From the International Herald Tribune:
Viveca Novak's new book ‘Inside the Wire’, written in collaboration with Erik Saar details the latter's six-month tour in the US military prison at notorious Guantánamo.
The book claims the former commander, Major General Geoffrey Miller, who ran the prison on the base from late 2002 until March 2004, participated in hiding detainees from the Red Cross after guards had shaved their hair and eyebrows as punishment.
Erik Saar, an interpreter at the camp stated:
"The missing eyebrow trick made some camp officials nervous because of the potential for the Red Cross to take note, so on occasion these detainees were slapped in a special isolation cell, hidden away from Red Cross scrutiny.”
"Miller had also exaggerated the value of the information interrogation teams gleaned about Al Qaeda and the Taliban in order to justify the operation's heavy cost, both in terms of taxpayer dollars and international criticism of President George W. Bush's decision that the Geneva conventions generally did not apply in Afghanistan.”
The account of what occurred in Guantánamo Bay was horrifying! Beatings, torture, deliberate humiliations, etc just like the infamous Abu Ghraib prison.
I wonder what the recently demoted former commander of Abu Ghraib prison, Colonel (former Brig Gen) Janis Karpinski will say to the double standards.
Related Posting:
US Army Sacrificed Goats to Gods!
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Unhelpful Extra-Legal Support for Schapelle Corby
Aussies holiday makers and travel agents have threatened to boycott Bali if accused marijuana smuggler Schapelle Corby from Australia is found guilty by the Indonesian courts.
Not exactly the stuff that will achieve its end, namely to apply economic pressure to force the Indon court to declare Schapelle Corby innocent. Bloody stupid, idiotic and in fact counterproductive threats, if I may say so.
An earlier red-necked Aussie threat had been some anonymous warning to kill Indon consulate staff in Perth if Corby was found guilty. What bloody good would this be to Corby's case?
There were other nonsensical antics such as publishing a handwriting expert’s comments that based on Schapelle Corby’s style of handwriting she is an innocent woman, and shipping an Aus convict to Bali to testify on her behalf at the last moment, based purely on hearsay evidence.
The Indon Embassy in Canberra advised that using hearsay evidence would be more damaging than helpful. Undoubtedly, if there had been no substance in the convict's testimony other than just hearsay, the Indon court would judge the use of the witness unfavourably as a desperate move.
Recently when that convict was slashed in a prison, the exclamation was that his story about Corby’s innocence was proven – without of course finding out why the fight had occurred.
Some TV so-called investigative report shows weren’t any better, using ‘witnesses’ on completely unrelated cases, that of pilfering of airline baggage rather than inserting of contraband, or even worse, their opinions as evidence to Corby’s innocence - one such unfortunate example was asking an electrician working at the airport whether he thought Corby was a smuggler – as if he knew? His only possible answer, in front of millions of Aussie viewers was predictable.
Unfortunately well-intentioned Aussies are actually jeopardising the case for Corby by carrying out such threats, economic pressure and weirdo stuff such as handwriting analysis to support Corby. They just can’t well leave things alone and let the Aussie government work behind the scene.
The Aus govt has a lot of pull with the Indon govt, considering its multi-billion dollar loan during the Asian meltdown and the recent 1 billion dollar tsunami aid package. In fact, the earlier possible death penalty has already been quietly done away with, with the prosecution asking for life imprisonment instead. This is an example of how high powered negotiations, beneficial to both Indon and Aus govts work quietly and subtly behind the scenes. If those well intentioned people leave matters to the Aus govt, Corby will be back soon in Australia, either innocent of the accusation or to serve a short sentence.
Aus Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock urged Corby's backers to chill it and bloody tone down their untowards claims in the media. He stated:
''One of the things that we feel very strongly about in Australia is that our courts should be able to make their own judgments in relation to these matters, without influence by publicity and people using the media.''
''We expect that in relation to Australian matters.”
''What I've been surprised about is the extent to which, in this case, there has been a lot of campaigning through the media which, at the end of the day, makes it very much more difficult for the court to be able to deal with the range of issues it's going to have before it.''
Anybody who knows the Indon govt would agree – and you just don’t f*** around with Indon national pride and culture. Once you back the Indons into a corner, where declaring Corby as innocent or even guilty with a light sentence may be seen as kowtowing to Aus (white man) orders, you may see some nasty reaction, which may be totally out of proportion to what they may determine legally.
As Cicero said: "Hell is paved with good intentions."
If Corby receives a guilty verdict with a severe sentence, and thus faces several years of hell in an Indon jail, we know who those bloody 'pavers' are, don't we!
Not exactly the stuff that will achieve its end, namely to apply economic pressure to force the Indon court to declare Schapelle Corby innocent. Bloody stupid, idiotic and in fact counterproductive threats, if I may say so.
An earlier red-necked Aussie threat had been some anonymous warning to kill Indon consulate staff in Perth if Corby was found guilty. What bloody good would this be to Corby's case?
There were other nonsensical antics such as publishing a handwriting expert’s comments that based on Schapelle Corby’s style of handwriting she is an innocent woman, and shipping an Aus convict to Bali to testify on her behalf at the last moment, based purely on hearsay evidence.
The Indon Embassy in Canberra advised that using hearsay evidence would be more damaging than helpful. Undoubtedly, if there had been no substance in the convict's testimony other than just hearsay, the Indon court would judge the use of the witness unfavourably as a desperate move.
Recently when that convict was slashed in a prison, the exclamation was that his story about Corby’s innocence was proven – without of course finding out why the fight had occurred.
Some TV so-called investigative report shows weren’t any better, using ‘witnesses’ on completely unrelated cases, that of pilfering of airline baggage rather than inserting of contraband, or even worse, their opinions as evidence to Corby’s innocence - one such unfortunate example was asking an electrician working at the airport whether he thought Corby was a smuggler – as if he knew? His only possible answer, in front of millions of Aussie viewers was predictable.
Unfortunately well-intentioned Aussies are actually jeopardising the case for Corby by carrying out such threats, economic pressure and weirdo stuff such as handwriting analysis to support Corby. They just can’t well leave things alone and let the Aussie government work behind the scene.
The Aus govt has a lot of pull with the Indon govt, considering its multi-billion dollar loan during the Asian meltdown and the recent 1 billion dollar tsunami aid package. In fact, the earlier possible death penalty has already been quietly done away with, with the prosecution asking for life imprisonment instead. This is an example of how high powered negotiations, beneficial to both Indon and Aus govts work quietly and subtly behind the scenes. If those well intentioned people leave matters to the Aus govt, Corby will be back soon in Australia, either innocent of the accusation or to serve a short sentence.
Aus Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock urged Corby's backers to chill it and bloody tone down their untowards claims in the media. He stated:
''One of the things that we feel very strongly about in Australia is that our courts should be able to make their own judgments in relation to these matters, without influence by publicity and people using the media.''
''We expect that in relation to Australian matters.”
''What I've been surprised about is the extent to which, in this case, there has been a lot of campaigning through the media which, at the end of the day, makes it very much more difficult for the court to be able to deal with the range of issues it's going to have before it.''
Anybody who knows the Indon govt would agree – and you just don’t f*** around with Indon national pride and culture. Once you back the Indons into a corner, where declaring Corby as innocent or even guilty with a light sentence may be seen as kowtowing to Aus (white man) orders, you may see some nasty reaction, which may be totally out of proportion to what they may determine legally.
As Cicero said: "Hell is paved with good intentions."
If Corby receives a guilty verdict with a severe sentence, and thus faces several years of hell in an Indon jail, we know who those bloody 'pavers' are, don't we!
Friday, May 06, 2005
US Army Sacrificed Goats to Gods!
Army Reserve Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, who was in charge of the Abu Ghraib has been demoted to Colonel by order of President Bush for the torture scandal. As commander of the prison she of course could not disclaim total responsibility, but she could however assert mitigatory considerations on the fact that all the torturing instructions bypassed her, without even her being aware of such nefarious going-ons.
The argument for her demotion seems extraordinarily harsh by comparison to the real culprit who escaped completely unscathed, Lt General Richardo Sanchez, the man who had personally authorised the illegal interrogation techniques.
Brig Gen Karpinski and Lynndie England are but mere sacrificial lambs (scapegoats) to the American gods, the press and the public, to protect Sanchez, Rumsfeld and those bigger brass who were more directly involved than them.
In fact a US army judge has just abruptly terminated England’s trial this week as he wasn’t convinced that England was even aware she had committed an illegal act. It's a damning shame that the US Army has immorally allowed her to plead guilty - obviously to serve as the offering to the hungry press and a shocked (at the torture) American public.
Unfortunately in the military forces of the world, not just the US’, sacrificial lambs have not been uncommon.
Related posting:
Two Generals from North America
The argument for her demotion seems extraordinarily harsh by comparison to the real culprit who escaped completely unscathed, Lt General Richardo Sanchez, the man who had personally authorised the illegal interrogation techniques.
Brig Gen Karpinski and Lynndie England are but mere sacrificial lambs (scapegoats) to the American gods, the press and the public, to protect Sanchez, Rumsfeld and those bigger brass who were more directly involved than them.
In fact a US army judge has just abruptly terminated England’s trial this week as he wasn’t convinced that England was even aware she had committed an illegal act. It's a damning shame that the US Army has immorally allowed her to plead guilty - obviously to serve as the offering to the hungry press and a shocked (at the torture) American public.
Unfortunately in the military forces of the world, not just the US’, sacrificial lambs have not been uncommon.
Related posting:
Two Generals from North America
Who was Abraham? (13)
Based on the works of scholars, who will be revealed when the blogging for this topic ends. Works of other authors may be included, but where these are done, full acknowledgement will be made.
Advice: Those who may take offence in seeing biblical (OT) quotations or liberal discussion of OT biblical characters should not read this topic.
Carrying on from Who was Abraham? (12), Keith Laidler, author of The Head of God suggested that Sigmund Freud should have drawn an important conclusion from the reverse hero myth that was detected in the Moses story.
Instead of the typical “royalty to humble upbringing, trials and tribulations, and back to royalty” process, Moses’ life was one of “humble upbringing to royalty, trials and tribulations, and back to humble beginning” – Hebrew slave to Egyptian prince brought up by the Crown princess, ran away from Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian, to Hebrew commoner.
By writing an inverted hero myth, the author of the Book of Exodus was attempting to disguise Moses' royal heritage. Laidler suggested that might be because the Judean author wanted Moses as one of their own rather than an Egyptian royalty.
Though Freud noticed that oddity, he didn’t draw another conclusion from it. Rather, he went on to identify one of the Pharaoh's princes or high officials, Tutmoses as the real Moses.
Though his book caused some stir in Europe when it was published (undoubtedly he would have been condemned or accused of blaspheming, as he is still today because of this story), interest faded away after he died in 1939, three weeks into World War II.
The War brought about the tragic Holocaust, which consequentially made his book involving a prophet of Judaism too sensitive to delve into. As today, there were then the same intimidating frowns and discouragements from both Judaic and Christian authorities.
Many decades later, Ahmad Osman, an Egyptian and British trained Egyptologist investigated deeper into Freud’s book, and made extensive studies on other related Egyptian and Hebrew texts, and came up with a more startling conclusion. He presented the findings in his book Moses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus.
Laidler bemoaned that Freud didn’t come up with the same obvious findings as the great man was obviously a victim of his very own words when he expounded his study in his book Moses and Monotheism, that “the awe of Biblical tradition was insuperable.”
Thus Freud was still, in some ways, constrained by his religious subconscious to conclude the obvious, that the Egyptian official who practised monotheism was and would be the one who taught it to the Hebrew slaves.
The Hebrew’s greatest prophet, Moses was none other than the Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Keith Laidler then went about showing how this came to be.
To be continued ........
Advice: Those who may take offence in seeing biblical (OT) quotations or liberal discussion of OT biblical characters should not read this topic.
Carrying on from Who was Abraham? (12), Keith Laidler, author of The Head of God suggested that Sigmund Freud should have drawn an important conclusion from the reverse hero myth that was detected in the Moses story.
Instead of the typical “royalty to humble upbringing, trials and tribulations, and back to royalty” process, Moses’ life was one of “humble upbringing to royalty, trials and tribulations, and back to humble beginning” – Hebrew slave to Egyptian prince brought up by the Crown princess, ran away from Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian, to Hebrew commoner.
By writing an inverted hero myth, the author of the Book of Exodus was attempting to disguise Moses' royal heritage. Laidler suggested that might be because the Judean author wanted Moses as one of their own rather than an Egyptian royalty.
Though Freud noticed that oddity, he didn’t draw another conclusion from it. Rather, he went on to identify one of the Pharaoh's princes or high officials, Tutmoses as the real Moses.
Though his book caused some stir in Europe when it was published (undoubtedly he would have been condemned or accused of blaspheming, as he is still today because of this story), interest faded away after he died in 1939, three weeks into World War II.
The War brought about the tragic Holocaust, which consequentially made his book involving a prophet of Judaism too sensitive to delve into. As today, there were then the same intimidating frowns and discouragements from both Judaic and Christian authorities.
Many decades later, Ahmad Osman, an Egyptian and British trained Egyptologist investigated deeper into Freud’s book, and made extensive studies on other related Egyptian and Hebrew texts, and came up with a more startling conclusion. He presented the findings in his book Moses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus.
Laidler bemoaned that Freud didn’t come up with the same obvious findings as the great man was obviously a victim of his very own words when he expounded his study in his book Moses and Monotheism, that “the awe of Biblical tradition was insuperable.”
Thus Freud was still, in some ways, constrained by his religious subconscious to conclude the obvious, that the Egyptian official who practised monotheism was and would be the one who taught it to the Hebrew slaves.
The Hebrew’s greatest prophet, Moses was none other than the Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Keith Laidler then went about showing how this came to be.
To be continued ........
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Australia seeks UN help for hostage release
In line with big brother, the USA, Australia used to be dismissive of the UN as irrelevant, but since then has gone back to the international organisation for help in securing the release of an Australian, Douglas Wood, held hostage in Iraq by insurgents.
UN irrelevant? It may not be perfect, and that's mainly because of its veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council like the USA, Russia (then USSR) and the others, but time and time and time again the UN has shown it weight in gold.
UN irrelevant? It may not be perfect, and that's mainly because of its veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council like the USA, Russia (then USSR) and the others, but time and time and time again the UN has shown it weight in gold.
The One and Two China(s) Saga
The wretched China-Taiwan question pops up from time to time, with the latest being a secret message from the Taiwanese leader, President Chen Shui Bian to his mainland counterpart Hu Jintao. This alleged secret meesage follows almost immediately the recent visit to Beijing by Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang Party deputy leader Chiang Pin Kung.
However, James Soong leader of Taiwan's second opposition party the PFP, who will be making the trip to Beijing denied that he was Chen's special envoy carrying any secret missive to Hu Jintao. But what is clear from Soong is that Chen has now agreed to maintain the status quo in Taiwan, and not push for the island's formal independence. This would appear to be good news for the stability of the region.
For years until Chen became President, the two ‘Chinas’ have agreed that there is only ‘One China’, a policy to which the world, including the USA, subscribes.
Unlike previous Taiwanese leaders, Chen considers himself Taiwanese, one without any emotional attachment to the ‘Mother’ (main) land. He is also realistic enough to know that the Taiwanese side won’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell of repossessing mainland China. If any repossessing is to take place, Taiwan will be on the losing side.
He is also chafing at the reins the ‘One China’ policy has in practice restricted Taiwan’s place in the global community – for example, Taiwan is not a member of international organisations and agencies that mainland China is. He wants Taiwan to break free as an independent nation so that she may enjoy what has been denied to her for so long. But the USA support is vital.
Chen assessed that under US President Bush and his neo-con dominated Administration, he has the best possible chance to achieve this political intention. So he has been pushing provocations to the limit by uttering the taboo word – secession euphemised as independence – and attempting to hold referendums to decide on the issue.
The aim has been to draw the USA into the fray, military or otherwise, so that Taiwan could possibly get away with it when the opportunity arises. Chen is banking on the support of American neo-cons and Christian Right, who consider China as Big Satan, to lobby President Bush. But the USA is extremely wary of getting into a second war with China, this time a nuclear power, especially when there is a pro-China lobby in the shape of American big businesses. The USA has warned Taiwan that America will not intervene in any Chinese attack if the Island initiates the provocation. Perhaps this may explain in part Chen's (temporary?) retreat from his regular calls for Taiwan's independence.
China has of course employed the usual threats, verbal as well as holding war games next to the Island, against such a move, and even passing a law recently to legitimise her recovery of the Island should the Taiwanese have the impunity to secede unilaterally.
I think China is more worried of the precedent a breakaway Taiwan will have on provinces such as Tibet and her north-west regions, and believe she will eventually let Taiwan go her way, as observed in her recent softening stand in agreeing to Taiwan joining the World Health Organisation. She knows that the reunion of Taiwan with China is realistically unlikely. She wants to consolidate her control on the ‘difficult’ regions before she relinquishes the Taiwanese claim forever.
When? Full independence seems unlikely in the next 10 years, but we may expect a gradual loosening of the political strings that will allow Taiwan to participate more and more in international forums as a recognised political entity.
But then, I wouldn't put it past Chen to pull a mischievous one during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, to catch China in the difficult and diplomatically most vulnerable position. Will China be willing to sacrifice even the prestigious Games to go on the warpath against a seceding Taiwan.
My bet is yes - prestige or no prestige, Beijing will, as the stakes for her (of not threatening or even militarily harrassing a seceding Taiwan) will then be far higher than the benefits and halo effect of the Games.
However, James Soong leader of Taiwan's second opposition party the PFP, who will be making the trip to Beijing denied that he was Chen's special envoy carrying any secret missive to Hu Jintao. But what is clear from Soong is that Chen has now agreed to maintain the status quo in Taiwan, and not push for the island's formal independence. This would appear to be good news for the stability of the region.
For years until Chen became President, the two ‘Chinas’ have agreed that there is only ‘One China’, a policy to which the world, including the USA, subscribes.
Unlike previous Taiwanese leaders, Chen considers himself Taiwanese, one without any emotional attachment to the ‘Mother’ (main) land. He is also realistic enough to know that the Taiwanese side won’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell of repossessing mainland China. If any repossessing is to take place, Taiwan will be on the losing side.
He is also chafing at the reins the ‘One China’ policy has in practice restricted Taiwan’s place in the global community – for example, Taiwan is not a member of international organisations and agencies that mainland China is. He wants Taiwan to break free as an independent nation so that she may enjoy what has been denied to her for so long. But the USA support is vital.
Chen assessed that under US President Bush and his neo-con dominated Administration, he has the best possible chance to achieve this political intention. So he has been pushing provocations to the limit by uttering the taboo word – secession euphemised as independence – and attempting to hold referendums to decide on the issue.
The aim has been to draw the USA into the fray, military or otherwise, so that Taiwan could possibly get away with it when the opportunity arises. Chen is banking on the support of American neo-cons and Christian Right, who consider China as Big Satan, to lobby President Bush. But the USA is extremely wary of getting into a second war with China, this time a nuclear power, especially when there is a pro-China lobby in the shape of American big businesses. The USA has warned Taiwan that America will not intervene in any Chinese attack if the Island initiates the provocation. Perhaps this may explain in part Chen's (temporary?) retreat from his regular calls for Taiwan's independence.
China has of course employed the usual threats, verbal as well as holding war games next to the Island, against such a move, and even passing a law recently to legitimise her recovery of the Island should the Taiwanese have the impunity to secede unilaterally.
I think China is more worried of the precedent a breakaway Taiwan will have on provinces such as Tibet and her north-west regions, and believe she will eventually let Taiwan go her way, as observed in her recent softening stand in agreeing to Taiwan joining the World Health Organisation. She knows that the reunion of Taiwan with China is realistically unlikely. She wants to consolidate her control on the ‘difficult’ regions before she relinquishes the Taiwanese claim forever.
When? Full independence seems unlikely in the next 10 years, but we may expect a gradual loosening of the political strings that will allow Taiwan to participate more and more in international forums as a recognised political entity.
But then, I wouldn't put it past Chen to pull a mischievous one during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, to catch China in the difficult and diplomatically most vulnerable position. Will China be willing to sacrifice even the prestigious Games to go on the warpath against a seceding Taiwan.
My bet is yes - prestige or no prestige, Beijing will, as the stakes for her (of not threatening or even militarily harrassing a seceding Taiwan) will then be far higher than the benefits and halo effect of the Games.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Iraq: Vietnam II?
Sad for my American friends, but this article provides an erudite and realistic assessment of the actual situation confronting American personnel in Iraq. It lists the why’s and wherefore’s of a very gloomy picture, quite the opposite of the false optimism the Bush Administration has been painting for Americans.
Remember the horrors of Vietnam?
Unfortunately, Iraq is far too valuable for Bush and his neo-cons to bite the bullet, cut US’ loses and make the decision to cleanly exit as Nixon did in Vietnam, as the appointment of Ahmad Chalabi as Iraqi Oil Minister has indicated.
Greed kills, and unfortunately in the Iraqi case, someone else's son or daughter!
Remember the horrors of Vietnam?
Unfortunately, Iraq is far too valuable for Bush and his neo-cons to bite the bullet, cut US’ loses and make the decision to cleanly exit as Nixon did in Vietnam, as the appointment of Ahmad Chalabi as Iraqi Oil Minister has indicated.
Greed kills, and unfortunately in the Iraqi case, someone else's son or daughter!
Monday, May 02, 2005
Who was Abraham? (12)
Based on the works of scholars, who will be revealed when the blogging for this topic ends. Works of other authors may be included, but where these are done, full acknowledgement will be made.
Advice: Those who may take offence in seeing biblical (OT) quotations or liberal discussion of OT biblical characters should not read this topic.
While Keith Laidler, author of The Head of God admired Sigmund Freud’s piercing analysis that led to the identification of Moses as an Egyptian – bearing in mind this was in 1937 with its more limited reference material and very conservative Christian society - he felt that Freud was not bold enough to go further. In arguing his case, Laidler quoted one of Freud’s findings, that of the hero myths.
Hero myths around the world, particular those of the Mediterranean region, have always presented the story of a royal baby (or one fathered by a divine being, or even fathered ‘jointly’ by king and god) abandoned, or stolen, or failed to be killed by enemies but hidden successfully away etc, brought up by humble or poor foster parents, underwent dangerous trials and tribulations, and after succeeding all those obstacles would realise his royal birthrights (or realising his royal birthrights but forced to undergo trials and tribulations), and return to his royal origin. So we have the “royalty to humble upbringing, trials and tribulations, and back to royalty” process for heros.
A classic example of the hero myths is that related to Perseus from the House of Danaus.
Perseus was the grandson of King Acrisius of Argos. Before he was born, an Oracle told the King that he would be killed by his grandson, born of his daughter Danae. In an attempt to prevent that, the King locked Danae up in a bronze underground chamber (or, in some books, a tower) to isolate her completely.
The myth told of Zeus, the Lord of Olympus who was known as a raunchy stud, entering the confines of Danae cell as a shower of gold. Perseus was the God’s progeny. He was brought up secretly in her mum’s chamber for several months before his grandfather heard a baby’s cry emanating from the supposedly secure cell.
When the King came to know that Danae had given birth to Perseus, the grandson that he dreaded, he put her and the baby into a wooden chest and threw it into the sea. As would have it, the chest stayed afloat, and was rescued by Dictys, a fisherman of another land. Brought up under humble surroundings Perseus grew up to be a handsome and courageous man (Some stories have Perseus being brought up by Dictys brother, Polydectes who was King of Seriphos).
Helped by the gods Athena and Hermes, Perseus killed Medusa of the Gorgons, rescued an Ethiopian princess Andromeda from a sea monster, sorted out those who wrong her, returned home, saved her mother from a lecherous king (Polydetes) by turning the bastard into stone with the use of the Gorgon’s head.
He then decided to make up with his granddad, went back to his native land. King Acrisius, on hearing the mighty Perseus (and consequentially his fate) was on his way, fled to another land where the king there so happened to have organized funeral games in honour of his deceased father.
Acricius was a spectator at the Games, when Perseus arrived to participate. As ordained by the Oracle, in the throwing event Perseus threw a discus (in some stories, a javelin) which hit and killed his grandfather.
Though he had accidentally killed his grandfather, he didn’t wish to return to Argos to claim his kingdom. He exchanged Argos with his cousin's kingdom, and became King of Tiryns instead.
Thus, in Perseus life, we see the typical pattern of a hero’s life progression, that from “royalty to humble unbringing, trials and tribulations, and back to royalty.”
Thus, were the stories of other Greek heroes like Amphion and Telephus. Romulus, the founder of Rome, and Sargon of Agade, the founder of Babylon also had similar life patterns.
But the hero of the biblical Exodus had a totally reverse story for his life.
To be continued ……..
Advice: Those who may take offence in seeing biblical (OT) quotations or liberal discussion of OT biblical characters should not read this topic.
While Keith Laidler, author of The Head of God admired Sigmund Freud’s piercing analysis that led to the identification of Moses as an Egyptian – bearing in mind this was in 1937 with its more limited reference material and very conservative Christian society - he felt that Freud was not bold enough to go further. In arguing his case, Laidler quoted one of Freud’s findings, that of the hero myths.
Hero myths around the world, particular those of the Mediterranean region, have always presented the story of a royal baby (or one fathered by a divine being, or even fathered ‘jointly’ by king and god) abandoned, or stolen, or failed to be killed by enemies but hidden successfully away etc, brought up by humble or poor foster parents, underwent dangerous trials and tribulations, and after succeeding all those obstacles would realise his royal birthrights (or realising his royal birthrights but forced to undergo trials and tribulations), and return to his royal origin. So we have the “royalty to humble upbringing, trials and tribulations, and back to royalty” process for heros.
A classic example of the hero myths is that related to Perseus from the House of Danaus.
Perseus was the grandson of King Acrisius of Argos. Before he was born, an Oracle told the King that he would be killed by his grandson, born of his daughter Danae. In an attempt to prevent that, the King locked Danae up in a bronze underground chamber (or, in some books, a tower) to isolate her completely.
The myth told of Zeus, the Lord of Olympus who was known as a raunchy stud, entering the confines of Danae cell as a shower of gold. Perseus was the God’s progeny. He was brought up secretly in her mum’s chamber for several months before his grandfather heard a baby’s cry emanating from the supposedly secure cell.
When the King came to know that Danae had given birth to Perseus, the grandson that he dreaded, he put her and the baby into a wooden chest and threw it into the sea. As would have it, the chest stayed afloat, and was rescued by Dictys, a fisherman of another land. Brought up under humble surroundings Perseus grew up to be a handsome and courageous man (Some stories have Perseus being brought up by Dictys brother, Polydectes who was King of Seriphos).
Helped by the gods Athena and Hermes, Perseus killed Medusa of the Gorgons, rescued an Ethiopian princess Andromeda from a sea monster, sorted out those who wrong her, returned home, saved her mother from a lecherous king (Polydetes) by turning the bastard into stone with the use of the Gorgon’s head.
He then decided to make up with his granddad, went back to his native land. King Acrisius, on hearing the mighty Perseus (and consequentially his fate) was on his way, fled to another land where the king there so happened to have organized funeral games in honour of his deceased father.
Acricius was a spectator at the Games, when Perseus arrived to participate. As ordained by the Oracle, in the throwing event Perseus threw a discus (in some stories, a javelin) which hit and killed his grandfather.
Though he had accidentally killed his grandfather, he didn’t wish to return to Argos to claim his kingdom. He exchanged Argos with his cousin's kingdom, and became King of Tiryns instead.
Thus, in Perseus life, we see the typical pattern of a hero’s life progression, that from “royalty to humble unbringing, trials and tribulations, and back to royalty.”
Thus, were the stories of other Greek heroes like Amphion and Telephus. Romulus, the founder of Rome, and Sargon of Agade, the founder of Babylon also had similar life patterns.
But the hero of the biblical Exodus had a totally reverse story for his life.
To be continued ……..
25 Saddam Husseins in Today's Iraq!
An Iraqi businessman Mohammed Jawad, a Shiite, used the analogy of camels to describe corruption in Iraq today:
"Iraq is like a sick camel. If it is healthy, no one can kill it. But when it is sick on the ground, the camel dies by a thousand knives."
He then identified Iraq's current corrupt ministers and their cronies as the wielder of the knives.
Jawad claimed that under Saddam Hussein, only 10% of business were corrupt, while today that figure has shot up to a staggering 90%. His explanation for this astounding escalation of corruption?
There are now 25 Saddam Hussein’s, courtesy of the Bush Administration.
Vice-President Cheney’s old company, Halliburton has also been mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald article for nonsensical billing of the Pentagon. One of its subsidiaries has billed the Pentagon for more than $US27 million to transport less than $US100,000 worth of fuel for the short haul from Kuwait to Iraq.
Jawad is despondent that the Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has appointed Ahmad Chalabi, a convicted fraudster as acting oil minister. Chalabi was better-known for his role in the multi-million dollar collapse of Jordan's Petra Bank, and is deemed a criminal in Jordan.
I blogged on the frightening case of Chalabi in an earlier post titled Iraq: Putting the Fox in charge of the Henhouse.
As the newspapers (links above) put it, Dick Cheney is nothing more than another fox, and we know that foxes of the same fur eat the chickens (or camels) together.
Did someone mention ’regime change’ for Iraq?
"Iraq is like a sick camel. If it is healthy, no one can kill it. But when it is sick on the ground, the camel dies by a thousand knives."
He then identified Iraq's current corrupt ministers and their cronies as the wielder of the knives.
Jawad claimed that under Saddam Hussein, only 10% of business were corrupt, while today that figure has shot up to a staggering 90%. His explanation for this astounding escalation of corruption?
There are now 25 Saddam Hussein’s, courtesy of the Bush Administration.
Vice-President Cheney’s old company, Halliburton has also been mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald article for nonsensical billing of the Pentagon. One of its subsidiaries has billed the Pentagon for more than $US27 million to transport less than $US100,000 worth of fuel for the short haul from Kuwait to Iraq.
Jawad is despondent that the Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has appointed Ahmad Chalabi, a convicted fraudster as acting oil minister. Chalabi was better-known for his role in the multi-million dollar collapse of Jordan's Petra Bank, and is deemed a criminal in Jordan.
I blogged on the frightening case of Chalabi in an earlier post titled Iraq: Putting the Fox in charge of the Henhouse.
As the newspapers (links above) put it, Dick Cheney is nothing more than another fox, and we know that foxes of the same fur eat the chickens (or camels) together.
Did someone mention ’regime change’ for Iraq?
Sunday, May 01, 2005
USA - Consistently Inconsistent! (3)
Before 9/11, Uzbekistan was mud in the eyes of the USA, because of its appalling human rights record. The State Department’s report on her brutalities was “a litany of horrors”, making the central Asian country truly feral.
But now, instead of the USA exercising its much-loved pronouncement of ‘regime change’ we see American partnership with a global thug.
Bush has even welcomed Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov to the White House - as he did with Ariel Sharon. The USA has given that ‘regime’ more than $500 million for border control and other security measures.
Kim Jong-il, don’t fret about Bush’s tirade against you - there may yet be hope.
But now, instead of the USA exercising its much-loved pronouncement of ‘regime change’ we see American partnership with a global thug.
Bush has even welcomed Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov to the White House - as he did with Ariel Sharon. The USA has given that ‘regime’ more than $500 million for border control and other security measures.
Kim Jong-il, don’t fret about Bush’s tirade against you - there may yet be hope.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Iraq: Putting the Fox in charge of the Henhouse
The USA's only notable achievement in Iraq thus far, and the most important one for the Cheney oil gang which includes Ahmad Chalabi, has been the forceful use of its money and influence to place the Pentagon’s favourite lackey, Ahmad Chalabi, into the new Iraqi cabinet as Oil Minister.
Anthony Cordesman said sarcastically of Chalabi’s appointment, though not entirely unexpected, as akin to “putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.”
That spells even greater gloom and trouble ahead.
The people of the USA, through their elected President, have invested heavily in Iraq. Samples of down-payments thus far are this, this, this, this and this - the actual list of down-payments is far longer but too many to exhibit in one posting.
But then, the prizes for Bush's neo-cons are oil, wealth and of course security for the State of Israel.
Anthony Cordesman said sarcastically of Chalabi’s appointment, though not entirely unexpected, as akin to “putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.”
That spells even greater gloom and trouble ahead.
The people of the USA, through their elected President, have invested heavily in Iraq. Samples of down-payments thus far are this, this, this, this and this - the actual list of down-payments is far longer but too many to exhibit in one posting.
But then, the prizes for Bush's neo-cons are oil, wealth and of course security for the State of Israel.
Dumb or Devious? But Certainly Despicable!
When asked about the probability of Saddam Hussein having WMD, former CIA chief , George Tenet told Bush that it was a slam dunk Iraq had those weapons. He now regrets those, in his admission, “two dumbest words” he had ever said.
That assurance from the CIA boss gave the Bush Administration the prime justification for the illegal war.
Perhaps it was more than just been dumb. There have been continuous accusations that the neo-cons in the Administration, particularly chickenhawks Cheney and John Bolton, had demanded, bullied and threatened intelligence officers to come up with the required intelligence output that justified the Iraqi invasion and occupation.
Like many other officials, George Tenet might have decided to fall into line.
The result of the Bush Admnistration connivance for America? Read and see this.
That assurance from the CIA boss gave the Bush Administration the prime justification for the illegal war.
Perhaps it was more than just been dumb. There have been continuous accusations that the neo-cons in the Administration, particularly chickenhawks Cheney and John Bolton, had demanded, bullied and threatened intelligence officers to come up with the required intelligence output that justified the Iraqi invasion and occupation.
Like many other officials, George Tenet might have decided to fall into line.
The result of the Bush Admnistration connivance for America? Read and see this.
Who was Abraham? (11)
Based on the works of scholars, who will be revealed when the blogging for this topic ends. Works of other authors may be included, but where these are done, full acknowledgement will be made.
Advice: Those who may take offence in seeing biblical (OT) quotations or liberal discussion of OT biblical characters should not read this topic.
Before he changed his name to Akhenaten, Amenhotep IV was co-regent to his father, Amenhotep III. According to Nicholas Reeves, author of the book Akhenaten, it was a short co-regency (about 12 years), with the son assuming complete powers after his father died. That was also when his far more famous wife Nefertiti came into prominence. She was a very beautiful woman, whose discovered bust lies in the Berlin Museum. It was stated that even the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler, was taken by her beauty.
In his book, Reeves discussed the various theories of her origin, including the possibility of her being a non-Egyptian, and concluded that, based on available evidence, she was Egyptian, and probably the daughter of Kheperkheprure Ay who was better known by his official title of the God’s Father, Lord Ay, the Grand Vizier to Akhenaten. The 'God' was a reference to the Pharaoh, thus the title 'God’s Father' could have meant the 'Pharaoh’s father-in-law'.
This made Nefertiti the cousin sister of Akhenaten, as Lord Ay was the brother of Akhenaten's mother, the Lady Tiye.
Amenhotep changed his name to Akhenaten (the glory of Aten) in honour of Aten, the sole god he worshipped, which was represented by the sun disk. Some historians suggested that it was the sunlight, or just light that he revered rather than the sun disk or the sun. But he was certainly the first historical figure to practise monotheism, much as Jews or Christians for obvious and understandable reason may wish to dispute.
The sun cult in Egypt, like sun cults of other countries, was very ancient, and manifested in the worship of Ra (or Re), and various other representations of the sun, such as Nefertem. The sun cult had its centre in Heliopolis, where among many sun temples, the priests of On served this god.
The politics in Egypt was not only influenced by the royal family but also by the clergy. During the times of Amenhotep III and the all conquering Tutmoses III (Akhenaten’s father and grandfather respectively), the Amun cult, with its base of worship in Thebes rose into political prominence under the patronage of those Pharaohs. In Egypt a compromise between religious cults, when it became necessary, was not unusual. Their gods would syncretised, as it did with the two most influential sects, into Amun-Ra, which became the 'chief' god. In fact their syncretism was already noticed much earlier, around the 5th Dynasty.
From whatever religious revelation, Amenhotep IV chose to worship only Aten (an earlier aspect of Ra or Re), making Aten-worship the official and only religion in Egypt. After his father’s death, he built a completely new city dedicated to Aten at modern day Tel al Amarna, and named it Akhet-aten, meaning 'the city of the horizon of Aten’.
To pursue his monotheistic doctrine, he banned all other Egyptian gods and even set about defacing or destroying them completely, hence he was later known as the ‘heretic’ Pharaoh. Some said he conducted the desecration to snub the powerful priesthood of Amun, with the intention of curbing their political powers. His reign was short-lived, when he either died or disappeared after a brief 17 to 20 years rule (the exact length of his reign is still uncertain).
After his reign, all evidence of his rule and his magnificent city Akhet-aten were destroyed to erase the memory of his unpopular monotheistic rule. It took nearly 3,000 years before an Egyptian woman digging for fertile soil for her garden accidentally stumbled upon some 300 clay tablets with hieroglyphs known as the Amarna letters, thus leading to the lost city of Amarna or Akhet-aten.
While it was known that he had several daughters, historians still debate whether he had sons. The growing consensus seemed to that the most famous Pharaoh in the world, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, Tutankhamun was his second son.
After Akhenaten’s highly unpopular rule, Lord Ay removed all reference to Aten in an effort to re-consecrate the old gods, even changing the name of the new Pharaoh, Akhenaten’s second son Tutankh-aten to Tutankh-amun to placate the angry priests of Amun.
Sigmund Freud analysed that one of Akhenaten’s Egyptian believer, a high official named Tutmoses, was the ‘Moses’ of the Bible. Tutmoses apparently 'adopted' the Hebrew tribes, converted them to the monotheistic Aten-ism, and led them out of Egypt.
Graham Phillips, author of The Moses Legacy also suspected the same thing, however suggesting that the biblical Moses was a composite of two members of Egyptian nobility, both named Tuthmoses, but living one century apart. One of them was probably the same Tutmoses identified by Freud.
However, Keith Laidler, author of The Head of God, disagreed.
To be continued ........
Advice: Those who may take offence in seeing biblical (OT) quotations or liberal discussion of OT biblical characters should not read this topic.
Before he changed his name to Akhenaten, Amenhotep IV was co-regent to his father, Amenhotep III. According to Nicholas Reeves, author of the book Akhenaten, it was a short co-regency (about 12 years), with the son assuming complete powers after his father died. That was also when his far more famous wife Nefertiti came into prominence. She was a very beautiful woman, whose discovered bust lies in the Berlin Museum. It was stated that even the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler, was taken by her beauty.
In his book, Reeves discussed the various theories of her origin, including the possibility of her being a non-Egyptian, and concluded that, based on available evidence, she was Egyptian, and probably the daughter of Kheperkheprure Ay who was better known by his official title of the God’s Father, Lord Ay, the Grand Vizier to Akhenaten. The 'God' was a reference to the Pharaoh, thus the title 'God’s Father' could have meant the 'Pharaoh’s father-in-law'.
This made Nefertiti the cousin sister of Akhenaten, as Lord Ay was the brother of Akhenaten's mother, the Lady Tiye.
Amenhotep changed his name to Akhenaten (the glory of Aten) in honour of Aten, the sole god he worshipped, which was represented by the sun disk. Some historians suggested that it was the sunlight, or just light that he revered rather than the sun disk or the sun. But he was certainly the first historical figure to practise monotheism, much as Jews or Christians for obvious and understandable reason may wish to dispute.
The sun cult in Egypt, like sun cults of other countries, was very ancient, and manifested in the worship of Ra (or Re), and various other representations of the sun, such as Nefertem. The sun cult had its centre in Heliopolis, where among many sun temples, the priests of On served this god.
The politics in Egypt was not only influenced by the royal family but also by the clergy. During the times of Amenhotep III and the all conquering Tutmoses III (Akhenaten’s father and grandfather respectively), the Amun cult, with its base of worship in Thebes rose into political prominence under the patronage of those Pharaohs. In Egypt a compromise between religious cults, when it became necessary, was not unusual. Their gods would syncretised, as it did with the two most influential sects, into Amun-Ra, which became the 'chief' god. In fact their syncretism was already noticed much earlier, around the 5th Dynasty.
From whatever religious revelation, Amenhotep IV chose to worship only Aten (an earlier aspect of Ra or Re), making Aten-worship the official and only religion in Egypt. After his father’s death, he built a completely new city dedicated to Aten at modern day Tel al Amarna, and named it Akhet-aten, meaning 'the city of the horizon of Aten’.
To pursue his monotheistic doctrine, he banned all other Egyptian gods and even set about defacing or destroying them completely, hence he was later known as the ‘heretic’ Pharaoh. Some said he conducted the desecration to snub the powerful priesthood of Amun, with the intention of curbing their political powers. His reign was short-lived, when he either died or disappeared after a brief 17 to 20 years rule (the exact length of his reign is still uncertain).
After his reign, all evidence of his rule and his magnificent city Akhet-aten were destroyed to erase the memory of his unpopular monotheistic rule. It took nearly 3,000 years before an Egyptian woman digging for fertile soil for her garden accidentally stumbled upon some 300 clay tablets with hieroglyphs known as the Amarna letters, thus leading to the lost city of Amarna or Akhet-aten.
While it was known that he had several daughters, historians still debate whether he had sons. The growing consensus seemed to that the most famous Pharaoh in the world, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, Tutankhamun was his second son.
After Akhenaten’s highly unpopular rule, Lord Ay removed all reference to Aten in an effort to re-consecrate the old gods, even changing the name of the new Pharaoh, Akhenaten’s second son Tutankh-aten to Tutankh-amun to placate the angry priests of Amun.
Sigmund Freud analysed that one of Akhenaten’s Egyptian believer, a high official named Tutmoses, was the ‘Moses’ of the Bible. Tutmoses apparently 'adopted' the Hebrew tribes, converted them to the monotheistic Aten-ism, and led them out of Egypt.
Graham Phillips, author of The Moses Legacy also suspected the same thing, however suggesting that the biblical Moses was a composite of two members of Egyptian nobility, both named Tuthmoses, but living one century apart. One of them was probably the same Tutmoses identified by Freud.
However, Keith Laidler, author of The Head of God, disagreed.
To be continued ........
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Desert Storm beomes Deserting Storm
The men and women of Desert Storm are now becoming the men and women of Deserting Storm. More than 5500 US soldiers have ran away from their military units, or refused to return to Iraq after on leave in the States.
A soldier, Camilo Mejia, reflected the views of the deserters:
"The commanders wanted us to get into firefights because they wanted to put that on their resume to make them look better. Thirty people were killed by my unit. About three of those people had weapons."
"Once you come home it's really hard not to think about it. You start going back to those moments and it's really hard to justify that."
Maybe we can help – by sending some Malaysians, who advocated and still advocate war in Iraq, to replace the deserters.
And don’t forget those chickenhawks like Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Bolton, or their kids.
Remember their motto? “We, the Few, the Rich, the Elite – Born to Kill, Not Serve”
A soldier, Camilo Mejia, reflected the views of the deserters:
"The commanders wanted us to get into firefights because they wanted to put that on their resume to make them look better. Thirty people were killed by my unit. About three of those people had weapons."
"Once you come home it's really hard not to think about it. You start going back to those moments and it's really hard to justify that."
Maybe we can help – by sending some Malaysians, who advocated and still advocate war in Iraq, to replace the deserters.
And don’t forget those chickenhawks like Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Bolton, or their kids.
Remember their motto? “We, the Few, the Rich, the Elite – Born to Kill, Not Serve”
Australia Now Wants to Sign Friendship Treaty
John Howard eats crow after his earlier refusal to sign the Treaty of Amity & Cooperation. Yesterday his Foreign Minister stated that Australia will sign the Treaty but wants an assurance that she’ll get invited to the East Asian Summit.
Related:
BolehTalk post - AAB tells Howard: Sign Up or Stay Out
Related:
BolehTalk post - AAB tells Howard: Sign Up or Stay Out
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Veggie, Animal & Not-quite-Mineral
Bush was sneered at as a dill, while Howard was accused of being Bush's lapdog. But Blair takes the cake as a liar.
How Does the US Military Plea: Never Guilty!
Early last month I posted the case of a kidnapped Italian left wing journalist, Guiliana Sgrena, who was freed by insurgents after successful negotiations.
While being driven to Baghdad arport to be flown home to Italy, the car carrying her was shot up by US troops.
Nicola Calipari, an Italian agent who had negotiated her release, and was with her in the car was killed in the shooting. He shielded her with his own body when the Americans started spraying bullets at their vehicle.
Sgrema and her party accused the US soldiers of deliberately targeting her and shooting to kill, as they didn’t want her alive for a variety of reasons.
Diplomatic relations between Italy and the USA were strained, with the US promising a full inquiry. As expected, the US has just cleared those troops responsible for the indiscriminate and murderous gunfire.
Italy has refused to endorse the report but what the hell can she do? When you deal with the crimes of American troops, whether it’s indiscriminate firing, bombing, missile attacks, tank or artillery shelling, napalming, chemical spraying etc that killed innocents, you will never get a conviction.
Remember the My Lai massacre, the gungho killing of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, the Falluja cold blooded murder of an unarmed wounded Iraqi in a mosque, the deliberate shelling by a US tank of particular journalists at a Baghdad hotel known to house international journalists, the bombing murder of Afghans and Iraqis at weddings, and the peacetime episodes of the Marine Air Corp Prowler aircraft cutting the cable of the ski car, killing 20 people (the Marines were swiftly flown back to the safety of the USA, much to the fury of the Italian Prime Minister and people), the sinking of a Japanese fishing training ship by a US submarine off Hawaii, and during the 1st Gulf War, the shooting down of an Iranian civilian airline by the USN Vincennes, killing more than 290 civilians (the US courts refused claims of compensation by the victims' Iranian families, while awarding generous payouts to victims of a KAL airline shot down by USSR fighters - subsequently after the Cold War ended, tapes released by the USSR proved that Korean Airlines was correct in its claims of non-culpability, but tough luck, the compensation of several hundreds of millions had already been paid out as ordered by the US courts).
While being driven to Baghdad arport to be flown home to Italy, the car carrying her was shot up by US troops.
Nicola Calipari, an Italian agent who had negotiated her release, and was with her in the car was killed in the shooting. He shielded her with his own body when the Americans started spraying bullets at their vehicle.
Sgrema and her party accused the US soldiers of deliberately targeting her and shooting to kill, as they didn’t want her alive for a variety of reasons.
Diplomatic relations between Italy and the USA were strained, with the US promising a full inquiry. As expected, the US has just cleared those troops responsible for the indiscriminate and murderous gunfire.
Italy has refused to endorse the report but what the hell can she do? When you deal with the crimes of American troops, whether it’s indiscriminate firing, bombing, missile attacks, tank or artillery shelling, napalming, chemical spraying etc that killed innocents, you will never get a conviction.
Remember the My Lai massacre, the gungho killing of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, the Falluja cold blooded murder of an unarmed wounded Iraqi in a mosque, the deliberate shelling by a US tank of particular journalists at a Baghdad hotel known to house international journalists, the bombing murder of Afghans and Iraqis at weddings, and the peacetime episodes of the Marine Air Corp Prowler aircraft cutting the cable of the ski car, killing 20 people (the Marines were swiftly flown back to the safety of the USA, much to the fury of the Italian Prime Minister and people), the sinking of a Japanese fishing training ship by a US submarine off Hawaii, and during the 1st Gulf War, the shooting down of an Iranian civilian airline by the USN Vincennes, killing more than 290 civilians (the US courts refused claims of compensation by the victims' Iranian families, while awarding generous payouts to victims of a KAL airline shot down by USSR fighters - subsequently after the Cold War ended, tapes released by the USSR proved that Korean Airlines was correct in its claims of non-culpability, but tough luck, the compensation of several hundreds of millions had already been paid out as ordered by the US courts).
Monday, April 25, 2005
The NW Frontier: Sharia versus Lust!
Shah Jahan Noori, the provincial police chief of Badakhshan province in Afghanistan denied that a woman in Gazan village was stone to death for adultery .. wait, let me rephrase that … for alleged adultery.
Noori stated that because a woman had been stoned to death in the same village in the 1990s, when the Taliban was in power, people assumed it must have happened again. He rejected this notion, reminding reporters that under the new government of Afghanistan, the judges, not the people, should decide who was at fault.
However, Noori didn’t offer any explanation as to why the woman had been executed, purportedly by her father … or perhaps even stoned to death by the villagers, as was reported, before the Afghan judges had a chance to determine the allegation.
The alleged male offender escaped. I wonder whether the woman’s husband will demand 'revenge rape' which is commonly practised among the tribesmen of NW Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A couple of years back, village elders including those who judged the case raped an innocent woman on the basis that her young brother had an affair with an older woman. That was an example of how Pakistani tribesmen applied the law of revenge rape. It was subsequently revealed that the charge against the brother was a frame-up, a lie, and that her brother was actually sodomised by one of the accusers. It appears that Sharia, the rule of Islamic law in force in Pakistan and Afghanistan, didn't help that unfortunate woman or her brother.
I have no doubt the village elders, who judge such matters, will support the husband's demand, and may even … let me rephrase that … will certainly join in. Up there in the NW frontier, they don't let issues like facts, evidence or the Sharia, that they claim to observe and practise, stand in the way of some free nookie.
The saga of Muktaran Bibi, the rape victim, exemplified the lie of PAS, the Islamic Party of Malaysia, that adoption of the rule of Sharia will stop "endemic social decadencies and rampant injustices."
Noori stated that because a woman had been stoned to death in the same village in the 1990s, when the Taliban was in power, people assumed it must have happened again. He rejected this notion, reminding reporters that under the new government of Afghanistan, the judges, not the people, should decide who was at fault.
However, Noori didn’t offer any explanation as to why the woman had been executed, purportedly by her father … or perhaps even stoned to death by the villagers, as was reported, before the Afghan judges had a chance to determine the allegation.
The alleged male offender escaped. I wonder whether the woman’s husband will demand 'revenge rape' which is commonly practised among the tribesmen of NW Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A couple of years back, village elders including those who judged the case raped an innocent woman on the basis that her young brother had an affair with an older woman. That was an example of how Pakistani tribesmen applied the law of revenge rape. It was subsequently revealed that the charge against the brother was a frame-up, a lie, and that her brother was actually sodomised by one of the accusers. It appears that Sharia, the rule of Islamic law in force in Pakistan and Afghanistan, didn't help that unfortunate woman or her brother.
I have no doubt the village elders, who judge such matters, will support the husband's demand, and may even … let me rephrase that … will certainly join in. Up there in the NW frontier, they don't let issues like facts, evidence or the Sharia, that they claim to observe and practise, stand in the way of some free nookie.
The saga of Muktaran Bibi, the rape victim, exemplified the lie of PAS, the Islamic Party of Malaysia, that adoption of the rule of Sharia will stop "endemic social decadencies and rampant injustices."
US: How to win enemies and piss off people
The famous Dale Carnegie wrote his best seller "How to win friends and influence people" nearly 70 years ago. Today the Bush Administration has set a new theme "How to win enemies and piss off people".
Read about another person who would have cause to hate the US for its unwarranted ‘terrorism’ against innocent people.
Carnegie also wrote another best seller titled "How to stop worrying and start living". The Bush Administration should consider another theme "How to stop terrorising and start worrying."
Read about another person who would have cause to hate the US for its unwarranted ‘terrorism’ against innocent people.
Carnegie also wrote another best seller titled "How to stop worrying and start living". The Bush Administration should consider another theme "How to stop terrorising and start worrying."
Sunday, April 24, 2005
US Moves Trade Goalposts Again!
Once again the politicians of the USA, so-called paragons of free trade, market competition and respecter of international trade laws are now prepared to buck World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to gain a trading edge over China, and indulge in a trade campaign of China-bashing. The US did the same thing against Japan in the 1980’s.
Last year it applied the same unfair tactics against, for crying out loud, a 3rd world nation, Vietnam, by imposing inappropriate and unfair tariffs on the Asian country’s catfish fillet exports just to please its own catfish producers. It even tried to ban the Vietnamese from calling their catfish what those fish were/are, catfish. The whole affair smacked of so much unfairness that even Senator John McCain, a POW held in the notorious Hanoi Hilton, argued against such discriminatory action.
Whenever its own inefficient producers cannot hold their own in trade competition, the US law makers would attempt to, and frequently succeed in moving the goalposts to suit their own selves, while demanding other countries open complete market access to their exporters.
The USA has reneged on WTO trade laws in steel, lumber and textiles against virtually every trading country around the globe. The supposedly free-trade Bush administration, in its first term, had tried to limit open trade, enraging even its allies, invited threats of retaliation and basically demonstrated to the world the president has abandoned his free-trade principles.
Even faithful ally Australia had from time to time lots of frustration with the USA over issues like agricultural subsidies favouring American producers, unfair tariffs on Australian lamb and flight rights. As one Australian trade official said, “what can you do when you’re in a cage with a 500 kg gorilla?”
Well, with China, the story may be slightly different as the Asian giant is also another 500 kg simian in terms of financial powers, holding credit to the US massive debts. All Beijing has to do to retaliate is to spurn US Treasury bonds and American interest rates will rise nastily.
Last year it applied the same unfair tactics against, for crying out loud, a 3rd world nation, Vietnam, by imposing inappropriate and unfair tariffs on the Asian country’s catfish fillet exports just to please its own catfish producers. It even tried to ban the Vietnamese from calling their catfish what those fish were/are, catfish. The whole affair smacked of so much unfairness that even Senator John McCain, a POW held in the notorious Hanoi Hilton, argued against such discriminatory action.
Whenever its own inefficient producers cannot hold their own in trade competition, the US law makers would attempt to, and frequently succeed in moving the goalposts to suit their own selves, while demanding other countries open complete market access to their exporters.
The USA has reneged on WTO trade laws in steel, lumber and textiles against virtually every trading country around the globe. The supposedly free-trade Bush administration, in its first term, had tried to limit open trade, enraging even its allies, invited threats of retaliation and basically demonstrated to the world the president has abandoned his free-trade principles.
Even faithful ally Australia had from time to time lots of frustration with the USA over issues like agricultural subsidies favouring American producers, unfair tariffs on Australian lamb and flight rights. As one Australian trade official said, “what can you do when you’re in a cage with a 500 kg gorilla?”
Well, with China, the story may be slightly different as the Asian giant is also another 500 kg simian in terms of financial powers, holding credit to the US massive debts. All Beijing has to do to retaliate is to spurn US Treasury bonds and American interest rates will rise nastily.
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