Da Fook

The United Nations top human rights official Navi Pillay raised alarm over attempts to cut Wikileaks funding sources and starve it for server space, saying that she felt it was endangering and "potentially violating Wikileaks right to freedom of expression."

"A landmark international treaty on civil and political rights protects the right to freedom of expression. Any restrictions placed on these freedoms must be both necessary and proportional," according to the former U.N. war crimes judge.

Now excuse me Navi but I didn't know that companies had rights to freedom of expression, even companies that read other people's mail without their permission. Individuals have rights to freedom of expression but they are not absolute. You can't yell fire in a theatre for instance.

But once again we have evidence of the ridiculous values and judgement exhibited at the United Nations. God save us from the Navi Pillays of this world.

***

On another front, hard to shed a tear for rioting students in Britain whining about high tuition rates. In the first place 9000 pounds a year is peanuts. (about $14,000.OO U.S.) And if you want to pound on the Prince's car and act like spoiled babies and riot in the streets you aren't going to get a lot of sympathy in any quarter.  Piss off and get jobs like the rest of us. Because you aren't entitled to shit.

***

Internet security experts say that tens of thousands of anarchist avengers have downloaded the Anonymous group's attack software since Assange was arrested. They have mounted concerted attacks on Amazon, Paypal, Mastercard, Visa and a host of other sites. But we must be careful not to interfere with their freedom of expression, mustn't we? Pardon me for my native cynicism, but I don't think these miscreants are powered by any ideological bent, more like destructive adolescents bent on mayhem.

***

Communism is not having its golden moment in latin america these days. Hugo Chavez is granting himself new emergency powers. He has already nationalized everything in sight and shut down most of the national opposition media in Venezuala. Why would any outside power invest in such a country, except well, maybe Iran, where you could have a little quid pro quo swap, terrorism for uranium?

***

Cuba showed its colors on thursday as well. Raoul sent his minions into the street to harass the ladies in white, the group of mothers and wives demonstrating for freedom and release of 75 dissidents, activists and social commentators who were arrested in 2003. The government alleges all the dissidents are yankee traitors paid by Washington to take down the revolution. The harassment is clearly orchestrated by the government, groups of thugs hurling insults and epithets at the women, calling them "worms" and "traitors." "Viva la revolucion!" they shouted, and "This street belongs to Fidel!"

U.S. subcontractor Alan Gross, who has been in jail in Cuba for more than a year without charges may be part of a prison swap with the United States in the future. Cuba accuses Gross of spying, while his family and the U.S. government say he was in Cuba as part of a USAID program to distribute communications equipment to the island's 1,500-strong Jewish community. The leaders of Havana's two main Jewish groups have denied having anything to do with him.

Cuba is no closer to having a representative democracy. Reportedly they are a year or two away from insolvency. One hoped that with Fidel stepping away from the limelight his brother would have had the chance to institute real reform but it looks like business as usual.

***

Daniel Ortega stacked the Nicaraguan Supreme Court and got a ruling delivered that he could usurp the constitution's two term presidential limit. He must be a tad uncomfortable with the Wikileaks revelations that he is financed by Chavez and tales of suitcases full of drug money. His stepdaughter, Zoilamerica Narvaez Murillo, accuses Ortega of having abused her since she was 11, a situation that she says started in 1979 and lasted for 19 years.

A new defense law would create paramilitary groups  and empower the Sandinistas to repress the opposition even more in the name of national security and defense of democracy. There is clearly something rotten going on in Managua.

***

One of the clumsiest moves the Obama administration has made was its behavior during the Honduran coup, when the populist president clearly tried to take power in a manner contrary to his country's constitution. I have little faith in the actions of this state department and nothing that gets divulged will really surprise me.


You take a look at the sad goings on in Latin America and under the communist regimes and you know, capitalism doesn't look so bad...