We Make The Rules, War (And Lots of Money)

Nice to know that freedoms of information and expression are not under threat at the moment...

From The Guardian:

The attorney general last night threatened newspapers with the Official Secrets Act if they revealed the contents of a document allegedly relating to a dispute between Tony Blair and George Bush over the conduct of military operations in Iraq.

It is believed to be the first time the Blair government has threatened newspapers in this way. Though it has obtained court injunctions against newspapers, the government has never prosecuted editors for publishing the contents of leaked documents, including highly sensitive ones about the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.

The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, last night referred editors to newspaper reports yesterday that described the contents of a memo purporting to be at the centre of charges against two men under the secrets act.

Under the front-page headline "Bush plot to bomb his ally", the Daily Mirror reported that the US president last year planned to attack the Arabic television station al-Jazeera, which has its headquarters in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where US and British bombers were based.

Richard Wallace, editor of the Daily Mirror, said last night: "We made No 10 fully aware of the intention to publish and were given 'no comment' officially or unofficially. Suddenly 24 hours later we are threatened under section 5 [of the secrets act]".

Protocol Fails As Airlines Profit

The Independent reports that increased aviation fuel emissions will undermine any reductions in greenhouse gases that result from the Kyoto Protocol.

Because no-one could agree on which country takes responsibility for aircraft emissions, they are not included in the Protocol.

Emissions trading schemes for airlines will have little effect and merely allow the situation to worsen.

Meanwhile budget airlines such as Easyjet report forecast-beating annual profits.

Guardian Columnist Apologises For Being Unfashionable

Some readers may have noticed that the name of this blog is part of the quote at the bottom of each post, which is from the film Wall Street.

Perhaps the most famous catchphrase from the film is: "Greed is good."

Apart from the fact that it inspired many present-day brokers and traders according to Michael Douglas, the film is perhaps unique in that his character Gordon Gekko espouses the idea that underpins globalisation.

The richest one percent of this country owns half the country's wealth: 5 trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds of it comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulation to widows and idiot sons and what I do - stock and real estate speculation.

It's bullshit. Ninety percent of the American people have little or no net worth. I create nothing; I own.

We make the rules, Buddy, the news, war, peace, famine, upheaval; the cost of a paper clip.

We pull the rabbit out of the hat while everybody else sits around their whole life wondering how we did it...you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy are you, Buddy?

It's the free market.

The Daily Mail recently reported - no sign of it online though I am afraid - that "Greed is back" in an article about City bonuses and some of those who will receive them.

Today Jonathan Freedland calls for a tax rise for the highest earners, apologising for his "unfashionable" viewpoint.

They even have their own magazine, Trader Monthly to serve their interests and desires.

For those of us hoping to find a voice on an alternative publishing model, however, Craigslist is working on a venture that might be of interest.

The article also features some worthy observations on the current state of the mainstream media.



'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.

Blair-Bush Legacy: More Oil, More Jets and Melting Glaciers

Melting Planet Seeks Environmentally Friendly Politician

Alternative vision to status quo essential. Warmongers, friends of the oil industry, jet buyers and jet sellers need not apply.

Environmental stories featured prominently in recent newspaper reports. The Observer described glacial melting in Nepal and Bhutan, while The Independent features a report on the thawing of the world's largest glacier in Greenland.

Meanwhile Deputy PM John Prescott, not known for his eloquence, pours scorn on Sir Christopher Meyer, former British Ambassador in Washington and current head of the Press Complaints Commission.

Meyer's crime was to cash in on his privileged position, selling the juiciest extracts from his memoirs to newspapers who then gloated over his cutting criticism in describing various politicians, the harshest of which seemed to be reserved for Prescott.

Given that Cherie Blair has a book out reportedly describing life in Number 10, her penchant for bargains on Ebay and when buying apartments for her son, as well as Prescott's reputation for enjoying the odd trapping of power, he should remember the old adage about people who live in glass houses...

It is comforting to know that some of those who play in the higher echelons of the Westminster Wendy-house reveal their true selves in their childlike excitement at the prospect of a new toy...

As The Observer reported, Tony wants a new jet, but Gordon won't let him have one...

On the subject of jets, it is no wonder Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett wants post-Kyoto CO2 emission targets to be merely voluntary - begging the question: why bother? - because Blair isn't the only one with his eye on a shiny new phallic flying machine.

Bush proved that politicians are glorified salesmen (and not very good ones at that) by securing a welcome order for Boeing jets from China....would you buy a used 747 from Dubya?

Such is the aviation race between Europe's Airbus and America's Boeing, that the latter recently announced plans to make stretched 747 jumbo jets to compete with the latest offerings from their competitor.

Gordon Brown has been doing his bit as well, helping Rupert Murdoch more or less get his way - in this case secure football broadcasting rights for Sky TV - in Brussels.

In Iraq, meanwhile, oil corporations are jostling for position to drill more oil to burn in all these new planes.

So next time you are setting down to the latest match, one of the few opportunities we get - in our fast-paced and individualised world - for communal enjoyment and "atmosphere" (although much less so if in front of Sky TV on your own), we can concentrate on enjoying the game, safe in the knowledge that everything is all right with the world.

While some parts of the planet are melting, politicians are confident that, thanks to the spoils of Iraq, lots more black gold will soon be flowing as fast as jets can be sold to burn it.

Others are trading in jibes and personal attacks while another helps secure more football for us to watch in the hope that we might forget it all.



Media Lens Latest on the Smearing of Chomsky

Media Lens published its response to the smearing of Chomsky, and end their detailed and well-argued position on a thoughtful snippet that actually praises him, which they found, albeit in the Birthdays section of - you guessed it - The Guardian...


'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.