Hi FL. Yes, we have Starbucks all over the place like chicken pox, and is, like smallpox, a weapon of mass destruction. We should get Hans Blix to conduct inspections to see how hazardous Starbucks is.
Meanwhile, I was thinking about the great majority of people around the world being opposed to the war against Saddam unless the UN says "Righto Chaps, time to sort him out".
I think it's because people naturally worry about ending up in Guantanamo Bay with a rampant USA ruling the roost. Yes, we know they are only supposed to be enemy combatants, but the 70 year old man in South Africa, held prisoner for 18 days at the FBI's behest, wasn't an enemy combatant and hadn't conducted fraud as charged. He was a victim of mistaken identity and USA FBI indifference to his fate for 3 weeks while he slept on a concrete floor in a South African gaol.
We all know we don't want clueless, indifferent, collaterally-damaging larrikins like that throwing us in the pokey because they can't get their act together and can't be bothered doing things right, or are generally incompetent.
Habeas Corpus was invented for a reason. It's absurd to take 3 weeks to find out he was innocent. Somebody should have been on the job. Put that slack person in gaol now for 3 times as long and see how he or she likes it. The same gaol cell.
So, what to do?
The answer, as you know, is a United Nations with a complete revamping into a federal system [similar to the independent states of the USA, but more independent]. A brand new organisation to replace the anachronistic UN is needed.
The USA is in a unique position to call for a New UN conference to create a United States of Freedom. Iraq would be a good place to hold the conference. Some of Saddam's palaces should be suitable.
I think the USA would find great support for such an idea. We all want to live in peace, without the likes of Saddam terrorizing us. But we are also scared of even bigger monsters - not monsters right now, but who knows what will happen in future? We see this straitstimes.asia1.com.sg happen to an old guy doing absolutely nothing wrong, and think that if they can get him, they'll certainly get us, especially if we give a bit of cheek to the wrong USA Big Shot Official.
I bet there is some equally sad stuff happening at Guantanamo Bay but because there are no judges or other habeas corpus checkups, we don't know that it's all above board. Sure, it probably is. But maybe I should go and see just who is there and why. I don't like people held prisoner on some capricious basis in my name. I know enough about authoritarian types to know that they are not too worried about the freedom of a few collateral damages. Some of them quite enjoy to throw their weight around.
I like some constitutional restraint. I think most people around the world do.
So, the USA had better get the UN running right if they don't like being seen as a pariah. Ditch France for a start! Get a new constitution up for discussion. We the Sheeple would like to check it out, not to mention vote for the Chairman. Bring back Gorby say I.
Mqurice |
