Human Rights Watch World Report 2003 has just been published and you can read and download all the sections of it from their web-site. Makes for interesting Reading. I was particulary interested in the Cambodian section, having visited the country in 2002. It is noted that they “failed to meet its obligations to promote human rights” – even though they held elections, these were marred by killings and intimidation

The mother of all Flash games, is a simulation of what could happen if US attacks Iraq. It’s all hypothetical of course.

The BBC reports that there has been a backlash against the ID card scheme – so looks like people have been registering their opposition to it.

Sorry, but this article in the Times by John LeCarre really goes some way to understanding (or not) why the US is determined to beat Saddam and why the American public are blissfully unaware about what is really happening…

The Stop The War coalition are organising a second protest in London – hoping to capitalise on the current wave of pacifism spreading across the UK with hope of stopping yet more mindless destruction by US/UK troops in the Middle East.

Quite how a small middle eastern country who has been under sanctions for 11 years has the power to start launching nuclear missiles is anyone’s guess. Everyone talks about a war but I can’t describe it as that – what will happen is an invasion – in the unilateral way that the British Empire once attempted to take over the world. Surely military action with 100,000 US troops, air and naval resources will destroy the weak Iraqi army. That isn’t the point anyway – yes – there are atrocities going on within Iraq but military force will not stop this happening, now or in the future. All brute force will do is to stigmatise another generation of Middle Eastern people to view the US government as tyrants, terrorists and mass murderers…

Anyway, the date is 15th February 2002 for a noon start at Embankment. Hopefully more people I know will turn up this time – there will be a contingent coming down from Sheffield again.

Want to know more about the reasons why Iraq is being targetted when similar violations to UN resolutions are being broken in North Korea and Israel? The Washington Post has a good article on this subject.

IndyMedia UK is a genuinely independent news media site so you can get closer to the facts than the headlines that the corporate media present to us. At least we aren’t yet as corrupt as the USA, where six huge media corporations own the majority of print/screen/internet media output and an independent voice has all but disappeared.

Rant over 🙂

Its a right we in the UK have had for a long time, but not many people realise the value of this freedom. I’m talking about compulsory ID cards – the government is currently running a consultation on ID cards and you can make a stand against them if you feel strongly about it. Read this article too about how the government have made the consultation process notoriously difficult

Why would you want to do this? Surely cards will stop illegal immigrants, reduce fraud, improve efficiency of government departments.

Think about this:
– It will cost over 1.5 billion
And the government has failed to successfully implement almost every large IT system it has ever undertaken

– It won’t stop identity fraud
The technology gap between governments and organised crime worldwide has now narrowed to such an extent that even the most highly secure cards are available as blanks within weeks of their introduction

– It Won’t Stop Illegal Immigrant Workers
The black market operates illegal, dodgy employers won’t be requiring ID cards before they give them £20 cash in hand for a days work

Anyway, you won’t be required to use a card unless you wish to work, use the banking or health system, vote, buy a house, drive, travel or receive benefits.

Thanks to stand for this information. You should visit the site and help protect our freedom. If you think, why should I be worried, I don’t do anything wrong, then you are being naive – the powers and abuses that this card will give the police would be overwhelming.

To be brutally honest, I’d lose the damn thing every time I took it out with me anyway!