In the wake of Vietnam, the US military were demoralised and prey to some fairly crazy ideas. They thought they could train ’super soldiers’ with psychic powers. In this first extract from his revealing new book, Jon Ronson describes how their aspirations were perverted in the prisons of Iraq.
Thanks to Bob Harris for pointing out [...]
Peel on Peel in the Observer. I still love Misty in Roots:
People say I ‘discovered’ or ‘made’ certain bands, but I never really think of it like that. I don’t have a series of notches on my bedpost. They discovered themselves really, or some record company or manager did, and what I did was [...]
Whilst we are on the subject of breaking with political mores, even the Queen has something to say to Bush:
The Queen has made a rare intervention in world politics to warn Tony Blair of her grave concerns over the White House’s stance on global warming.
She is understood to have asked Downing Street to lobby the [...]
If Bush retains power on Nov 2nd, Tony Blair will certainly lose the British election next year. A Kerry win is the only thing that can possibly save him from the consequences of his disastrous and massively unpopular affiliation. Perhaps this is why Cherie Blair is breaking with International political mores by getting [...]
This was the year when the mainstream media outlets unexpectedly found themselves looking over their shoulders at the internet and, perhaps most surprisingly, at the new armies of political bloggers.
Reports the Independent. Blogging about the news about blogging about the news, I think I just disappeared up my own ass.
Meanwhile, the NYT had an [...]
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore plans to have hundreds of cameras outside polling places in Ohio and Florida on Election Day to watch for attempts to suppress voter turnout.
The director of the anti-Bush documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” announced Saturday that a total of 1,200 professional and nonprofessional cameramen, filmmakers and videographers will bring [...]
DOES ANYONE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WANT THIS MAN TO BE THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS?
Asks the Sunday Herald.
The “international community” is a popular phrase in both the White House and Downing Street. It lends gravitas to global concern. Tony Blair uses it when he needs rescuing on [...]
From the Glasgow Sunday Herald
A huge area of land has been contaminated from leaks at Hunterston nuclear power station in North Ayrshire . The contamination is much worse than previously suspected, and far more than has been admitted at other nuclear sites in Scotland.
Some 81,000 cubic metres of soil – enough to fill 900 double-decker [...]
GOP Hypocrite of the Week: George W. Bush
A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL
(Listen to the GOPHOTW HERE)
Welcome back to the BuzzFlash.com GOP Hypocrite of the Week.
To adapt a quotation from Mark Twain, whenever we think of Bush, we are reminded that “a lie goes around the world, while the truth is still putting on its pants.”
And what a [...]
The Lone Star Iconoclast (via Norwegianity) has a first person account of the recent incident in Jacksonville, Oregon where police fired pepper balls at demonstrators:
It happened fast. Clad in full riot gear, at least 50 officers moved in. Shouting indecipherable commands from a bullhorn, they formed a chain and bore down upon the people, [...]
Call me paranoid but the timing of this makes me uncomfortable. What was the rush? I seriously doubt that Al Qaeda have space based communications systems - is Bush anticipating more sophisticated enemies?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force quietly has put into service a new weapon designed to jam enemy satellite communications, a [...]
From Slate. What I want to know is what position were their arms in?
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.—”I want you to stand, raise your right hands,” and recite “the Bush Pledge,” said Florida state Sen. Ken Pruitt. The assembled mass of about 2,000 in this Treasure Coast town about an hour north of West Palm [...]
