Chechnya & Boston, when 2+2 = 5

Oh dear.

What to say when the two responsible for the Boston Bombings turn out to be Muslims.

And Chechnyan Muslims at that.

The internet is awash with conspiracy and opinions and hate and revenge.

And by the time I have published this the two responsible will be dead and the USA will be left with more questions than answers and introspection.

9/11 was always an eye opener for the American's and since then they have chased "terror" around the globe; Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, North Africa and now Chechnya.

And to what end and to what achievement? If I were them I would withdraw from everywhere, close the borders and develop self sufficiency.

The backlash to this will not be proportionate. And there will be a backlash because that's what the USA does, it fights back and doesn't see the consequence.

And Kim Jong Odd is losing his enemy #1 status.

On another note the mass outbreak of measles in Wales is as a direct result of the hysteria over MMR many years ago, I wont say I told you so because that's beneath me.

I need to stop watching the news so this weekend I will be heading to the seaside for a bit of sea air to loosen the joints.

USA under attack

Its a grim week. Yesterday two bombs took the lives of 3 innocent bystanders in Boston who were out watching a running race and yesterday In Iraq a car bomb took the lives of over 30 people who were out shopping.

The Media has slanted towards Boston. Or rather the western media has. It is an atrocity but what dictates the level of news and what dictates whether one atrocity is worse than another.

In the UK we are used to home grown bombings courtesy of the IRA and the odd right wing lunatic, in the USA they aren't, or so we are led to believe. What about Timothy McVeigh or the Una-bomber or the countless senseless high school shootings?

The interweb was quick to link the Boston bombs to terrorism and hence to forces outside of America's shore, but the signs are pointing to the quiet loner scenario.

It also didn't take long for 9/11 to be mentioned. It also didn't take long for Obama to condemn the killing of civilians. (He obviously hasn't read the tally of civilians killed by drone attacks) And with the same ineffectualness of attacking the gun lobby he will hunt for the perpetrators.

Britain will celebrate / mourn Thatcher tomorrow at great expense to the taxpayer and Kim Jong Odd will be wondering when he can launch bombs at the US without reprisal.

On another note Football hooliganism is returning to the UK (although we will never match the Egyptians for sheer violence, or body count)and Iran is hit by a massive earthquake.

Also interesting to note that it is a bumper year for Opium in Afghanistan.

Korea tries to start World War 3

So the worlds most petulant child, Kim Jong Odd has thrown his toys out of the pram once again and threatened everyone with Nuclear War. Or more specifically a war against South Korea and the United States.

Why?

Well, once a year the USA and China play war games in the South China Sea and amass lots of ships within striking distance of the impoverished peninsula and start rattling sabres and threatening sanctions.

It is against this background the North Korea have their annual rant about ending the world. It is new this time round because the Odd one is behind the ranting and no one can quite work out if he is serious or just coming out with the same rhetoric that his daddy did.

We should not make this news, we should just ignore them. Which would be easier said than done if they didn't have one of the biggest armies and nuclear stockpiles on the planet.

Someone should just get the Odd one a decent barber, a gym membership and perhaps a girlfriend that puts out.

In other news Thatcher's state funeral is organised at tax payers expense and the guest list is an obsequious collection of ex politicians and right wing celebrities.

I was watching the much dumbed down News 24 this morning and an odd comment struck me. A talking Finanacial Expert said that it was grave that WH Smith's profits were up yet sales were down. An interesting dilemma. Good job Our Steph was on the sofa to explain such difficulties to us mere viewers.

And for overseas readers, News 24 is a children's version of the world service.

Margaret Thatcher

So the nation mourns / celebrates the death of Margaret Thatcher and BBC / SKY wheel out the videos, interviews and articles that were written years ago for this very occasion and everyone is interviewed from Arthur Scargill to The Pope.

And everyone has an opinion of her.

I met her on a number of occasions and was always left in awe of her conviction and argumentativeness. For many The Falklands was her triumph, for people like me who fought there it was her darkest day, a war that should never have been fought with so many needless deaths.

Remembered also for destroying the Miners, Steelworkers, Unions & New Age Travellers, imposing the Poll Tax, prostituting Capitalism, Selling off British assets, killing Communities, encouraging rabid greed and consumerism, befriending Pinochet & Hussein, denouncing Mandela and the ANC as terrorist's and for the erosion of civil liberties.

And for spawning New Labour. And Blair. And look at his deeds of shame. At least Mrs T only took us into one war. (Although she did have a dab hand in the first Iraq incursion)

It is never good to celebrate anyone's death no matter what, or is it? Should one not be criticised in death? What about the death of Hitler or Poll Pot or Mao....

Anyway, Kim Jong Odd has been told that he's not allowed to start a nuclear war like some petulant child who is having a tantrum in a supermarket and the Internet is full of Thatcher

I was in Nice at the Weekend, pondering the world and its fortunes, an interesting place, a bit like Brighton but warmer, and less homeless

Tonight I am out in Farringdon with some OE's who shall remain nameless.

And so the world carries on...

Cutting Welfare

If your going to do something really unpopular do it over a bank holiday or on April Fools Day.

Honest Dave has taken a swipe at Welfare. With sweeping changes that nobody really quite understands, including the notorious bedroom tax, which again nobody really understands.

The outcome is that the poor get poorer, the safety net established to help the needy now entraps them.

The UK is expecting to pay £115 Billion this year on Welfare and these sweeping changes will go nowhere to touch this.

What needs to be done is to increase the minimum wage to a living wage and actually make people want to work, not that there any jobs available.

Its good to know that IDS can live off £53 / week, which no one else can, unless you are a factory worker in China.

Hat tip to Dave Millipede by the way for resigning at his football club on the arrival of Mr DiCanio, better known for his salutes. And 10/10 for Mr Ba's excellent goal. Bet he doesn't live on £53 a week.