Democratic Opposition to Belarusian Dictator
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s secret police - the KGB – burst into the home of the democratic opposition leader Uladzimir Kishkurna in mid-July. They arrested his son, claiming he was in possession of illegal drugs and ammunition. However, the real reason for the raid would appear to be a printing press.
“To have a printing press, you need special permission of the Ministry of Information and Press," said [human rights activist] Bialiatski, who rushed to the Kishkurna home after hearing about the raid. "That machine was illegal in the best tradition of Soviet times."
The Printing machine was used to publish anti-Lukashenko posters, newspapers and leaflets. It was one of only 10 suspected free-presses in the country, and a vital cog in the democratic opposition movement’s attempts to enact a Belarusian ‘Orange Revolution’.
Mobile phones, satellite television, the Internet and instant messaging - all of which played a role in popular uprisings in Ukraine, Lebanon and Georgia - are too closely monitored by the government to be reliable.
If Lukashenko’s authoritarian credentials were at all in doubt;
here is what he said during the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly:
"The leaders of the destroyed Yugoslavia and Iraq were put behind bars on groundless, absurd and far–fetched accusations. This was a very opportune way to conceal the truth about annihilation of their countries."
The not so anti-war protests in Washington
Liberals across America heralded the anti-war marches in Washington this month as a triumph for freedom and democracy. In reality, athough the marcher’s intentions are on the whole commendable, they marched under the banners of nationalism and militarism.
The protests were largely sponsored by two groups, the Answer Coalition and United for Peace and Justice. International ANSWER, the group run by the "Worker's World" party and fronted by Ramsey Clark, openly supports Kim Jong-il, Fidel Castro, Slobodan Milosevic, and the "resistance" in Afghanistan and Iraq, with Clark himself finding extra time to volunteer as attorney for the génocidaires in Rwanda. International ANSWER can therefore only be viewed as a front for fascism, Stalinism, and jihadism.
It is one thing to be against the war in Iraq, but to march with a group that side with Serbian ethnic cleansers and the Taliban is another altogether. As I have mentioned in previous posts; it is important for the essentially pious (if misguided) left not to view those who revere the resistance in Iraq as beacons of the anti-war movement. The leaders of many ‘anti-war marches’ are not anti-war; they are pro-war; just on the other side.
Hiatus
I’m moving this weekend, and thus, wont be blogging for a while - well at least until I manage to get an internet connection set up in Manchester. My literally tens of readers will surely be devastated by my loss – all I can say to them is stay in a constant state of drunken stupor until I return; surely the only way in which you can cope without my guiding light.
much love
Galloway not the hero he is made out to be
This is from a
piece by a guy called Dan Erdman in Wisconsin. He is trying to inform the American Left (the British Left should really be aware of this too!) that Galloway isn’t the dude they should be using as their anti-war pin up. I fully agree. As Erdman says – here is why no one who claims to be a progressive ought to have anything to do with Galloway, a dishonest, authoritarian reactionary:
"Galloway has shown himself to be a supporter of the various tyrannical governments that dominate the Middle East. In the early stages of the war, he publicly encouraged these other states to fight alongside Saddam Hussein's army. He has spoken against political independence for Lebanon, calling Syria the "last castle" of pan-Arabism in the region (one of his many appeals to that outdated, quasi-fascist ideology).
he has had friendly public meetings with Saddam Hussein (while the latter was still in power) and infamously told him "Sir, I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability."
He bad-mouthed opposition movements that were active during Saddam's rule and derided the independent democratic forces now attempting to create a workable society.
He has come out in favour of the "insurgency," even while acknowledging it as a marriage between Ba'athist nationalism and bin-Ladenist religious fundamentalism.
He supported the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and later described the demise of the U.S.S.R. as "the worst day of my life."
His own Respect Party is made up of a coalition of authoritarian ultra-leftists and ultra-conservative Islamic groups, such as the Muslim Association of Britain, whose extreme homophobia and sexism make the Christian Coalition look tolerant and reasonable by comparison. "
Egyptian Elections
Defeated candidates in Egypt's first contested presidential election have denounced the result of the poll and called for a re-run. Egypt's electoral commission has rejected the candidates' complaints.
Egypt's electoral commission said it would not allow independent groups to monitor election, defying a court ruling. However, some of the groups who did monitor the vote said there were widespread abuses, mainly by Mr Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) and electoral officials.
President Hosni Mubarak, in power for 24 years, won with 88.6% of the votes - in an election marked by low turnout. It would appear the main problem for reformers is not the reports of fraud but rather that the vast majority of people chose to stay at home - turnout was just 23%.
However, despite the many problems in Egypt, at least the country is moving on the right track to democracy. This election has given unprecedented freedom to the press with many previous taboos’ having been broken. Both opposition and independent newspapers now dare to discuss openly sensitive issues such as corruption, torture and whether the president's son, Gamal, is being groomed for the succession.
Many people feel this election signals a ‘political re-birth’ with civil society in Egypt taking its first steps towards empowerment.
Ultimately the real test will be its ability to galvanise the large numbers of Egyptians who have been put off politics by the autocratic practices of the last 50 years.
Yahoo = Cunts
I read in my Indpendent this morning that Yahoo are being fucking cuntish again and collaberating with the totalitarian dictatorhip in China. The company handed over private emails from a Journalist Shi Tao to the authorities.
He was accused of having e-mailed a pro-democracy activist in New York details of a government order barring Chinese media from marking the 15th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Yahoo had provided Chinese investigators with the detailed technical information that allowed them to prove that only Shi could have sent the e-mail in question.
He has been jailed for 10 years.
Yahoo also collaberates with the regime on matters of censorship, with the words "democracy" and "free Tibet" allegedly barred from servers in China.
Boycott anyone????
Katrina
Hitchens hits the nail on the head as per usual,
here.
HITCHENS: "Absolutely. It's one of the two or three best-known risks to the United States, is that the levees protecting New Orleans could break. I know that and I live in Washington. It's also, I'm afraid to say, the only thing the President has said about this that anyone can remember. I mean, he didn't get there - it isn't that they didn't fly to the city beforehand, which he could easily have done on that kind of warning, and say, "Look, I'm the President of the United States, we can't lose or even risk losing one of our great historic cities. I have come to make sure that all the state and city officials have got everything they could possibly want in advance." "For example, a few piles of bottled water wouldn't have come amiss if there's going to be suddenly too much water but none of it drinkable. Elementary things like that. He didn't do that. Then he did a fly-by from his holiday retreat, and then he got there too late and then he said something completely idiotic. So I really can't see there is any forgiveness for that. And remember also, that he did interrupt his holiday not very long ago to pay attention to something that was none of his business at all as President. Namely, the alleged living condition of an actually dead woman named Terri Schiavo..."Likewise,
heres a typically eloquent rebuttle to those who feel think New Orleans would still be bone dry if we hadnt gone into Iraq.
"...George Bush has already paid, as he should, a weighty political price for his literally fatal insouciance. What I cannot understand is why the people of Baghdad and Basra should be punished for a meteorological catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. We should get out and leave them to their own devices. We need the stuff at home, goddamn it. This has all the charm and beauty of John Kerry saying that we ought not to be opening firehouses in Baghdad while closing them in the United States. It also has all the easy appeal of a zero-sum, provincial, isolationist mentality."...A scuttle from Iraq or from Afghanistan (where the Kabul-Kandahar highway also took a lot of time and equipment and manpower to build) would add to the number of stricken and broken cities in the world, and not reduce it. If liberalism and humanitarianism do not mean internationalism, they mean precisely nothing. Shame on those who try to turn the needy and the victims against each other."meanwhile, former First Lady Barb Bush has been
quoted as saying about the poor and now homeless victims of Katrina
"so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them."shes a fucking retard isnt she!
you can hear her words on
this audio clip
Why I Hate Religion - Part II
I have come across this via a freind of a freind. This is no joke and fucking ridiculous. (ive highlighted the funny bits)
This is a newsletter that St. Mary's church in Colorado Springs sent out this week:If Your Child is a Gothic, Reform Through the Lord!Listed below are some warning signs to indicate if your child may have gone astray from the Lord. Gothic (or goth) is a very obscure and often dangerous culture that young teenagers are prone to participating in.
The gothic culture leads young, susceptible minds into an imagined world of evil, darkness, and violence. Please seek immediate attention through counselling, prayer, and parental guidance to rid your child of Satan's temptations if five or more of the following are applicable to your child:
-Frequently wears black clothing.
-Wears band and/or rock t-shirts.
-Wears excessive black eye makeup, lipstick or nailpolish.
-Wears any odd, silver jewelry or symbols. Some of these include: reversed crosses, pentagrams, pentacles, ankhs or various other Satanic worshipping symbols.
-Shows an interest in piercings or tattoos.
-Listens to gothic or any other anti-social genres of music. (Marilyn Manson claims to be the anti-Christ, and publicly speaks against the Lord. Please discard any such albums IMMEDIATELY.)
-Associates with other people that dress, act or speak eccentrically.
-Shows a declining interest in wholesome activities, such as: the Bible, prayer, church or sports.
-Shows an increasing interest in death, vampires, magic, the occult, witchcraft or anything else that involves Satan.
-Takes drugs.
-Drinks alcohol.
-Is suicidal and/or depressed.
-Cuts, burns or partakes in any other method of self-mutilation. (This is a Satanic ritual that uses pain to detract from the light of God and His love. Please seek immediate attention for this at your local mental health center.)
-Complains of boredom.
-Sleeps too excessively or too little.
-Is excessively awake during the night.
-Dislikes sunlight or any other form of light. (This pertains to vampires promoting the idea that His light is of no use.)
-Demands an unusual amount of privacy.
-Spends large amounts of time alone.
-Requests time alone and quietness.
(This is so that your child may speak to evil sprits through meditation.)
-Insists on spending time with friends while unaccompanied by an adult.-Disregards authority figures; teachers, priests, nuns and elders are but a few examples of this.
-Misbehaves at school.
-Misbehaves at home.
-Eats goth-related foods. Count Dracula cereal is an example of this.
-Drinks blood or expresses an interest in drinking blood. (Vampires believe this is how to attain Satan. This act is very
dangerous and should be stopped immediately.)
-Watches cable television or any other corrupted media sources. (Ask your local church for proper programs that your
child may watch.)
-
Plays videos games that contains violence or are of a role-playing nature.
-Uses the internet excessively and frequently makes time for the computer.-Makes Satanic symbols and/or violently shakes head to music.
-Dances to music in a provocative or sexual manner.-Expresses an interest in sex.-Masturbates-Is homosexual and/or bisexual.-Pursues dangerous cult religions. Such include: Satanism, Scientology,
Philosophy, Paganism, Wicca,
Hinduism and Buddhism. (SINCE WHEN ARE FUCKING HINDUS GOTHS YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!!!!)
-Wears pins, stickers or anything else that contains these various phrases: "I'm so gothic, I'm dead", "woe is me", "I'm a goth".
-
Claims to be a goth.
If five or more (Fuck me - everyone i know is a fucking goth then) of these apply to your child, please intervene immediately. The gothic culture is dangerous and Satan thrives within it. If any of these problems persist, enlist your child into your local mental health center.
~St. Mary's Catholic Church
What a load of fucking wank!!!!!
According to this; if your bored, wank, watch tv, play computer games and want time alone then your a goth - sounds like every fucking teenage boy in the country! I fucking hate Catholics!
New Orleans
This is a truly awful disaster. I can only echo
Andrew Sullivans words:
"I have no confidence in this administration to deal with the kind of calamities that 9/11 proved we may have to deal with. After four years, they are still incompetent, unprepared, unable to have made the real changes that we need to have made. In the case of New Orleans, criminally negligent. People have died because of their inability to plan, to spend wisely, to set real priorities, to respond quickly. That goes for New Orleans. And it also applies to Iraq."Listen
here to the words of the New Orleans mayor. At the end of the interview he brakes down in tears. He explains the gastronomic cock-up that is the relief effort and the administrations reaction to the crisis.
Why I Hate Religion - Part I
everytime i find out something awful and religousy im going to post it under the title 'why i hate religion - part ....' - this is the first one
In 2001, there was a real chance that the childhood-wrecking and frequently lethal disease of Polio could be wiped out. Only a few, usually war torn areas like Afghanistan, had not been reported as "clear." (The two sides in the civil war in El Salvador observed a truce so that the vaccine could be safely distributed.)
However, in Bengal some Mullahs spread the rumor that the vaccine led to impotence and diarrhea (a bad combo) and urged mothers to keep their children away from the nurses and physicians. Most Bengalis were too smart to listen to ravings like these, which exactly resemble
the view of Dr. Timothy Dwight, who felt the vaccination against smallpox was an interference with God's design.
In northern Nigeria, where imams hold state power in many provinces, the polio vaccine was denounced as a plot "by the US and the UN" to "sterilize Muslims." Because of this the disease returned to Nigeria and also spread back to several African countries that thought they had bidden farewell to it. Decades work have been ruined, along with the lives of uncounted children.
