Well hello there ladies and germs,
I’m having a great time sleeping 16hrs a day, getting drunk in the sun, and generally doing what makes me happy. Its all good, you gotta love the holidays.. Been watching the 24hr war comentary, which is all a bit morose. Am I the only one that got really emotional firstly, when they started bombing, and secondly when they paraded those POW’s on live TV? That’s the real meaning of reality television. Couldn’t sleep at night for thinking about it.
Glad to hear our Alex is still mad as a bag of laughing carrots..
And I have a new mobile telephone, the number of which I will update you with, v. soon.
Going to Barcelona in a fortnight, if my friends get their fingers out of their respective arses. Just for the weekend. Should be dead cheap.. fingers crossed. You’re all more than welcome to join us. I’d love to see y’awl. And what better venue?
Well, there is Edinburgh..
Hope you’re all fine. Take care.
-j. x
28-Mar-03 at 11:31 am | Permalink
What winds me up (like there are many things about the invasion that don’t wind me up) is the self-righteous reaction of the coalition when PoWs are shown – sorry, paraded – on TV. They’re hardly putting wigs and tutus on them and forcing them to Riverdance, are they?
I did feel particularly bad for the Iraqis ordered (forced at gunpoint?) to go out in their archaic T-55 tanks and meet the oncoming British in Challenger IIs. They were of course horribly killed without getting off a single shot in return.
28-Mar-03 at 1:37 pm | Permalink
Easy boy. I absolutely accept and agree with the fact that the coverage is completely one sided and just generally one piece of propaganda after another. Its war. Shit happens. I also accept the fact that the coalition are being hugely self righteous and hypocritical. (Lets face it, quoting the geneva convention after turning your back on the UN was a bad move) All i’m trying to say is that after watching those POW’s on telly, and the vacant look of death they had on their faces, I found it hard To roll over in my bed and drift off into quiet slumber.. Wigs and tutu’s? no. But yes they were paraded on live television infront of millions of people worldwide, including their families like pieces of meat. I found that hard to deal with. Period.
Tbh, i’m not so sure its the war i’m so vehemently against as the fact that in this day and age, none of this should be happening in the first place. Of course thats an incredibly naive, idealistic stance, and product of the fact that i’m a westerner, and a resident in a democratic country, where I can say what I like and not get tied to a stick, and slaughtered for it. War, for whatever reason is sickening. But, (and I know you’re going to wipe the floor with me for this) if we didnt go to war against Iraq, the regime that ritually commits genocide against thousand of Iraqi people every year, and forces every.iraqi.national to live their lives in fear of certain death would still be in place. Despite the UN, or anyone else. My position hasn’t changed. My problem is, i’m just not sure what my position is. War is so wrong. But so is whats happening.
31-Mar-03 at 2:53 pm | Permalink
silence.finito.de.musical..? do you hate me now?
31-Mar-03 at 4:52 pm | Permalink
how about this for dignity? Anyone shouting about that?
> if we didnt go to war against Iraq…genocide
(i) Iraq is a pretty nasty place, but there are far nastier places. We’re not invading their country for humanitarian reasons.
(ii) there is a humanitarian problem in Iraq, just like lots of other places. Is this the best way to deal with it? By blowing them away? No. If the US hadn’t wanted to invade, no-one else would have even thought of it.
(iii) a better quality of life for the Iraqis after this (if it happens) will be a good thing, but it will be at best a side issue, a bonus. Can you see the terrible, ominous cost in accepting shortsighted, uncontrollable US aggression?
In the end Iraq has to be run by the Iraqis, and as long as Saddam isn’t attacking other countries we have to let them get on with it. Just like we – peacefully – help other fucked-up countries to sort themselves out. As a last resort we send in the UN to help. The UN had this under control – Iraq was not going to blow up the western world or anyone else.
Basically we can’t let the US be the world’s judge, jury and executioner… today Iraq, tomorrow who fucking knows?