‘Do they know its Christmas?’

Has Bob Geldof no shame. Have the poor of Africa not given him enough Christmas’s already? His last widely reported and highly profitable effort to transfer funding from the wallets of British pop music supporters to the Ethiopian warlords (who clearly enjoyed live aid more than anyone, except perhaps those participants whose careers were built on that stage) worked well for Sir Bob. Providing a multi-million pound fortune, the reputation of a ‘Saint’ and a knighthood.

And that was for what any basic research into the ways of African aid will show, ultimately causing more deaths than it sought to prevent. Certainly it’s difficult to disavow the notion that ‘Live aid’ money, as is symptomatic in the matter of western efforts to aid Africa, killed more hungry babies than it fed. One Million were at risk of starvation in 1985. UN statistics indicate Eleven Million at risk in 2004. Twenty years later its ten times worse for the African dispossessed, although a lot better for Bob and his inner circle.

How much did Live aid contribute to this increase? Whilst the first Live Aid moment could be interpreted as enthusiastic ignorance that coincidentally benefited a few individuals one can but wonder as to the reasoning this time around.

For whatever motives exist in the minds of Sir (saint) Bob and his cynically motivated band of publicity seekers with their perilously limited familiarity with Africa's historical association with Western aid, (beyond their management companies projections for target audience reach and its quantifiable sales effect on their audience perception), he invites the British public – whose tax dollars are already overworked in adding to the 100 000 Iraqi civilian casualties who will not be around at all this Christmas, to contribute further in helping wipe out yet more foreigners less fortunate than ourselves. And all the while remembering that Saint Bob and his mates are our guides to good conscience. At least Tony Blair doesn’t pretend that his version of foreign aid is intended as ‘help.

So when we raise this anthem of Sir Bobs ‘Do they know its Christmas’ to the top of our popular charts and transfer sums of conscience money into so called African Aid, are we in fact contributing to the continuance of Africa’s tragic manipulation by cynical westerners motivated principally by their own profit?

Are we assisting Sir Bob in manufacturing famine in exchange for a Christmas moral feel-good. Bob enjoys another nice African payday while the hungry Africans get the same chance of anything improving in their world as a result of our efforts as on the last occasion our popular culture rallied to the cause.

Or are we just confirming that we are institutionalised in conformity to a point that whatever the popular trend suggests, no matter how nonsensical, we will follow.

The imminent popular success of this song should provide an interesting indicator.

What happened in America?

I was walking down the Tow path earlier, having my afternoon inspection of the various pee points when I came across Max, the Rottweiler from Dresden, and Millicent, a feisty Scottie bitch.

They were discussing todays American election. And Millicent was trying to explain why Bush won. It went something like this. . . . . . . . . . . . .

There is a saying' You can never over estimate the public stupidity.'

Nowhere is this saying more true than in America at this time.

"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war
in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor,
for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword.
It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind
...And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch
and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed,
the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry.
Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded with patriotism,
will offer up all of their rights unto the leader, and gladly so.

How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."

--- William Shakespeare


Many great writers - from Shakespeare and before have identified the key elements that enables the unscrupulous to bend the will of the masses to serve their purpose.

Things have not changed that much through mans history. And those who ignore the mistakes of history are condemned to repeat them.

Remember Hitler was elected to government by a huge majority.

My own belief, said Millicent, is that people get the leaders they deserve.

In a poll taken of how the rest of the world would vote in a US election - Kerry won by a huge landslide.

A majority in the rest of the world sees George Bush as an idiot leader who has mismanaged his Countries resources - threatened world peace with his war mongering - squandered massive resources with his capitalist friendly anti environment stance and generally offended every English speaker who ever heard his inane ramblings. That is before we even start on the long term consequences of his 'profit for friends' war generating stance in foreign policy.

Any yet the American public voted him in?

This means a majority in America approve of what Bush stands for.

Who is this American public - and what share of the blame should they now assume for the consequences of this vote. A vote for George Bush is a vote for what?

Greed. Idiocy. War. Fundamentalist zealotry.

Bush won because there are more stupid Americans than not. He won the FAT vote. And the FAT Christian vote. And also the FAT CHRISTIAN greedy racist vote. That gave him the majority.

It is unlikely though that come the next election America will be better off for having elected Bush this time.

Bush won because America wants to invite terrorism to its shores. War creates jobs for the friends of Bush and his buddies. For Bush war is good. There is no profit in peace. War provides a common enemy. Americans - clearly being stupid - rely on the unifying effect that a common enemy provides. Bush is not the first leader to use the tactics of fear generation to bend the will of the masses.

The sad part in all of this is that we are in the year 2004. Mankind has made many advances in many areas - and yet - Americans - in 2004 are still STUPID enough to buy into this ignorance. And so this ignorance carries with it a consequence.

History shows us that those who invite war in are seldom disappointed..........

It was around then that my master made us leave...... so I dont know if Max killed Millicent or not.

Vote Bush

How did Bush win the election?

Who are the voters who disregarded the facts of Bush's miserable record in just about every category that determines leadership quality.

Here is my understanding.

The electorate is broken down into various target groups.
Along racial lines . Economic lines and so on. The Jewish vote. The Black vote etc.

Team Bush identified a new and growing area, and it was here that the election was won.

The FAT vote.

Fat people conform ideally to the stereotype of an 'opiated mass'.

Fat people - lacking self discipline - lacking self respect - dependent on massive daily doses of intake. As mindlessly addicted as any junkie. They are poor in character - socially dependent on low paid jobs to enable them to keep up their food habit. And best of all, they live in fear. Fear that they will not get to their next meal. They are non active - and so they watch more TV than healthy people. And this is ideal for programming them with TV imagery to reinforce their fear in a way that only President Bush can protect them from.

And because of this low nourishment fat inducing diet that defines them, their ability to exercise intelligent thought in anything beyond the next meal is a quality notably absent. As illustrated by the majority vote in the US election of 2004.

The Fat vote - sponsored by Macdonald's and Coca Cola.

The Fat people of America have spoken.

And you thought President Bush was an idiot?