dear all, especially amigo espanico benji,
how very glad i am that you dig my observations! please don't get me wrong- i do think that saving up and then volunteering in the developing world is prob the best means avail to middle (and up) class kids to actually do something, and of infinetely superior karma to any operator/office occupation (sorry SJ!).. its just the misplaced good will due to lack of understanding, the essentially ill-vested potentiality that arouses such upset with me, esp self-righteous attitude that goes along with it!
of course there's also the other type, non-volunteering type in said group, who do deserve a bit of disliking to as far as i can see (help me out if i'm wrong), namely the type selling necklaces etc sitting on the central square in a pobre-style outfit, bumming in a society where every single $1.50 a day local does his/her best to dress clean/neat and to find meaningful occupation! this is not some sort of fascist turn, i am all in favour of primitivist attitudes, but with that sort of gradient of wealth? i'm sorry, but i do get rather upset with this sort of thing.
on a more positive note, i've met a number of u.s.-citizens actively opposed to the u.s. gov's foreign policy! miracle of miracles! one of them even refers to himself as a libertarian standing outside the popular consensus. i am deeply pleased to have someone to share the ludicrousness of alternative tourism/ karma consumerism with. how difficult it is to even discuss these issues!
you might want to look at radical education and feed the kids some libertarian spirit on the go!
20.11.02
a joke from Jeremy Paxman from Newsnight newsletter - quite shit
It's the
transcript of a radio conversation between a US naval
ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of
Newfoundland.
Canadian: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the
south to avoid a collision.
Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15
degrees to the north to avoid a collision.
Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course
15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.
Americans: This is the captain of a US navy ship. I say
again, divert your course.
Canadians: No. I say again, you divert your course.
Americans: This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the
second largest ship in the United States Atlantic fleet. We
are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers and
numerous support vessels. I demand that you change
your course 15 degrees north, I say again, that's one five
degrees north, or counter-measures will be undertaken
to ensure the safety of this ship.
Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.
It's the
transcript of a radio conversation between a US naval
ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of
Newfoundland.
Canadian: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the
south to avoid a collision.
Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15
degrees to the north to avoid a collision.
Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course
15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.
Americans: This is the captain of a US navy ship. I say
again, divert your course.
Canadians: No. I say again, you divert your course.
Americans: This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the
second largest ship in the United States Atlantic fleet. We
are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers and
numerous support vessels. I demand that you change
your course 15 degrees north, I say again, that's one five
degrees north, or counter-measures will be undertaken
to ensure the safety of this ship.
Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.
A shit load of people got fired at work today, morale at all time low.... the paranoia atmosphere creeping in.
Full-time: South Korea v Brazil
Soccernet.com
SEOUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Two goals from Ronaldo and a late Ronaldinho penalty earned world champions Brazil a 3-2 victory against South Korea on Wednesday.
Ronaldinho's 90th-minute spot kick after Ronaldo had been brought down, finally subdued the hosts who had twice taken the lead in front of a crowd of 63,000.
'They are a strong team,' Ronaldo, the leading goalscorer at the World Cup finals, said.
The Real Madrid striker struck a goal in each half as South Korea, surprise semi-finalists at the World Cup, often outplayed the Brazilians on a bitter cold day.
Ronaldinho was also quick to pay tribute to the Koreans.
'Whoever is going to play against the Korean team in the next world cup should prepare a lot,' he said.
South Korea took the lead in the seventh minute when striker Seol Ki-hyeon got between the Brazilian defenders to head in a free kick from Ahn Jung-hwan after Brazil's goalkeeper Dida had been penalised for picking up a back pass.
Ronaldo struck in the 16th minute, finishing well after Ze Roberto had threaded a pass neatly through the middle.
South Korea came back strongly in the second half despite a string of substitutions and World Cup hero Ahn put them back in front in the 58th minute.
Brazil looked dangerous on the break, however, and Ronaldo, nominated for FIFA's world player of the year award, scored his second nine minutes later.
The match was the international swangsong for Korean captain Hong Myung-bo and striker Hwang Sun-Hong, who both bowed to all four sides of the ground after the final whistle.
'I'm happy that it ended honourably. The weather was not in our favour. There are talented athletes (in the Korean team) but they must not be complacent,' Hong, who made his international debut in 1990, said.
Brazil and South Korea have met three times previously. In their last clash in March 1999, South Korea won 1-0. The previous meetings in 1995 and 1997 were both won by Brazil, 1-0 and 2-1 respectively.
Full-time: South Korea v Brazil
Soccernet.com
SEOUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Two goals from Ronaldo and a late Ronaldinho penalty earned world champions Brazil a 3-2 victory against South Korea on Wednesday.
Ronaldinho's 90th-minute spot kick after Ronaldo had been brought down, finally subdued the hosts who had twice taken the lead in front of a crowd of 63,000.
'They are a strong team,' Ronaldo, the leading goalscorer at the World Cup finals, said.
The Real Madrid striker struck a goal in each half as South Korea, surprise semi-finalists at the World Cup, often outplayed the Brazilians on a bitter cold day.
Ronaldinho was also quick to pay tribute to the Koreans.
'Whoever is going to play against the Korean team in the next world cup should prepare a lot,' he said.
South Korea took the lead in the seventh minute when striker Seol Ki-hyeon got between the Brazilian defenders to head in a free kick from Ahn Jung-hwan after Brazil's goalkeeper Dida had been penalised for picking up a back pass.
Ronaldo struck in the 16th minute, finishing well after Ze Roberto had threaded a pass neatly through the middle.
South Korea came back strongly in the second half despite a string of substitutions and World Cup hero Ahn put them back in front in the 58th minute.
Brazil looked dangerous on the break, however, and Ronaldo, nominated for FIFA's world player of the year award, scored his second nine minutes later.
The match was the international swangsong for Korean captain Hong Myung-bo and striker Hwang Sun-Hong, who both bowed to all four sides of the ground after the final whistle.
'I'm happy that it ended honourably. The weather was not in our favour. There are talented athletes (in the Korean team) but they must not be complacent,' Hong, who made his international debut in 1990, said.
Brazil and South Korea have met three times previously. In their last clash in March 1999, South Korea won 1-0. The previous meetings in 1995 and 1997 were both won by Brazil, 1-0 and 2-1 respectively.
19.11.02
Ahh phil I didn´t know you were off to Central America, My girlfriend has just returned from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador... She agreed with you on most things but is less of a cynic than you (or me). Very interesting stuff these hippies get up to, very difficult to talk about as well as it hurts alot of do gooders and makes people irrational...
Education? it is sometimes very difficult to convince people of very simple things... like the role of the US in all this. this morning I was trying to tell a class of racist 14 year olds what morons they were without saying that... WHY? "Have you ever talked to a black person?" I said... "yes, when thay robbed us" was the reply... why would they want to do a thing like that?.... and things got a bit too complicated for they´re English.
good luck
Education? it is sometimes very difficult to convince people of very simple things... like the role of the US in all this. this morning I was trying to tell a class of racist 14 year olds what morons they were without saying that... WHY? "Have you ever talked to a black person?" I said... "yes, when thay robbed us" was the reply... why would they want to do a thing like that?.... and things got a bit too complicated for they´re English.
good luck
Rumsfeld Makes Case for Terror War
Tuesday November 19, 2002 2:20 PM
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told fellow military chiefs Tuesday that the threats of the 21st century ``transcend geography and respect no borders,'' making cooperation among nations even more necessary than before.
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos opened Tuesday's summit of Western Hemisphere military chiefs by saying that while terrorism is a global threat, nations on this side of the world should agree to face it together.
``Terrorism has changed, because there are now gangs that lack territory of their own, but that operate in a global manner,'' Lagos said.
Addressing the summit's opening session, Rumsfeld cited terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, organized crime, piracy, money laundering, hostage taking and cyber crime as top concerns.
``These threats must be countered with new capabilities,'' Rumsfeld said.
The 5th Conference of Defense Ministers from the Americas was gathering for the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Rumsfeld, who was to leave immediately after his speech for Prague, the Czech Republic's capital, to attend a NATO summit, said the Atlantic alliance was not made irrelevant by the end of Cold Ward.
``The same is true of the institutions of the inter-American system. Today, the need for our nations to work together has not diminished; instead, it has grown, as has the need for the institutions that facilitate hemispheric cooperation.
``In this hemisphere, narco-terrorists, hostage takers and arms smugglers operate in ungoverned areas, using them to destabilize democratic governments,'' Rumsfeld said. ``Elected governments have the responsibility to exercise sovereign authority, conferred at the ballot box, throughout their national territory.''
The threats posed by terrorism and drug trafficking appeared at the center of the ministers' agenda.
``We have to review the security concepts we have been applying and discuss the changes required,'' Chilean Defense Minister Michelle Bachelet said Monday at a news conference with Rumsfeld.
Rumsfeld described terrorism and drug trafficking as ``a global threat.''
``There are new threats and new capabilities that represent potential dangers to free countries, given the nexus between terrorist states with weapons of mass destruction and terrorist networks,'' he said.
He denied reports that the Bush administration was pressuring Latin American countries to support its anti-terrorism policies.
Bachelet said she and Rumsfeld agreed ``that our task is to guarantee a region that can continue to live in peace.''
A small group demonstrated peacefully on Monday in front of the Defense Ministry building, holding signs reading ``United States, the big terrorist'' and ``War made in U.S.''
In a letter to Lagos, the leader of Chile's small Communist Party, Gladys Marin, called the summit ``part of the policies of aggression and war developed by George Bush.''
Tuesday November 19, 2002 2:20 PM
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told fellow military chiefs Tuesday that the threats of the 21st century ``transcend geography and respect no borders,'' making cooperation among nations even more necessary than before.
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos opened Tuesday's summit of Western Hemisphere military chiefs by saying that while terrorism is a global threat, nations on this side of the world should agree to face it together.
``Terrorism has changed, because there are now gangs that lack territory of their own, but that operate in a global manner,'' Lagos said.
Addressing the summit's opening session, Rumsfeld cited terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, organized crime, piracy, money laundering, hostage taking and cyber crime as top concerns.
``These threats must be countered with new capabilities,'' Rumsfeld said.
The 5th Conference of Defense Ministers from the Americas was gathering for the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Rumsfeld, who was to leave immediately after his speech for Prague, the Czech Republic's capital, to attend a NATO summit, said the Atlantic alliance was not made irrelevant by the end of Cold Ward.
``The same is true of the institutions of the inter-American system. Today, the need for our nations to work together has not diminished; instead, it has grown, as has the need for the institutions that facilitate hemispheric cooperation.
``In this hemisphere, narco-terrorists, hostage takers and arms smugglers operate in ungoverned areas, using them to destabilize democratic governments,'' Rumsfeld said. ``Elected governments have the responsibility to exercise sovereign authority, conferred at the ballot box, throughout their national territory.''
The threats posed by terrorism and drug trafficking appeared at the center of the ministers' agenda.
``We have to review the security concepts we have been applying and discuss the changes required,'' Chilean Defense Minister Michelle Bachelet said Monday at a news conference with Rumsfeld.
Rumsfeld described terrorism and drug trafficking as ``a global threat.''
``There are new threats and new capabilities that represent potential dangers to free countries, given the nexus between terrorist states with weapons of mass destruction and terrorist networks,'' he said.
He denied reports that the Bush administration was pressuring Latin American countries to support its anti-terrorism policies.
Bachelet said she and Rumsfeld agreed ``that our task is to guarantee a region that can continue to live in peace.''
A small group demonstrated peacefully on Monday in front of the Defense Ministry building, holding signs reading ``United States, the big terrorist'' and ``War made in U.S.''
In a letter to Lagos, the leader of Chile's small Communist Party, Gladys Marin, called the summit ``part of the policies of aggression and war developed by George Bush.''
15.11.02
greetings fellow heathens,
would just like to comment briefly on middle-class parented hippies (like moi) hanging out in third world countries. its disgusting really. they all introduce themselves w "i´m volunteering locally for six months" w an obv and firm belief they´re trodding the jhesos-path. the news (i could not reveal locally without being fed "my" stinkin dreadlocks) is: this alternative form of tourism impacts on a very limited segment of the populous only. cultural infl would feed back into dev world policy if it weren´t for the fact that returning hippies are rendered invisible to apparatus. i.e. this does not change anything except within hippies´ heads, and is this part of postmodernist consumerist culture really. never felt so lonely in my cynicism in my life..
local guatemalans are just ridiculously friendly. the christian mission, which is still on (do they never get enough?), does its bit in further entrenching suppression of indigenas- which comprise 60% of local pop which is highest in central am. they wear these beautifully coloured outfits and take pride in being naturales- would be interested in looking into socially conscious groups. international gradient of wealth more and more shocking considering u.s. proximity and influence (cultural and military). people are not aware of the necessary causal link, even up to neo-lib level. liberation pedagogy a la frere would be the way forward, not implementable due to:
gun culture direct result of 30-odd years of u.s.-sponsored civil war. the mil consumes 35%+ of gov budget, but has own capital base. paramil groups complement this. omnipresence indicative of suppression of pop, "the bigger the guns the more official they are", automatic weapons for anyone associated with the gov.. there are obv "anti-drug" squads as well.. Priv security, banks and even shops are protected by guards armed with sawn-off shotguns mostly. wouldnt like to be near-by if anything kicks off..
bit of an internet-cafe bubble, hope you get "some sort of" idea, bit overwhelmed by exposure following a month of white widow at home. will try to bake something proper for next time.
love,
Phil
would just like to comment briefly on middle-class parented hippies (like moi) hanging out in third world countries. its disgusting really. they all introduce themselves w "i´m volunteering locally for six months" w an obv and firm belief they´re trodding the jhesos-path. the news (i could not reveal locally without being fed "my" stinkin dreadlocks) is: this alternative form of tourism impacts on a very limited segment of the populous only. cultural infl would feed back into dev world policy if it weren´t for the fact that returning hippies are rendered invisible to apparatus. i.e. this does not change anything except within hippies´ heads, and is this part of postmodernist consumerist culture really. never felt so lonely in my cynicism in my life..
local guatemalans are just ridiculously friendly. the christian mission, which is still on (do they never get enough?), does its bit in further entrenching suppression of indigenas- which comprise 60% of local pop which is highest in central am. they wear these beautifully coloured outfits and take pride in being naturales- would be interested in looking into socially conscious groups. international gradient of wealth more and more shocking considering u.s. proximity and influence (cultural and military). people are not aware of the necessary causal link, even up to neo-lib level. liberation pedagogy a la frere would be the way forward, not implementable due to:
gun culture direct result of 30-odd years of u.s.-sponsored civil war. the mil consumes 35%+ of gov budget, but has own capital base. paramil groups complement this. omnipresence indicative of suppression of pop, "the bigger the guns the more official they are", automatic weapons for anyone associated with the gov.. there are obv "anti-drug" squads as well.. Priv security, banks and even shops are protected by guards armed with sawn-off shotguns mostly. wouldnt like to be near-by if anything kicks off..
bit of an internet-cafe bubble, hope you get "some sort of" idea, bit overwhelmed by exposure following a month of white widow at home. will try to bake something proper for next time.
love,
Phil
from: robin on 2002-11-04 11:27:35
this is one of the scariest billboards I've ever seen. Sorry this fact is not international (but I'm sure it's almost the same everywhere)
the adverage american can identify:
10 species of non edible native plants
10 native peoples
1,000 corporate logos
Long Live the Brand Attack
the logo is the achillies heal of the corporation
from Neo-Liberal Weekly
A liberated nation, except for women
Nov 14th 2002
From The Economist print edition
Even the burqa remains
EPA
Time for caution
RAMADAN brought unexpected news to the women's ward at a Kabul prison. On November 10th, 20 women were freed, pardoned by President Hamid Karzai. Their “crimes” had been walking out on their husbands, refusing forced marriages or being named as adulterers, all of which contravene Afghanistan's strict social code. Leaving rat-infested cells, which some have shared with their children, should be a relief. But for one 19-year-old, prison may be safer than the outside world: her uncle has promised to kill her for leaving a violent marriage. And Kabul's chief of police has said he will continue to arrest women who break the code. A year after the fall of the Taliban, life for most women is hardly getting any better.
The state of medical care is another hazard. An Afghan woman will, on average, give birth to seven children. But with few clinics and staff in rural areas, and poor roads, Afghanistan is one of the worst places to be pregnant. In the remote province of Badakhshan, a man we will call Mohammed walked for five days in the snow to reach a health worker. By the time he came home, his pregnant wife had died. Surveys conducted by UNICEF and the United States' Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have revealed that Afghan women are more likely to die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth than in most other countries in the world. Yet almost nine out of ten maternal deaths could be prevented.
Women suffer too as a result of political rivalry. In northern Afghanistan around the town of Mazar-i-Sharif, clashes between Uzbek, Tajik and Hazara militias tend to end up with sexual violence against local women. There is an increasing number of reports of gang rapes and the exchange of women as payment in the settlement of feuds.
Even in less troubled areas, hopes that the end of the Taliban would bring freedom for women are being crushed by local warlords. In a report to be published next month, the American-based Human Rights Watch gives warning of increasing restrictions on women imposed in the western province of Herat by Ismael Khan, the local strongman. Pressure is being put on local women not to work for foreign NGOs. The enveloping burqa has once again become obligatory in some places, and a woman seen alone with a man, even the driver of her taxi, faces detention.
Most professions are closed to women, and many say that they are once again scared to go out of their homes. The central government has limited authority outside Kabul, and according to Rachel Wareham of Medica Mondiale, an NGO that works with women in conflict areas, it has in any case shown little interest in making life better for women.
Most Taliban edicts have not been repealed. The judicial commission, which is supposed to look into legal reform, is up against those clinging to tradition. The new constitution will set the tone for women's rights—the 1964 constitution granted equal rights to men and women—but Islamic law is backed by a strong lobby. Moves to re-establish girls' schools, closed by the Taliban, run into opposition. Four girls' schools were badly damaged by fire last month in the central province of Wardak. Even in Kabul, where women's lot is probably the best in the country, girls are often harassed on their way to school.
Medica Mondiale is helping women to improve their feeling of independence by learning to drive. By the end of the year, 100 or so will have learnt the theory. Getting used to the nerve-shattering traffic of Kabul will take longer. At present the NGO has only one car to practise with.
A liberated nation, except for women
Nov 14th 2002
From The Economist print edition
Even the burqa remains
EPA
Time for caution
RAMADAN brought unexpected news to the women's ward at a Kabul prison. On November 10th, 20 women were freed, pardoned by President Hamid Karzai. Their “crimes” had been walking out on their husbands, refusing forced marriages or being named as adulterers, all of which contravene Afghanistan's strict social code. Leaving rat-infested cells, which some have shared with their children, should be a relief. But for one 19-year-old, prison may be safer than the outside world: her uncle has promised to kill her for leaving a violent marriage. And Kabul's chief of police has said he will continue to arrest women who break the code. A year after the fall of the Taliban, life for most women is hardly getting any better.
The state of medical care is another hazard. An Afghan woman will, on average, give birth to seven children. But with few clinics and staff in rural areas, and poor roads, Afghanistan is one of the worst places to be pregnant. In the remote province of Badakhshan, a man we will call Mohammed walked for five days in the snow to reach a health worker. By the time he came home, his pregnant wife had died. Surveys conducted by UNICEF and the United States' Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have revealed that Afghan women are more likely to die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth than in most other countries in the world. Yet almost nine out of ten maternal deaths could be prevented.
Women suffer too as a result of political rivalry. In northern Afghanistan around the town of Mazar-i-Sharif, clashes between Uzbek, Tajik and Hazara militias tend to end up with sexual violence against local women. There is an increasing number of reports of gang rapes and the exchange of women as payment in the settlement of feuds.
Even in less troubled areas, hopes that the end of the Taliban would bring freedom for women are being crushed by local warlords. In a report to be published next month, the American-based Human Rights Watch gives warning of increasing restrictions on women imposed in the western province of Herat by Ismael Khan, the local strongman. Pressure is being put on local women not to work for foreign NGOs. The enveloping burqa has once again become obligatory in some places, and a woman seen alone with a man, even the driver of her taxi, faces detention.
Most professions are closed to women, and many say that they are once again scared to go out of their homes. The central government has limited authority outside Kabul, and according to Rachel Wareham of Medica Mondiale, an NGO that works with women in conflict areas, it has in any case shown little interest in making life better for women.
Most Taliban edicts have not been repealed. The judicial commission, which is supposed to look into legal reform, is up against those clinging to tradition. The new constitution will set the tone for women's rights—the 1964 constitution granted equal rights to men and women—but Islamic law is backed by a strong lobby. Moves to re-establish girls' schools, closed by the Taliban, run into opposition. Four girls' schools were badly damaged by fire last month in the central province of Wardak. Even in Kabul, where women's lot is probably the best in the country, girls are often harassed on their way to school.
Medica Mondiale is helping women to improve their feeling of independence by learning to drive. By the end of the year, 100 or so will have learnt the theory. Getting used to the nerve-shattering traffic of Kabul will take longer. At present the NGO has only one car to practise with.
This is great, maybe the next time someone from the administration visits London we'll have F-16 squadrons circling Westminster...
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Czechs let US control security for Nato summit Czechs let US control security for Nato summit
American jets to patrol above Prague amid terrorism fears
Ian Traynor, east Europe correspondent
Friday November 15, 2002
The Guardian
The Czech president, Vaclav Havel, last night signed into law a bill handing responsibility for his country's security to the Pentagon during the two-day Nato summit next week, amid mounting fears of terrorist attack and street violence.
American jets to patrol above Prague amid terrorism fears
Ian Traynor, east Europe correspondent
Friday November 15, 2002
The Guardian
The Czech president, Vaclav Havel, last night signed into law a bill handing responsibility for his country's security to the Pentagon during the two-day Nato summit next week, amid mounting fears of terrorist attack and street violence.
14.11.02
have you seen some of the footage from Iraq of all those deformed children affected by what they guess to be effects of DU on local people? Reminds me of the footage I saw of all the deformed people in India after the Bophal incident where Union Carbide, the US chemical firm, had a factory explosion that killed 9000 Indians in 4 days (kicks the shit out of 9-11). Shit like 6 fingers, cancer, all the really disturbing shit....
This might amuse you; in Korea, to this day, we still have a national holiday on the 5th of April (I think) - the day is called 'the national tree planting day' which is an effort to reforest the land after all that napalm that was sprayed in Korea during the war caused a catastrophy in the ecosystem in Korea. No trees grew on affected areas for over 20 years .... these military planners seem to have no consideration for the after effects of their weapons, even if it concerns their own soldiers (whitness the spiking of food with LSD of US Vietnam soldiers?)
This might amuse you; in Korea, to this day, we still have a national holiday on the 5th of April (I think) - the day is called 'the national tree planting day' which is an effort to reforest the land after all that napalm that was sprayed in Korea during the war caused a catastrophy in the ecosystem in Korea. No trees grew on affected areas for over 20 years .... these military planners seem to have no consideration for the after effects of their weapons, even if it concerns their own soldiers (whitness the spiking of food with LSD of US Vietnam soldiers?)
Here it is, reposting...
My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty...
Rokke said: "Verified adverse health effects from personal experience, physicians and from personal reports from individuals with known DU exposures include reactive airway disease, neurological abnormalities, kidney stones and chronic kidney pain, rashes, vision degradation and night vision losses, lymphoma, various forms of skin and organ cancer, neuropsychological disorders, uranium in semen, sexual dysfunction and birth defects in offspring.
"This whole thing is a crime against God and humanity."
Speaking from his home in Rantoul, Ill., where he works as a substitute high school science teacher, Rokke said, "When we went to the Gulf, we were all really healthy, and we got trashed."
Rokke, an Army Reserve major who describes himself as "a patriot to the right of Rush Limbaugh," said hearing the latest Pentagon statements on DU is especially frustrating now that another war against Iraq appears likely.
"Since 1991, numerous U.S. Department of Defense reports have said that the consequences of DU were unknown," Rokke said. "That is a lie. We warned them in 1991 after the Gulf War, but because of liability issues, they continue to ignore the problem." Rokke worked until 1996 for the military, developing DU training and management procedures. The procedures were ignored, he said.
"Their arrogance is beyond comprehension," he said. "We have spread radioactive waste all over the place and refused medical treatment to people . . . it's all arrogance."
"DU is a snapshot of technology gone crazy."
My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty...
Rokke said: "Verified adverse health effects from personal experience, physicians and from personal reports from individuals with known DU exposures include reactive airway disease, neurological abnormalities, kidney stones and chronic kidney pain, rashes, vision degradation and night vision losses, lymphoma, various forms of skin and organ cancer, neuropsychological disorders, uranium in semen, sexual dysfunction and birth defects in offspring.
"This whole thing is a crime against God and humanity."
Speaking from his home in Rantoul, Ill., where he works as a substitute high school science teacher, Rokke said, "When we went to the Gulf, we were all really healthy, and we got trashed."
Rokke, an Army Reserve major who describes himself as "a patriot to the right of Rush Limbaugh," said hearing the latest Pentagon statements on DU is especially frustrating now that another war against Iraq appears likely.
"Since 1991, numerous U.S. Department of Defense reports have said that the consequences of DU were unknown," Rokke said. "That is a lie. We warned them in 1991 after the Gulf War, but because of liability issues, they continue to ignore the problem." Rokke worked until 1996 for the military, developing DU training and management procedures. The procedures were ignored, he said.
"Their arrogance is beyond comprehension," he said. "We have spread radioactive waste all over the place and refused medical treatment to people . . . it's all arrogance."
"DU is a snapshot of technology gone crazy."
City Diary.
By Martin Waller.
95 words
5 November 2002
The Times
28
English
(c) 2002 Times Newspapers Ltd.
FAREWELL, then, Lonnie Donegan, king of skiffle, whose earlier bout of
ill health sparked a nasty outbreak of jitters on the foreign exchange
markets. True story: one day back in the Reagan years, the markets were
panicked to learn that the President was seriously ill. The dollar
plunged. The rumour arose in Tokyo and swept across the various time
zones. Then it gradually dawned on traders that the stricken personality
was Donegan, not Reagan. The blame was eventually put on the
idiosyncracies of Japanese pronounciation.
(c) Times Newspapers Ltd, 2002.
By Martin Waller.
95 words
5 November 2002
The Times
28
English
(c) 2002 Times Newspapers Ltd.
FAREWELL, then, Lonnie Donegan, king of skiffle, whose earlier bout of
ill health sparked a nasty outbreak of jitters on the foreign exchange
markets. True story: one day back in the Reagan years, the markets were
panicked to learn that the President was seriously ill. The dollar
plunged. The rumour arose in Tokyo and swept across the various time
zones. Then it gradually dawned on traders that the stricken personality
was Donegan, not Reagan. The blame was eventually put on the
idiosyncracies of Japanese pronounciation.
(c) Times Newspapers Ltd, 2002.
13.11.02
Am highly hungover today, think I might miss lecture ("History of Political Thought", somewhere around archaic Greece, interpretation of myths in terms of political Selbstverstaendnis and legitimacy, Prometheus - Fire - Pandora... God...). However whilst staring at blog in drunken stupor, remembering Heidegger, throwing everything into this alcoholic mix, it occurred to me that Heidegger might lend itself very well for an environmental philosophy (lightbulb, "ding!"). Will sober up, hit the books and revert about this - too vague still to say anything.
12.11.02
ran into interesting synergistic link btw a) sexy heidegger in 10 sentences (thanks mike) and b) phil. biographies article (thanks mjm)
a) Or do you mean his constant ref. to physical things (such as Heimat,
Verwurzelung)? What he means by 'Heimat' seems to be our implicit
'Seinsverstaendnis', we live in a world that has meaning to us and with
which we can interact. This then allows us to ask every 'Seienden' what
it is, and get an answer. In the enquiry into Being however, the enquiry
in itself is an ontical possibility of Dasein (Verwurzelung?), or
rather, amongst all entities or beings, only Dasein has the potential to
carry out this enquiry (this enquiry is a mode of Dasein's Being,
Heidegger would say), hence can only be transparent if based on an
existential analytic of Dasein (sorry don't make much sense in
Heideggerean terminology...). But Dasein's Being seems to be so, that
it's own Being is an issue for it (Death as human horizon, Sorge etc.)
and it can grasp the the Being of other 'things' or entities than its
own. To Heidegger this implies that an analytic of Dasein itself should
form the basis for any enquiry into Being. This analytic then reveals
that the main pillars of Dasein's Being are best expressed in temporal
modes and since Dasein is the 'physical' (if you want...) precondition
for any understanding of Sein, time must be the main structure in the
understanding of Being. Thus, the enquiry must be essentially
historical, lay out or live out in the present the philosophical
tradition of the question of being etc. the historical deconstruction
part... am sure you know all this... what I meant to say was that (see
above) "the enquiry in itself is an ontical possibility of Dasein", this
representing 'Verwurzelung' and that we must (in good existentialist
manner) free ourselves by rescuing the question of Being from oblivion.
b) Analytic philosophy, in which he was trained, has long
"insisted on the separation of the person from the view," an approach that
has been giving way in recent years to historicist notions like the
rootedness of the self and the social embeddedness of consciousness, he
says. From there, he sees it as a "quick step to including the life story of
the creator in order to understand the nature of the work."
1+1=2+ => sex!
a) Or do you mean his constant ref. to physical things (such as Heimat,
Verwurzelung)? What he means by 'Heimat' seems to be our implicit
'Seinsverstaendnis', we live in a world that has meaning to us and with
which we can interact. This then allows us to ask every 'Seienden' what
it is, and get an answer. In the enquiry into Being however, the enquiry
in itself is an ontical possibility of Dasein (Verwurzelung?), or
rather, amongst all entities or beings, only Dasein has the potential to
carry out this enquiry (this enquiry is a mode of Dasein's Being,
Heidegger would say), hence can only be transparent if based on an
existential analytic of Dasein (sorry don't make much sense in
Heideggerean terminology...). But Dasein's Being seems to be so, that
it's own Being is an issue for it (Death as human horizon, Sorge etc.)
and it can grasp the the Being of other 'things' or entities than its
own. To Heidegger this implies that an analytic of Dasein itself should
form the basis for any enquiry into Being. This analytic then reveals
that the main pillars of Dasein's Being are best expressed in temporal
modes and since Dasein is the 'physical' (if you want...) precondition
for any understanding of Sein, time must be the main structure in the
understanding of Being. Thus, the enquiry must be essentially
historical, lay out or live out in the present the philosophical
tradition of the question of being etc. the historical deconstruction
part... am sure you know all this... what I meant to say was that (see
above) "the enquiry in itself is an ontical possibility of Dasein", this
representing 'Verwurzelung' and that we must (in good existentialist
manner) free ourselves by rescuing the question of Being from oblivion.
b) Analytic philosophy, in which he was trained, has long
"insisted on the separation of the person from the view," an approach that
has been giving way in recent years to historicist notions like the
rootedness of the self and the social embeddedness of consciousness, he
says. From there, he sees it as a "quick step to including the life story of
the creator in order to understand the nature of the work."
1+1=2+ => sex!
ok girls.. this is it..
i'm departing from 24/7 inter-web connectivity for a while as of wed a.m. My "political will" (a.h.-style):
> please don't send any large forwards to my hotmail, as resulting blockage will bounce important material
> please don't copy me in on conversations whilst they're still going (SJ!), they get large quick (pt 1)
> if you do feel the urgent need to send graphical (doonesbury should be shared here anyway!) or material otherwise extensive to idpnd(*)gmx.net
(* = @.. don't publ email add on web as spider-style search prog are used to locate spammable emails)
Thanks x
Also, to introduce new level of interweb sophistication, html colours!
Hex colour codes for html are available here; but for casual usage, the standard "red", "blue", "green" etc do work.
Type: <font color=red>Cookpasspartridge</font>; N.B. spelling american engl, and, as always, don't forget closing tag- o/w it'll "flood" the page
to see this: Cookpasspartridge; N.B. links are colour coded by browser-side definition- and they should stay that colour
Use this to subtly (SJ!) emphasise by priority to enhance "quick scan effectiveness" and collective efficiency!
i'm departing from 24/7 inter-web connectivity for a while as of wed a.m. My "political will" (a.h.-style):
> please don't send any large forwards to my hotmail, as resulting blockage will bounce important material
> please don't copy me in on conversations whilst they're still going (SJ!), they get large quick (pt 1)
> if you do feel the urgent need to send graphical (doonesbury should be shared here anyway!) or material otherwise extensive to idpnd(*)gmx.net
(* = @.. don't publ email add on web as spider-style search prog are used to locate spammable emails)
Thanks x
Also, to introduce new level of interweb sophistication, html colours!
Hex colour codes for html are available here; but for casual usage, the standard "red", "blue", "green" etc do work.
Type: <font color=red>Cookpasspartridge</font>; N.B. spelling american engl, and, as always, don't forget closing tag- o/w it'll "flood" the page
to see this: Cookpasspartridge; N.B. links are colour coded by browser-side definition- and they should stay that colour
Use this to subtly (SJ!) emphasise by priority to enhance "quick scan effectiveness" and collective efficiency!
11.11.02
Reuters Story
The U.S.-based Global Security.Org calculates that an invasion, if ordered by President George W. Bush, will begin not later than February 22, that is in 103 days from now.
The U.S.-based Global Security.Org calculates that an invasion, if ordered by President George W. Bush, will begin not later than February 22, that is in 103 days from now.
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