|
Links May 10 09
- Torture, Secrecy and the British State – ‘Make sure you say that you were treated properly’ – (LRB)
-
'Sleep deprivation' is torture – Memos shed light on CIA use of sleep deprivation – (LATimes)
-
A review of – Island of Shame: The Secret History of the US Military Base on Diego Garcia – (NYRB)
-
12-year-old, innocent, selling sweets – U.S. soldiers, attacked, kill a 12-year-old Iraqi boy – (McClatchy)
-
A million displaced in Pakistan's war with Taliban – (Telegraph)
- Hunger, anxiety bring cracks as displaced persons go on rampage Mahmood Afridi – (Frontier Post)
-
Who are they? – Confusion over Taliban muddies the issues in Pakistan – (LATimes)
-
Max Hastings – The paradox of Israel's pursuit of might – (Guardian)
-
Catastrophic: Life in Gaza – Not nearly back to normal – (Economist)
-
Pfaff – Israel’s Bad-Faith Negotiating Position – (Truthdig)
-
Roubini – Ten Reasons Why the Stress Tests Are “Schmess” Tests and Why the Current Muddle-Through Approach to the Banking Crisis May Not Succeed – (RGE Monitor)
Banks (Goldman S. etc. – not all), the Fed, the Gvmt, are now practically one entity, no matter how much paper and postulating Geithner, Bernanke and Obi-man use to hide that.
F. Mae and Mac are nationalised in all but name.
Some big car cos are also de-facto tax payer supported failing enterprises. Other hand outs are also questionable.
The ‘simulus’ for green jobs etc. is nothing but state enterprise run amok, the discourse of drive for progress and leap forward of other cultures, other times, the difference being that manufacturing Trabants was of some use, tilting at windwills that won’t be built, funding ethanol producers in Illinois, not. Misguided or clumsy state industrial policies that are carried out are not to be compared with pork for buddies and media spin in favor of an elite who wants one last run before the the dripping ice cream, to be polite, touches their polished shoes.
I doubt the US is equipped to deal with a command economy, indeed it never will, doesn’t intend to, it will prefer domination by an oligarchy, care of the media who are assured of their take as without them the system comes to a halt.
I hate to be so negative, but the outlook is dim…bombing other countries maintains power, clout, respect, fear, for US authorities, officials and citizens. History tells us that such strong-arm moves end up by failing because they ultimately bankrupt the country, society. The point is that when the investment in the military or coercitive measures go hyperbolic (they are implemented at home, as well, and are usually quite cruel), when power displays itself in empty murderous sorties that benefit no-one, it is already too late. A last ditch maneuver, domination at all costs, ends up by being a slow death knell. No – the bells no longer ring at all, the children no longer sing, and birds leave because they become food and happily for them they can fly.
Obama inherited the Long War, Afghanistan, continuing US policies favoring Israel, a public history of human rights abuses, an uncharacteristic sharp veer to authoritarian, arbitrary measures at home (free speech zones, no fly lists, wire tapping – these being mild public symptoms of a society losing trust and breaking down even further into loony categories and dominant-submissive relations) ..and the Economic crisis, an outcome of previous, but long-standing de-regulation, banker/broker lobbying – choose sub- prime, or hedge-fund fraud, or naked short-selling, whatever, the proximate causes are the manipulation of money entering the criminal sphere. This last is on the face of it the most serious issue for US citizens.
A horrendous list. Many perceived that the time for change was now or yesterday and that any delay would sink the US further.
What has Obama actually accomplished? Image changes, new vocabulary, offer only a temporary boost or breathing space. Incremental changes, or chipping away at problems (israel?) are not always the right approach (shock and awe is often useful and is part of the US culture!)…I suppose it all rests on ‘the economy’ but stress tests of banks mean nothing, the real stress is employment.
The gains in employment in the US are Gvmt (that is old history, Bush with Homeland security did the same), and health care, as there are still pennies to be extracted..
Posted by: Tangerine | May 10 2009 17:16 utc | 11
|
