sparrow chat

If there’s one thing politicians seem especially good at, its saying something totally different on camera, than they would say, off.

The Pakistan Daily is today reporting that Yuval Rotem, the Israeli ambassador to Australia told a meeting of Sydney’s Jewish Community that his country’s military offensives in Gaza were a “pre-introduction” to tackling the military threat posed by a nuclear-equipped Iran.^[1]

Unfortunately, for Rotem, one of Australia’s Seven News reporters, Sarah Cummings, was in the room at the time, unbeknown to the ambassador, and recorded what was said.

According to Cummings:

(He said) the country’s recent military offensives were a preintroduction to the challenge Israel expects from a nuclear-equipped Iran within a year.” ^[2]

Later, when tackled about his remarks, Ambassador Rotem denied that Israel was planning an attack on Iran, but said the nation needed to be stopped.

Ambassador Rotem’s words clearly demonstrate that Israel cares nothing for the rest of the world, and is willing to provoke a possible nuclear engagement in the Middle East that could well erupt into a third world war.

Perhaps the greatest test of US President Barack Obama, will be whether he allows it to happen.

^{[1] “Israeli Envoy: Attack on Gaza a ‘Preintroduction’ to Attack on Iran” Pakistan Daily, February 1st 2009}

^{[2] “Iran will soon pose N-threat, says Israel” The Australian, January 31st 2009}

Filed under: Truth will out

Posted under Sparrow Chat

Medal of the week must be awarded to Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan……

……as the only member of the prestigious Davos Economic Forum with the courage to stand up and tell Israeli president, Shimon Peres, exactly what he thought of the recent Israeli butchery in Gaza.

Turkey has long been a supporter of Israel, but the recent atrocities committed by the Israeli Defense Force, coupled with assertions from Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, that Israeli soldiers would be protected from prosecution overseas for war crimes, proved too much for the Turkish prime minister, who walked out of the Davos conference after a heated exchange with the Israeli president.^[1][1a]

Well done, Mister Erdogan.

Meanwhile, the Western media is promoting the latest round of Iraqi elections as though that nation’s very existence depended on it. After months of “no news” Iraq, the prospect of promoting democracy has once more fanned the flames of media interest, in a desperate bid to further justify the violent Western intervention that tipped Iraq into civil war, and still results in a dozen daily deaths.

McClatchy’s Baghdad Bureau Chief, Leila Fadel, only yesterday wrote a gripping post on her blog, describing the murders of three Iraqi political candidates in one day, and a further two the previous day.^[2]

Ordinary Iraqis have little interest in these elections, knowing full well the politicians are only concerned with advancing their own positions. Years of Iraqi democracy have done nothing to improve the power supply, sewage treatment, drinking water availability, or anything else that might make the lives of Iraqis worth living again. All that’s increased in Iraq is inflation, with goods in the shops up to ten times more expensive since Saddam was deposed.

The people of Iraq and Gaza, however, this week suffered problems far less exacting than those of Switzerland, and the pensioners of Britain.

In the Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, the locals are fed up with naked ramblers hiking round their mountains, so have introduced fines for being out and about with a rucksack and a bare bottom.^[3]

Meanwhile, in Britain, pensioners in Hull, Yorkshire, are up in arms at the audacity of Icelanders who, learning that old Brits are suffering from an unusually hard winter, went on a knitting spree and produced hundreds of thick woolly pullovers as a charitable exercise in keeping old Brits warm.^[4]

Needless to say, the old Brits, with their usual antagonistic attitude to foreigners, shrugged off the gesture as condescending, with the response:

“Don’t they know we’ve got central heating?”

I’m so proud to be British.

Amazingly, the world continues to spin on its axis, as though nothing untoward is occurring.

^{[1] “Behind the Turkish Prime Minister’s Outburst at Davos” Time, January 30th 2009}

^{[1a] “Israeli PM in war crimes pledge” BBC, January 25th 2009}

^{[2] “Days Before Elections Three Candidates Die” Baghdad Observer, January 29th 2009}

^{[3] “Naked ramblers face Swiss fines” BBC, January 30th 2009}

^{[4] “Iceland appeal brings jumper aid (video)” BBC, January 30th 2009}

Filed under: Homo sapiens

Posted under Sparrow Chat

US President Barack Obama was successful yesterday in getting the House of Representatives to support his economic stimulus package; a package that was watered down solely to obtain the approval of House Republicans.

Despite this, and the dire straits in which the economy flounders, the hundreds of thousands being thrown out of work, mature and long-standing businesses forced to close, not one Republican member voted in favor of the bill.

That fact alone tells us a great deal about America in general and the Republican Party, in particular.

Do the Republicans have any alternative suggestions for promoting economic recovery – apart, that is, from the hundreds of billions of tax payer’s dollars already donated to finance corporations?

There are, apparently, two suggestions. The first is: do nothing. This is logic based on the marketplace eventually self-righting after its capsize, and sailing on to better climes.

Obviously, there are no seafarers amongst Republican senators, or they’d know that no vessel is capable of self-righting and sailing on, without the benefit of a skipper at the helm.

Apparently, they don’t like the new skipper and are determined to mutiny.

The second option is one we’ve heard before, so many, many, times: cut taxes.

Let’s briefly examine both options.

To sit idly by and wait for better times to emerge from the fog of depression means a period of intense unemployment and financial hardship for a high proportion of Americans. The nation’s health will deteriorate drastically, as insurance payments dry up and folk can’t afford medical expenses, property prices will slump still further, and crime will rise dramatically.

There are a number of US citizens, however, who are sufficiently well-heeled to ride out the storm quite comfortably. Republican senators, and those they represent, are among that number.

This option carries an added bonus: with so many desperate for work, as jobs once more become available wages will drop; people will be willing to work for far less than before. Greater profits for the bosses, and a further tightening of the noose around the necks of employee’s unions, will result.

The beneficiaries? Republicans, and those they represent.

Okay, so let’s cut taxes instead.

Whose taxes do we cut? The ever-increasing numbers of unemployed don’t pay tax. The sick and handicapped don’t pay tax. The lowest paid workers don’t pay tax.

So, let’s cut the taxes of those who do – the wealthier of the middle classes, Republican senators, and those they represent.

God forbid America should turn into a welfare state. By definition, that means the nation has to look after its people. Not just those citizens who’ve realized their American Dream by climbing over the backs of others less fortunate than themselves – because that is how one’s American Dream is realized in the 21st century – but all those who may have helped make the dreams of others come true, without receiving any benefit themselves in return.

Republican senators don’t give a damn about them – the ‘ordinary’ people of this country – but they’re still flesh and blood, in need of medicine when they get sick, and food in their bellies, and a warm, secure roof over their heads at night.

Providing those things to the unfortunate and needy is what a welfare state is all about. Republican senators, and the wealthy parasites they represent, hate the very idea because they know they would have to give up some of their surplus riches to pay for it. They’re quick to sneer, and call it “Socialism”.

It’s why they hate government. The government is the only body in the land who can legally claim some of their money, in the form of taxation. Republicans are in government to prevent government.

One has only to look back over the last eight years to see what Republican government did for America: there was no investment in infrastructure, the environment, or in people. Every penny profit went straight into the pockets of the already wealthy and powerful – those same parasites Republicans represent.

For this reason alone, not one Republican was prepared to vote in favor of Obama’s bill to help put Americans back to work, and to modernize a country they and their pals have been sucking the lifeblood out of for decades.

As the new President, Barack Obama must quickly learn his first lesson. It’s one even the White House puppy should be aware of: if you pamper parasites, they’ll just make your life a misery.

It’s time to dust the flea powder around Washington.

Filed under: Got an itch, Obama?

Posted under Sparrow Chat

There are virtually no animals left alive in Gaza zoo. It wasn’t much of a place before the Israeli soldiers came, but it was somewhere for the kids to go on a Sunday. God knows, there was little else for them to do, even before the war.

Apart from the zoo, the complex housed a children’s library, a playground, and a cultural center.

There was not a single person in this zoo. Just the animals. We all fled before they came. What purpose does it serve to walk around shooting animals and destroying the place?” ~ Gaza zookeeper Emad Jameel Qasim.

According to Gulfnews:^[1]

Inside the main building, soldiers defaced the walls, ripped out one of the toilets and removed all of the hard drives from the office computers. We asked him [Qasim] why they targeted the zoo. He laughs. “I don’t know. You have to go and ask the Israelis. This is a place where people come to relax and enjoy themselves. It’s not a place of politics.”

Most of the animals were shot at point blank range.

Presumably, to provide the Israeli military with a little amusement.

<sup>[1] “Israeli troops shot and killed zoo animals” Gulfnews, January 25th 2009

My thanks to “Gorilla’s Guides for the Gulfnews link.</sup>

Filed under: Plumbing the depths

Posted under Sparrow Chat

America, as with the rest of the world, continues to swing along towards its uncertain future with all the regularity of a finally honed pendulum.

Yesterday, the Vatican once more reared its ugly, clerical, head high enough to condemn the Obama administration for restoring government funding to family planning clinics that perform, or give advice on, abortion in Third World countries.

Monsignor Rino Fisichella, a Vatican spokesman, said President Obama should listen to all voices in America, without “the arrogance of those who, being in power, believe they can decide of life and death.” ^[1]

That’s exactly what the Vatican does, is it, Monsignor Fisichella?

Monsignor Rino Fisichella is wrong. President Obama was democratically elected by a majority of the US citizenry. It is that majority he is in office to represent; a majority of Americans who believe in a woman’s right to choose. While he can listen to the voice of the minorities, if it goes against the wishes of the majority then he is duty bound to ignore it.

Hopefully, that’s the difference between President Barack Obama and the Pope. Obama believes he is in office to do the bidding of the democratic majority; the Pope believes his job is to tell everyone what to think.

America’s just rid itself of a president who believed that.

There’s no reason for the Pope to concern himself with government funding to family planning clinics. He just needs patience.

After all, the funding was originally revoked in 1984 by Republican president, Ronald Reagan. It was then reinstated by Bill Clinton, when he came to power, and withdrawn yet again by George W Bush.

All the Pope has to do is sit it out till the next Republican president appears on the scene, and the cash will once again stop flowing.

It’s a crazy way to run anything, least of all a nation, but that’s politics in a democracy.

Back and forth, first one way, then the other, like a finely honed pendulum – going nowhere.

^{[1] “Vatican attacks US abortion move” BBC, January 25th 2009}

Filed under: Swinging politics

Posted under Sparrow Chat

A recent report from the New Economics Foundation, a European think-tank, has highlighted the British as “more bored, tired and less likely to know their neighbours than other Europeans”.^[1]

Is it any wonder, given the boring, tired, old fart they have to lead them?

According to a spokesman for the New Economics Foundation:

“Governments have lost sight of the fact that their fundamental purpose is to improve the lives of their citizens.”

I wonder how much it cost to figure that one out?

In response, a British government spokeperson said, “the government was trying to engage with young people.”

“The 2007-08 Citizenship Survey – a robust, nationally representative household survey – found that 94% of young people say they feel part of British society.”

Of course they do.

For young people today, being a ‘part of British society’ means going out every night binge drinking, then fighting, mugging an old lady, knifing the odd innocent bystander, or beating up a policeman.

Judging from the reports to be found in most British newspapers of late, that is British society today.

^{[1] “Britons ‘bored but happy’ – study” BBC, January 24th 2009}

Filed under: Social issues

Posted under Sparrow Chat

This morning gunmen raided a home in the small Shiite area of Baldrouz, north of Baghdad. A poor Sunni family who’d moved to the area to work in the local brick factory were slaughtered. Two men, six women and a little girl were killed. The last two men were taken and the family is gone.

In the south in a town called Suaira in Wasit Province another family met the same fate on Thursday. A man, two women and a little boy were killed.

It’s unclear who did this. Maybe it was revenge, militias, insurgents or a sinister crime. But what is clear that even though things are better they aren’t ok. People are still dying here and they’re killed almost every day.”

From the blog of Leila Fadel, McClatchy’s bureau chief in Baghdad.

Rush Limbough, Bill O’Reilly, and probably NBC’s Brian Williams, don’t give a shit about any of this. All they care is that their cozy, well-fed, little lives aren’t compromised.

Do you?

Filed under: Who gives a f**k?

Posted under Sparrow Chat

Ninety-eight percent of all animal species are invertebrates, and the majority are to be found on the North American continent.

Three days in and it’s started already. The vampires of Fox News, the rabid dogs of Republican talk radio, are already joining forces in a desperate attempt to bring the Obama presidency into disrepute.

According to a balding vampire bat hanging in its cave somewhere amidst the Fox News studios, and known when it assumes human form as Bill O’Reilly, American families are in danger because President Obama has signed an order to close the torture chambers of Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.

NBC Nightly News echoed those sentiments tonight with a long-winded segment suggesting that Abdulsalam Ghaithan Mureef al-Shehri, until 2006 a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, had been released only to once again take up with al Qaeda, thus threatening the very fabric of American society.

NBC Nightly News, while doing its utmost to instill doubt into the minds of Americans concerning President Obama’s decision to close the Cuba-based detention center, totally failed to mention that al-Shehri had been released into the custody of one of America’s foremost allies, Saudi Arabia, which had failed to constrain al-Shehri and prevent him from rejoining the terrorist organization. Saudi Arabia was a close confidant of the Bush administration, and the nation that spawned at least eleven of the 9/11 hijackers.

Meanwhile, Republican talk radio, in the guise of the super-moronic and admitted drug-addict, Rush Limbaugh, stated yesterday that he hoped President Obama would fail.

Pause a moment to think deeply about that statement.

Is this the admission of a true US patriot? Limbaugh hopes the President of the United States fails, and by association he hopes his country fails, simply because his party lost the election.

America, you are a nation of failures. You are a nation of failures because you allow such poison to flow unhindered. You are a failure as a community, as a country, as a nation.

Is this really your idea of freedom, America, when those you choose as your political mentors seek the failure of your newly-elected leader, and by consequence the failure of your nation, just because he wears the wrong colored shirt?

You make a mockery of Freedom, America. You hold it up, not as a beacon of Liberty to the world, but as a quarterback’s shirt in a tuppenny-halfpenny football game.

Frankly, if I were Barack Obama, I’d tell you all to go to Hell for allowing such scum to dominate your media. I’d take my family and move somewhere where decency and morality were honestly admired as genuine human traits.

The Dis-United States of America – truly a land of invertebrates.

Filed under: Limp and flaccid

Posted under Sparrow Chat