Satan Flies Niyazov Dies

It was with some sadness I read of Saparmurat Niyazov's unexpected demise. Besides being a post-communist despot in the best tradition of central asian newly liberated Soviet Republics, he was an author offering free advice in his latest book which I, myself helped hype. It was with a sense of frustration that I looked for a copy in our local library.Hopefully in the future we can understand what he really meant.

In the meanwhile Satan flies again in the skies of Siberia. SATAN in this case is a NATO designation of the most feared Russian ICBM, a true killer of worlds which contains 10 multi-megaton warheads on each rocket. Five of them would take out every state capitol in the U.S. or all of Texas. Merry Christmas.

Mega-Tsunamis

Recent articles detail how huge deluges caused by (take your pick) meteorites, asteroids, or comets occur every 5000 years or so and destroy huge swaths of land. So much for geological gradualism, catastrophism seems much more likely and scientifically more believeable than the usual apocolyptic religious stuff trotted out by the the worlds' monotheistic death cults.

What's Next?

There is much talk about the ramifications of the recent Democratic resurgence in America and what it actually might mean. Some see this as an "adjustment" to the center, a mid-course correction without meaningful change. The same corporate interests continuing to milk the ever diminishing middle class, no real boat rocking, no radical reform of the electoral process, health care system, or American foriegn policy.

For Americans' sake and the world one can only hope more is afoot here. A little noticed article released days before the election detailed the continuing concentration of wealth in America. I can only hope that the ever downtrodden members of America's middle class have begun to realize that the only force with their interest at heart is they themselves. Forget the so-called "culture wars", the phony tax cut benefits, and the phony wars on "terrorism" "drugs" and "Islamofacism". Don't let the Democrats default to "Republicanism Lite".

Xenophobia International

I never cease to be amazed at the "parallell universe" quality of Russian and American societies. The latest example is the march today in Moscow by a variety of groups headed by the "Movement Against Illeagal Immigration". This group with tacit support from the government is headed by a fellow named Alexander Byelov , who states,

"The rights of Russians are being infringed in their own land and we intend to stop it."

If this guy isn't a soul brother to the American Minutemen group I don't know who is.He should probably be made an honorary member. Everyday Americans and Russians seem to have more in common, massive numbers of nukes, nationalist (neo-con) kooks, failed wars, and a curious indifference to their own civil liberties and democracies. Привет Товарищ по несчастью!

Heretical Thoughts

I love the article in Asian Times Online by Nicolai Petro, former special assistant for policy for the Soviet Union under George the Elder.The nerve of Putin to suggest that Russia does things that the West has done for years as normal business as usual has upset not only the typical hysterical Russophobes in the U.S. but also the even bigger hypocrites in Europe.As a consumer I don't know why it's worse to be ripped off by Lukoil rather then say by Exxon Mobil. Hey, if they charged less I'd be first in line. If only Canada had a more proprietary interest in its resources.

Lastly the effects of the latest Korean crisis documented by Arms Control Wonk is interesting to say the least. There's always been something phallic about missiles and bombs.

Excuse Me While I Vomit......

Condoleeza Rice, in an act of stomach churning hypocrisy and political opportunism, castigated the Russians over the recent tragic murder of Anna Politkovskaya and concern over the state of Russian media. Coming from a country that doesn't find itself rolling back individual freedom and protection from the government, plus being in a war which arguably has been based on lies from the outset, these comments might carry some weight. Instead the self-serving nature of of Dr. Rice's visit is apparent to even the most brain-dead Russian alkofan.

An administration that can't meet the mother of a dead soldier and benefits quite nicely from media concentration here in the U.S. is not the source of moral rectitude in the world when it comes to these matters anymore. Instead it's painfully obvious that the oiligarchy's failure to cash in on Russian and Central Asian energy deals has more to do with the current state of U.S.-Russian relations than an army of dead soldiers or anti-war reporters.

The Exile, as usual, has the most coherent take on the whole disturbed situation.Meanwhile I need to get some compazine.............

Forgotten Afghanistan

It's easy to forget about the escalating conflict in Afghanistan when compared to the on going fiasco in Iraq.The fighting there however is as harrowing as can be imagined. The following article from The Independent gives a rare glimpse into a less well known horror story.

"We headed off to what can only be described as the Wild West." Those are the words, not of a beleaguered British squaddie, but of a Canadian officer in a unit sent to help rescue our troops in the lawless Afghan province of Helmand. His account, emailed to family and friends back in Canada, is the most detailed to emerge from what commanders have called the most desperate fighting British troops have seen since the Korean War." more....

Anna Politkovskaya Murdered in Moscow

Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist for Novaya Gazetta , has been found murdered in the elevator of her apartment building in central Moscow Saturday night. Her murder has the hallmarks of a professional asassination with the murder weapon being left at the scene with expended cartridges.

Sadly her death comes as no surprise as she had established a reputation for journalistic courage and integrity with her unflinching work documenting abuses committed by the Russian military in its lenghty campaign in Chechnaya. As a result she was recipient of numerous threats against her life.

She has a number of works published in English including "A Dirty War" , "A Small Corner of Hell", which document the most recent Chechen conflict. Her latest book,"Putin's Russia", subtitled Life in a Failing Democracy took aim at a broad slice of unsavory aspects of Russian life and laid the blame on Putin's doorstep.

Unfortunately she joins a lenghty list of now deceased Russian reformers including Galina Starovoitova, Andrei Kozlov, Paul Klebnikov, and Dmitri Kholodov The International Press Institute has a depressing list of murdered journalists for those interested.

What's On Tonight

Nils Petter Molvaer has a great new album of remixes that is well worth the time to check out. If I could have become a transcendent trumpeter, which was quite unlikely in 1971 in the Franklin Jr. High band in Des Moines, this is how I'd like to sound now.

If You've Got It Flaunt It.......

While there may be various motives for publicizing your arsenal, the latest from Russian Strategic Rocket Forces is interesting to say the least. My previous info from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists gives differnet numbers but whatever it is seems like more than enough for general world destruction.

Turning Back the Clock to ....the Pliocene?

A new NASA study on climate change indicates the Earth is on the verge of global temperatures not seen since the Pliocene era 1,000,000 years ago. Based on the above map Paleo-conservatives may want to ditch the Florida condo before it's too late.

Meanwhile in another distrubed Earth story a "mud volcano", possibly started by human gas drilling activities may last a hundred years or more. So far the boiling mud has consumed half a dozen villages and 20 factories since its eruption in May.

Nukes and Obscurantism

Have you ever wondered how many nukes there are in the whole world? An article in The Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists attempts to answer this almost existentialist question.The number is about 27,000, of which 12,500 are operational. As it turns out 97% are in the hands of Russia and the United States.

A new wrinkle is the Bush administration's effort to cover up the U.S. history of the arsenal. These numbers of course are well known to our adversaries so from whom are they being hidden? The only answer can be the the people of this country. The creation of a "memory hole" only benefits the state in its effort to stifle discussion of security and freedom. No knowledge no argument. Welcome to the funhouse.

Real Threats

While the U.S. frets over the possibility of Iranian nukes leftover nightmares from the cold war persist.

One issue is accidental launch of nuclear weapons, a subject visited by Pavel Podvig in the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces' blog. Here are some their concerns:

"There are several scenarios that can lead to an unintended launch of nuclear-armed missiles. It can be an unauthorized launch of a missile or a group of missiles (e.g. missile regiment or a submarine), a malfunction of a command and control system component that triggers missile launch, or an authorized launch in response to a warning provided by the early-warning system."

Another new problem is the American idea to put conventional warheads on ballistic missiles as part of the "war on terrorism". Concerns with this include the idea that countries will not be able to differentiate between nuke carrying missiles and the conventional warheads leading to nuclear catastrophe .Donald Rumsfeld is a big proponent of this idea which is not so far being enthusiastcally endorsed by other nuclear powers.

"Tell me what keeps you up at night and I'll tell you why it should."

Fashion Central "Talk Show"

The Republican Myth of Security

Its hard for to me to imagine how the administration keeps its grip on the American people in terms of security. Lies on lies to convince us somehow we are better off with their leadership (or lack of it). Recent examples include the report of the Physicians for Social Responsibilty on the consequences of nuclear attack that concludes that nothing has been has been done to make us safer in the last five years in spite of the invocation of "mushroom clouds" by our local warmongers.

Another aspect is the continual degradation of our armed forces as evidenced by recruiting difficulties, well documented by Nick Turse in "Coaxing the Unwilling" in Asia Times Online's great article. We essentially have a mercenary force increasingly made up of fugitives from justice, education, and "normal American values". How these guys keep getting re-elected is amazing in itself. I'm looking for some foreign election monitors to save the next fraud of an election.Either that or a new place to live.

Al-Anbar Won or Lost, the Caliphate

The recent observance of "Patriots' Day" raises uncomfortable questions about what the U.S. will or won't accomplish in the "War on Terror". A good example of what is meant by victory or democracy can be seen in news about Al-Anbar province. Is it lost due to too few troops or a failure to grasp basic counter-insurgency techniques. A recent report from Marine intelligence suggests a lack of resources among other things. On the other hand a basic distrust of Iraqis perhaps has led to failure as well .

Another hitherto unthinkable thought might be what happens if an Islamic Caliphate were to be established. Such a possiblity was raised in Thomas Ricks' otherwise thoughtful "Fiasco". Here he postulated a "worst case " scenario of a charasmatic Islamic leader overthrowing the present nonrepresentative governments of the Arabic MidEast and establishing a state from north Africa to Iraq. As a precedent he cited Saladin, the greatest hero of the Islamic world at the time of the crusades. It's time to start thinking outside of the box. Here might be a place to start.

A Grand Wisconsin Tradition

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending an inspiring afternoon at a uniquely Wisconsin event, Fighting Bob Fest. Approximately 4,000 people with an interest in progressive causes converged on the Sauk County fairground in Baraboo WI to spend the the day taking inspiration from an amazing roster of speakers including Amy Goodman of Democracy Now , Jim Hightower , Sen. Tom Harkin, John Stauber , and Greg Palast .

Cheney and Rove put in a surprise appearance,

and a great time was had by all.

Coming to a Library Near You

Saparmurat Niyazov has a book he'd like you to read and it might be coming to your library.A self -help book of sorts he describes how to make your world a better place. Mr. Niyazov is the President of Turkmenistan (for life if he has any say in this). Typical of Central Asian leaders, he is an unreconstructed Stalinist with Central Asian characteristics who has played his cards between Russia and the U.S. fairly well. Make no mistake if you live there you have to be careful.

A Big Thank You

I spent a splendid evening last Thursday courtesy of the congenial and stimulating folks at the Minneapolis chapter of Drinking Liberally. The Twin Cities is fortunate to have such a vibrant blogging community on the Left.Many interesting ideas came up and gives me added inspiration for this humble blog. May they and their causes prevail.

Bolshoye Spaseebo!

Growing Signs Of Neocon/Israeli Failure

There are growing signs that the same twisted thinking which is sinking the U.S. in Iraq has infected the Israelis.Haaretz reports the most costly day for Israel in its 30th day of the Lebanon campaign. Asian Times Online has perhaps the best analysis of this conflict that you (in the U.S.) will never see. The U.S. has not done itself or, in the long run Israel ,any favors by its unquestioning support of the Jewish state. We have a "Fox News State" dooming itself and neighbors to hellish consequences by a continual reliance on violence, force, and most extreemly, nuclear weapons. The U.S. now apes the Israeli "macho" approach with it's own nuclear preemption policies. We can only hope that the most heavily armed nation in the world can come to it's senses.

From Bad to Worse

The past week has seen another progression of failure of the neocon/far right Israeli approach to the world. The events in Lebanon show the Israelis confronting a foe more sophisticated than anticipated. If I was a a Lebanese general I would want Hezbollah intergrated into the armed forces since they have proven their value plus they represent 40% of the country anyway. This is a group more organized than the Palestinians ever were though you can bet that Hamas is taking notes. BTW Hamas was an officially sanctioned group by the Israeli government during the early 80s when they thought they would some how counter Fatah. Another miscalculation by the "experts". Finally I'm truly bummed by Floyd's situation. How could such a thing happen?

Love and Death

To feel good about America is harder everyday then this:

Glory to Floyd, a guy who understands truth, effort, and pain. When we as a country can understand these virtues we can talk perhaps on a zen-like basis with those who live daily with all the pain. We all cry, no amount of bike riding can erase this.

The Other Russia, Nazbols meet the West

Nazbols, Gary Kasparov, and Mikhail Kasyanov met in Moscow for the "Other Russia" conference.This was in contrast to the G-8 conference in St. Petersburg later this week. In a first Eduard Liminov of the National Bolshevik Party attended the meeting which was addressed by the British ambassador and attended by American and Canadian representitives. Pro Putin youth attempted to disrupt the meeting. Just how serious these contacts are remains to be seen

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How Big is Our International Hole

On the fourth of July I was launching illegal fireworks in SE Wisconsin. Later I heard North Korea was doing the same on a slightly bigger scale. Righteous indignation gave way to the fact that many in the rest of world no longer care about our concerns. Could it be our unilateral foreign policy (U.S. Strategic Command) has come back to bite us? In the 1990s the US promised the Russians we would not expand NATO. We fucked them. Not surprisingly things have come around, the Russians are trying to increase their influence on the Korean peninsula as well as everywhere else.Will the Chinese bail our ass out? I doubt it.

The New Demonology

Its hard to believe just how much the MSM wants a "real terrorist" threat or attack to justify the reduction of freedom in our country. Last night I was treated to an apparent "attack" by a hapless group of guys who couldn't even afford to buy weapons, let alone use them. Meanwhile we are assured that they've sworn an oath to Bin Laden or Satan, take your pick. Do you think an "informer" promised weapons or other things to these guys to make them think they would be "historic people". It's pathetic, its America today. The fact that there are people who are set-ups to this type of crap is not going unnoticed is shown in the following article in BlackNewsWeekly.

Maloney vs. Dinkins

vs.

I saw a great c-span program discussing the White House response to concerns about privacy and the recent domestic spying scandals. I will say that Carolyn Maloney did a great job of interogating Carol Dinkins, the White House appointee to justify domestic spying. This woman looked like a recently revived zombie trying to explain the Bush position on domestic spying. Needless to say I was not surprised to find out she was part of a Houston law firm defending Enron and associate of Alberto (torture is alright) Gonzales.

I Could Rule The World If I Could Only Get the Parts...

There are times when I wonder how much the U.S. counts on "magical thinking" to get itself through the future. For example look at the USAF recent comments on laser weapons. Even better is work on invisibility which I look forward to with enthusiasim.Another article explores this further.Tin Huey might be right. We can't get along so what do we do? Is there a better alternative for our children then the Bush Paradigm? We can only hope so.

What's on Tonight

Real World Music defies convention and is not stereotypical American "folk music". So I'm glad to introduce Ivan Kupala and Nortec Collective as real music from different parts of the world that takes a little effort to appreciate but is worth the effort.

Quote of the Day

" As democracy is perfected, the office of President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

H. L. Mencken

Birds of a Feather

In a refreshing show of ecumenicism religious fanatics have come together to condem "The Da Vinci Code".The Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims in Russia (where 1/7 of the population is Islamic) denounced the film as blasphemous. In their words,

"We equal this film with the recent Prophet Muhammad extremist cartoons as the novel and the film desecrate the Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) worshipped by the Muslims."

Not to be upstaged the Vatican issued their own denunciation, Cardinal Paul Poupard worried that "millions of people "would watch the film and believe it to be true. ... What I'm concerned about is that decent people who do not have the proper religious education will take this nonsense for the real thing."

Defender of the Faith(s) regardless.

What's On Tonight

More interesting stuff from south of the border. Chico Science & Naco Zumbi continue to intrigue. Sadly I hear that Chico Scienece was killed in a MVA in Brazil in the 1990s. One can only speculate how far this guy could have gone. La Mujer de Mi Hermano is a great sound track that introduces (to me at least) what I thought might be there, namely cool Mexican music. I'm looking forward to CDs from Nortec Collective and the Mexican Institute of Sound.

Дикий Дик Стреляет В Кремль

The Russian headline says it all, "Wild Dick Takes a Shot at the Kremlin."As if having the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, possibly Iran, and all the terrorists in the world that we don't like wasn't enough, Cheney decides its time to piss off the Russians. It's entirely without irony that he takes on the Russians for stifling democracy by media concentration, intimidating its neighbors through its economic and energy influences, and just generally not going along with the script.The glaring hypocrisy of all of this is mind boggling and of course went entirely unnoticed by our own sycophants that pass themselves off as journalists. I highly recommend Karen Kwiatkowski's analysis in the "Huffington Post" for a real dissection.

What's On Tonight

I've spent years looking for Thaivox. Now I've found them. Russian techno-rock similar to Deadушки.Also Herb Alpert Rewhipped, the only reason I took trumpet lessons in the early 1970s.