As blogged previously, a Central Asian regional organisation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, led by Russia and China, had called for the US to withdraw its military assets from the region, namely the "-stan" nations.
This is part of the strategic struggle (oil and military encirclement) between the USA and China, the latter being supported now by a Russia worried about an American busybody right in her own backyard.
Uzbekistan has now told the US military to leave Karshi-Khanabad air base, commonly known as K2, an important staging point in Uzbekistan for American military operations in Afghanistan, and unsaid, a listening post on China and southern Russia.
What is also not said has been persistant strategic US manoeuvres and diplomatic-military alliances to encircle its perceived Nemesis, China, by forming alliances/friendships of all sorts with a number of nations like Uzbekistan, Krygyzstan, Afghanistan, maybe Pakistan, India, (hopefully but unlikely) Nepal, Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan - maybe South Korea is no longer interested in the Anerican game because of growing economic ties with China and the wretched North Korean issue?
The American media attributed the expulsion of its military by Uzbekistan to Bush questioning President Islam Karin on his slaughter of Uzbek protestors recently, but as most people recalled, Washington had been conspicuously silent and tap dancing around that human rights issue. Saying that the Americans were expelled because of a human rights stand would be putting on the best brave face.
I reckon China and Russia had exerted a combination of diplomatic pressure, aid, and unreserved support of the regime, which now sees the USA being kicked out.
Related posts:
(1) US Ambassador for Oil
(3) Strategically Important Krygyzstan
(4) China – One Hell of a Market!
(5) US Laying Grounds for Kurdistan?
(6) USA vs China – The Fight for Black Gold
(7) USA – Consistently Inconsistent! (5)
(8) China’s 700 missiles vs USA’s 7,000 missiles
(9) US Plays Indian Card
(10) US Double Standards & Shaolin vs Taijiquan
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Snake Bit Man, Snake Died!
Mr Slithery thought it might be a good idea to bite a man, but hey, this was India. After it did so, the 5-foot snake (yes, not the bitten man) vomited blood and perished. A snake vomitted?
Hang on, that’s no ordinary man. He’s a priest, and not just any priest but one from the Nag Devta, a snake god. The temple is in Badapaghar village of Dumka district (now, which State would this place be in?). Needless to say, he recovered and attributed his miraculous salvation to Lord Shiva's blessings.
Now why did a snake in a temple of a snake god bite its own priest? I wonder whether there were any witnesses. Undoubtedly the alms collection would start almost immediately.
Snake worship in India is as ancient as India itself. In Hinduism, there are always snakes or serpents of some sort, consorting with various gods. Even today, snake worship still prevails in Hindu India, in states like Kerala. Lord Shiva of course is particularly associated with a snake, always having a cobra around his neck, symbolising his powers over both creation and destruction.
This claimed outcome of the encounter between the snake priest and an unfortunate snake reminds me of two stories about animal encounters with human beings.
One was an African elderly man who ripped the tongue out of a leopard which attacked him. 73-year-old Daniel M'Mburugu said "A voice, which must have been from God, whispered to me to drop the panga (machete) and thrust my hand into its wide open mouth, I obeyed."
Damn Spots died. That’ll teach other leopards not to mess around with humans, especially elderly men who speak with God (an African Shiva?).
Then, there was a case of an elderly woman in Alor Setar, in northern Malaysia, who was badly mauled by a couple of ferocious dogs. The woman’s family, not exactly bespectacled university professors of the fine arts or Indian classical studies (of Lord Shiva?), went to the house, caught hold of the 2 dogs and slaughtered them. They did the butcher bit, hung the two split-wide–open carcasses on the fence of the house, and demanded further accounting from the dogs' owner for his irresponsible lack of control of the poor dumb animals.
Fortunately for the man, the injured old lady rushed to the house (by car of course) to stop her family from butchering the master of Rin Tin Tin & Lassie.
You won't get the last story from the newspapers because it's all highly illegal vigilante stuff, told only by word of mouth, as Malaysians are wont to do.
Never mess around with humans. They are the most ferocious creatures on earth.
Hang on, that’s no ordinary man. He’s a priest, and not just any priest but one from the Nag Devta, a snake god. The temple is in Badapaghar village of Dumka district (now, which State would this place be in?). Needless to say, he recovered and attributed his miraculous salvation to Lord Shiva's blessings.
Now why did a snake in a temple of a snake god bite its own priest? I wonder whether there were any witnesses. Undoubtedly the alms collection would start almost immediately.
Snake worship in India is as ancient as India itself. In Hinduism, there are always snakes or serpents of some sort, consorting with various gods. Even today, snake worship still prevails in Hindu India, in states like Kerala. Lord Shiva of course is particularly associated with a snake, always having a cobra around his neck, symbolising his powers over both creation and destruction.
This claimed outcome of the encounter between the snake priest and an unfortunate snake reminds me of two stories about animal encounters with human beings.
One was an African elderly man who ripped the tongue out of a leopard which attacked him. 73-year-old Daniel M'Mburugu said "A voice, which must have been from God, whispered to me to drop the panga (machete) and thrust my hand into its wide open mouth, I obeyed."
Damn Spots died. That’ll teach other leopards not to mess around with humans, especially elderly men who speak with God (an African Shiva?).
Then, there was a case of an elderly woman in Alor Setar, in northern Malaysia, who was badly mauled by a couple of ferocious dogs. The woman’s family, not exactly bespectacled university professors of the fine arts or Indian classical studies (of Lord Shiva?), went to the house, caught hold of the 2 dogs and slaughtered them. They did the butcher bit, hung the two split-wide–open carcasses on the fence of the house, and demanded further accounting from the dogs' owner for his irresponsible lack of control of the poor dumb animals.
Fortunately for the man, the injured old lady rushed to the house (by car of course) to stop her family from butchering the master of Rin Tin Tin & Lassie.
You won't get the last story from the newspapers because it's all highly illegal vigilante stuff, told only by word of mouth, as Malaysians are wont to do.
Never mess around with humans. They are the most ferocious creatures on earth.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Uday Singh, a US Citizen
It’s not only the French who has the Foreign Legion. The US military has a significant number of foreign mercenaries in its ranks. Most joined to obtain US citizenship.
One Indian, 21-year old Uday Singh from Chandigarh, who joined the US Army as a private, became the American citizen he dreamed of becoming, posthumously. He was killed in Iraq in late last year. He was cremated in Chandigarh but laid to rest in his new country at the US military cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Poor Singh, who was truly keen to become a US citizen, wrote to his relative from Iraq just one month before he perished. He penned, "I got some more good news. My citizenship process has finally gone through."
Previously it was quite difficult to become a citizen even after serving in the US military, but President Bush made it easier for such foreign-born residents who joined the military for US citizenship.
Of the 15,000 new US citizens naturalized in July, hundreds were from the military. The US military has some 2% to 3% foreign residents, with the largest number from the Philippines. In 2004, there were 410 Indians actively serving the US military.
The Last Post was blown for Uday Singh. His Indian Parents received the Stars & Stripes as a memento of their son's sacrifice for his new country.
Requiescat in pace, Uday Singh.
One Indian, 21-year old Uday Singh from Chandigarh, who joined the US Army as a private, became the American citizen he dreamed of becoming, posthumously. He was killed in Iraq in late last year. He was cremated in Chandigarh but laid to rest in his new country at the US military cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Poor Singh, who was truly keen to become a US citizen, wrote to his relative from Iraq just one month before he perished. He penned, "I got some more good news. My citizenship process has finally gone through."
Previously it was quite difficult to become a citizen even after serving in the US military, but President Bush made it easier for such foreign-born residents who joined the military for US citizenship.
Of the 15,000 new US citizens naturalized in July, hundreds were from the military. The US military has some 2% to 3% foreign residents, with the largest number from the Philippines. In 2004, there were 410 Indians actively serving the US military.
The Last Post was blown for Uday Singh. His Indian Parents received the Stars & Stripes as a memento of their son's sacrifice for his new country.
Requiescat in pace, Uday Singh.
World's Most Powerful Women
The Forbes rankings are based on a mixture of visibility - measured by press citations - and economic impact.
1. Condoleezza Rice – US Secretary of State
2. Wu Yi – Vice Premier of China
3. Yulia Tymoshenko - Prime Minister of Ukraine
4. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – President of Philippines
5. Margaret Whitman - CEO eBay
Last Year’s Stars But Out This Year
3rd last year, completely out in 2005 - Sonia Gandhi, India's ruling Congress party chief
8th last year, completely out in 2005 - Megawati Soekarnoputri, former President of Indonesia
Missing?
What about Malaysia's Rafidah Aziz?
1. Condoleezza Rice – US Secretary of State
2. Wu Yi – Vice Premier of China
3. Yulia Tymoshenko - Prime Minister of Ukraine
4. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – President of Philippines
5. Margaret Whitman - CEO eBay
Last Year’s Stars But Out This Year
3rd last year, completely out in 2005 - Sonia Gandhi, India's ruling Congress party chief
8th last year, completely out in 2005 - Megawati Soekarnoputri, former President of Indonesia
Missing?
What about Malaysia's Rafidah Aziz?
Saddam Hussein in Court Fisticuffs!
Saddam Hussein attended court hearings into his alleged killings of Shiite Muslims. Suddenly bloke attacked Saddam as he was about to leave. President of the Tribunal did nothing to stop attacker. But Saddam exchanged blows with assailant.
Hey ho - a normal day in Baghdad.
Hey ho - a normal day in Baghdad.
US Double Standards & Shaolin vs Taijiquan
Can anyone blame Iran for accusing the Bush administration of double standard, as well as undermining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
What the USA has done was to agree to aid India’s civil nuclear programme, while insisting that Tehran abandon its nuclear ambitions or face international sanctions.
The upsetting double standard was made worse by the fact that Iran is a NPT member while India is not.
What has been clear about the US double standard is what I have blogged on earlier, Washington’s strategic intention to use India as a counterfoil against China.
President Clinton imposed sanctions on India after its 1998 nuclear bomb tests. Bush has now changed it. This means that it will be more difficult to convince Iran not to go down the N-path.
Nigel Chamberlain of the independent British American Security Information Council supported the Iranian accusation. He stated that Tehran had complied so far with the NPT and International Atomic Energy Agency inspection requirements, and now probably thinks it's all for nothing as India gets almost everything from the Americans without even toeing the IAEA line. Iran feels that they have been singled out unfairly by the US, egged on by Israel.
Israel is of course paranoid about a Persian N-bomb. There have been talks/speculations about an Israeli Air Force pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear plants if the Israelis believe that Iran nears the achievement of an N-bomb.
There is certainly sinister collaboration between the USA and Israel against Iran, while the UN (IAEA) and the Europeans are more inclined towards the persuasive and inclusive approach. It's not only an example of US double standards but a case of US-Israeli Shaolin tactics versus UN-European Taijiquan methods.
Related:
US Plays Indian Card
What the USA has done was to agree to aid India’s civil nuclear programme, while insisting that Tehran abandon its nuclear ambitions or face international sanctions.
The upsetting double standard was made worse by the fact that Iran is a NPT member while India is not.
What has been clear about the US double standard is what I have blogged on earlier, Washington’s strategic intention to use India as a counterfoil against China.
President Clinton imposed sanctions on India after its 1998 nuclear bomb tests. Bush has now changed it. This means that it will be more difficult to convince Iran not to go down the N-path.
Nigel Chamberlain of the independent British American Security Information Council supported the Iranian accusation. He stated that Tehran had complied so far with the NPT and International Atomic Energy Agency inspection requirements, and now probably thinks it's all for nothing as India gets almost everything from the Americans without even toeing the IAEA line. Iran feels that they have been singled out unfairly by the US, egged on by Israel.
Israel is of course paranoid about a Persian N-bomb. There have been talks/speculations about an Israeli Air Force pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear plants if the Israelis believe that Iran nears the achievement of an N-bomb.
There is certainly sinister collaboration between the USA and Israel against Iran, while the UN (IAEA) and the Europeans are more inclined towards the persuasive and inclusive approach. It's not only an example of US double standards but a case of US-Israeli Shaolin tactics versus UN-European Taijiquan methods.
Related:
US Plays Indian Card
Friday, July 29, 2005
British Police Doth Protest Too Much, Methinks
The lady doth protest too much, methinks
I have raised questions about the slaying of an innocent man by British police during a recent debacle. The police was looking for one of the London bombers (of the 2nd series) and in a Tube station mistook the late Jean Charles Menezes for a Pakistani terrorist, executing him there and then.
He was shot eight times, with 7 of those bullets in his head. I have never heard of police shooting a man in the head so many times. For a start, a head shot is extremely tricky. Police normally go for body shots. Therefore so many head shots would indicate that the shooting had to be at point blank range with the captive held down and immobile. Indeed that was how Menezes was killed.
I have also raised question as to why he was shadowed from his residence to the Tube before he was pounced upon. I doubt that police story, because if the Police thought he was a terrorist, it would have been commonsense to stop him earlier in a less crowded public place.
In an earlier post Join Police, Kill Strange Looking People, See the World I ‘discussed’ with a reader, speculating that the police might have gone after another person, probably the real suspect. But somehow they lost track of that person near or in the Tube, chanced upon Menezes who might have been dressed like the suspect, maybe even looked like him, and jumped on him in an overly eager aim to “get” one terrorist.
As I mentioned, speculation or not, it sounds more plausible than the story of shadowing the bloke from his residence to the Tube. Why shadow someone who wasn't even a suspect?
Now, his family have raised further questions, challenging the police story that Menezes was dressed in a bulky jacket, giving the lie that they thought he was hiding a bomb underneath that dress. In fact, he wasn’t. A cousin, Vivien Figueiredo said Menezes had been wearing a jean jacket. She denied that Menezes had jumped the station barrier to evade police.
This reminded me of Reverend Fred Nile of Sydney, a rather rightwing puritanical clergyman who warned the Aussie authorities and public several months ago that Muslim women wearing their flowing Middle-Eastern dress might hide cannons, anti-aircraft Patriot missile batteries, naval corvettes and a B-52 underneath their hems – OK ;-) just a wee bit of KTemoc creative blogging here, but basically he warned of weapons, and called for the chador to be banned. Some Christian Australians shut him up by suggesting that he examined the Catholic nuns first. That’s what I love about Aussies – they stand up immediately for the underdogs and take no sh*t from religious bigots.
Anyway, back to Menezes family, they also challenged the British authorities claim that Menezes visa had expired, explaining why the victim ran when challenged by police. I wasn’t surprised when that leak to the press came out this morning. Spin City has been in full revolution, weaving mitigative circumstances for the fatal and unjustified slaying. The Independent Police Complaints Commssion criticised the British Home Office for releasing that information.
- Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act 3 scene 2)
I have raised questions about the slaying of an innocent man by British police during a recent debacle. The police was looking for one of the London bombers (of the 2nd series) and in a Tube station mistook the late Jean Charles Menezes for a Pakistani terrorist, executing him there and then.
He was shot eight times, with 7 of those bullets in his head. I have never heard of police shooting a man in the head so many times. For a start, a head shot is extremely tricky. Police normally go for body shots. Therefore so many head shots would indicate that the shooting had to be at point blank range with the captive held down and immobile. Indeed that was how Menezes was killed.
I have also raised question as to why he was shadowed from his residence to the Tube before he was pounced upon. I doubt that police story, because if the Police thought he was a terrorist, it would have been commonsense to stop him earlier in a less crowded public place.
In an earlier post Join Police, Kill Strange Looking People, See the World I ‘discussed’ with a reader, speculating that the police might have gone after another person, probably the real suspect. But somehow they lost track of that person near or in the Tube, chanced upon Menezes who might have been dressed like the suspect, maybe even looked like him, and jumped on him in an overly eager aim to “get” one terrorist.
As I mentioned, speculation or not, it sounds more plausible than the story of shadowing the bloke from his residence to the Tube. Why shadow someone who wasn't even a suspect?
Now, his family have raised further questions, challenging the police story that Menezes was dressed in a bulky jacket, giving the lie that they thought he was hiding a bomb underneath that dress. In fact, he wasn’t. A cousin, Vivien Figueiredo said Menezes had been wearing a jean jacket. She denied that Menezes had jumped the station barrier to evade police.
This reminded me of Reverend Fred Nile of Sydney, a rather rightwing puritanical clergyman who warned the Aussie authorities and public several months ago that Muslim women wearing their flowing Middle-Eastern dress might hide cannons, anti-aircraft Patriot missile batteries, naval corvettes and a B-52 underneath their hems – OK ;-) just a wee bit of KTemoc creative blogging here, but basically he warned of weapons, and called for the chador to be banned. Some Christian Australians shut him up by suggesting that he examined the Catholic nuns first. That’s what I love about Aussies – they stand up immediately for the underdogs and take no sh*t from religious bigots.
Anyway, back to Menezes family, they also challenged the British authorities claim that Menezes visa had expired, explaining why the victim ran when challenged by police. I wasn’t surprised when that leak to the press came out this morning. Spin City has been in full revolution, weaving mitigative circumstances for the fatal and unjustified slaying. The Independent Police Complaints Commssion criticised the British Home Office for releasing that information.
Vietnam Haunts the USA but Inspires Iraq
The Council on Foreign Relations, one of the most prestigious US political research bodies, has accused the US government of actually boosting Iraq's insurgency by its lack of postwar planning.
Among many things, the study mentioned a few key factors such as inadequate troops in Iraq to stabilize the insurgency problems, and the lack of postwar reconstruction that engendered dissatisfaction among the local population and consequently promoted insurgency appeal. The report berated the Bush Adminstration for making a gross and critical miscalculation by believing it didn't need any more forces than the invasion itself.
The report used disparaging terms like ‘diffuse’ and ‘uncertain’ stabilisation and reconstruction efforts, meaning half hearted or half baked efforts without any firm direction or focus. It went on to admonish the Bush Administration by stating:
"Nation-building is not just a humanitarian concern, but a critical national security priority that should be on par with war-fighting."
"The failure to take this phase of conflict as seriously as initial combat operations has had serious consequences for the United States, not just in Iraq but, more broadly, for international efforts to stabilise and rebuild nations after conflict."
The force level required to stabilize Iraq had been calculated by two US generals at 450,000 troops. This was confirmed by a US think-tank. Yet the US Defence Department has only some 140,000 troops there, less than one-third of what is required. Therefore Rumsfeld is to be blamed for this because he wanted to apply his doctrine of light mobile blitzkrieg forces. His strategy has been heavily influenced by two major factors:
(1) The US painful Vietnam experience (and to a smaller degree, the Somalia debacle). Rumsfeld was mindful of politically unacceptable heavy losses like the 55,000 dead and many hundreds of thousands wounded and maimed in Vietnam. Ironically, his fears are now realized by the very doctrinal application he formulated to avoid the Vietnam effect.
(2) The US Defence Department's disdain for Iraqi ground forces, an impression gained probably from the 1st Gulf War. Unfortunately for Rumsfeld, he had assessed the Iraqis against a scenario of conventional warfare, where American air power and technology reign supreme. But he had forgotten that while Saddam may be evil, that doesn’t mean that Mother of all dictators has been stupid.
Like Rumsfeld too, Saddam and his generals (and most military around the world) had studied the Vietnamese experience. From that S-E Asian example, Saddam's strategy would be to accept/anticipate a loss in the conventional warfare during the invasion, but strike back in an insurgency uprising during the occupation.
In so anticipating an American conventional victory and subsequent occupation, the Iraqis had planned accordingly for the aftermath. Some likely strategies would have been the pre-positioning of arms caches at various strategic locations for use in guerilla warfare and the dispersal of its crack troops, the Republican Guards, among the Sunni dominated cities, towns and regions to fight as insurgents. A system of network for the insurgency would have been in place long before the invasion.
Unfortunately, what have occurred since then has been the hijacking of some portions of the resistance by Islamist groups like al Qaeda. They have been responsible for the suicide bombings and indiscriminate attacks.
The Vietnam War has traumatised the USA so much that its modern day military tactics have been formulated around its ugly experiences in the rice fields and jungles of Indochina. But that war, where a 3rd world nation beat the hell out of a 1st world superpower, admittedly at the horrendous cost of some 4 million of Vietnamese people killed and an entire country devastated, has inspired smaller and less well armed nations like Iraq.
The Vietnam example shows that there can be still active political and military “life” after alien military occupation.
Believe me, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, and many smaller nations have also planned their final fallback strategies likewise, along the model of the incredible fighting Vietnamese.
Among many things, the study mentioned a few key factors such as inadequate troops in Iraq to stabilize the insurgency problems, and the lack of postwar reconstruction that engendered dissatisfaction among the local population and consequently promoted insurgency appeal. The report berated the Bush Adminstration for making a gross and critical miscalculation by believing it didn't need any more forces than the invasion itself.
The report used disparaging terms like ‘diffuse’ and ‘uncertain’ stabilisation and reconstruction efforts, meaning half hearted or half baked efforts without any firm direction or focus. It went on to admonish the Bush Administration by stating:
"Nation-building is not just a humanitarian concern, but a critical national security priority that should be on par with war-fighting."
"The failure to take this phase of conflict as seriously as initial combat operations has had serious consequences for the United States, not just in Iraq but, more broadly, for international efforts to stabilise and rebuild nations after conflict."
The force level required to stabilize Iraq had been calculated by two US generals at 450,000 troops. This was confirmed by a US think-tank. Yet the US Defence Department has only some 140,000 troops there, less than one-third of what is required. Therefore Rumsfeld is to be blamed for this because he wanted to apply his doctrine of light mobile blitzkrieg forces. His strategy has been heavily influenced by two major factors:
(1) The US painful Vietnam experience (and to a smaller degree, the Somalia debacle). Rumsfeld was mindful of politically unacceptable heavy losses like the 55,000 dead and many hundreds of thousands wounded and maimed in Vietnam. Ironically, his fears are now realized by the very doctrinal application he formulated to avoid the Vietnam effect.
(2) The US Defence Department's disdain for Iraqi ground forces, an impression gained probably from the 1st Gulf War. Unfortunately for Rumsfeld, he had assessed the Iraqis against a scenario of conventional warfare, where American air power and technology reign supreme. But he had forgotten that while Saddam may be evil, that doesn’t mean that Mother of all dictators has been stupid.
Like Rumsfeld too, Saddam and his generals (and most military around the world) had studied the Vietnamese experience. From that S-E Asian example, Saddam's strategy would be to accept/anticipate a loss in the conventional warfare during the invasion, but strike back in an insurgency uprising during the occupation.
In so anticipating an American conventional victory and subsequent occupation, the Iraqis had planned accordingly for the aftermath. Some likely strategies would have been the pre-positioning of arms caches at various strategic locations for use in guerilla warfare and the dispersal of its crack troops, the Republican Guards, among the Sunni dominated cities, towns and regions to fight as insurgents. A system of network for the insurgency would have been in place long before the invasion.
Unfortunately, what have occurred since then has been the hijacking of some portions of the resistance by Islamist groups like al Qaeda. They have been responsible for the suicide bombings and indiscriminate attacks.
The Vietnam War has traumatised the USA so much that its modern day military tactics have been formulated around its ugly experiences in the rice fields and jungles of Indochina. But that war, where a 3rd world nation beat the hell out of a 1st world superpower, admittedly at the horrendous cost of some 4 million of Vietnamese people killed and an entire country devastated, has inspired smaller and less well armed nations like Iraq.
The Vietnam example shows that there can be still active political and military “life” after alien military occupation.
Believe me, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, and many smaller nations have also planned their final fallback strategies likewise, along the model of the incredible fighting Vietnamese.
Masters of Torture
Major General Geoffrey Miller, commander of Guantanamo Bay military prison recommended the use of ferocious guard dogs to threaten prisoners during interrogation.
US soldiers alleged that the permission to employ such draconian techniques had come from the very top of the Defence Department, namely Donald Rumsfeld, and were not random acts of abuse by rogue soldiers as officially announced.
Related posts:
(1) US Army Sacrified Goats to Gods!
(2) Will the US Army now Sacrifice Pigs to Gods
(3) Two Generals from North America
(4) Jihad over US Military Desecration of Koran
(5) The Afghanistan Anti-USA Jihad
(6) Desecration of Koran – Pentagon Knew All Along
(7) The Tragedy of an Afghan Taxi Driver
(8) Guantanamo – Pissing in the Wind
(9) Rumsfeld authorised Guantanamo Torture Techniques!
US soldiers alleged that the permission to employ such draconian techniques had come from the very top of the Defence Department, namely Donald Rumsfeld, and were not random acts of abuse by rogue soldiers as officially announced.
Related posts:
(1) US Army Sacrified Goats to Gods!
(2) Will the US Army now Sacrifice Pigs to Gods
(3) Two Generals from North America
(4) Jihad over US Military Desecration of Koran
(5) The Afghanistan Anti-USA Jihad
(6) Desecration of Koran – Pentagon Knew All Along
(7) The Tragedy of an Afghan Taxi Driver
(8) Guantanamo – Pissing in the Wind
(9) Rumsfeld authorised Guantanamo Torture Techniques!
The Man Time Forgot!
In the world’s biggest democracy, Machang Lalung has finally being released from jail, after spending 54 of his 77 years behind bars without any trial. The de facto sentence is even longer than some so-called ‘life sentences’ in the west.
In 1951, at the young age of 23, with all the dreams a young man has, he was arrested in his village of Silsangi for "causing grievous hurt". Even if he had been found guilty on that charge, he would at most have been jailed for 10 years. Instead he was incarcerated for 5 and a half times that, without any trial.
Because there was no evidence to support that charge, within a year of his arrest he was transferred to a psychiatric institution. Sounds like Communist Russia, doesn’t it, putting disagreeable people the state didn't like into mad houses, where the aim was probably to make that unfortunate but sane person mad.
But in fact, approximately 15 years after he was first apprehended, authorities at the psychiatric institution certified him as fully fit and decided to release him. But police then sent him to another jail.
Why?
Could it be there is or was a policeman out to either punish him or prevent him from ever being released. For the second possibility, the sad romantic in me suggests that could have been a woman involved in the police reprehensible detention. An Indian Count of Monte Cristo but with a failed ending.
His family, of those still alive, has forgotten about him entirely.
In the end, wouldn’t it be more kind to keep such a man in prison and let him die there in familiar surroundings, an environment that he lived within for 54 years. What can he could outside in an alien world he knows nothing about, and which has forgotten him?
Truly this is one of the most sad story I have heard for a long long time.
In 1951, at the young age of 23, with all the dreams a young man has, he was arrested in his village of Silsangi for "causing grievous hurt". Even if he had been found guilty on that charge, he would at most have been jailed for 10 years. Instead he was incarcerated for 5 and a half times that, without any trial.
Because there was no evidence to support that charge, within a year of his arrest he was transferred to a psychiatric institution. Sounds like Communist Russia, doesn’t it, putting disagreeable people the state didn't like into mad houses, where the aim was probably to make that unfortunate but sane person mad.
But in fact, approximately 15 years after he was first apprehended, authorities at the psychiatric institution certified him as fully fit and decided to release him. But police then sent him to another jail.
Why?
Could it be there is or was a policeman out to either punish him or prevent him from ever being released. For the second possibility, the sad romantic in me suggests that could have been a woman involved in the police reprehensible detention. An Indian Count of Monte Cristo but with a failed ending.
His family, of those still alive, has forgotten about him entirely.
In the end, wouldn’t it be more kind to keep such a man in prison and let him die there in familiar surroundings, an environment that he lived within for 54 years. What can he could outside in an alien world he knows nothing about, and which has forgotten him?
Truly this is one of the most sad story I have heard for a long long time.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Wisdom of God!
Why did God create man first?
So he wouldn't have to be told how to do it. ;-)
from an email recently - I am sure our ladies have something appropriate to say, or even riposte ;-)
So he wouldn't have to be told how to do it. ;-)
from an email recently - I am sure our ladies have something appropriate to say, or even riposte ;-)
Japan - A Study in Moral Recalcitrancy
Sadly Japan, and I am referring to the official and political side of this nation, is a country that cannot face up to its past, a past of such unmitigated evil - genocide in Nanjing, brutal use of Asian and Dutch women as sex slaves for its soldiers, torturing western priests and civilians - that it thinks if its people learn of those atrocities it is being masochistic. So in typical Japanese fashion, instead of being masochistic (though I don’t see the Germans complaining of this) it strives instead to be deceitful by whitewashing its WWII barbarism. Unlike Germany, it lacks the common decency and civilized mores to stand up to the realities of history and say, “Never again!”
It has removed its genocidal atrocities of Nanjing and the sex slaves issue from some of its school text books again. The Japanese government pleaded or pretended that it has no control, and that the revisionism does not represent Japan’s official views, even though it has been the Education Ministry which approved the use of those revisionist text books. Its rightwing elements are so powerful that even prime minister Koizumi has to kowtow to those unrepentant barbarians.
Such a nation without a sense of civilized repentance and moral courage should not deserve a leading status on the world stage, such as a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. I have no doubt that both Koreas and China will do their utmost to deny Japan what she yearns for, political recognition consistent with her economic status.
The only bright light in this sordid affair has been the courage of some Japanese citizens in protesting against the revisionism.
On the other hand, the gloomy and disappointing aspect has been the conspicuous and complete silence of the Western nations on the Japanese moral recalcitrancy, but who were most vociferous when Prince Harry spotted a Nazi armband to a fancy dress party (for God sake, just a fancy dress function for a young bloke) or some Singapore school kids still in their teens selecting Adolf Hitler as their ideal leader. The Chinese and Koreans should employ some Jewish consultants to advise them on how to handle the Japanese resistance to civilised behaviour.
Related posts:
Hitler’s Admirers & Re-Writing of WWII History
Koizumi told: Let War Dead Rest in Peace, Stop Visit to Yasukuni!
It has removed its genocidal atrocities of Nanjing and the sex slaves issue from some of its school text books again. The Japanese government pleaded or pretended that it has no control, and that the revisionism does not represent Japan’s official views, even though it has been the Education Ministry which approved the use of those revisionist text books. Its rightwing elements are so powerful that even prime minister Koizumi has to kowtow to those unrepentant barbarians.
Such a nation without a sense of civilized repentance and moral courage should not deserve a leading status on the world stage, such as a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. I have no doubt that both Koreas and China will do their utmost to deny Japan what she yearns for, political recognition consistent with her economic status.
The only bright light in this sordid affair has been the courage of some Japanese citizens in protesting against the revisionism.
On the other hand, the gloomy and disappointing aspect has been the conspicuous and complete silence of the Western nations on the Japanese moral recalcitrancy, but who were most vociferous when Prince Harry spotted a Nazi armband to a fancy dress party (for God sake, just a fancy dress function for a young bloke) or some Singapore school kids still in their teens selecting Adolf Hitler as their ideal leader. The Chinese and Koreans should employ some Jewish consultants to advise them on how to handle the Japanese resistance to civilised behaviour.
Related posts:
Hitler’s Admirers & Re-Writing of WWII History
Koizumi told: Let War Dead Rest in Peace, Stop Visit to Yasukuni!
Bagram Villagers: "Die America!"
The USAF air base at Bagram, Afghanistan is one of the most notorious American military torture centres. It forms an important component of the American Gulag Archipelago. In many ways, it is even more notorious than Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons because a few Afghans died there from American torture.
Some months back, an innocent Afghan taxi driver, who happened to be passing the air base shortly after the place was attacked by the insurgents, was dragged in by American guards, beaten and tortured until he couldn’t even bend his legs. He was deprived of water, with a young American guard deliberately tantalizing him with water placed in such a manner he couldn’t drink from. When left alone in his cell, he died from severe injuries. And the tragedy was many Americans at the base knew he was innocent.
Now, a crowd of more than 1,000 Afghans gathered outside Bagram chanting "Die America!" They threw stones at a passing convoy of US military vehicles and attempted to batter down the camp gate. The protestors also threw stones into the compound of the air base. Afghan guards had to use sticks to drive back the mob while other troops fired into the air.
The rioting was in protest against the detention of eight villagers at the base.
One of the protestors said "We have supported the Americans for years. We should be treated with dignity. They are arresting our people without the permission of the government. They are breaking into our houses and offending the people. We are very angry.”
Related posts:
The Tragedy of an Afghan Taxi Driver
The New Gulag Archipelago!
Some months back, an innocent Afghan taxi driver, who happened to be passing the air base shortly after the place was attacked by the insurgents, was dragged in by American guards, beaten and tortured until he couldn’t even bend his legs. He was deprived of water, with a young American guard deliberately tantalizing him with water placed in such a manner he couldn’t drink from. When left alone in his cell, he died from severe injuries. And the tragedy was many Americans at the base knew he was innocent.
Now, a crowd of more than 1,000 Afghans gathered outside Bagram chanting "Die America!" They threw stones at a passing convoy of US military vehicles and attempted to batter down the camp gate. The protestors also threw stones into the compound of the air base. Afghan guards had to use sticks to drive back the mob while other troops fired into the air.
The rioting was in protest against the detention of eight villagers at the base.
One of the protestors said "We have supported the Americans for years. We should be treated with dignity. They are arresting our people without the permission of the government. They are breaking into our houses and offending the people. We are very angry.”
Related posts:
The Tragedy of an Afghan Taxi Driver
The New Gulag Archipelago!
Stupid if He's Smart, Smart if He's Stupid!
In Virginia, USA, the courts will perform an IQ test to see whether a bloke convicted of murder ought to be executed. If his IQ falls below 70, he will be spared. If he is more intelligent than the quotient of 70, he will be “off-ed”.
It seems that the bloke had been tested before, and his score was 59 in 1998, but recently went up to 74 and 76. Ironically, with the recent increase in IQ he ought to be considered stupid because he has put himself some 4 to 6 quotient counts over the fatal line.
But jokes aside, the bloke Daryl Atkins was a young 18 when he and another person William Jones killed a man for beer money. Now this is the part that is uniquely America – namely ‘plea bargaining’.
‘Plea bargaining’ can take many shapes and forms for various reasons, but it has least to do with real justice. What screwed Atkins has been one where the prosecutors reached an agreement with Jones to testify against Atkins so that Jones received a life sentence in exchange for becoming the prosecution witness.
I wonder whether this unique American legal system has anything to do with the American privatized system where District Attorneys and prosecutors are elected, among other factors, on their record of convictions. Naturally such public attorneys want maximum success to support their re-elections, so ‘plea bargaining’ promotes more cooperative witnesses to support successful convictions.
Sometimes ‘plea bargaining’ takes the more draconian form of “OK you may not be guilty and I [the law] don’t give a shit. If you plead guilty anyway you’ll be guaranteed tops 5 years and with good behaviour etc get out in 3, but if you choose to fight and lose, I [the law] will ensure you get life or possibly the death sentence.”
Many innocent victims have submitted themselves to a jail term just to avoid the more repressive alternatives.
Scott Turow, famous crime author as well as a real lawyer, in his book Ultimate Punishment (about the death sentence in America - I haven't finished the book yet) provided an example in the earlier pages where in the case of Roland Cruz and Alex Hernandez, convicted twice for murder which they didn't commit, was finally proven innocent when the real killer, one Brian Dugan was arrested and confessed to those murders. Turow related that even after this, the DuPage county prosecution still stubbornly refused to acknowledge their innocence or even question Dugan to get the truth, but instead went to the extent of attempting to rubbish Dugan's confession for 10 years. The DuPage prosecution pursued the case to put Cruz and Hernandez away for good until they finally caved in when Cruz was acquitted for a third time, and both men released.
It seems to me to be a case of the prosecution's overwhelming need to protect their record, even if two innocent men had to go to the gallows.
Wasn’t it former Secretary of State Madame Madeleine Albright who lectured Malaysia on due process?
It seems that the bloke had been tested before, and his score was 59 in 1998, but recently went up to 74 and 76. Ironically, with the recent increase in IQ he ought to be considered stupid because he has put himself some 4 to 6 quotient counts over the fatal line.
But jokes aside, the bloke Daryl Atkins was a young 18 when he and another person William Jones killed a man for beer money. Now this is the part that is uniquely America – namely ‘plea bargaining’.
‘Plea bargaining’ can take many shapes and forms for various reasons, but it has least to do with real justice. What screwed Atkins has been one where the prosecutors reached an agreement with Jones to testify against Atkins so that Jones received a life sentence in exchange for becoming the prosecution witness.
I wonder whether this unique American legal system has anything to do with the American privatized system where District Attorneys and prosecutors are elected, among other factors, on their record of convictions. Naturally such public attorneys want maximum success to support their re-elections, so ‘plea bargaining’ promotes more cooperative witnesses to support successful convictions.
Sometimes ‘plea bargaining’ takes the more draconian form of “OK you may not be guilty and I [the law] don’t give a shit. If you plead guilty anyway you’ll be guaranteed tops 5 years and with good behaviour etc get out in 3, but if you choose to fight and lose, I [the law] will ensure you get life or possibly the death sentence.”
Many innocent victims have submitted themselves to a jail term just to avoid the more repressive alternatives.
Scott Turow, famous crime author as well as a real lawyer, in his book Ultimate Punishment (about the death sentence in America - I haven't finished the book yet) provided an example in the earlier pages where in the case of Roland Cruz and Alex Hernandez, convicted twice for murder which they didn't commit, was finally proven innocent when the real killer, one Brian Dugan was arrested and confessed to those murders. Turow related that even after this, the DuPage county prosecution still stubbornly refused to acknowledge their innocence or even question Dugan to get the truth, but instead went to the extent of attempting to rubbish Dugan's confession for 10 years. The DuPage prosecution pursued the case to put Cruz and Hernandez away for good until they finally caved in when Cruz was acquitted for a third time, and both men released.
It seems to me to be a case of the prosecution's overwhelming need to protect their record, even if two innocent men had to go to the gallows.
Wasn’t it former Secretary of State Madame Madeleine Albright who lectured Malaysia on due process?
US plays the Indian Card
India as the world’s largest democracy and an undeclared but nevertheless nuclear-capable state has also chaffed at the unequal treatment the West, especially the USA, had doled out to her. To make matters worse, the USA has over the decades favoured rogue state Pakistan, India’s archenemy, over the democratic nation because Pakistan demonstrated her willingness to come under America’s umbrella or behave as her ally.
Now, the USA has opened up her nuclear technology to India, accepting the Asian nation as an “equal” of sorts.
Why?
Because the USA wants to use India as a counterfoil against China, whom the Americans feared. In other words, the new US friendliness to India came with a motive, to ‘deploy’ an up and coming Asian power against another. As far as the Americans are concerned, there is no such thing as a free meal.
Will India, a nation with a consistent non-aligned political doctrine since her independence, a founding member of the Bandung Conference, play ball with the Americans? Will she just take the American N-technology and say ‘thank you, but no thanks’, or will she be seduced by her new American-elevated status and gravitate towards the western camp?
Russia, India’s best friend through the latter’s difficult years of non-aligned neglect, is also watching the new American startegic development.
The Americans are at it again – for their own interests of course.
Now, the USA has opened up her nuclear technology to India, accepting the Asian nation as an “equal” of sorts.
Why?
Because the USA wants to use India as a counterfoil against China, whom the Americans feared. In other words, the new US friendliness to India came with a motive, to ‘deploy’ an up and coming Asian power against another. As far as the Americans are concerned, there is no such thing as a free meal.
Will India, a nation with a consistent non-aligned political doctrine since her independence, a founding member of the Bandung Conference, play ball with the Americans? Will she just take the American N-technology and say ‘thank you, but no thanks’, or will she be seduced by her new American-elevated status and gravitate towards the western camp?
Russia, India’s best friend through the latter’s difficult years of non-aligned neglect, is also watching the new American startegic development.
The Americans are at it again – for their own interests of course.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Join Police, Kill Strange Looking People, See the World!
Isn’t it great?
After slaying an innocent Brazilian with 8 shots in the poor bloke's head, the police officer was congratulated by Home Secretary Charles Clarke. Now he and his family get a free holiday, fully paid for by the Metropolitan Police, as authorised by the police commissioner.
Another officer involved has also gone on such a free family holiday. Truly congratulations du Charles Clarke are in order.
The old joke on US military recruiting was the unofficial ad saying “Join the Armed Services to see the world and kill strange looking people”, but the British police could have “Join the police to kill strange looking people and get a free family holiday to see the world.”
Now it seems that the ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy has been BACKDATED to 6 months after the 9/11 incident, when only a week ago, before the 8-shot execution, such a policy was strenuously denied by the police.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has begun (minus of course a couple of key police officers including the one who pulled the trigger), but Amnesty International has asked for an inquiry that is prompt, thorough, independent and impartial and must comply with relevant international standards.
I think they remembered the world famous British Hutton Inquiry whitewash.
After slaying an innocent Brazilian with 8 shots in the poor bloke's head, the police officer was congratulated by Home Secretary Charles Clarke. Now he and his family get a free holiday, fully paid for by the Metropolitan Police, as authorised by the police commissioner.
Another officer involved has also gone on such a free family holiday. Truly congratulations du Charles Clarke are in order.
The old joke on US military recruiting was the unofficial ad saying “Join the Armed Services to see the world and kill strange looking people”, but the British police could have “Join the police to kill strange looking people and get a free family holiday to see the world.”
Now it seems that the ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy has been BACKDATED to 6 months after the 9/11 incident, when only a week ago, before the 8-shot execution, such a policy was strenuously denied by the police.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has begun (minus of course a couple of key police officers including the one who pulled the trigger), but Amnesty International has asked for an inquiry that is prompt, thorough, independent and impartial and must comply with relevant international standards.
I think they remembered the world famous British Hutton Inquiry whitewash.
Taiwan & the Son of Heaven!
Two months ago James Soon, leader of Taiwan's People First Party (PFP), made a visit to Beijing and was met and feted by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Soong was the second Taiwanese Opposition leader given the red carpet welcome by Beijing. Obviously, the aim of mainland China has been to outmanoeuvre and deliberately marginalise Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian.
The issue is of course the independence of Taiwan. Only President Chen and some of his American and Japanese rightwing supporters desire that. Beijing has time and time again warned against any such bright ideas. Taiwan's Opposition parties, mainly the Kuomintang or its splinter groups, are hardcore Chinese nationalists and thus uphold the indivisibility of One China. In this, the Koumintang and Beijing are of one mind.
Then Chen, witnessing his political opponents given the red carpet treatment in Beijing, panicked and fell for Beijing’s tactics of isolating him into a cross-straits political nonentity. He had been initially unaccommodating to Beijing’s overtures, believing that with President Bush in the White House, he could drag the USA into the cross-straits imbroglio, and present China with a fait accompli, an independent Taiwan.
Washington, particularly the State Department, and America's top business corporations like Boeing, Microsoft, IBM, etc have been very wary of President Chen's loose cannon brinksmanship in his unrealistic drive for de jure political independence today. Even Google played ball with the mainland Chinese by not permitting the word 'democratic' (or something to this effect) appear on the Chinese Google.
They know Beijing is not yet ready to accede to Taiwan's demand, and to protect relationship (for the US State Department) and business interests for the American conglomerates, they toe the 'party' line (the Chinese party line, that is).
I personally believe China will let Taiwan go its own independent way in another twenty or thirty years when matters are more stable in China's NW regions and Tibet.
The second reason is 'face' and we are talking about 'face' inside China, rather than with the world. Chinese leaders will have problems among their own constituencies like party members and the military. If they allow Taiwan to sever the historical/nationalistic umblical cord, they themselves won't last long.
The third reason is to retain a slight tension across the straits. China doesn't want countries like the USA and Japan getting silly ideas that they could develop pro-American or even pro-Japan independent states with military bases or spying stations in those states (like South Korea)around Chung Kuo.
China is aware that the USA has been courting Vietnam, India, Nepal, and the "-stan" nations of Central Asia as part of its encirclement-of-China strategy. China, together with Russia, have already neutralised the last through the Shanghai Cooperative Organisation (SCO). She has also been doing some wooing of her own, with Vietnam, India, South Korea, and ASEAN nations. She supports North Korea, Nepal and Burma with military and other aid, and has strong economic and cooperative ties with the "-stan" nations and Iran.
Back to Taiwan - President Chen had initially and stridently criticized the trips of the two opposition leaders, but when he saw the tumultuous and warm reception they received in Beijing, he quickly expressed cautious support for them. Just trust a politician to notice the favourable situation and jump on the bandwagon.
Thus, he couldn’t contain himself anymore, and wanted to get into the act himself, declaring that he alone would be capable of breaking the deadlock with China over Taiwan's political status. He wanted to talk to Beijing himself and sought an invitation. Beijing snubbed him of course. The Son of Heaven chooses who he wishes to speak to!
Chen's pro-independence supporters had been absolutely furious with his change of direction, and demanded that he be resolute with the irreversible course of independence.
Now, as another tantalising teaser at Chen, Chinese President Hu Jintao has just congratulated Taiwan opposition leader James Soong for his re-election as head of the People First Party (PFP), where Soong secured more than 99 percent of the party's vote. The Son of Heaven has shown who is in his favour!
But the fact that Soong has emerged overwhelmingly victorious in his party election does indicate that not every Taiwanese is interested in Chen's provocative brand of independence. Afterall, Taiwan is already de facto independent.
The issue is of course the independence of Taiwan. Only President Chen and some of his American and Japanese rightwing supporters desire that. Beijing has time and time again warned against any such bright ideas. Taiwan's Opposition parties, mainly the Kuomintang or its splinter groups, are hardcore Chinese nationalists and thus uphold the indivisibility of One China. In this, the Koumintang and Beijing are of one mind.
Then Chen, witnessing his political opponents given the red carpet treatment in Beijing, panicked and fell for Beijing’s tactics of isolating him into a cross-straits political nonentity. He had been initially unaccommodating to Beijing’s overtures, believing that with President Bush in the White House, he could drag the USA into the cross-straits imbroglio, and present China with a fait accompli, an independent Taiwan.
Washington, particularly the State Department, and America's top business corporations like Boeing, Microsoft, IBM, etc have been very wary of President Chen's loose cannon brinksmanship in his unrealistic drive for de jure political independence today. Even Google played ball with the mainland Chinese by not permitting the word 'democratic' (or something to this effect) appear on the Chinese Google.
They know Beijing is not yet ready to accede to Taiwan's demand, and to protect relationship (for the US State Department) and business interests for the American conglomerates, they toe the 'party' line (the Chinese party line, that is).
I personally believe China will let Taiwan go its own independent way in another twenty or thirty years when matters are more stable in China's NW regions and Tibet.
The second reason is 'face' and we are talking about 'face' inside China, rather than with the world. Chinese leaders will have problems among their own constituencies like party members and the military. If they allow Taiwan to sever the historical/nationalistic umblical cord, they themselves won't last long.
The third reason is to retain a slight tension across the straits. China doesn't want countries like the USA and Japan getting silly ideas that they could develop pro-American or even pro-Japan independent states with military bases or spying stations in those states (like South Korea)around Chung Kuo.
China is aware that the USA has been courting Vietnam, India, Nepal, and the "-stan" nations of Central Asia as part of its encirclement-of-China strategy. China, together with Russia, have already neutralised the last through the Shanghai Cooperative Organisation (SCO). She has also been doing some wooing of her own, with Vietnam, India, South Korea, and ASEAN nations. She supports North Korea, Nepal and Burma with military and other aid, and has strong economic and cooperative ties with the "-stan" nations and Iran.
Back to Taiwan - President Chen had initially and stridently criticized the trips of the two opposition leaders, but when he saw the tumultuous and warm reception they received in Beijing, he quickly expressed cautious support for them. Just trust a politician to notice the favourable situation and jump on the bandwagon.
Thus, he couldn’t contain himself anymore, and wanted to get into the act himself, declaring that he alone would be capable of breaking the deadlock with China over Taiwan's political status. He wanted to talk to Beijing himself and sought an invitation. Beijing snubbed him of course. The Son of Heaven chooses who he wishes to speak to!
Chen's pro-independence supporters had been absolutely furious with his change of direction, and demanded that he be resolute with the irreversible course of independence.
Now, as another tantalising teaser at Chen, Chinese President Hu Jintao has just congratulated Taiwan opposition leader James Soong for his re-election as head of the People First Party (PFP), where Soong secured more than 99 percent of the party's vote. The Son of Heaven has shown who is in his favour!
But the fact that Soong has emerged overwhelmingly victorious in his party election does indicate that not every Taiwanese is interested in Chen's provocative brand of independence. Afterall, Taiwan is already de facto independent.
Piggy Paintings
Wim Delvoye, a Belgian artist went to China, bought a pig farm at Chenjiatuo village, hired some local farmers and raise some 20 sows.
Is he contemplating selling pork or other related porky products for the market?
Well, in a sort of way. He tattoos his pigs, using the animals as canvases for skin art at his Art Farm. He prefers big, fat pigs - these providing larger canvases, I presume. I wonder why only sows and not boars? Maybe the male variety don't fancy being prettied up?
To avoid mucho squealing, the pigs get sedatives before they go under the needle. Delvoye keeps the tattooed pigs far longer than those normal farm pigs that are reared for slaughter. OK, perhaps I am speculating here, but I reckon at least until he gets another inspiration, which would then require a new sow, therefore out with the least exciting canvas.
Collectors can either buy the pigs live and pay for their keep as "foster parents" (with art, I prefer the word 'patron' - sounds more classy - maybe I'll advise Delvoye) or purchase their tattoo-festooned skins for display after you-know-what-happened.
Delvoye said, "Tattoos remind you of death. It's leaving something permanent on something non-permanent. Even when tattooing flowers, there is a morbid side to the activity."
Thus, mortality is a primary theme in his porky "paintings." I bet those piggies would certainly agree. I do wonder whether Delvoye preaches vegetarianism and abstaining from killing, or does he do his tattooing after a heraty breakfast of eggs and ... eh ... bacon?
Is he contemplating selling pork or other related porky products for the market?
Well, in a sort of way. He tattoos his pigs, using the animals as canvases for skin art at his Art Farm. He prefers big, fat pigs - these providing larger canvases, I presume. I wonder why only sows and not boars? Maybe the male variety don't fancy being prettied up?
To avoid mucho squealing, the pigs get sedatives before they go under the needle. Delvoye keeps the tattooed pigs far longer than those normal farm pigs that are reared for slaughter. OK, perhaps I am speculating here, but I reckon at least until he gets another inspiration, which would then require a new sow, therefore out with the least exciting canvas.
Collectors can either buy the pigs live and pay for their keep as "foster parents" (with art, I prefer the word 'patron' - sounds more classy - maybe I'll advise Delvoye) or purchase their tattoo-festooned skins for display after you-know-what-happened.
Delvoye said, "Tattoos remind you of death. It's leaving something permanent on something non-permanent. Even when tattooing flowers, there is a morbid side to the activity."
Thus, mortality is a primary theme in his porky "paintings." I bet those piggies would certainly agree. I do wonder whether Delvoye preaches vegetarianism and abstaining from killing, or does he do his tattooing after a heraty breakfast of eggs and ... eh ... bacon?
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Hitler's Admirers & Re-Writing of WWII History
Hey, it’s not only Singaporean school kids who have been impressed by Adolf Hitler. Across the Indian Ocean, in the Indian state of Gujarat, some school text books have praised the Austrian corporal as follows:
"Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German government within a short time, establishing a strong administrative set-up."
Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest, condemned the books of more than 300 factual errors. And worse, no mention was even made of the Holocaust.
The Gujarat government said that ‘anomalies’ arose when the book was translated from Gujarati into English, and were quoted out of context. It said Father Prakash charges are completely baseless.
I don’t see how translation errors could have made the terrible fact of the Holocaust disappear into thin air? Nor could I fathom how Hitler’s bullying, Machiavellian manipulations and political intimidation and murdering could be equated to dignity, prestige, and a strong administrative set-up?
What the Gujarati example has shown is precisely what the Japanese authorities, particularly its Education Ministry, have condoned in some of its new text books. Why the Education Ministry? It approves the use of such revisionist books.
The revisionist texts were written by the Society for History Textbook Reform (Tsukurukai), a group of neo-nationalist academics, who asserted there’s no point in Japanese being masochistic. No one requires the Japanese kids to be masochistic but certainly every family member of those who suffered under the Japanese brutal occupation wants the Japanese not to be deceitful to facts. Erasing facts of atrocities is deceitful.
What their revised text books have deliberately omitted are the Nanjing massacre, comfort women (what a f***ing terrible word – pun not intended, anger - yes), and numerous accounts of Japanese WW II military brutalities and atrocities. The last have been euphemized as minor incidents, and the aggression of its invasion attributed to liberation of the Asian people, and in the case of Korea, as an invitation (to come and f*** us?).
"Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German government within a short time, establishing a strong administrative set-up."
Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest, condemned the books of more than 300 factual errors. And worse, no mention was even made of the Holocaust.
The Gujarat government said that ‘anomalies’ arose when the book was translated from Gujarati into English, and were quoted out of context. It said Father Prakash charges are completely baseless.
I don’t see how translation errors could have made the terrible fact of the Holocaust disappear into thin air? Nor could I fathom how Hitler’s bullying, Machiavellian manipulations and political intimidation and murdering could be equated to dignity, prestige, and a strong administrative set-up?
What the Gujarati example has shown is precisely what the Japanese authorities, particularly its Education Ministry, have condoned in some of its new text books. Why the Education Ministry? It approves the use of such revisionist books.
 |
| rape of nanjing (nanking) |
The revisionist texts were written by the Society for History Textbook Reform (Tsukurukai), a group of neo-nationalist academics, who asserted there’s no point in Japanese being masochistic. No one requires the Japanese kids to be masochistic but certainly every family member of those who suffered under the Japanese brutal occupation wants the Japanese not to be deceitful to facts. Erasing facts of atrocities is deceitful.
What their revised text books have deliberately omitted are the Nanjing massacre, comfort women (what a f***ing terrible word – pun not intended, anger - yes), and numerous accounts of Japanese WW II military brutalities and atrocities. The last have been euphemized as minor incidents, and the aggression of its invasion attributed to liberation of the Asian people, and in the case of Korea, as an invitation (to come and f*** us?).
A Blow for Menezes' Family
Jean Charles de Menezes came from a very poor family back in Brazil. As in the case of many Malaysians and Filipinos, his parents had depended upon him for financial support. His death was a monumental blow to them.
His family has refused to accept the apologies of the British authorities. His father bewailed: "It's all over for me. I hope the police officers will be punished because they killed an innocent person. I cannot forgive them at all."
His cousin called the British police what many Americans have been calling their cops,
”pigs”!
His family has refused to accept the apologies of the British authorities. His father bewailed: "It's all over for me. I hope the police officers will be punished because they killed an innocent person. I cannot forgive them at all."
His cousin called the British police what many Americans have been calling their cops,
”pigs”!
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