Today, over 24,000 children died around the world

Despite the fact that you rarely hear about this in headlines, it is a fact that well over 24,000 Children died today, and nearly everyday, around the world. They were killed by poverty, hunger, illnesses and diseases that can be easily cured and better yet easily prevented.

The well known fact seems to be easily forgotten in our busy society. A child dies every 3 seconds. That is a hard fact to swallow and we seem to ignore it daily. About 16-17 Children die every minute. 9 Million Children die every year. From 2000-2007, our world lost about 79 Million Children.

It is the equivalent to the Haiti earthquake taking place on a 10 day cycle, or the 2004 Asian Tsunami.

According to UNICEF:

1 million Children are deprived of one or more services essential to survival and development.

148 million under 5's are underweight for their age.

101 million Children are not attending primary schools.

22 million Children have no regular immunization from disease.

8.8 million Children died before their fifth birthday in 2008.

4 million new borns are dying within the first month of life.

2 million Children under 15 are living with HIV.

Over 500,000 woman die each year from causes related to Child birth or pregnancy.

Burma

Burma is currently ruled by a dictatorship, charged by the United Nations with "crimes against humanity, for its systematic abuses of human rights. It is one of thee most brutal dictatorships in todays world.

While the population go without healthcare, education and food, the regime spends the majority of its budget only on the military. A sad, but undeniable truth, is that one in ten children die before the age of five.

In 1990 the country held elections, in which 82% of the vote was won by the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Aung San Suu Kyi has since been under House arrest and as of May 6th of this year the NLD have been banned by the Regime.

There are currently 2,100 political prisoners in Burma and NGO's and Human Rights groups have reported them tortured. Ko Mya Aye has been denied urgent medical treatment for a heart condition, as he lays in Taungyi Prison for leading a Student protest. Furthermore the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimated that 136 other prisoners are in bad health.

Men, Women and Children are in forced Labour, made to work for the Regime without pay. Many have suffered beatings, torture, rape and even murder. The International Labour Organisation committee on Burma said that Burma had made "totally inadequate" steps to change this.

The Regime is knowingly waging war on ethnic minorities. The Burmese Army have increased attacks on Karen civilians in Eastern Burma. On the 23rd of July the Burma Army soldiers burned 50 homes, a school and a church in the Dah Der village in the Mutraw District of the Karen state. 540 people fled into hiding. The Karens Women's Organisation has released a report documenting the horrors of the regime; crucifixion, burning people alive, raping and gang rape, burying women up to their heads, beating women to death and beheadings.

To find out more, and discover how you can help, visit http://www.burmacampaign.org

God Bless, Peace

The Current State of Ireland as a Nation

The Irish Free State is no more than a capitalist, power orientated, bear shaped hole in the world map. The constant Americanisation has done for Ireland what sins do for the soul.

The land of Saints and Scholars is no more as her morals are sold and squandered; those who align themselves with the proclamation of 1916 must feel like strangers on their own island, struggling to see where the desire for a workers orientated free Ireland died on the path along which the Celtic Tiger led us.

Her neutrality exists no more to be questioned, as US war planes fuel in Shannon to fly to decimate Iraq or wherever America deems fit next. Her abandonment of the dying people of Palestine, as they continue trade with Israel and refuse to throw out their ambassador, shows how quickly one can forget the help received from the likes of the Choctaw Tribes during An Gorta Mor.

After correspondence with the councillors of Dublin over the insane prospects of a state visit from an English Monarch I have come to finally accept that the people of the occupied territory have been cut lose, no longer considered an issue for Ireland. Seemingly our Irish citizenship is symbolic only of times gone by. The visit from the occupier is being warmly welcomed by those who are s'posed to represent the views of the people.

The welcoming of the English head of state, legitimises her claim of sovereignty over our island; it legitimises partition and it forgets the sons of Róisín who died for her freedom!

The Free State is a British state!

Anyone, who is revolutionary enough, to show a glimmer of hope, for an Ireland of which they can be proud, is painted as a dissident, living in the past and tarred with the same brush used against Ireland's armed rebels.

Yet there is hope, a candle still burning in the hearts of unfree or righteous men. It can be seen, placard in hand, marching the streets; for Palestine; for POWs; for workers; Yes the light is dim, but it burns!!

It may seem insane, but serious economic failure is probably the only future for Ireland. For people to turn to the left and rise up; to fight for the Ireland from tales of old.

Beidh Ár Lá Linn!!

Ardoyne Situation

So it has been a while since I posted anything here. Truth is, I've become rather fed up with everything. I want to discuss my opinions on the current trouble in Ardoyne. Firstly, I will discuss my opinion on the whole Orange Order, 11th/12th Nights and Orangefest.

The Bonfires of the 11th night, are completely unacceptable in a 21st Century society. I have blogged about this before so you can read that if you wish to know my opinions on the Bonfires.

Loyalist Bonfires: http://whatsachris.blogspot.com/2009/06/you-cant-decommision-attitudes-harsh.html

Republican Bonfires: http://whatsachris.blogspot.com/2009/08/republican-bonfire.html

On the Orange Orders own website it states that they "strenuously oppose the fatal errors and doctrines of the Church of Rome", and that they should "resist the ascendancy of that Church". This is blatant admission that the Orange Order are sectarian, in that they are antiCatholic. So, in this day and age where we are "Moving away from Sectarian divisions" in our City, the Belfast City council agrees to this farcical that is "Orangefest", trying to disguise this Sectarian bigotry as family fun. Then we have politicians claiming that it is a community event. Well, it clearly is not a community event. I would not be welcome at the "Festival" if I carried my tricolour, only if I carried a Union flag. So Orangefest is both antiCatholic and Loyalist only; It is not a family or community event.

So this leads me on to my opinions on the GARC's sit down protest.

I belief that the residents of the Ardoyne area are entitled to stage their protest, against this bigoted march through their area. The resident's of the area have staged their peaceful protest for the past few years, but what has it achieved? They still have not got dialogue with the Orange Order and the march still goes through their area. So this year I think it was right for the Residents to stage their sit down protest. Civil disobedience is a legal way of Protest and revolution. It was the soul solution to the downfall of Apartheid in South Africa. So at this I agree with the Protest. I think it was wrong for the police to remove the protesters by force, and completely unacceptable that they fired baton rounds.

However I can not give support to the constant riots. Many of these rioters are bored youths, without a political concept in their head. Not all of them, but many. I am sorry to say that I do not agree with the RSF opinion, that these people are defending their neighborhoods against British Police. These British Police would not have been there last night if not for the riots. Maybe on the 12th night you could use this argument, but not on the 13th Night. The 13th should be used to commemorate Martin Hurson who died after 46 days on the Hungerstrike.

I furthermore think that it is wrong for non residents to bus into the area to take advantage of the situation. If the people of the area called for Republicans to travel to their community in support then I myself would have gone, but they did not. This means, whether it was intentional or not, those that did travel Hijacked the protest, and marred the peaceful civil disobedience with violence.

At the end of the day do I condone the Loyalist, bigoted parades? No I do not. I believe there is no place in this society for this kind of contentious parading outside of their own areas. Do I condem the Residents sit down protest? No, I fully support their decision. Do I condem the youths rioting? No I do not. Society has failed these youths and they can not be completely condemned, though they must face responsibility. Do I condem the actions of those that are using these riots to their advantage? No, I do not agree with them but I have no right to condem them. My opinion is that all this trouble has done us great disadvantage.

The numbers of the Orange Order had reportedly fallen to 9000 across the occupied territory. That is a considerably lack of people in comparison to the years gone by. The lack of serious trouble over the past years has saw people lose interest and their numbers fall. This year will see a dramatic rise.

Beidh ár lá linn.

One must ask...

One must ask, if not for European Colonialisation, what kind of world we would live in today. If not for the likes of Imperialism or Empire building.

If not for the European Colonialisation of nearly all the world, would we have a so called "Third World"? Would Africa be a beautiful and prosperous continent? Had the likes of Germany, Belgium, Britain or France not pillaged and raped the nations in Africa, would South African Apartheid ever have happened? Would 800,000 people still have been slaughtered in Rwanda?

If not for the building of Empires, would Kashmir be the subject of conflict between India and Pakistan? Would Asia be such a poor continent?

Would the Natives, on the continent now known as America, still live in relative peace, indeed on the land and not in "reserves" like some kind of endangered species? Would Racism be as rife in the North of America as it is?

Would the people of Palestine suffer under the same degradation relayed unto them by Israeli occupation forces?

Would Irelands History be one of such Bloodshed, war and devision?

Had the rulers of the nations in Europe, not decided they were better than others and thus set out with the aim of proving it, would we live in the kind of world now that people often dream off?

Who knows what are world would be. But one thing for sure, if Colonialisation, Imperialism and War mongering are not dealt with, the Rwandan Genocide, South African Apartheid and the Holocaust will creep up on us time and time again.

The Issue of National Sovereignty

I want to address the arrogance of people who take the no interest in the issue of National Sovereignty on the island of Ireland. Whilst doing door to door canvassing this past two years, I have been met with the arrogance and smugness of people who feel they are superior to me on a moral basis because they vote for a "neutral" party, such as Alliance. I feel that for anyone to use the line "I want the parties to deal with real issues" to be arrogant and I personally can't have it. Let me explain why.

Firstly, anyone that votes Alliance is delusional to think that they are voting for a neutral party. Alliance are not a neutral party. On the issue of National Sovereignty, they are Unionist. They share office with Sinn Féin, but have made it clear given the choice they would rather not. They are not neutral, they are smart with words.

Secondly, the reason I can't handle that excuse is because of the obvious self interest it displays. For me, and hundreds of people like me, National Sovereignty is a real issue. It is an issue of major importance. To say you don't like the parties here because they don't deal with real issues really translates to "my real issues". If I was to state that I wouldn't vote for a party cause they are only interested in taxes and not real issues would be laughable; and it is just as laughable when one discusses national sovereignty in the same way.

It would be equally delusional to think that the parties here do not deal with real, or "bread and butter" issues. All the major parties here have proposals and mandates for the likes of general taxes, water charges, fuel charges, education, poverty, depravation etc. However the parties are also involved and have proposals for the issue of national sovereignty.

Now I feel I should address the issue of national sovereignty and why I deem it important. People that lack the interest in the issue, usually are unaware of why other people are. It is no secret to me that people deem the likes of me, as laughable paranoid fools living in the past. Very few people would take the time to ask me why, or try to find out my opinions on the issue. However I feel that if some one is going to judge me for my opinions on the issue they should at least take the time to educate themselves of what my opinions actually are.

So what are my opinions. Well it would be true that some of my issues come from the past. Having educated myself on the actions of British rule in my country I do honestly think that a free Ireland is the right thing to do. It is the only really way to get justice for our country. But it is so much deeper than that.

NOTE: This next paragraph will be the part that people will refuse as the paranoid rant of a "dissident Republican". I am not a dissident. People just don't want to admit that these things are true. Due to this fact however I will keep it to a short paragraph.

These unfair actions of British rule are still ongoing in our country. Last year, as I have stated many times before, the PSNI/RUC stopped and searched 110 people a day, including a three year old and her pram, under section 44, in Republican areas, according to their own figures. Since the European union have deemed this illegal, the PSNI/RUC have continued to use these searches. The British army where involved in a raid on the home of 3 Republicans in Derry last week. This is not speculation, they provided a document to the home owner stating who was searching the house. They only reason for this search was their membership with the 32CSM. I am not really a fan of the 32CSM, but I know that this is wrong. As was the case in 1981 (which I bring up due to its public attention), Republican prisoners in British gaols are denied political status. These same prisoners were not allowed to commemorate their fenian dead at easter when they were denied the right to wear their lily, despite the poppy being worn in the gaol every year. In republican areas, real criminals, the likes of Drug/Death dealers are more likely to receive protection from the PSNI/RUC in exchange for information on Republicans. The catch 22? The more criminals that are allowed such protection, the more people join the ranks of the armed organisations, wether it be the IRA or the likes of RAAD, who focus more on drugs than the issue of national sovereignty.

So now to address another reason I deem national sovereignty to be important. I am from a working class family. I deem the people to be important. I believe that the people, their rights and their well being should be more important than that of big businesses and banker interests. In a word I would be describe as a "socialist" and where as I use this word for simplicity, I don't really like it. I don't think their is a word to describe my political views.

I believe that governments should not be shirts and ties, and fancy cars and security and, as in the case with America, celebrities. The politicians should be working for the people, where as despite what every one of them says, we clearly work for them. I believe this is directly related to the issue of national sovereignty because whilst we live under British rule we will not be able to revolutionize the British institution in a way that will empower the people. The occupied territory is to small for any major changes to be made on their behalf. The fact that George Galloway has been removed from the house on various occasions for acting on behalf of the oppressed Palestinians shows this.

Before we can live in a truly socialist society, where by the people are empowered we must liberate ourselves from a country that still has a monarch. A single family who deem themselves more important than anyone else, for no other reason than their mother and father thought the same thing. We must liberate ourselves from a country that still has a colonial empire, by forced rule over Ireland. We need to liberate ourselves from a country that deems itself better than others. If this is the attitude of the government towards Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine or Iran, how can we expect that same government to respect the rights of six simple counties on an adjacent island? Britain believe that they have the right to have weapons, and spend huge amounts of our taxes on weaponry, and yet they somehow feel they have the right to demand that Iran does not have weapons; That Palestinians live under Israeli oppression and show no resistance.

We need to liberate Ireland, and begin to build the country imagined by all those who have died for it. An Ireland where the tricolour is not the only change to our government corridors, but the very foundations that the political institutions are based are also changed. Where everyone enjoys the same equality that Martin Luther King Jr had his dream about.

National Sovereignty is the only way we can bring the institutions right back to the beginning, and rebuild them. This is why it is a real issue, and an issue of major importance.

SDLP Westminster Manifesto

I would like to discuss and respond to the SDLP manifesto and the attitudes of the party in general.

Firstly, Ritchie begins her speech by saying Westminster is important, this doubled with SDLP denouncing abstensionism is hypocritical, considering the appalling attendance record or the SDLP in the past year. They have the lowest attendance record of anyone in Westminster, including independents. So Sinn Féin are condemned for not taking a salary or a seat, when the SDLP deem it okay to take a Salary, and may as well take no seat.

Sinn Féin do not take their seat, as they will not give any legitimacy to British occupation of Ireland. However Sinn Féin work in the corridors, where the real work is done, where the work is done for you and me.

At this stage Ritchie brings up what she calls a sectarian head count, referring to Sinn Féin's offer of a joint candidate in South Belfast and Fermanagh/South Tyrone, in response to the unionist joint candidate in the same area. Now wether one sees this as a stunt, tactic or legitimate political decision, the logic of the SDLP to this move is beyond incomprehensible.

To try and convince the electorate, that Sinn Féin's decision to pull out of South Belfast, is an attempt to seat an Unionist Politician is completely ridiculous. I honest believe that even the most hardened of anti PSF "dissidents" would find it hard to be convinced of this. I will say that in the same situation as the people of South Belfast, I would need a lot of convincing to vote for the likes of the SDLP, however I can see how Sinn Féin believe that this was a good move. It was in fact an act of "Nationalist Solidarity".

She claims she is planning for Irish unity. Now lets consider this for a second. The SDLP have no agenda or manifesto at this stage for Irish unity. The SDLP are a 6 County Party, and thus has no real understanding of the requirements, needs or desires of the people of the 26 counties of the partitionist free state. To claim any understanding of what is required for the unification of Ireland is ridiculous. This is the same party that said they are ut to "build a better Northern Ireland" and that their number one enemy was Sinn Féin. Not Capitalism, Elitism, Unionism, Loyalism or British Rule; Sinn Féin, the biggest Republican party in the Occupied Six. This statement means she deems the majority of the Republican electorate as enemies. Furthermore the SDLP are a Middle Class party, that are not in step with the people of the struggling working classes, and will not be able to instill a socialist Republic on this island.

To claim that any one party, let alone her own, can single handedly solve the economic crisis in the occupied region is actually so naive that I can't believe she believes this herself. She claims to believe in devolution but out rightly stood in the way of the devolution of Policing powers, albeit not at the same degree as the Ulster Unionists.

Quite a lot of the rest of her 12 minute talk is wrapped up in the usual political nonsense of "We will make everything better, but no I won't tell you how we plan to do it", as all Political manifestos has a habit off, that is no jibe at the SDLP.

Then she moves on to a United Ireland once again, claiming that her party believes in it. Where is the evidence of this however? And what kind of United Ireland does her party believe in? A Middle Class United Ireland? The very thing the people of Ireland rebelled against in the first place?

I mean let us get something straight, National Sovereignty for the people of Ireland, is only a single part of the Irish struggle. The struggle on our island is not so much about Dublin ruling Ireland. The struggle is about empowering the people, and empowering Ireland to be a great nation, not just economically, but socially. For the people of Ireland to live in peace in an equal society, where the money can't crush the workers. But back to the manifesto...

More of the same really.

The fact is that the SDLP has steered so far away from what they were started out to be. They no longer represent the working class, or nationalist people as a whole.

Críostóir MacAodha

Fighting occupation in Palestine

The UN reports that 70% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are now living in acute poverty, a figure comparable to poverty levels in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 50% are now dependent on food aid.

Palestinians are not victims of a natural disaster. The poverty they are suffering is an acknowledged product of the Israeli occupation. According to the UK government's Department for International Development: "Poverty in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is a product of occupation and conflict." Only by ending the occupation can the root causes of poverty be addressed.

Israel's recent assault on the people of Gaza in late 2008/early 2009 demonstrated the brutality of Israel's army. The assault left over 1400 people dead and thousands more injured. It marked the culmination of a policy of collective punishment practised by Israel against the people of Gaza over the past 2 years.

Israel imposed a state of siege on Gaza in 2007 turning the world’s most densely populated area of land into the world’s most densely populated prison. John Dugard the former UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories described the situation in Gaza before the attack as “collective strangulation” of a people.

Yet this is nothing new. Over the last 61 years Israel has continuously acted in defiance of UN resolutions, international law and global outrage. Through the continuing occupation, Israel has engaged in excessive and disproportionate force, house demolitions, targeted assassinations, detention of minors, detention without trial, attacks on water supplies, violation of the right to food and attacks on medical personnel and equipment. This, alongside the systematic and deliberate destruction of schools, hospitals, water systems, farmland and the building of an illegal Separation Wall, has destroyed any semblance of a Palestinian economy.

In addition, millions of Palestinians are still living with human rights abuses and crushing poverty in refugee camps as a result of the 'nakba', or catastrophe in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were driven from their homes 61 years ago in the displacement that made the state of Israel possible.

The international community has largely ignored international law with respect to Israel's crimes. Instead the British government amongst others has rewarded Israeli aggression with financial, military and diplomatic support.

The British government continues to license the sales of arms of Israel and in the first nine months of 2008 licensed the sale of 27 million pounds worth of military equipment.

As Israel's principal trading partner, the European Union has been called on to suspend the trading preferences which Israel enjoys as a result of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The Agreement is based upon respect for human rights, yet UN representatives have made clear these rights are regularly violated by Israeli forces.

Palestine is in crisis. We must put pressure on our government to play its part and end the injustice.

http://www.waronwant.org/campaigns/fighting-occupation-in-palestine

Dalai Lama

Just a comment I want to pass on something I heard a few days back and never got the chance to mention.

The Dalai Lama commented that the USA were champions of Democracy and human rights. I would seriously hope that this was a case of democratic politeness and nothing more.

How could anyone deem a nation built on genocide, violence and racist bigotry to be a champion of anything?

After "discovering" America, the vistors tried to commit genocide, on the natives. Then you have their fight for independence, as long as you were White. The very men who wrote with one hand "...all men are created equal", oppressed the black with the other.

Then Abraham Lincoln, is famed for liberating the slaves, despite the fact that he publically admitted he did so only to secure his union and had he been able to do so without liberating the slaves he would have done so.

So once black slaves were "liberated", they still were not held in equal standing. The government having dehumanised the black people, made way for the rise of racist groupings such as the KKK.

I won't go through their entire history, but you get the point.

God Bless, Peace

Marimba Ani on Obama

The European conquest of the mind of most of the people of Africa and Asia is their greatest achievement. Beneath this deadly onslaught lies a stultifying intellectual mystification that prevents Europe's political victims from thinking in a manner that would lead to authentic self determination. Intelectual decolonization is a prerequisite for the creation of successful political decolonization. We can proudly say that one of our people represents the most repressive, destructive, inhumane, anti-afrikan nation ever to have existed. Will we go down in "his" story as having finally capitulated and become satisfied with the evil that is represented in contemporary globalization, privatization and intulectual capitalism? Have we aborted our movement for freedom, liberation and soverignty? Or have we merely redefined that objective in "american" individualistic, "whats in it for me" terms? Have we "won"? Or have we simply taken the easier road, finding it more comfortable to be colonialized than to fight for Liberation? Are we excited about the possibility of being closer to the power than we have ever been. Even though that power rests on the exploitation, even murder, of Afrikans and other non-Europeans throughout the world? Have we even dared to ask ourselves what kind of person would want to be president of the United States of America?

- Marimba Ani

"...all that time on the Blanket wasn't wasted"

I know its been a long time since I had a proper post here. Being in my final stretch of university is keeping me on my toes, and sadly away from the political circles. However I have kept on top, still reading and watching as much as I can.

There has been plenty going on; policing and justice talks to name one thing. I will not bring his up in detail, other to say I was really unsatisfied with how it went about, and I am less than convinced, especially since we will be forced to wait longer to see how it plays out; I'll keep an eye open though.

On top of that we have Israel up it their usual tricks. Once again Israel are breaking international laws and once again the world are staying relatively quite, apart from a few Arab nations. Mossad, illegally obtain false passports, they stole the identity of innocent people and they sent a hit squad to kill a man. If an Arab "secret service" were to be involved in this kind of thing the world would near implode with condemnation, threats and most likely sanctions. However Israel obviously will get away with sending out their murder squads.

Anyway that is taking me miles away from my intention of writing here tonight. I felt compelled to write tonight in response to a letter response I read in the Art Issue. I just could not believe what I was reading. Obviously the letter was art related and so only the first paragraph is related and so I will transcribe that paragraph before passing judgement. This is what the "Art Doctor" Orme O'Bakery had to say:

"Dear David. Whoa there tiger. First of all, are you the same David Davidson who's regional operations manager for Sainsbury's in Northern Ireland? If so, well done on the bilingual branch in Andytown, it's nice to know that all that time on the blanket wasn't wasted after all"
- Orme O'Bakery

The letter then goes on to address a topic in relation to art. However I didn't get much further than this because this response completely threw me. I actually found myself rereading this 3 times before moving on. Is this what it has come too? Is this what all those men suffered the cold nights on the blanket in filthy cells for? Is this what 10 men ultimately died for? For a bilingual Sainsburys?

Here is why it baffles me:

1. The fact that some one can actually say that the time on the Blanket was not wasted, but still use the term "Northern Ireland", without questioning it.
2. The fact that they believe that having a single bilingual shop, in a land that is still occupied, where Irish men still struggle for freedom, is a success.
3. The Irish language is still not held in equal standing.
4. They mention the time on the blanket but fail to mention the price paid by Sands, Hughes, McCreesh, O'Hara, McDonnell, Hurson, Lynch, Doherty, McElwee or Devine.

The 10 aforementioned men gave their lives for political status, to legitimise the Republican cause in the eyes of the world. Their death was a turning point in the history of our Country and a turning point for the peace process of the occupied state. It was their lives that turned many men and women towards the ballot and away from the gun. Whether you believe this is what they died for or not, one can not argue that the Kesh concentration camp has had a huge impact on the direction this occupied state took. The long road to the ceasefires, GFA and ultimately the current Stormont government.

Despite this the Irish people still suffer under the occupier. 110 a day stopped under Section 44, which in itself breaks international law. John Brady hanged in Police Custody. Still no Irish Language act. Still no equality for Gaelic games.

People are more and more accepting the term Northern Ireland, and its use is merely legitimising British Rule. So to recognise the state of Northern Ireland and claim that the time on the blanket was not wasted is laughable at least and insulting at most. It is naive and ignorant.

"Britain Has no Right in Ireland, Never had any right in Ireland and never can have any right in Ireland"

- James Connolly

Until British rule and occupation has been completely and utterly banished from Irish shores then the "time on the blanket" has not ended and the Job is incomplete. We must take up our roles now. If British rule and Northern Ireland are accept and people refuse to oppose it the the time on the blanket was wasted and the lives of the 10 were squandered.

This is the exact attitude that will see the time on the blanket wasted and Irish Republicans must address this attitude now, before it settles and we see all those lives wasted.

I have nothing more to say just now but hopefully I will post again soon.

God Bless and Peace

Dr. Hajo Meyer - "The Misuse of the Holocaust for Political Purposes"

War Crimes in Gaza

I believe that everyone should watch this video. For some reason the Guardian do not agree with this video being imbedded so Im just posting a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLZgNy46aTQ

It investigates the cases of War Crime during the 23 days of the slaughter now being normalised by the name Operation Cast Lead.

God Bless
Peace

Ross Kemp Middle East: ISRAEL

This is a continuation obviously of the previous blog post and the show it refers too. This show starts with a tour of the places in which suicide bombs have taken place. It is an awful thing to hear. So many Young lives lost; It's not right, not in a supposed civilised world.

Let me make my position clear on this; I do not support bombing Supermarkets and Bus Stops. I do not support killing innocent people. However, when people are opressed history has shown time and time again that they nearly always turn to the gun and bomb, as they see little else that they can do. As a result I will not condem people who are responsible for this. I can not condem. I have no right to condem.

Anyway the show continues, and Ross Kemp goes to a training session for the IDF. The man he talks with makes it clear that they have a shoot to kill policy when it comes to those they designate as terrorists.

This show highlights that 24 people have been killed as a result of Bombs/Rockets from Gaza and in retaliation the Israeli forces have slaughtered 4000 Palestinians. The lives of the 24 is regretable. Whether it is 1 life, 24 lives or 4000 lives it is unacceptable. As a Pro Palestinian I do not support the deaths of these people, I do not believe it can be justified.. However this is the arguement used against Israel. The Israeli forces have used indiscriminate, unproportional, heavy handed response slaughtering thousands of innocent people. They have evicted the people, leaving them homeless. They have destroyed their livelyhoods by destroying such things as their Olive Grove's. They have broken the international laws by cliaming land over the green line.

This show highlights that while protesters throw stones, the Israeli forces fire bullets and tear gas and use Watercannons firing "Something very nasty, not just water". It is once again the arguement against the Israeli forces. Heavy handed oppression. Where is the justification for this action?

At this stage the show turns to the settler question. The settler that he chooses to talk to states clearly that she does not believe that the Arabs have rights to live in the area and using biblical language to prove this.

Now at this stage I would like to highlight, that despite what this woman states, the Old Testament, the scriptures that Jews study, states that the land belongs only to God. He gives the Israelites permission to live there, but the land belongs to God. However lets assume that they do have historical and religious rights to the land surely this accounts only for Religious Jews. How does this apply to non Religious Jews? The Israeli state allows settlements of secular Jews and takes land from the Palestinian Arabs to house these people?

I'm gonna cut this here, as opposed to commenting the whole show. But before I end I would like to clarify my position on the Palestinian cause.

I support Palestinian rights to live free from opression. Free from checkpoints and siege. I believe that the siege of Gaza must end. I believe that the checkpoints that stop the Palestinian people from travel in their own land must end. I believe that violence must come to an end. I believe that the construction of the segregation wall must come to an end and the current fortifications torn down. I believe that the state of Palestine needs to exist as a united state. Not a nation divided into the West Bank and the Gaza refugee camp. I believe that the continuation of settlements and land grabbing must halt now.

God Bless
Peace

Ross Kemp Middle East: GAZA

Tonight, Sunday the 17th January 2010, Sky1 is broadcasting a show called "Ross Kemp Middle East: GAZA", in similar style to his "Ross Kemp on Gangs" shows. I decided to watch it, obviously due to my deep interest in and support for the Palestinian cause.

From the beginning of the show you can tell that it is to present antiHamas / ProIsrael propagandha. Anytime Hamas is mentioned, he refers to them as "terrorists", despite the fact that they are a democratically elected governing body for Gaza. None of his sweeping anti Hamas statements are backed up with evidence or sources. He claims that the people he has spoken to do not like Hamas, but with no evidence of the conversations.

The first conversation shows only a man claiming he has no issues with Israelis, but only the opressive government.

He accuses Hamas of firing rockets into Israel continually. Despite the incredile decline in rockets and the fact that Hamas have yet to admit, or even be accused of firing rockets into Israel since the slaughter a year ago. He then talks to "Islamic Jihad", a militant organisation, and using Israeli figures claims that they have fired over a Thousand rockets in the past year. Independant figures claim it is alot less.

Israel has desimated the Gaza strip, starved the people and continues to leave them homeless, sick and dying. Ross Kemp's entire show belittles the entire situation. He focuses completely on the fact that militant organisations exist. He attacks the "smuggling trade". Now I can not see why this is a bad thing? Israel has blockaded the innocent people of the Gaza strip, doing all it can to make sure no aid, food or treats get into the refugee camp. So in this situation is it wrong that people smuggle in as much as they can to keep life going? The issue of the rising prices for smuggled goods is the fault completely of Israel. Stop blockading the people and this could not happen. Stop bombing smuggling tunnels. I will be as bold as to say, I fully support the smuggling of goods. Hamas have no control over these tunnels, according to the smugglers and actually stop Drugs coming in to the refugee camp. Of course the black propaganda of Israeli and American media will deny this.

However near the end he seems to have a slight change of heart as he realises that these "smugglers" need to do this to put food in the stomach of their Children.

He ignores completely the situation that is actually day to day life. Hundreds of thousands of Men, Women and Children left homeless, starving and dying because Israel has blocked the borders, and decimated the area with massive explosions, including weaponry so inhumane that it is illegal.

Over 50% of Gaza's population are under 18. Impressionable young people, who living under oppression become angry and obviously can see no other option but to Fight. On going Rights marches and protests through out Palestine, West Bank and Gaza, have failed time and time again. Even at these peaceful protests, Israeli forces have used heavy handed attacks on the people and have even killed protesters. What other options do these people see for themselves?

The only hope for these people is calling off the blockade of Gaza and allowing the people to live. Allowing the people to see that the people of Israel do not hate Palestinians. Justice will breed peace and without this what hope is there for the people of Israel and Palestine?

God Bless
Peace

Free Palestine

Mr. Robinson.

Just a quick update from me to highlight my opinions on the Robinson "scandal".

Firstly, I think Scandal is a bit much. Mrs Robinson cheated on her husband and is guilty of non parlimentary financial action. As a result she will be standing down.

In my opinion that is it over with. I can see no reason for Mr. Robinson to stand down. No man in this situation would have acted any different. If Peter Robinson stands down it would be a symbolic sacrifice that would not benifit the electorate.

Frankly I think fellow politicians and the media should leave him alone


- Posted on the move, from my iPod touch, there will be a longer update upon my arrival home.

Egypts role in Gaza Ghetto

Well I for one have had a great year and a great start to 2010. Sadly when can not say the same for the suffering people of Gaza.

A year on from the attempted genocide of The refugee's in the Gaza camp and they are still suffering under siege, suffering and in desperate need of aid.

As much as Israel are to blame for this siege I have said often that Egypt has closed a border with Gaza too, thus should share the blame of the terrible conditions forced upon Palestinians in the region.

People have often rebuked this opinion, but now will hopefully see that this is the case. During the year a 100 truck strong convoy, led by MP G Galloway drove via Egypt to Gaza. Since the suffering continues they tried again. This is when Egypt revealed her true colours.

So far the convey have been unhindered, but Egypt has desperately tried to prolong Gaza suffering and stop the Convoy. They first denied them entry but where beaten when the convoy went on Hunger Strike. However the unhelpful nature continued when Riot Police and water cannons were called to block the convoy.

When will nations realise heavy policing causes trouble, it rarely stops it. This escalated into a riot. 50 people injured.

Still Gaza lies in ruins, under siege and in need of aid. They must feel so alone in a world that allows such evils and still claims to be civilised.

The UN hasn't done enough. No nation has. The oppresors, Israel, can hold Gaza under siege, but I'm called anti semetic for standing boycotting Israel.

Viva Palestina.

God Bless
Peace


- Posted on the move, from my iPod touch, there will be a longer update upon my arrival home.