Scott Ritter Says US Will Attack Iran In June
by Mark Jensen
Scott Ritter delivered two shocking bombshells in a talk to a packed house in Olympia's Capitol Theater in Washington State at the weekend. The ex-Marine turned UNSCOM weapons inspector said that
George W. Bush has "signatured" plans to bomb Iran in June 2005
knowledgeable sources say U.S. officials "cooked" the results of the Iraq elections.
>> well, surprise, surprise!!
The principal theme of Scott Ritter's talk was Americans' duty to protect the U.S. Constitution by taking action to bring an end to the illegal war in Iraq. But in passing, he stunned his listeners with the two pronouncements.
Iran
The purported goal for the planned aerial attack is the destruction of Iran's alleged program to develop nuclear weapons. However, said Ritter, neoconservatives in the administration also expected the attack would set in motion a chain of events leading to regime change in the oil-rich nation of 70 million - a possibility Ritter regards with the greatest scepticism.
Iraq Elections
Called by Bush "a milestone in the advance of freedom in Iraq," the former Marine said they were not so free after all. U.S. authorities, he said, had manipulated the results to reduce the United Iraqi Alliances percentage from 56% to 48%.
>>no, no, this cant be true! manipulate elections, naw, they wouldnt even know HOW to do it!
His source, he said, was an official involved in the manipulation, and it would soon be reported by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist in a major metropolitan magazine - an obvious allusion to New Yorker reporter Seymour M. Hersh.
In January the New Yorker posted an article by Hersh entitled The Coming Wars (New Yorker, JAN 24, 2005) in which he claimed that the Bush administrations next strategic target is Iran." Hersh also reported that
"The Administration has been conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran at least since last summer.
& Defense Department civilians, under the leadership of Douglas Feith, have been working with Israeli planners and consultants to develop and refine potential nuclear, chemical-weapons, and missile targets inside Iran.
& Strategists at the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, in Tampa, Florida, have been asked to revise the military's war plan, providing for a maximum ground and air invasion of Iran.
& The hawks in the Administration believe that it will soon become clear that the Europeans' negotiated approach [to Iran] cannot succeed, and that at that time the Administration will act."
Although the peace movement failed to stop the war in Iraq, Scott Ritter said it had a chance to stop its expansion to other nations like Iran and Syria. He held up the spectre of a day when the Iraq war might be remembered as a relatively minor event that preceded an even greater conflagration.
Before Ritter spoke, Dahr Jamail narrated a slide show of 100 vivid photographs taken in Iraq, mostly by himself in Fallujah. Many showed the horrific slaughter of civilians. Jamail was, until recently, one of the few independent, unembedded journalists in Iraq. His reports have gained a substantial following and are available online at
dahrjamailiraq
UP!
chester
SUN FEB 27 politika @alexander's
Change the world on Sundays the networking - socialising - campaign night
This months hosts: Chester Stop the War Coalition
Cool laid-back ambient tunes & images to match by Cloud Temple // Steve Culshaw (Ombaba) - Spiritual Mantras for Peace // Chester Poets // Guest Speaker on 'Iraq' followed by a roving mike discussion // Graham Bellinger from Roots Chords // Pythagoras and the Theorems - an improvisation/experimental session from Chester's most avant garde band! +stall+round table+raffle+campaign announcements
Last Sunday each month is hosted by campaign groups.
@ Alexander's Rufus Court. £2 towards campaign costs.
www.alexandersjazz.com
UP!
The Whole World Needs
America To Lose This War
Jack Lessenberry/ Metro Times.
Gwynne Dyer isnt exactly a wimp. Not many guys from Newfoundland are. Born during World War II, hes been fascinated by things military all his life, and has served in three navies Americas, Canadas and Great Britains. He has university degrees from all three countries too, and a Ph.D. in military and Middle Eastern history.
And heres what he says about what America is doing:
The United States needs to lose the war in Iraq as soon as possible. Even more urgently, the whole world needs the United States to lose the war in Iraq. What is at stake now is the way we run the world for the next generation or more, and really bad things will happen if we get it wrong.
Those are the opening lines of his latest and perhaps most important book, Future Tense: The Coming World Order (paperback, McClelland and Stewart, $12.95). If you plan on reading only one book this year, make this the one. In perfectly clear prose, with arguments as well-researched as they are compelling, this military expert explains why what America is doing is mad.
He explains how Americans havent grasped that the world has changed, that they arent living in their old superpower world anymore, one in which theyre the leader of the forces of light against the evil dark powers of communism. Nor are they, in fact, even a military superpower in the way they like to think they are; in reality, their military machine can only be used against very weak countries. As he notes, War with a serious opponent would lead to a level of American casualties that the U.S. public would not tolerate for long.
What the world needs most in the long run (if theres to be a long run), he reminds us, is a stable international order in which all nations gradually work on abandoning war as an acceptable way of settling differences. Dyer isnt starry-eyed about this; he thinks it will take 100 years at least to get major countries to stop resorting to war, for it is trying to change international habits that have had at least 5,000 years to take root.
>>much longer. it goes back to when they first turned away from mushroom worship.
That, he reminds us, is the whole purpose of the United Nations, which America played the major role in starting exactly 60 years ago this spring. Yes, Americans have resorted to war before, as have other countries, but they always at least pretended what they were doing was legally justified by international standards.
Now, however, the current administration is essentially spitting on this, and openly proclaiming their right to intervene unilaterally anywhere they want. Why is that so bad? Because others will do it too,
>> Russia and Iran, and Syria. Russia and China. China and North Korea. Venezuela and Cuba.
and, eventually, it will break down even the ideal of an international order, causing a general return to the old world of alliances, arms races and all the other old baggage.
Dyer writes, No other major power wants to abandon the project to outlaw war & but if the worlds greatest power becomes a rogue state, they wont have much choice. Some days, it appears like America has already crossed the line.
Interestingly, if that happens, America may not be able to afford to be a rogue state for very long. In whats surely the most telling and terrifying part of this book, the author takes on the most frightening topic of all the real condition of the American economy, which is now totally dependent on foreign investment.
Youd scarcely know it from the mainstream media, but America is now the biggest debtor nation in history, owing far more to foreign countries than they do to it, and running up $500 billion more on their credit card every year.
Why does this go on? Dyer argues what other economists have only said in whispers: The U.S. economy is a confidence trick based on everybody elses perception that the United States is centrally important for the worlds security and that its economy is centrally important for the world economy.
That was absolutely true in 1945, largely true even in 1985, but not anymore. If you look at only those foreign investments that could be liquidated fairly quickly, the total, he estimates, would come to about $8 trillion. If those investments started to move elsewhere, the value of the dollar could be cut in half, Dyer estimates, overnight.
That would more than likely lead to the end of democracy as we know it. Which would be especially unfortunate since, as he notes, global warming and other environmental problems are going to hit us very hard over the next 50 years.
How fast they hit and how great the resulting upheavals will be cannot be known in advance, but very few people apart from the usual suspects in the United States any longer doubt that climate change is a reality.
http://207.44.245.159/article8077.htm
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ON THE UP! THIS YEAR
KEEP AN EYE OUT for a certain Mr JONNY FOX (or uncertain since hes been genetically altered to be half man). Now that the hunting ban has come into force hes going from strength to strength.
This long-hunted, semi-crazed Man-Fox Rebel creation is the mind-child of none other than long term //YOU co creator - Martin Wood, affectionately known as Scuba, Scooby or - under protest - SCOOPA POOPA! The co-artist/designer behind EPi, evolution^, the SHAMANARCHY EXPERIMENT, and show director @ both MEGATripolis and the Warp Experience, Scooby is back with a (foxy) vengeance. Its great to see that, backed by the other gaiagasm crew, hes still up to his old tricks with solar festival promotion (check them on www.gaiagasm.com)
Our Rebel Vermin Dog has come a long way since its cameo appearance on the first epic WARP EXPERIENCE flyer. Dig it out of your collection! And who could forget the evil Lord Prendaghast chasing Jonny Fox through the Dromes psychedelic corridors, whip in hand, in the wee wee hours of the morning long after exhausted surrealism had settled over the denizens? Mummy, why is that Lord man chasing that Fox Man? He wants to bring back Man Hunting, darling, just eat up your philosophers stones.
From its debut performance in The Experimental Campus at the WARP EXPERIENCE - this warts-and- all DIY production has evolved into a tight half-hour short film - with the Green Angel players. And now, with a childrens book and comic in the pipeline and rumours of feature-film interest from the US, THE YEAR THEY STOPPED FOX HUNTING could very well be Jonny Foxs year!
Jonny Fox - a Mummers Tail is presently doing the rounds on the underground circuit - most recently seen at Circle Communitys Imbolc night.
runjonnyfox@yahoo.co.uk
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*************** WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1****************
ALL NOT FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR
Tonights Full Moon is about purification and service
- but through relationships.
Make sure your partnerships are clear, and fair,
and that everybody has their place in the sun.
Commit yourself. And apply the Golden Rule.
This endeavour can keep us busy for the week.
For more, see
www.daykeeperjournal.com
*******************************************************************************
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Earth Hit By Brightest Galactic Flash Ever Detected
- from a magnetar no bigger than a city 300,000 trillion miles away!
by Robert Roy Britt / Senior Science Writer
A huge explosion halfway across the galaxy packed so much power it briefly altered Earth's upper atmosphere in December, astronomers said Friday.
No known eruption beyond our solar system has ever appeared as bright upon arrival.
Invisible to our eyes, in gamma rays the event equalled the brightness of the full Moon's reflected visible light.
The blast originated about 50,000 light-years away and was detected Dec. 27. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 6 trillion miles.
The commotion was caused by a special variety of neutron star known as a magnetar. These fast-spinning, compact stellar corpses -- no larger than a big city -- create intense magnetic fields that trigger explosions. The blast was 100 times more powerful than any other similar eruption witnessed, said David Palmer of Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of several researchers around the world who monitored the event with various telescopes.
Tsunami Connection?
Scientists have made no such connection. The blast affected Earth's ionosphere, which is routinely affected to a greater extent by changes in solar activity it sez ere.
"Had this happened within 10 light-years of us, it would have severely damaged our atmosphere and possibly have triggered a mass extinction," said Bryan Gaensler of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CIA).
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/bright_flash_050218.html
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Ecstasy Trials For Combat Stress
>> ever get the feeling?
David Adam, science correspondent, The Guardian
American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares.
>> its a safe bet that anyone else traumatised by the psychopathic killing could benefit too.
and no doubt AMIRAQA will soon have the heavies dope penalties on the planet, right?
u like AMIRAQA, eh? just made it UP!
The US food and drug administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Scientists behind the trial in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year.
>> but if youre perfectly sane and healthy its a different matter. why? puritan anti-pleasure?
Michael Mithoefer, the psychiatrist leading the trial, said: "It's looking very promising. It's too early to draw any conclusions but in these treatment-resistant people so far the results are encouraging. People are able to connect more deeply on an emotional level with the fact they are safe now."
He is about to advertise for war veterans who fought in the last 5 years to join the study.
The US national centre for post-traumatic stress disorder says up to 30% of combat veterans suffer from post stress disorder at some point in their lives. Known as shell shock during the first world war and combat fatigue in the second, the condition is characterised by intrusive memories, panic attacks and the avoidance of situations which might force sufferers to relive their wartime experiences.
Dr Mithoefer said the MDMA helped people discuss traumatic situations without triggering anxiety.
>> u heard it! the doctor says take this E itll help to you look at your fears with equanimity.
"It appears to act as a catalyst to help people move through whatever's been blocking their success in therapy."
>> hope ure taking notes. be sue and tell your friends.
The existing drug-assisted therapy sessions last up to 8 hours, during which music is played.
>> read that again and& SMILE
The patients swallow a capsule containing a placebo or 125mg of MDMA - about the same or a little more than a typical ecstasy tablet.
Psychologists assess the patients before and after the trial to judge whether the drug has helped.
The South Carolina study marks a resurgence of interest in the use of controlled psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs.
>> well, i never!
Several studies in the US are planned or are under way to investigate whether MDMA, LSD and psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can treat conditions ranging from obsessive compulsive disorder to anxiety in terminal cancer patients.
>> also cynicism, greed, selfishness, pride, atheism, xtianity and other fundamentalisms, while unknotting the genetically modified competition gene. ask your doctor for some!
UP!
Israel Again! And Again!
A large group of academic Jews all over the world believe that Arafat was assassinated in France by a conspiracy between the USA, Israel and, probably, France itself. The Jewish academic talking group ALEF (Academic Left) is full of it. The same conspiracy theory includes the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon, Rafik Harari.
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al-Hariris Last Press Statement
ISSUED ON THE DAY OF HIS DEATH: I am a believer in the Taif Accord. When opposition figures tried to move beyond this accord I interfered and asked them to stick to it. We are most keen on preserving relations with Syria and protecting its interests; this stems from our deeply rooted national and pan-Arab convictions.
Assafir, February 14, 2005.
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al-Hariris Assassination: Who Benefits?
by Wafaa' Al-Natheema
Never in the modern history of international politics and diplomacy has the ambassador of a country been withdrawn from another country within 48 hours of an assassination in a third country! Condoleezza Rice did just that when she announced the withdrawal of the American ambassador in Damascus after former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariris assassination in Lebanaon. And without any kind of evidence!
In the absence of evidence, the next best element is to examine motives; who does it serve best? While Syria has its history of political upheavals, and assassinations of leaders (like Kamal Jumblatt of Lebanon), it is not logical or even realistic to accuse Syria of being the orchestrator of Hariri's assassination.
From the first hour of my learning of Rafiq Hariri's assassination, I knew the American government would accuse Syria. The USA games and propaganda have become fully memorised poems by me and by millions of people worldwide. The 3-year-old composed symphony of the "Axis of Evil" is being performed again! The Hariri assassination and the "Free Lebanon from Syria!" is its chorus!
>> with the BBC and everyone singing in perfect harmony.
On Monday, February 14, I called both Syrian and Lebanese embassies in DC requesting statements about the assassination. The Syrian embassy responded promptly via phone and email, and sent a statement within two hours of our request, condemning the killing of Hariri. Yet, we received nothing from the Lebanon embassy!
The assassination is part of the plan to continue destablising the Arab world, to divide it and exploit its resources. No one in the Arab world would benefit from Mr. Hariri's assasination.
Those who benefit from the instability and continued conflicts in Arab countries are the Israelis, the Americans and the Ahmed Chalabis of Lebanon!
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7EFAB726-9014-495D-8939-187E68035462.ht
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Iraq Faces 'Music For Pleasure' Ban
Bin Laden Dun Ravin?
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the 'moderate' Shia leader widely tipped as Iraq's next leader, is hoping to outlaw recreational music.
He hopes to introduce Sharia law, with far reaching consequences for Iraqi society.
>> well done, georgie, creating more fundamentalists!
Once he assumes control, chess will be forbidden, likewise women shaking hands with men," writes Richard Ingrams in the Observer. "Men will be forbidden to say their prayers while wearing earrings. Music will only be permitted 'if it is not for enjoyment'.
12 months previously Mohammed Fartusi, the mullah of Baghdad's biggest mosque al-Heqma, publicly branded discothèques 'symbols of western influence,' and also called for singing and dancing to be banned.
SHARIA DRESS CODES: 'Women who do not comply with the strict rules of hijab (the veil) promote a contemptuous attitude towards themselves, becoming mere objects for men's pleasure. Moreover, such conduct causes a drop in the marriage rate. A woman with a pleasant appearance hinders other girls from finding a husband. It also makes the selection difficult for men. They will constantly think of a model who is beyond everybody.": Homa Darabi Foundation.
http://www.homa.org/Details.asp?View=Detail&ContentID=2137352848&TOCID=2083225444
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The Gathering Storm
SCOTLAND PREPARES FOR 2 WEEKS OF MAYHEM
AS G8 SUMMIT LANDS ON EDINBURGH & GLENEAGLES
Mini-Guantanamo for activists
By Liam McDougall, Scottish Daily Herald/Home Affairs Editor
SCOTLANDS entire criminal justice network is preparing for two weeks of rioting and mayhem in July as hundreds of thousands of campaigners, including anarchist groups, mount a calendar of protests against the G8 summit.
A Sunday Herald investigation can reveal that a raft of controversial measures are being put in place by police and the justiciary to cope with thousands of arrests in Edinburgh and Perthshire during the period when the leaders of the worlds eight industrialised nations come to Gleneagles. These include:
** Scrapping all trials at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for the first two weeks in July;
** Every criminal sheriff court in the capital, bar one, freed up to deal only with G8 custodies;
** Prosecutors and up to seven sheriffs put on standby to deal with G8 arrests in the capital;
** Plans to turn a former RAF base in Edinburgh into a holding facility for protesters awaiting trial;
** Teams of interpreters drafted into courts to deal with foreign suspects;
** Plans for special anti-terror stop-and-search powers around Gleneagles;
l All police leave cancelled from the start of July for two weeks.
The moves are the strongest indication yet that Scotlands political leaders fear a repeat of riots that have marred previous G8 summits, such as in Genoa in 2001. Violence in the Italian city ended with one protester dead, more than 200 people injured and 250 arrested.
Preparations by police and anarchist groups have been building as the meeting of world leaders including Tony Blair, George Bush and Vladimir Putin at the five-star Gleneagles Hotel draws nearer.
>> 30 miles from where i went to school
They will meet at the resort from July 6-8 , but anti-capitalists have planned a week-long protest leading up to the summit, including a Make Poverty History march, which is expected to attract 200,000 people to Edinburgh.
Terrorism experts have warned that because of tight security around the hotel, Edinburgh and even Glasgow could become the focus of the most violent demonstrations. David Capitanchik, an expert formerly of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, said the Scottish parliament at Holyrood would be a likely target.
With only 40 cells available at St Leonards Police Station, the capitals main holding police station, plans are under way to ensure Edinburgh has enough jail space to accommodate arrested anti-G8 activists. One option being examined is converting the former RAF Turnhouse base at Edinburgh Airport into a temporary prison. The base had been considered by the Home Office in 2002 as an accommodation centre for asylum seekers.
Last night, human rights lawyers reacted with concern over plans for the special holding facility , dubbed a mini-Guantanamo by activists. They were also angry at news that police chiefs were examining anti-terrorist legislation which would give officers extra powers to detain and question.
http://www.sundayherald.com/47894
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the UP! is a global edutainment round-up, broadcast weekly to =[13,456]=
Alternative// Activist// Zippy// Trance// New Age// Peace folks
recommended to the Parallel YOUniversity// Megatripolis Dance Dept as
"showing signs of life".
Since recipients forward it widely to their own lists & sites,
we conservatively estimate 50,000+ direct recipients.
A further 40,000 read it on the YOUniversity's site.
And, because of its 'mix' of 'specialist' & 'general' content,
it's increasingly being posted on a variety of sites worldwide,
making an estimated total weekly readership of =[275,000]=
(\o/)(\o/)\(o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o/)(\o
ITS THE LATEST DIET CRAZE!!!
Organic Food Helps You Sleep,
Keeps You Slim,
And Boosts Your Immune System
Scientists at the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences experimented with 36 rats, feeding one group organic food, another food grown conventionally with high levels of fertiliser and some pesticide, and a third minimally fertilised food.
The rats fed organic food were measurably healthier - they slept better, had stronger immune systems and were less obese.
The results were released yesterday by the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming, which funded the study. It said: "In all cases where differences were observed there was a beneficial effect of the organically grown diet.."
[The Guardian]
UP!
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side&
I have no taste for either poverty or honest labour, so writing is the only recourse left for me& I've always considered writing the most hateful kind of work. I suspect it's a bit like fucking, which is only fun for amateurs. Old whores don't do much giggling& Publishers are notoriously slothful about numbers, unless they're attached to dollar signs - unlike journalists, quarterbacks, and felony criminal defendants who tend to be keenly aware of numbers at all times& Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism&
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours.
Ive always loved marijuana. It has been a source of joy and comfort to me for many years. And I still think of it as a basic staple of life, along with beer and ice and grapefruits - and millions of Americans agree with me." Hunter S Thompson. RIP.
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The Hospital Plague//FEEDBACK
Gosh golly gumdrops!
I have known about the problem with anti-biotics for at least the last 20 odd years. In a nutshell, if overused, the result is that one, you create viruses/bacteria that are resistant to them, and two, you weaken the body's own capability to fight off disease. I could not even begin to count up the number of times doctors have prescribed them to me and I have not taken them. My reasoning is: is my problem life threatening or a possible cause of permanent damage? If the answer is no then I don't take them. The doctor needs to say something like 'if you don't take them you risk losing your hearing' (probably because he/she can see from the look on my face that I most likely won't be going to the chemist with that particular prescription).
My experience with doctors and veterinarians on the whole is that they 'play on the safe side' and pump you (or your cat/dog) full of anti-biotics just in case the infection or whatever gets worse, thus reducing their likely effectiveness when you do REALLY need them and making it more likely that you'll succumb in the first place!
>> i agree with every comma in what you say. with dentists u have the extra worry: are they taking out all my little roots to be extra safe OR BECAUSE THEY GET PAID FOR EVERY ONE THEY EXTRACT?! (i looked at their charge sheet and they charge £70 each!)
On a more hopeful note, apparently bacteria can be destroyed by a form of virus called phages, and phages can be found in exactly the same place as the bacteria - they eat them! Now that might be handy - what do you think? Pity they are no use against viruses.
>> send me some stuff on phages, sounds inneresting. but what about H2O2? hydrogen peroxide? i just finished my 3rd monthly treatment in the past 8 years. it kills ALL bacteria and viruses by heavily oxidising the body, because everything inimical to the body is anaerobic (hates oxygen).
Dentists. My mouth is a total mess, years of not going to the dentist. Why? Well, put it this way, I've just found a new dentist and (as I write I am loaded up with aspirin after a one-hour drilling session today) he said, "It's a mess, but I can fix it". This approach works much better with me than banging on about dental floss or telling me that it's not as bad as it looks.... when I know it's worse!
AMALGAM? Is this on the NHS? My teeth are being 'reconstructed' using a sort of resin - fuckin' brilliant - like having a new tooth! My advice would be to find a GOOD dentist (word of mouth - what else?!?) and PAY him whatever he asks to do the BEST job he can.
Jerry - Brescia, Italy
>> am looking and, in the meantime, walking around smiling a gap as big as that between my view of the world and george bushs.
UP!
FEEDBACK
>> Dr. Geoffrey W. Marcy of the University of California, Berkeley, said the report opened a new possible abode for life, on Earth-like planets orbiting brown dwarfs: "While these earths would be warmed up for only a few million years, its interesting to imagine what biochemistry might flicker valiantly during that brief period when the brown dwarf is luminous enough to warm up the earth, only to freeze over before Darwinian evolution can kick in."
Or maybe everything would be speeded up just like ants lives pass quicker than elephants. Perhaps evolution would similarly happen at the same speeded-up rate and miniature humans evolve who would investigate their little world and invent religions and ideas about themselves, build little rockets to explore the nearer rocks and burn every damn fuel they could find to rush around in tiny vehicles and buying different versions of stuff made from the planet, while wiping out their co-evolutionaries, species by species, and in the final few seconds of their short existence, realise what they had done.
peter, hereford, uk
>> great idea re time accelerating! am always watching my 7 times faster living dog.
however u can't assume every species would be as bad as us. that's bad science. gurdjieff actually taught that we were the lowest in the cosmos, and somewhat notorious for it. [Be a good boy or you'll get born on Terra next time] so if those others went on evolving waaay beyond where we are failing now.... would they end up gods or what in your model? and then if on a boring afternoon they created planet terra for a laff and this bloke peter thot wotta gas if i birthed myself down there among the monkeys >GO ON>
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Red Ken Must Go NOT// FEEDBACK
>> what moral courage would that take? to join the running slavering dogs of capitalism?!
but, thankyou, jeff, for giving me an entry into this. id been contemplating coming out on ken's side but hesitated to dive in but now you've offered me the chance
Contemplating??? I was on his side openly from the start!
>> so was i (huff puff). wot i was contemplating was whether jumping into the debate only made things stickier for him J
It's that tired old 'Jews are sensitive because of the holocaust and they have every right to feel special' line used by right-wing Zionists and their fellow travellers among the chatterati. It's the concentration camp version of political correctness, and doesn't it remind you of 'Don't Mention The War' in Faulty Towers? Just because the reporter is Jewish, doesn't mean he isn't an arsehole. Isn't it racist to think the two are incompatible?
Pete, Hereford, UK.
>> good point, IS it racist to assume that SOME jews MUST be arseholes?
and on a more serious note, didnt i see on the tv the very same evening that israelis had graffitied SHARON = HITLER on a wall in tel aviv?!
somebody should tell them not to bother assassinating him for being too peace-loving, didnt he just get that leb pol rubbed out? why? because, if youre forcing the shattered defeated Pals into a degrading settlement, wheres the trubble going to head? u gottit in one! so wed better get those syrians outa there and then lebanon will be defenceless.
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I am glad you are taking up the Ken battle. (I hope). It becomes very tiresome when the whole world can be insulted but, as soon as its someone Jewish, its immediately taken as anti-semitism or racism. Frankly, Kens insult sounded more like an insult to the Germans and Nazis and in support of Jews who were mistreated during that era.
tamzin, france
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These letters defending OUR KEN just remind me of how stupid the 'left' and 'alternative culture' can be.... of course we've defended worse people than Ken Livingstone... as long as a person is remotely anti-establishment we will excuse any stupid if not horrible behaviour..... from Livingstone to Saddam to Mao to Bin Laden.... Livingstone who thinks he is fighting some great battle against fascist reporters and newspapers is nothing but a vulgar, bad mannered, self-centred, vain idiot..... and worse are the people who defend him while thinking theyre coming to the rescue of a great person and cause.... he's not even an anti-semite like Le Pen or Nick Griffin& he just uses that language to abuse... so many of his close friends have urged him to apologise for a stupid and crass remark but seeing an opportunity to play the role of martyr he refused to do so...
|>> thats not right. he coulda apologised on day one and it would be all over now. but something called courage stopped him. what else? if hes as bad as u make out he woulda apologised.
by the way can you imagine him saying the equivalent statement to a known Muslim... NO WAY JOSE... HE WOULDN'T RISK THE WRATH OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY&
>> i wonder if thats true. if rothermere press had been AL Queda press and this arab guy had been lurking around livingston for 6 months trying to trip him up or find ANYTHING to stir up trouble for him, would ken have said Are you working for the Taliban then?! my judgement is he probably would.
and one other thing. i dont think the arabs in the uk would have made anything LIKE the fuss that certain people are making now.
Livingstone under the guise of fighting persecution and fascism is nothing but a common bully... c'mon brothers and sisters (AND FRASER) we're about building a better world not about defending vulgarity just because the person is a 'socialist'....
GOODJEFF, oxford.
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Fraser - well done for sticking up for Our Ken; that call to join the witch hunt was well out of order. I too remember the vilification poured on him for daring to turn London into a city worth living in for everyone back in the early 80s. His refusal to withdraw his extremely unpopular call to talk to the IRA, for example, reminds me of some of your own swims-against-the-tide. Youse iconoclasts have got to stick up for each other!
jules marshall, amsterdam.
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KLUMSY KEN - WHOSE STANDARD?
Let's start by saying that I think Ken was unwise in his choice of words. I don't have so much of a problem with the guard reference. It's the "Are you a Nazi War Criminal?" that stands out as particularly inappropriate.
Here's some thoughts, starting with a simple game: [Give yourself a score out of ten]
Think of all the times youve left a private party. If a sober, on-duty journalist had approached you, and documented your response, how likely is it your words would have been coherent, wise, witty and appropriate?
Now remember that the first Concentration Camp guards were in fact members of the British Army, responsible for Boer prisoners of war in what is now South Africa back in the 19th century.
Let's assume it was not attempted entrapment, just coincidence,
>> u assume what u want, bro
that the journalist in question was of an ethnic origin relevant just after the commemoration of the liberation Auschwitz. He could have easily been Irish, Black or Kosovan, but I don't know enough about the ethnic profile of the Evening Standard to speculate on this point.
>> anti-immigrants, used to be anti-jewish immigrants etc. think Daily Mail their sister paper.
For most people, it is no longer acceptable for photographers and journalists to say "I'm just paid to do this job".
>> wot conc camp guards did, for anyone who still doesnt geddit.
Actually, it makes it worse. If they were doing it for free, I might accept they believed in what they were doing (cf. Judas Iscariot). Conspiracy theories aside, would those who pursued the late Princess of Wales to her death receive popular support for their actions? I doubt it.
>> and if shed snapped at one of the bastards: Are you the Gestapo or wot? what would most people have thought?!
The Nazis hounded Jews by smashing their shop windows, terrorising them, and making them wear the star of David. I have no time for the Nazis and their evil philosophies. Of course, they also hounded Gypsies, political dissidents, the disabled, blacks... and gays. The party Ken was leaving was celebrating the 20th anniversary of the MP and former culture secretary Chris Smith 'coming out'. INTERESTING CONNECTION. Of course Mr Smith is notable for going public with the fact that hes had HIV for several years. Even his family didn't know. Apparently, this was done because a right-wing paper had hinted they were about to publish an expose of the fact, which forced the personal disclosure.
>> shurely not!! shurely not the daily mail?!
Of course the Nazis also stole land for 'lebensraum', demolished or stole property, herded Jews into ghettoes, imposed curfews, patrolled civilians with armed guards, set up checkpoints, humiliated them through searches and asking to see papers, exacted reprisals for terrorist acts. All this was based on the Germans belief they were a chosen people, which led them to place great emphasis on ethnic bloodline and racial purity. Fortunately, the Jews learned from this, and the state of Palestine... sorry Israel, offers a complete contrast to this picture.
>>NOTE for american prisoners of war this is Brit irony
The reason the USA has kept quiet so far is that the US stole their country from the indigenous people, but that's a side issue.
>> Are you one of general Custers followers? Naw, Its just a job, I get paid to do this shit.
Seeing film of the Nazi Death camps moves me to tears and rage. But its not being anti-semitic to point out that the Jewish race do not have a monopoly on suffering and injustice. Think Biafra, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Cambodia, Darfur - the list regrettably goes on, up to the present day.
It would be more praiseworthy if Israel was prominent in a campaign through the UN against contemporary evil, in the same way the Japanese have campaigned against nuclear weapons and the use of war as a means of settling international disputes. Is an atom bomb anti-semitic? DISCUSS.
These days, we destroy people's livelihoods by smashing, not shop windows, but reputations. Journalists have a moral responsibility to learn the difference between:
"This story is in the public interest" and "This story is of interest to the public"
Its particularly poignant that Arthur Miller, author of "The Crucible" died this month. Most people who know their history will not need to have the connection with the McCarthy era explained.
Should papers be able to print anything about anybody? Is this a true measure of freedom?
Ive worked with many disruptive children whose response when being reprimanded is: "It's a free country - I can do what I like."
Looking at the media today, I think there is justification for a media equivalent of an ASBO. Anyone fancy setting up an alternative set of award nominations?
I apologise if these thoughts upset anybody. The last UP! had a pro-islamic piece which didn't annoy or upset me. But it did leave me confused, amused, alarmed and bored. It seemed like the product of an agitated and under-educated person, who needed to get out more and party. I skipped through it quickly, like flipping channels, picking out the underlined bits etc. I tend to ignore opinions I don't agree with, but it's interesting to listen, as it gives us the opportunity to re-evaluate my own viewpoint. I do the same thing with my sock drawer. Sometimes I have to check dark blue socks against black to see what colour they really are.
>> its not only me!?
Not all those who joined the Nazi party were totally evil. Not all Jews are beautiful, sensitive caring people.
>> careful&
This is obvious to anyone who's observed the human species. We need to learn and move on. Someone once said: "Are you going to be part of the problem, or part of the solution? The problem even with this, however, is that not everyone can agree on what the problem is, let alone the solution.
On balance, I think Ken is a problem-solver. I think journalism can often be a problem-maker.
Ken needs to apologise, but he needs our support too! Do you really want him replaced with someone who says nothing controversial and has no original opinions that might cause offence?
The important issue is that democracy is in such a state of disrepair, it is increasingly being directed by new model media roundheads, and not driven by the people.
Send the journalist and Ken to Darfur for a celebrity detox. {:->
Brandon, Portsmouth.
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Ken Livingstone Is Right To Stand Up To The Press
If it weren't for his bringing the Nazis into it, would Ken Livingstone have found himself with an army of friends and allies in his battle with Associated Newspapers?
For the last year or so, a movement has been building among press critics and practitioners in Britain to raise the media's game. They argue that the intrusive, celebrity-obsessed scandal sheets, broadsheet and tabloid alike, have destroyed public discourse. Democracy can thrive only when the public is informed about their government, not distracted by gossip about the governors.
And now along comes a case study, with the added ornament of a high public official willing to criticise the press, or at least one news organisation. This was no Alastair Campbell exploding at the BBC, the nation's most respected news organisation, for refusing to buy his propaganda about weapons of mass destruction. This was a 25-year victim of proctological examination by a sadistic gossip machine.
As Livingstone tells it, they offered his ex-wife £50,000 to tell her story. They snooped around friends and neighbours to try to discover if he had been unfaithful to his lover. They triggered an investigation of him by the Standards Board for England about a dust-up at a party that found him not guilty.
That makes them odious, he believes, and deserving of the kind of sharp criticism his explosion and his follow-up comments were intended to suggest. No matter how much the paper paid him for reviewing London restaurants, the management and staff are nothing but scumbags. A number of respected press critics would agree with him, and they have offered just such criticism, though in somewhat different language. But their point is the same: Associated makes a living looking for love in all the wrong places.
It is past time for some high public official to stand up to the press rather than pander to it. The press makes a very weak critic of its own behaviour. Rarely can a news organisation pretend that it has not committed whatever sins it highlights. Few journalists can claim to be holy enough to preach.
Public officials spend half their waking hours devising ways to pander to the press, flattering favoured representatives of targeted news organs with exclusives, personal interviews and cheap wine. In response, journalists scream for more. Strip naked, we demand, for democracy.
Usually, the press gets its way. In the US, no ambitious public official can run for office without releasing his most recent tax return, even though no law requires it. Britain may not be far behind. The press has every right to sniff the mayor's crotch, but does that sell papers, so that Associated can sell more advertising? Yes is the answer.
So with the press unable and unwilling to restrain itself, who will come forward with the kind of fair and honest criticism it deserves? A powerful and popular mayor with a colourful history of press relations could be just the right person for the job.
[Albert Scardino, executive editor of the Guardian.]
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Drugs Is Bad, Bad, Bad, Profitable
Samuel Russell, cousin of William H. Russell who co-founded Skull & Bones in 1833, formally established Russell & Co. on January 1, 1824 for the purpose of acquiring opium and smuggling it to China. By the mid-1830s the opium trade had become "the largest commerce of its time in any single commodity, anywhere in the world."
Working together, Russell & Co. and the Scotch firm Jardine-Matheson, then the world's largest opium dealer, were known as the "Combination." George HW Bush (Skull & Bones, 1948) was born in Milton, Massachusetts not far from the historic home of Robert Bennett Forbes, a Russell partner.
Many great American, European and Chinese family fortunes were built on the "China"(opium) trade. Yes, they sold porcelain, as well as tea, silks and other items at home in the US, but they "needed" the trade in opium for silver to pay for the desired goods and - opium smuggling returned "handsome" profits
Opium smuggling didnt just make money. At times, opium was money. Opium built empires and had a hand in financing much of the worlds infrastructure.
"When we sold the Heathen nations rum and opium in rolls,
And the Missionaries went along to save their sinful souls."
- The Old Clipper Days.
up!
Beware of the Dog!
Uri Avnery
It is not very flattering to be paraded like a Rottweiler on a leash, whose master threatens to let him loose on his enemies. But this is Israels situation now.
Vice President Dick Cheney threatened a few weeks ago that if Iran continues to develop its nuclear capabilities, Israel might attack her.
This week, President George Bush repeated this threat. If he were the leader of Israel, he declared, he would have been feeling threatened by Iran. He reminded those who are a little slow that the United States has undertaken to defend Israel if there is a threat to its security.
All this adds up to a clear warning: if Iran does not submit to the orders of the US (and, perhaps, even if it does) Israel will attack it with American help, much as it attacked the Iraqi nuclear reactor some 24 years ago.
When Bush came to power for the first time, the Neo-Cons laid before him a coherent plan for the extension of the American Empire in the Middle East. It contained 3 chapters:
One, to conquer Iraq in order to take control of its immense oil reserves and place an American garrison at the critical junction between the Caspian Sea oil and the Saudi resources.
Two, to break the Iranian regime and return Iran to the American bloc.
Three, to do the same to Syria and Lebanon. It was not yet decided whether Iran would come before Syria, or the other way round.
A sane person might have assumed that the Iraq experience would cancel the next chapters. The Iraqi people did not receive the occupying army with flowers. The pretext for the invasion was exposed as a blatant lie. The armed insurrection continues. The future of the Iraqi state hangs in the balance, even after the recent elections.
>> which were rigged, like americas, a kinda democracy.
The country may well break up into three parts, creating shock waves all around the Middle East.
Naive people believe that after all this, Bush would not risk more adventures of this kind. They are wrong.
First, because a vain, primitive person never admits to failure. When one adventure goes down, hes driven on to even more ambitious ones.
Second, though the failure does indeed cost a lot of lives and destroys the infrastructure of life in Iraq, that matters little to the planners of the operation. The main aim establishing a permanent garrison in the country - has been achieved. Outside Iraq, nobodys demanding the American soldiers leave. And, despite sabotage, the Iraqi oil is now controlled by the US. The oil baron patrons of the Bush family can be well satisfied.
The Europeans and Russian are trying to block Bushs path. He is now paying a state visit to the EU and NATO, trying to convince them by sweet talk and threats to cooperate in his adventures.
Therefore, one must take seriously Bushs and Cheneys threats to unleash the Rottweiler. The moment they feel the way clear, they will give the sign to Sharon, wholl do his duty, in return for gobbling up some more pieces of the Palestinian territories.
UP!
Stonehenge Forever! //FEEDBACK
>> But now we have to resist the uniformed druid hierarchy....
WillyX
!!!!!!!!! As a Druid whos been attending the solstice at Stonehenge since its re-opening,
>> willy, as his story described, has been participating there for FORTY YEARS NOW!.
I find this deeply offensive! What on earth is he talking about?!! Is a white robe a uniform now?
>> well, yes, actually.
i thot this would bring out a few 'druids' from under the stones
can i ask u one question? r u a dentist?
why do i ask? because when am talking to people like willy i usually describe u so-called druids as "a bunch middle class accountants & dentists". be honest, am i right?
What act of the druids (individually or jointly) is he intent on resisting? We are the people who fought long and hard for the re-opening of Stonehenge
>> now now, re-read willys tale. were you out there 15 years ago at the height of thatchers onslaught on anything out of uniform? didnt see u around when i used to go to the free stonehenge festi, and u certainly werent around when willy was there to kick it all off in the early 70s. so a little respect please for the polytantric elders even if hes not being that respectful to your nouveau arrive organisation.
who refused to perform ceremony there at Solstice because English Heritage wanted to sell tickets and our ceremonies have to be freely open to all.
>> and well done! big shouts for the Druids for that! :D
but you, in turn, must realise that EHs offer to you was a last ditch effort to win their long losing battle with willy x and other totally dedicated activists to open the stones once more to the public as the Deal of Covenant clearly stipulates.
The result of all our lobbying is that now Stonehenge is open,
>> youre just EHs middleclass compromise to keep control, i dont think u won anything and willy would probly say u slowed things down, stopped a full rout of Thatcherism from happening.
it has become impossible to hold any kind of ceremony in the stones that night as the centre of the circle is generally monopolised by a large group of squatters for a drunken drumming party and no-one else can squeeze in. So if anyone should feel aggrieved it's the druids! But in fact, we simply hold our ceremonies some other place or some other time, and accept that for us, Stonehenge at Solstice is no longer a sacred space.
>> definitions of sacred required here.
I can only assume someone asked this Willy to leave his dog off-site
>> no, that happened to me. i left my Canine Companion at the gate and let him find his own way in and he was much enjoyed. whats the problem here? he might shit on sacred grass perhaps?
, exchange his glass bottle for a plastic one
>> now THATS a good idea. would the druids be prepared to practise such humility to protect the sacred spot? or r u content to just show up in your dentists cars , do your thing with the blessing of the state which kills iraqis daily, and drive home to watch yourselves on tv?
, get down from on top of one of the Trilithons,
>> oh the stones can handle it.
not to pour lager on the stones or some such reasonable request!
>> am not aware that mead damages the stones.
I enjoy the festival atmosphere of solstice and the music and the drumming and the people and if he wants to enhance the experience with alcohol or any other drug of his choice, that's up to him, but to some of us, the stones are sacred and we would like to see them honoured and respected by the thousands who come to celebrate
>> its not the bluddy stones that are sacred, its the ancient forcefield around them from the millennia of shamanic celebrations thatve gone on there thats sacred.
not treated like a squalid squat in inner London.
Wiseowl /|\, UK.
>> i should confess an interest here - the only place i visit each weekend these days is a squat - a very very nice and inspiring one at st george's church in tufnel park road. not in the least 'squalid'. and its those very urban types who MOST need the touch of pagan revelry that the stones encapsulate. i suggest you forget whatever Druid Introductory Course youve paid for and realise that Stonehenge represents an ancient deepgreen shamanic lifestyle that a quick car ride and a little ceremony in clean white sheets scarcely touches. hope this is not sounding too negative since obviously you druids are closer to being our allies than the vast majority of SUN© worshippers. just get wise and show some respect for the old warriors who gave you your present rights.
UP!
Blackshirts Stole Our Children
ROCK ISNT ONLY DEAD, ITS BECOME THE LIVING DEAD!
The UP!s Astrology thing (which I widely circulated) highlighted the importance of connections we make. I was out DJing last night, giving an airing to some of the musical curiosities Ive accumulated over three decades. It was a live rock night, giving public exposure to four young bands, interspersed with me keeping the rock'n-roll vibe in an eclectic shamanic way.
I aim never to play the same track twice, and I like to think my sets are an edutaining journey, uplifting with a sense of humour. Some think they are shite, and whos to say theyre wrong? Opinions are like arseholes - everybody's got one. If I was too self-analytical, my music would never get played outside home.
This week's set, for example, managed to unite Cab Calloway; Chuck Berry; Captain Beefheart; King Tubby; Velvet Underground; Psychedelic Furs; Big Audio Dynamite; Martyn Bennett [playing this in tribute to a great musician who tragically lost his battle against cancer this month aged 33 upset some heavy thrash rock fans]; Banco de Gaia and other fast loud and danceable oddities, including a snippet from Winnie the Pooh. You get the picture, and can make your Shaman/Shite judgement accordingly. You can guess my status as invisible link-man from the fact that few people actually dance unless very drunk, hardly anybody cheers or puts hands in the air when I play. It's a glowstick-free zone, and a complete contrast to my usual habitat.
From my position at the side of the stage, I am also asked to do the lighting for the bands, so it's a four-hour party in the booth, sometimes with crossed legs, as the only route to the toilet is across the stage. Last week, the evening's live entertainment comprised variously thin and pasty or heavy and pasty young men dressed in black, whose philosophy is 'the harder you scream, the more people listen'. The last band of the night were no exception. I looked up from the dj booth to see a large red banner, bearing a black&white iron cross, and the words 'The Dregs Of Society' in
gothic lettering.
With thoughts of Ken Livingstone fresh in my mind, I felt a sense of shame by association with this sort of tomfoolery. Never mind that I had tastefully accessorised my Doc Martens and combat trousers with a studded belt, a treasured relic of my punk days almost 30 years previously. I was painfully aware that I am still the owner of what I believe is a collectors item - an original Vivienne Westwood 'Destroy' t-shirt, purchased from Malcolm McLaren's shop Seditionaries in London's fashionable Kings Road. This cheery little anarchic confection had a swastika, inverted crucifix, and a stamp with a decapitated queen's head.
>> the worst/best punk band name is, of course, the Dead Kennedies, but i once came up with one for a bet: Paedophiles on Crack.
I was in a band referred to as 'the men in black' when the sombre and serious monochrome look was fashionable. Bands like Joy Division, A Certain Ratio and Blue Oyster Cult were criticised for choosing names, wardrobes or cover art which evoked fascist associations. Chris Farlowe was a collector of Nazi memorabilia. The cover of The Stooges Fun House shows guitarist Ron Asheton wearing an Iron Cross. So it's difficult for me to be too critical.
So I didn't bother to discuss political and musical philosophy with the band - they were well lubricated anyway - I just packed up and left, declined the after-party invitations. I had another gig the following night anyway, and thought i'd grab extra shut-eye. Some hope. I hardly slept at all, my mind was too preoccupied.
The thought that I was getting too old came up and was quickly discounted. If life begins at 40, Shamanism starts at 50, and many great musicians are still regularly gigging into their 60s and beyond. Nevertheless, I was uncomfortable with the way in which rock'n'roll (as I understand it) has increasingly been co-opted as a branch of the black arts. Intellectually, I know that the spiritual heritage of Rock, from tribal roots through Jazz, Blues and Gospel, was sublimation and transcendence. An elixir of life, equal parts dedication, perspiration, desperation, inspiration, exultation and transformation. Most, not all, art is fed by pain, but I was never attracted by the miserabalist misogynist muse which was all shades and no lights: "I've suffered for my music, now it's YOUR turn".
I feel that music is a magical gift, it can alter consciousness, it has the potential to change the world. The most obvious example is U2, who come in for a lot of flak, particularly for their philosophical foundations, but at least they stand for something, and are trying to use their power, money and fanbase to elevate the life condition of the planet. As a punk, the idea that music could be altruistic as well as self-indulgent was important to me, so its hardly surprising that The Clash were my favourite band.
I am quite surprised when I visit Student Unions to find that these increasingly bland and corporate venues are filled with young people for whom changing the world is not a major preoccupation. Getting laid, drunk and stoned I can understand. But not now - paying the credit card bill and the loan seem to be top priority.
It may sound as if I want to start a moral campaign to clean up rock, but the best allegory I can use is from my garden. I put surplus inedible organic waste and dirt into a bin, where it feeds various other living organisms, who gratefully turn it into compost, which nurtures other living things, and is turned into beautiful flowers, herbs and food for me and my friends. Someone once said: "You say your life is full of shit, but to a fly, that would be a fly's picture of paradise".
So, to recap, I'm intellectually ok with the idea of music as a way to channel misery, but if I invited friends around and presented them with a plate of compost, bugs and all, theyd question my hospitality and my sanity.
Which is why some bands of crash-testosterone dummy guitar joyriders crooning their charnel house blues are starting to unsettle me.
Because of all the good stuff thats come my way through music, I feel a sense of responsibility, like a custodian of the alchemical essence of rock'n'roll, always surrounded by the ancestral spirits. But, in that one moment, with the neo-nazi imagery above my head, illuminated by my lights, surrounded by a room full of people in black shirts, with not a single ethnic minority present, and very few females, I had an uncomfortable feeling about what 'rock' could become. Or already has.
When someone criticised a tune I played because of its traditional ethnic element, my ego and pride took a dent, but I was troubled on a deeper level by what the word 'rock' meant to them. I felt a surge of outrage that people can take such an inflexible and superficial view of music. The word fascist springs to mind, and that thought, not enhanced chemical assistance, kept me awake that night.
In a far-off universe long ago, readers of the NME, with tongues only slightly in cheek, voted for the late Joe Strummer as the person theyd like to see become Prime Minister. He obliged with gravitas and good humour, his manifesto accompanied with a Churchillian photo, complete with Homburg, Cigar, V-Sign, Cool Haircut and Shades.
Who in the world of music today (apart maybe from Bono or Springsteen) would be entrusted with hypothetical government, and by logical extension, our global future?
With a UK election in 12 weeks, climate change in 12 years, and probable extinction not historically distant, this is a real issue.
Would you be happy to leave your children to the blackshirts? Its as relevant now as it was in Germany in the 1930s. It is not enough to say "I'm just into the music, it's just a consumer entertainment lifestyle product, just a fashion statement".
>> it never was!
If 'Rock' has become the final solution, perhaps some people have forgotten the original question.
brandon russell prince, portsmouth
{:->
>> rockn'roll is about rebellion, blowing down the walls of jericho, it was right from the 60s up till rave. rave was/is about putting it all back together again in proper natural (pagan) order. old art/social forms dont disappear however. they persist, settle deeper into their grooves. a rebel is not a revolutionary, let alone an evolutionary. a rebel expresses himself and then grows out of it. as a continuing, increasingly crystallised art form it descends into mere rebellion against xtianity black magic. where else can the living dead go?
UP!
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I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!