“To lose one election might be regarded as unfortunate, to lose both is careless” [Bastardised by the Baron from Oscar Wilde]

So you put the dickhead in rather than the geezer who came across as having a brain cell eh? And why did you vote for the imbecile? Because he told you what you wanted to hear. He may be a crazed madman that will lead the world to apocalypse a la Dr. Strangelove but at least you feel he’s sincere – he does I admit clearly believe that he receives his instructions directly from God. The fact that the NSA probably have a small speaker behind his shaving mirror is neither here nor there!

You were in a time of war, war against terrorists, against Al Qu’eda, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, North Korea, Iran, Syria – the axis of evil. (Apparently)

Does any of that actually stack up tho’ if it is analysed by anyone with any credibility? Well, frankly no it doesn’t. Yes September 11th happened and was indeed a large scale well-co-ordinated act, they do happen you know, we used to have them here all the time. What was different about this attack is that it was committed by foreigners on American soil. After all you didn’t go gung-ho into Oklahoma to root out the insurgents following the Timothy McVeigh bombing. (You didn’t really think he was a lone madman did you?) If an attack by foreign nationals means you can freeboot into anybody’s country based on any spurrious or completely fictious link does that mean that Britain may invade the US? The reasoning, well Britain has long been the target of terrorist attack from Irish nationalists and it is a well-known fact that these groups are funded by US groups and individuals. (That old chesnut eh, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, we may come back to that!) So the Irish groups represent a clear and present threat to UK national security and there is clear evidence of a link to the US -QED send the SAS into DC!

On a more serious note this terrorist organisation of which you speak I’m afraid isn’t an organisation it’s a series of various dispersed groups that will come together under 1 heading to accentuate the perceived influence. Of course the more their perceived influence is heightened by the media the greater the likelihood of people wishing to join their cause. Furthermore that perceived threat allows the passing of draconian legislation the like of which would normally be rejected but now rushed thru’ under the banner of ‘prevention of terrorism’. (If you take Britain as an example more than 70% of the people detained under new terrorism legislation are Irish, the others are muslims practically all of whom have been released without charge) Does that make the world any safer, well I’ll leave you to decide that one.

The US administration may feel it now has a mandate but all this has done for the world at large is given us confirmation that the lunatics have taken over the asylum and the ‘rogue state’ in the world is clearly the US itself. Many of us on the left have known this for decades but it is really coming home to roost for even the moderates now.

Now we know the Bible belt doesn’t care what the world thinks of it because we’re all herectical baby-killing commie homos here aren’t we, but the rest of America…? You are going to have to steal yourselves people for the bile and hatred and criticism which is now going to come from all quarters, you may not deserve it but I’m afraid just as some Americans can be very over-generalistic about the rest of the world so the rest of the world is learning to be very generalistic about America.

As a consolation to those of us on the Left (but not in the US) all we actually have to do now is watch the US economy – it could be said that it would have been extremely unfair on Kerry had he got in and had to clean up the financial mess left by the last lot. I don’t think they can put it off for another 4 years so the shit is going to well and truly hit the fan. Roll on the Senate elections in 2006! You know all that money that went on the military hardware to pay for war in Iraq, er looks like it was the US government equivalent of popping it on your Visa card and worrying about it later!

There was a rather insightful comment on the 49% minority site Sorry Everybody that said “We’re just as screwed” let’s remember people the mushroom cloud were it ever to come is gonna take us all with it. Likewise the financial timebomb is going to fuck everything up. As for those not in the West they’re fucked every which way.

As regards Dick Cheney’s assertion that he has a mandate now for a full-scale conservative term, coupled with Bush’s promise that he’ll see a ‘free’ Cuba let me assure you in the US administration of one thing, if the US tries anything on Cuba then the backlash will be like nothing before. You think there was a bit of resistence against Iraq, well bear in mind most of us didn’t actually like Saddam Hussein, he wasn’t a very nice man, sorry, of course you know that, you put him there… and funded him and sold him weapons and stuff. So that was a geezer we don’t like is your little brain starting to comprehend what it might be like for someone we are at least reasonably ambivalent to…? There will be international condemnation, there will be thousands of brigadistas converging to defend Cuba and there will be academics everywhere in open dissent and revolt. The UN will be forced to act by Russia and China so bring it on.

BTW just as a matter of interest perhaps someone can tell me how when the US were combing every inch of Afghanistan for OBL and Mullah Omah they managed not only not to find them but to miss a stockpile of 3 years of the largest heroin harvests on record? Doesn’t fill you with much confidence in their abilities -especially since one presumes they been told to look out for white powder in case of Anthrax anyway!

On an aside today is the day in England where we remember how an Anglo-French catholic tried to blow up a Franco-Scottish protestant King whilst he was in the assembly where all the English landed gentry met to discuss legislation that governed the English, Scots, Welsh and Irish.

“Remember remember the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot.”

Quite!

Song Of The Day – Edwin Starr ~ War

Original Comments:


Pimme made this comment,
If anyone out there thinks that the US economy is improving, maybe they can tell me why the dollar is at its lowest point in my lifetime?
Everything you just said is great!

Visit me @ http://pimme.blog-city.com

comment added :: 10th November 2004, 00:41 GMT+01
Rachel made this comment,
Great post, mate.
It was said that unemployment rates are down! I read somewhere that it’s simply because people have stopped looking for jobs. Sad, really.

I’ve heard numerous rumors that say Kerry was favoured amongst the terrorists. Well, where did we get this knowledge? Any info?

Visit me @ http://palmysinfullbloom.blog-city.com

comment added :: 10th November 2004, 03:33 GMT+01
Diogenes made this comment,
I agree that the US election was farcical. Here in Australia we’ve had an equally farcical election – but here it was 52% not 51%. Nevertheless we’ve been bombarded with rightwing rhetoric about how the whole population is rock solid behind the conservative government.
Visit me @ http://diogenes.blog-city.com

comment added :: 15th November 2004, 09:01 GMT+01
Danny the Infidel made this comment,
Hmmm….so you think that a Cuba under American pressure could turn in to a new ‘Spanish Republic’, attracting Socialist volunteres from all over? Could be, there are still a lot of revolution-romantics in the west world, and guess there are still a lot of die-hard communists in Russia looking for some paybacktime.
Also it seems like even if the Cubans DON’T like Castro very mush, they really don’t trust USA. Not after USA trying to put there hands on Cuba twice already (not counting Bay of Pigs).
Visit me @ http://upnorth.blog-city.com

[Redbaron responds – Yes Danny whilst I don’t think that there is the same potential band of left-wing bourgeois fighters it is clear from the battles in Afghanistan and Iraq that there is a large group of people who are incensed enough at US imperialism that they will travel to the fight. As regards the Cubans, you are correct they have every reason to distrust the US and the majority do regardless of their feelings for Castro.]

comment added :: 17th November 2004, 20:06 GMT+01