One has to pause occasionally, and take an overview, look at all the pieces of the puzzle one has accumulated, and see what sense can be made of them.
We are embroiled in a massively expensive operation, along with our major ally, the United States, in throwing money away. All the salaries paid to all those who manufacture arms which are ultimately either destroyed or abandoned, is so much cash flushed away, taking that much from the pockets of those within these two countries who are truely in need.
We accept that our banks make massive profits as a matter of course, yet those profits, to a large extent, are from charges made to those who can least afford them, and who have no idea that they are in, in fact, illegal. Take that last bank statement you received, and check if you went over your allowed overdraft limit. It may have been that you are paying as much as £35 for a direct debit that was returned, meaning you still have that debt to pay, plus the charge the bank has asessed against you. Then there's the interest charge for going over your allowed limit.
The average man and woman in this country lives in debt, and our banks depend upon that to ensure their stockholders get a fair whack come the year-end, and most of it comes out of the pockets of those who can least afford it.
We, the common man and woman on the street, are financing these disposable conflicts we indulge in on a national basis. We are the ones who pay for all those expended copper casings which litter battlegrounds from Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia, anywhere our arms manufacturers sell their goods. We are the ones who pay for each multi-million dollar aircraft shot down, and each of the bombs they might be carrying.
We are the one's who pay for the land mines which still litter Africa, and we also pay for the disposal units sent in to disarm them.
It is a sad fact that this burden falls on those who can least afford either the initial cost, nor the expense of a class action suit to put an end to our unwitting compliance.
Here's a story for you.
A journalist, with impeccable credentials, leaves a job in North America to come to Britain to work for the BBC. This journalist begins to hear, and see unedited documents, and is allowed to talk to those in think tanks, and begins to put some of the pieces together.
This journalist develops Multiple Sclerosis, and is then judged unfit to fulfill his job as Senior Editor, and is summarily 'made redundant'.
As if that were not enough, some of the ideas and thoughts made public through this particular media, bring down the wrath of those in charge, and legal proceedings are instituted.
At least, it must be said, this particular journalist fared better than Tom Kelly, who was inexplicably found dead only three years ago.
This leaves only a pension to live on. And his house, his spouse, and his children are all lost in the ensuing brouhaha over finances. Savings are gone, and what is left to this man who has spent 35 years trying to broadcast the truth, is a pittance. A pittance the institutionalised banking system makes even smaller by preying on his relative poverty.
Now this story could apply to anyone who has lost their job, and is left with debts the State simply cannot subsidize, because of all those empty copper casings and destroyed military materiel.
It's not a sad story, for those who have the will, will still speak their minds, if only through vehicles such as these provided free through this internet.
But it is a damnable shame that there are those who can count on no other way to express themselves, to continue that which they have been doing for years, through a blog which brings in no income whatsoever.
So for those of you who might be reading this, who could use the skills of someone who thinks outside the box and can express themselves reasonably coherently, contact this journalist at
EsotericTexts@hotmail.com , and let the fun begin.

We have a new label.
'Islamic Fascists' are the new enemy, and this new name is perhaps to assure the man on the street that this terrorism is being carried out by only a section, a small section at that, of the general Muslim Community.
The point was make in analysis this evening, that it only took us 6 years to wipe out Nazi Germany, and the Japanese Empire, and this confrontation has all the appearances of being perpetual.
The analagy was facile, and ignores the type of warfare being conducted. In fact, this offensive by the West might better be compared with Viet Nam, where the enemy looks exactly the same as the harmless citizen.
The reports suggest to the man on the couch that Israeli Forces are massing at the border with Lebanon, and are awaiting orders to begin their slog into a foreign country. This is not exactly true, for the port city of Tyre has been under attack for three days now, and Israeli troops are already some 13 miles inside Lebanon.
One point to ponder though. Palestinian Coumpounds, small towns actually within Lebanon, which have been in place for close to 50 years, are not being targeted.
While the streets of Tyre are almost deserted, and shops, for the most part, shuttered and closed, life is going on as if nothing was happening in the Palestinian Compounds. In fact, many residents of Tyre have shifted themselves into these areas for safety.
There must be a reason for this. Could it be that Israel is unwilling to declare war on two fronts, against Hezbollah and against Palistinians? Would this be thought to perhaps be the straw that would break the camels back, and a become a major influence on world public opinion?
It merits some thought, for that which is currently going on, has been in the pipeline for months.
The kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers was fortuitous, to say the least, and has allowed a legitimate war to be declared against Hezbollah.
One could extrapolate, that this could escallate to censure of Pakistan and Iran, where terrorists train en mass. That action against these two countries may well be thought to be justified, should proof emerge those governments harboured extremists
And then there's Saudi Arabia. Surely it cannot be thought that most powerful of Arab nations has not a finger in this pie.
It is a quandary. Where does this all begin, and where will it all end.
But one has to like that label.
'Islamic Fascists'. Has a ring to it.

One must wonder, when the analysts and think-tanks involved with the ongoing, one might say perpetual problems in the Middle East, will begin sharing their information..
I have yet to hear mention of a similar type attack, one which involved a chemical bomb in a water bottle was attempted in Indonesia.
In 1997 a similar bomb was set off in a crowded airliner, and while in that case only a Japanese passenger was killed and the aircraft hull not breached, this may have been a dry-run for the operation which appears to have been planned for today.
This is common knowledge, and has been for several years, yet no security precautions were even contemplated involving innocuous looking objects being brought into the passenger cabins in carry-on luggage.
Somehow it seems that while we now have an Anti-Terrorist Branch, and a Homeland Security Agency, we have good minds which are ill-equipped to deal with this issue of terrorism, on the whole.
Intelligence Agencies are reknown for keeping their own to themselves, but we have come into a situation which demands change in the manner in which we deal with this threat.
Surely, somewhere in the depths of Whitehall, there are those poring over worst-case scenario's..
They are missing a member who thinks outside the box.
And while all this is going on, let us not forget the conflict continues in Lebanon, and Israeli troops are still marching forward. To a large extent, their mission is the only overt effort to destroy a terrorist group.
One waits now, in safety might be added, for the next radical and conclusive act by extremists in this country, in the US, and especially in the Middle East.

Now, George has just landed in AirForce One, and we are expecting a statement from him immenently.
But in the meanwhile, lets look at the damage this incident has already achieved. The FTSE has dropped significantly, with almost panic selling of shares in air carriers, support companies, hotels and resorts. Thousands of people are crowding Heathrow and Gatwick, and the problems involved with getting them home, or to shelter should they have been Americans returning home, are phenominal.
This, combined with agricultural problems in France, and flooding problems in the northern countries along the Danube, is going to have a long-lasting effect on our European economy.
It's dead easy to shave billions of pounds off the value of shares, but the process of re-investment is much slower.
One has to recall the FLQ threat in Canada during the 60's. It turned out there were only 7 individuals involved, in what was Canada's greatest security threat.
Ahhh. George's speech only reiterates what has already been written here. He has praised both British and American security agencies, and has stated that while the US is safer now since 911, but asserted there are still those who will make bombs. Nothing much of substance, other than the statement that "we live in a dangerous world".
Now there's a surprise.

And the confusion continues.
Charles Clarke, our Home Secretary, has been on television Three times now, explaining that while they believe this threat against airliners has been nipped in the bud, this country will remain on 'critical alert' for a couple of days at least.
George himself is to make a statement at 5:30 or so, GMT that is, and will likely announce that precautions have been raised to 'red alert' on flights arriving from the UK. He will likely announce that he and Tony discussed this potential threat last weekend, and that the situation is progressing towards being in hand.
Bushwah.
When a nation of travellers, which Britain is, is reduced to the point of such paranoia that mothers, bringing babies and formulae on board, must drink from the bottles they want as hand luggage to ensure no explosives are mixed in with the milk, it must lead to far heavier actions against those countries which harbour and train terrorists.
Syria, Lybia, Iran, Pakistan, all are known to have training camps for extremists.
The World Bank should seriously think of stepping in, and make movements towards bankrupting those countries involved in allowing terrorist training.
It's hard on the citizens of those particular countries, but the solution is in their hands. Outlaw any association with extremeists, and actively concert their efforts to cleaning their own backyards.
This situation is becoming ridiculous.
Some 180 thousand travellers pass through Heathrow and Gatwick on a daily basis. It is going to take Draconian measures to ensure that none of these have terrorist intent.
Tony can be thankful he travels in a private jet, as does George.
For the rest of us, it's a matter of 'suck it up', and accept there are those who would gladly see them as food for fish somewhere over the Atlantic.
We'll see what George has to say, although frankly, there's not much he can other than flights from Britain and the Continent are now going to be considered a posible security risk.
Just as a psersonal observation, it strikes one that while this country remains on 'critical alert', might it not be seen that this airliner plot is a chimera. Not that the mission would have been welcomed by some groups had it been successfull, but could it indeed be an action that was expected to fail, while another brewing could be the main event.
When our country is held on high alert, we must assume that something else is afoot, and attack on London, Manchester, Birmingham, or any other large city is being considered.
We wait, with 'bated breath.

Ahh.. the terrorists have had limited success again..
There were 21 arrests make in Birmingham and London, men of Pakistani origin, according to reports, were planning on boarding trans-Atlantic flights leaving from Heathrow, and detonate bombs smuggled in in bottles of pop. Their targets were 9 flights to 5 major US cities.
This has brought Britain to the 'critical' state, the equivalent of the American 'red' alert, and travellers have been warned not to use Heathrow airport, with all long and short haul flights cancelled, and 20 flights have been cancelled from Gatwick.
The reports from the Cabinet Ministers, who've been following police raids throughout the night, is that this plot, had it gone through, would have caused a loss of life exceeding that of 911, and even though it appears no aircraft are going to blow up today, the level of paranoia in this country, at least for travellers, has risen exponentially.
And this is exactly what the terrorists wanted. It would have been nice, from their point of view, had they succeeded in carrying out their bombings, but the secondary target, the disruption of the infrastructure has indeed been achieved. Passengers who are still flying out, are being searched rigourously, slowing the boarding process, and delaying takeoffs. Those who do make it on the plane are given their wallets, and their passports, in clear plastic bags. No other carry-on luggage is allowed whatsoever.
No laptops, no Ipods, no Mobiles,nothing with electrical components will be allowed in the hands of passengers, and this is a situation which will become SOP. Even those with babies, who have brought bottles with formula along to feed them, must have that milk tasted before it goes into the passenger compartments.
We are being manipulated by a small group to amazing effect. One cannot lay the blame at the Islamic Community as a whole, for that certainly would be zenophobia at an extreme. But it is an issue which the Muslim Community must become actively involved in, for those being taught extremist views must try and proselytise, and certainly not all approached with the idea of joining a radical group comply. Those approached, and who reject this terrorism, are now in the unenviable position of turning informer, a label no one has ever happily had slapped upon them. But unless this becomes more of a concern to those who follow Islam, we are going to be suspicious of any Muslim's intent.
It's human nature, and again, this has to be chalked up as yet another partial success for the terrorists. When we become wary of any segment of society, we break down years of assimilation and cordial relations. The Terrorists desperately want Muslims in the West to feel singled out, for that in itself will push some towards extremist groups.
Nobody likes to be assumed to be the bad guy, when all they want is to continue with their normal lives. With Ismalic terrorists continuing their plots against innocents, the label is harder and harder to avoid, and is driving a wedge between one segment of British and American society, and in particular, Muslims.
This cannot be allowed.
Thus, the importance of destroying groups the likes of Hezbollah, Hammas, al Q'aida, and Taliban. Our comfortable existence is being kicked by what must be emphasised is a small group, relatively speaking.
We are being manipulated, and those pulling the strings know how to work puppets.

This is taking on the substance of a direct armed attack on Britain and particularly, the United States.
Twenty thousand Israeli troops are perched to push more than 30 miles into Lebanon, which would include the port city of Tyre. These Israeli troops are supplied, if one takes statements from the Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations seriously, by the United States. So, extrapolate this conflict to one between the Arab World, using it's extremists, against the West.
The Ambassador, in his statement, returned again and again, despite attempts to get back to the question originally asked, to the role the US plays, and of the need to censure Israel. Hezbollah, according to this statement, is not a terrorist organization, but freedom fighters on a Holy Mission to return Palestine to the Palistinians. And that would require, as the Iranian President has called for, the eradication of the State of Israel. The Ambassador also stated baldly that 'all Arab States' are in agreement, that Lebanon, despite it's overt support of Hezbollah, is the innocent victim of unprovoked agression by Israel, and by the United States.
Now, what we have to understand here is, this is a form of Levantine bargaining. The statements of the Ambassador were heartfelt, and to his knowledge and understanding, perfectly legitimate and correct. Iran, Syria, Lebanon, have all openly supported open terrorism within Israel. It is their duty, as they see it.
And this is the point that we must understand. They are not disseminating what we know to be tripe, for to them it is the truth. They believe in their cause, and no amount of rational discussion nor diplomacy, will alter that 'faith'.
There well may be no solution to the Middle East problem. We are simply too far apart, as cultures and in ethics, that it could possibly be impossible to negotiate a lasting and satisfactory solution.
And that is why, 20 thousand Israeli soldiers will put boots on the ground deep into Southern Lebanon. There is simply no other choice.
In the long run, as has been asserted againand again, the only way we in the West can prevail of the Middle East, is to stop buying their oil. Venezuela may take the side of the OPEC Nations, and that leaves us with Russia.
We can deal with the Russians. They think like us.

Amazing.
It's been four weeks of steady fighting in Lebanon and Israel, with Hezbollah aiming south, and Israel aiming north.
To date, over a thousand Lebanese have been killed, and over a hundred Israelis.
If anything positive can be said about this, it is that none of the Israeli casualties have been Hezbollah.
There will be a delegation of Arab Delegates appearing at the UN tomorrow, to ask the terms of a ceasefire, as it has been presented by the UN Security Council, be relaxed in favour of Lebanon, and indeed, one can only feel sympathy for the man on the street in Beirut.
However, it has to be emphasized that Israeli Forces have been told 'they will not lose this war on terrorism', a statement startlingly close to that made by George himself after 911.
As was stated this evening by former Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netenyahu, when taken in context, historical context going back to the Second World War, the casualties are exceedingly light, but we've come a long way from the Blitz, and Coventry, and Dresden, and we've forgotten exactly what real casualties amount to.
The stated objective by Israel, the West, and especially the US, is to ensure extremists in countries such as Iran, do not reach nuclear capabilities. One hopes they can succeed in this venture, for in retrospect, if that bomb is developed in that country, this little skirmish will be nothing more than an hors d'ouvers for the main meal

It's interesting, what you read in the news, or hear on the radio, or on your television.. Y'know, it ain't necissarily so..
The news, as it issues from these electronic gagets, at it's last point, goes to the announcer, the news anchor. Before that, it has been written from CN, or CNN, or ABC or CBS or NBC or CBC or Radio-Canada verbatim reports from reporters on the ground. These are perhaps the last time these first-hand reports will come to your attention.
For then the news goes to the editor's assistant, one well versed in political correctness and the stance the government or the opposition wants these 'fact's presented, and depending on his/her subjective assessment, will bring the story down to bare-bones.
This editor's copy is what will go over the air, and one would be somewhat naive to trust the absolute ethical integrity of some, if not all of these 'editors'
Case in point,
Piongyang recently launched two long-range missiles, one which crashed at it's announced 200 mile limit into the Sea of Japan. The other, we were told, exploded during the launch proceedure, thus causing such a collected sigh of relief in East-Asia, that it is said some rose blossoms fell in the Japanese Emperor's garden.
The conflicting report is, that far from destroying itself upon launch, it was shot down by some unidentified source.
This leads us to two questions.
Was North Korea testing a rocket which would have surpassed the distance between Korea and Japan?
And was it an American SAC patrol craft which 'might' have shot it down.
I trust this source.

'Disproportionate' is the word Jack Straw uses to describe the Israeli actions in Lebanon, which has brought speculation on a rift in Tony's Cabinet. Jack was Foreign Secretary until last May, and has a high proportion of Islamics in his constituency.
One has to wonder, how politicians in the West can make judgements based upon ambiguous reports from so many disparate sources. Again, one must deplore the deaths of civilians in this conflict, but unless one is on the ground there, and has been for quite a while, it might be difficult to condemn any military actions against what's known to be a terrorist base.
It is exceedingly unfortunate that so many die in the class of 'collateral casualties', but again, wherein does the blame lie? Any country which harbours terrorists, or funds extremist causes, must themselves be held responsible for whatever action another country might take to eliminate the threat.
We do not condemn the British and American forces in Afghanistan for their continuing actions against Taliban. We do not condemn British, American, and other international forces for their continuing actions against Hammas and Hezbollah in Iraq.
How, in good concience then, can we condemn Israel for it's actions against an active foe?
al Jazeera aired a statement from al Q'aeda just two days ago, supporting Hezbollah and demanding the extermination of Israeli's and the dissolution of it as a State.
We have been told by George and Tony that we might expect a cease-fire within days, and truthfully this could be a script for the next Harry Potter novel. There is little or no chance that Israel will cease it's determination to eradicate those groups which call for it's destruction, nor is it plausible that those within the ranks of the terrorists will sit down at a table of arbitration and call off their rocket attacks.
This situation is one which has no real solution, and that can be blamed on hostilities which are ancestral.
Until the greater Islamic States involve themselves in a movement towards disbanding their terrorist factions, there will never be peace in the Middle East.
To think otherwise is naive at best. More likely it's a boondoggle in which the West is absolutely clueless. Sending the American Secretary of State to try and broker a settlement between these opposing forces is a chimera, for nothing will end this until someone begins to pull tight Western purse-strings.
One must mourn the deaths of innocents, but one must also be aware it is their own State which has brought this upon them.

There was a shooting in a London Subway Station on the 22d July last year. A 27 year old Brazilian man, by the name of Jean Charles de Menenzes was shot seven times in the head, as he wrestled with Police who mistook him for a terrorist. Mr. de Menenzes ran from the officers when they challenged him, as he was bording the Tube to go home. He had a rucksack on his shoulder, which, in the light of the July 7th bombings, was taken to be a bomb. He ran when told to stop so that knapsack could be inspected, and in turn, was shot.
Today, two firearms officers have been returned to full operational duty, and Scotland Yard has decided prosecutions were not in order.
Now this has understandably upset the relatives of Mr. de Menenzes, but given the climate, the circumstances, and the paranoia at the time, it would seem no other decision could be made.
This is what terrorism has done to us. It has made Police Officers unsure. It has made the public at large suspicious and afraid.
It has done exactly what the terrorists set out to do.
One must deplore the death of Mr. de Menenzes, but in truth, the blame must be placed on those who began all this furore in New York, on 9-11.
We cannot blame our own law enforcement officials for trying to protect us, and the death of innocents is exactly the aim of Hammas, al Q'aeda, Taliban and Hezbollah.
We can only mourn.

Now the ball really starts rolling.
Both Tony and George have met, and are demanding an international 'peace force' be sent into Lebanon, to end this Israeli/Hezbollah fracas. This means that all those countries who will involve themselves must, by proxy, align themselves with the Israeli cause, and must define Hezbollah as terrorists. This will allow Israel to quietly step aside, as the West and it's allies take over the job of continuing the 'war on terror', and this, without a doubt, is what the US and Britain wanted from the getgo.
What is still of lingering concern, is the role assigned to Condaleezza Rice. As Secretary of State, she is meant to deal with problems such as international diplomacy, but her presence in this area at this time can lead one to only one conclusion, that she will be on the next Republican ticket, and with all due respect for Dr. Rice, she's a tyro, and a dangerous one at that.
We are being prepared for a shift in leaderships with this issue in the Middle East. Prepped for a change, and both Labour and the Republicans want fervently to be seen as 'arbitrators and peacemakers', in a world that is becoming more and more paranoid concerning terrism, and terrorists.
Perhaps the worst action al Q'aeda could have taken was the destruction of the World Trade Center, for it brought fear home to the couchbound American. The same could be said for the London bombings, for it did the same, to a lesser degree, to the British.
The art of terrorism is an ancient one, and to hand the ideals and the weapons to such volotile people as fundamentalist Muslims, could be greatly regretted.

Red Mercury?
A trial of three suspected terrorists revolved about their trying to obtain this mysterious substance, in an effort to make a 'dirty bomb'. But what exactly is 'red mercury'?
There are 5 main theories.
1. That red mercury is a reference to cinnabar, a naturally occurring mercuric sulphide. The pigment derived from this plant is vermillion.
2. That it's a reference to the alpha crystalline form of mercury oxide, which changes to yellow at high temperatures.
3. That it's a reference to any mercury compound originating from the former Soviet Union, the 'red' being a legacy of the old Cold War era.
4. That it is a ballotechnic mercury compound which just happens to be red in colour. Ballotechnics are substances which react very energetically when subjected to shock compression at high pressure. They include mercury antimony oxide which, according to some reports, is a cherry red semi-liquid produced in Russian nuclear reactors. This theory contends that it is so explosive that a fusion reaction - a nuclear explosion - can be triggered even without fissionable material such as uranium.
and finally 5. That it is a military codeword for a new nuclear material, probably manufactured in Russia.
In the early 1990s, in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, several articles were published claiming that a pure fusion device had been invented.
It reportedly weighed around 10 pounds and was no bigger than a baseball.
If such a device existed, and was capable of triggering a nuclear explosion, the threat to the world - especially the western world - would be catastrophic.
But no such bomb has been discovered and nobody - not even Osama bin Laden from his mountain base in Afghanistan or Pakistan - has even threatened to use one.
So is red mercury just a hoax?
One hopes so.
Meanwhile, as the trial continues, the Crown is asking that it be ignored whether or not such a substance exists, that indeed the intent of the trio on trial was to buy a something that would contaminate a large area for quite a long period of time.
This terrorism paranoia is becoming close to bordering on the psychotic, for while there are without a doubt terrorists out there, and their intent is doubtless to destroy and disrupt the West and its infrastructure, we must remain on the right side of caution, and not stray into Narnia.

ahh.. the ubiquitous gaffes from John Prescott have tongues wagging again..
He announced today that there would be a Labour leadership convention called 'very soon'.. and even though Tony's stated quite firmly that he'll still be at the head come the next Party Conference, there is always doubts spawned when comments such as those from Prescott come to the public ear..
Of course, this could be a case of wishful thinking on the part of Prescott..
More to come..
On to the events unfolding in the Middle East. There was a discussion last night, of how Israel was alienating itself from Western sympathy for the destruction of so much Lebanese real estate, with the commensurate loss of life. The position taken was, that diplomacy should have been a viable option for the Israeli's, rather than the continuous lobbing of bombs into what were thought to be Hezbollah strongholds.
Now let it not be said one can realistically be a proponent of the death of innocents, but again the point must be emphasised that there is nothing.. nothing at all which separates by visual identification, a terrorist and a civilian. Even children in that society carry firearms, and are well trained in their use.
The question which must be asked, is what choice does Israel have?
The terrorists themselves, were they that concerned about collateral damage, should at very least wear say, an armband, a beret, a distinguishable mark which says 'I'm going to attach the State of Israel'.
The conclusion which must be srawn is that these terrorist group.. Hezbollah..Hammas..al Q'aida..Taliban.. all use the fact they blend in with innocents as a weapon in itself. These groups all count on civilian deaths to draw worldwide attention to the fact that a state such as Israel is carrying out warfare indiscriminately... and such a conclusion is damning, and a chimera.
Extremist groups rarely care any more for the man on the street than they do for their own welfare. Their aim is to cause as much damage to Israeli innocents by the continued shelling of targets which are known to be peaceable. They even commit these acts against their own, by car-bombing markets and areas casual labourers gather to wait for employers to give them a days work. They kill theirt own as indiscriminately as they kill their declared enemy.
Point being, a terrorist is nothing short of a calculated murderer. This label cannot be attached to Israeli forces, for their intent is not to massacre as many Lebanese as possible, but to wipe out those who are in Lebanon only to attack Israel.
Warfare always has the effect of killing those who would normally be doing nothing more than carrying out their daily routine, but guerilla warfare counts on innocent blood being shed, and on the condemnation of those who cause that damage.
This is exceedingly worrying, this which is going on in Lebanon and Israel, because it's drawing lines.. segregating one religious group from all others. It would not at all be within the bounds of reason to suspect all Muslims to be extremist, yet those who are, count on this effect. Their aim is to make this a global confrontation, and unless clear heads remain in control, this could easily escallate into an issue which will eventually engulf us all.
There is not any country in the West which is not home to many faiths, including Islamics. Let not these innocents become targets for localised distinction, for the sake of terrorists..extremists..who in no way represent them, or their faith.

Israel is fighting a war here, in which there can be no winner. It's amazing, the similarities between what's going on in the Middle East today, and what happened forty years ago in Viet Nam, with Hezbollah fighting with impeccable guerilla tactics, and Israeli forces unsure of who's the enemy, and who's merely a civilian.
Reports are coming in that while the attacks from Lebanon continue to affect northern Israeli towns and setlements, the counter-attack is haphazard at best, for the enemy wears no uniform, and blends in completely with those around. The best Israeli forces can do is return fire close to the source of a rocket attack, and that leads to civilian deaths.. collateral damage one might say.
But, this cannot be blamed on Israel alone.
Lebanese civilians, either through suasion or active support, are sheilding this terrorist group. It is established that there is not one Middle Eastern State that would want Israel to feel comfortable, to be left in peace to continue with it's own internal struggles and daily life.
Funding for the arsenal Hezbollah has amassed had to have come from somewhere, and all the traditional enemies of the State of Israel are suspect.. Egypt.. Sudan.. Saudi Arabia.. are all to some extent in support of those the US has branded 'terrorist', from the Taliban, al Q'aida, Hezbollah..
And yet the West continually increases the economic might of these countries, of this region, with it's 'addiction' to oil.
It might be said with some assurance, that 'we have seen the enemy, and it is us..' in this case.
The hard line would be to throw all support behind Israel, and cut all economic ties with the rest of the OPEC nations. Develop a working relationship with Vlad for Russian oil and gas, and cut the Middle East completely out of the equation. Allow Russia membership in the WTO, while working towards restricting the Wild West attitude in the former Soviet States, and align China towards the same resources.. those in the Baltic.
A concerted effort towards exclusion would perhaps move the Muslim States towards policing their own, and make no mistake, this is not a religious measure, but an economic one.
Muslims are not, on the whole, any more violent than any other faith. They simply have more belief in the afterlife for those who martyr themselves than we do, and thus place a lesser value on this life, or on the lives of any others.
Work on their purses, and their ideology will be pulled into some semblance of compliance.
Work on the destruction of their ideology, and we do no more than to incite more and more to give themselves into the hands of Allah (blessed be His name)..
We must remember, that we are a complacent society, spurred into action only by the worst scenario's.
They are far more volatile, and are dedicated to such an extreme as boggles our imaginations.

We are on the brink of a catastrophe in the Middle East, yet dare one say, those in the majority of the West and Europe, indeed those outside the immediate sphere of influence of the violence, couldn't care less.
It's just not a 'reality' to most.
Now those leave Lebanon by the thousands have a different perspective, as do those who live in Israel. They live, work, breathe in the palpable tension that pervades the area. They are on the front line.
But those who's knowledge of events in that area is supplied by news services, can feel secure they're not at risk, in a real sense. There's always the possibility of a suicide mission which could destroy part of one of our major cities, but even that to the majority, is only news.
What defines the common worldwide man on the street these days?
One might suggest it be nothing more than personal needs and desires.
We elect people is a flurry of excitement, expecting a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage, and then spend the time remaining in their terms deriding them for not providing these basics. We expect our leaders to be as pure as Caesars wife, and delight in their foibles when they are exposed to have no more than feet of clay, no more exceptional than any one of us might be in such a position of power.
Needs. That's what it all comes down to.
We need a government that makes no mistakes. That increases our economies and our standard of living with little or no input from the individual. We want it handed to us on a plate, for we no longer have the belief that we are capable of improving our lot by stint of individual effort.
We need religious leaders who tell us that our deities approve of bombing the daylights out of innocents, and who condemn those who share not our particular faith.
What makes a young man or woman give up a course of living that would see them graduate university, or having already done so and is now plying their trade, sharing their knowledge, strap on a semtex vest and kill for their 'faith'? Surely it can be attributed only to those who have taught them, and their own personal 'need' to be a part of something bigger than a high-definition television, a good salary, a comfortable life.
We cannot universally condemn those who commit atrocities in the name of their beleifs, for in doing so we would be condemning all our historical figures. Mankind has been led by the nose by their preachers for millennia, and that is a situation that doubtless be later described as part of the 'human condition'.
What we can universally condemn is the apathy of those who sit, and wait for others to find a solution, or even offer an alternative. And that, comes down to you, and I.
Needs.
When and if this sad community of this world gets off the couch, studies the issues, elects those who are not necissarily the most charismatic but who are certainly espousing actions which will give us direction again, we may see a renaissance of sorts.
When the wants of the individual are fewer, and the needs fewer still, then perhaps we will see a form of harmony. But it would take a massive uprising of those who have, like the one-ton man, lost the will and ability to move, to effect such a change.
We are heading for Armageddon, and unless we work towards a solution, most will see it only on the six o'clock news, and it will, sadly, be a great surprise.

The UN Security Council is about to sit, is what would appear to be a pro forma session.. The subject under discussion, of course, is the crisis in the Middle East, but as Condaleesa Rice has said, the meeting will be of little use unless there is a chance of 'lasting resolution' of the current problems.
Plain language: Israel can do as it wishes with the blessing of the US, as long as Hezbollah continues to exist.
This American 'war or terrorism' will allow itself and it's allies to carry out any and all actions necissary to crush this Muslim threat, and that will be made plain in this upcoming meeting.
As it stands, thousands of Britons are evacuating Beruit, which is, even to the blindest, an indication this offensive is not about to come to a quick end.
One must wonder when the stakes will rise, when dirty bombs will be set off, when escallation will reach a point of no return.
More as this develops.

Things continue to unfold as they should.
British and French nationals are being evacuated from Lebanon, as Israel, in the words of the Lebanese Prime Minister, 'continues this madness'.
On the other hand, one more dead in Haifa from a Hezbollah missile.
The G8 left much unsaid as it closed it's weekend meeting in St Petersburg, and Vlad still hasn't got his membership in the WTO, although that may well be in the works..
George is set to veto stem-cell research.. too much of a Franenstein scenario for his administration to deal with.. But then there's always the next..
One more serious issue to be mentioned today. The Labour Party has revealed it's more than £27 million in debt, following the last election. The Conservatives claim they've had a resergeance of donations since David Cameron took the reins, but still are some £17 million in the hole. There is something inherently wrong with a system that demands such capital outlay to buy votes. That demands television and radio and newpaper ads must remind those with the franchise who it is that represents their way of thought... but then if it weren't spashed on them, the great unwashed would be totally bewildered.. or so it seems..
A step away from the mundane for a moment, and a reflection on the passing of Mickey Spillane, the mystery writer.
Much maligned by his critics and peers.. he once observed that "Those big-shot writers could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar..."
He was 88. A good life...

Civilians have started to die in Lebanon.. Israel has now bombed the Lebanese/Syrian crossing infrastructure.. and what started out as a rescue mission for 2, then 6 soldiers has escallated, in a matter of days, into a full-scale military operation bent on destroying Hezbollah.
There are Iranian officers on the ground in Lebanon, coordinating Hezollah missle strikes into Israel.. an Israeli gunboat has been blown out of the water by a surface-to-sea missile aimed by Hezbollah..
Damn, these folks know how to start a war.
And one fact one can depend on, is that nothing is a singular movement, a singular decision, bar those of Israel. This will soon be, one one level or many, a total Arab/Israeli confrontation, with the intent on the destruction of the State of Israel. It may be al Q'aida.. or Hezbollah.. or Taliban fighters who actually pull the triggers, but the organisation will be coordinated by Arab consensus.
One has to wonder, how important to Vlad is membership in the World Trade Organisation?
How important will it be, when China decides to push forward, that anything remains of the current infrastructure in the Middle East.
The West is driven hard by the potential losses in hard materiel, but even that can be recouped with a few government subsidies..
Kubrick might just have been mistaken in one aspect only. That of location.

It's to be 'war on every level' according to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah..
And 4 more Israeli soldiers have gone missing.. ostensibly into Lebanon..
and Meanwhile, back at the ranch on the eve of the G8 meetings, Vlad and George with their respective wives have a 'quiet, private, dinner'. It is to be a given that part of the private talks George and Vlad will have before the other leaders arrive, will mention George's hopes the Russian State will stay on track, leading to a 'democratic form' of government..
But if one could be a fly on the wall..
Bet there have been negotiations on oil exports from Russian resources to American storage tanks, and what price a barrel of Balkan Crude will cost..
There will doubtless be some time spent on what advantages there might be for the Russian economy if there were better relations between the two countries, a legacy which might be forged before George leaves the White House..
The issue of who backs who in the Middle East will certainly come to the attention of the two leaders.. should Israel be allowed to continue it's war on terror, and worm out Hezbollah from it's hidey-holes in Lebanon, and to what advantage it would be for the West to allow the Lebanese standard of living slip back more than twenty years..
Will it be to either's advantage to watch the Middle East dissolve into outright hostilities right across the board, while the US and Britain still maintain boots on the ground in Iraq..
Much to be talked over during the next few days with the leaders of the G8.. but it seems there were some details to be ironed out before the others arrived..
We will see, over these next few days, as this Summit continues, what becomes the most prominent problem discussed.
Energy?
Certainly, and on more levels than the obvious.

Now the fun's really under way..!
Israel's attacking 'Hezbollah' in Leabonon, which has Syrian backing.. and is continuing it's movement back into the Gaza.. as was undoubtedly the plan in the first place..
Georges dark-room boys must be just wringing their hands wirth delight..
Same applies in Tony's area of influence..
What this has demonstrated to even the most dense of us, is that one incident, two in this case, carried out by a tiny contingent of absolutely dedicated men and women, can move armies.
Two kidnappings, and a couple of strikes by missiles in the Northern Israeli port city of Haifa, has mobilised all the forces, ar a few of course, available to Israel.
If one was watching the wick that spark mentioned a week or so ago ignited, it would be about half-way down to the muzzle.
What a conflagration we could be facing. What a different way of life.

Three hours of debate in the Commons, ended with an agreement to call it a day early in ptotest over the current extradition treaty this country has with the United States.
To make it simple, if you're a British subject and the American Courts want you, they can have you. Reciprocity, though, is not the case.
Today investigators found the body of one of several men 'hounded by the FBI concerning this case.
The three men who were expected to be sent to the US to face charges concerning the Enron scandal are now in Houston, and may be there for some time to come. It could be two years before their case appears before a judge...
One wonder if we, the British, wanted an American citizen to face charges here. Would we see the same consideration, the same cooperation, from Washington..?
No doubt.. *chuckle*
We'll discuss this more.

North Korea has tested a couple of long-range missiles. One has an efective ragne that would alow it to deliver a payload as far as Japan, Afghanistan, India..
The second, which by the way failed to launch successfully, could have reached Europe, and Alaska..
George's reaction was nothing more than the affirmation that the Western mind should either be kept in the dark concerning the feelings of the North Korean man on the street, or, Gods forbid, our analysts are ignoring that they are not the same as us.
North Korea has a failing econonomy. Compared to the lifestyles we lead, they're poverty-striken. But they don't see it that wway..
They see themselves working for a future, not for themselves or their children, but for their grandchildren. They do not cosider what we would see as privation as something to be worried about. They eat. They work. THey sleep. And their kids go to school and learn.
One can only hope that George is putting his stupid-face, to reassure an at best, disinterested American public.
The alternative is, that George has no contingency plan for the North Koreans.. has nothing in the works to help allied nations, the likes of Japan, India, and to some extent Pakistan.
Say it ain't so, Joe..

It continues.
The division between the 'Christian West' and the 'Islamic East' has been prised just that further apart by that old nemesis, Osama. His broadcasts, repeated ad nausiam on Al Jazeera and other Arab -speaking news dispersers, have warned the world not to intervene in the Somalia issue.. to ignore Darfour, and leave the Islamic-lead government with a free hand.
Now it's not that we're not being fed the same tripe by our own politicians. Spinning a situation into an incident is the political way of life. Governments thrive, in fact would not survive, were there not another crisis to be faced, another 'cause' to be defended.
But Osama, and one must interject that one believes this man speaks for the same percentage of Islamic people as Jerry Adams used to for Republicans, is a danger. He can bring violence to my doorstep, to yours as well.
His rhetoric inflame the already unballanced to the point they will take their lives to take mine. This cannot be.
There will come a time when it will be recognized that the Middle East should have nothing to do with the West economically. When their commodity will have little or no value. If there is one adage in Arabic that states their ethos, it's trust nobody, and when negotiating, drag it out as long as possible.. and then a little longer.
Until we lose our dependance on fossil fuel, or are in a position to supply our needs domestically, we will be short a card in this Game. We can bring little pressure, true pressure to bear, on those we are dependant upon.
Iraq has it's government now. Let the 'War On Terror' continue, but without such demeaning detentions as those in Gitmo, and let it be fought from home.
It's time to let the Iraqi people deal with their own, however they will.
It's time for us to begin worrying about what's happening in the Gaza, and what could come from that.
Hammas has the clout.
Israel has the bomb.
Ahh. Happy Canada Day.

Just for the record, this is published again out of sequence. Today is Friday, the 30th of June.

For those abroad, it might be remarked that there were by-elections in a couple of seats vacated by a couple of recent deaths..
The Tory's took Westminster, but had a massive inroad in the previous majority, from over 13 thousand to about 630..
It's a message to the Labour Party.. a serious one.
It will be of some interest to see exactly what happens at the White House now, after the Supreme Court ruled Gitmom illegal.. it's a note George would like to mute..
And would you look at those Chinese! They've completed what might be the greatest engineering feat in history, although it remains to be seen whether or not it will stand, literally.An 11 hundred km, that's about 710 miles worth, of high-altitude railway, linking The very heartland of China with Lhasa, in Tibet. Positively amazing, and yet it's not mentioned in many Western papers.. or on any Western newscasts..
Quite a feat, and well done you Chinese...

Interesting.
The BBC itself has started an 'Editors Blog', one which has in today's, and will in the future, give the faithful reader an insight into the minds that make the decisions as to what we will hear, or watch on television.
This is a phenomina, this blogging..
Some of us have been using it for years to explain that which we do on a daily basis, that is analise, and prognosticate on generalities or specifics we have noticed throughout the news of the world. Some of us have been using it as an emotional release, an unburdening, a mental enema so to speak. Some have used this medium as a platform, to preach their own particular tenets and beliefs.
But, and this is imperative, it all depends on who, and how many, read these daily or weekly or sporadic entries. Figures show these personal slices of daily life are becoming more and more popular.. one woman who found herelf unemployed and living in a car, parking it in and about London, had thousands of people a day logging on to appreciate her particular view on this world. She used public libraries to access the net, and was as faithful as possible in making her cry for help a daily message. One says 'a cry for help', yet others would say this particular journal was more a perspective shared by more than any of us could have possibly imagined..
We are in a different world, wherein each of us has a voice. Would more used it, and even more ingested that which is written.

Now, David Cameron has raised some eyebrows both in his Party, and in the Opposition benches, by presenting a plan for a British Bill Of Rights, similar to that enjoyed by the citizens of the United States. This poses a problem, for there already exists a European Bill of Human Rights, and having one of our own might well lead to conflict between Brussels and Westminster.
Good on him.
Every country should devise it's own definition of what a citizen is entitled to, each according to their particular resources and their particular preferred form of government.
Not to say we all want to be Americans, far from it. But, Rights, legal Rights, should be defined clearly by each separate government in this world of ours.
And it should be the business of each of those governments to come to their own decisions as to the limits and boundaries of it's citizens.
Examine the US. While they are allowed jurisprudence, they allow such institutions as Guantanimo Bay, in the 'interests of national security'. They allow departments the likes of the Homeland Security to do as they will in essence. They allow the confiscation of property, without proof of complicity in any crime, simply on suspicion. Now these extreme measures do not have any effect on most of the populace, but it certainly has on some.
Yet there is a 'Bill Of Human Rights' which dates back to 1778.
One would hope David Camerons plans will be somewhat less draconian, but what they hey, we live in a 'democracy'. We trust our politicians.
Sometimes it would be pleasant to see things the same way politicians usually do, but it's regretfull there's not room enough for both our collective heads up their collective backsides.

Pressure is building on Hammas.. and in far more many ways than one..
Israeli forces have destroyed the Gaza's only electrical plant. They have destroyed several key bridges in an attempt to stop the Palistinians from moving their Israeli prisoner. Israeli fighter planes have even buzzed the summer home of the Sudan's President, which, not surprisingly, has annoyed the Sudanese..
This has all the makings of yet another all-out conflict in the Middle East. One finds it somewhat surprising there has been little in the way of response from Egypt, but that, one suspects, would not be far off..
A non sequitur here. With the impending end of George's tenure at the White House, Republicans will soon be looking for a replacement. It might be considered that Condaleesa Rice might be ripe to be the first woman in the role, as well as the first of black heritage. Such a move would be disasterous. Even if she was to run as the candidate for Vice-President, it would leave what might be considered an unstable person one step away from total control.
While it might seem to be a move that would draw votes to a flagging Republican Party, it would, in terms of political machination, be a terrible mistake.
The US has enough problems at home to deal with, and what it needs at this point, be it from the Republicans or the Democrats, is a leader who will maintain marginal presence in areas of global conflict, but who will concentrate on domestic issues.
We will have to wait and see. Those who truely have their hands on the strings of the marionettes will make their purpose known at their leasure, and we plebians will have no other choice but to wait, and see.

Tank Gunner Gilad Shalid.
Not exactly a kitchen-table name, but one that could well go down in history along with Eduard Princip, as causing a major confrontation, one which could have world-wide implications.
The Israeli's have begun a full-scale assault, with bombers, tanks, and ground forces into the Gaza strip to try and gain the release of this man. He was taken prisoner a couple of days ago, when Hammas operatives tunneled into Israel, killing two Israeli soldiers and absconding with Shalid. Hammas wants the release of Palistinian women and children being detained by the Israeli's, for whatever reason they may have provided.
Iraeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says there will be no releasing of anyone..

This entry should be dated Monday, the 26th of June.. It has been published out of sequence.
An interesting comment today from the former Home Secretary, Charles Clarke..
He told reporters Tony had made a bad decision in sacking him, and that his successor, John Reid, is wrong in saying the Home Office is "not fir for Purpose", while warning him not to jump on any media bandwagons.
Now the interesting point. Mr. Clarke says he will not take responsibility for all subsequent Home Office crises.
What crises might Mr. Clarke be alluding to, and what information has he that has not yet been made public?
Now this might be thought to be the rantings of a politician out of favour, about to be out of a job entirely. But one must pause, for unless Clarke has gone stark raving bonkers, he would not issue a statement that casts such a shadow on Tony, on current government policy, or on what be going on behind the scenes of the elaborate political play the public is meant to watch.
One would suggest there is much being with-held, and there are still many 'dark actors' in this scenario.
Mr Clarke also appeared scathing about Mr Reid's decision to consider introducing a Megan's Law system for dealing with sex offenders in the UK, following the News of the World campaign.
He said if that decision had been influenced by the paper's campaign "then I would criticise it".
"I don't think that's the right thing to do ... The home secretary of the day should not simply be running on the band wagon of some particular media campaign."
He also says he regrets Mr Reid's decision to delay his carefully structured plans for police mergers.
"I think it's wrong to delay it. I think we've got a timetable which was the right thing to do and I don't agree with his decision in that area."
It's always interesting, the pieces of the puzzle that are revealed by a politician who's been gut-punched, and discarded. Especially when it happens here, in the West.
We might expect such from a Balkan State, or the Middle East, but in Britain/USA/Canada?
Doesn't happen often.. and it should be taken note of.

An interesting note here.
The virtually jobless Deputy Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, was the man chosen to re-afirm Britains maintenance of it's nuclear capabilities. There will be vast sums spent on refurbishing and modernising the British Trident submarine fleet.. it being our main platrorm for nuclear strikes..
Seems we, along with all the other nuclear powers, want to keep just a couple in working condition.
One can never tell..
It is odd though, that Gordon was chosen to deliver the message. He is an out and out Europhile, and the Unions position on nuclear arms is that they should be universally disarmed..
Kind of rules him out as any sort of serious candidacy for occupancy of No.10, or No.11, should the Labour Party manage to get past the Mulroney-jawed David Cameron.
Tempus fugit..

Ahh.. Tony's transition is not turning out as smoothly as he might have wished. Not at all.
First, we have Police panic reactions to the terrorist threat.. two men arrested, one of them shot, and both subsequently released without charge. Now there's a case for the Courts..
Secondly, still with prisons, the news that 53 lifeers have been released within six years or beginning their terms, prompting Tony to re-examine the legislation on sentencing..
No 10 says a review is under way, but Mr Blair was urged to stop tinkering by the ex-chief inspector of prisons. Lord Ramsbotham, giving the opinion of the House of Lords, said the prime minister should stop making changes to the legal system, saying they caused more problems than they solved.
"I just wish he'd shut up, frankly," he told BBC Two's Daily Politics show.
Meanwhile, Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer has defended judges, saying they should not be the "whipping boys" for a flawed system. Typical.
Thirdly, he has lost the confidence of the man on the street, with the Tory's leading in the polls for the first time in more than a decade..
Not good.
And then there's the issue of who will take the reins of the Labour Party once Tony abdicates, and abdicate he will.
This promises to be interesting, with George and Tony on their way out, and no real contenders to replace them.
One can be sure they're smiling in Tehran, Beijing, and Pyongyang..

Now back to the issue of torture, but this time let the focus be on the average Western family, rather than those barbarian states who've been typically branded as uncivilised by we in the superior West.
Lets take the average household in say, Glasgow.
One in lets say Easterhouse, or the Gorbells.
Not recognized by most of those reading this, but they're areas in which the police will not travel alone. In fact, they'll not likely to answer a household complaint without at least 4 or 5 officers, for fear of local reaction.
In these Estates, as they're known over here, child/wife/husband beatings are daily occurrances.
Having said that, the same could be said of any neighbourhood anywhere in this civilised West of ours.
It happened in chat today (and it might be well mentioned that betimes internet chat can be a source of some observational gems..) that it was said 'humans are unique in being capable of seeing undesirable behavior by members of their own species, and may be equally unique in ignoring it...'
We tend to look away from that which we find distasteful, unless it's a behavioral trait of another race, or committed by citizens of another country. We wrap ourselves in a woolen blanket of ignorance and avoidance, while proclaiming our enlightenment and compassion.
Tripe.
It is impossible these days, unless one is completely isolated, to witness in one's own backyard, mistreatment, disinterest, and sickness. It is impossible unless of course, it is more convenient to ignore a situation,and hope, or pray if that's one's preference, that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, an overwhelming force which will make everything just hunky-dory.
That force is within ourselves, and as long as we delude ourselves about that which is common in our own neighbourhood, we will never be able to change that which is commonplace in 'the Third World'
We have no moral high ground.
We are as guilty as anyone, and that means,anyone else.

The etymology of the common word torture goes back to the Latin 'torture', to twist. Thus we have words the likes of torsion, tortuous (as in a torturous effort), and many more which would indicate an extreme physical effort.
Yet it also has another application, that being applied to the human mind itself. Manipulation of peoples thoughts and beliefs can be as difficult to endure as anything which might be done to their physical bodies, and can be far more difficult to redress.
Husbands and wives torture each other universally. Children torture each other almost ritualistically on playgrounds and schoolyards. Those in authority torture their subordinates for the sake of the mere ability to do so. And this, again, is not a practice confined to those countries usually associated with physical abuse, but is present in all.
This is the problem one faces when addressing the atrocity of torture. It is all pervasive, and is indeed a part of our basic animal nature.
It has been said that 'misery loves company', and perhaps the inflicting of such pain is a facet of our intrinsic nature, and in some, leads to an escallation in which physical pain is natural, for either those who are disturbed or for their victims.
We must examine ourselves, and our own proclivity towards sharing anguish, and if we can control such instinctual behavior in our own actions, we may diminish, to some small extent, torture in general.
However, as long as we blindly allow others to make decisions for us under the guise of government or religious leaders, we will continue to allow, if not support, this abhorrent behavior. and vicariously share the blame for whatever might be done in the name of 'security'.
You are responsible for the torture of innocents, as am I.
As long as their are children left in uncaring hands, or prisoners held by suspect governments, or penitents allowing themselves to undergo 'spiritual purification', you and I must accept responsibility.
We know of the problem. We have yet to determine a solution.
But sadly, we, to a large part, have abrogated our accountability, and, in the words of George Bush Sr. and 'The Dude', this will not stand.

The label reads 'Designed in California, made in China'..
The allegations are that i-Pod, in farming out it's manufacturing contracts, has now involved itself in what amounts to, in Western standards, slave labour. The reports continue to say that workers, for the most part women, are paid some $54American a month, but half of that goes towards their housing and meals. They apparently live in dormatories of about a hundred beds or so, and get most likely more to eat than they would were they still in their local villages.
Still, by Western standards, it's a cheap way to make an expensive item.
No argument there.
However, what must be taken into account is, that while these workers are being paid a pittance, again by our standards, it's more than they would make if there were no jobs available, and it's also giving the Chinese the technology to copy this American product, and offering them the chance to eventually flood the market with cheap copies.
China has the second most flourishing economy in the world, right behind India. They have the largest population of any country, and will without a doubt, overtake the West in a matter of decades.
If Western companies continue to use the cheap labour they can, at this time, find in the East, they'll be signing their own death warrants, because being far from stupid, those in the East are taking notes. These lessons they're learning will prove to be invaluable when they begin to dominate the world financial markets.

Now, we were talking about torture.
This practice has a long and continuous history in certain areas of the world, in fact in any country towards the eastern end of the Mediterranian and beyond. In those societies, it's not torture, but a means to an end, a certain means of getting to the truth of an issue.
This in itself is suspect, but more on that later.
However, we in the West are far from being as pure as Caesars wife when it comes to the use of suspect methods of interogation. The CIA, and one would suspect the Homeland Security Department are equally as guilty of using methods which amount to torture to further their own ends. Many a reputation has been ruined by Western security agencies in the pursuit of 'the Truth', and it's not likely they're about to stop when they have the old chestnut of 'national security' to fall back on.
But, let's look at those we normally associate with physical torture.
The Africans, the Middle Eastern States, the old 'Communist' regeme, the Chinese and the Japanese have all been charged with physical abuse to entice a suspect to recant, and implicate all those others involved in whatever plot they're accused of themselves.
Ah. We neglected to mention the Germans, and their methods during the Second World War.
Now wait here. We could list all the countries now extant, and all those which were but have now disappeared, and the same claim could be made. Torture has always been one of the preferred methods of extracting information, and will always be such.
It's deplorable in this day and age, that we should revert to such barbarous practices, but then again, we are limited by our humanity, or lack of it.
As long as there are secrets, there will be those who will steal them. And as long as there are those willing to steal, there will be a sadist or two within the ranks of the wronged who will be happily recruited to stick the bamboo sticks under the fingernails of suspects, and set them alight.
As long as there are factions who have raised themselves to power using brute force, there will be those same feral folk who will deter opposition by dramatically killing or maiming those who would disagree.
It's human nature, and that's the most damning statement that can possibly be made about our species.
We could spend hours documenting incidences of torture, past and present. The point is, that we must spend generations breeding this predeliction out of those among us.
Generations, and even then, there will be sociopaths who enjoy to inflict pain for whatever reason. And there will almost certainly be a government or two who will employ them for their particular skills.
We can report, and report, and report again on human indignities perpetrated by whichever government one might choose, but until we've achieved some degree of mutual goal, on a global scale, there are always going to be those at the receiving end of a lash.
More to follow.

Let's have a word or two about torture.
One hardly knows where to begin, what with all the different types which are perpetrated on a daily basis, from British homes to Middle Eastern jails.. but being there's a case in the news at this moment, concerning three Britons and a Canadian who were held in Saudi prisons for two and a half years based on confessions obtained by physical torture, that might be the logical place to start.
These men, whom the Saudi's claim were part of an 'alcohol turf war', claim they were forced into signing confessions following a series of treatments, which included beatings on their hands and feet, forcible feeding of mind-altering frugs, and being suspended by their arms. These claims have been verified by an independent investigation.
They were granted, back in 2004, the right to sue the Saudi Government for their treatment, but that has been recinded.
Saudi Arabia appealed to the Law Lords, arguing that its officials were protected by the 1978 State Immunity Act. This appeal argued that its officials were protected by the 1978 State Immunity Act, and demanded the British Government itself support the Saudi stance.
After the five Law Lords' ruling, a Department for Constitutional Affairs spokesman said the government "condemns torture in all its forms and works to eradicate it wherever it occurs".
"The intervention in this case is not about criminal responsibility for torture, nor about the UK government's attitude to torture.
"It concerns jurisdiction, and the way in which civil damages can be sought against a foreign state for acts allegedly committed in its own territory."
This is unsatisafactory.
To quote one of the victims, "It's all down to money and oil and planes. Don't upset the Saudis. That's the British government's view."
And that in itself, might well be the truth of the matter.
This, keeping in mind, is only one of many such cases, and we will examine this issue in greater depth.

Information..disinformation..
"A top US official has described the suicides of three detainees at the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a "good PR move to draw attention".
Colleen Graffy told the BBC the deaths were part of a strategy and "a tactic to further the jihadi cause", but taking their own lives was unnecessary." This, from the London Times, today's edition.
"Muslims have protested outside Scotland Yard against the tactics used by police in an anti-terror raid in east London.
Brothers Abul Koyair, 20, and Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23, who was shot in the shoulder, were released without charge a week after the raid in "Forest Gate". This from the same paper.
One could read any of the Sunday papers from any part of the country, and would get basically the same message. And what might that message be?
One, that the US is treating the Guantanamo deaths as 'stunts', and two, that the Forest Gate raid and arrests were necissary, but misguided.
We are slipping more and more, faster and faster, into a situation wherein those in charge, those we have elected, supposedly, can do whatever they like in the name of the 'war against terrorism'.
There have been those in this country, who have been killed, such as Tom Kelly.. those who have been charged with spurious breaches of the law and imprisoned amidst great publicity, only to be released, quietly, a month later, their credibility and careers ruined, their finances left in tatters.
This is not uncommon.
Eventually, even the most determined couch-potato, the most desensitised of our citizenry, must ask 'why?', and then follow with 'who?'.
The President of oil giant BP seems assured enough to make a public statement to the effect that oil will begin flowing in greater quantities soon. So, we can put our concerns about looking for alternate fuel supplies on the back-burner for a while..
We are, all of us, living in what amounts to a fantasy, and the unfortunate truth is, most individuals within this Game enjoy their anonymity, their unconcern.
We will never learn. History has never been that popular a subject in high schools, nor has geography.
We cannot expect a change either, unless there is an end to the bread and circus offerings, be they centered about one's television, or one's Mullah.
Let's continue a bit.
Chad is accusing it's neighbour the Sudan of 'exporting war', of sending it's armed troops into another sovereign territory to deal with specific targets. This is a powder keg,, one which could easily blow into a full confrontation, putting the issue of Darfour out of peoples minds for a while.
Kim Jong Il.. now there's a leader we can all have a chuckle at, having watched Matt Stone and Trey Parker's caricature in Team America.. and indeed The little that is known about Kim Jong-il, North Korea's leader, conjures up a caricature of a diminutive playboy, a comic picture at odds with his brutal regime.
Diplomats and escaped dissidents talk of a vain, paranoid, cognac-guzzling hypochondriac.
He is said to wear platform shoes and favour a bouffant hairstyle in order to appear taller than his 5 feet 3 inches.
But analysts are undecided whether his eccentricities mask the cunning mind of a master manipulator or betray an irrational madman. Mr Kim may well encourage the myth-making surrounding him precisely in order to keep the Western world guessing. North Korea has little to bargain with, and ignorance breeds fear.
Ignorance, there's the key.
It is to be expected that the man on the street will be content with the illusion his or her vote means something in determining their country's foreign, domestic, and economic policies. The sooner we open our collective eyes, the sooner we can demand change.
One must pray to all gods, greater and lesser, and to whatever collective conciousness yet remains, that this illumination is soon in coming.

Just a note here.. It seems this blogging has taken off over the past five years or so, and there is a need to complete a directory of those intent on continuing with their comments.
Ergo... Technorati Profile
More later..

It may well be, that the consensus is that most Westerners are not that well versed in the history of relations with the Levant, and that the latest moves by the US towards alligning with Europe in the Iran Nuclear Issue might be seen by most to be a step forward.
That, would be a misunderstanding.
What we have had here is first, an offer from Europe to aid the Iranian nuclear power effort, with the US standing like John Wayne, saying 'not a chance'. That, of course, was turned down outright by Tehran, with a retort to the effect of 'screw you, we're doing it our way'.
Meanwhile, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenejad along with the Ayatollah Khameni continue insisting that the US is the Great Satan, and must, along with it's insideous ally Israel, be removed from the map. Standard rhetoric.
Now we hit the second stage, wherein representatives the likes of Condaleesa Rice sends a message to a mid-level Iranian politician, in this case their Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, that the US would be willing to abandon their plans of economic sanctions, and allow the Iranian power deveopment continue, under supervision. Other incentives are said to include the lifting of restrictions on the use of US technology in agriculture and support for Iranian membership of the World Trade Organisation.
The package was delivered to Tehran by the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
To this, the Iranians have not said no, for it was an agreement that is approved by those who have traditionally backed the Iranian side of this issue, the likes of France, Germany, and China.
It's 'soft force', according to Condaleesa, and speaking after a meeting with Mr Solana, Mr Larijani said that they had held "constructive" talks, adding that Europe was right to try to use diplomatic negotiations to solve the problem and Iran was open to resuming talks to try to find a logical and well-balanced solution.
This is yet another effort on the part of the Iranians to gain time, to see what they can possibly get for outright cooperation. That, by the way, will never be achieved.
It never has.
But now Europe, the 'E3', as Britain, France, and Germany, are to come to the fore in these talks, and these powers, from personal history in that area, might gain some time for the West, to decide whether it's worth throwing the entire area into armed conflict to prevent Iran from developing the Bomb.
It will be interesting to see this unfold. There have already been warnings from Tehran that oil could become scarce should nothing go their way.
Again, this should be enough to prompt those who lead us to work ever harder in reducing our need for that which they produce. Were it not for oil, those countries in the Levant would reduce themselves in quite a short time, to mere Third World powers.
It is time.

A last thought for the night..
Eight oil workers, six Brits, one Canadian, and one American, have been kidnapped by men armed with automatic rifles, from their rig in the Niger Delta. The men apparently managed to get a radio SOS out before they were taken off..
Now it's not unusual for kidnappings in that particular area of the world, in fact it might be said to be close to a national industry.
But what it does is underline the need we have, to distance ourselves from Middle Eastern and African oil.
We are working on arrangements now with Russia to supply us with natural gas. This is a move that is multi-faceted, one of which is to forge an economic alliance between Britain and Russia, over a long-term. This would solidify both the British and the Russian positions among those comprising the European Union.
It also puts some pressure on Russia, to continue the trend which seems of late to have been reversed, that of capitalism, and all it entails. This includes allowing gay-rights marches. Closer ties between Russia and Britain would seem to be inevidable, and with the G8 meetings planned for Moscow, it would enhance Russia's economic credibility within that group to announced a deal for gas exports to a country already credible and established, a country the other members of the Union would like to see more involved in the Unification process.
It can't do us any harm either, knowing Gran's fire will not peter out when our own supplies do.

It's drawing to the end of Tony's visit to Italy, and as it had to come, he and the new Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi met, and, like the walrus and the carpenter, 'talked of many things'..
One would have enjoyed being a fly on the wall at those discussions, which no doubt centered on Italy's withdrawal of troops from Iraq..
Mr. Prodi is not the same man as his predecessor, Mr Berlisconi.. he is not as much of a friend to the US or, in fact, to anything outside the growing boundaries of the European Union. Mr. Prodi would like to see his country be as pre-eminent in this new hegemony as either Germany or France, and a view which is in itself more traditional, a view which is much more cordial with Iran and Iraq and the rest of the Middle East, is doubtless one he will pursue.
As said, Mr. Prodi likes not George, or what he stands for, and despite Tony's influence in getting Mr. Prodi the position of European Commission President back in 1999, a move which by the way didn't turn out to anyone's real satisfaction, relations between Romano and Tony have soured over these past few years..
Iraq is not about to lose one of the major players in that particular war, but Europe is going to see an Italy which is willing to spit in George's eye, should that happen to benifit the Union.

Ahh, and that little terror of an Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is proclaiming from rooftops that neither he nor his physicists will bow to 'Western pressure' and abandon it's rights to nuclear technology. This comes a day after six world powers called on Tehran to bring a halt to research which could, and almost certainly will lead Iran into the group of nuclear powers.
The Director of National Intelligence in the States says Iran could have nuclear capabilities within ten years.
I'd give odds on three or four, tops.
Just in time for the total political confusion to reach it's peak in the West.

American troops will now have to undergo 'ethical training' in the wake of the alleged massacre in Haditha..
That's really going to do a lot of good.. sure. It might placate some of the softer radical groups, but it will be scoffed at, as it should be, by those who pull the strings.
Now, picture this. You have a young, corn-fed boy of a man, a 'Jolly Green Giant with a gun' who's been sent thousands of miles away from his home, to face intensive attack by insurgents who look exactly like the civilians..
Sound familiar?
Now these boys wander into a ville, and one of their buddies, maybe someone they grew up with, is blown to shreds by a bomb. They have no idea now who the enemy is, or where the next attack might come from. They lose it, and in doing so commit an atrocity.
The name Lt. William Calley, and a place called Mai Lai comes to mind.
While not condoning the murders of innocents, one must keep in mind the immediate pressures of being in harms way, constantly.
Truth be told, the wars the United States has committed troops to recently, in neither case were sufficient actions taken to prepare it's fighting forces for that which they have encountered.
War is Hell. For everyone.
Those who fight it from the comfort of an office in Washington are responsible for this mass murder, at least, if not more, than the boys who pulled the triggers.