This morning, in a cynical volte face, Abdullah Abdullah, the leading challenger to incumbent, President Karzai, declared that the Afghan election was rigged, having previously declared himself the winner. Earlier speculation that the two candidates identified by a Free and Fair Elections spokesman as responsible for widespread intimidation and ballot-rigging in the Afghan election (Thus passim) [...]
Category Archives: democracy
Where's Gordon Brown in the Libyan desert storm?
August 23, 2009 – 7:12 pm
Over the past three days, as the Lockerbie ‘terrorist’ release turns into a full-blown international incident, we have heard not one word, or even a Twitter, from the man who saved the wurreld (and its banks). This is highly unusual; Gordon and his wife Sarah Twittered from Inverkilliecrankie, or wherever they are on holiday, catching [...]
Afghan elections declared free but not fair by EU fudgepackers
August 23, 2009 – 11:54 am
While resisting the temptation to say ‘we told you so’ (Thus passim) – it is glaringly evident that, as predicted, the Afghan elections were neither free nor fair. Except that by an extraordinary contortion of logic and semantics, the EU monitors have declared that they were ‘generally fair but not free.’ Well, thanks for putting [...]
"Can we fucking move on these people, goddamit?" Winning hearts and minds with the US marines in Helmand.
August 20, 2009 – 1:11 pm
Fuck yeah – if it’s fucking hearts and fucking minds you want to fucking win over, walk this way with the fucking US Marines. We’ll capture those fucking hearts and minds or tear the bastards out and shove them up their sorry goddam asses. By John J Kelly. Last night, BBC Newsnight aired a warning [...]
Ballot papers for the Afghan Rocky Horror Show Election on sale in bulk
August 18, 2009 – 2:23 pm
This morning, with two days to go, the BBC uncovered evidence of massive Afghan election fraud. Why are we not surprised? Leaving aside the fact that Thus reported this ‘possibility’ back in April, and again yesterday (see previous post) there have been several telltale signs that the promoters of Democracy Inc. are prepared to turn [...]
Should the Tories gag their inglourious basterds?
August 15, 2009 – 9:41 am
However good they are at wonking, David Cameron’s progressive Tories are continually belaboured by own goals from their own side. By John J Kelly. Just as the inhabitants of duck island were gingerly winding down the drawbridge on the moat, Alan Duncan upset the golf cart. The Shadow Leader of the Commons and representative on [...]
All things considered, Labour is finished. Next question?
July 25, 2009 – 11:35 pm
The Tories overturned a 5459 Labour majority by 7,348 votes in the Norwich by-election on Thursday in a decisive and pivotal victory. Their turnout was 6% lower than expected, but 70% of the Labour constituency stayed at home watching Big Brother. The Lib Dems came third as usual, giving the lie to those who perennially hope that [...]
Is this civil rights 2.0?
July 25, 2009 – 10:08 am
India just de-criminalised gay sex. That is a staggering fact, because it affects the sense of sexual freedom of 1 in every 6 human beings. Despite the fact that many of the laws currently being challenged date from colonial occupation, many in India identify this reform with dark forces of westernisation and globalisation rather than [...]
Afghanistan's 'democratic' election – a Karzai shoe-in aided by Western media indifference?
July 16, 2009 – 10:52 am
In the interests of transparency, I have made no secret of my support for Dr. Ashraf Ghani’s Presidential candidacy (Thus passim). I don’t know much about the other candidates (and should do) but it appears crazy to endorse the Karzai regime, which has presided over a culture of warlord cronyism and corruption which has increased [...]