A Conservative Funny

Really it's very funny. Darth Vader Calls a Press Conference

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This is Sharons Brain

Pre-1948 partition of Palestine.





After Six Days War 1967




Brain Scan Shows No Change in Sharon

Yep no change after 50 years.


Viewpoint: A dire case of collective amnesia

The hundreds of endearing commentaries, venerating news reports and glorifying television programs - massively sprung in the wake of his unexpected stroke on January 4 - makes it doubtless that only a legacy like that of Mother Teresa can match Sharon's "towering" legacy, "larger than life" persona and selfless "sacrifices" for peace.

The bashful attempts by some to balance the media's gross misconceptions about Sharon went largely unheard. The man's direct and indirect involvement in tormenting the Palestinian people for 50 long years seemed completely irrelevant.

Sharon's disregard for civilian lives, since his early years as a fighter for the Jewish underground terrorist organization Haganah (1948-49), and his role as commander of an infamous army unit responsible for several massacres (most remembered is the brutal murder of 69 defenseless villagers in Qibya in 1953) seemed an extraneous nuisance.

Also to be dropped from the narrative was the list of relentless war crimes that took place throughout the 1950s and 60s (during Israel's wars with Egypt), late 1970s (during his bloody reign in Gaza), the 1980s (his contemptible war and massacres in Lebanon) and most recently with the advent of the Second Palestinian Uprising in September 2000, one that he provoked and antagonized through his misguided policy of assassination.

Since his election to serve as Israel's Prime Minister in 2001, Sharon has supplemented his notorious resume with the abolition of several thousand Palestinian lives.

Sharon, or the "man of peace" according to President Bush, seems to have decidedly earned a place in history simply for relocating several thousand illegal Jewish settlers from occupied Gaza to the occupied West Bank. Though Sharon has repeatedly asserted that his decision to disengage from Gaza has more to do with Israel's strategic and demographic needs than peace, very few took notice. Though the number of illegal settlers in the West Bank has since then increased by more than 4 percent, that mattered little.

Map Showing Gaza Settlements Evacuated

Settlement Founded Population** Atzmona (Bnei Atzmona) 1982** 650 Bedola'h 1986 220 Dugit 1982 80 Elei Sinai 1983 350 Gdid 1982 310 Ganei Tal 1979 400 Gan Or 1983 350 Katif 1985 405 Kerem Atzmona 2001 70 Kfar Darom*** 1989 365 Kfar Yam 1983 20 Morag 1972 220 Netzarim 1972 390 Netzer Hazani 1973 410 Neveh Dekalim 1983 2,500 Nissanit 1980 1050 Pe'at Sadeh 1989 105 Rafiah Yam 1984 150 Shirat Hayam 2000 50 Slav 1980 50 Tel Katifa 1992 75 * Founded 1979 in Sinai. Moved to Gaza, 1982. **Kfar Darom was founded about 1935; destroyed 1939; re-founded 1946; destroyed 1948 *** Estimates are about 15% below published total of 8,500

Maps courtesy of MIDEASTWEB MAGAZINE

Also see:

Green Eggs and Hamas

Let Sleeping Lions Lie

No Tears for Sharon

Pat Robertson Curses Again

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Sharon
Israel
Palestine

The Latin American Consensus

It appears that the Left wing governments in Latin America have decided to use their Petropower to bypass US hegemony in the region.

Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, says Brazil, Argentina and his country will move forward on a proposed natural gas network spanning much of South America. He added that the agreement heralded a new era of regional co-operation with less US influence.On Thursday, Chavez said: "This is the end of the Washington consensus," referring to a set of US-backed free market policies meant to solve South America's economic woes.
"It is the beginning of the South American consensus."

While this looks good at first glance the problem is that it is stil industrial development and such developement threatens the Amazon jungle.

The pipeline would stretch from Caracas, Venezuela, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, cutting through Brazil's Amazon rain forest. It would also link to Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

What is interesting is that the three countries, excluding Bolivia, which still has to nationalize its oil and gas industry, are now looking at oil and gas for export while moving their domestic market for cars to the low pollution alternative of natural gas.

It was not clear how much each country would invest, but Chavez said the investments would pay for themselves if some countries - especially Brazil and Venezuela - change their petrol-powered cars to natural gas. According to Chavez, that shift alone would allow for a massive increase in petrol exports by both Venezuela and Brazil, generating as much as $15 billion in annual revenue. Argentina has the world's largest fleet of cars running on natural gas, followed by Brazil.

Which means that while they reduce greenhouse gas emissions on one hand, they will also be destroying part of the lungs of the world to do it. Sustainable capitalism, once again faces its own contradicitons.

Also see:

Chavez

Bolivia Moves Left

Oil Crisis

The End of the Oil Age

US Government Discovers Peak Oil

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oil
Latin America
Chavez
Brazil
Agentina
natural gas
pipeline
South America

China Challenges US over Saudi Oil

The number two oil economy in the World, China, is challenging American hegemony over the oil fields in the Middle East. This will surely push peak oil in both the short and long term. By developing trade partnerships with oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia, China can avoid American interfence in its importing oil, since the Saudi's can claim its just a business deal.

China, the world's second biggest oil consumer, has been aggressively seeking to strengthen relationships with major oil suppliers as it grows increasingly reliant on oil imports. Saudi Arabia accounts for about 17% of China's imported oil.Total trade between the two countries - much of it Saudi oil bought by China - grew by 59% in the first 11 months of 2005 to $14 billion, according to China's Foreign Ministry. Some observers believe that the Chinese need for new oil supplies could lead to a stand-off with the United States over access to Middle Eastern oil. King to sign Saudi-China oil deals

Also see:

Oil Crisis

The End of the Oil Age

US Government Discovers Peak Oil

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oil

peak oil

China

Saudi Arabia

Middle East

Reg Alcock Has To Go

There are rumblings that Treasury Board President Reg Alcock is in trouble in his Winnipeg riding. And good news that would be. Alcock represents all that is Liberal, arrogance, a sense of entitlement, and despite Comrade Buzz Hargroves endorsement, he is anti union. He forced PSAC workers to strike last fall. Now after five years without a contract, hmmm sounds like the Liberals are taking lessons from Telus, this is how he responds to the Federal Correction Officers and their union at a public meeting last week.

Alcock: Correctional officers are "dumb as posts".

Also See: Liberals Refuse To Speak To Union

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