Comments on: Voting in Britain for War

By: Mulga Mumblebrain

Mulga Mumblebrain — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:14:54 +0000

One of the tragedies of Australia’s descent into mindless jingoism and chauvinistic worship of military ‘glory’, first instituted as state policy by the repulsive John Howard, is that it has become bi-partisan. The Rudd rabble, about to be ejected after one term as their leader’s essential inauthenticity, phoniness and political cowardice are exposed, have adopted nearly all of the Howard policies, even the vilest. Just like the Blair betrayal after 1997, and the Obama fiasco,as the Apostle of ‘Hope’ emerges from the chrysalis of mass delusion resplendent as George Dubya Bush redux (worse, in fact), the Ruddites show, conclusively and incontrovertibly, that there is no choice, not in the Anglosphere at least, but one or other brand of Rightwing, market capitalist, US and Israel adoring clutch of opportunistic psychopaths. In Australia the spiritual disease of apeing the US in all things has reached the nauseating point where our public occasions have now sprouted innumerable Australian flags, mimicking the US jingoism, and dullards clutch their left tit as the national dirge is played. And waiting in the wings is Tony Abbott, a Rightwing, religiously reactionary zealot who, in the now obligatory fashion,is lying through his teeth that he has ‘changed’.

By: mary

mary — Fri, 07 May 2010 07:57:38 +0000

This is a statement on our current situation by the editors of Medialens, friends of John Pilger incidentally.

BREAK THE SILENT SPRING – A MEDIA LENS APPEAL FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Sometimes humanity catches a glimpse of itself in the mirror of some great disaster and is shocked by what it sees. The war of 1914-1918 demolished, forever, the assumption that ‘progress’ was pre-ordained, a God-given gift buried in the natural world, so that all we had to do was uncover the path and follow it. Instead, we learned that technology could just as easily deliver mass death as mass production. The Second World War confirmed the terrifying amorality of science – we can build a world glittering with labour-saving, health-giving devices, and +still+ end up with a lifeless, incinerated planet.

But climate change is the ultimate mirror. In our lifetimes it will reveal the answer to the great question of who we are as a species: Is human society basically rational and free, or are we slaves to a billion selfish thoughts and actions that have become encrusted in political institutions over decades, centuries and millennia? Are the forces of reason able to transcend the forces of greed? Is the need for collective human action able to overcome the individual concern for instant gratification and familial security?

At present, it has to be said, the outlook is grim indeed. In contrast to the merciless ‘honesty’ of environmental limits, we have a political system that renders truth and sincerity ‘off-message’, and replaces them with rehearsed affectation.

/…..
http://www.medialens.org/alerts/10/100506_break_the_silent.php

They need financial help as they are stuggling. They are a two man band basically.

By: John Andrews

John Andrews — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:29:58 +0000

MichaelKenny, your point is right, but this piece is about the Permanent War we are conditioned on a daily basis to accepting. Wall St’s raid on the Euro, no doubt encouraged by a Whitehouse that would love nothing better than a break up of Europe, is worthy of an article or two in its own right. The Clegg/Cameron/Brown alliance are not only united in their enthusiasm for war, they are also united in their subservience to the Chicago School economic model and sing in perfect harmony on the subject of destroying public services. But Mr Pilger’s piece is about Permanent War.

Here in England there has been a considerable rise in the number of school children that are encouraged to wear military-style uniforms to school. They wander around the streets trying to emulate the steely-eyed heroes that make up most of the daily ‘news’, without the faintest idea of the evil they’re supporting, or the dangers they’re promoting. My letters to our local paper on this point are ignored, as are my enquiries to the schools who are no doubt primarily responsible for the encouraging.

But we keep on resisting – what else can we do?

By: Rehmat

Rehmat — Fri, 07 May 2010 02:18:38 +0000

Gilad Atzmon wrote an excellent post on British voting….

http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/the-complete-manual-for-the-british-jewish-voter-by-gilad-at.html

By: MichaelKenny

MichaelKenny — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:39:06 +0000

Without seriously disagreeing with John Pilger, don’t lose sight of Wall St’s current attack on the EU and the euro. Rumors of economic blackmail flew at the time European troops were sent to Afghanistan and the current attack lends credence to those rumors. Also, look at the humiliation just imposed on the Japanese PM. There can be no more talk of America defending, or being supported by, its “loyal” allies! When someone holds a gun to your head, do you say “get lost, you idiot” or do you say “I’ll do anything you want, good sir”? The Empire is panicking and thereby losing its grip!