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Posts Tagged ‘USA’

With the fall of Sirte and more importantly the death of Gaddafi, this phase of Libya’s past ends and a promising if difficult future beckons. Yes, it could all go horribly wrong but providing the Libyans keep their heads cool, a small population of 6 million, substantial oil based income and therefore the money to rebuild their infrastructure, if corruption can be avoided, their future will be very bright indeed.

David Cameron was quite rightly very businesslike in what he said following the news concerning the death of Gaddafi but I have been quite amused by some of the comments and their undertones which have been made by some that can be summed up as: “Now like Tony Blair, he has got a successful war under his belt, he might get a taste for it…” I have to wonder just how perceptive or sober some of these people are, these are very silly words.

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Following the targeted assassination in the Yemen of Anwar al-Awlaki and three al-Qaeda associates by a drone on September 30^th various questions have been raised within the United States concerning the “extra-judicial” nature of this killing because two of them were US citizens.

To be fair to Americans, this is not an argument based upon whether a “US life is more valuable than any other” but in the ever litigious United States whether his “Rights under the American Constitution” were violated. Therefore the question becomes one of “Were the people who ordered and actually carried out the attack from within the borders of the USA, therefore guilty of a criminal offence ?” The drone actually being operated from a base in Nevada.

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I have written about my memories and personal ties to this particular date before and will later summarize them again because they are all rather odd in the sense that I can not recall any other day in my life which has ever been connected in the same way to such a significant “news event” via so many different ‘threads’.

However, 10 years is a significant anniversary and as good a time as any to reflect on the impact of those days one of which I experienced, as so many others do on my recent holiday in the USA. Having to check in for your flight very early, US Customs/Immigration, never a barrel of laughs, as surly as ever. But also there are the political dimensions not all of which have led to bad outcomes, some indeed may well be very beneficial in the medium term.

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Although at this time of the year with people away on their holidays, UK journalism like the TV schedules of endless repeats and nonsense, are never at their best but I was quite amused by an editorial in the Independent today on Afghanistan: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-giving-ground-to-the-taliban-2329612.html

It is difficult from reading this article to get a grip on what the “Writer’s view” actually is, that we should stay or go ? It is particularly funny coming from a newspaper which whilst not as arrogant as the Guardian, most times is as left wing and drippy as it.

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It has been said that there often has to be an End before there can be a New Beginning and with regard to the Space Shuttle Atlantis un-docking from the International Space Station and on her last journey home, we are witnessing the closing of a 30 year period of all the Space Shuttles and no less than the last flight of Concorde, a touching moment for an iconic machine.

Does this mean the end of the US investment in manned space flight ? Despite the current budget restrictions, I suspect not, American pride won’t stand for that and in an odd way, the end of the Shuttle programme is more likely to focus both mind and energy into building the next generation, we shall see, safe journey home Atlantis. Read the rest of this entry »

There are times when the mutterings of the Metropolitan Media Classes, really get up my nose. It is not their smug left wing bias, it is their dishonesty and inability to see an issue as it really is rather than as a reflection of their own current hormonal imbalances. A prime example was this in the Independent of the other day : http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-mission-creep-and-perilous-tactics-in-libya-2288471.html

I have no doubt that if Gaddafi had been allowed to massacre his opponents as he intended, the Independent might well be the first to write that “Something Should Be Done !” and then accuse the British Government of inaction and sacrificing the innocent because of our interests in continuing access to Libyan oil and exploration rights. Remember all the headlines over releasing Mehgrani ?

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The visit of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington and his blunt rejection of President Barak Obama’s attempt to get peace talks moving again in the Israeli/Palestinian dispute, brings that whole issue into the UK spotlight again. One can say that very obviously, it is an issue that hasn’t gone away and won’t any time soon either and I would agree.

However my point would be that unlike obviously for Israel and the USA, it’s primary supporter where it is an important issue, for the average Briton, it is certainly not a burning one, apart from Britons of the Jewish faith, most don’t feel that there is any strong connection with the area and anyway, one best avoided.

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We have a scandal involving the now, former Managing Director of the international Monitory Fund Dominique Strauss Khan being accused of the rape of a Chamber Maid in an upmarket New York hotel. For a whole number of reasons, it really is a quite extraordinary tale that at this stage of events, raises far more questions than it provides answers.

There are a couple of very well written articles in the Economist on this which are worth reading: http://www.economist.com/node/18712833 and http://www.economist.com/node/18712515

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Although to be expected from a left leaning newspaper written by and for the “Chattering Metropolitan Classes”, there was an interesting Editorial in the Independent on whether capturing Osama Bin Laden would have been better than shooting him and then burying him at sea. Whilst I think that the Americans were correct, it is a valid question to raise: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-nagging-questions-that-refuse-to-go-away-2278947.html

If you read the article, do read the comments from readers, we seem to have our fair share of ‘conspiracy theorists’ here in the UK today.

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The saying, “War is too important to be left to the Generals” probably also applies to Constitutions and Politicians. Constitutional change is far too important to be left to the politicians, they just don’t seem to have a clue and certainly lack the intellectual rigour to suggest anything remotely workable.

This Thursday we have local council elections down here but also, the Referendum on changing the voting system from First Past the Post to the Alternative Vote. Funny how a Coalition Agreement can conjure that up when herds of wild stallions couldn’t get the greasy buggers to give us a Referendum on the EU !

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