Donkeyshott & Xuitlacoche

SOME PEOPLE make strong and important points about new frontiers and new strategies, as they run through the imperial performance of the last decade or so. Some make the usual conflations which may end up deepening fault-lines in the so vitally necessary understanding between the left and left-liberals towards a common front. An internationally esteemed left-winger, an icon, performed an odious comparison: that the US bombing raid on a Sudan medical drugs factory killed more people than the Twin Towers outrage. Ouch… One debater conflates/equates the US forces landings in Somalia at the height of the internal chaos there, with US counterinvasion of Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War. It's not at all obvious, in either the Iraq 91 or the Somalia cases, that the immediate motive behind these was to extend control to secure resources and markets for imperialism. Some power with the capacity had to go in and drive the Iraqis, quickly and firmly, out of Kuwait. The UN is of course not geared for...

In 539 Cyrus, declared on the cylinder (now in the British Museum) that:... when my numerous soldiers in great numbers peacefully entered Babylon and moved about undisturbed in the midst of the Babylon, I did not allow anyone to terrorize the people of the lands of Sumer and Akad and ... I kept in view, the needs of the people and all their sanctuaries to promote their well being. I strove for peace in Babylon and in all his other sacred cities. As to the inhabitants of Babylon who against the will of the gods were enslaved, I abolished the tax which was against their social standing, I freed all slaves. I brought relief to their dilapidated housing, putting thus an end to their misfortunes and slavery ...... I announce that I will respect the traditions, customs and religions of the nations of my empire and never let any of my governors and subordinates look down on or insult them until I am alive. From now on, till (Ahura) Mazda grants me the kingdom favor, I will impose my monarchy ...

Is it any coincidence that the party that Yegor Timurovich Gaidar joined, the "Union of Right Forces" is now considered to be the Liberal and Democratic alternative to Putin. Gaidar was, as he said, on a Kamakaze mission to establish a market economy in Russia at any cost in the first year of Yeltsin's government. This is where state support is withdrawn and prices are set by demand with the people paying the cost. This is the kind of shock therapy that the IMF was promoting in the 80s. You remember. The kind of market theology that said that the way to right a balance of payments was to "reduce domestic demand": this was a euphemism for cutting back state support and poverty programmes and depressing wages to put everyone into poverty. And yet these people still talk about the lost opportunities to totally transform Russia. Wasn't the damage they did enough? Wasn't the damage that Yeltsin and his accomplices, Gaidar amongst them, enough? What more could...

To comment on the cleverness or stupidity of birds, one has to be anthropomorphic – how else translate their actions, and give them a meaning? So that’s the way I’ ve tried to think about it and I’m afraid I’ ve come to the conclusion that they’re nothing but a pretty face - the “bird brain” label sticks. Chickens are stupid. When they’re scared, they huddle together and suffocate each other; and they rush across roads in the face of oncoming traffic. In fact their brains are so redundant that they can still run around without them.From my experience, geese too are stupid, never mind what the Romans say – they can’t in fact tell friend from foe, and gaggle indiscriminately. My landlady in Harare had a flock of them in her garden that refused to recognise me as a legitimate, fully paid-up tenant. What’s more stupid looking (and actually, bloody frightening) than seeing 12 geese rush at you, necks outstretched, hissing? Hadeda ibises are stupid – they fly over our heads crying with hu...

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to encourage Israel and Palestine to apply for EU membership and meet the necessary conditions for membership Israel and Palestine should be offered EU membership once they have met the necessary conditions. EU membership definitely helped catalyse the peace process in Northern Ireland by establishing the four European freedoms. 1. The free movement of goods; 2. The free movement of services and freedom of establishment; 3. The free movement of persons (and citizenship), including free movement of workers; 4. The free movement of capital. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Israel-Palestine/

In his diaries I hope Aleister Campbell includes a conversation with Peter Mandelson and I would like to hear them converse honestly for the first time in their lives like Carriedas and Rastopopuolus in the Tintin book flight 714, after both villains have had a good dose of truth serum: Mandelson : - "Me? Bad? Of course I am bad! I'm the devil incarnate...that's what I am. And let's hear anyone try to deny it! Campbell : - I beg your pardon! I am the devil incarnate...and I am richer than you are, too! Mandelson : - "So what? Listen to this! I ruined my three ministers and two senior civil servants and dragged the Prime Minister's reputation into the gutter. What d'you say to that, eh? Campbell : Peanut's! Kid's stuff! I made a scientist so ashamed that he went to woods, lay down and died! Beat that.

Putin is a very good leader. He is admired by most Russians. He is a nationalist and wants to use the countries resources, especially its oil, for the benefit of Russia and its people. When the Soviet Union fell apart the corporates were licking their collective lips. Russia was going to be carved up like a great big delicious "pirog" (pie) and Yeltsin was their very own running dog. It looked like it was going to work. The mafias made friends with Yeltsin and his gang and they got their way before the US corporates got stuck in. But they, and the little jackals from Britain and Japan could wait. They could bide their time. Later on Russia was going to be in for buy outs and one sided joint ventures. You name it, it was all on the cards and the western corporates were clever and patient. But along comes Putin. A public servant, with a public servant's salary, but a history in the service and defence of his country. He says, with support from the former political class...