Russia's Miniprop

TURKMENISTAN BASE RUMOR LIKELY PART OF A RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN

Russian media outlets continue to publish articles claiming that the United States may establish a military base in Turkmenistan. The circumstances surrounding the media reports suggest that Russia is carrying out a disinformation campaign designed to exert pressure on Turkmenistan to adhere to Moscow’s geopolitical line in Central Asia.

What is this, 1964?

Interesting NOLA blog

First person eyewitness account of what is going on here. They even have a webcam up.

Yahoo! gave e-mail details that helped jail Chinese writer

Yahoo! tramples humanity

Information supplied by the internet giant Yahoo! to Chinese intelligence has resulted in the conviction of a journalist for "divulging state secrets abroad", a respected international press organisation said.

Shi Tao, who worked for the daily business publication Dangdai Shang Bao Contemporary Business News) until he was arrested in November 2004, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last April, in a case underlining the stringent censorship regime which controls the Chinese media.

He was convicted of sending foreign-based websites the text of a "top secret" government message that had been sent to his newspaper. The text warned Chinese journalists of the dangers of social destabilisation and risks resulting from the return of certain dissidents on the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

This boils my blood. A corporation with no principles has screwed a person in the name of profits. I can't imagine the hell of a Chinese prison.

I urge everyone to boycott Yahoo!

India seeks oil in Cuba

Indian oil search in Cuban waters

The Indian state oil company, ONGC, has come to an agreement with the Cuban government to begin exploring for oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

Another example of how the hawks are killing this country. While ineffective sanctions continue to be placed on Cuba, some other country is taking what could easily be ours. Economic sanctions on countries whose leaders don't give a damn how much their people suffer are ineffective. If we were to engage in relations with Cuba, no doubt capitalism would creep into the country. Even evil commies like Castro don't turn away opportunities to make their countries prosper. Imagine the trade we could conduct with the country. The private sector would develop and thrive.

What else is interesting about this is that India is taking the initiative to find more oil. Quite scary for a nation of a billion people to be stepping up its efforts to find oil. The competition for the black stuff in the coming decades is going to be fierce and will no doubt lead to several armed clashes across the globe. It is frightening to imagine the United States going up against a nation of a billion people, whether it be India or the far more powerful China. No amount of technology or firepower in the world can win a battle in which you are outmanned 10-1. Shudder.

The democracy gods on vacation

The Egyptian Administrative Court has cancelled an election committee’s decision to ban 1700 judges from monitoring Egypt's first presidential elections, saying the elections law does not authorise such decision.

The court on Tuesday also backed the election committee in banning civil rights organisations from monitoring the elections but rejected the disqualification of the presidential candidate Ahmed Al-Uqsuri.

AND...

The government on Tuesday warned that it will not tolerate election day protests, and the opposition fretted about possible ruling party dirty tricks on the eve of Egypt's first contested presidential vote.

Dirty tricks? Isn't that a part of democracy? I mean, it's what we have here in the States, you know, the gops disenfranchising people and junk...

Get your t-shirt here.

The end of an era?

German elections are 12 days away, and many are surprised at the way Merkel handled herself in the debate Sunday.

The political duel -- branded as the "TV event of the year" in Germany -- had an estimated audience of almost 21 million viewers on Sunday.

(How many Americans watch the debates? What percentage of our population?)

It's nice to see that they are pretty civil as compared to American muckraking and sliming that has become our means of "discourse."

It's not looking too good for Schroeder & Co. The European way of life, which values life over money, is being run over by corporate types who believe that all of life's problems can be blamed on government.

Sigh...

We, too, could use a guy like Ayman Nour

Democracy in Egypt?

Mr Mubarak faces a total of nine challengers. Most of them are little known or comedy candidates, including one who advocates men compulsorily wearing the tarboush -afez-style cap. In the absence of anyone from the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, the main Islamist group, and with leftist parties boycotting the vote, Mr Nour, a 40-year-old lawyer and liberal MP, stood out.

Although, he has little chance of unseating Mr Mubarak, his willingness to push the boundaries could contribute to a rebirth of Egyptian politics.

The farce of an election is tomorrow. Mubarak has no chance of losing, but the political landscape looks quite different than it has. Too bad we don't have politicians with guts like Nour.

You'll burn in flames!

Someone did a Google search for "is it against the Baptist church belief to except help from the Morman Church in a disasterous situation" and somehow found my site.

BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS, BIGOT. Even in times like these, people can be so nasty.

Iran offers US Katrina oil relief

Iran has offered to send 20m barrels of crude oil to the US to help with the consequences of Hurricane Katrina.

What an evil offer of kindness. Maybe it's meant to humiliate us. Who knows? But I appreciate the offer even though it won't be accepted. Thanks, Iran. Now, let your people go.