The Sunday Papers. "your choice always was" edition.

international | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis

Sunday June 05, 2005 19:46

by iosaf mac d. the ipsiphi

Verum opere in longo fas est obrepere somnum :: Indignor quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus

It has long been observed that on their non-banking days, people generally have more time to pursue their liberty & happiness, do their neverland things, enjoy the fruits of their labour, spend time with their family, relations, kids, friends. Some garden, some do long division sums, some protest, some even vote, some worry about themes of the day like War, Europe, Terminology, or indeed the themes of the immediate season - bird migration, global warming, Europe, War, sport or those which never go away such as Europe, War, whatever you understand by "babalon".

"we're on our way to the thrilling movies, & we'll know what we're going to watch when we get there"

The last week has seen three referenda celebrated in Europe on European Union affairs. The french and dutch rejected the draft constitution, and as of writing the results of the Swiss ratifications of Shengen and Dublin treaties are unknown.

The consequences of the rejection by arguably the most established european electorates (those of Netherlands and France) yet asked to ratify the expansion of the multi-layered economic, political, security, environmental, market, geographic and cultural treaties and accords in their first unitary presentation, a lengthy document of over 170 pages written by Valerie Giscard d'Estaing a former president of France have been far reaching and will continue for more time than any national state government relishes.

Set against the backdrop of a much weakened government in Germany (by regional elections) which faces early general elections in September, and equally important recent munical election defeats suffered by Italy's governing coalition, and the election to the third term of whomever it is that rules UK (they must be a dream team of expansive talents and hooded shadowy agenda touching occasionally on phantasmagoria, yet more on wanton popularism & all to often deepest nightmares) indications are that "€urope" is on the table. (The surgical, dining, coffee, café, mapping, observation & work table).

Thus 2005 will be the first summer in recent memory that sees a weakened western contintental european political class not really enjoy their holidays.

One of the important gigs, we remember is this year's G8, an annual farcical summit of the powerbrokers of neo-liberal globalisation, and the current representatives of some of the most ancient brokers of power who've enjoyed much the same seating arrangements, and been the subject or object of the diplomacy and commerce, war and death for most people's of the planet.

G8 is thus the modern "tippy toppy" terminology for
what is better understood as "the imperial congresses", the meetings which give us the treaties by which we measure our history and geography. & as tippy toppy terminologists, we have joined Lazarus by the gate demanding crumbs and worldly scraps of comfort and mercy for as long as any tippy toppy journalist cares to write up-

This year's G8 will see us: "the shadowy anarchists" and pals, retainers and charges, girl and boy friends, dogs, cats, and pets of all descriptions, try new tactics and do our best to avoid the tragic and completely avoidable deaths which have seen the main object of our epic and dramatic confrontation with those by whom we fight our global enemies, (for never forget they are only politicians and economists) which all to often is reduced to a mere scuffle with the local plod (with or without adecquate training, or license to firearms or not).

@.:.+*$/€

Lebanon has also gone to the polls in the Beirut and Southern sectors last week and today

Mid-asia.

The command structure in Afghanistan has altered, the opium crop is in its first harvesting, but Mr OBL hasn't been taken in yet.

SE asia Oceania

China is disputing asylum claims by a member of its diplomatic legation who is looking to australia for assistance, and the recent diplomatic conflict with Japan has cooled down, the european tour of visits by the imperial family are now seeing the first return dates, and Japanese contribution to the G8 will see the table set for new containment strategies on the Korean peninsula for early Autumn (autumn = fall if you're either a US or Canadian G8 delegate).

Ireland-
tá fhios agaibh, cad a smaoineamh mise.

My home & house and neighbouring surrounds-

France has begun the prime ministerial term of Dominque de Villepin who has asked for a 100day appraisal, which indeed "mon cheries" he'll get.
Tomorrow he meets representatives of the trade unions to discuss summer time, employment measures. This as any national state economy manager knows, will be quite a task especially in summer. & as any economist or €uropean integration "free-market-neo-liberal-globalisationist"
will happily tell you, it shall push the enveloped of free market interventions and tweaking of subsidies and selling off some family plate to achieve. {Perhaps they could see off the little forks no-one ever uses properly?)

Catalonia, is grand, getting along nicely, bit hot, but sure we have the mountains and the sea, football could be better, new bats have been noticed in the forests, but the prawn count is down, the tourists are still fun to laugh at, and we would be lying if we said it was all hunky dory, but this is sarcasm, - Use Your Imagination.

Spain, is facing a regional government election soon, which will see the founder of the PP, Mr Fraga, face his electorate in Galicia possibly and plausibly for the last time as president of the Xunta (the local government). This democratic process and consultation is being felt by many not least the PP themselves as a test of their future direction and relevance to the country. Yesterday saw all high level members of the PP including the former cabinet and prime minister Aznar (but with the exception of Fraga) attend a mass demonstration in Madrid called by the "victims of terror association" which numbered 1million (according to organisers) or 250,000 according to police.
Carrying banners such as "eta=mafia", "spain united will never be defeated", "no treaty", "no surrender" and so on, this demonstration saw the Zapatero regime challanged for the recent overtures and speculation that there may be moves to a treaty with eta. This use of democratic protest and expression may not be disregarded by the government and must be considered to have an effect on the galicia problem. Conversely, the leader of the illegalised basque party who was released on bail of 400,000€ has used his court appearances on friday to call tribute to a former leader of eta and batasuna who died in his 80s he is charged with being a leader of the illegalised group.

South & Central America-
things are very interesting, and more articles on the continent will appear on the newswire in the next month, meanwhile 'tis always worth learning spanish and portuguese.

Africa-
All to often the continent is reduced to cliché after cliché of gesture politics, popularism, weak references to the scourge of corruption and war.
Those problems of corruption and war, are not more or less important than exploitation, the lack of autonomous aid in health and education and effectively enforced international judicial process.
We shall therefore compare and contrast South America and Africa this coming month.

Levant & Maghreb "the islamic world"
There can be no shrinking away from the certainty that the first years of this century have brought increased instability and reactionary religious conservatism and generation immigration for the region. Mistakes have been made of appaling consequences and the escalation we have witnessed in set to continue and worsen.

Artic & antarctica
Exploration and investigation projects by scientific institutes increasingly supported and guided by multi-national-corporative entities has further compromised and weakend global accords on the inviobality of these territories, and the prohibition of their exploitation. There also melting. And we dont want to see the new Nestlé double directorship plan bottling artic water for the thirsty of africa on a massive profit quite yet.

Space.
One of the last frontiers, (the japanese are going to the centre of the earth) no-one can here you scream, stay out of it, there are now more effin satelites up there, which fucks your dish up, and now you need ever more sophisticated tracking software to move the motor. Other than that, if anything too radical happens i'll leave you a comment on the relevant thread (it always gets deleted).

Words & Phrases for the last week worth putting through the search engine on the left of the screen are - "europe", "homeless", "shoot to kill" & whatever you like, its your media, you want to look up bodily fluids, or crystal meth or neverland you do - tell us about it afterwards, and if its fit to publish you could do that too.

Last week's Sunday Papers "non! edition" was published in france and in french and did not have an online version, but "trusted pleni-potentiary" Eoin wrote a letter -
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70031
the previous was here, though if you're following the treasure hunt crossword thing, they often are not cross-referenced chronologically "dat be 2 easy" -
"the recollection of fools edition"-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69934
"the spanish inquistion edition"-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68419
"latin american summit Gaudalajara edition"
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=65290
"March for Peace 2004 edition"
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63941
"interlocking circles of influence" the first.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?id=28550