Blackwater now making love with another corporate leech, BAE

The private mercenary company Blackwater, despite years of serious allegations of human rights abuses across the world, is only seeing bigger opportunities for expansion. The latest (via independent American journalist Tim Shorrock), is this: Blackwater, the notorious mercenary company now known as “Xe,” has a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Charles (Chuck) Thomas, formerly…

War logic; spend billions, kill many, move on

Surely it’s time for Washington to find the next juicy target of American “liberation” (via the Huffington Post)? With just over three months until the last U.S. troops are currently dueto leave Iraq, the Department of Defense is engaged in a mad dash to give away things that cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars to…

Democracy credentials inside Israel worsening (ie. Zionism rules)

The Israeli Democracy Institute releases its 2011 results after interviewing 1200 Israelis. As usual, the results make for despairing reading; this from the “Middle East’s Only Democracy Inc”: Jewish-Arab Relations: About a third of the Jewish population does not consider Arab citizens “Israelis.” Moreover, 77.9% of Jews believe that a Jewish majority should be required…

Justice will haunt any Sinhalese thug with blood on their hands

Bravo: This morning, American University Washington College of Law’s UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) against Sri Lankan General Shavendra Silva, who currently resides in New York City. General Silva was the commander of the 58th Division of the Sri Lankan Army during its…

Please can Australia have a mature discussion over refugees? No, didn’t think so

The Australian “debate” over asylum seekers leave ones thoroughly depressed. Both major sides of politics seem determined to dehumanise the most vulnerable people seeking assistance. Grubby and utterly pointless. No wonder nobody really respects politicians these days. Are we truly saying Australia can’t handle a few boats arriving on our shores? Sigh. The Australian’s George…

This is modern Labor; helping disaster capitalism thrive

Which companies would benefit from such an arrangement? The Australian Labor Party has always been in love with helping the American war machine and here’s the latest evidence (via the Courier Mail): She’s been called “Captain Bligh”, now the Premier wants Navy subs based in Queensland to guard the state’s rich gas and coal reserves.…

A rare correction in Murdoch press that denies BDS is anti-Semitic

What a change (no doubt after legal threats?) One day, and soon, the Murdoch hacks calling BDS against Israel anti-Semitic will realise how mainstream the movement has become globally, targeting Israeli businesses complicit in the occupation. This has nothing to do with Judaism: An article published in The Weekend Australian on August 20 (” ‘Anti-Israel…

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