History repeats itself, volume 7,217. The " You can't make this shit up" or "Oh, not this shit again" graphic would be appropriate.
The same permissive evironment that allowed Hitler's ideas to ferment and grow is back again. Hey, it's only Czechslovakia.....
Following in the controversial footsteps of Columbia University's hosting of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York City last month, another prestigious academic institution, this time in Britain, has invited contentious guests to its campus. Thanks again, assholes!
The president of the Oxford Union debating society was criticized Friday night after he approached Holocaust denier David Irving, British National party chairman Nick Griffin and the Belarusian dictator, Alexander Lukoshenko, to speak at forthcoming events, the British Guardian reported Saturday morning.
Luke Tryl said he had asked Irving and Griffin to speak at the union's Free Speech Forum, due to take place at the end of November, adding that Lukoshenko, accused of a string of human rights abuses, had been approached to address students later in the term. "The Oxford Union is famous for is commitment to free speech and although I do think these people have awful and abhorrent views I do think Oxford students are intelligent enough to challenge and ridicule them," he told the Guardian, adding that no formal decision on who would be invited had been made.
In a joint statement, Oxford Jewish Society presidents Daniel Bloch and Steven Altmann-Richer said: "It will be a disgrace if these discredited speakers are allowed a platform at a forum on free speech. They have an embarrassing history of disregard for legal restrictions on it. It will certainly go down as a black mark on the reputation of the Oxford Union."
Duncan Money, a second-year student at the university who says he has suffered a series of threats from rightwing extremists, said: "It is disappointing that the Oxford Union has chosen to promote and legitimize fascism ... Doubtless the controversy will bring them feverish excitement but for those of us who confront hate-filled bigots and are on the receiving end of death threats because of it, the issue is a bit more serious."
The BNP, a white nationalist political party in the United Kingdom, said Griffin would attend the event if it went ahead. Will they come in white hoodies? However, the invitation to Lukoshenko was blocked by the Foreign Office, which said he was subject to an EU travel ban. Government facsists.
For his part, Irving, who told the Guardian last month that he was launching a comeback speaking tour in the UK, WTF? "Comeback Speaking Tour"? Didn't he just get out of jail? He'll have to speak in codewords. The "Comeback to Jail Speaking Tour" sounds much better, IMO.
denied that he had received any formal approach from the Oxford Union but added that he would like to speak to the students there. "I have had many invitations to speak there in the past but they normally get withdrawn after threats of violence and intimidation. It is a pity because I think there are a lot of students and teachers who would like to hear what I have to say." You can bet that's true
Last month the discredited historian told the Guardian that he believed the Jews were responsible for what happened to them during the second world war and that the "Jewish problem" was at the root of most of the wars of the last 100 years. Last paragraph about the BNP at the link
Posted by: danking70 ||
10/13/2007 12:26 ||
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Posted by: Fred ||
10/13/2007 00:00 ||
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The one I have to see tonight is Fidel, but he'll wait for me," Chavez said.
No snark needed here, they said it for me.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
10/13/2007 16:30 Comments ||
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Chavez said he planned to discuss efforts to advance a regional integration initiative known as the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, and would meet with Castro's brother Raul "and the entire high government of Cuba."
Vladimir Putin threatened to abandon a key nuclear arms treaty yesterday as he raised the stakes in the confrontation between Russia and the United States over a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe. The Russian President threw down the gauntlet at a meeting with Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, and Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary. They came prepared for criticism of the US proposal but instead Mr Putin gave a blunt warning that he would scrap the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.
The 1987 treaty between the US and Soviet Union helped to end the Cold War by eliminating medium-range nuclear and conventional missiles. It removed Soviet SS20 and US cruise missiles from Europe that were the focus of mass protests in the 1980s.
Dr Rice and Mr Gates appeared taken aback by Mr Putin's comments, made after he had kept them waiting for 40 minutes at his presidential dacha outside Moscow. "We will try to find ways to co-operate," Dr Rice said, frowning at Mr Putin as he spoke.
Mr Putin said that Russia would leave the INF treaty unless it was turned into a global agreement to constrain other states, including those "located in our near vicinity". He did not identify any country but Iran and North Korea are within the range covered by the treaty.
But he's not worried about them: why would he be, when he's been a supplier to both? He's also not worried about China, or Iran, or the Paks, or the Indians. This is all about our anti-missile proposal in Poland and the Czech Republic, and that in turn is all about restraining NATO's advance into eastern Europe.
Dmitri Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, later acknowledged that China, India and Pakistan had medium-range missile capabilities. He insisted that Mr Putin was concerned about an imbalance of regional security rather than any specific threat.
Russia saw no risk from Iran "currently or in the immediate future".
Certainly not while Vlad holds a few chits with them.
But it was prevented by the treaty from having medium-range missiles, while neighbouring states were free to develop them.
Oh, so Vlad's now willing to help restrain Iran? No? Thought not.
The President mocked the US plan to install a radar station in the Czech Republic and ten interceptor missiles in Poland for the defence shield. He said: "We may decide some day to put missile defence systems on the Moon but before we get to that we may lose a chance for agreement because of you implementing your own plans."
The American officials failed to achieve a breakthrough later in talks with their Russian counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Anatoly Serdyukov. Dr Rice rejected a Russian demand to freeze the missile project, saying that the US would continue negotiations with its partners.
Mr Serdyukov said that the shield had "strong anti-Russian potential", and Mr Lavrov said that Russia would "take measures to neutralise that threat". Mr Gates insisted that it posed no danger to Russia.
#1
The way things are going in Russia, the way Putin is making a mountain out of a molehill, and the way Russia is positioning themselves all suggest to me that they are manufacturing an excuse/situation to dump the treaty. The INF treaty is doomed one way or another.
Is there any logical reason Russia needs to worry about intermediate range nukes?
#2
This would be a great opportunity for France and the UK to put their nuclear forces under the EU to let the others pay for it and give the Poles a chance to have their finger on the button. That would give Pooty pause.
#3
Or, just for giggles, we could make some new pershing 2's, and station them in poland. Or, if we wanted to be truly hilarious, we could station something ballistic in the baltic repubs, with a flight time of =< 5 mins to moscow.
President putin, are you sure you want to abandon the INF treaty. you have lots more to loose than we do.
Posted by: N guard ||
10/13/2007 18:36 Comments ||
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Hmmm.... I think the new spangled maneuverable warheads didn't pan out so well, did they pootie? And the further development of them would bankrupt your country because you are still 50 fucking years behind the west?
MEXICALI, Mexico New Mexican discount airlines are using rock-bottom fares to cater to legal and illegal migrants heading for the USA.
The airlines known among fliers as Aeromigrante, or "Migrant Air" take passengers from central or southern Mexico to cities along the northern border such as Tijuana and Mexicali. From there, customers make their way across the U.S. border.
The flights are part of a booming services industry for the estimated 13 million Mexican and Central American migrants who reside in the USA. Passengers who used to make bus trips of several days can arrive at the border well-rested for the often dangerous crossing.
Return flights south are often nearly empty of passengers, and some routes offer only one-way service. One of the airlines, Tijuana-based Avolar, estimates that 70% of its customers have the USA as their final destination. "The most productive routes we have are cities where you have those passengers who are traveling with the idea of the American dream," said Luis Ceceña, a company spokesman.
Other budget carriers such as Volaris, Interjet and Click have started operations in the past two years and make air travel affordable to poorer Mexicans. One-way flights to Tijuana from central Mexico cost about $150, half what they did a few years ago. "It's much more comfortable than the bus, and about the same price," said Leopoldo Torres, 37, of Mexico City, as he stretched his legs aboard a Volaris flight to Mexicali. He and a traveling companion, Julio Menéndez, planned to cross into the USA illegally through the California desert.
Migrants said another factor driving them to fly is the difficulty of crossing the border as the United States builds fences and adds Border Patrol agents. Smugglers who aid their journey have doubled their fees to $2,000 or more, making an airline ticket seem less expensive, said Guillermo Hernández of Guerrero.
Some airlines try to get even more migrant business. Avolar offers Greyhound bus connections from Tijuana to Fresno, where many migrants work on farms. Aero California takes payments through Western Union, used by many migrants to send money home.
Ceceña said the airlines should not be responsible for policing their passengers. "We have a saying in Mexico: 'Let the other hens cackle; you take care of your own eggs,' " he said. "It's a good business for us, and we're going to keep taking care of those customers." Time to make an omelette.
#6
He and a traveling companion, Julio Menéndez, planned to cross into the USA illegally through the California desert.
Call me naive, but is there not a US law against a "reporter" KNOWINGLY knowing this info and NOT doing something about it? Methinks it's time for somebody from ICE to pay Mr. Hawley a visit.
Posted by: BA ||
10/13/2007 23:01 Comments ||
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SW has it - right now the traffic is mainly in AZ, NM and TX. Once we continue the fence, Mexico will be stuck with pissed off discontents who have no safety valve. A controlled and directed revolution may be necessary south of the border. Not saying we can't/shouldn't have guest workers, just get the border under control first.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/13/2007 23:05 Comments ||
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Posted by: Fred ||
10/13/2007 00:00 ||
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Mushy's desperate, and Benazir sees an opportunity to both keep the money that she and her hubby embezzled and save Pakistan from the Islamofascists.
By the way, Sean Hannity is now saying that "Islamofascism" tars all Muslims with fascism. Hannity is usually right, but when Hitchens coined the term, he was referring to a segment of Muslims. Karen Armstrong sends Foxies some "public diplomacy" documents, and the Righties believe they have to think her way. Hannity had better drop the knee jerk ideology and think for himself.
The United States on Friday urged a UN special envoy to Myanmar to quickly return to the military-led country to meet with the regime and with imprisoned pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the US wanted UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to return "so that Burma can move toward a peaceful transition to democracy."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/13/2007 00:00 ||
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Meet us today, Monday, at 9:30 in front of the central library, during Ahmadinejads speech at the Allameh Amini Hall was a sentence written on the bottom of a small flyer handed out hours before Ahmadinejads speech at Tehran University. On another flyer, students wrote to Ahmadinejad: We are coming to remind you that you are stepping into an academic environment that has had its best professors fired by your handpicked officials ; We are coming to complain about overcrowded dorms ; We are coming to taste justice; We are coming tomorrow to see if you treat us as justly as you treated students at Columbia University. Will you listen to our questions and criticisms just as you listened to their questions, even insults and boos?
But the President did not treat Iranian students the way he treated those at Columbia University. None of the hundreds of critical students were allowed to enter the room where he delivered his speech. Security officers supervised the proceedings tightly and even barred students from other universities to attend the gathering. Despite these measures, dozens of Polytechnic and Allameh University students were able to pass through security checkpoints into the Tehran University. The student gathering began inside the university and in front of the Allameh Amini hall, where Ahmadinejad was delivering his speech. Soon they were violently attacked by Basiji students, none of whom looked familiar to Tehran University students.
About a thousand students more than the number of students that were listening to Ahmadinejad inside the hall were chanting in unison: Fascist president the University is not your place. They also chanted, Death to the dictator, and Agent of discrimination and corruption Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Student representatives from the Allameh and Polytechnic universities delivered speeches at the open microphone and criticized the student suspensions and the Presidents policies. Those students who were not allowed to enter the hall marched in the campus while singing Yar-e Dabestani and Ey Iran, two popular nationalist songs. They turned into the adjoining Enghelab Avenue where events took a different turn. Anti-riot police decided to use pepper gas to disperse the students. In response, students began chanting: Shame on you officer leave students alone. They also chanted, We dont want a military government. Minutes later the vehicle carrying the minister of higher education attempted to pass through the crowd. Angry students began chanting, Incompetent minister, resign, resign. Minister of education Zahedi quickly fled the scene with the help of his driver and bodyguards.
After 4 hours of marching and protesting, the protesting students dispersed around 2 p.m. One student made a remark that perhaps best describes what is on the mind of everyone today, We have to wait and see if Mr. Ahmadinejad will seek revenge against Tehran University students the way he sought revenge against Polytechnic University students last year.
Posted by: Pappy ||
10/13/2007 00:00 ||
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NEW YORK (AP) - Oil futures rose to a new trading high above $84 a barrel on Fridayand settled at a new recordon concerns that supplies are not adequate to meet fourth-quarter demand. Recent reports have indicated that crude inventories are falling. Thursday's Energy Department report showed that domestic oil supplies declined last week, and an International Energy Agency report on Thursday concluded that oil inventories held by the world's largest industrialized countries have fallen below a five-year average.
"This is a concern," Stephen Schork, a trader and analyst in Villanova, Pa., said in a research note. "Despite relatively weak demand ... crude stocks still fell last week."
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman appears to agree, stating Friday that high prices are being driven by fundamental supply and demand imbalances, not speculative investing.
Light, sweet crude for November delivery rose 61 cents to settle at a record $83.69 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after rising as high as $84.05, also a record. Despite the gains, oil is still below inflation-adjusted highs hit in early 1980. Depending on the adjustment, a $38 barrel of oil in 1980 would be worth $96 to $101 or more today.
Some analysts think the supply shortfall in this week's Energy Department inventory report are an anomaly. They doubt demand is as strong as recent forecasts by the Energy Department and the IEA suggest. These analysts expect oil prices will soon begin a seasonal decline to $70 a barrel, or lower.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/13/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
PEAKOIL/OILDRUM.com > AT current trends/rates, Saudi Arabia will prob stop exporting oil circa 2028 due to significant drops in gross local production yields, i.e. SA running low on cheap? oil"???
#2
Iff the MOON explodes come 2029 or 2030 [as per COMET APOPHIS, etal. = COLOR OF MONEY flick], AT THAT POINT IN TIME I DOUBT THE WORLD WILL CARE ABOUT ANY AND ALL SO-CALLED "OIL CATACLYSMS".
#3
Trust me: oil levels are higher than last year. However, hoarding in face of the Iran crisis, keeps much stock off the availability list. Producer tanks are full, and the Nigerians, Mexicans and Canadians are fighting over sales to the US.
Real shortages would come only if Persian Gulf supplies are cut off. If Iranians forsee even a week without oil revenues - in face of minimal foreign currency reserves - they will turn on the government. That is why attacks should focus on the religious control center of Qom, and the nuke sites. It will get real nasty if missiles are launched from mobile missile launchers. Any attack on a Carrier group will be treated as an attack on American soil. However, I believe that the professionals in the Iranian armed forces will move against the Ayatollahs.
#4
Oil is hitting record highs but gasoline is not.
We're still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and the world's economy is still doing well. Would it be right to assume that our gas spikes are mostly industry/supply driven?
#5
The real fundamental is that the refineries are short oil to process. Since the refinery capacity has been 'capped' for decades, the world market is sorta secondary to the ability to process. Any refinery wanting? Not that I can tell.
#6
This is a low demand period for gas. The kids are in school. It's not cold yet and noto too warm. The supply of petroleum products is not usually so much constrained by crude supply as by refining capacity. We need more and newer refineries.
#8
Supply prices are based on availability, not stock. When buyers hoard, they don't take immediate delivery; oil stays in the tanks until it is needed by its new owner. Anyone who has worked in the auto production industry would be familiar with the practise of accepting parts JIT ("Just in Time"). Although Ford or GM own the parts, they make the suppliers hold same until the day that they are needed for assembly. Ten years ago, I would have attacked Big Oil for inflating prices by hoarding. No longer. It is our duty to devise laws that allow subsidized over production. That is done to some extent, but Big Oil needs a reason to store product when demand isn't there.
New York police detectives are reviewing surveillance video from Columbia University in hopes of identifying the person or persons who hung a noose on a professor's office door earlier in the week. The noose was found Tuesday, hanging from a door at Columbia's Teachers College.
"NYPD detectives began to download videotape images from security cameras on the campus ... after serving a subpoena on campus officials who declined to release the material without one," Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne said in a statement Thursday.
Investigators said they have about 56 hours of video they want to review from Tuesday's incident, which is being investigated as a hate crime. According to police, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified. The noose was described as being made of twine rope three-quarters of an inch in diameter. The apparent target was Madonna Constantine, 44, an African-American professor of psychology and education at the Teachers College.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/13/2007 00:00 ||
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Alpha Kappa Alpha heritage month macrome fund raiser? Just asking....
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
MEXICALI, Mexico New Mexican discount airlines are using rock-bottom fares to cater to legal and illegal migrants heading for the USA. 
NEW YORK (AP) - Oil futures rose to a new trading high above $84 a barrel on Fridayand settled at a new recordon concerns that supplies are not adequate to meet fourth-quarter demand. Recent reports have indicated that crude inventories are falling. Thursday's Energy Department report showed that domestic oil supplies declined last week, and an International Energy Agency report on Thursday concluded that oil inventories held by the world's largest industrialized countries have fallen below a five-year average.
New York police detectives are reviewing surveillance video from Columbia University in hopes of identifying the person or persons who hung a noose on a professor's office door earlier in the week. The noose was found Tuesday, hanging from a door at Columbia's Teachers College. 
