A great furore has broken out about surveillance by government of anyone deemed to be dissident, via Facebook, Google, Verizon etc.
Why is everyone is so surprised? During the disastrous Iraq war this blog fiercely attacked the Bush Administration. More accurately, it poked fun at its incompetence and its ignorance of Iraqi (and Moslem) culture. Never has a government blundered into a war without even knowing about something as basic as the difference between Sunnis and Shias.
Anyway, this blog was under surveillance by the NSA (careful study of the stats confirmed this). It might still be scrutinizing it as you read this. I couldn’t give a damn! I am a still, very small voice protesting the undermining of our rights to free speech and precious privacy, and the activities of people who have a vested interest in war (as in “if you are not shooting bullets you can’t be making new ones”).
The consensus seems to be that Epicureans cannot avoid politics or war. If so we should raise our voices against the corporatocracy and Homeland Insecurity along with all good people.
Not only was the US administration ignoranrt of the difference between Shia and Sunni, but they never took into consideration that most of the middle East has artificial boundaries imposed on them by the British and the French after the first world war. These boundaries took no notice of tribal areas. The result is the sectarian and tribal violence we see today. Blair, obviously was not taught that at his school
Here in the UK, a grandee has suggested we include Historians amongst the government advisors. Not only dont we learn from history, but we are also ignorant out our past. Hence the tragic mistakes.
(I hope this has been noted by whoever is spyinbg on this blog!)
Not only was the US administration ignoranrt of the difference between Shia and Sunni, but they never took into consideration that most of the middle East has artificial boundaries imposed on them by the British and the French after the first world war. These boundaries took no notice of tribal areas. The result is the sectarian and tribal violence we see today. Blairobviously was not taught that at his school.
Here in the UK, a grandee has suggested we include Historians amongst the government advisors. Not only dont we learn from history, but we are also ignorant out our past. Hence the tragic mistakes.
(I hope this has been noted by whoever is spying on this blog!)