Jul

25

Imperialismo americano: la historia, en perspectiva, con frases

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In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, wether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist

General y Presidente de los EE.UU., Dwight Eisenhower, durante su discurso de despedida “FarewellRadio and Television Address to the American People” del 17 de enero de 1961

Historical data show a strong correlation between U.S. involvement in international situations and an increase in terrorist attacks against the United States

Defense Science Board – Citado en “Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire” de Chalrmers Johnson

We need a common enemy to unite us

Condoleeza Rice, Asesora de Seguridad Nacional – Citado en “High time for Condi, Colin to go” 23 de febrero de 2003

No matter how compelling America’s ideals, they still come wrapped in American power. People abroad may love the former, but they are inevitably suspicious of the latter. And if America falters in its application of its ideals, people around the world will believe that they are simply a smoke screen for its power

Fareed Zakaria “The previous superpower”, New York Times, Sunday Book Review, 27 de julio de 2003

Freedom is untidy. And free people are free to commit mistakes, and to commit crimes

Donald Rumsfeld, Secretario de Defensa – Citado en “Demonstration Effect” en Harper’s 306, Junio 2003, por Lewis H. Lapham

Let’s look at it simply. The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically, we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil

Wolfowitz – DefenseLink 2003

Jul

10

La historia se repite: cinismo en la ocupación de Bagdad

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La siguiente proclamación de la “”"liberación”"” de Bagdad podría parecer perfectamente redactada por el Pentágono, como una pantomima más de relaciones públicas de cara a CNN. Pero resulta que no.

Ojeando unos documentos de una biblioteca online, en la sección de documentación histórica de la Primera Guerra Mundial, encuentro la siguiente curiosísima proclamación (perdón por el “ladrillo”, y en inglés, pero es necesario leerlo entero para podérselo creer) encuentro esta increíble proclamación, cínica donde los haya, del Teniente General Sir Stanley Maude a los habitantes de Bagdad, poco después de la ocupación de la ciudad por parte de tropas inglesas:

To the People of Baghdad Vilayet: In the name of my King, and in the name of the peoples over whom he rules, I address you as follow:-
Our military operations have as their object the defeat of the enemy, and the driving of him from these territories. In order to complete this task, I am charged with absolute and supreme control of all regions in which British troops operate; but our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators. Since the days of Halaka your city and your lands have been subject to the tyranny of strangers, your palaces have fallen into ruins, your gardens have sunk in desolation, and your forefathers and yourselves have groaned in bondage. Your sons have been carried off to wars not of your seeking, your wealth has been stripped from you by unjust men and squandered in distant places.
Since the days of Midhat, the Turks have talked of reforms, yet do not the ruins and wastes of today testify the vanity of those promises?
It is the wish not only of my King and his peoples, but it is also the wish of the great nations with whom he is in alliance, that you should prosper even as in the past, when your lands were fertile, when your ancestors gave to the world literature, science, and art, and when Baghdad city was one of the wonders of the world.
Between your people and the dominions of my King there has been a close bond of interest. For 200 years have the merchants of Baghdad and Great Britain traded together in mutual profit and friendship. On the other hand, the Germans and the Turks, who have despoiled you and yours, have for 20 years made Baghdad a centre of power from which to assail the power of the British and the Allies of the British in Persia and Arabia. Therefore the British Government cannot remain indifferent as to what takes place in your country now or in the future, for in duty to the interests of the British people and their Allies, the British Government cannot risk that being done in Baghdad again which has been done by the Turks and Germans during the war.
But you people of Baghdad, whose commercial prosperity and whose safety from oppression and invasion must ever be a matter of the closest concern to the British Government, are not to understand that it is the wish of the British Government to impose upon you alien institutions. It is the hope of the British Government that the aspirations of your philosophers and writers shall be realised and that once again the people of Baghdad shall flourish, enjoying their wealth and substance under institutions which are in consonance with their sacred laws and their racial ideals. In Hedjaz the Arabs have expelled the Turks and Germans who oppressed them and proclaimed the Sherif Hussein as their King, and his Lordship rules in independence and freedom, and is the ally of the nations who are fighting against the power of Turkey and Germany; so indeed are the noble Arabs, the Lords of Koweyt, Nejd, and Asir. ??Many noble Arabs have perished in the cause of Arab freedom, at the hands of those alien rulers, the Turks, who oppressed them. It is the determination of the Government of Great Britain and the great Powers allied to Great Britain that these noble Arabs shall not have suffered in vain. It is the hope and desire of the British people and the nations in alliance with them that the Arab race may rise once more to greatness and renown among the peoples of the earth, and that it shall bind itself together to this end in unity and concord.
O people of Baghdad remember that for 26 generations you have suffered under strange tyrants who have ever endeavoured to set on Arab house against another in order that they might profit by your dissensions. This policy is abhorrent to Great Britain and her Allies, for there can be neither peace nor prosperity where there is enmity and misgovernment. Therefore I am commanded to invite you, through your nobles and elders and representatives, to participate in the management of your civil affairs in collaboration with the political representatives of Great Britain who accompany the British Army, so that you may be united with your kinsmen in North, East, South, and West in realising the aspirations of your race.

No comment. Imperialismo. La historia se repite. Sistema. Opresión. Burla…

Jul

28

Estado policial llega a las aulas

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Llamadme alarmista. No sé si será por haber visto “La ola” anoche (que compensó el mal sabor de boca que me dejó “Tres días con la familia” este fin de semana). Pero está claro que las actitudes fascistas me horrorizan, y este es un ejemplo de actitud fascista en las aulas: una chica de 14 años de Wisconsin, EEUU, fue arrestada por la policía, y su teléfono confiscado, por escribir SMS en clase de matemáticas ¡y ni siquiera estaba en un examen!. La soltaron tras pagar 298$ de fianza.

Si los profesores no saben conseguir respeto, mantener el orden, y educar con disciplina sin recurrir a guardias de seguridad o a la policía, es que algo falla en el sistema educativo, en los alumnos, y en la sociedad en general. El aparato represor del estado ni está ni debe estar para eso. La judicatura no se debe saturar con tales memeces. Estos son los primeros avisos. La primera fiebre, las primeras toses. O cambiamos TODO el sistema, y deprisa, o nos lamentaremos cuando se venga a bajo.

Jul

28

El gobierno USA sigue mintiendo en “casos de terrorismo”

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Como se puede ver en esta página de un informe del FBI (de mediados de mayo de este año) para un juicio en un caso de “terrorismo” contra cuatro hombres de Newburg, N.Y. acusados de planear el uso de “armas de destrucción masiva” (no les da vergüenza seguir empleando el término) en los EEUU, el agente Robert Fuller incluyó una anotación hablando de un informador (que aunque no se menciona, se puede averiguar, por desgracia para los informadores que creen estar anónimos y a salvo, que es Shahed Hussain, un hombre de 52 años de Albany).

Según el informe del agente Fuller, se supone que Hussain empezó a colaborar con el FBI tras ser arrestado por fraude en 2002, y que “fue condenado a 5 años de libertad condicional.”

Como se ve en el documento de la sentencia, eso es falso. Se declaró culpable el 16 de abril de 2003 y fue sentenciado el 30 de octubre de 2006 por el juez David Hurd a pagar una multa de $100 sin ninguna condicional.

¿Chapuzas en el trabajo antiterrorista, o simplemente mentira tras mentira para acaparar titulares y mantener “la guerra al terror” en el punto de mira de la ciudadanía manipulada y explotada?

Feb

8

Ni ética ni moral, somos deleznables

Filed Under English, Filosofí­a, General, Psicología, Sociedad y polí­tica | 1 Comment

Por lo menos según varios estudios (en inglés, of course) de la Harvard Business School:

Devastador.

Feb

4

Excelente parodia de Matrix en Windows

Filed Under CiberDerechos, Copyfight, English, Geek Fun, Humor y curiosidades, Otras cosas, Software Libre, Tecnologí­a | 1 Comment

Genial (nota: ver hasta el final)