h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Cass,

what like the cat and mouse now in Iran?

I saw it that the sanctions did bugger all but penalise the people of Iraq,everyone knew it, it disempowered and supressed them further.

I don't argue that the IMF and World Bank are far too anglo saxon, they are the cold hard face of capitalism, a world order (not conspiracy sense, it just is)

They can ague all they like that they kept the lid on WMD, still, nothing changed, Iraq were no furthur forward because 9/11 happened

There was no smoking gun, nothing

comparing those decisions to those that were made in the second world war, or the ones that were not, is just not possible, it is uncomparable

might have liked to fall back on what was a justifable war and associate themselves with that, Thatcher, Major or Blair have no such moral standing

Peanut

Cass

sorry forgot to say not a legal war, my bad forgetting the UN like that

Peanut

Peanut

Well there was rather ignorant press coverage about what WOMD means.. It does not mean ICBM's that would rain down on the UK.. During the Cold War new battle-field weapons of mass destruction had been developed and Iraq had already deployed them against Iran, the Kurds and the Sunnis. Moreover there had been the whole Supergun Project which seems to have been built to launch a new war against Israel.

As you say the whole question of sanctions has been quite a difficult one.. Mrs Thatcher consistently rejected Sanctions against South Africa under Apartheid, arguing that Africans from all the Front Line states were constantly trying to enter South Africa because life their under Apartheid was better than they could get 'back home'. Black people would have suffered more than anyone else, she argued: and perhaps the governments that people were fleeing from to go to SA deserved more action than SA?

But I was thinking that as an ex-schoolteacher the whole question of escalating sanctions,and the eventual need to take effective action to physically stop something happening was part of my working life, with repeated offences or continued defiance of all approaches requiring some escalation on my part.

As for Iraq and 9/11 clearly, as I said before, prior to 9/11 there was a bit of a mood that actually the USA could just get back to "minding its own business" and let the rest of the world "take it from here". Following the Fall of the Berlin Wall we had movement on Northern Ireland, on Apartheid and other such formerly intransigent problems.

But 9/11 showed the re-emergence of a new age of terrorism. And not just Al Qayeda


I wrote a couple of years ago of what appears to be something of an end of century, beginning of new century model. Since perhaps the fifteenth, certainly the sixteenth century, the 88-90 years of a century seem to see the start of a significant drive to bring about major change before the end of the century. These changes can create a new feeling of optimism about the chances of further change being accomplished by quite small groups who try to bring about major change through surgical acts of terrorism and assassination. Depending on particular circumstances and personell this causes the start of major wars either in the early years of the new century, in which case they may be over by the 13-15 years, or else the situation is such that the major war does not start until the 13-15 years.

This is not to argue that history repeats itself, but that the way that we think of our lives in time periods reflects certain ebbs and flows of optimism and pessimism. A new start is a new start.

On the basis of the great similarities with many aspects of the Twentieth Century I would not rule out all of these pin-pricks of terrorism and assassination producing a major war in 2014-5. But obviously the risks of such things happening are much greater when you have people like Saddam Hussein and Colonel Gadafi, or Kaiser Willhelm.

Cass

Cass

maybe it is late and I have enjoyed too much of the good things in life, food and wine but I am getting a little frustrated now.

Yes, Saddam used hideous weapons against his own people, but that didn't stop anyone bualking first time round, when push came to shoving him out and give him a good running away from did it? So long as your trade is secured

Do not use his crimes against his own people to try and justify our actions because in their own right they didn't prompt any action, it is a useful tool nothing else.

We can perfectly well get over gassings,Bhopals,Apartheid any number of things if it suits

Peanut

and I should definately be going to bed

if h2g2 doesn't work in the morning won't post till later in the day



Peanut

Peanut

Re the Gulf War- this was a "Rhineland situation" and the UN mandate merely sanctioned the use of force to liberate Kuwait. The invading forces could be chased back "down the road" but there was no mandate at that point for regime change, in fact as there was none in the Iraq War.

As I have said 1990 was an optmistic time when people could hope to resolve all kinds of issues by negotiation..

But it is also true that the OPEC Oil Crisis of 1973 had given a shock to the developed world by showing that the Oil Rich countries potentially had the capacity to impose three day working weeks etc..

Given the state of the world such a 40% reduction in the National Income of the countries that were able to give aid and support to the "developing world" was not selfish. And when 9/11 wiped 20% off of the asset value of the World I anticipated that this could mean the death of millions of people who could not be saved by aid unless the world recovered quickly, which it did.

Cass

Morning Cass

h2g2 seems to working today but can't say I am up to speed

off to the big smoke today so will see you later

Peanut

hi Peanut

Welcome to the smoke.. Is it your additional contribution that has made it so grey here today? (As he writes sunshine suddenly streaks in through window).. Is this an cultural trip with Hiccup, or Mum and daughter shopping-bonding?

Cass

Cass,

the expression on my face while shoe shopping could make whole counties grey I tell you and that is without the

The leavers school disco has been amercianised into a prom, we got a dress a while back, which to my relief is not a cinderella type thing so could be worn again,so we were on mission for shoes today

and once more I am relieved that they are shoes that could worn again, glittery platforms as it happens, she wanted something a bit different

I object on all levels to 'prom' except one, it is a special day for Hiccup, that trumps everything so I keep those objections to myself

We enjoyed ourselves and she keeps opening the box to have another look at them, so we have done good

Peanut

Hi Peanut

Platforms!! That takes me back.. For a while I made it to six feet tall - just about.

Sounds like Mum earned her spurs.. Greater love and all that...

Does she have to find a beau? Or is "sisters doing it for themselves" in vogue?

For some reason I feel a bit green round the gills myself today.. No good cause- apart from ....

[remembers a conversation that took off in B&Q on Saturday, that started chatting with an someone about fencing timber and took off when we discovered common ground in having French wives- he his first- me my one and only..at the best of times- we agreed quite an ordeal.. and its her birthday tomorrow with no real present idea, apart from the fact that we are taking her to Sadlers' Wells Ballet on Friday-- she has agreed under suffrance.. ah. well "Once more into the breech dear friends or close this wall up with our English dead.. In peace nothing so much becomes a man as honest *** and tranquility. But when the blast of war blows in our ears..."

Enjoy your evening

Cass

Peanut

So far I can only reply to threads that started with messages on my personal space.. Am I doing something wrong? Or is this just transition.

Cass

Cass,

This could well be a bug, I have seen a few posting about getting around.

I could post a bug report for you as you are stuck

Is what you are seeing today all new to you? White and blue with dolphins?

Can you read other conversations but not post to them?

Peanut

Hi Peanut

Well I saw all this some months back when we were still on BBC: but up to today I still had the black and yellow "stuff".. Today I got a "sorry page" and changed the Front Page link in my browser to come straight to it. I can access the content to read-- but "Reply" does not function.. Perhaps I have been 'black-balled'?.

Cass

Ok well if you are seeing the BBC style you are in Pliney and I can post a report on the bug test test page for Pliney.

you can change this in your settings

I'm not sure what black and yellow skin is, I think it is Brunel. Try that

Peanut

Cass,

it is 'preferances' on Pliny not 'settings'

Peanut

Cass,

I am finding that when I sign in by default it is going to Pliney.

I am getting around that by when I have signed I am clicking on a link I have in my favourites which takes me back to my usual skin

So, I think if you can change skins then save your page when signed in to your favourites you would be able to do that too

Peanut

Peanut

I went to Preferences changed to Pliny.. No good.. So I have changed back to Brunel and gone back to Google h2g2 and it seems that I can now reply in my old black and yellow format.

Cass

Cass,

so long as you are sorted

I'm going to serve tea

Peanut

I still had problems going to the Front Page- it changed to Pliny and told me I was lost.. But Alabaster seems OK.. I quite like these cheery colours..

Cass

Hi Cass

my giggling at your platforms and nearly being 6ft got lost yesterday by your entrappment by Pliney

have you been getting about ok today and are you still taken by alabaster - I'm a goo girl myself

Peanut