Comments on: Eviction, deportation and fairtrade

By: shoemoney

shoemoney — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 19:23:39 +0000

shoemoney…

nice shoemoney site at shoemoney http://www.imyourhuckleberry.info/ 22…

By: Roger

Roger — Tue, 30 May 2006 11:24:55 +0000

The problem with your argument, Sajn, is that if that were the case, why didn’t the US do with Saddam as they did wigh Ghadaffy- announce that all was forgiven and leave him in charge? I think that the US government actually convinced themselves that Saddam was a genuine threat, so dangerous that he had to be overthrown by direct intervention.

By: Sajn

Sajn — Mon, 29 May 2006 15:58:09 +0000

Which basically confirms what I have been trying to say. The whole invasion and it’s justification have nothing to do with Saddam was doing to Iraq and it’s people but all about western political and economic interests.

By: Roger

Roger — Mon, 29 May 2006 10:20:11 +0000

Could, yes. Should is another matter. The US encouraged Iraqis to overthrow Saddam after the first war. The Iraqi army and security forces stayed loyal to Saddam and massacred tens of thousands of rebels.For years afterwards the USA encouraged everyone who rebelled against Saddam- including “plots” invented by saddam’s own agents. At the same time Saddam outmanouevred the USA in propaganda and made the US, the UN and official sanctions carry the blame for Saddam’s own refusal to allow food and medicine to the Iraqi people. After the WTC attacks Bush and his advisers seem to have convinced themselves that Saddam and bin Laden were connected and allied and the rest followed.
As for the toleration extended to Saddam before the invasion of Kuwait, I think that was partly because he might have been a bastard but he was a bastard with – apparently- purely local ambitions, mainly because the soviet Union still existed and extended toleration and protection to him. Possibly the USSR advised Saddam on what he could and couldn’t get away with as well.

By: Sajn

Sajn — Sun, 28 May 2006 14:09:13 +0000

Roger Saddam could and probably would have been overthrown after the first Gulf “War” if the West had been consistent and honest.

By: Sajn

Sajn — Sun, 28 May 2006 14:07:28 +0000

By the “pro-war” group I mean all of those that supported the invasion of Iraq including the politicians and writers that you mention. Yes, some of them are not “decision makers” but they do influence public opinion. Why has Saddam become such an evil man over the last 15-16 years when he killed or was responsible for many more deaths in the 10 years prior to that?

By: Sajn

Sajn — Sun, 28 May 2006 14:04:19 +0000

“…on account of being in kindergarten then? Your questions are not very reasonable ones, S.”

My bad, I just assumed that he was a bit older from some of his comments.

By: Roger

Roger — Sat, 27 May 2006 17:08:53 +0000

Well- as someone who wasn’t a member of the pro-war group- I’m not biased in their favour and I think the prowar group of writers and polemicists only started supporting Saddam’s overthrow out loud when it looked as if they’d persuade governments to do it and governments only decided to do so when they’d convinced themselves that no-one else in Iraq would, that Saddam was a real and continuing threat and that it wouldn’t have even worse results if they overthrew him.

By: Amir

Amir — Sat, 27 May 2006 16:45:59 +0000

Sajn
I’m 22 years old – meaning, that in 1988, I was 4. Unfortunately, at this time, I was too busy watching Postman Pat and Danger Mouse to care about the horrible realities of the Al-Anfal campaign (such is the blissful ignorance of young children).

Similarly why did the pro-war group wait for so many years before they decided that Saddam had to be removed?

What do you mean by ‘the pro-war group’? Are you referring to Norman Geras, David T, Harry Hatchet, Christopher Hitchens, Nick Cohen, or David Aaronovitch? I’m sorry to brake this to you, but these people are writers, academics, and lawyers – not Presidents or Prime Ministers. They do not pull the rickety strings of foreign policy (unless, that is, you believe that Zionists control the world).

Amir

By: mirax

mirax — Sat, 27 May 2006 11:57:50 +0000

>This begs the question of why you didn’t get involved with the Kurdish groups in 1988 when they were gassed?

…on account of being in kindergarten then? Your questions are not very reasonable ones, S.

By: Sajn

Sajn — Sat, 27 May 2006 09:27:32 +0000

“Yes, some pro-war people are cunts. And hypocrites. But not me (I’ve been involved with Kurdish groups for nearly four years now). I hope Saddam Hussein gets to hear his throat snap (crackk!) as he’s hung in Baghdad. Not a scintilla of sympathy from me.”

This begs the question of why you didn’t get involved with the Kurdish groups in 1988 when they were gassed? Similarly why did the pro-war group wait for so many years before they decided that Saddam had to be removed?

By: Amir

Amir — Fri, 26 May 2006 23:50:47 +0000

Rakhee, don’t get mad with me
Blame society
The police call it a ‘restraining order,’ but I call it ‘love’
Between you and me, Rakhee

By: Amir

Amir — Fri, 26 May 2006 23:40:51 +0000

Rakhee, my sweet
All you had to do was ask:

[cough, cough...]

Rakhee, you killed me with your beauty
As I spied on you from a tree
Looking at your figure in the conservatory
Your sari was see-through, fortunately for me!

Rakhee, you excite me with your bootie
Wagging it hither and thither like a tamboroonie
Big, bouncy, and curvy
Just like the Conservative Party

Amir

By: MatGB

MatGB — Fri, 26 May 2006 00:01:02 +0000

Re the apparent deportation, I haven't seen corroboration either, but that it's possible bothers me. Re stripping of citizenship? Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill, SpyBlog covered it briefly last year, very worrying. Dual citizenship would mean you can be stripped of British citizenship at the whim of the Home Secretary. Can't find a timetable to see where it's got to in the House though, if anyone finds something give us a shout? Katy? Behave yourself girl, I dunno.

By: StrangelyPsychedelic

StrangelyPsychedelic — Thu, 25 May 2006 15:37:35 +0000

They might as well deport that Israeli guy who has been outside the parliament for over 5 years…

I photographed this dude too – will post a link to the photos when I have the time.

By: StrangelyPsychedelic

StrangelyPsychedelic — Thu, 25 May 2006 15:36:40 +0000

Havn’t been able to read most of the comments here but I spoke with Brian Haw and Co. the day of the removal operation, they had quite a few student sympathisers paying them visits and there were a few hangers on, I expected more crews from the anti war brigade to be turning up.

I did hear a few folks praising the actions of the police – they were rather well heeled civil servanty types going ‘the whole charade was allowed to go on for far too long! ‘ etc

The police presence was amusing – transit vans parked all over the place with regular armed police drivebys. Some of the younger officers in their vehicles did pass the odd remark as they drove past….hmmmmmmmmm

The word ‘Nazi’ was used quite liberally too. Whats new eh!

By: Chris Stiles

Chris Stiles — Thu, 25 May 2006 10:54:42 +0000

But not me (I’ve been involved with Kurdish groups for nearly four years now).

In which it’s in order to ask you how old you really are – not out of malice, but purely in order to establish how far back your credentials of being a staunch anti-Saddamist actually go. And presumably you’d like to add a rider stating that you are a pro-democrat, given that the two main Kurdish factions in Iraq are fairly non-democratic. [We shall ignore for a moment the fact that your Kurdish groups might only have a tenuous link with either of them].

That’s the reductio ad absurdum of that approach – and only serves the bury the real issue under a stream of ad-hominem insults, Yalta versus Prague, etc. In any case, most people are uninformed most of the time, and sudden epiphanies are allowable.

[Also ignoring for a moment the possibility that I might actually agree with you re Brian Haw - even if it doesn't make him, in my opinion, a part of female anatomy].

By: Rakhee

Rakhee — Thu, 25 May 2006 09:36:22 +0000

Katy / Amir / Jay, have read rave reviews about Matisyahu though haven’t been exposed to his music yet. Maybe one for the weekend. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/articles/22674028?source=Evening%20Standard

Amir – I’m upset. What happened to my poems? Such a blog tease.

By: Vikrant

Vikrant — Thu, 25 May 2006 05:47:58 +0000

Or did they remove the Israeli as well?

By: Vikrant

Vikrant — Thu, 25 May 2006 05:46:15 +0000

One less hippy in Westminster whats the big deal??

They might as well deport that Israeli guy who has been outside the parliament for over 5 years…