Peace in Iraq

Today the last American soldiers crossed the border of Iraq into Kuwait.
After 7,5 years, a military intervention has ended.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi’s have lost their lives.
The Americans lost 4.419 persons in Iraq.
And has paid over 780 billion Dollars for this war.

In spite of what is called the last American soldiers leaving Iraq, 50.000 remain behind.
To train and lead the Iraqi army.
They will leave January 1, 1012.

Is this good news?
That Obama kept his promise to be out of Iraq before August 31?

Any answer to this question could be meaningfull.
There is no right and no wrong in this.

But one could say that this Iraq war, the third Gulf war, was a terrible mistake.
It was started by a bloodthirsty and revengeful President.
And the whole world was manipulated with false information to believe it was the right thing to do.
And to even join the fighting as many other countries did.

Once it started, it was difficult to stop it.
It would have been the recognizing of having made a mistake.
And that is an impossibility for a world power.

Foreign troops are out of Iraq now but the war President Bush started is not over.
The ethnic clashes, in control during the reign of Saddam Hussein, have erupted once Iraq was invaded, the Baath Party made illegal and Sadam hanged.
Even last Tuesday a suicide bomber killed 59 persons.
Obama can claim the job has been finished but it is going to take many years before there is peace in Iraq.




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A soup with different tastes

In the Netherlands have been elections recently.
People can choose from many different political parties.
To represent them in the Parliament.
The House of Representatives.

After these recent elections the following political parties are in the Dutch Parliament that has 150 seats.

The VVD, a right wing liberal party with 31 seats.
The PvdA, a mild socialist party with 30 seats.
The PVV, a right wing anti-muslim party with 24 seats.
The CDA, a Christian center party with 21 seats.
The Socialist Party, a left wing party with 15 seats.
The D66 party, a center liberal party with 10 seats.
The GroenLinks party, a left wing environmental party with 10 seats.
The ChristenUnie party, a conservative Christian party with 5 seats.
The Partij voor de Dieren party, a political party mainly defending animal rights with 2 seats.
The Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij, an ultra orthodox Christian party with 2 seats.

Because there are so many political parties without one having the majority, a Government can only be made when two or more political parties come to an agreement.
They have to compromise and merge somehow their political targets and principles.
This means that after elections, political parties start negotiating and this process is controlled by the Queen of the Netherlands.
She decides who will be in charge to invite certain political parties to start negotiating.



This method has two consequences.
First, it can be a lengthy process.
If political parties ordered by the Queen to talk to each other cannot come to agreements because they don't want to make compromises, fearing to disappoint their electorate too much who might then not vote for that party next time anymore, it ends in a dead end street.
And a new combination of political parties is ordered to talk and see if they can come to a compromise.
In Belgium, where they have a same system of making a Government, the country has been without a Government sometimes for over a year.
All that time political parties were talking and unable to come to a compromise.

The other consequence of this system is that a Government has never a one sided political program to rule from.
The agenda of a Government is always a mixture of plans and intentions depending on what kind of political parties came to a compromise.
It is like a soup with different tastes.
One spoonful is tomato soup.
One spoonful is bean soup.
Often it is said this is not good for a country.
When a dictator is in charge, like Hugo Chavez in Venezuela or Raul Castro on Cuba, they have a monochrome policy.
A very clear one way strategy how to run the country.

But in the end it all doesn't matter too much.
The Netherlands, in spite of its many political parties and the Government policies based on compromises, is a prosperous country.
It is rich, many people are well to do and the trains run on time.
Yes, fervent and loyal blog readers, we may wonder why a country like the Netherlands has in fact elections, a Parliament and a Government.
They could probably run it much better as a company.
By making every citizen a share holder having a vote which persons are elected in the board of the company.
Holland Inc.
And in the boardroom the Queen can serve the coffee.


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Israelian banditry and piracy

Israel has carried out a bloody massacre by attacking a civilian ship in international waters and killing at least 9 persons.

It has created a turning point in the relationship between Israel and Turkey: the Turkish ambassador to Israel is withdrawn.

The boarding by Israelian soldiers of the civilian ships sailing in the Mediterranean Sea was an attack on international law, the conscience of humanity and world peace.

This bloody massacre by Israel on ships that were taking humanitarian aid to Gaza deserves every kind of curse.

It is demanded that Israel immediately halts its inhumane blockade of Gaza.

The Israeli raid proved how good they are at killing people.

Israel, in no way, can legitimize this murder.
It cannot wash its hands of this blood.

We will not turn our back on Palestine, Palestinians and Gaza.

Israel: It is damaging your country's image by conducting banditry and piracy.
It is damaging interests of Israel and your peace and safety.
It is the Israeli people who must stop the Israeli government in the first place.

Israel cannot ensure its security by drawing the hatred of the entire world.

Bold statements?
Made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey yesterday.



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Who creates terrorism?

Not too long ago a South Korean warship was sunk.
An investigation revealed it had been hit by a torpedo.
Presumably fired by a North Korean submarine.

North Korea denies this vehemently.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of the USA though, travels around condemning North Korea and is looking for support of other countries to punish, possibly militarily, North Korea.

Israel attacks, in international waters, a convoy of commercial ships carrying humanitarian aid for 1,5 million Palestinians it forces to live in ultimate misery in the Gaza Strip.
At least 10 people of the peaceful and humanitarian people on board those civilian ships were killed by the Israelian army.
What has the USA Government to say about this barbaric behavior?
Only this: it "deeply regrets the loss of life" and is "working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy".

Now there are massive protests in Turkey because of the Israelian attack that the USA sees as only "a tragedy" and not as a condemnable crime.
Thousands marched in protest in Istanbul, some setting Israeli flags on fire after trying to storm the Israeli consulate.
Israel quickly advised to its citizens to avoid travel to Turkey.
In neighboring Jordan, hundreds demonstrated in the capital Amman to protest the Israeli action and demand that their government breaks diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

What North Korea possibly has done justifies harsh condemnation and sanctions.
What Israel does is only a "tragedy" and is so complicated for the US-Government that circumstances need to be understood.

With this kind of policy, measuring with two different kind of rulers, no wonder there is terrorism in the world.
We must ask ourselves therefore: who is responsible for this terrorism?
Who is creating it?



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A reprimand for killing 34 civilians

It happened on February 21, 2010.
A group of Americans in Nevada were on a military base sitting behind screens looking at images coming from a Predator-drone flying in Afghanistan.


They saw three cars driving on a road.
One pick-up truck and two closed cars.
They followed these three cars for hours and saw they were women and children traveling.
The Americans in Nevada decided this convoy of cars should be attacked nevertheless.
They ordered a Bell OH-58D helicopter to fire deadly rockets on the cars.


23 Afghan civilians were killed.
12 Afghan civilians were wounded.

After initially denying the whole episode, an investigation was made by NATO and recently Major-General McHale published a report.
He had to admit that major mistakes had been made.
In other words, those Afghan civilians were killed without justification.

What does an army do in such a case?
Put the assassins on trial?
One must be kidding.
A foreign army, when strong enough, can enter any country, massacre civilians and pretend it was an unfortunate mistake.

Only four American soldiers have been found responsible for the unjustified, unlawful and brutal killing of the Afghan men, women and children.
And what is their punishment?
An official reprimand.
Like a naughty boy in school: don't do that again.
And classes continue as usual.

It is like a mass-murder that have been committed on a sandy square.
The place is drained with the blood of the victims.
The ones responsible for the killings put fresh sand on the blood drained soil and pretend nothing ever happened.
But the family of the victims and the compatriots will always remember .
And the memory will be even more hateful when they have to realize that the culprits got away with it in a mini minimal way.

This is a war that is being fought by the United States and several European countries.
Where many civilians live.
Like us.
And our interests, the politicians say and decide, need to be defended by sending an army to Afghanistan.
And sorry for the many Afghan civilians killed there.
Do we believe that is OK?


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This yes, that no

Like in most countries, also in the Netherlands is a National Olympic Committee.
Headed by a 67-year old woman called Erica Terpstra.



Being the Chairwoman of the National Olympic Committee, she was attending the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, last February.
Supporting the Dutch athletes but also going to official dinners and parties.

After one of those dinners she went to a radio studio for an interview.
Pretty soon it became clear Mrs. Terpstra was drunk.
She was incoherent and unable to pronounce certain words.
Speaking with a thick tongue.

Of course, one day later this was made news by all newspapers and TV-channels and many Dutch people talked about their drunken chairwoman of the National Olympic Committee.

This was though in a forgiven way.
Mrs. Terpstra was not nailed on the cross for her public abuse of alcohol while on professional duty.
The general opinion was that such a thing can happen.
But that she should watch it and not do it again.
Case closed.
No career fall.

But last week the story broke of the State Secretary of Defense of the Dutch Government.
This State Secretary of Defense, by the name of 42-year old Jack de Vries, is a well-known Christian-Democrat.


He had been the spin doctor of his political party during the last elections that had been very successful.
As a reward he got the post of State Secretary of Defense.
Where he became even more prominent by being the fanatic promoter of wanting the Netherlands to buy for billions of Dollars the Joint Strike Fighter: the new American jet fighter.
The story that broke of Mr. Jack de Vries was that he and his family had to move to a military complex to protect adequately their lives.
First it was puzzling for the Dutch people when they heard in the press about this.
What was going on?
What could be so dangerous that a member of the Government had to move with his family to a military center?
A few days later, unavoidably, the true story came out.
Mr. Jack de Vries had an extramarital affaire with one of his collaborators in the Ministry of Defence.
Once this was known, he had to resign.
Had to give up his job and all his activities for the Christian Democrat party.
This under pressure of the Government, his political party and the public opinion.
He also had to give up the extramarital affaire and he is supposed now to try to fix the relationship with his wife and children.
A fatal career fall.

Based on these two unfortunate events, one may conclude that public opinion has certain norms and values.
Depending of the country, the culture and the traditions.
In the Netherlands, it is allowed for a public person to be occasionaly openly drunk.
But it is not tolerated to cheat on your wife.

An experienced politician like Mr. Jack de Vries knows this very well.
Once he got involved with the other woman, he knew it would be the end of his career and reputation.
Not only because public opinion would not tolerate it, not only because his Christian religion does not tolerate adultery, but in his position as State Secretary of Defense, knowing vital secrets about the security and military defense of the Netherlands, he could have become the target of blackmailing by a foreign secret service.

The question lingered then why Mr. Jack de Vries got involved with this collaborator in his office.
Why did he do it?

A question like this can be asked best to the Queen of Dreams.
She knows those things.

Her answer is that the story of Mr. Jack de Vries shows how strong love can be.

Seven years of war

It is seven years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and no end in sight.

Tens of thousands of protesters marched therefore Friday through Washington's streets going to the White House.

Shouting and saying:


"Arrest that war criminal!" (refers to Barack Obama)


"The honeymoon is over with that war criminal in the White House"


"He's kept Guantanamo open, he's continued to use indefinite detention.
The only real difference is that Obama's speeches are better."

"President Obama, we love you but we need to tell you: Your hands are getting bloody!!
Stop it now."

"If there were a draft, we'd have a million people out here demonstrating"

"Iraq veterans against the war."

"We've essentially become a country of restrictions rather than a country of freedoms."

"The country is broke, this war is a joke."

"Bread not bombs."

"People are getting used to the war, and don't bother even to think about it anymore."

"We want all the troops wherever they are to come back."





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Why Osama Bin Laden is still a free man

Most fervent and loyal blog readers will remember a recent posting reporting on a dinner with four American friends.
Who explained why Osama Bin Laden can still live in freedom.

Osama Bin Laden

One of the American friends have now send an e-mail because of the publication of the posting.
She writes:

"I enjoyed reading your piece about our discussion.
I also wanted to add that keeping Osama Bin laden "at large" so to speak, is a way to keep fear in the american people, which is used to justify military " anti terror " intervention.
As long as he is a threat, military force will be supported by the citizens because of the fear he will orchestrate another attack".

This is quite a point the American friend is making.
It is the theory that the American people live in fear for no good reasons simply to control and manipulate them.
For the U.S.-Government and the groups they defend the interests of to obtain the public permission to have a military and aggressive imperialistic policy worldwide.

Without doubt the majority of the American people feel threatened by terrorists, whoever they may be.
A fear instilled by a merciless propaganda.
The truth is that no American living peacefully in the United States has any reason to have fear for terrorism.
For crime and violence from compatriots yes, but from terrorists absolutely not.

However, there is no denying that many people in the world hate the United States.
And that they have in their minds bad intentions.
But this is not caused by the American people.
Responsible are the American politicians.
And the key issue is the Palestinian-Israelian conflict.

Take the World Health Organization.
They published on January 20, 2010 a "Gaza Health Fact Sheet".

Gaza is sealed off and blockaded by Israel trapping hundreds of thousands of Palestinian people who live in most miserable circumstances.
As the World Health Organization explains:

"Recent events have resulted in a
severe deterioration of the already precarious living conditions of the people in Gaza and have further eroded a weakened health system".
And:
"The closure of Gaza since mid-2007 and the last Israeli military strike between 27 December and 18 January 2009 have led to on-going deterioration in the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.
Rising unemployment (41.5 percent of Gaza’s workforce in the first quarter of 2009) and poverty (in May 2008, 70 percent of the families were living on an income of less than one dollar a day per person 3) is likely to have long term adverse effects on the physical and mental health of the population".

Meanwhile, yesterday, US Republican Eric Cantor, House Representative, was saying in the public discussion with Barack Obama:
"We have the best health care system in the world".

Eric Cantor

Denying the fact that Palestinians have to live in absolute misery and this for decades refusing to reign in Israel for its devastating policies.
To the contrary, American politicians defend Israel all the way.
No matter what it does.
Therefore, The United States are accomplices in devastating and ruining and murdering thousands and thousands of Arab people.

How is a person to feel who has brothers and sisters living in Gaza?
And what is that person supposed to do?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Gaza Health Fact Sheet of the World Health Organization can be found at:
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:s8n1zjLggCgJ:www.emro.who.int/Palestine/reports/advocacy_HR/advocacy/Gaza_health_fact_sheet_20Jan2010.pdf+who+fact+sheet+impact+blockade&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjDLJeVRBNK4zzqhGzRNUr6QxQqrmaZpXfTcrDygy4buYWhyktqIW53XdGUY6y_kLxebMuVeuLEvMTRh8lv6Ma85Wv-_AgzjE7eu9RM_UCApXoFoEttiy26YuteRYTc3W4c20jS&sig=AHIEtbSL8fMg69CSw0iIhY9Rsurol4eljw




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Osama Bin Laden is a constant embarassement

A dinner with four American friends.
Eating a rich salad.

A quiet and interesting conversation and although the subject is politics, the excitement is not reaching volcanic levels.
This is because all diners agree.

Starting point is that all present at this dinner in Mexico agree that George W. Bush has not only been disastrous for the United States, but for the entire world also.

Next stage in the conversation is that it is realized that Barack Obama has made many promises but that he is unable to fulfill them.
But that he still gets support from the US diners in Mexico because there is no alternative.
If Obama would be classified as an inadequate politician who is not delivering, what else is there to have hope for?
It is said therefore by the American friends that Obama has had until now only one year to change things and will have three more years to try to move Washington rocks and boulders.
So, let's wait and see.
What else to do?

But then during the conversation over this dinner something really peculiar was said.
One of the Americans present claimed that Osama Bin Laden is not captured on purpose.
All the others agreed with this theory and speculation.
The train of thoughts goes that of course it is piece of cake for the CIA and the Seals and the US Army to find and arrest Osama Bin Laden.
How could the most sophisticated army and Intelligence Service in the world not find an old man hiding in a cave?
Logically therefore, the thinking goes, that he is not found on purpose.
That the US politicians calmly wait for the right moment.
So that they can enjoy maximum political benefit from an Osama Bin Laden arrest.

One person present said that he had been convinced that Osama Bin Laden would have been captured during the last elections between McCain and Obama.
For the Republicans to get advantage in the electoral race.
And that he was very surprised it didn't happen.

But all agree, to capture Osama Bin Laden is a piece of cake for the USA: they simply calmly wait for the right moment.

Not one present thinks only for a second that maybe their army, their CIA and their Intelligence Services are unable to catch Osama Bin Laden.
The fact that it also could be because of failure of the Americans, is not an option in the thinking.
Failure of the best in the world, as many Americans perceive themselves, is unimaginable.

Therefore, Osama Bin Laden laughing in his cave, is a constant embarrassment for the Gringo's.
In order not to feel a failure, the theory is used that de facto Osama Bin Laden is already in the hands of the Americans who only wait the right moment to formalize it.

But nevertheless, in spite of escapism, the mood is depressed.
Because everybody expresses awareness that the USA is finished.
As a dominant nation.
And why?
For economical reasons and for having always been aggressive and violent.
The diners are expecting a new economical crises: more serious and devastating than the current one.
Caused by China pulling the economical plug leaving the USA in deep poverty for many years to come.

Ah well, at least that night the salad was super delicious.


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Six million ghosts in one room

In Cracow, Poland used to live a large Jewish community.
In an area called Kazimierz they were together and enjoying their culture and tradition.
But then the Nazis came in 1940.
And took most of the Jewish people away from Cracow to massacre them.

But the Jewish area of Cracow remains in spite of the bestial behavior of German military people and their assistants.
And this Jewish neighborhood is now part of the tourist attraction that Cracow has become.

At a pretty square called Szeroka is the Klezmer House.
A large house in which a restaurant.
Where every night at 8.00 h a concert of Klezmer music is performed.



Klezmer is a musical tradition which parallels Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism.
Around the 15th century, a tradition of secular (non-liturgical) Jewish music was developed by musicians called klezmorim or kleyzmurim.
They draw on devotional traditions extending back into Biblical times, and their musical legacy of klezmer continues to evolve today.
The repertoire is largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations.
Due to the Ashkenazi lineage of this music, the lyrics, terminology and song titles are typically in Yiddish.
Originally, klezmer (plural klezmorim) referred to musical instruments, and was later extended to refer to musicians themselves.
It was not until the mid-to-late 20th Century that the word was used to identify it as a musical genre.
Early 20th Century recordings and writings most often refer to the style as "Yiddish" music, although it is also sometimes called Freilech music. Compared to most other European folk music styles, very little is known about the history of klezmer music, and much of what is said about it must be seen as conjecture.
Klezmer is easily identifiable by its characteristic expressive melodies, reminiscent of the human voice, complete with laughing and weeping.
This is not a coincidence; the style is meant to imitate khazone and paraliturgical singing.
Several techniques are used to accomplish this.
There are krekths, sobs and dreydlekh which are a form of musical ornament similar to a turn or trill.

Much of the traditional klezmer repertoire was written by professional klezmer musicians in the style of their region or tradition, and a lot of co-territorial music such as non-Jewish folksongs, Ottoman music, Romanian music, Ukrainian music as well as the musics of other minorities living in the same areas as Jews in Southeastern Europe such as Tatars and especially Romanies/Gypsies.
Historically, young klezmorim learned songs from their family and their elders in bands.
However, there were several breaks in history where this transmission broke down, including mass emigration but especially the Holocaust which destroyed most of Jewish life and culture in Europe.
Undoubtedly, a lot has been lost of whatever repertoire they played in different regions, especially wedding repertoire, since Jewish weddings would last several days, but technology of the time could only record a few minutes at a time.
As well, some recordings may have been made from one area which did not at all represent the klezmer repertoire from other parts of the region.
In the 21st century, klezmer is typically learned from fake books and transcriptions of old recordings, although the music was traditionally transmitted and learned by ear.

In Cracow in the Klezmer House at Szeroka Square the music is performed by three older persons.
A bass, a violin and a piano.


And the one hour concert with a 15 minutes intermission is a repertoire the musicians play a few times a week.
So, it is more than a routine for them: they can play the songs even with their eyes closed.
But nevertheless, there were moments when a sad song was played, that in spite of the routine the musicians were gripped by emotions.
And were playing from their heart.
This took place in a large, old room with antique furniture and paintings on the wall showing the Jewish people when they were still having a happy life in Cracow before 1940.
There were two other couples eating food: six people to listen to the concert.




The atmosphere was sad.
Very sad.
Not only because of the 19th century depressing interior.


Not only because of the elder musician playing music from a glorious past.
But because it was impossible to be in that room with that interior and that music without feeling the absence of the six million men, women and children that had their lives ended so unjustly and cruelly.
It was therefore a room full of too many ghosts.
A heavy, heavy load on the heart that could not be sweetened by the beautiful Klezmer music.

Stupid President

Isn't it a paradox to see a man that was awarded the Nobel Price for Peace sending 30.000 more soldiers to a war that cannot be won in a military way ?

Vile Veteran Day

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans.
It is a Federal holiday and was observed yesterday.
Like every year on the 11th of November.

Originally Veterans Day was Armistice Day proclaimed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919.
To commemorate the ending of the butchering of millions during the First World War from 1914 to 1918.

Then in 1954 U.S. President Eisenhower signed a new law changing Armistice Day into Veterans Day.
This because millions more had been butchered during the Second World War.

As of then enough reasons to celebrate Veterans Day in the US have been added.

From 1950 to 1953 the US fought a war in Korea.
US soldiers killed: 36,940
Civilians killed: 2 million men, women and children.

From 1961 to 1975 the US fought a war in Vietnam.
US soldiers killed: 58,159
Civilians killed: 6 million men, women and children.

In 1983 the US fought a war in Grenada.
US soldiers killed: 19
Civilians killed: 24 men, women and children.

In 1989 the US fought a war in Panama.
US soldiers killed: 40
Civilians killed: 4,000 men, women and children.

In 1991 the US fought the first war in Iraq.
US soldiers killed: 379
Civilians killed: 3,664 men, women and children.

In 1993 the US fought a war in Somalia.
US soldiers killed: 43
Civilians killed: 500 men, women and children.

In the 1990's the US fought a war in Bosnia.
US soldiers killed: 32
Civilians killed: 40,000 men, women and children.

In 2001 the US started a war in Afghanistan that has not ended yet.
US soldiers killed until now: 756
Civilians killed as a result of US-led military actions until now: 28,028 men, women and children.

In 2003 the US started a war in Iraq that is still raging.
US soldiers killed until now: 4,362
Civilians killed: 102,621 men, women and children.

Friend Tyrel V. commemorated Veterans Day yesterday in a different way.
He published this message on Facebook:

On this Veterans Day I apologize. You've been forced to give up your lives for corporate interests, you've been used as pawns for political maneuvering and showboating, and you've been sent off to wars based on the lies of cowards. No one has had their dedication to this country more mistreated and abused than you have. We are supposed to protect each other and we, the citizens, have not protected you.

Not often an American voice has been heard saying such things.
But when we see that American politicians time and again believe they can solve problems with violence, no matter what are the costs in civilian lives, devastation and destruction, Americans like Tyrel V. should be the ones to honor.



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Take your weapons of mass destruction home

It is a fact that hardly ever is discussed.
That is kept out of the limelight to not have it become a topic of discussion.
While this fact is threatening the lives of millions of people who are in constant mortal danger.

What is this fact?

The United States is keeping nuclear weapons in Europe.
In Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom, closely guarded by their own troops, on their own airbases, the United States are keeping 480 nuclear bombs.




This makes the United States the only nuclear power that continues to deploy nuclear weapons outside its own territory.
These 480 nuclear bombs are kept in Europe to have them for possible use against Russia or the Middle East including Iran and Syria.

It is an absolute unacceptable situation but because in Europe nobody ever talks about it, it is not becoming a general public discussion.
That can force the European Governments and the European Union to instruct the United States to take their nuclear bombs home.

It is a ridiculous situation.
Imagine other countries would have airbases of their own in the United States?
Where they would keep nuclear bombs and their own bomber jets?
Their own military personnel.
Just outside from Detroit a large airbase with German soldiers, German airplanes and German nuclear bombs?
Because you never know what Mexico might do.
This sounds as totally absurd from the perspective of an American.
It is exactly the same for the presence of American troops with nuclear weapons in full autonomy in Europe for a European.

Of course there is a history why there are American airbases in Europe.
However, that history goes back over 60 years and the reasons that were convincing in those days have lost any sense these days.

Fortunately, something remarkable has happened recently.
In Germany , general elections have been taking place last month.
As a result, a new German coalition government has been formed consisting of the Christian Democrats and the Free Democrats.
Foreign Minister is Guido Westerwelle who has immediately called for a total withdrawal of American nuclear weapons from Europe.

Guido Westerwelle

That demand may come at a good moment because U.S. President Barack Obama said in April the United States would take concrete steps toward a world without nuclear missiles, although it would maintain a safe and effective arsenal to deter any adversary.
Now discussions are going to take place between the different European countries to come to a consensus.
To start negotiating, with one voice, with the US government demanding immediate removal of these weapons of mass destruction.

Americans are very welcome in Europe.
For business and tourism.
But not as soldiers with nuclear bombs.
Just like in the United States.




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Say no, Mr. President

How about awarding the gold medals to certain athletes for the next Olympic Games before these Games have even started?
How about giving a couple of millions to somebody as the winning price for a lottery before is known which ticket has won?
How about claiming your daughter is Miss World even before she is wearing her first bra?

These thoughts came to mind when it was learned that President Barack Obama of the USA has been awarded the Nobel Peace Price.
His Olympic gold medal, his millions for the lottery and his first bra.

Because, let's be fair, what impressive results has Mr. Obama achieved until now that justifies the Nobel Peace Price?
He has all kinds of good intentions for sure.
But those are words only.
Meanwhile the Palestinian-Israelian conflict is worse than ever as Israelian foreign minister Lieberman has explained yesterday.
The trouble with Iran and North Korea is now not different than one year ago.
The war in Afghanistan is worse then ever too.
Meanwhile we are still having as many nuclear weapons worldwide as ever before.
Isn't then the question not justified to ask what the hell has Mr. Obama actually accomplished to get this Nobel Peace Price?

The answer to the question is that the Nobel Peace Price committee has not followed the regular procedure by comparing the results of activities of different individuals choosing the one that in their eyes has contributed the most to peace on this earth.
Instead, this time they have made a political decision.
Intending to influence the coming policies of Mr. Obama.
Putting a heavy load on his shoulder.
Loading him up with sky high expectations.
Forcing him to live up to the award he has received.

For example, impossible now for Mr. Obama to declare war on Iran.
In other words, the foreign policy of the USA for the next years is coming from Oslo, Norway.

This is why, if Mr. Obama is a true American and a real independent politician and without any personal vain, he must kindly refuse to accept this time the Nobel Peace Price.
He must show courage, personality and independence by saying: no thank you very much but do consider me again after I finish my presidential term(s).

How can Mr. Obama still be convincing if he accepts a price he has no facts achieved to justify them?
His stature is put at stake by the Oslo Nobel Price committee.

Therefore we say: Barack, be a Rock! Say no, thank you.

No man is an island

The weather is beautiful now at El Triple, Baja California, Mexico.
The heat of the summer is over.
Instead of the tough 34º C (93º F) of the last weeks, now it is a pleasant 28º C. (82º F)
With only a light wind.

These meteorological conditions make life very comfortable at El Triple.
It gives a feeling of total relaxation.
Of a deep enjoying of existence.

One of the highlights of the day is the long walk along the ocean after the siesta.
With not much wind and an ideal temperature, it is like being in a Bacardi commercial.

It was deeply realized what a privilege it is to just be at El Triple and to be able to make such a wonderful and beautiful walk.

But almost back to the Fuso Szulc, out of the blue, by surprise, a certain picture suddenly filled the mind's eye.
Resulting in being totally overwhelmed by deep sadness making tears roll down the cheeks.
It was this picture:



In the center we see Kim Phuc Phan Thi, 9 years old, running down a road near Trang Bang in Vietnam after her village was bombed with napalm.
This picture was taken by the Associated Press photographer Nick Ut on June 8, 1972.

It is a picture most people in the USA, Japan, Europe and many more countries have seen.
And we can assume that every person that saw this picture was horrified, disturbed and full of emotions.

This can be the power of photography.
To show how barbarous politicians and the army can be.
Mobilizing the public opinion to press the responsible people to stop their condemnable activities.

Meanwhile, the politicians and the army have come to realize that photography can jeopardize their evil and barbarous methods of trying to win a war.
This explains why we don't see similar pictures like Nick Ut made in Vietnam from the current war in Afghanistan.
Journalists and photographers are "embedded".
They can go to the battlefield but under the supervision and control of the army.

We know that in Afghanistan many innocent civilians are being killed by missiles fired by US drones and bombs dropped by Coalition Forces.
Over 2,000 men, women and children in 2008.
Indiscriminately, against all international laws and often by mistake.
But we never see images of the devastation and the tragedy the civilians suffer.
Hence, the politicians and the army have their hands free to kill and butcher as they like.
And meanwhile the population of the countries responsible for the military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan worry about the economic crises.

It is peculiar that being in a paradisiacal environment like El Triple nevertheless the mind remembers the My Lai massacre.
That it makes the picture of the running naked girl come back in the memory still so powerful that it makes a grown man cry.

We are no islands.




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Why is Silicon Valley not in Saudi Arabia?

In the late seventeenth century Europe was a brilliant, modern community.
New worlds were being explored not only across the oceans but also in science, music, art and literature.
New instruments to meet practical needs were being invented.
Today, many of these achievements have become the necessities and treasures of modern man.
Like the telescope, the microscope, the thermometer, the barometer, the compass, the watch, the clock, champagne, wax candles, street lighting and the general use of tea and coffee all made their first appearance in those years.
Music in that time was written by Purcell, Vivaldi, Telemann, Rameau, Händel, Bach and Scarlatti.
In literature there was Molière, Thomas Hobbes and John Milton.
In science Descartes, Boyle and Antony van Leeuwenhoek produced scientific papers on coordinate geometry, the relations between volume, pressure and density of gases developing and using a 300-power microscope.
The greatest scientific mind in the seventeenth century was Isaac Newton.
His greatest work was the "Principia Mathematica" formulating the universal law of gravitation.

Meanwhile in those days the Europeans were exploring and colonizing the globe.
Most of South America and much of north America were ruled from Madrid.
English and Portuguese colonies had been planted in India.
Large parts of Africa were colonized by Germany, Belgium and France.
The eastern half of North America was ruled by the English, Dutch and French.

Looking back at that amazing time, we may wonder why there was such an explosion of progress, innovation and prosperity.
One major explanation is that in the seventeenth century the people were liberated from obeisance to religious doctrine.
There was religion but not an imposed doctrine.
Religion served to support all the fantastic efforts and accomplishments that were achieved.
Politicians, scientists and businessmen had specific goals but they were not forced to act and operate out of a rigid religious doctrine.

For a society to flourish religious doctrine must not be the dominant factor.
This is the conclusion when looking back at Europe in the seventeenth century.

But to understand that religious doctrine is making flourishing impossible we only need to look at contemporary countries that have wealth and potential but also have a rigid and strictly applied religious doctrine.
What is coming out of those countries in the field of science, art, literature and innovation?
Why is Silicon Valley not in Saudi Arabia?

Knowing and understanding the fact that religious doctrine is counterproductive for prosperity and innovation, we must make a choice whether to tolerate a dominant and leading position in society of orthodox religious fundamentalists who have as an agenda to have the population follow their religious doctrine.

In Afghanistan the Taliban, a movement implementing religious doctrine by force, closes down schools where girls attend.
In their view of the world, based on the Koran published in the year 632, girls and women have to be kept locked up in the house.
In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive a car.

Anybody who is in favor of prosperity, freedom, equality, democracy and innovation will say no to any religious doctrine.
It should never be allowed in politics.
A segregation between state and church, or mosque, is vital for a society to have a future.

Now, fervent and loyal blog readers may say, what are you worrying about, my friend?

On july 23, 2009 the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization was holding a conference in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
300 persons attended.
Men in the front.
Women in the back.
This Khalifah Conference had as a theme: "The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam".
One speaker at this conference was an Imam by the name of Jaleel Abdul Razek.
He envisions the USA to become in the future a part of the Muslim world.
At which point, according to Jaleel Abdul Razek, the US Constitution will be replaced by the Shariah: the laws coming from the Koran.

Therefore we say yes to all religions including the Islam.
But in the name of our own future we must say no to every religious doctrine that wants to interfere in and determine our lives.

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To learn more about the conference of Muslims in the USA where they discussed replacing the Constitution by the Sharia, click on:

http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2009/07/replacing-the-us-constitution-with-the-koran

Political solutions

There are several decisions governments worldwide could made that would drastically change the political and social situation in the world.
Unorthodox and rather revolutionary decisions but they have that nature because the current strategies and policies are old fashioned and not working.
In the past we have seen similar situations that revolutionary approaches to how to organize and direct societies suddenly came about.
The French revolution of 1789 and the Russian revolution of 1917.
These days we are in such a mess it is time for a new revolution.
By democratically forcing current governments to change fundamentally their policies or by a real revolution coming from the majority of the population.

Some decisions governments could take that drastically will improve the lives of many people:

1/
In the USA and elsewhere drugs should be legalized in a controlled manner.
Anybody should be able to obtain and use drugs like hard liquor, marijuana, cocaine and heroine.
Users of hard drugs can go to their GP, obtain a permit for a certain amount and buy their quantum in an official shop for prices controlled by the Government.
In this way drugs are de-criminalised.
It will end the illegal drug trade and the drug wars.
Drugs then will become a source of income for the governments.
This money should be spend to assist medically and psychologically the drug addicts.

2/
All foreign troops and fighters must leave Iraq and Afghanistan right away.
The people of Iraq and Afghanistan must be allowed to create the societies they want in a way they prefer.
Even if those societies will not be to our liking or to our economic advantage.
If the Taliban wants to create an orthodox Islamic state in Afghanistan, why should we be opposed when we tolerate it so generously of our friend Saudi Arabia?
Next, we can deal with countries with who we disagree concerning democratic rights and equality between men and women in a civilized way without violence.
By using methods like economic boycott and cultural isolation.
And using institutions like the International Court of Justice.

3/
The US Dollar must end as the worldwide leading standard in the economy.
Because the US Dollar by now is a hollow balloon and in fact completely worthless.
Business can only be allowed in currencies like the Chinese Yuan, the Japanese Yen and the European Euro: currencies that are backed up by sufficient reserves.
This will stop a standard of luxurious living in the USA that is financed by borrowing that makes billions of people elsewhere live in painful poverty.

4/
Annually the USA donates to Israel about 2,5 billions of dollars.
Since the formation of the Hamas led Palestinian Authority government after democratic elections in March 2006, the US administration has suspended its foreign assistance program to the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
What should happen is this:
Half of any financial support to Israel must go to the Palestinians.
Linked to very precise and rigorous conditions.
Any action contrary to international laws and previous agreements are immediately punished by withholding financial assistance.
This new way of financing applies not only to the USA, but to the European Union as well.
It also goes for the financial aid that Iran and Saudi Arabia are giving to the Palestinians.
Half of the money donated to the Palestinians goes to Israel but again, with very precise and rigorous conditions.
Otherwise: nothing and let the Palestinian and Israeli populations then have it fight out with their political leaders.

5/
Islamic fundamentalists must be allowed to come to Europe and the USA and propagate their ideas.
This fundamental and democratic right is exercised by Christian fundamentalists also, is it not?
However, the promoting of certain religions and ideologies is only allowed within the frame work of democracy.
Only in the lawful way as is democratically agreed upon.

6/
Industrial breeding of animals for meat consumption should be banned.




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We kill women and children

A myth has been launched years ago by the war criminals George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld that if the Islamic militants were not fought and defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan, these Islamic militants would come and fight on European and American soil.
That the war would transfer from over there to right in your front yard.
This myth has been repeated over and over again and by now many European and American people are brainwashed in believing this is the truth.
This explains why there is little disagreement in the European and American societies with what the politicians and the military are precisely doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Occasionally there is a public outcry, when again own troops were killed.
Or a debate in Parliament about how much longer all that money needs to be spend on the costly war.
But each time the opposition fades into impotence and the war goes on costing more lives, more destruction, more hate and more money.
And an acceptable solution is less and less likely.

Fervent and loyal blog readers based in the USA and Europe should realize that this war currently going on in Iraq and Afghanistan is OUR war.
WE started it and WE are continuing it.
That makes us implicitly responsible.
Unless you publicly speak out against the war.

Especially the war in Afghanistan is something seriously to consider to agree or disagree with.

Last week, the Head of the British Army in Afghanistan, General Sir David Richards, declared that the Afghanistan conflict could last 40 more years.
How doubtful does that make war as the way to solve a problem?
Very likely a sensible person will conclude now and here that other ways should be found to deal with the Afghan situation.
Ask the Russians!

Another very good reason to stop the daily activities in life for a moment and to think about the war in Afghanistan and how justified our involvement is, comes from learning HOW we are actually fighting that war.
Because remember, everything that happens caused by the American and NATA-troops, happens on our behalf.
We are personally responsible!

So, how do we fight this war in Afghanistan?
With drones.



Drones are unmanned airplanes loaded with missiles.
They are controlled by men in trailers in the USA.
Such a drone is the MQ-9 Predator.
The thing can stay in the air for 14 hours non-stop.
It can fly a 5.926 km (3,682 miles) at about 300 km per hour (190 miles).
The Predator has a lot of armament:
• 6 Hardpoints
◦ 1,500 lb (680 kg) on the two inboard weapons stations
◦ 500–600 lb (230–270 kg) on the two middle stations
◦ 150–200 lb (68–91 kg) on the outboard stations
• Up to 14x AGM-114 Hellfire air to ground missiles can be carried or four Hellfire missiles and two 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. The 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) can also be carried. Testing is underway to support the operation of the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missile.



This Predator is used by the CIA and the US Special Operations Command against people.
They obtain intelligence about the possible whereabouts of Taliban or Al-Qaeda persons.
Next, they send a Predator there to bomb the location to dust.
Often, it is a gathering.
Like a wedding.
Where possibly a Taliban or Al-Qaeda person might be.
Or not.
In any case, the operator, safely inside a building in the USA, doesn't know who exactly is inside the Afghan house.


But fires a Hellfire air to ground missile at the building anyway.
Killing every single person inside.
That includes, on our behalf, women and children.



In many cases it has been established later that no Taliban or Al-Qaeda person was present at all.
That the intelligence of the CIA and the US Special Operations Command was not correct.
Apologies are then offered and the next day another house gets a Hellfire missile on its roof killing everybody inside.
According to the Marine Corps Times of August 5, 2009, the number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan in the first half of 2009 soared by 24 percent.

There is a Convention of Geneva that regulates what is allowed in a war.
There are International Laws to protect civilians when a war rages.
To shoot indiscriminately missiles at villages and civilian houses might very well be a crime of war.

What is our position in this matter?
Is that OK for us that women and children are killed in Afghanistan on a daily basis to stop a possible intrusion of Taliban and Al-Qaeda persons who may act on our soil?

If you feel uncomfortable about this situation, and you should very much do so, check out the organization Justice with Peace.

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The link to learn more about "Justice with Peace":
http://www.justicewithpeace.org/


To learn more about the weapon killing civilians:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-9_Reaper

Current military situation in Afghanistan as the Marine Corps Times sees it:
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/08/ap_nato_afghanistan_080509w/





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Mullahs must be mosqued

When there were elections in the USA last year, something very special and unique was happening.
George W. Bush had made a terrible mess nationally, internationally and economically and a majority of the American people were totally fed up with him and his nihilistic and disastrous politics.
In this horrible situation appears a man with great oratorical skills, charisma and new ideas.
Barack Obama.
He was having a perfect situation to rouse people.
To fill them with hope.
To make them believe there was a new and better future awaiting them.
Obama made the Americans believe in themselves and in their country again.
A fabulous momentum was created.
Almost a hysteria.
That resulted in an election victory.
The perfect outcome for all the people that believed change was possible.

Over the last months the same thing has been happening in Iran.
Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1978 an escalation has been taking place in that country.
Between the segregationists and the Islamists.
The Islamists forced a religious and conservative society upon the Iranians based on the Koran: the holy book of the Islam.
The segregationists wanted a liberal, modern and democratic society where not a religion and its representatives rule the people.
This escalation has been growing and growing and came to the surface during the last elections about a month ago.

A same thing happened as in the USA: a majority of the Iranian people had enough of the current politicians, ideology and Islamic leaders and wanted change.
They went out in the streets by the thousands and thousands to express their opinion.
However, in Iran it went differently compared to the USA.
The elections seem to have been rigged: it is possible that the official winners of the elections, the Islamists, have been playing foul.
And secondly, the Islamists suppressed the demonstrations.
Going as far as locking hundreds of them up in prison and killing many peaceful demonstrators.

The current situation in Iran for the segregationists, the majority of the people, is one of defeat and hopelessness.
Their great momentum has resulted in nothing.
In fact, it has been totally counterproductive.
Iran is more repressive and autocratic than ever before.

That makes any concerned person sad.
Not often a moment arises that people in majority find each other and force democratic evolution.

Iran is a beautiful country.
With very wonderful people.
Having tremendous potential.
But it is ruined by orthodox Islamists.

See this video received recently from Iran to feel the momentum a majority of the Iranians have shared but that has been aborted:










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Treat Israel like Iran

Last Sunday something happened you may have heard about.
It was in Jerusalem early in the morning.

It was 13-year-old Diala who was awoken first, just after 5 a.m. on Sunday morning, by the commotion outside.
She rushed to the window, saw special riot police in black uniforms, and ran to wake her parents.

By the time she did, the Israeli police were already breaking in through doors and windows, forcing the 17-member Hanoun family – three brothers, their wives, and children – to leave the home their relatives acquired a half-century ago.
And they were not the only ones.
In all, 58 Palestinians were evicted in this predominantly Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Sheikh Jarrah.

A few hours later, the evicted Palestinian families stood across the street and watched as the police escorted a few families of Jewish settlers into their homes.

“It's so difficult for us to see them move in people who are not from here, into our house, into the home my husband was born in, while we're on the street," says Mrs. Hanoun, sitting in the shade of a tree about 50 feet from their front door, now blocked off by a line of security barriers and several police vans with flashing lights.

The Hanoun family has for two nights slept on the thin mattresses in the street.
Mrs. Hanoun says they have no other place to go.

The evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, from their houses where they have lived for over 50 years so that Jewish settlers can move in, garnered international censure from the European Union, the United Nations (UN) and from Britain, which said it was "appalled" at the move.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last Monday night called the Israeli evictions "deeply regrettable" and "provocative."
Such a move "is not in keeping with Israeli obligations and I urge the government of Israel and municipal officials to refrain from such provocative actions," she said.

The Palestinian families who are now without a home have a lawyer.
Hosni Abu Hussein.
He says: “"This eviction was done in an illegal matter and without due process.
The duty of the authorities as they see it is to cleanse Jerusalem of Arabs."

This is a sentiment that is felt throughout East Jerusalem, where many Palestinian residents are facing either eviction or demolition orders.
Just two weeks ago, Israeli officials approved the construction of settler apartments in another part of Sheikh Jarrah on the Palestinian grounds of the old Shepherd Hotel.

The Obama administration in particular has asked Israel to freeze settlement growth in the West Bank and not to authorize projects that aim to settle Israelis in the heart of Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.
But why would Israel care?

A plethora of international organizations have expressed dismay over the evictions, which came amid attempts to revive the peace process.
These evictions were for example quickly condemned by the United Nations.
"I deplore today's totally unacceptable actions by Israel," the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert H Serry said.
"These actions are contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions related to occupied territory.”
The British consulate in East Jerusalem said:
"These actions are incompatible with the Israeli professed desire for peace.
We urge Israel not to allow the extremists to set the agenda."

What has happened as of last Sunday?
Has there been a meeting of the Security Council to condemn Israel for these illegal evictions?
Has there been one country in the world that has condemned Israel by imposing sanctions?

Like in the past, anything Israel does results in big words but in fact without any consequences.
Israel can do whatever it wants.
Knowing that their supporters worldwide are backing them up no matter what.

The question is how does that make Palestinians feel?
What emotions does that trigger with many of their Arab brothers and sisters?
Is it not understandable they feel left alone?
That they feel victims of injustice?
Isn’t it normal they get angry?
Always Israel being shielded and protected by the West no matter what the Israeli Government does?

Isn’t this generous attitude of the West vis à vis Israel feeding the minds of Palestinians and those who are in solidarity with them?
Making them feel desperate, powerless and ignored?

So, in the end, who is responsible for extremism?
You must reap what you have sown.

Fighting terrorism by having passengers take their shoes off and kill civilians in Afghanistan will never bring an end to it.

Things will fundamentally change though when the West starts treating Israel in the same way as it does Iran.



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