Seriously:
Just the latest government hack in bed with Sinhalese war criminals
The thugs running Sri Lanka in Colombo must have loved the attention of a leading British government minister. War crimes? Who cares, hey? The Guardian reports: Liam Fox faced fresh accusations of running a shadow foreign policy after it emerged he was involved in setting up a private investment firm to operate in Sri Lanka…
The Obama rationale for intervention in Libya
A fascinating investigation by Michael Hastings in Rolling Stone – this is one journalist (and friend) with a fine record of uncovering secrets – on the internal American dialogue over military intervention in Libya. A key theme, repeated over and over again by various officials, is the desire by elements within the Obama administration to…
Headline of the year? “Malaysian Obedient Wives Club Launches Sex Guide to Fight Judaism”
From the Wall Street Journal: It seems a strange way to build up support for traditional Islamic beliefs, but Malaysia’s Obedient Wives Club says it is all right for a husband to have sex with all of his wives at the same time. In some circumstances, it might even be encouraged. “Islamic sex” — whatever…
How to make money on the back of failure in the 21st century
Here’s how the war economy works. Get in the military. Learn about “terrorism”. Preach “counter-insurgency” tactics to a gullible establishment and media. Talk about understanding local cultures while at the same time backing kill/capture methods that routinely fail/murder innocents/kidnap the wrong person (hello Afghanistan, latest report here and here). A perfect example of this person…
Switzerland to ban mercenary companies?
What an important move, if it happens, and an acknowledgement that such firms are increasingly operating on a global scene without any real checks and balances: Switzerland wants to banish mercenary firms and tighten the rules for private security companies based in the country in a bid to safeguard its tradition of neutrality, the government…
Protesting the proposed dirty tar sands from Canada to Obama’s US
Now that’s imaginative civil disobedience: Occupy Wall Street take note: when garnering headlines that don’t have anything to do with NYPD brutality, nudity—or more specifically, orgies—may be the way to go. At a meeting between British and Canadian officials yesterday in London, to discuss the UK’s purchase of Canada’s sweet sweet tar sands oil, two…
When disaster capitalism strikes, Papua New Guinea is on front line
Barely a day goes by when another report emerges of locals in PNG not gaining anything from multinationals pillaging the vast natural resources of the country. This week’s Guardian features a story on the subject and explains how the PNG government is more than happy to allow rapacious corporations to extract the valuable assets from…