BS: Stealing A Nation

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Wolfgang
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 07:39 AM

By and large he (Pilger) is unsympathetic to the view... that American democracy is the last best hope of everybody.

I fail see what in this sentence has led to the reactions of several posters.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Teribus
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 11:51 AM

Well let's see way back in the early 1940's the Royal Navy was desperately short of destroyers. So the USA, neutral at the time, gave the UK 50 old, obsolete, World War 1 vintage, destroyers in exchange for leased bases around the world, but mostly in the Carribean.

One was in Trinidad at a place that rejoices in the name Chagaramas. Now the US fully developed the place as a base and then low and behold when the lease expired they vacated the place and handed it back to the Trinidadian Government.

Now please tell me why in the case of the Chagos Island of Diego Garcia things should be any different? They are a British possession, not American, the Islanders have already been to law in the UK and it would appear that the legal system is 100% behind them. I dare say that, in general, the population of the UK is totally sympathetic to the Islanders cause - No British Government is going to buck that, the longest they could get away with it would be five years.

Chagos Island agreement expires in 2016, lets see what happens. Have any of the Democratic hopefuls said anything about vacating the islands early, after all they will not need them as a base if they are going to withdraw the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, so maybe the Islanders will get back as early as 2009.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: beardedbruce
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 11:59 AM

Rum And Coca Cola


If you ever go down Trinidad
They make you feel so very glad
Calypso sing and make up rhyme
Guarantee you one fine real good time

Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola
Go down Point Koomahnah
With mother and daughter
Workin' for the Yankee dollar

Beat it Man ... Beat it

A Yankee comes to Trinidad
They got the young girls all goin' mad
Young girls say they treat 'em nice
Make Trinidad like paradise

Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola
Go down Point Koomahnah
With mother and daughter
Workin' for the Yankee dollar   

From Chicachicaree to Mona's Isle
Native girls all dance and smile
Help soldier celebrate his leave
Make every day like New Year's Eve

Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola
Go down Point Koomahnah
Both mother and daughter
Workin' for the Yankee dollar

             It's a fact Man ... It's a fact

       Rum and Coca Cola
       Rum and Coca Cola

      Workin' for the Yankee dollar


From Wiki-

"
The Mudcat Cafe, a website devoted to folk musicology, has a forum thread that discusses the song, with postings that include the full lyrics of both the Lord Invader and Morey Amsterdam versions, as well as the lyrics to "L'Année Passée" and some alternative, more ribald lyrics for "Rum and Coca-Cola" that Amsterdam reportedly sang when entertaining troops. ("She wear grass skirt but that's O. K. / Yankee like to hit the hay.")
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_and_Coca-Cola"

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Dickey
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 12:11 PM

Who owns the ground where you are sitting right now?
Your government has eminent domain.

Where did your government get the eminent domain?
It was bought, stolen or seized from someone else or from another government.

Who was the original owner and do they still own it? If you keep digging, you will find layer upon layer of original owners.
Who knows? Adam and Eve? Monkeys? Bugs? Microbes?

Little Hawk has the right idea of ownership of land.

Tell 'em LH

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 12:41 PM

Yeah ... funny how philosophical people can become when it's someone else's property they're talking about ...

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: GUEST,ifor
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 01:36 PM

I heard John Pilger speak at the Hay on Wye Festival some three years ago and the giant marquee was packed to capacity ..about a thousand people had crammed into it to hear him talk about the Media and Iraq.
I have to disappoint Guest Crazy Horse and other Pilger bashers and report that the audience came in all ages and he had a standing ovation at the end.
I certainly don't think Pilger does what he is doing for the money ...he could have taken Murdoch's shilling a long time ago and become a wealthy individual...instead its great to see him on our side aiming his pen at the mighty and rapacious and doing a great job!
ifor

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 11:09 PM

Isn't this Pilger the guy who was one of the first to produce documentation about US sponsored 'detention & torture' in Iraq?

One could understand why he is hated by some...

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 10:23 AM

For years he took Maxwell's shilling.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Teribus
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 10:41 AM

Pilger one of the worst sort of "investigative" journalist possible. Typical example of the reason I hold their profession in such low esteem - He has his story written before he leaves his home or office. A Reporter is supposed to do just that - Report, factually and impartially.

If any doubt this -

Pilger's title - "To Steal a Nation" - It is both inaccurate and deliberately misleading.

Why no mention of the end date for the agreement to use Diego Garcia as a US Base? - Its Fact - But including that in his article just didn't help the storyline he set out to promote.

Very little of anything this man "reports", would I lend any great credance to.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 05:39 PM

Were the Bikini Islanders a nation?

Are we going to justify our thievery by saying, "Technically, they're not a nation so we can take their land if we want to."

Do we point out that the Bikini Islanders agreed to let the US use their island as a justification for what we did to it and to them? I mean, could they realistically refuse? Could they possibly know that it would be nuked and poisoned for generations to come?

Let's face it: if your skin is a little too brown and/or the eyes a little too slanted, it is perfectly permissible for light-colored people to do whatever they want to you or your land. And, when you point this out, these light-colored folk are the first to scream, "RACIST!!!!"