Month: February 2006

Muslim Riots Stage Managed but by Whom?. The Muslim riots in Europe and the Middle East have all the earmarks of a stage managed media event, not spontaneous “outrage” over “offensive” Mohammed cartoons.
First of all, Mohammed cartoons have appeared before over the past five years. The specific cartoons in question appeared several months ago, but just now (prior to preparation for war against Iran) do we get images of insane Muslim behavior shown on worldwide television. Several of the most provocative cartoons were not even printed in the Danish newspaper originally, but were distributed by Danish imams. How did they get them?
It’s also rather suspicious that Danish flags are available for burning. Where would anyone get a Danish flag? Rioters also have signs in English saying such things as “Freedom go to hell.” The American sheeple are constantly told that “terrorists” hate us because of our “freedom,” not because of our actions in the Middle East.
It may be that Muslims are rioting because they are crazy, intolerant, and violent by nature, but it could be that they’re being manipulated. By whom? Cui bono? Who benefits from images of violent Muslim extremism shown on television around the world? Muslims? I don’t think so. I think the beneficiaries would be those who have invaded and occupied Muslim countries because it would justify their actions and give cover for further actions in the future. War with Iran, anyone?–Prison Planet

[Police State USA]

I agree that it’s suspicious. The Evil Empire does have a history of arranging for “spontaneous demonstrations,” and they’re obviously the ones with the most to gain, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been someone else–even an Iranian government trying to build support against an impending Stormtrooper onslaught.

Chavez Calls Blair ‘Pawn of Imperialism’ [AP World News]

While certainly true, it’s odd for Chavez to be saying this given his friendship with Fidel “Pawn of Soviet Imperialism” Castro.

Paramilitary Forces have become the Poor Country’s PMC. Another example of their use beyond the borders of the host country: VOA. India says it is sending paramilitary troops to Afghanistan to provide security for Indian civilians working on various development projects in the war-torn country…. [John Robb’s Weblog]

I didn’t know that India was messing around in Afghanistan. I wonder what Pakistan’s reaction has been.

Idiocy Times Two. The provocateur at the center of the Muhammed cartoon controversy, Flemming Rose, verifies my thesis that he is a complete idiot by declaring that his newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, is seeking to publish cartoons “satirizing” …. the Holocaust. Where will they get these cartoons? Oh, not to worry: an Iranian newspaper has announced a Holocaust cartoon contest. [Antiwar.com Blog]

I guess this Rose character was concerned that there might still be people somewhere who didn’t know he’s a bigoted piece of trash, so now he wants to get the word to them too.

Chris Patten. I really enjoyed this talk with brit diplomat Chris Patten on NPR’s On Point. Very smart and rational. He agrees with me that the current US government isn’t in any way, shape or form “conservative.”… [John Robb’s Weblog]

That’s my view as well. In fact, the current US government doesn’t even bother giving lip service to conservative philosophy any more.

An Anarchistic Oasis In The Middle Of The Desert. British law is oasis of reassurance in Dubai:bq. Look down from the 50th floor of your hotel in the Gulf port of Dubai and you can see 110 acres of desert that will be forever England.

Below you is a free trade area, an enclave with no taxes or customs duties and no restrictions on foreign ownership. That, in itself, is nothing special: Dubai has nearly a dozen already. But what’s unique about the Dubai International Financial Centre, DIFC, is that Dubai’s normal civil and commercial laws do not apply within.

Under a formal decree of the United Arab Emirates, and local laws signed by the late Ruler of Dubai, the two authorities that hold absolute power carved out an area from which they withdrew their own system of laws. The concept is breathtaking: here in DIFC, English common law reigns supreme – and under a British chief justice. Although there are some similarities to the Vatican, Hong Kong and even Gaza, it is thought to be the first time that any state has done this. Could it be that the same peoples that gave us the modern numbering system (including 0) are doing the almost unthinkable once more? Who is backwards again? [Mises Economics Blog]