This Blog's now closed...

...but you can go to either of the following blogs that I intend to update more frequently, in other words: at all.

• Politix, Muzak and Blinkenlights
  Politics, Technology and Arts. Comments on politics (particularly of the U.S.), economics, general aspects of technology (like patents etc.), and music.
• Entweder und Oder
  Politics in Switzerland. Comments on economic policy such as privatisation and deregulation in Switzerland. In Deutsch.
• Ralph Sommerer's Budget Wisdom
  Software technology. Writings on all specific aspects of programming, especially Web programming, JavaScript and Microsoft .NET. Plus the odd slap at anyone within reach.

There should be something for everyone. I hope to see you on any of the above blogs. And this ends this posting and this blog.

He was so great because he was like me

When world leaders reflect on the life, the regency, and the legacy of Pope John Paul II they reveal more about themselves than about the pontiff who has just embarked on his final journey. The following is not meant to be disrespectful, by all means, but isn't it interesting how one's petty politics can shape the perception of the Pope?

I love freedom, and so did he
“The Catholic Church has lost its shepherd. The world has lost a champion of human freedom and a good and faithful servant of God has been called home. — U.S. President George W. Bush

I do what I think is good and right, and so did he
“Throughout a hard and often difficult life, he stood for social justice and on the side of the oppressed, whether as a young man facing the Nazi occupation in Poland or later in challenging the Communist regime. He never wavered, never flinched, in the struggle for what he thought was good and right.” — British Prime Minister Tony Blair

I'm 'Old Europe', and so was he
“He influenced the peaceful integration of Europe during his pontificate in many ways. Time and again he acted with wisdom and respect for cultures and people’s traditions to develop solutions to humanity’s problems. — German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder

America is good, and so was he
“In a certain sense he was 'American’. He enjoyed people. He had a great sense of humor. He was humble, all the things that America likes in their leaders, and I think we saw that in him, therefore we became very close to him. — Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington

I didn't know what to do about Kosovo and nobody listens to me, and neither did he
“I recall very fondly my meetings with him, particularly sitting with him in his private quarters discussing the question of war and peace when we were thinking about what to do in Kosovo." “He ... (was) extremely concerned about the world we lived in, and like me, he also felt that in war, all are losers.” — U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan

We want Israel out of Palestine, and so did he
He was “a great religious figure who devoted his life to defending the values of peace, freedom, justice and equality for all races and religions, as well as our people’s right to independence.” — Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas

I hate America, and so did he
“For us Catholics, John Paul II will be remembered as a traveling Pope ... and we should also remember he preached world peace. When the United States invaded Iraq, for example, John Paul II said it was an illegal and immoral act.” — President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez

I believe there was a right-wing conspiracy against me, and so did he
“In speaking powerfully and eloquently for mercy and reconciliation to people divided by old hatreds and persecuted by abuse of power, the Holy Father was a beacon of light not just for Catholics, but for all people.” — Former U.S. President Bill Clinton

I hate Communism, and so did he
“By combating the falsehoods of communism and proclaiming the true dignity of the individual, his was the moral force behind victory in the Cold War.” — Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

I have tentatively created a sompost blog over at MSN Spaces, and posted someting on Google's new Mapplication to see how it looks ("it" being spaces, not maps, although the post is on the latter, with "on" referring to subject, not host. Of course it is "on" spaces, hosting-wise. It's all very confusing). Well, MSN Spaces look nifty but there are only a few possibilities to customize the blog's appearance to one's taste. Also, commenting requires a passport account.

Dispatches from an Un-American (II)

There's a spoof report written by imaginary management consultants for Al-Qaida over on openDemocracy.net. Incidentally, I had pondered for quite a while a report of that kind of my own, a short "executive summary" of which I enclose below:

How to murder Americans with impunity in three simple steps

1. Become incorporated.
2. Donate handsomely to the GOP.
3. Kill Americans by polluting air, water, and soil with highly toxic substances.

Rationale

In the United States "freedom" means above all freedom to do business. Its stone-age capitalist economic system is heavily tilted towards the interests of business, and against those of ordinary people. As a business you are effectively free from environmental regulations, free from taxation, and free from any responsibility towards your workers and the people living around you. You can therefore pollute the environment with highly toxic substances and hence poison Americans without fear of retribution - as long as it is part of a business with a solid profit motive, preferably in the petrochemical and/or energy arena.

By donating to the GOP you are seen as a member of the Republican business community. Not only will the Republican establishment virtually guarantee that you can pollute and hence poison Americans with impunity, but they will also protect and shield you from litigation by people living within the polluted area. Furthermore, left-wing environmentalists who undoubtedly will be protesting the pollution of their community will be branded by Republicans as loony liberal anti-corporate eco-terrorists who hate freedom.

Note that murdering Americans through pollution is not necessarily as spectacular as flying an airplane into a building, but it can provide a steady stream of casualties, and at the same time guarantee you a first-class seat on an airplane leaving the country should anything go wrong.

I managed to land a comment on Eric Alterman's blog on MSNBC in the night of the US presidential election, and, boy, did I suck up to him. Unfortunately, the desired outcome did not materialize, and the dumber of the two won. Anyway, here's the proof (from Google's cache).

Dispatches from an Un-American

On MSNBC, there's a transcript of an interview by Andrea Mitchell of an anonymous career CIA officer (CIA insider says U.S. fighting wrong war). It contains the following exchange that everyone should read and savour:

Mitchell: Well, you say in your book that the reality is that there is a large and growing among the world's 1.3 billion Muslims against America, not because of a misunderstanding of America but because they understand our policies very well.
Anonymous: That's exactly right. I certainly believe that, and I think the substantial amount of polling that's been done by the Pew Trust and by other very reputable pollsters in the Islamic world indicate that most of the Islamic world believes they know exactly what we're up to, and that's to deny the Palestinians a country, to make sure that oil flows at prices that may seem outrageous to the American consumer, but are not market prices in the Islamist's eyes, supporting Russia against Chechnya. I think very coolly bin Laden has focused them on substance rather than rhetoric. And his rhetoric is only powerful because that is the case. He's focused them on U.S. policies.
Mitchell: You're saying that no amount of public diplomacy will reach the Muslim world and change their minds because they hate everything that we stand for.

Re-read the last question and let it sink in. It's not the infantile phrase "they hate everything that we stand for" -- more fitting to a 9-year old school child than a professional journalist -- which is so stunning. Rather, it's the self-indulgent, willful ignorance and pathetic simple mindedness that is displayed so innocently in the question. And this is precisely the problem.

As the anonymous CIA officer clearly states in his answer (and what the interviewer apparently disbelievingly imputes in the question), the Muslim world in general, and the insurgents in Iraq in particular, know precisely what the policies of the USA are. As for the latter, they know without a hint of doubt that the USA deposed of Saddam only because doing so was in the USA's interest. In other words, had it been in the interest of the USA to keep Saddam in power, he would still be nurtured and supported, precisely as he was when this was indeed the case. Call it cynicism, but don't mistake it as a "misunderstanding of America".

It is always a mistake to project one's preconceived ideas and misperceptions on others, but it is fatal when these are the result of ignorance. The Muslim world is anything but ignorant, and this is in stark contrast to the American public who is only too willing to believe the "hate freedom" rhetoric of this administration.

Fortunately, there are still a few Americans left (in both meanings of the word) who are prepared to see it, but it won't make any difference. It's possible that the anonymous CIA officer makes his "bold claims" only to scare the public into -- finally -- endorsing the Right Thing, irrespective of whether that appears to make the "turrsts" "win". But I have little hope that it would work, even if it were true.

Here's my second "topical haiku" on Guardian's site. I start getting a feel for it: a play with words, a play with images, and presto, it's there:

Thursday April 8

Winning hearts and minds
requires bombing Iraq
heart- and mindlessly

That's all for now. Gotta go!