Posts by Rob S
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The Iraq war was primarily an American imposition on the Middle East.
Blair was led into it by the fool Bush.
I suggest that the Project for the New American Century was the philosophical background and impetus for the war.
Bush the Younger, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, et al signed up for a clever wheeze that came out of a strand of right wing American exceptionalism that was enjoying It's high tide mark with the downfall of European communism.
With no brake on America as the world hyperpower anything seemed possible which included imposing democracy on the middle east at the point of a gun.
The fall of the twin towers in New York was the opportunity seized on by these chickenhawks to instigate a war that would be used to shape the middle east into a democratic, capitalistic wet dream that would display American power to all.
Blair got played and was a fool.
He should have been able to discern that he was being sold utter bullshit as was obvious to anyone who could parse the gung ho tripe coming from the U.S. intelligence services that had been suborned to the PNAC cause with dissenting views sidelined. Freedom fries anyone?
Where is the American version of the Chilcot enquiry?
If you think Vietnam was a clusterfuck what terms would you use for Iraq?
These people have walked away from one of the most idiotically mendacious and downright criminal actions of my lifetime.
History is already judging them and they're lucky that they aren't in the Hague arguing their case.
Others are paying in blood for this war, real blood, real pain, a lot of others.
Whilst these scum walk away with only a shit reputation, such is the way of things Blair is rolling in money post disgrace and has had the gall to put himself up as a peace broker in the middle east.
As I write this I just get angrier and angrier.
It won't be the establishment cleaning the mess up, as they've been shown up as the bloodless shits you've always suspected they were.
There are a lot of institutions that don't seem to be fit for purpose.
Who is cleaning them up?-apologies for venting.
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Speaker: A Disorderly Brexit, in reply to Rob Stowell,
Given they are more-or-less a one-policy party, and that policy is about to happen – do they have anywhere to grow? Or will they disappear as irrelevant?
Shit like that don't stop.
I don't see the U.K. as being in the same mould as '30s Germany but do you think that Farage is the sort to quietly slide off into the background?
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Polity: English canards, in reply to Ieuan Wickham,
It seems like this is not a problem that we fix by changing tax structures.
Disagree strongly.
Taking money from the rich [your opinion on the morality of this may vary from mine] and using it to build better housing and sustain those who are not "high achievers" and putting that money directly into the economy will actually benefit the whole country. As the saying goes " money is like muck, better spread"
For the wealthy once their physical and other needs have been met money turns into a social counter.Building more housing stock by the state is a good start.
Think about the house price inflation rampant in this country right now which is a sterile use sinking people into debt as long term serfs to the banks who are loving it.
The people who find it difficult to feed ,clothe and live at a reasonable standard are paying through the nose for other peoples inflated investment mortgages further locking them into poverty.I'm not recommending the wholesale appropriation of peoples assets but would like to see those with little to nothing get a fair slice of the cake.
Wages have been held down artificially by the importation to this country of cheap labour and people wonder why small town NZ is being hollowed out?
We shouldn't need schemes like working for families to top up the pay packets of working people who should be able to advance through their own efforts.
Labour price inflation might be what this country needs.
“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” - Warren Buffet.
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Speaker: A Disorderly Brexit, in reply to nzlemming,
EU realpolitik: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/26/the-eu-will-treat-britain-like-greece/</q>
Britain has already treated Britain in the same manner that the E.U. treated Greece if you refer to an imposed cut in Government spending in the middle of a recession which needs the opposite treatment to keep the economy ticking over. All with no concern to the social costs imposed.
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Hard News: Media Take: Heavy topics, in reply to mark taslov,
You've given me a lot of food for thought.
Thank you.
Well said. -
Polity: Geography and housing options, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
these ex-Aucklanders are trying to turn their new homes into mini-Aucklands.
?
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Polity: The Taxpayers' Union rides again!, in reply to BenWilson,
+1 Thanks for articulating this approach by Matthew Hooten which comes across as disingenuous and only another attack line from National with their calling it "barking" and all tax and oh noes it will ruin us etc.
With the highest numbers they can pull out of their collective arses used to discredit an idea with considerable merit.
The Key governing terms have been one of the least progressive and do nothing periods of leadership our country has had. The main imperative of National is don't rock the boat and dismiss any other opposition ideas reflexively whilst smearing their leaders with lies and distortions.
Its big dairy will save us has bitten us in the bum and we're left with high house prices and lower income groups sinking into third world poverty levels.
The rich getting richer and the devil take the hindmost is all that they offer.
We have a charismatic salesman leading us with a tired pack of hacks rotating shift on cabinet positions hoping that no shit sticks to them whilst jostling for position for when he gets bored with the whole thing and ups sticks to Hawaii or wherever.
Christ what a shemozzle. -
Legal Beagle: The Teapot Moan Scandal…, in reply to Steve Barnes,
Mr. Key is thinking we should meet his deformation expenses..
Perfectly happy to.
- Sorry couldn't help myself :)
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Inspector O series of books set in North Korea, written by James Church.
A truly great read in such a foreign setting with an understated wit penned by an ex C.I.A. officer who presumably knows his stuff. -
More of a sci-fi fan with an Elmore Leonard, Doctorow, James Ellroy bent on the side.
However I've just started Arab Jazz by Karim Miske and am enjoying the hell out of it although I've only got around 30-40 pages in I don't want it to end.