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

Yeah, good point. Why do the news people and all that ignore so much stuff? I always found it odd that when there was some disater somewhere they told us about it and would say that out of the hundreds or thousands killed, 4 were believed to be from the UK. It's almost as if other nationalities aren't as important.

That's appalling, Adib.

Thanks for the link to Human Rights Watch, KazSorrel, I've bookmarked it.

I actually weatched this program several months ago that was talking about this private leer jet used by America to transport suspects from America and other countries, where torture is not allowed, to countries like Egypt and Uzbekistan with out telling anyone about it. It was very interesting. There was a case of a Muslim asian man who was travelling from New York to London and was stopped in New York airport questioned and arrested. No body told his family where he was for several days and when they finally did they said they had in in custody as they suspected him of being a terrorist. By thetime the family was told this he had been put on that plane and transported to Egypt and was undergoing torture. They finally released him after several weeks (I think it was) as it was a case of mistaken identity and he was not who they where looking for. His family was not even told origianlly that he had been sent to Egypt.

Of course Americas excuse is the usual, we sent him there due to blah blah blah (reason) and did not send himn there to be tortured. The united states condehms torture blah blah blah, HYPOCRITES.

I think it was on at about 00:00 in the morning. Why is it all the programs about torture or a diferent angle than that being stated by the goverment is shown extremelly late at night?

Adib

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So as few people as possible will know! We can be as angry as we like, but They just continue to do this kind of thing, freely and for years to come. It makes me feel angry and helpless...

I suspect that the reason why subjects like torture and disasters in far-off lands don't usually get prime-time TV coverage or front-page headlines has at least as much to do with commercial calculation as with government suppressing the facts. The broadcasters/publishers think that there's only a limited number of people interested in knowing about depressing things that don't directly affect them, and pick their prorities accordingly. But of course, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: how can people care about such things if they don't hear about them? In fairness, there are honourable exceptions where you can get to hear about 'difficult' subjects, like the BBC's 'Newsnight' on TV and 'The Independent' newspaper, which is currently campaigning hard for electoral reform in Britain.

Sorry you're feeling so down, Apple. There's nothing for it but to keep on trying. Personally, I'm in a great mood after going to our new Liberal Democrat MP's victory party last night. There was definitely nothing wishy-washy about the punch they were serving there! I've made some new like-minded friends, and I can't wait for the next campaign now. It's great to feel that you've made a difference. OK, we haven't changed the world, but we've put a good guy into Parliament to give Blair a hard time.

How exactly does MMP work? It sounds a bit like the system used to elect the London Assembly, where you vote for a constituency representative but also, separately, for a party. Some seats are then awarded on a 'top-up' basis to make the proportion of seats held by each party in the Assembly roughly proportional to the votes cast for each party; so some of the Assembly's members represent a particular area, while others simply represent their party's supporters.

Hey have any of you read this?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050527/80/fjwu7.html

Adib

I have read other stories like this, its not unusual unfortunately.

Congratulations on your candidate's victory, Ormondroyd, it sounds like it was a celebration!

Yes, that's exactly how MMP works here - parties aren't able to get into Parliament unless they meet the 5% threshold, although, if they get a constituency seat, they can get other MPs in, even if they got only 3% of the popular vote. At first, some minor parties were against it, then they benefitted from it, and now the only party still opposed is the biggest of the right wing ones, who have lost by it, as smaller right wing parties have chipped away at their share of the vote. STV would have been a better system, but MMP was chosen in referenda and it's infinitely better than First Past the Post (FPP).

Oh, my goodness! I heard of Nazi troops doing things like that in Holland in the 1920s, my ex-boyfriend's family had their house invaded, as did the family of my best friend Ellen.

In Ellen's mother's case, all the soldiers wanted was afternoon tea and snacks!

There was a Jewish woman who left Isreal and she said some thing on the lines of...

'If Isreal wants to stop being likened to the Nazis, then they should stop behaving like the Nazis'.

Which goes to show that not all Jews are pro Isreal, infact on the Palestine demos that I some times go on, there are many jews. Usual orthodox Jews, you know the ones with the scull caps, black hats and black clothes.

They don't talk much but its good that they are there.

Adib

Yes, I have come across Jews who are against the practices of Israel - and mainly they are Orthodox..

Me too.

Its good to see the proof that races and nations are not all defined by one steotype anymore. Its something we all know, but the media often forgets it and takes the quick and easy description of all jews in Isreal being the same, when we all know they are not.

Life has never been black and white in the lazy way some people think. But then some people think the media tells the whole truth.

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Which is just strange! I have started reading (in the middle!) John Pilger's book 'Tell Me No Lies'...

It's brilliant!

My mother thinks that, she doesn't believe in thinking for herself. If I mention some of the stuff going on the world like the US government, either she doesn't believe me cause its not in her media or she doesn't care. Both parents are like that, sometimes I read something from new Scientist and my dad scoffs at it, hes an engineer and used to be on the ball with this stuff. Now he has let it go, doesn't research anymore and thinks the world has stayed the same. Mum trained as a scientist as well and only reads the local paper and historical romances.

Still, I havn't and won't let my brain goto waste like that. Its their choice and the choice of millions around the world sadly.

I read John Pilgers 'Hidden Agenda', very good stuff.

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Awesome lyrics, Adib!

Yes, John Pilger is amazing, isn't he? This book is a compilation of pieces from all sorts of people (JP himself, Martha Gelhorn, Seymour Hersh, Greg Palast etc.) Last night I was reading Greg Palast's articles about the 2000 USA election, and the 'purging' of supposed felons, from the Florida rolls. What infuriates me is the "Oh dear, how sad, never mind" attitude people have about that, and similar kinds of jiggery-pokery regarding the 2004 election! Why don't people care?