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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 15:28:51 GMT |
An extract from "A History of the Twenty-First Century", London 2103:
"While some historians trace the the Fall of the American Empire to the contested and highly ambiguous election of George W. Bush as President of the United States in 2000, most believe the U.S. could have retained its dominate position if the Bush Administration had not pursued its disasterous rejection of the United Nations and the international community. The big break came after the initially apparently successful Second Iraq War, in which Bush cajoled a handful of far right wing leaders of Western European nations and several Eastern European client regimes depending on US support into defying the United Nations and launching a war against the admitedly unpopular tyrant Saddam Hussein.
"It's unclear why Britain's Labour Party Prime Minister Tony Blair departed from his previously finely-honed political instincts and supported the conflict, but the effort ultimately led to a split in his own party, the subsequent coalition between the left-wing breakaways and the Liberal Democrats, and the long-delayed establishment of proportional representation in Britain (following its earlier introduction into Scotland and Wales).
"While much instability rose from the breakdown of American power, the most positive result was the inability of Washington to continue to give political and financial support for Israel, leading to the bankruptcy of the Israeli state, the agreement recoginizing the independent state of Palestine, and the war crimes trials of many leaders of Likud and some of the religious parties.
"One of the first signs that support for the United States was beginning to crack was when several key EU countries began organizing an alternative to the American-dominated NATO military alliance..."
Anti-war Europeans back Nato. Four anti-war EU leaders end a summit reaffirming their commitment to Nato - but seeking closer European ties. [BBC News | Front Page | UK Edition]
From Radio Sweden News: Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson is hosting two fellow European center-left leaders here for talks about Iraq, the Middle East, and relations between the United States and Europe. The EU´s foreign policy chief Javier Solana and former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok are meeting with Persson in Harpsund, southwest of Stockholm.
Persson has criticised the American-led war in Iraq as a violation of international law.
Putin refuses to back Blair on Iraq. Politics: The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today restated his opposition to the lifting of sanctions against Iraq, as he emerged from talks with Tony Blair. [Guardian Unlimited]
US anger at war crimes threat [| Media Workers Against War |]
6:57:31 PM 
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An extract from "A History of the Twenty-First Century", London 2103:
"While some historians trace the the Fall of the American Empire to the contested and highly ambiguous election of George W. Bush as President of the United States in 2000, most believe the U.S. could have retained its dominate position if the Bush Administration had not pursued its disasterous rejection of the United Nations and the international community. The big break came after the initially apparently successful Second Iraq War, in which Bush cajoled a handful of far right wing leaders of Western European nations and several Eastern European client regimes depending on US support into defying the United Nations and launching a war against the admitedly unpopular tyrant Saddam Hussein.
"It's unclear why Britain's Labour Party Prime Minister Tony Blair departed from his previously finely-honed political instincts and supported the conflict, but the effort ultimately led to a split in his own party, the subsequent coalition between the left-wing breakaways and the Liberal Democrats, and the long-delayed establishment of proportional representation in Britain (following its earlier introduction into Scotland and Wales).
"While much instability rose from the breakdown of American power, the most positive result was the inability of Washington to continue to give political and financial support for Israel, leading to the bankruptcy of the Israeli state, the agreement recoginizing the independent state of Palestine, and the war crimes trials of many leaders of Likud and some of the religious parties.
"One of the first signs that support for the United States was beginning to crack was when several key EU countries began organizing an alternative to the American-dominated NATO military alliance..."
Anti-war Europeans back Nato. Four anti-war EU leaders end a summit reaffirming their commitment to Nato - but seeking closer European ties. [BBC News | Front Page | UK Edition]
From Radio Sweden News: Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson is hosting two fellow European center-left leaders here for talks about Iraq, the Middle East, and relations between the United States and Europe. The EU´s foreign policy chief Javier Solana and former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok are meeting with Persson in Harpsund, southwest of Stockholm.
Persson has criticised the American-led war in Iraq as a violation of international law.
Putin refuses to back Blair on Iraq. Politics: The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today restated his opposition to the lifting of sanctions against Iraq, as he emerged from talks with Tony Blair. [Guardian Unlimited]
US anger at war crimes threat [| Media Workers Against War |]
6:57:31 PM
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George W. has finally realized that visiting any part of Western Europe (even "coalition allies" Spain or Britain) would be madness, especially Scandinavia where virtually no one supports the war.
Bush cancels plans for Oslo visit. Aftenposten Apr 29 2003 10:11AM ET [Moreover - Scandinavia news]
6:41:55 PM
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George W. has finally realized that visiting any part of Western Europe (even "coalition allies" Spain or Britain) would be madness, especially Scandinavia where virtually no one supports the war.
Bush cancels plans for Oslo visit. Aftenposten Apr 29 2003 10:11AM ET [Moreover - Scandinavia news]
6:41:55 PM
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The United States continues to mishandle Iraq. Now US soldiers have fired on a peaceful demonstration of Iraqis protesting against the soldiers using the local school as a barracks. According to the report from the Swedish Radio correspondent on the spot, the soldiers claimed they had been fired on by people on motorcycles. But none of the journalists there saw the alleged miscreants.
And even if they had existed, that isn't an excuse to fire on demonstration of unarmed people. It's Kent State, Bloody Sunday, and Amritsar all over again. Wonder how Rummy will explain away this one?
US troops 'kill 13 Iraqi protesters'. US troops opened fire on a group of Iraqi demonstrators near Baghdad, killing at least 13 people and wounding 75 others, according to reports from the area. [Guardian Unlimited]
And they followed it up one day later with a similar incident:
U.S. Troops Again Fire on Iraqi Protesters [NPR News (Audio)]
"When will they ever learn?"
6:36:24 PM
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The United States continues to mishandle Iraq. Now US soldiers have fired on a peaceful demonstration of Iraqis protesting against the soldiers using the local school as a barracks. According to the report from the Swedish Radio correspondent on the spot, the soldiers claimed they had been fired on by people on motorcycles. But none of the journalists there saw the alleged miscreants.
And even if they had existed, that isn't an excuse to fire on demonstration of unarmed people. It's Kent State, Bloody Sunday, and Amritsar all over again. Wonder how Rummy will explain away this one?
US troops 'kill 13 Iraqi protesters'. US troops opened fire on a group of Iraqi demonstrators near Baghdad, killing at least 13 people and wounding 75 others, according to reports from the area. [Guardian Unlimited]
And they followed it up one day later with a similar incident:
U.S. Troops Again Fire on Iraqi Protesters [NPR News (Audio)]
"When will they ever learn?"
6:36:24 PM
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My Radio Sweden colleague Judi regularly reads Molly Ivins' articles in the "Dallas Star-Telegram", which just demonstrate that there really are some sane people in Texas. This one is about the Bush Administration's covert move to eliminate overtime compensation, as another sop to Big Business:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/columnists/molly_ivins/5723104.htm
5:24:21 PM
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My Radio Sweden colleague Judi regularly reads Molly Ivins' articles in the "Dallas Star-Telegram", which just demonstrate that there really are some sane people in Texas. This one is about the Bush Administration's covert move to eliminate overtime compensation, as another sop to Big Business:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/columnists/molly_ivins/5723104.htm
5:24:21 PM
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© Copyright 2003 GlobalWatch: Notes from the Swedish.
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| Mar May |
| AlterNet | | 2:02PM UTC |
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 Call Me a Bush-Hater. Sneering, jeering, bad manners, hideous diplomacy, threats, demands, lies, arrogance, bluster, tax cuts for the rich. And you wonder why we think he's a lousy president?
The Scalping Party. The Tiger Force atrocity in Vietnam was the third major war crimes revelation in the last few years to encounter apathy in the media and indifference from Washington.
A Double Standard for Heroes?. Jessica Lynch and Shoshanna Johnson underwent nearly identical ordeals in Iraq. But only the white soldier's story made the cover of Time magazine.
Indian Americans Enter the Matrix. The Bollywoodization of American popular culture has long been underway. But with the appearance of a South Asian in 'The Matrix Revolutions,' a new era has begun.
An Object Lesson in Investing. Here's what happens to your hard-earned money when it enters the giant money-skimming machine we call the stock market.
The Rev in the Race. Understanding Al Sharpton's standing as a reputed black leader requires an understanding of recent history. Understanding Sharpton the Presidential candidate requires delving a bit further into the past.
Killer Cure. Everyone wants Medicare to cover prescription drugs, right? Not so fast.
The Professor Takes the Gloves Off. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman tells how he found his voice, why Bush makes him miss Nixon, and why he insults Fox News whenever he can.
The Truth About the Green River Killer. Gary Ridgway should have been caught a long time ago. His choice of victims had everything to do with why he wasn't.
Personal Voices: Apology to the American Worker. I actually thought Nike and Adidas and Delta and Sara Lee were American companies run by American employees. I admit, I was confused.
Why Aren't We Winning the Indie Movie Race?. Just a decade ago it felt like the indie movie scene could become a haven for multiculturalism. Now it's just as white as the blandest Hollywood studio. What happened?
What's Health Insurance, Mom?. At 7, my daughter should be fretting over the well being of her favorite stuffed animals -- not the fates of her uninsured parents.
Listening to Veterans. We will soon be welcoming home the first of another generation of emotionally damaged veterans. How can we appropriately honor them without glorifying war?
Freedom and Security. The sacrifice of civil liberties for the appearance of greater security is a mistake that leaves future generations with little hope for freedom.
P. Diddy and Hip Hop's Tattered Garments. Hip-hop fashion kings need to take a hard look at the labor conditions that prevail in the factories where their clothes are made.
Billboard Politics. U.S. government propaganda doesn't convince Iraqis -- so why do Americans fall for it?
The 'Thing' Economy and the 'Care' Economy. A truly moral economy would reconcile our desire to prosper with our deepest moral and spiritual impulses.
Memo To Arnold: Educate, Don't Incarcerate. Unlike Davis, California's governor-elect is no slave to the powerful prison guard union -- so maybe he can afford to do the right thing.
Sarah Jones' American Dream. In her latest piece, the acclaimed playwright takes on the roles of 10 immigrants to weave a story of racism and xenophobia in the era of homeland security.
Shock Troops of the Right Wing. Censoring television movies, overturning court decisions, halting construction projects -- just what will conservatives do next?
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| Greenpeace | | 3:04PM UTC |
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Rainbow Warrior on Toxic Patrol in India. The Greenpeace sailing vessel the Rainbow Warrior is currently anchored off the coast of Alang, India. Alang is the site of the world's largest shipbreaking yard. Greenpeace is planning to conduct "toxic patrols" of ships which are here waiting for scrapping. A team of experts will do a survey and take samples to determine what type of toxic materials are on board before the ships are beached and the actual scrapping starts. Shipbreaking is an enormous danger for people and the environment. Greenpeace is the only organization in the world fighting for the 100,000 people working in this industry and for the environment they live in.
UK's own ghost ship found in India. There's outrage in the UK! The US is sending its "ghost fleet," complete with asbestos and toxic chemicals, for dismantling in England. The UK government has said the ships will have to go back. A British court has put a halt to any dismantling. Permits have been revoked. But meanwhile, in India, guess what Greenpeace's ghost-busting toxic patrol has found?
What would you do to save the tallest trees?. In Tasmania, Australia, they have these trees, that are... tall. OK, a lot of trees are tall, but these are the tallest hardwood trees in the world. We're talking trees taller than a 25-story building and 400 years old. Some people look at trees like this and they just think, "wow". Other people, they look at these trees and they think, "Wow, I could cut that down, chop it up, feed it through a wood chipper, and sell it to these companies in Japan!" And that is just what they are going to do, unless we can stop them.
Click here to find out how.
When scientists and policy makers meet. Before any major international meeting there are advance meetings to lay the groundwork. A lot of the decisions finalised at the main meeting are often made at these meetings - months before the big one.
Today was the start of one of the more important of these meetings, the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the Convention on Biological Diversity. That's SBSTTA-9 and the CBD to you insiders, and it will be going on in Montreal all week.
Year one of the Prestige oil spill. The Prestige oil tanker sank on November 13th, 2002. But this Thursday marks not the one year anniversary of an accident, but year one of a decade-long disaster. Despite this, criminally little has been done to prevent the recurrence of a similar catastrophe.
Japanese whaling fleet ready to depart. Greenpeace has learned that five vessels will set forth shortly from Shimonoseki in Japan, perhaps as early as Friday, to hunt whales once again. They continue to do so despite a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling, under the false pretence that their purpose is "research."
US Toxic 'ghost fleet' not wanted in the UK. Two former US Navy ships are now crossing the Atlantic for scrapping in the UK. Contaminated with toxic waste, the failure of the US to clean them up at home has caused outrage in Europe. But have a closer look at the issue of shipbreaking: putting toxic vessels out of sight and out of mind is the rule rather than the exception -- and the recipients are usually developing countries.
EU waters down chemicals reform. Important new laws in Europe have been announced this week to address the current flawed and inadequate rules governing chemicals harmful to health and the environment. While the new laws represent a step forward, heavy chemical industry lobbying and scare-mongering have significantly weakened the proposal already.
France reclaims toxic ship. After being caught illegally exporting ships containing hazardous waste to Turkey, the French military has seized a former french aircraft carrier they had sold for scrapping. This high seas tale exposes again the underhand tactics and cost cutting of some sections of the shipping industry at the expense of the environment and workers' health.
Hidden hazards revealed in Disney products. Tests by independent scientists have revealed that toxic 'gender bending' chemicals are found in everyday children's products like Disney pyjamas. These chemicals can damage the developing foetus and young children; they should not be found in products you put your kids into every night.
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