One war criminal writing about another. Nice chums you have, Rusbridger*.
For once there was something worth reading in the Guardian, an article by my friend Coleen Rowley. But the Guardian cut out the most important paragraph in the article. As Coleen put it in an email:
Unfortunately, the paper edited out the politically incorrect paragraph pointing out that the British Parliament committee inquiry totally ignored why Islamic terrorist recruitment is rising exponentially. So an even more important opinion piece needs to be written as to the factor swelling the numbers joining and affiliating with “terrorist” groups. Although the two issues are related as people’s naïve belief in the national security complex’s magical data-mining serves as cover to keep the more important debate from happening. Similar to Helen Thomas’ politically incorrect question: “why do they hate us?” or put more gently: “why can’t our bombs and exceptionalism win hearts and minds?” No longer will anyone in mainstream even ask if the US-NATO-Israel’s reliance on perpetual war, drone assassination and regime changes is working to reduce terrorism. I fear the Guardian would be unlikely to publish such an op-ed but it needs to be attempted nonetheless.
*By appointment to Her Majesty the Queen, smasher of hard drives
I took a call from the sales people at their ‘reader offers’ department today…
“I understand you might be a guardian reader”…
I took enormous satisfaction in informing him that I used to be a guardian reader, that I used to trust them, that I had been a reader since my late teens but that after their despicable, hypocritical behaviour during the Scottish referendum – and their coverage since, I had cancelled my online subscription and would not dream of putting any money their way again.
I was reassured by a shocked and apologetic gent that I wouldn’t be called again and that my comments would be passed on.
Felt deeply satisfying to get that off my chest.
This is really a comment on Ms Rowley’s article, which I am posting here because I feel it would get lost in the drivel on the Guardian webpages which are full of comments by people who haven’t understood what they read, seemingly.
This is a very interesting article, even without the missing para. What it doesn’t say is that perhaps one reason intelligence agencies miss important data coming through, and did so even before they were flooded with nonsense data as she so eloquently proves they are now, is that the governments whose employ these agencies have a foot firmly in each camp, for example Bush making sure all his Saudi mates got on the first plane home after 9/11.
You don’t necessarily have to subscribe to full blown conspiracy theory to believe that western governments want to be seen to be fighting terrorism but actually have a complex set of agendae about it and the characters that foster it.
The Facebook nonsense is an excellent smokescreen.
Well said Craig and Conjunction, but there are now signs of strain appearing to this wholesale NSA/GCHQ snooping, the German Government has had enough of whistle blowing and intelligence leaks.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-government-to-file-criminal-complaint-against-sensitive-leaks-a-1005927.html
Rusbridger sadly is beyond the pale, a journalist no more.
There are good terrorists and then there are bad terrorists! The trick is to promote good terrorism, as in case of Turkey through vetting the potential recruits .
A clear case of double think, that anyone trained by the the torrent of bilge disseminated by the corporate sponsored and run media, can understand.
Hence there is no need to upset the apple cart by pointing out the obvious facts, while there is a whole heap of money is spent on hoodwinking the Joe public and appealing to their better judgement emanating from their bitterness and wrath that has been so assiduously brought on as the austerity medicine to make good the banksters gambling debts.
Rusbridger the wearer of merkins, obviously knows which side to suck up to and which side to kick down, that is why he is there today, whilst the rest of us, are just plain old failures ripping our mouths off and talking patent nonsenses!
I thought the whole point was to create Islamic terrorism so that under the guise of fighting it they might achieve other objectives.
They’re not concerned about a rise in Islamic terrorism. They’re just shouting a lot about it so that everyone thinks it’s hiding under everyone’s bed, waiting till they go to sleep, which is why we need spooks and cops billeted in our homes.
In such circumstances, they’re not looking for solutions to a rise in terrorism. Things are hunky dory as they are.
They’ll turn it off themselves when they’re done, I’m sure.
But yeah, Wiggy. There’s something more honest in the obvious statist press. At least they don’t pretend to be anything different.
“War is a racket” (Major General Smedley Butler).
“War is the terrorism of the rich and powerful, and terrorism is the war of the poor and powerless” (Peter Ustinov).
@Daniel: That is one hell of a quote!
You mean another swamp of bureaucrats with all the dots they could manufacture, still fail to connect?
Well, as long as people have jobs and the Mil/Industrial complex is healthy with oodles of taxpayer money it’s not a problem.
Can you rehabilitate sociopaths? That would be a more productive discussion.
Here’s another PW.
We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
Winston Churchill
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
@Ben: Prefer Eisenhower…
Craig.
The National newspaper is introducing a new feature, it will publicise political or cultural events taking place all over Scotland ie speeches meetings etc.
It will begin this Friday, so if you have anything in the pipeline in Scotland coming up contact the National and they’ll give you wider coverage.
Below is the E-mail address.
[email protected]
Churchill used to do a runner down the country, when he knew the Luftwaffe were on their way. Then he’d come back in the morning after all clear, commiserating with the Cockneys, pretending we’re all in it together.
And it was he himself who ensured the Germans bombed, much as Roosevelt ensured the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Eisenhower ordered the murder of Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected leader of an independent Congo.
Not very nice men at all.
Herbie’s comment reminded me of a line from Arthur…
Dad; I want you to marry his daughter
Arthur; ‘He’s a criminal”
Dad; We all are, son.
In Churchill’s defence… through his very public rants he probably reduced Britain’s pre-war govt’s wriggle room for aligning with the Nazis. Some might say that was a bad thing… if he’d only have shut up Britain (and France?) could have helped AH beat the Poles to invading Czechoslovakia and become part of the 1000 year dictatorship [only joking :)]
Again its the poor souls of Iraq and Syria who will suffer the most, as the west seeks to keep much of the Middle East in turmoil.
Only this time they’ll be no extended help as winter fast approaches,a lack of funds has forced the World Food Programme, to stop providing vouchers for 1.7 million Syrian refugees, in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt.
WFP, says it need £64 million pounds to support refugees until the end of December, the UN refugee agency UNHCR added it too lack sthe funds, and will be forced to prioritise, this coming winter.
In Eisenhower’s defence… in his farewell speech he alerted the world to the imminent arrival of another potential 1000 year Dictatorship, the military-industrial complex.
Churchill called Mohandas ‘that naked fakir’, PW.
Yes PW. Eisenhower recognized the danger of the Security state after the National Security Act of 1947 was signed by the democrate, Harry S. Truman, but he waited until he was going out of office. It’s easier that way.
@RoS: I hope the unexpected new alliance between Russia and Turkey can somehow lead an International agreement for a UN force in Syria to sort out the warring parties. It worked (just about…) in Bosnia. Of course, there will be disagreement over the end-game, but better than the carnage happening at the moment.
PW; Did you know you and I were mistakenly banned for a short while? 🙂
Its clear the US/UK National Security States needs the threat and fear of terrorism employing its Orwellian subterfuge to good effect on domestic populations while globally prosecuting war and mayhem against any who oppose or obstruct the interests of its nefarious elites. This vital debate on US-NATO policies is heavily redacted since terrorism is a useful threat and an instrument of policy in the corrupted mindset of the global policemen.
@Ben: 1947! Thought it was 1961. That being the case, have you ever thought the that those fascist economists from Berlin merely packed their bags and decamped to Washington?
Israeli PM Netanyahu is engulfed in a cabinet crisis, hinted yesterday that he would call an early national election, if rebellious ministers don’t stop attacking government policies.
his coalition, dominated by the right wing, is split on a range of issues, including the policy towards the Palestinian and Jewish nation-state bill.
The election is originally scheduled for 2017, but Netanyahu may bring it forward.
@Ben: No?! I couldn’t log on to the site anyway. Had to clean out my browser cache.
” fascist economists from Berlin merely packed their bags and decamped to Washington?”
See Dr. Strangleove. 🙂
I was getting loads of tach help from Phil and then Squonk swooped in…voila. Otherwise you and I would still be lurking.
Hitler didn’t want to fight the British at all. He liked them. That’s why he let them go at Dunkirk.
And he made numerous offers of peace to Britain. He wasn’t interested in Western Europe, as such, other than getting back the bits nicked at Versailles.
He was interested in Eurasia, and that’s what had to be stopped.
The bankers had their eyes on that prize. Still do.
@RoS: I hope the unexpected new alliance between Russia and Turkey can somehow lead an International agreement for a UN force in Syria to sort out the warring parties. It worked (just about…) in Bosnia. Of course, there will be disagreement over the end-game, but better than the carnage happening at the moment.
___________________________________
Peacewisher.
I hope you’re right, and that some form of common sense will prevail somewhere along the line, I despair in humanity sometimes, at our sheer barbarism to one and other.
Truman was in the Klan.