As a tribute to J.K. Galbraith, the greatest economic thinker of the 20th Century, here's his essay 'A Cloud Over Civilisation' from the Guardian in 2004. Galbraith consistently warned of the effects ever-powerful corporations would have over our lives- and the threat they pose to democracy and human progress.
The gullible idiots who believe that the Western intervention in Iraq- and indeed the earlier one in Yugoslavia- were motivated by 'humanitarian'' concerns and the desire to 'spread democracy', fail to understand where the real centre of power lies today. J.K. Galbraith suffered from no such delusions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1261593,00.html
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
England's loss
I wonder if those narrow-minded xenophobes who thought it was an outrage that the FA appointed another 'foreigner' are happy now?
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1764017,00.html
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1764017,00.html
Why Not a Foreign PM?
If we are allowed to chose the best possible person for the job for England football manager- regardless of nationality- why not for our political managers? Who would you vote for? Here are a few suggestions from my piece for The Guardian's Comment is Free.
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/neil_clark/2006/04/
It's not often that I'm in agreement with Stephen Pollard, but it's hard to disagree with his verdict that the Brazilian World Cup winner "Big Phil" Scolari is the best man for the England football manager's job.
Pollard, like many others, is clearly at ease with foreign nationals being appointed to top positions in Britain. But why stop at football managers? If it really is all about getting "the best man/woman" for the job - regardless of nationality - why don't we look outside of the country for our political "managers" too?Having led us into a disastrous war in Iraq and presided over a crisis in the NHS and ever rising violent crime, we can surely do better than Mr Blair. And with the domestic alternatives to our present PM looking as unappealing as the domestic alternatives to Big Phil, does it not make good sense to look elsewhere?
Britain's independence is already largely an illusion, so would it make any difference if we had a foreign national at No 10? If we were to have a foreign prime minister, who would you chose?
Perhaps Jacques Chirac, on the basis that he opposed the Iraq war and would surely do something to improve our national cuisine. Or Hugo Chavez, who would undoubtedly do rather more for the redistribution of wealth in Britain than Mr Blair has. Rudolph Giuliani's zero tolerance programme, which worked wonders for New York, is arguably much needed in Britain's crime- infested metropolises; instead of copying his policies- why not appoint the man himself? And now that Silvio Berlusconi has been sacked as the Italian gaffer, why not a straight swap with Mr Blair - in which Blair would get the villa and Silvio would get No 10? No, I don't think so either.
Ariel Sharon might have his supporters, on the basis that a politician in a coma is just what the country wants - it's hard to do too much harm if you're unconscious.
Neo-liberals and flat tax fanatics might cast their vote for Mart Laar, the former premier of Estonia and recent repicient of the Milton Friedman prize - or - if voting for politicians from other planets were also to be allowed - the incomparable John "Spock" Redwood himself.
Nelson Mandela would no doubt have come into the reckoning if he were a few years younger, ditto Jimmy Carter, fellow Comment is free commentator and the least worst president of the United States since the second world war. Alexsander Lukashenko of Belarus, who has seen his oligarch-free country climb inexorably up the UN Human Development Index and Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, who did so much to eradicate corruption and bad governance in Ghana, are two others for consideration.It's a tough call, but my vote would go for Germany's former economics minister Oskar Lafontaine, the authentic voice of European "old left" socialism, a man who would bring back a mixed economy, pull our troops out of Iraq and make big business pay its fair share. It is has been said that out of all the grounds on which to base friendship, nationality is the weakest. We already seem to accept this as far as our football managers are concerned. Could it not be true of our political leaders too?
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/neil_clark/2006/04/
It's not often that I'm in agreement with Stephen Pollard, but it's hard to disagree with his verdict that the Brazilian World Cup winner "Big Phil" Scolari is the best man for the England football manager's job.
Pollard, like many others, is clearly at ease with foreign nationals being appointed to top positions in Britain. But why stop at football managers? If it really is all about getting "the best man/woman" for the job - regardless of nationality - why don't we look outside of the country for our political "managers" too?Having led us into a disastrous war in Iraq and presided over a crisis in the NHS and ever rising violent crime, we can surely do better than Mr Blair. And with the domestic alternatives to our present PM looking as unappealing as the domestic alternatives to Big Phil, does it not make good sense to look elsewhere?
Britain's independence is already largely an illusion, so would it make any difference if we had a foreign national at No 10? If we were to have a foreign prime minister, who would you chose?
Perhaps Jacques Chirac, on the basis that he opposed the Iraq war and would surely do something to improve our national cuisine. Or Hugo Chavez, who would undoubtedly do rather more for the redistribution of wealth in Britain than Mr Blair has. Rudolph Giuliani's zero tolerance programme, which worked wonders for New York, is arguably much needed in Britain's crime- infested metropolises; instead of copying his policies- why not appoint the man himself? And now that Silvio Berlusconi has been sacked as the Italian gaffer, why not a straight swap with Mr Blair - in which Blair would get the villa and Silvio would get No 10? No, I don't think so either.
Ariel Sharon might have his supporters, on the basis that a politician in a coma is just what the country wants - it's hard to do too much harm if you're unconscious.
Neo-liberals and flat tax fanatics might cast their vote for Mart Laar, the former premier of Estonia and recent repicient of the Milton Friedman prize - or - if voting for politicians from other planets were also to be allowed - the incomparable John "Spock" Redwood himself.
Nelson Mandela would no doubt have come into the reckoning if he were a few years younger, ditto Jimmy Carter, fellow Comment is free commentator and the least worst president of the United States since the second world war. Alexsander Lukashenko of Belarus, who has seen his oligarch-free country climb inexorably up the UN Human Development Index and Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, who did so much to eradicate corruption and bad governance in Ghana, are two others for consideration.It's a tough call, but my vote would go for Germany's former economics minister Oskar Lafontaine, the authentic voice of European "old left" socialism, a man who would bring back a mixed economy, pull our troops out of Iraq and make big business pay its fair share. It is has been said that out of all the grounds on which to base friendship, nationality is the weakest. We already seem to accept this as far as our football managers are concerned. Could it not be true of our political leaders too?
Sofia Under Seige
When the Empire comes to town, what's a little thing like the right of citizens to come in and out- and to freely walk about in their city?
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/borisova.php?articleid=8910
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/borisova.php?articleid=8910
Thursday, April 27, 2006
The 'government waste' Adam Smithites won't cut
The neo-liberal think tank 'The Adam Smith Society' held a party in London last night (thanks to Timmy Worstall for the tip-off). The ASI is devoted to 'cutting government waste.' But I wager there are two areas of 'government waste' guests there would not have taken issue with- the £2.8m a day the British taxpayer is paying for the illegal war in Iraq- and the £6bn we have coughed up to subsidise Britain privatised railway companies. The ASI claims to be 'non-political'. But if this really is the case - why are they so silent on these two glaring examples of 'government waste'? I suggest readers who are interested in finding out an answer send them a polite email.
http://www.adamsmith.org/
email: blogadmin@adamsmith.org
http://www.adamsmith.org/
email: blogadmin@adamsmith.org
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Brzezinski on Iran
I'd like to see the pro-war lobby denounce the writer of this article as a 'hard-leftist' or 'anti-American'
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/25/opinion/edzbig.php
There has been much media attention given of late to a certain 'progressive' manifesto put forward by a couple of blokes who drink in a pub near a North London station. Perhaps the authors of this manifesto would like to inform us whether they support Western military action against Iran?
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/25/opinion/edzbig.php
There has been much media attention given of late to a certain 'progressive' manifesto put forward by a couple of blokes who drink in a pub near a North London station. Perhaps the authors of this manifesto would like to inform us whether they support Western military action against Iran?
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Double Standards of New World Order Justice
From the same court which denied a sick, elderly man the correct medical treatment.
21/04/2006(The Hague, DTT-NET.COM)
Judges of International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have agreed on Friday to allow a former member of Kosovo Ethnic Albanians guerrilla to attend a memorial service of his daughter."The Appeals Chamber granted a temporary Haradin Bala's motion for temporary provisional release to attend his daughter's memorial service on 26 April 2006 in Kosovo. Haradin Bala is provisionally released from 23 to 27 April 2006, to allow him to spend the traditional mourning period with his family and community preceding the memorial service." ICTY said in a press release.The provisional release is subject to specific terms and conditions include UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK's) responsibility to take custody of the accused at Pristina airport and ensure his 24-hour protection and supervision. Bala Is not allowed to have "any contact whatsoever nor in any way interfere with victims or witnesses or otherwise interfere in any way with the proceedings or the administration of justice; Not to discuss his case with anyone, other than counsel, including not to have any contact with the media; Not to seek access to documents or archives" On 30 November 2005, the Trial Chamber sentenced Haradin Bala, former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) prison guard of the Llapushnik/Lapusnik prison camp, to 13 years' imprisonment.Bala was found guilty of participating in the mistreatment of three prisoners at the Llapushnik/Lapusnik prison camp, his personal role in the "maintenance and enforcement of the inhumane conditions" of the camp, aiding the torture of one prisoner, and of participating in the murder of nine prisoners from the camp who were marched to the Berishe/Berisa Mountains on 25 or 26 July 1998 and killed. Bala appealed the sentence and the appeal is still pending.Haradin Bala was indicted with Fatmir Limaj and Isak Musliu, former members of the KLA.
Both Limaj and Musliu were acquitted of all charges and released. The Prosecution has filed an appeal in the case.Since its inception in 1993, the Tribunal has charged 161 persons for war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. To date, proceedings against 90 persons have concluded. Six indicted persons remain at large.
21/04/2006(The Hague, DTT-NET.COM)
Judges of International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have agreed on Friday to allow a former member of Kosovo Ethnic Albanians guerrilla to attend a memorial service of his daughter."The Appeals Chamber granted a temporary Haradin Bala's motion for temporary provisional release to attend his daughter's memorial service on 26 April 2006 in Kosovo. Haradin Bala is provisionally released from 23 to 27 April 2006, to allow him to spend the traditional mourning period with his family and community preceding the memorial service." ICTY said in a press release.The provisional release is subject to specific terms and conditions include UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK's) responsibility to take custody of the accused at Pristina airport and ensure his 24-hour protection and supervision. Bala Is not allowed to have "any contact whatsoever nor in any way interfere with victims or witnesses or otherwise interfere in any way with the proceedings or the administration of justice; Not to discuss his case with anyone, other than counsel, including not to have any contact with the media; Not to seek access to documents or archives" On 30 November 2005, the Trial Chamber sentenced Haradin Bala, former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) prison guard of the Llapushnik/Lapusnik prison camp, to 13 years' imprisonment.Bala was found guilty of participating in the mistreatment of three prisoners at the Llapushnik/Lapusnik prison camp, his personal role in the "maintenance and enforcement of the inhumane conditions" of the camp, aiding the torture of one prisoner, and of participating in the murder of nine prisoners from the camp who were marched to the Berishe/Berisa Mountains on 25 or 26 July 1998 and killed. Bala appealed the sentence and the appeal is still pending.Haradin Bala was indicted with Fatmir Limaj and Isak Musliu, former members of the KLA.
Both Limaj and Musliu were acquitted of all charges and released. The Prosecution has filed an appeal in the case.Since its inception in 1993, the Tribunal has charged 161 persons for war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. To date, proceedings against 90 persons have concluded. Six indicted persons remain at large.
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