BBC tells us;

"Tony Blair came within moments of being killed when two Israeli fighter aircraft threatened to shoot down a private jet taking him to a Middle East conference in the belief that it might have been staging a terrorist attack."

If only.

I don't say that because I dislike the man - though Valen knows I despise the cuntrag - but the sheer irony overload that would have occurred if the plane had been splashed might have united the whole world, at least for a good long laugh.

Rude Pundit - bear the name in mind if you're at work - on the loss of America's capacity to be appalled by what their government does.

( It's a metaphor folks... )

I would love to think, as Rude does, that things will improve post-Bush... but I remain doubtful. Once a society has a deadened soul, it's hard to reboot it.

The very fine SF writer and biologist Peter Watts has a couple of trenchant points about the 'Earth Hour' switching-off-lights-protest-thingy at his blog, ' No moods, ads or cutesy fucking icons ':

Why, I'll bet the reduced environmental impact from turning off those lights might even recoup a small fraction of the resources consumed to drive the massive multimedia extravaganza advertising Earth Hour.

Oh, wait. There isn't going to be any reduction in environmental impact. Not unless the world's power-generating utilities decide to scale back the fossil fuels they're burning to reflect a one-time, one-hour tick in the time series.

Yes, I know. It's only supposed to make "a statement". It's supposed to be a symbol. And what does it symbolize, exactly? It symbolizes "hope" — which is to say, our infinite capacity for denial, our unwillingness to restrain ourselves in any meaningful sense, our brain-dead refusal to see the brick wall we're hurtling towards. It symbolizes the sick fucking joke that is the human race.

Then he makes a suggestion:

So, you want to effect real change? You've got to make the threat matter to the ones who matter. You have to take the shit into their hallways until even they can smell it. You have to threaten something valuable to them, and threaten it now, if you want to awaken that fierce innovative spark of self-preservation that burns brightest when the danger is in your face and the piss is running down your leg.

This is what you'd have to do: hunt down the Harpers and the Gordons and the Martins, the Roves and Cheneys, the Harrises and the Kleins and Bairds. (You might want to hunt down the Dubyas, too— they don't make any of the real decisions, but the symbolism is important.)

...Hunt down every pundit and commentator who, after years ridiculing the signposts, now shrugs and says Oh, well, I guess we fucked up the planet after all. Too late to fix it now, let's just adapt and make sure that economic growth doesn't drop below five percent... Take every family member who sided with any of them (most have); explain to them all the proximate nature of threat-perception in the human animal, and that you're going to motivate them only way you can.

Then kill half of them. Give the other half a year to fix things. Hold back their families in, as the publishers say, "reasonable amounts against returns".

That's probably what it would take to get these people to give a shit

I do not of course endorse mass murder as a tool to change public opinion. After all, that sort of thing never works... plus I don't think those involved really give that much of a shit about their kin.

"David Blunkett, the ex-Home Secretary, is to front a TV show called Banged Up With Blunkett.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/26/blunkett_five_docu/
Sadly it seems the title is slightly misleading - Blunkett will not be sent to prison but will oversee a Big Brother type show where off-the-rails teenagers are scared back onto the straight and narrow by Blunkett and some ex-cons.
The short-tempered MP heads up a pseudo parole board which decides what to do with errant youngsters."

Between this and the recent doco series Portillo On Thatcher (and if that's not a perfect description of his best wank fantasy...) there's way to many politicos showing up in light entertainment. Starve 'em of the oxygen of publicity, I say!

My friend (and ex-colleague over at the Dark Christian LJ - which is mirrored on IJ here) Dogemperor has found out just how deep Huckabee's ties are to Dominionist Xtianity.

No surprise that Huckabee is very involved with the fuckers.
Specifically, he's actually a member of perhaps the worst of the 'armed-xtian-revolt-against-all-sin-and-beat-kids-with-sticks-until-they-shut-up-or-die' tendency.

This man would make the Bush presidency look like Jimmy fucking Carter. He's more inclined to hit the Big Red Button to bring the Rapture than even W is. Beware.

Take a look at these pieces from the political/Buddhist musings on Mahablog. Interesting perspectives on US and the world generally. These specifically grabbed me.

First is on how politicians (in the US race in this example, but generally) try to offer a false sense of certitude - and how this ties in with Xtianfuckwittery. This goes so well with my continuing rants and thoughts on 'purity/perfection' as another dangerously misleading idea.

The other is linked to a study of the post-Cold-war nuclear proliferation problem - and the odd fact that only GW Bush had the audacity to tackle the problem on the right kind of scale. By doing the exact wrong thing, needless to say - but at least the proportion was right.

Rude Pundit. Doing what he does.

' Let's say you're some evangelical nutzoid who needs to show everyone just how much you think the hot dude on dude action is icky. Or chick on chick. Either way, there's matching genitals and an unholy hole in use, and you, being more than likely a closeted queer who has to punish others to overcome your lusty urges 'cause someone told you that Godjesus is gonna get all wrathful on your ass if you don't act, decide to get an anti-gay marriage amendment voted on. So you starts yourself a little organization, tells everyones yer protectifyin' marriages in the Sunshine State of Florida, and gets a whole bunch signatures on petitions so that it can get on the ballot, 611,000 of 'em needed. And then, just when it seems you've got it made, a combination of technology and fuck-ups shows you're 22,000 short. And you've got only two weeks to git 'er done or you ain't gonna get your vote on how everyone wants the homos to die alone. Which is exactly what happened.

Fuck, that's gotta hurt. Seriously, if, say, Jesus was on your side on this, wouldn't he have done some magical sky wizard shit to make sure it happened? As far as signs go, this one's gotta be up there with burning shrubbery about WWJD. Seems like J would say, "Dudes, let it go."

But lettin' it go, that ain't part of the evangelical style. Motherfuckers will keep humping that cause like a tumescent chihuahua fucks a really big sponge, thinking it'll teach that bitch sponge a thing or two about fucking, not realizing a sponge generally doesn't care who or what fucks it. The sponge-humping chihuahuas over at the Family Research Council demonstrate this on a weekly basis, with their list of things to be prayed over by we members of the Super-Duper Prayer Team. The Rude Pundit joined the SDPT under a nom de rude, and he receives his prayification orders in his e-mail in-box. '


"...humping that cause like a tumescent chihuahua fucks a really big sponge..." Poetry, pure poetry.

My esteemed colleague Astvinr, commenting on Gordon Brown declaring his scheme to have all UK citizens presumed to consent to organ donation - i.e. you have to carry a card stating you don't want to be harvested:

' It unnerves me that the government has taken it upon itself that our bodies are its property, but much more because I remember watching a Panorama programme many years ago when the whole question of brain-stem death was first discussed. They talked to a worryingly large number of people who had been declared brain-dead, had listened in horror as doctors discussed the use of their organs, who were powerless to move, speak or indicate that they were not only still alive, but still conscious. Now, of course, those people did get better and it may be so that the power of doctors to be 100% sure that brain-death is true death has improved since then... but I'll err on the side of scepticism, thank you. '

Been around for a few days, but still funny - here's the list of Republican candidates, compared with their closest equivalent Buffy monster:

The GOP Primary Field in Buffy Villains

I have no deep understanding of the Pakistani political and tribal situation, so I'll not make bold predictions and such. Besides thinking that this is when Cluster meets Fuck in the region.

I do offer this point from Rude Pundit (who goes on to note the different ways Presidential election candidates used her death for their gain. He is not gentle about this.):

'1. If Pervez Musharraf didn't know about it ahead of time, then he's the worst kind of dictator, the kind who doesn't actually control his country.
2. If he did know about it, even if he simply let it happen, then he's the regular kind of dictator.
3. Either way, Pakistan's screwed, with nukes in the middle of the screwing and the Bush administration somewhere between active incompetence and blithe enabling in this situation, which means, as ever, we're screwed. '

I will note how quickly the al-Qaeda link to the hit appeared and the still-unconfirmed cause of death as interesting oddities.

...of American political bollocks. Imagine that.

For those who didn't know me from LJ, Xtianfuckwitwatch is a service I provide occasionally, pointing out spectacular acts of hypocrisy, pusallinimy or sheer stupidity by those who identify as Christian but do so in that 'war-is-OK-prosperity-theology-gays-are-evil-women-are-property-kids-are to-be conditioned-to-exactly-like-mommy-and-daddy-and-the-Rapture-willtake-us-all-real-soon-except-for-those-heretics-in-the-church down-the-hill' - or fuckwits, for short.
(NB I do smack Jewish and Moslem fuckwits in the same way. When I do it to Pagans, the header is 'Wicca, man...)

The following bill just passed US Congress:

H. Res. 847: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith

Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world;

Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;

Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;

Whereas Christians identify themselves as those who believe in the salvation from sin offered to them through the sacrifice of their savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and who, out of gratitude for the gift of salvation, commit themselves to living their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Bible;

Whereas Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization;

Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its roots in Christianity;

Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ;

Whereas for Christians, Christmas is celebrated as a recognition of God's redemption, mercy, and Grace; and

Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others: Now, therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;

(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and

(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

May the Flying Spaghetti Monster forgive them.

Brin on the possible memewar once the People of the Book have got all that macho shit out of their systems. Long, smart, worth considering.

A quote:

"How will Earthlings, who are eager to get on with planetary -- and interplanetary -- life, settle their issues, allocate resources, and generally handle the problems of running a complex civilization?

The crux: with the fading of both the empires of paranoia and male frenzy, we’ll be left with an East-West dichotomy ... one that ought to be settled peacefully, since both of these final “sides” recognize the inefficiency and cost and inherent uncertainty of violence.

Non-violence sounds great, for a change. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be a struggle. Because a whole lot will be at stake. In fact, just about everything....

...if the Chinese leadership clade does succeed at translating Lee Kwan Yew’s method into a successfully stable mode for a billion and a half Chinese, then humanity will be offered a genuinely interesting choice, by mid-century. On the one hand, the very best version of oldstyle, oligarchy-led governance possible.

On the other hand, Earth citizens will be offered an updated version of the Western Enlightenment. One that has weathered the trials of a Cold War, a Machismo Meme War, and (we can hope) a successful self renewal, after years of despoliation by the recent Neoconservative Putsch."

Take it away, Keith:

" We have either a president who is too dishonest to restrain himself from invoking World War Three about Iran at least six weeks after he had to have known that the analogy would be fantastic, irresponsible hyperbole — or we have a president too transcendently stupid not to have asked — at what now appears to have been a series of opportunities to do so — whether the fairy tales he either created or was fed, were still even remotely plausible.

A pathological presidential liar, or an idiot-in-chief. It is the nightmare scenario of political science fiction: A critical juncture in our history and, contained in either answer, a president manifestly unfit to serve, and behind him in the vice presidency: an unapologetic war-monger who has long been seeing a world visible only to himself."

Then he gets nasty...

Feòrag at Pagan Prattle gives us our new word for the day: Christianophobia. Which was the subject of a full debate of the House of Commons today.

Here's Aunty Beeb on the subject:

' The UK should "celebrate" the role of Christianity in the country's heritage and culture, the government has said.

Community cohesion minister Parmjit Dhanda told MPs the religion had had a "significant impact" in securing people's rights and freedoms.
He was speaking in a Westminster debate over whether there was widespread "Christianophobia" in the UK.

Conservative MP Mark Pritchard (CatNote - the xtianfuckwith who caused the debate to occur) warned the government not to "surrender" the UK's Christian heritage.
Mr Pritchard called the Westminster Hall debate, claiming that the importance of the faith was being undermined by the "politically correct brigade".

He argued that "parties of hate" could step in to fill the gap left by "mainstream" politicians, and "hijack" Christianity to get their messages across. '

(CatNote - 'cos it's not like they've already done that is it?)

' ...Speaking earlier in the debate, Mr Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, in Shropshire, said Christians should get "full minority rights".

Mr Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, Shropshire, said Christianity in the UK was being undermined "mostly by stealth", even though 3.2 million people attended church every Sunday.

He added: "Most Christians feel they are not getting a fair hearing
"Many shoppers find it increasingly difficult to buy greeting cards with references to Christ... Advent calendars are extremely hard to find."
He added: "Christ always has been and always will be at the very heart of Christmas. Taking Christ out of Christmas is like serving the Christmas turkey without the stuffing."

Mr Pritchard said the British National Party in Staffordshire was sending out cards showing "the holy family on the front cover", bearing "the words 'heritage, tradition and culture'."
He added: "Is the government prepared to stand by and surrender the nation's Christian traditions to parties of hate?"
Mr Pritchard said it was "time for the dragon of political correctness to be slain". '

So, who's he worried about more - the BNP, the Politically Correct (read Correct as Left...) or the actual threat of Dominionism, which has been steeplejacking churches in the UK since at least the Alpha Course?

Plus, though I can't be bothered to go through Hansard for the full details, I suspect few dissenting voices were heard.

Besides, it's not a phobia of Christianity - for many, it's pure disgust.

Anyone else think it highly unlikely that a rich businessman would spread baksheesh around the ruling party in a country without telling them where it came from so as to actually reap the benefit?

John Rogers is worth time for many things.

He wrote and produced Global Frequency, which is enough to make hin a demi-god.

He's really funny on a good day, of which he has many.

And today, he's explained the labyrinthine shenanagans involved in selling scripts for TV and movies in a way that is lucid, gives more than enough explanation of the WGA writers strike - and in the comments he cuffs a naive libertarian-Free-Marketeer troll so hard that trollboy's grandchildren will be born rubbing their jaws.

' Bush told Pakistan's president on Wednesday that he must hold parliamentary elections and step down as army leader.

"You can't be the president and the head of the military at the same time," Bush said, describing a telephone call with Gen. Pervez Musharraf. "I had a very frank discussion with him." '

Yep. The President and Commander in Chief of the United States Military actually said that. Not exactly a shock that he's so clueless and arrogant, but still worth a macabre chuckle.

Ten minutes. Pure focussed rage. Worth your time.