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* Sunday January 29 2012: American William Blum is one of my favourite critics of American foreign policy. In an article called Iraq. Began with big lies. Ending with big lies. Never forget (Information Clearing House, Jan 03 2012) he noted ... how the modern, educated, advanced nation of Iraq was reduced to a quasi failed state; how the Americans, beginning in 1991, bombed for 12 years, with one dubious excuse or another; then invaded, then occupied, overthrew the government, tortured without inhibition, killed wantonly, ... how the people of that unhappy land lost everything - their homes, their schools, their electricity, their clean water, their environment, their neighborhoods, their mosques, their archaeology, their jobs, their careers, their professionals, their state-run enterprises, their physical health, their mental health, their health care, their welfare state, their women's rights, their religious tolerance, their safety, their security, their children, their parents, their past, their present, their future, their lives ... More than half the population either dead, wounded, traumatized, in prison, internally displaced, or in foreign exile ... The air, soil, water, blood, and genes drenched with depleted uranium ... the most awful birth defects ... unexploded cluster bombs lying anywhere in wait for children to pick them up ... a river of blood running alongside the Euphrates and Tigris ... through a country that may never be put back together again ... [more] It's hard to see that the people of Iraq are better off now than they were before the USA and its allies, including Australia, told great big lies and invaded their country. * Tonight in Chicago there is a reunion of everyone involved in the brilliant November 2010 Chicago Opera Vanguard production of my piece Boojum!. I would love to be there! * Friday January 27 2012: Oigle and Mum Zorro Dad Dave with Auntie Chuck shots taken a few days ago click on photos for larger versions * Tuesday January 03 2012: music and politics: It's an old story, but for some reason there was a reference to it on my facebook page this morning: it's Krystian Zimerman's shocking Disney Hall debut, in the Los Angeles Times, April 27 2009: Poland's Krystian Zimerman, widely regarded as one of the finest pianists in the world, created a furor Sunday night in his debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall when he announced this would be his last performance in America because of the nation's military policies overseas ... About 30 or 40 people in the audience walked out, some shouting obscenities. "Yes," he answered, "some people when they hear the word military start marching." Others remained but booed or yelled for him to shut up and play the piano. But many more cheered. Zimerman responded by saying that America has far finer things to export than the military, and he thanked those who support democracy ... [more] Those who walked out have no problem with music that supports, directly or implicitly, the status quo. It's when it presents a contrary view that we hear that "music and politics don't mix!" * In Seize the Chance to End the Craziness in North Korea (Information Clearing House, Jan 1 2012)), Eric Margolis writes: The US has hinted it will consider using tactical nuclear weapons against North Korea in the event of war. Nearly 30,000 US troops garrison South Korea; 70,000 more could swiftly intervene there along with powerful US naval and air units. North Korea keeps asking the US to sign a non-aggression pact in which Washington pledges not to attack the North. The North's modest nuclear program is mainly to deter a US attack by threatening a counter-strike on South Korea, Japan and Okinawa. Washington has long refused such a pact. Instead, it has ringed North Korea with military forces and imposing a punishing trade embargo that has played a major role in keeping the North in dire poverty. The US says North Korea's regime is brutal, illegitimate despotism with which it will only deal with the greatest reluctance and disgust. Yet the US supports many nasty dictatorships around the globe, such as Uzbekistan and Ethiopia. If the US really wants to end North Korea's nuclear program, the solution is to sign a non-aggression pact and end US trade sanctions. Both the US and South Korea should end their provocative military war games on North Korea's borders. Such posturing led to last year's military clashes. North Korea will have to end its nuclear program, agree to cease threats against neighbors that are a form of financial blackmail, reduce the size of its huge armed forces, move them away from the DMZ, and divert resources to feeding its people ... [more] A reader, Izrael Finklestein, responds: ... I must disagree that north korea dismantle its nuclear devices - we all saw the reward Qaddafi received from doing the same thing. Do not expect anyone to be that naive ... the dprk is starving because of the vicious trade embargo imposed upon it by usa ... this is economic warfare bordering on genocide ... Saddam Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction but pretended he did so that his enemies would not attack him. They attacked him anyway. * Sunday January 01 2012: A new year, a new blog ... For my 2011 blog, click 2011. Come back here in a few days' time for news, rants etc.

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page last updated January 29 2012