Im meeting one of the guys, Moazzam Begg. He's doing a talk on Monday at the Uni. Looking forward to what he's going to have to say!
Eoin Mullen, Bohemians legend!
"You should always take good care of your cat" - Postman Pat, 1991
2005 - a great year for Irish football
Originally Posted by aido_b
Way to go aidob/aidoM.
Tell him there are a lot of Irish folk who are disgusted with the current US regime and their nudge-nudge, wink-wink messages the prison guards to circumvent civilised behaviour in the treatment of prisoners.
Interesting article here on Guantanamo
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artm...ew.cgi/37/9797
Going a little off topic, but Bush just signed a renewal of the Patriot Act. Just to comfirm his willingness to not only abuse the prisoners at gitmo, but also the constitutional and civil rights of his countries own citizens. One thing in the Act that really gets me is that the feds can enter your home and remove items, even when you are not there, without any form of a warrant! You only need to give them a hint of any 'anti-American' behavior for them to justify this intrusion. It amazes me how the American public are not up in arms over this.
Did you ever notice that in every painting of Adam & Eve, they have belly buttons. Think about that...take as long as you want.
The Patriot Act is the greatest marketing of a piece of legislation since.....ever? What politicians could vote against a Patriot Act? Wouldn't that be unpatriotic?
I think Patriot Act 2 contains the dropping of warrant requirement? What could the police services need to do that they can't get judge to approve a warrant? I'm sure in cases of national security judges are already approving warrnats anyway...
Well, they claim it saves them time and that is their justification in their so called war on terror. Problem is, the damn thing is so open to abuse by local law enforcement, there is going to come a time when the local cop can just prance into your home when he feels like it because someone at the doughnut shop gave him a 'tip'.I think Patriot Act 2 contains the dropping of warrant requirement? What could the police services need to do that they can't get judge to approve a warrant? I'm sure in cases of national security judges are already approving warrnats anyway...
Did you ever notice that in every painting of Adam & Eve, they have belly buttons. Think about that...take as long as you want.
I'm trying to find the site where a US person who wrote a cheque for $6,000 had it stopped. He checked with the bank and they told him that any sums of this amount are referred to national security for investigation. Only came across this a few days ago.
I also note that there is a big drive by the White House to stop leaking and that the consequences for anyone doing so will mean jailtime plus any journalist using these leaks and their media organisation will also be prosecuted. This is a clear attempt at Fascist control of the media.
Pity they weren't so moral when Valerie Flame's name was leaked to smear Joe Wilson when he stated that there was no red cake uranium from Niger going to Saddam and told the White House that this was the case yet Bush went ahead and still stated this as fact. Wilson complained furiously and then his wife's name was leaked.
Wilson, is/WAS a Republican BTW
These scum will not be happy until they manage to have an endless war to keep power.
Notice the drum beating on Iran at the moment - exactly the same as the run up to Iraq.
Thank heavens there are real men like Jack Murtha who won't take this sh!t. Unlike 99.9% of the Bush Crime Family and its fellow pond life, Murtha is a real war hero.
It would not suprise me to see the US take action against Iran soon. A big tadoo over here was that six or seven ports were going to be ran by a company from Dubai. Of course, the repubs(well bi-partisan I suppose) managed to get that deal destroyed on the basis that it was a direct threat to national security. Blatent rascism, if you ask me. Strange, considering the Chinese run a large port in California.
I know Dubai is part of the UAE, but isn't it close to Iran? Bush kind of got himself shot in the foot if he wanted to use Dubai as a staging area.
Last edited by strangeirish; 10/03/2006 at 6:37 PM.
Did you ever notice that in every painting of Adam & Eve, they have belly buttons. Think about that...take as long as you want.
Another argument there strangeirish was that the Dubai government (rather than a Dubai firm) owned the company (ex P & O) who would administer the ports.It would not suprise me to see the US take action against Iran soon. A big tadoo over here was that six or seven ports were going to be ran by a company from Dubai. Of course, the repubs managed to get that deal destroyed on the basis that it was a direct threat to national security. Blatent rascism, if you ask me. Strange, considering the Chinese run a large port in California.
I know Dubai is part of the UAE, but isn't it close to Iran? Bush kind of shot himself in the foot if he wanted to use Dubai as a staging area.
I read a lot about Dubai in The Guardian recently and if you're a Pakistani labourer there, you live in a shack with loads of others, get treated like sh!t and get paid about $150 dollars a month from which is deducted accommodation etc costs.
No one from outside Dubai can own a company in it and it's owned by a family who dispense favours something very like the Saudis do. So, while I agree with you about the racism bit from the Yanks, Dubai itself is no model of democracy even by Middle East standards.
A lot of drug and terrorist money is also flushed through Dubai with the connivance of the government and the UAE was one of three countries to recognise the Taliban regime when the latter was at it's cruelest towards its own people.
Agreed, but it doesn't mind having billions of dollars invested in it's real estate empire by US companies. A certain Donald Trump comes to mind. Double standards all around I guess.
Did you ever notice that in every painting of Adam & Eve, they have belly buttons. Think about that...take as long as you want.
True strangeirish, very true. I believe a number of Premiership footballers have "pads" there too.
It's funny - the topic has split both the Dems and Rethuglians with some for and some against.
The US blogs are awash with this and Al Franken is alsocovering it a lot on Air America.
Newshounds and Crooks & Liars has covered it a lot - here's a sample.
http://www.newshounds.us/2006/03/06/...or_america.php
More news on Gitmo
http://www.icecreamheadache.net/gitmo.asp
Two words - police state. And this in the "land of the free". WTF are they trying to kid?
PP
Semper in faecibus sole profundum variat
Isn't it ironic that the Republicans who always seem to be against big government & extra spending are the ones to bring in Homeland Security (surey just another huge level of bureucracy) & now want extra powers for the states police forces.
I alwasy love the way Bush can have it everyway he wants. Cut taxes like a good Republican but i think he also had highest spending increases of any US President?
Great quote on the Dubai thing was Bush admitting he didn't know anything abiut it until read (i suspect he watched tv as i can't picture him reading) in the media.
Guantanimo is eveil & illegal. Whatever about Al-Queda captives I can't see what basis Taliban or Iraqis are held. They only defended their own countries ever if the Taliban were sheltering Al Queda.
Personally I'd be interested to see how many people campaigning against Guantanomo or who are going along to see and support Moazzam Begg campaigned for the release of Dayna Curry.
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So after the fall of Berlin Nazi soldiers should have been left to run wild, and if US/UK troops ever enter Burma (I prey one they they will) we should let the Tatmadaw run wild to kill and rape a few more Karen? .....interesting.
Also one could argue that they wern't defending their country-maybe the Northern Alliance were the ones defending their country and the Taliban militia were defending a regime who beat girls who went out without a male escort (ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban...nt_of_children)
Long live the Pope! Free Burma (NLD/SNLD), Free Tibet (Burma Campaign/Free Tibet Campaign Alliance), Free the Rossport 5! (ACCOMPLISHED 30/09/05)
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How would you continue that logic? What countries citizens should be locked up without trial in a foreign country?
Are we on a different wavelength here?
You said:
"I can't see what basis Taliban...are held."
I pointed out the same basis as Nazi soldiers being held when the allies took Berlin or Tatmadaw being held if UK/US/UN forces ever liberate Burma.
You also said that the Taliban
"only defended their own countries "
I pointed out that the question can be asked:
Why is it anymore their country than the Northern Alliance's country?
As for it being a different country (a point which I didn't adress because I was debating other points in your argument) it can be argued that:
a) war criminals throughout the last century have be held in other countries
b) Afghanistan is officially a collapsed state ( ref. Independent-21st Century Politics analysis) it would be totally illogical to hold prisoners there-there would either be freed by Islamic fundemntalists/Taliban or attacked and killed by people angry at Taliban opression/Northern Alliance
I could also bring up Dayna Curry again-how comes so many peopel wern't complaining when she was locked up in a foreign coutnry...although technically she had a "trial" but did that really make it any better?
Last edited by liam88; 11/03/2006 at 10:44 PM.
Long live the Pope! Free Burma (NLD/SNLD), Free Tibet (Burma Campaign/Free Tibet Campaign Alliance), Free the Rossport 5! (ACCOMPLISHED 30/09/05)
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Context point again here-you know as well (or better??) as I do that many states have records a million times worse than the USA; China, Burma, Iran, Zimbabwe, Cuba...
Not justifying anything here but how come Hu Jianto can visit England-the capital be bathed in Red Light as a celebration of his visit and then George Bush's actions re. Guantaomo creaty at least a hundred tiems larger public outcry?
"Police state"? Half the world would love to have the level of democracy and freedom of the USA.
Long live the Pope! Free Burma (NLD/SNLD), Free Tibet (Burma Campaign/Free Tibet Campaign Alliance), Free the Rossport 5! (ACCOMPLISHED 30/09/05)
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I think you deliberately obfuscate my point Liam, so I'll state it again but more clearly. Which of the other nations charged with human rights abuses actually claim to be the "land of the free"/"leader of the free world"?
The arrogance of the United States administration in this regard is simply breathtaking. Even their attempts to control language and steer its meaning smack of Orwellian control-freakery. It is as if by blurring the lines of true meaning in language (and you don't have to think too hard to come up with examples - the PATRIOT Act anyone?) they are setting out to control the force and direction of any counter-arguments that arise. The neocons have worked out that by taking away the true meaning of words they lose their potency and therefore dilute the force of any opposing views. And that's doubleplusungood.
Taking this point into practice, commentators in the liberal press that have spoken out against the erosion of civil liberties have been labelled unPATRIOTic - and by extension anti-American - by the ruling administration and by their chums in the rightwing press. (A slight digression, but surely the role of a strong media in a democracy is to challenge the ruling orthodoxy? Show me where such a challenge comes from today...)
The reductionism used by the arch war-criminal Bush ("if you're not for us you're against us") makes the McCarthyite anti-Communist purges of the 1950s look like child's play. It's insidious, cynical and dangerous and to my mind is the biggest single threat to Western liberal democracy today.
Just to ram the point home closer to home, Liam, check out the provisions of the UK Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and the upcoming UK Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill. Where previously checks and balances existed to control the executive's power (i.e. Parliamentary process), these two pieces of legislation abrogate sweeping powers for national security to Ministers and circumvent the elected chamber entirely. How's that for a systematic dismantling of the apparatus of a functioning democracy? And right under our noses too.
As a final point, I wonder how long it took Bliar and co take to dream up these little show-stoppers. My guess is around 45 minutes...
Semper in faecibus sole profundum variat
To put i clearly in reply-why does what they call themselves matter? China claims to be civilised.....forced aboritions and shooting of protestors don't seem that civilised to me but the people yelling about Guantanomo Bay haven't been kicking up a fuss about that! USA isn't perfect, neither is the UK or, for that amtter, Irealand (depending on what you think of the Rossport 5) but in context the USA is a lot more democratic/free/civilised than most countries in the world. That's right most. I'd say that the USA has more civil liberties, less extra-judicial executions and a lower rate of torture than ever African state and most in Asia in Latin America.
I'd put one to you....who would you rather live under-George Bush and the US Army or the Taliban and their soldiers. Bare in mind you girlfriend would have to wear a bhurka and any future daughters would be beaten if they didn't....and that's just for starters. Your for homosexual rights if I remember correctly? Under the Taliban a gay man would be imprisoned or beheaded. He won't under the US government.
I'm not justifying evey one of Bush's actions I'm just not keen on the fact people spend their time complaining and campaigning against him and not the likes of Omar al-Bashir, Kim Jong Il , Than Shwe ,Hu "I met the queen" Jintao, King Abdullah, Muammar al-Qaddafi, Pervez Musharraf, Saparmurat Niyazov, Robert Mugabe or Teodoro Obiang Nguema who are millions of times worse. Get me list of the human rights abuses by Mr. Bush and I could get you a list twice as long from anyone of them!
And still no one replies about Dayna Curry.........
Last edited by liam88; 13/03/2006 at 6:10 PM.
Long live the Pope! Free Burma (NLD/SNLD), Free Tibet (Burma Campaign/Free Tibet Campaign Alliance), Free the Rossport 5! (ACCOMPLISHED 30/09/05)
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Because of the redefinition of language and meaning that the US administration and their klingon neocons are occasioning right under our noses. I mentioned the following just two posts ago:
Noam Chomsky explains it far more eloquently than I ever could - I suggest you look him up over the summer before you head for University.The arrogance of the United States administration in this regard is simply breathtaking. Even their attempts to control language and steer its meaning smack of Orwellian control-freakery. It is as if by blurring the lines of true meaning in language (and you don't have to think too hard to come up with examples - the PATRIOT Act anyone?) they are setting out to control the force and direction of any counter-arguments that arise. The neocons have worked out that by taking away the true meaning of words they lose their potency and therefore dilute the force of any opposing views. And that's doubleplusungood.
Taking this point into practice, commentators in the liberal press that have spoken out against the erosion of civil liberties have been labelled unPATRIOTic - and by extension anti-American - by the ruling administration and by their chums in the rightwing press.
And you know that how? Who's to say that they weren't out protesting when Hu Jintao was driven down the Mall? Or that they haven't been writing letters continuously to TDs/MPs/world figures/prisoners of conscience like all good Amnesty International members should?
Liam, it's not just individuals but the Western governments and corporations you should be questioning for kow-towing to the Chinese government in the way that they have recently, turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in the process.
That's a value judgement although I'm inclined to agree with you. But how many states in those three continents/regions have to bear some degree of US state-sponsored meddling in their domestic affairs? I'd struggle to name you a country in Latin/central America where they haven't interfered. Empire-building by another name.
No but if he was an Iraqi man held by US forces in Abu Ghraib, for example, he could well have been brutalised with a bottle or forced to perform sexual acts on other male prisoners. Again, for example. And who knows what's really going on in Gitmo?
EDIT - Did I mention that the CIA provided funding and training to the mujahedeen fighting the Soviet occupiers all those years ago, helping to kickstart the Taliban in the process?
This is not a beauty pageant for despots so that won't be necessary. In any case, none of the others threaten world peace the way that Bush does, which is why he attracts such opprobrium from so many quarters.
So what are you going to do about it...?
Last edited by Plastic Paddy; 13/03/2006 at 7:10 PM.
Semper in faecibus sole profundum variat
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