bucketFountain

Mahatma Gandhi said: “The science of war leads one to dictatorship pure and simple. The science of nonviolence can alone lead one to pure democracy”. I’ve been thinking about what our democracy really means in the light of so many democratic processes being ignored because they are inconvenient to the means of our political leaders. It seems to me that Bush and the Republicans are as much of a dictator as Saddam – they want their way and are determined to have it, in spite of the number of people, governments, and even the UN, telling him otherwise. Is our democracy just a front for a dictatroship?

Friday night: The guys at work have a DJ night every month or so. When I say a DJ night, I don’t exactly mean Fat Boy Slim. No disrespect to the technical ability of the DJ’s they get in, but it’s the music that they have to play. You know, West-Life, Celine Dion dance remixes, The Eagles, and the like. The dude dj-ing on Friday night liked dub. And in the middle of some top forty hits abomination he would lay in heaps of reverb. Beautiful. And the look on the faces of some of the punters! I think that they thought the guy was having ‘technical issues’….. After that we went to a bar which I managed to get myself thrown out of. Bastards.

St. Augustine tells the story of a pirate captured by Alexander the Great, who asked him “how he dares molest the sea.” “How dare you molest the whole world?” the pirate replied: “Because I do it with a little ship only, I am called a thief; you, doing it with a great navy, are called an Emperor.”

From Noam Chomsky’s “Pirates and Emperors, Old and New”

“He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would fully suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.”

— Albert Einstein


There was what we think was a murder down the road from here. Kind of weird, the ground floor flat has black tarps over the windows. Someone has laid flowers on the door step, and the police tape is still across the front door. I kept thinking about the neighbours and how they must feel knowing something so dark has occurred. I try to think what it would be like, knowing that an incredibly violent act had occurred under your own roof.

On a brighter note – the summer is a coming in. It makes such a difference seeing a little sun in the morning. And leaving work and being able to see where you are going.

George W = Claim Jumper


ahhh, I’m easy like a Sunday morning. And far out – my niece Hannah starts school tomorrow. Jeez I can’t believe that! It was only yesterday that she was born. I remember thinking at the time that it would seem like no time had passed until she started school. Fark.

Why is it that every time a republican gets elected as the president of the US, they start a war?

mr b: when the Soviet regime fell it exposed many of their lies. It also exposed your lies. I know that you are still lying to me.

mr b: Have the honour to say, “This is my war. It serves my interests. Voters who oppose my views do not have blood on their hands.”

This war is to defend and strengthen your own interests. Without remorse, you use the suffering of millions at the hands of Saddam as justification for a war for money. You may improve the situation for the Iraqi people in some way. But I feel that your $60 billion investment will bring a far greater return to you than it will the people of Iraq. Can I ask, what about Mugabe? What about Tibet? What about every other tyrant in the world? It is no coincidence that powerful western governments don’t give a shit about them.