Wednesday 28 August 2013

Pass the Kalashnikov


Someone has to mention this. It is beginning to look like the U.S. is about to get deeply and bloodily involved in the current crisis in Syria, and - as always - the U.K. will be going straight in behind (or 'alongside', as it is put by the defence departments) to help drop hundreds of tons of high explosives on 'strategic targets' which - with a bit of luck - will include at least a few of Assad's installations.

In his second term of office, President Obama has been a deep disappointment to all those who had high hopes for him, and the biggest mistake he has made so far is to commit himself to some sort of action if the Assad government stepped over a 'red line'. My God - and didn't they just step over that line in a spectacular way when they dropped the chemical weapons on civilians, only six miles away from where weapons inspectors were being hampered in their hunt for evidence of chemical weapons.

Not believing that Assad would ever dream of committing such an outrageous act of multiple murder - let alone under his very nose - Obama is now in the humiliating position of actually having to act on his threat, unless he wants to be seen by the Right in U.S. politics as a wet and useless Pinko.

Everyone thought - about 2 years ago - that the whole, glorious uprising by ordinary people against a vicious dictator would be all over in 2 weeks, but that was before the Russians stepped in to further arm the Assad forces.

When the Russians armed Assad, Al Quaida armed the rebels, and that was when thousands of innocent civilians began seeking refuge over the borders, turning the whole region into a tinderbox which could go off without any further warning, should the fighting escalate to the extent that the U.S. will be - effectively - fighting on the side of Al Quaida and against Russia. The death toll will undoubtably include citizens from many other countries other than Syria, and if (as they have so far 'promised' not to) ground troops are sent in by opposing supporters, then it will include U.S. and U.K. forces as well as ordinary men, women and children.

It is hard to sit back and watch events like the gassing of civilians in countries we know nothing about because of complete ignorance of local history and culture (as in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.), but we should really learn to keep our noses out of situations which we cannot afford to get involved with, having been all but bankrupted in other parts of the region by trying to impose a Western model of Democracy on people whose tribal heritage makes it almost impossible to instantaneously adopt.

We have now all but got out of Iraq and left the locals (and non-locals) there to carry on killing each other in peace. 50 died in bomb-blasts yesterday alone - an average rate of daily deaths far higher than any Saddam could hope to achieve before he was toppled.

What did we do when Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against the Iraqi Kurds? Nothing, because - at the time - Saddam was an 'ally'.

Right now, I really wish our Prime Minister would show a bit more guts than the U.S. President by temporarily curtailing the 'special relationship' between our two countries, and telling him that he is on his own with this one.

To do so would probably lead to the U.S. taking away all our lovely nuclear weapons, but I don't think I would miss them very much.

25 comments:

  1. And what did the rest of the world do when the US dropped Monsanto's charming deadly chemicals on Vietnam? Most civilised countries signed up to outlaw chemical weapons after WW1; not all who signed have abided by their promise.

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    1. Ah, but don't forget that Agent Orange was only meant to strip the leaves off the foliage so they could see the Viet Cong as they tried to hide in the jungles. The trouble was that every Viet Cong looked (and probably was) like an ordinary villager, so they were bombed (sometimes with fire) anyway - just to make sure, in an utterly paranoid theatre of war, exacerbated (and alleviated/heightened) by the use of opiates and pyschedelic drugs. Thank God Britain is not still nursing mentally damaged ex-soldiers.

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    2. I mistrust Monsanto enough to be convinced that they knew EXACTLY what their stuff would do. People are still suffering today, and Vietnamese children are still being born with dreadful deformities.

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    3. Monsanto is disliked (and mistrusted) in the US as well. And, yes, Obama has been a big disappointment to many of us.
      Our uncle was in Vietnam and his Alzheimer's is being linked to the Agent Orange used during his tour of duty. No officially of coarse, because God forbid we admit we poisoned millions. His family is currently having to fight tooth and nail to get him the treatment he deserves and needs. I'm ashamed that our government kicks so many veterans to the curb. If we are going to kick anyone to the curb, it should be Monsanto, but there's too much of their money flowing to our politicians. End of rant.
      Great post.

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    4. Don't forget Dow Chemicals. They were the people who saw an opportunity to break away from the boring building industry market to produce the awe-inspiring, NAPALM - the modern equivalent of Greek Fire.

      At least Greek Fire (bitumen and naptha) was only used at sea - unless they were REALLY upset with land-dwellers.

      In the 1970s, I was in a bit of a quandry about buying Dow Chemicals products, but I did anyway - God have mercy on me.

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    5. Oh, and now Monasanto are developing 'disease-resistent' grain to sell to Third World countries who suffer droughts on a regular basis.

      The trouble is that these crops are programmed to be unable to reproduce, which means that those countries will have to go straight back to Monasanto every year and buy more, IF they want to stay alive by eating enough.

      Words cannot express my hatred and disgust for these companies.

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    6. Monsanto's 'Terminator Seeds' are a total fucking disgrace.

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    7. I think we are all in agreement that Monsanto are a bunch of c***s!

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  2. Yes, well said.
    God (God?), yesterday and today got pretty fucking frightening. I still can't see how any person or nation can get away with combatting violence with violence. Duh. Have we learned nothing.
    Can we talk about Mylie Cyrus now? Please?

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    1. Also, Kalashnikov on his deathbed expressed the wish that he had invented a lawn mower instead.

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    2. And that has lead to a very entertaining You Tube video entitled, 'Kalashnikov versus Lawnmower', in which some mad American shoots an entire clip of ammunition into a lawnmower from about 10 feet - all in about 4 seconds on fully-automatic mode.

      The lawnmower loses.

      Go on, Sarah - you lighten it by talking about Mylie Cyrus.

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  3. As the U.K. can't use its nuclear toys without U.S. consent there's no point in having them.
    I have long wondered why British politicians support this 'special relationship' which gives only disadvantage to the U.K.
    Are jobs at Carlyle and spots on the lecture circuit really that lucrative?

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    1. Yes they are, Fly. Also, we are STILL paying for the U.S. involvement in WW2 - Thanks to having a Prime Minister who was half American. The price - in the 1950s - was to turn G.B. into a giant aircraft carrier, and a nuclear one at that.

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  4. I agree with every word you have written Tom but you have said it so much better than I would have done.

    We really have no understanding of the Middle East Region - or the various sects, or their beliefs, of their need to fight things out for themselves. We should keep out of things like this - any missile strike would merely kill more people - and as is usually the case - it would be women, children and the innocent who on the whole die or are badly wounded. I just hope sense and reason prevail, but they never have done in the past.

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    1. Thatcher - yes HER again - began the process of ingrained ignorance by drastically axing the Arab specialists and speakers in the Foreign Office, under the advice of Regan's advisors.

      Recently, The World Service of the BBC has suffered similar cuts to it's international broadcasts.

      This sounds anti-American, but - believe me - it isn't. It may be a bit anti-Thatcher, though.

      History has to be remembered, otherwise it is endlessly repeated.

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  5. Perhaps we should tweet us up a western civilization spring. Let's see, who's seat of power shall we chant in front of?

    On the other hand, righteous indignation does keep the word out. Eat and buy local, and that's all I can add to the discussion.

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  6. I know. I am commentingMORE. On the photo and not the blog content
    But why ARE Russian military hats SOOOO BIG.?

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    1. That's a Soviet hat. I don't know if modern Russians wear the same size. Anyway, we can talk - look at Busbys.

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  7. President Obama suddenly turned into a Negro Spiritual preacher today, when he gave his speech celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dr King's much better one. I am beginning to lose respect for that man - Obama, not King.

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  8. Never had any. Product of Chicago mafia playing and preying on the black vote.

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    1. Well the best thing about him becoming President was precisely because he was black, as far as everyone else was concerned. I don't think it is possible to become President without some sort of shady involvement with, or backing from any organisation which controls business and money.

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