For 175 years the sect has counted among its strange proscriptions ... an absolute ban on worldly politics.

If you would have peace, prepare for war.

QUI DESIDERAT PACEM, BELLUM PRAEPARAT; NEMO PROVOCARE NE OFFENDERE AUDET QUEM INTELLIGET SUPERIOREM ESSE PUGNATUREM.

FLAVIUS VEGETIUS RENATUS, DE RE MILITARI, 390 B.C.E.

Whosoever desires peace prepares for war; no one provokes, nor dares to offend, those who they know know to be superior in battle.

Friday, April 21, 2006
CIA fires employee for leaking classified information
Jeannie Shawl at 4:22 PM ET

[JURIST] A US Central Intelligence Agency [official website] employee has been fired for leaking classified information and having unauthorized discussions with the media, CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said Friday. Though Gimigliano declined to elaborate, a law enforcement officer has said that the leak led to last November's report in the Washington Post detailing allegations that the CIA has operated secret prisons in Europe [JURIST report] for alleged al Qaeda detainees. The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a criminal investigation is also underway, but that has not yet been confirmed by the US Justice Department.

When the report of secret prisons came out in the press, members of Congress quickly called for an investigation into the source of the leak [JURIST report], and the Justice Department said that it would consider opening a criminal investigation [JURIST report] at the behest of the CIA.

AP has more.

[JURIST] The last meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights [official website] took place in Geneva Monday, as its replacement prepares to hold its first session on June 19. The UN Human Rights Council [JURIST news archive; UN backgrounder] was brought into being by a General Assembly resolution [text] earlier this month after five months of negotiations following the UN World Summit. The Commission, created in 1946, had been sharply criticized for allowing countries with continued human rights violations to win seats and protect each other from inquiries.

While originally inspired by the United States, the new Council faced objections [JURIST report] from the United States [official statement], Israel, the Marshall Islands, and Palau for not taking enough measures to prevent abusive countries from becoming members. US Ambassador Kevin Moley told the Associated Press, "The good news is that the commission is over. The bad news is that what replaces it isn't much better." The US has not announced whether it will seek election to the council.

AP has more.

unless and until everyone recognises that the club isn't really going to criticise itself too much, everyone is going to feel dissatisfied with any human rights body the club creates. especially when the club creates a body that it (a) refuses to fund properly, preventing it from actually doing much, and (b) refuses to give sufficient powers to, so it cannot do much unless 'invited' to intervene.

also, one wonders where the usa gets off whinging about the 'ineffectiveness' of any body that it proposes on the one hand, then objects too when it is formed. leads to suspicions of sensitivities to the possibility that the body might say things the usa does not like to hear ...

[also, are not the marshall islands a protectorate of the usa, or have i missed something?]

Quoting James McConvill's article on Online Opinion: "It’s time for positive politics" ...

The architect of positive psychology, Professor Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in his best-selling work, Authentic Happiness (Random House, 2002), that “people want more than just to correct their weaknesses. They want lives … with meaning, and not just to fidget until they die.”

While James' article calls for what he calls "Positive Politics" to replace the artificial Left and Right of current politics, I'm focussing on this quote.

I'm definitely wanting a life "with meaning" ... all this fidgeting just drives me bonkers.

For me, a life with meaning™ is not just about having a nice job, its also about being able to do something I find worthwhile.


To quote Depeche Mode: "Dream On" ...

since the electorate finished the emasculation of opposition in the federal arena at the last election, the coalition gets to have its cake, and eat it too.

there is genuine disquiet among the general membership of both houses of parliament, but the realities of party politics leaves little room for real dissent.

at the end of the day, the howard coalition have control of both houses, and can pretty much do whatever they like. howard and his inner team are savvy enough to know that they need to look strong and in control, without appearing to be completely arrogant. allowing backbenchers to mirror the concerns of their electorates allows those members to look strong to the people who vote, while still maintaining the appearance of party unity.

it's a win-win for our glorious leaders™, and it has the added benefit of taking the wind out of everyone else's sails.

unless, and until, the labor party - or anyone else - gets a grip on the way the game is being played now, and presents a coherent and believable alternative position, little will change. and in any event, the howard camp have several years of political domination ahead to get us used to the new program™ as they roll out massive social changes, one after the other.

fema could not have been surprised by the need to respond to the aftermath hurricane katrina.

surely fema's own louisiana disaster history alone would be enough evidence to establish that it would be likely to be required, wouldn't it?