This entry was posted on
Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 at
9:20 am and is filed
under The War on Stupid.
1. Craig Murray – A Dark, Dark Place: I cannot believe Alisher Saipov is dead. When last I saw him he can only have been 23 years old, and was so brimming with energy, life and optimism. Now at 26 he is dead, just the latest dissident to be murdered by the Karimov regime. (more)
2. Septicisle – It really is all about the oil. Oh, and don’t forget the arms deals.: Petty insults aside, the sheer gall of New Labour in inviting those ultimately responsible for the torture of four British citizens wrongly arrested for a series of bombings in the country shouldn’t be surprising, but the pulling out of all the stops for their visit is the equivalent of a kick in the teeth to those who dare to suggest that the government ought to be consistent in its approach to all those who deny basic human rights to their people… Saudi Arabia is an theocratic autocracy. Its strict state sponsored interpretation of Islam, and efforts to spread such an interpretation has greatly contributed to the rise of takfirist Salafism, the kind which al-Qaida takes its cue from. It is endemically corrupt, one of most corrupt regimes on the planet, and it effectively steals the wealth that should belong to its people. The fact that it supports either the “war on terror” or that if the regime fell the replacement could possibly be worse shouldn’t really enter it to it.
3. BSSC – Let’s Celebrate!: And that explains why the government still thinks there’s a possibility that they can spin their way out of this bloody shambles. If an Iraqi ex-employee of HMG is shot in the back of the head and there are no British troops around to hear the gunshot, does it make a sound? The government thinks not.
A week ago, there were 35 signatures on EDM 2057. Today, there are… [drumroll]… 38! My MP made it totally clear to me that she thought the current state of affairs was unacceptable, but she hasn’t signed this EDM yet and hasn’t explained why. In fact, the number of Tory MPs who have signed this has stood rock-steady at 3 for weeks now. What could possibly be holding them back?
4. Meet Rebekah. She burns on Saturday:
By Paul.Ferrari October 31, 2007 - 10:36 am
Well I emailed my MP and got a reply from his assistant, telling me that he would answer the points in my email, but he hasn't yet, nor has he signed the EDM – there again, he did break both his wrists on Friday, so I suppose I should be sympathetic – as I am sure he will be to the plight of the Iraqi employees.
By Manic October 31, 2007 - 12:20 pm
I get the distinct impression that some MPs are waiting for permission before expressing that sympathy in any tangible way.
By septicisle October 31, 2007 - 1:13 pm
You must take some photos of dear Rebekah going up in flames.
By Manic October 31, 2007 - 2:20 pm
Count on it.:o)There'll also be some more images of her before she burns.
By The Great Architect October 31, 2007 - 8:19 pm
With regard to point 2. above, and the Saudi visit – political agendas aside – someone in the Band has a sense of humour, and knows how to choose appropriate music… The first 30 seconds or so sum it all uphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD38SQ8srXw&eurl