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It’s not often Sparrow Chat has much to say that is good about the United States of America. While many of its people are warm-hearted, caring individuals, the nation as a whole has developed a plethora of undesirable habits, and shown a capability for inhumane behavior that stretches back way beyond the vagaries of the present Administration.

Just occasionally, however, instead of continually slipping backwards down the tall, steep, ladder that does eventually lead up to the far-distant objective known as “Civilization”, America manages to make one fumbling step in the right direction, raising hopes that one day – probably far distant – it may just make it all the way to the top.

Today, America – or, at least, that bit of it known as New Jersey – took one of those fumbling steps.

Congratulations to the State of New Jersey.

Today, the State of New Jersey joined North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Hawaii and Alaska, as another state to have finally evolved out of the slime of legalized murder, and onto the verdant shores of “Humanityville”.

Nevertheless, any sense of finality should be tempered with a degree of caution. Flip-flopping over the death penalty, often at the whim of current governors, has become something of a pastime in America over the years.

Oddly, those who cry out most vehemently against abolition are the Christian far-right. Only this evening a New Jersey resident, when asked for his opinion, vigorously stated his support for capital punishment by announcing that he followed the Bible teaching, “Do unto others…..”. Fortunately, he failed to finish the quotation, thus saving himself from the embarrassment of looking totally stupid in front of three million NBC News viewers.

The question on everyone’s lips, then: will the rest of America follow New Jersey’s lead?

It’s highly unlikely.

Take the State of Texas as a prime example. The good people of Texas have much in common with the French revolutionaries when it comes to executions, though state law prevents public access, so the good ladies of Texas are denied the privilege of sitting knitting in the execution chamber – at least, at the time this article goes to press.

Texans are so imbued with the idea of capital punishment it probably ranks as the number one most effective means of population control in the state, outdoing chastity belts and religious abstinence. Abolition would remove four-fifths of Texans’ conversation, leaving only the price of beef and whether George W Bush should eventually be canonized.

So, while some states may follow in the footsteps of New Jersey, it’ll likely be a cold day in Hell before Texas gives up its all-time favorite hobby.

Filed under: Death row tears

It’s official.

FIVE MILLION CHILDREN ARE NOW ORPHANED AS A RESULT OF BUSH’S IRAQ WAR.

That’s the figure admitted by the Iraq government, even though the actual figure is much higher as some children who lose both parents are taken in by relatives and never registered.

I wonder how many US news media channels are prepared to broadcast that tit-bit to the world?

Consider this: if there are five million children who have lost both parents to the war, how many dead parents does that represent?

To all those Americans who supported the war, and who voted George Bush and his band of war criminals back into office in 2004, the question that must be asked is:

HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?

^{Thanks to Richard at TOB for the link.}

Read more HERE.

Filed under: US warcrimes

American baseball is in disarray today after George Mitchell published his report into the use of steroids and human growth hormone by professional players. Apparently, the practice is far more widespread than many people cared to admit. Famous names are tarnished; careers may be prematurely ended. Baseball’s governing body has decreed that it will take action.

One question remains: why had it not done so years ago?

The answer is obvious. It matters not what the professional body may be, whether sports, lawyers, bankers…..history has shown over and over that conflicts of interest lead to a reluctance to self-regulate.

Government is about regulation. We elect governments to set our laws, ensure the policing of our neighborhoods, and regulate all aspects of our lives. Imagine the anarchy that would ensue if government decided we must police our own neighborhoods. There would be a return to the posse and vigilante days of the old West. It wouldn’t work. Yet the US administration has consistently refused to legislate for the policing of professional bodies.

It is exactly that irresponsibility that has led to a stalemate between America and much of the rest of the world over the most important issue facing mankind today; one that makes steroid use in baseball a mere kiddy’s prank by comparison.

At long last it seems Europe and the rest of the world are waking up to the fact that American climate change policy is non-existent. Delegates at the UN Bali Conference on Climate Change, desperate to agree a set of binding regulations that will reduce global greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently, before it is too late i.e. by 2020, have been stunned by a US delegation determined to thwart the success of the conference at every turn.

So disgusted are the delegates that there is serious talk of boycotting a US-led climate summit next month.

Resounding applause echoed around the hall when Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore, stood on the podium and said:

“My own country, the US, is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali.”

It is generally accepted that George Bush, desperate for some success out of his failed eight-year presidency, is trying to steal the limelight away from the United Nations.

One member of the US delegation told the assembly:

“The United States is happy to lead on the matter of global warming, but to lead, others must follow.”

There can be little doubt in most people’s minds the US has had ample time to show leadership on this issue and has failed. It was not so long ago George Bush was poo-pooing the whole concept of man-made global warming, refusing to take it seriously even when the scientific evidence was overwhelming.

Once asked about regulatory legislation to control greenhouse gas emissions by American industry, Bush responded that industry needed no regulation, they would police it for themselves. After campaign promises in 2000 to force the reduction of CO2 emissions from power plants, this president – once elected – then reversed his decision, under corporate pressure, days before moderate Republicans were set to introduce the legislation.

The result has been virtually no reduction in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions by US industry in the last ten years, except where individual state legislation has demanded it.

George Bush may call himself the Commander-in-Chief, but he is no leader. Instead, he is a puppet of the corporations, prepared to sacrifice the welfare of those he was elected to serve to satisfy the whims of his masters.

Whether the war of words at Bali this week will explode into a full-blown row that sinks the upcoming US summit has yet to be decided. Europe and her partners are finally realizing they cannot wait for the US to lead on controlling climate change. In fact, America is woefully unable to lead on anything right now, given it has no leader. When George Bush finally vacates the White House and retires at his ranch in Texas, to play with his little dogs and his chainsaw, America may decide it is going to elect a true leader, one that believes in the real purpose of government. Maybe then, the corruption that has both infiltrated baseball and set the world’s challenge to reverse climate change back more than a decade, will be properly policed and hopefully eradicated.

Until the American people wake up to the necessity for such a leader, and finally elect one, Europe and the rest of the world will have to manage without any “American leadership”.

Eventually the stigma of sports star druggies will be forgotten. Baseball will go on, as will the planet.

But it’s becoming less and less likely there’ll be anyone left alive on Earth to enjoy either.

^{When George Bush first announced, in June 2007, his intention to hold a series of “international meetings” to discuss climate change, the Washington Post collated reaction to the proposals from media in Europe and America. The resulting article can be viewed HERE.}

Filed under: Bush’s blundering