International, Free the Slaves and Stop the Traffik. This ugly side of the global economy exists not only because it is lucrative but because people don't know how to identify it or don't pay attention. One of the most common forms of slavery in the US is from domestic servitude and it often happens with people who are very well respected. Keep your eyes and ears open and get informed!

I'm over England and ready for the next adventure

2007-06-30T09:13:00.001Z

Two bombs were found in mercedes benz cars on Thursday night/Friday morning in London, evidently being very similar to those made by Iraqi Jihadists. Whether or not the would-be bombers are veterans of the Iraq insurgency is hard to say as is the motivation for their timing. The United Kingdom has a new Prime Minister as of this week and the failed attacks could have been done to send a message to the new government. Also a point of anger to many muslims in Britain and beyond has been the Knighting of Abdul Bari who has written controversial fiction books that angered one minister from Pakistan so much that he said suicide attacks against Britain were justified, effectively giving the green light to either Pakistani intelligence which has overseen bombing campaigns in India as well as to wanna-be jihadists in England. Beyond this, there has been an insane amount of rain this month and much of the north of England has had billions of dollars of damage. I'm not huge on sunny areas or heat but in June it is nice to have some sunshine. Portland/Seattle might be the perfect climate for me. It rains a lot but the summers make up for it. Anyways, I'm off to West Africa for the first time tomorrow and am really excited. I've blogged a little about child slavery, which is the topic i'm going to research. Yeah, I know...I've been talking about how i'm not really into the heat and i'm going to africa. well, it's the cool time of year so it shouldn't be a problem. don't know if anyone even reads these things but its good to get the thoughts down. Will have some stories and pics from Ghana trip in August.

His Majesty, Don Dick Cheney

2007-06-22T20:37:00.001Z

He's the Vice President if you're talking about Senate appropriations, he's part of the Senate if you're talking about the executive branch. Truth is, Dick Cheney is more of a mafia kingpin than a chameleon. Cheney has enshrouded himself in secrecy more than any figure in American politics since Richard Nixon and has sought to overtly change the law when he has refused to comply with it more than any person in the history of the US executive branch. Dick Cheney has refused to comply with laws that have sought to limit secrecy in the US government, laws established in the early 90s by Bill Clinton in an effort to circumvent the lies and deceit imposed during the Reagan and Bush Sr. years. King Cheney stopped submitting his records of classified information after the Iraq war began, after the contracts to Halliburton/KBR, Titan, Blackwater and the rest were rolling in full force. Although the Supreme Court has ruled that Guantanamo Bay prisoners must face due process under the law, the administration has failed to even hold a significant conference or provide a ruling on the fate of such "detainees." Men like Dick Cheney are used to making their own rules and the law is nothing more than a hindrance which can be changed if necessary. What a day it would be if the law flexed its muscle and sat the man down in a 15 x 9.

chocolate: more slavery than savory

2007-06-04T22:39:00.001Z

Nearly 1/2 of the world's cocoa beans come from the Cote D'Ivoire (ivory coast) in West Africa. It is believed that over 12,000 children have been enslaved to feed the world's love for chocolate in this country alone. Look at the guide provided by Stop The Traffik to find out what chocolates are best to buy and to find out more about this repugnant industry.

May, 2007: Bronze metal for most deadly month in Iraq War

2007-06-03T23:42:00.001Z

Recent figures show that the month of May was the 3rd most fatal month for US troops since the 2003 invasion of Mesopotamia. The waxing and waining range of deaths that accompany the approaches of the US military are very interesting to examine. For example, November 2004 was the siege on Fallujah, spurred by the sabotage and ambushing of 3 Blackwater employees. Subsequently, 135 troops died in April of 2004 as insurgent methods grew more complex and the campaign against Sadr and the Mahdi Army reached fever pitch. However, US troop deaths have dropped greatly over the past 3 years, though civilian deaths and ethnic killings have soared. The idea that Iraq was rapidly descending into civil war is now something more questionable, as it appears that to a certain extent, fighters will fight whoever there is to fight. US troops represent a "common enemy" but when they are not engaged, the power struggle between Iraqis and between foreign fighters ensues. Is it a lose/lose? The "theater of war" that Bush/Cheney Co. has sought to create is something we should view in a different light. If not Iraq, then in the streets of America became an anthem for the neoconservatives during the early days of the war. This idea was repulsive to all progressive thinkers, thought to be something no more than scare tactics. Its a no-brainer that Iraq was a mistake. But what now?

Real buffalo soldiaz

2007-06-03T10:39:00.001Z

How many times a rapper gets shot will translate into how many millions they are likely to make. The trend started by Tupac Shakur was continued by 50 Cent and a slew of other urban rappers. In the world of street credibility, it shows their willingness to stay alive and lends to the myth that they are hard to kill. But is selling drugs and competing for an audience in the race for the dollar really anything to admire? Why are there so many musicians who feel they earned their way to stardom by competing in such businesses, believing they grew up in a war-zone? I only ask this because Slate magazine wrote an article about a band called Tinariwen that is definitely worth checking out. They have a page on myspace that will allow you to hear some of their stuff. Though the language is in the African Toureg, the songs are mostly about their time in guerrilla movements against the Malian Government that forced them off their traditional land. Their following has grown from the deserts of Mali to a big part of Europe. The pain and anger are still evident in their songs, who's lyrics are expressing the pain of being away from home. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin helped to produce and promote the band, after seeing them in the Festival in the Desert in 2001. These are true warriors. It is very rare that musicians are anything more than wanna be revolutionaries and are simply violence aficionados. They are playing at the Glastonbury Festival on Sunday the 24th and at the Exeter Festival on the 25th. I really want to see them...anybody who is planning on attending, let me know!

Think slavery ended hundreds of years ago?

2007-06-01T15:58:00.001Z

Take a look at this article on modern day slavery. I'm going to Ghana in the month of July to do research on child slavery in the fishing industry. It is important to realize that slavery in various forms is bigger today than at any point in history. This phenomenon is not confined to the continents of Africa and Asia. Take a look at the various stories and most importantly: BE VIGILANT! Slavery in various forms may be existing under your very nose.

bananas and paramilitary terrorists in Colombia

2007-03-25T11:34:00.001Z

Chiquita ignored the specifications of employing terrorists that the US government had sought to prevent. Chiquita, who has operations throughout South America, employed a paramilitary group that has been responsible for kidnappings and executions in the conflict with the FARC that has lasted for roughly 50 years. Chiquita settled for $25 million but the Colombian government is seeking extradition. Boycott Chiquita and buy fair trade bananas. They're better anyways.

Bring 'em home

2007-03-23T19:07:00.001Z

Although our leaving will lead to a bloody collision for power, the departure of US troops will relieve Sunni and Shia of a common enemy and force a political solution to occur. This will likely heavily involve Syria and Iran but I think it should, as they are neighbors. Of course the dilemma that could arise is for a situation similar to Lebanon, where neighbors have their hands deep in pockets and democracy is constantly under siege. Still, democracy means the will of the people and any foreign occupier only postpones that development. I hope this is the beginning of a pull-out. It won't happen until the Dems have one in the White House, which we can only pray comes in the next 1.5 years. Go Dems. You've partially restored my faith in you. Don't go wobbly on me.

America missed a great opportunity by passing up Al Gore

2007-03-23T09:49:00.001Z

What if Al Gore had been elected? Would 9/11 have happened? Would we be in Iraq? Would we take the lead in green development? lots of what ifs. This dick-head senator from Oklahoma, calling the former VP "Senator" throughout, is clinging to the remnants of a once prosperous part of the US, who's oil has now dried up. He, like the fossil fuels he covets, are dinosaurs and have no more use on this planet. God bless you, Al Gore. If America can develop a new steam engine economy based on carbon capping and clean energy consumption, it is possible that many developing countries will not be forced to destroy their environments to bring their people out of poverty. It is probably just a dream, but who knows. Technorati Tags: Al Gore, carbon, global warming, senate

Yoga in a capitalist orgy

2007-03-22T20:13:00.001Z

I blame California for this. We all know you have the 8th largest economy in the world and you all want to be green buddhists, but we don't care! Nomisday, bitches.

The Clotfather: Don Dick Cheney and his date with destiny

2007-03-07T19:39:00.001Z

Scooter Libby's lawyers immediately filed for a new trial after the guilty verdict. Though the trail was blazed directly to the Vice President's door, Cheney was conveniently romping around Asia. But Big Dick can't run or hide from the inevitable. He will surely be called on by Congress to answer for his involvement under oath. It is my prediction that he will go before the senate in the waning days of the Bush presidency and get the 3rd degree for fixing intelligence and cherry picking in the lead up to the Iraq War. During this time, he will no doubt do as his good friend Ken Lay did and die from a heart attack. The man has had 4 heart attacks and will not likely survive the 5th or a stroke. If the law don't get him, the mountain will, as was said on the Duke's of Hazard. Or maybe I'm just dreaming again. The Clotfather operates like Machiavelli. He was initially chosen as the man to find a vice-president for George W. and after interviewing a dozen candidates, he chose himself. Afterwards, he orchestrated massive governmental changes in energy and military affairs but did so in the shadows, removed from the public eye and one with the solitude. Like Vito Corleone from Mario Puzzo's classic, Cheney will die years after he was meant to, old and on top of a mountain of wealth. There will be few tears on this day...I will roast a pig in the ground and get a keg of beer.

X-Ray vision ain't just for Superman

2007-03-05T11:41:00.001Z

I'd prefer this over getting rubbed down by some fat TSA dude anyday. what's the fuss? I don't want to worry about whether the guy next to me has some home-made shank he smuggled onboard or worse, the makings for a bomb. Zap away, it'll give the TSA x-ray girl a little perk to her job. http://www.slate.com/id/2160977/nav/tap1/

Island boy/Mexican Reincarnation

2007-03-04T23:57:00.000Z

The brambles and patches of thorns and thicket Where blackberries explode in the time of the sun Fleeting and harsh when the Autumn nights crescendo And the sleepless city, concrete furnace will not be subdued The Nortena people sleep outside in white sheets Like the magi in their tents, searching for a star on the horizon Through the swelter and feverish confusion Dreaming of a vast lake where a city sits in the midst Closed to intruder and where the dead walk with children The fantasies of an island man, in the midst of winter's chill An inferno that was cursed by this very same mind Awakens the sentiments of my Mexican alter-ego And the cobblestone echelons of Villa and Hidalgo. But green are the hills and the tulips are mighty The grass and the heather ripple in the flurry of wind An old suite to wear and a comb in my hair, vintage romance She is knitting by the radio and baking a pie Or is it another life, where the berries of my northern existence Are replaced by the corn tamales and a tequila for our hero Cardenas Left in the window, that we dare not disturb out of great admiration.

Child Drug Dealers... in need of a labor union?

2007-03-04T23:29:00.001Z

Studies have shown that many children the world over are a valued component of a family's income and to deny them of work would put the family in jeopardy. Does this apply to children who are dealing drugs? Maybe, if it weren't in a wealthy nation. The unfortunate fact, is that children are less likely to do jail time and are very impressionable, leaving major drug dealers with an appealing workforce. Is this different than other forms of child-labor...many of whom in other countries go unpaid? http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=341592007

Female suicide bombers... Evidently it's a man's world above and below

2007-03-04T21:27:00.001Z

http://www.slate.com/id/2160963/fr/flyout

Remember the movie G.I. Jane? Girls can be killing machines too, damnit. Girl power may take many faces and causes and no other cause shows that evolution as much as female suicide bombers. Contrary to popular belief, suicide bombers do not predominantly come from poor families. They are not burned out on drugs and looking for salvation. The majority are college educated and fall into some kind of shame spiral because they see their countrymen suffer but can do little about it. We have all heard the stories of what happens to martyrs. I don't know how many could possibly swallow such a load of pig shit but, hey, people are easily brainwashed, its no different for kids going to fight in Iraq, thinking they're doing the 'right thing.'

But women do not have the same status in muslim nations as they do in the west. Under Sharia law, it takes 2 women witnesses to equal the word of one man. Many muslim mullahs call women "inadequate" due to hormones. The Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) married a 9 year old girl and it is common for women to be married before the age of 13 and many die of complications during child-birth, simply because they are too young. Women are viewed with nothing but contempt when they venture out in public and their place in heaven is one of of debate amongst muslim scholars. That women are not as likely to be perceived as a threat or as potential suicide bombers is the sole reason that women have been incorporated into terrorist activities. Last week, a woman went into a predominantly Shiite University and blew herself up, killing a dozen young students. She was able to enter through a side entrance, an entrance that a male would never have been able to pass through.

That most Muslims consider suicide to be a grave sin is rationalized by jihadists, as martyrdom is considered to be a great accomplishment. But that women, the inferior sex, can carve out a piece of paradise is a very new development in the jihadist movement. Women do not get any sexual gratification in the next life, nor are they rewarded with multiple souls as their reward. Instead, they get the first fuck of another martyr. The first fuck is likely not to last long, but at least it is the first because there are 71 that will follow. So there will be no sloppy 2nds or 72nds for that matter. Still...aren't they being short changed a little bit? Men get 72 virgins and something like 3000 other women at their command should they become martyrs for the cause. Women should at least get a 12 inch fat cock and the power to orgasm at any moment. But what should we expect from the most radical fringes of a perverse ethos. That US soldiers aren't at least offered a blonde super freak with DD titties and will do anal is truly a lack of inventiveness and if we are going to win this war on terror, we need to not only find a heavenly award for men but also for women who want to kill people for some twisted cause.

US out of Iraq?

2007-01-23T16:56:00.000Z

Living in England hasn't provided the escape of American politics that I was expecting. Its been about 4 months since we moved here but there is rarely a day that goes by where I don't read or hear about American politics. Birmingham is a very multi-cultural city. I had never really seen women walking around in burkas before or Indian folk with the bendi on their forehead. Being closer to Iraq and to islamic terrorism in general may be one reason for my inability to escape the decisions of the USA. But more likely is that leaving my country, who's politics I am overly familiar with (and burdoned with), is not something to shrug off. I don't have much of a clue about British governance or democracy. I really don't care to. As Britain prepares to pull out of Iraq, some democrats are pushing for the same but clearly not all. This is the beginning of the Democratic oversight of this war and it is my fear that it will drag on due to the shrinking supply of oil, the warlords who will soon control African oil and the alliance of Venezuela and Iran. Team USA will pay for Iraqi oil with thousands of more US troops dying and injured and 100s of 1000s of Iraqi deaths. So goes the need to fulfill the vast interstate system and competition with China. As the US prepares for a new cold-war with the chinese, oil will remain the hot commodity, as it has since WWI. From Nigeria and Liberia to Bolivia and beyond, this struggle for the world's remaining petroleum will no doubt be bloody and gruesome one. As I recently learned in a module at the University of Birmingham, the fall of the Berlin wall was supposed to usher in an era of stability, income growth and happiness. Instead, the fall of the wall started a new form of civil war, of warlord domination of natural resources such as diamonds and oil and the erection of a new wall, this time in Palestine. Lawyers guns and money as Warren Zevon once said. It was blood in and blood out, get your kinsman some guns and take it. The barbaric face of capitalism and greed showed its true self and the mask of smiles and partnership fell to the floor. American companies have stopped supporting their workers and have abandon their families health insurance plans. The word 'democracy' has lost all meaning and is now used alongside 'freedom' as a way to demand compliance, not cooperation. The horrific situation of the world is not solely on the shoulders of the US, ofcourse. It is in the nature of humanity. It is in the massacre of villages and the abduction of children to use as child soldiers. It is the new barbarism.