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alfredo.bremont on "Honduras: behind the crisis"

alfredo.bremont — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:54:46 +0100

what this event reveals is rather a continuity of the chaos that is affecting western civilisation. however it is not only in Honduras that the virus has attacked but is worldwide. in the past 2 years things have gone from bad to worse. in contrast there is one men to blame HUGO CHAVEZ. unfortunately he is not to blame the decaying Occident has being on its decline for the past decades or even longer than that. technology provided a new tool for manipulation and brainwashing, reason why we got only five multinationals that rule the media. as well we have now all attempts to control the new devices. however it is to late for any deceiving tricks that the ruling class is hoping to impose. the party is over there will be no recovery, no resurface to what once was, neither a revamp controlled wall street. the limit has being reach and now the links are broken. out of this confusion what is really needed is wisdom, not to find a new way, because the new form has not mature jet, but how to guide the population of the world through this coming disasters until the new wold is born. "in all fronts" Obama and PUTIN has the opportunity to dismantle nuclear weapons worldwide, in my opinions this is what they can do, and prevent the worse for human kind. a free world of nuclear devices is all we can hope for. a global civil war is on the making and no matter what anyone hopes to do will not succeed. the middle east is-the first region were this weapons must be put to sleep, beginning with Israel and ending in china, via Pakistan India and north Korea. them the European nations and finally the ones that engendered this mess the soviet union and Washington. after this is done we can begun the reconstruction of the west on a new base, on a new way of thinking on a new logic adapted to our current century. until them the Honduras sitcom is just part of the disintegration of the world as we know it, which unfortunately is doom. the new coming brave new world should lesson to Huxley and Orwell and avoid those scenarios which is what is being put in place rigth now to continue the logic of dominant and dominated.

eventually the lamb will destroy the moloch sooner than expected.

mario corti on "Silvio Berlusconi: ten more questions "

mario corti — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:08:14 +0100

Dear Editor

I sent a letter a while ago concerning the new draft law limiting wiretapping in Italy. If I remember correctly it had a title. Something like: "Italians equate wiretapping with democracy and media freedom". It was pertinent to the subjects discussed in this forum. It did not contain insults, and it was published. Now I do not find it in the forum anymore. Is there any particular reason why my letter,, published under #500, was removed?

rr2009 on "Northern Ireland: guns, words and publics "

rr2009 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:31:56 +0100

Tony Blair declared in 2006 that a "final settlement" to the political stalemate in Northern Ireland is
within reach and an independent commission
concluded that the IRA was no longer a terrorist threat.

"The IRA has
done what we asked of it," the prime minister said this afternoon.3 yrs have gone now and we're still where he started... chemotherapy

bigC - one last time on "The archaeology of Iran’s regime"

bigC - one last time — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:27:19 +0100

The only thing I take issue with here is the implied assumption that Mousavi would have won - or at least forced a second ballot.

The regime's most stupid mis-calculation here may well have been "stealing" an election they would have won anyway

rosolino on "Berlusconi’s scandal, Italy’s tragedy "

rosolino — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:56:53 +0100

In this great article there is just a little mistake when it quotes Giuliano Ferrara.
The critical date is July 25 1943 (not July 24), when Mussolini was overthrown by the Gran Consiglio del Fascimo (Fascism High Council) and then had to resign.

Arrivederci!

trimmerb1234 on "Berlusconi’s scandal, Italy’s tragedy "

trimmerb1234 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:31:36 +0100

Geof Andrews gives an overview and update but missing is any insight into the minds of those who seem to consistently re-elect Berlusconi. What do they say? Why do they vote for him? Do they care about Italy's reputation or is the rest of Europe wrong and Italy right? Do they dread dullness in politicians? Does he get them to support him against their better judgement? Do his policies negatively affect some who even so still vote for him? The views of those who abhor him is a side issue when a majority keeps voting him in.

Tony Leavy on "Berlusconi’s scandal, Italy’s tragedy "

Tony Leavy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:21:47 +0100

To me this article, among many, demonstrates the fact that Italy is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Because he is in control of almost all of the Italian media Italy's prime minister seems to be able to get away with such things as changing the law to prevent his being charged with corruption.

By casting himself as an 'international statesman', while at the same time indulging in very public sleaze, Berlusconi is treating his fellow citizens with contempt. To say the least this reflects very badly on all Italians. The fact that they put up with it makes them complicit in the corruption of Italian society. The whole think stinks.

roberto esposito on "Silvio Berlusconi: ten more questions "

roberto esposito — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:16:03 +0100

Ask question to Mr. Berlusconi seemed useless effort since he had no intention (so far) to answer and/or explain.

As long as we have a gleam of democracy in Italy, it is supposed that decision power is in the hands of Italian voters, therefore, instead of loosing time waiting for answers that will never come, I prefer to ask 10 question to Italian voters because I am interested indeed to know their deep intention:

Ten question to the Italians

1) Are you willing to observe all law and regulation? (Pay all due taxes, observe highway code, abandon sheer bad manners, build together a civilized community)

2) Are you willing to open your mind and listen your politic opponents without considering them as enemy?

3) Are you ready and prepeared to fight in order to give them the opportunity to expose their ideas?

4) Are you ready and prepeared to accept the results of political elections and consider any elected member as a representative of all Italians?

5) Are you willing to spend the same enthusiasm in political discussion as you spend on football discussion?

6) Are you ready and prepeared to stop struggle against the Establishments?

7) Are you willing to democratically discuss the changes of Democratic Enstablishment and Italian Constitution?

8) Are you ready and prepeared to work hard to have them changed democratically?

9) Are you ready and prepeared to work hard to improve the bad Italian reputation at international level (Mafia, corruption, spaghetti and mandolino, tifosi, good-for-nothing ....... )

10) Do you feel yourself an Italian citizen, an European citizen, a World citizen?

JEYASENTHI on "Sri Lanka - camps, media…genocide? "

JEYASENTHI — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:31:02 +0100

It is not CIVIL WAR but SYSTEMATIC RACIST GENOCIDE by Srilanka using Buddhism and Democracy to fool the world.
Srilankan army commander, Ministers and the Medievil Monks(please don't insult the Great Buddhism by naming the Monks as Buddhists because they humiliate Buddhism when they act and open their NAZI mouths every time when they talk)recently repeated their RACIST MOTTO - Srilanka ONLY for SInhalese not for Tamils or Muslims.
And, the Same Army Commander just days ago declared that TAMILS DON't NEED TO HAVE ANY POLITICAL SOLUTION AT ALL.
And, the president declared there is no Minorities- meaning The Srilanka going to COLONISE all island with SINHALESE to stop minorities to rise again demanding autonomy.
The NAKED SRILANKAN RACISM is OBVIOUS one not elusive but the whole world behaving like BLINDED gullible people even now after Srilanka locked the so called liberated 300,000 Tamils in the NAZI style BARBED WIRED CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
It is about time the whole world ISOLATE the Srilankan Sinhella fundamentalist NAZI regime like the APATHEID SOUTH AFRICA. Srilanka was the only one sent cricket team to APATHEID South Africa against the World Boycott.
And, hold UN referendum in North and East of the island to know the will of minorities like the one held in East Timor.
Tamils were the only owners of the ENTIRE ISLAND called Srilanka.
1)Muslims adopted Tamil as their mother tongue because Tamils were the only rulers of the island like we came to the UK and adopted English.

2)Sinhala language itself created out of Tamil, example 90% of Sinhala alphabet resembles and sounds similar to those of Tamil and more than 25% of Sinhala words are Tamil words.

Seyon on "Sri Lanka - camps, media…genocide? "

Seyon — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:24:39 +0100

2)Sinhala language itself created out of Tamil, example 90% of Sinhala alphabet resembles and sounds similar to those of Tamil and more than 25% of Sinhala words are Tamil words.

Nicholas Githuku on "Kenya: it’s our turn to read"

Nicholas Githuku — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:25:26 +0100

I haven't read the book yet being one of the people beijng victimized by the ban or whatever it is...I popped in at a bookshop on Nairobi's Kenyatta Avenue the day the book was launched and sensed what we know now...That it wasn't going to be stocked afterall in leading bookshops. So far, what I have been able to read are the book's excerpts published in the Daily Nation just before the book was launched.

I have keenly read "It's our time to read" and feel these exact sentiments. However, especially seeing that I wrote my M.A thesis on Ethnicity and its corruption nexus back in 2004, I think it is rather wrong, no pun intended, for Ms. Wrong to make a blanket statement in this article thus: >>>>.....Kenyan newspaper reviewers greeted it more warmly than I had ever dared hope, but the discussions on Kenyan websites leave me in no doubt that many - particularly members of the president's Kikuyu ethnic group - fiercely reject its findings<<<<< While this might be the case, Kenya's coming from a very difficult time in its short history and such sensitive remarks can only heighten tensions and increase suspicions. While the truth must be written, spoken and debated, let's do acknowledge the delicacy of the subject and avoid polarizing people along ethnic lines. I happen to be Kikuyu but, I must say, am not defending anybody here...just throwing in a word of caution....Otherwise, when all said and done, Ms. Wrong has done such a great job...I can't wait to lay my hands on this book.

Nicholas K. Githuku

Graduate Student

WVU, African Studies.

KyllieKay80 on "Uses of genocide: Kenya, Georgia, Israel, Sri Lanka"

KyllieKay80 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:34:51 +0100

t's a shame that the word genocide even exists. It's human nature to oppress and retaliate. It's the natural flow of humanity.

How do we explain this? It is not so much human suffering as such which evidently bothers some people, but human suffering in so far as Israel was responsible for it

Kylie

Lose 40 Pounds Fast
Fast Way to Lose Weight

George W. Jones on "The new executive politics: a democratic challenge "

George W. Jones — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:45:38 +0100

Saskia is so wrong in saying the heart of the issue is the overweening power of the executive branch and the loss of power by the legislature, and that the answer is to strengthen the power of parliaments.
1. Her main example is the USA, which already has a separation of powers between executive and legislature, so if the dysfunctions she identifies are so apparent in the USA, we in the UK should not seek to replicate separation of powers here.
2. In the UK the governance problem is not the overweening power of the executive but its weakeness against the overweening power of the legislature seeking to acquire the separation of powers independence featured in the USA.
3. The overweening power of the legislature is symbolised in the new building for MPs, Portcullis House, a huge monstrosity housing luxurious offices and facilities for MPs.
4. The Thatcherite introduction in 1979 of a system of departmental select committees has so developed that many of them attempt to set themselves up as rival governments to the real government, propounding rival policies to those coming from the government that people voted to exercise the responsibilities of governing.
5. Some chairmen of select committees have been acting as if they were the equivalent of ministers, seeking publicity to antagonise the Government they were elected to support.
6.Not since the mid-19th century have so many MPs been so rebellious, voting against their own Government.
7. These overmighty MPs champion a variety of sectional special-interest and single-issue cause groups, deliberately challenging the attempts of the Government to promote the general public interest. Such groups make great use of MPs and select committees to advance their causes; they have captured much of the legislature.
8 The media praise such "independence" by rebel MPs to embarrass the Government; they denigrate Government whips and even loyalty to party. Supporting a party, even giving money to one, is treated as if it were a criminal offence, disqualifying a supporter of such a voluntary organisation from holding public office.
9. . The House of Lords, non-elected and unaccountable, has become in recent years more and more an obstacle to the elected Government.
10. The insidious advocates of separation of powers have already weakened the Government by enhancing the powers of judges, also non-elected and unaccountable, who frustrate the Government's policies for protecting the public interest.
11. The Government, far from overweening, is feeble and indecisive, almost paralysed in the face of attacks from the media and even from its own MPs, from select committees, the House of Lords the courts, and from the array of sectional pressure groups.
12 The power of the legislature in the UK has been increased and should be diminished, not futher enhanced. The Government should be empowered to promote the general public interest, and be held accountable to voters for its performance at general elections. Saskia should recognise the need for this new executive politics.

roderick Russell on "The new executive politics: a democratic challenge "

roderick Russell — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:14:14 +0100

May I comment on Saskia Sassen’s excellent article on the failure of democracy. She is absolutely correct when she says “The rebalancing of a disturbed and dysfunctional system needs to begin by recognizing the nature and scale of the problem.”

I would suggest that the situation is at its worst in countries such as the UK and Canada that have a parliamentary system of governance were the executive branch is not separated from the legislative branch, so that the democratic balance that an independent legislature can provide is effectively lost.

Ms. Sassen refers to corruption and lack of accountability which is surely a reflection on the ethics of the times. There will always be some corruption, but the question surely is – Has the level of corruption reached the point where powerful interests can effectively override rule of law; so that the democracy has in reality become just a sham. The measure of the quality of the democracy is not whether a country’s institutions respect rule of law most of the time, but that they also respect rule of law where their establishments are pulling the other way.

The problem is huge. When democratic institutions can flagrantly violate the principle of rule of law, then they have also chosen to abandon democracy. One practical example of this ongoing systematic failure of democracy is outlined in the wiki:

http://zerzetzen.wikispaces.com

The failure of democratic institutions to uphold rule of law is indeed a democratic challenge, and it is time that we recognized “the nature and scale of this problem”.

Roderick Russell
#207, 1733 -27 Ave. SW
Calgary AB T2T 1G9 Canada
403.229.0864

Felixfree on "Uses of genocide: Kenya, Georgia, Israel, Sri Lanka"

Felixfree — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:37:11 +0100

Genocide and war is the most shabby act wich humen can do!

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