Good Riddance: Annan to leave envoy post

So Mr Annan will not renew his mandate on Syria that will expire at the end of the month. According to the BBC "In a news conference, he said the Syrian people "desperately need action" but criticised the UN Security Council for "finger-pointing and name-calling".

Great discovery. It took him six months to discover this, more than three and a half month to realize that his peace plan had not materialized (due mid-April) and would never materialize.

The regrets about his leaving by Putin (sic), that useless UN SG Ban Ki Moon, the Syrian foreign minister, UN Russian and American ambassadors mean nothing since these people are the most guilty for the situation in Syria.

Staying in his post for so long gave the opportunity to the Syrian regime to increase repression, killing more civilians, ignoring the aspirations of the Syrian people to end a 41 year family regime. The stupidity of the UN observers' mission to Syria, 300 people for 185,000 km2 (one per 600km2!) was another window dressing exercise that simply enabled Assad to increase repression. Not to talk about the risible EU sanctions towards Syria and the main representatives of its regime.

Annan should have resigned long ago, should have opposed the observers' mission, and, for a change should have had some dignity.

No wonder the Syrian people did not regret his departure, they who fight dictatorship and die for their freedom.

When Annan was appointed special envoy, I jumped but kept silent since miracles happen. I had no illusion but decided to wait and see. And what I expected happened, Annan acted as a diplomat, "brilliant diplomat and honest man" said Putin. This is enough to say that Annan, as usual, took good care of his image and reputation but failed in his mission.

I have known him since the mid-seventies and, apart once, I was never impressed by him. The one time was when he went to Iraq to prevent US bombing. We thought that he had succeeded and we, UN staff, greeted his (and his suave wife) in New York upon his return from Bagdad. But it did not work for long ...just gave more time to the US to prepare the war.

I will never forget that he had undermined the authority of the UN by letting many countries infiltrate so called gratis personnelf (all from their intelligence) in his department of peace keeping operations just not to refuse more mandates when he knew he did not have the resources to fulfil them; nor that he had sold that Department to France, a permanent member of the Security Council, to be elected UN SG in 1996; nor the fact that in spite of his statement that he would not seek re-election, he gladly "accepted" a second term; nor the way he dumped, literally, his very long standing assistant and advisor, E. L. for placing someone useful to his re-election in his cabinet; nor how he dumped a long standing high level official who had served him in difficult situation, B.S., for alleged corruption in the Oil for Food program ( 35 million dollars expenditures by the Volker Commission to find out that someone had not well justified 150,000$ income).

A too good diplomat to be efficient. Very successful since he kept a good reputation selling his soul to the main powers. A disaster for the UN, his ten year tenure was a good base for the current useless successor who continues in the mission to destroy what good is left of the UN.

Putin, Lavrov, Hu Jintao, Assad and Kofi Annan have the direct responsibility for the blood of the tens of thousands civilians and soldiers who fight the Syrian dictator. But the Arab leaders, France and the UK and USA are not less guilty.

Kofi Annan gave an opportunity to Russia, China and Assad to hide their cruelty and disregard for freedom behind his diplomacy. Let us hope that his belated departure will bring real change.

IDIOTS XXXI : FACEBOOK EDITORS

About 15 years ago I discovered with amazement that in the USA it was a "crime" to breast feed in public. I think that it is only 15 years ago that a law had to be approved in NY State declaring that breast feeding was not obscene. At around that time a grand ma had been arrested and fine by NY Police because her 4 year old grandson was peeing in the Park.
Now a read about the oDESK, the FACEBOOK publishing policy. And I read about what happened to an Italian who, to illustrate his post, had posted the picture of a black woman breast feeding a white  child. That post and picture were suppressed by Facebook and the user's profile had been suspended.
I remember the "scandal" of an ad by Benetton where with black hands over the nude breast of a white woman.
Nothing would have happened had they been black hands on a black nude breast or white hands on a white nude breast. But mixing races was not acceptable in Italy.
Was Facebook bigotry due to the different skin color of the baby and woman, or to the nude breast or both ? Whatever, idiots they are and idiots they remain.
What is even more idiotic is that the baby was clearly not white but a black albino. But this is too difficult to understand for idiots.

IDIOTS XXV: NEWT

Ok, if you are a poor child, "you have no habits of working and nobody around (you) who works".



Poor children "“ have no habit of showing up on Monday and staying all day or the concept of ’I do this and you give me cash,’ unless it’s illegal,” Gingrich said. *

 So let them be the janitors after school.

Gingrich forgets that in this way other children will become poorer because the janitors are already poor people badly paid.

We had enough of the other compassionate Christian, JW. Imagine another one.....

Let us see what happens today in South Carolina. He may still get it. But let him continue this way, more chances to keep Obama as President.

* ABC News, dec 1, 2011

Idiots XXIII : Hugo

An idiot is an idiot is an idiot, be it someone who selfdeclares to be on the left or on the right, be it a Muslim or a Jew, be it an American or a Chinese....
A few days ago, it was announced that the Argentinian President, Kristina Kirchner, had a cancer.
Chavez, Kirchner, Paraguay's Fernando Lugo, Brazil's Dilma Rousseff and former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have all been diagnosed recently with cancer. All of them are leftists.
So the brilliant Hugo Chavez wondered whether it was not all the fault of the Americans who would have developed a technology to induce cancer to leftists presidents.
Chavez started well, a few years ago but his brain seems to have collapsed over the recent past.
An idiot is an idiot and Chavez is one of them....

Bin Laden and the roots of the problem

We, old Europeans as Rumsfeld once called us, have always been told that in the USA you have the best, including the best business schools and the best schools of strategy. Now what should one learn there ? One would expect that you learn that when you have a problem, you try to find the roots of the problem and try to resolve the situation in such a way.

Now, we are told that Bin Laden is a problem. But is he the root of the problem or is he a byproduct of the problem. ?

Yesterday Bin Laden issued a statement. Among others he said :

"What […] Israel, the United States' ally, was doing in terms of bombing houses that shelter old people, women and children with US-made aircraft in Palestine were sufficient to prompt the sane among your rulers to distance themselves from this criminal gang.:

Our kinfolk in Palestine have been slain and severely tortured for nearly a century.

If we defend our people in Palestine, the world becomes agitated and allies itself against Muslims, unjustly and falsely, under the pretence of fighting terrorism.

If you were distressed by the deaths of your men and the men of your allies in Tunisia, Karachi, Failaka, Bali and Amman, remember our children who are killed in Palestine and Iraq everyday, remember our deaths in Khowst mosques and remember the premeditated killing of our people in weddings in Afghanistan.

If you were distressed by the killing of your nationals in Moscow, remember ours in Chechnya.

Why should fear, killing, destruction, displacement, orphaning and widowing continue to be our lot, while security, stability and happiness be your lot?
This is unfair. It is time that we get even.* “

All media have spoken about such message. But few reported it correctly and respecting its structure. Even a newspaper I consider serious, Le Monde, published on line incorrect and partial statements.
Now what is the core of the message ? That the war will continue until the Palestinian situation is resolved. Nothing new. And fully justified.

Look at the situation: about 11 million people (the total Jewish population in the USA and Israel °) are holding hostage the entire Western World and more due to their arrogant and violent policies in the Middle East.
And instead of start thinking at resolving seriously the roots of the problem, an advisor of Obama , Mr. David Axelrod, declared “[Bin Laden]is an assassin and we will continue our fight against him and Al Qada to protect the American People”. The only way to protect the American People, is to force Israel to recognize Palestine, to withdraw from the occupied territories and to dismantle all colonies. This is the way. And to keep a few million votes, Obama is going in the wrong direction. But probably, he did not read Bin Laden’s message….



* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2455845.stm
° http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jews

OBAMA AND ISRAEL

Yesterday Obama met Netanyahu. Late announcement of the visit, no cameras, no joint communiqué.

But the White House press release does not mention, again, the freeze of Israeli colonies and simple refers to Israel’s security.

During the day, however, the White House spokesman had stated that the US policy had not changed since decades and was for the end of colonies in occupied territories. Contradicting in this way Hillary Clinton (see http://aprile25.blogspot.com/2009/11/one-year-ago-obama-taking-power-had.html ).

It seems that she did it again. Or is it a game by the US diplomacy, two people, two contradicting positions ? When the US will understand that to stop Muslim fundamentalism and terrorism around the world, Israel must adhere to the UN Security Council Resolution 242 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_242 ) and withdraw from all occupied territories ? and that the World is tired of the lack of security created by the US Zionist lobby? A few million Americans holding the world hostage with their blind support of Israel.


Picture: Israeli army in occupied territories destroying the olive trees, symbol of peace. (moonofalabama.org )

BRAVO, BRAVISSIMO

Last night the House of representatives approved a revised Obama’s proposal for a new heath system. Finally, 96% of the Americans will have the possibility of having health care and the private lobbies will have real competition.

Sadly enough however, bigotry still prevailed and millions of American women will be deprived the right to decide about their own body or to have costly and/or illegal abortions. This is not freedom: freedom is choice. Nobody will force women who do not want it, to abort. But women who want or need, will not have such choice.

The fight is not over and Obama will face strong opposition in the Senate. Let us hope that he will prevail again. Health is a too serious matter to be left to profit making capitalists.

Bravo Obama, bravissimo.

Photo: AFP/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI

Idiots IX : If I were American, I would be dead by now

Certainly, I could have had more chances to die than in any other country because of an overdose.

Or because of a war in an unknown country.

Or because one of the 250 million firearms in the country.

But the majority of the Americans survive such hazards.

Indeed I might not be born, since the USA have one of the highest rate of newborn deaths in the world (and certainly the highest among the so-called rich countries.

But I would certainly have died during the past three years since the doctors discovered my cancer: my private insurance would certainly have stopped my coverage and I would not have had the money for the costly required treatments.
Provided I had an insurance and I were not among the 45 million Americans without any medical coverage !

And these idiots oppose Obama’s plan. No wonder the Republicans are behind the boycott: a national health scheme would cost much less than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their friends in the military industry would not be able to make money and finance the Republican political campaigns.

I was thinking that there was no more stupid country than Italy that elects amd keeps in power Berlusconi. Now I think that I found an even more stupid: the USA.

Photo: sodahead.com

Sudan and democratic countries

Photo : Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir


So, the Arab League condemned the indictment of Bashir of Sudan. But what is the Arab League ? 22 countries as follows : Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Lybia, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrein, Mauritania, Somalia, PLO, Djibuti, Comoros. Out of them, only Djibouti is member of the International Criminal Court.

Try to find a democratic country among them....Lebanon may-be.

So what a surprise that they defend Bashir, one of them.

Then the Afican Union, also potested: only 30 African countries out of 50 are members of the ICC. And too many presidents are life presidents. Few African countries have real democracy. So the African Union had to defend Bashir: who knows who may be the next ? likely an African "leader"but which one ? They complain that the ICC is targeting Africa. Apart from the fact that this is not true, why not ? The African contient is the one with the largest numbers of dictators....and fake democracies.

Icing on the cake, China called the UN Security Council to suspend the ICC indictment. Russia in not against this initiative. But the US, strong opposers of the ICC, suddeenly support it.... Worth recalling that neither China, nor the US nor Russia are members of the ICC, but permanent members of the Security Council. As stated some months agon on this blog, what credibility can have the UN with such a Security Council, one of the last leftovers of the second world war.

China is well known for its democracy: and its need of oil is their way to measure civil rights. Support Tibet and you are an imperialist. Support the ICC and you are an imperialist anti-democratic and possibly racist.

I do not know what is more shameful: the Arab League, the African Union, China. But it is clear, if anybody had any doubt, that none of them has any moral credibility and that ,member states of the AU or AL who have not opposed the statements of their associations,do not deserve any consideration as civilized countries.

One should not forget it when the Durban 2 conference will meet in Geneva.

Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_al-Bashir

International Criminal Court (ICC)

A few hours ago the ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s president Bashir. This is good news. It was long overdue, as it is overdue for many other presidents starting from Mugabe. One wonders why such a warrant was not issued for GW for Iraq, for Putin for Thectchnia or Livni for Palestine.

This however does not diminish the value of such a step.

And it is interesting to see the first reactions as of now :

- the African Union, that just elected Gaddafi as its leader wondered why the ICC seem (tot hem !) to apply its rules to Africans only. Apart from the fact that they seem to ignore the recent trials for former Yugoslavia, which, to our understanding, is not in Africa, they miss the point: a criminal is a criminal, wherever he is. The AU’s reaction is simply shameful.
- Russia, Ethiopia and Egypt, well known for their democratic policies, have criticized the indictment.
- the USA, that does not recognize the ICC, started defending it (but would never accept US nationals indicted by that court !)

What is going to be most interesting is that the ICC will send a request for assistance to the UN Security Council. And there, three of the five permanent members, the USA, Russia and China, do not recognize the ICC.

Finally, indeed the AU is right in its complaints : the ICC should have also indicted the Chinese authorities who have been supporting Sudan in spite of the genocide in Darfour and who, through their support, for oil interests, just facilitated the mass killings.

Of course the African “leaders” are concerned: they can be the next target. And rightly so. In a recent article in La Repubblica, it was shown that 40% of the life presidents are Africans. And we know how they made it. Let us hope that this indictment will start a cleaning process of African “leaders”: it is time. And we should all keep note of those African, and non African, leaders such as the Russian President Medvedev, who will support Bashir .They should be the next to be indicted.

These are the first remarks immediately after the news of the indictment. I will probably come back on this later in the week.


Photo : sudanwatch.blogspot.com

The Vatican arrogance

After Obama cancelled the “Mexico City Policy” of non financing organizations that do not exclude abortion as a tool of family planning, the Vartican and the catholic church in general attacked him. Apart from the usual arguments (defending life etc) I was stunned by one comment : “Monsignor” Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Academy for life accused Obama of the “arrogance typical of those who believe that they are right”.

A few days earlier, the Turin Cardinal, Poletto, reacting to a statement by the Region’s President about the readiness of its public structures to deal finally with the case of a lady who has been in coma for the past 16 years and whose right to die has been challenged by the Church and the right wing politicians (for selfish political interest) stated that “God’s law is above the human law”.

And remember the Popes traveling to Africa and making speeches against the use of condoms, right in those areas where AIDS is decimating the population.

Who says that they are right ? self-serving auto-certification on the basis of a smoky philosophy of natural law ?

Aren’t they arrogant ? it was good to read these days that Rabbis reminded the Church that for Jews, human law must be respected. On the contrary, bishops and the Vatican, especially in Italy, Spain and the USA, call for non respect of State laws, want to dictate to the States what the laws must be.

Monsignor Fisichella and Cardinal Poletto missed an opportunity to shut up showing that the arrogance lies with the Catholic Church. But it may be a reaction to their constant decline in influence and power. A real reactionary policy.

Photo: http://www.videocomunicazioni.com/uploads/2008/04/fisichella.jpg

Visions

I rarely enjoyed any written political commentary as much as the Maureen Dowd Op-eda in the NYT of 21 January. I read part of it in Italian and managed to locate it in its original version. I cannot do anything else but reproduce part of it. A real piece of excellent literature


“Exit the Boy King
By MAUREEN DOWD,


“WASHINGTON

It was the Instant the Earth Stood Still.

Not since Klaatu landed in a flying saucer on the Ellipse has Washington been so mesmerized by an object
whirring through the sky

But this one was departing, not arriving.

As W. ceased to be president, he flew off over the Capitol and across the Mall en route to Andrews Air Force Base, and then back to Texas.

I’ve seen many presidents come and go, but I’ve never watched a tableau like the one Tuesday, when four million eyes turned heavenward, following the helicopter’s path out of town. Everyone, it seemed, was waving goodbye, with one or two hands, a wave that moved westward down the Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial, and keeping their eyes fixed unwaveringly on that green bird.

They wanted to make absolutely, positively certain that W. was gone. It was like a physical burden being lifted, like a sigh went up of “Thank God. Has Cheney’s wheelchair left the building, too?”
The crowd was exuberant that George Bush was now an ex-president, and 43 himself was jovial “the way he always is,” according to his last press secretary, Dana Perino.

It was like a catharsis in Greek drama, with the antagonist plucked out of the scene into the sky, and the protagonist dropping into the scene to magically fix all the problems. Except Barack Obama’s somber mien and restrained oratory conveyed that he’s no divinity and there will be no easy resolution to this plot.

It was a morning of such enormous emotion and portent — jaw-dropping, Dow-dropping and barrierdropping — that even the cool new president had to feel daunted to see his blocks-long motorcade and two million hope-besotted faces beaming up at him, dreaming that he can save their shirts.” 1

What a vision ! it compensates my disarray when I read that 30,000 people had been waiting to applaude GW landing in Dallas.

1 The New Yotk Times, 21 January 2009, Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

Picture : http://icestationtango.blogspot.com/2009/01/bush-is-leaving-movement-is-staying.html

Obama 2: Bravo

I am one of those who did not react to much at Obama’s election. Certainly I spent the night awake to follow the elections, certainly I welcomed the fact that the Democrats gained both houses and that the Republicans lost power.

But I am always doubtful about the Americans, their religious values, their conviction that they are the best and that their role is to lead the world.
So I was waiting to see what Obama would do.

Of couurse I welcomed the decisions taken on the first day and for imposing the return of the USA to the rule of law. But, as I said, all what he had done the first day, was normal, was nothing special. We all welcomed and praised Obama just for being a normal democrat.

However, after three days in power, I can only say Bravo.

Bravo of course for deciding to close Guantanamo.

Bravo for imposing what should be normal: the respect of the Geneva Convention.

Bravo for banning torture.

Bravo for taking immediately an initiative on the Middle East.

Bravo for re-establishing the funding to UNFPA and NGOs working for family planning, without excluding abortions.

Bravo for sending to the world a message of hope. And for showing since the first days in power that he is real and that he is more radical than he had to appear during the presidential election campaign.

Of course the opposition has started. And it will probably be stronger and stronger. Hopefully his supporters will not dump him.

Finally, after so long, a real leader, not an idiot like Berlusconi or Sarkozy or a criminal like Putin and Olmert.

As far as I am concerned, the solution of the Middle East crisis will be the issue for me to determine whether Obama may mean a new start for the world after so many years of regression. Wait and see.

Obama 1: let's get real

(this is the first of a series of articles I will devote to Obama’s election)

So Obama is President since two days.

He decided to close Guantanamo.
He decided to stop torture.
He decided to respect the Geneva Convention.
He called the President of the Palestinian authority before calling Olmert
He is concerned about peace in the Middle East.

And everybody is excited.

But why ? What did he do special ? Isn’t it normal what he did ?

He simply decided to respect the American Constitution and the International law.
He simply decided that it was time for America to be a “normal civilized state” as it used to make people believe it was..

So why are all people excited ? Simply because we got so used to crooks, idiots, dishonest politicians such as GW, Berlusconi, Sarkozy and even Blair.

I welcome the initiatives of Obama. But this does not mean that he is special. He is simply normal. And we, over the last years, we had lost the concept of normality.

Good start Obama, but it is not enough. Let us wait and see the next steps


Photo: freedomlibertadiparola.blogspot.com

Apologies

(received via Email from Hungarian friend)

Dear World,

We, the United States of America, your top quality supplier of ideals of democracy, would like to apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption in service. The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has been located, and the software responsible was replaced November 4. Early tests of the newly installed program indicate that we are now operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully functional on January 20. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward to resuming full service and hope to improve in years to come. We thank you for your patience and understanding,


Sincerely,
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Symbol of Peace ?

We all learned about the Olive tree as sign of Peace. One of the most abused symbol is the dove with an olive branch first described in the Book of Genesis. It seems however that the Israelis have forgotten about it.

The colons and the army cut olive trees, the main resource of many Palestinians, the result of tens of years of efforts to grow them, thus destroying morally and materially the owners lives and history. Israelis incorporate fields of olive trees into their security perimeter, behind the wall (does anybody remember of the iron wall so much criticized by the “free world” ?) forbidding the Palestinian owners to care for and harvest them.

This is their way build peace : to cultivate hatre so that pace will be impossible. So obvious, only they and the US administration do not seem to see it and peace is every day more difficult to achieve.

Picture: Kevin Frayer/AP from msn

The Fourth Punic war

The other day, Libya did forbid Swiss airlines to land on its sacred land. Why so? Hannibal of course. The Fourth Punic War is ongoing since Hannibal Gaddafi (and his wife) was arrested in Geneva for holding two housekeepers almost as prisoners. To the point that the workers of the hotel they were staying did call the Police.

Instead of being ashamed, the Gaddafi family started complaining about the Swiss authorities and even held two Swiss citizens hostage in prison. Now the retaliation against the Swiss planes (which by the way have only the name Swiss but belong to Lufthansa! but can you ask the Libyans to know all this?

If you think that recently the USA suspended all sanctions against Libya (but Americans were the most active for Libyan oil, still...), that the EU started negotiating with it again, that Sarkozy and Berlusconi, always them, made official visits to Libya and that Sarkozy received him with full honors in Paris in December 2007.

All this for a few barrels of oil. And they forget that Gaddafi, and his clique, is a killer (at least two civilian planes destroyed with hundreds of innocent victims, over Sahara and at Lockerbie), a hostage taker (the Bulgarian nurses), a slaves trader (all the illegal immigrants landing on Sicilian coast arrive from Libya).

Is there any morale left in international politics? If ever any existed in fact.

So all these fancy Western leaders accept passively the Fourth Punic was for a new Hannibal. And although once again Gaddafi shows his real face, nobody does anything to kick him out for good. But the US continue to boycott Cuba, the US, the EU and the UN Secretary-General call for free elections in Guinea, and the G77 supports Libya at the Commission on human rights (not applicable indeed to house workers of the Gaddafi's family).

Hannibal, the real, lost in the end. Let us hope that the history will repeat itself.


Photo : www.copts.com

McCain or Obama ?

On the eve of the elections, I looked more attentively at interviews and statements made by people in the USA. From a lady who sends letters to the neighbours saying that if they vote Obama their hands will be full of the blood of abortions to the car dealer who makes the gift of a hand gun to whoever buys a new car and of a machine gun to SUV buyers. This same guy was stating that the Constitution talks about the right to hold guns and money, not about social security....And, if it were not tragic, I would laugh at the statements of all those people who are convinced that Obama is a socialist! Ignorance and stupid ideology dominating the republican voters.

I have seen how nasty the right can be when it loses power: in Italy, with a nasty opposition, in France with hysterical reactions when Mitterand took the Presidency, to Austria when it moved to a centre government.

And I can see how the right and the Christian coalition will react should Obama win. An instability outlook. And this in spite of the fact that Bush and his conservative allies have lead the country to an economic catastrophe, to endless wars it cannot win, to corruption at the highest level (the VP...) to wide spreading poverty.

So I wonder whether it would not be better for the world if, as an Al Qaida high level official stated, McCain wins. The decline of the USA will increase, finally the issue of the foreign debt will have to be resolved, Americans will consume what they have and not export their debt and the wars, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, will be lost once forever.

Should Obama win, there will be so much internal fighting by the extreme right that he will be paralysed.

Better to let America continue to sink even deeper so that in a four years there can be a meaningful democratic government than to risk with a paralysed Obama.

So, let McCain win.....

Photo: feyfriends.com

God Bless Sarah Palin

I kept silent so far about the US elections: too many people have been talking about it better than I could ever do.

But, two days away from the elections, I must say something: God Bless Sarah Palin. She may be the Trojan horse in the Republican ticket. And thanks to her, Obama may win. Thank you Sarah....

She is exactly all what I hate about America: Christian right, social conservative, pro-guns, against environmental concerns, against free-choice for women, arrogant, ignorant, corrupt in her own way (150,000 $ for dresses, trying to have her former brother in law fired etc)

Imagine her as a VP: ready to bomb Moscow for Georgia.....As if the Americans had not created enough mess in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia...ignoring that Russia would fire back....That was enough to exclude her. I was amazed watching on CNN hysterical ladies supportive of her: the lady who created the web site moms for Sarah Palin stating that when she had heard about McCain's choice she had started crying, shouting, singing, dancing. Right what we need to lead the world.

In a way, if I were anti-American, I would really wish McCain to win. But I am not anti-American, I am only anti-Republican and Christian conservatives and I am concerned about the world.

So, please Sarah, be yourself until Tuesday night...and let Obama win. You will have my gratitude forever.

Photo: from http://peterrost.blogspot.com/2008/09/sexy-sarah-palin-photos-with-automatic.html

Grande, Grandissimo

These days one can read quite often the same question in the Press: was G.W. the worst President the US ever had? When one sees his legacy, the unanimous answer will probably be yes: not only screwed up the world peace but even the world economy.

Unanimously? Not really. He will still have an admirer: Berlusconi. During his speech at the White House on Columbus Day, he stated in fact that G.W. will be remembered as a “grande (great), grandissimo(very very great)” President.

True that G.W. always treated Berlusconi very well, one wonders why but. And probably Berlusconi, for whom European leaders have little consideration, is so grateful to him for that.

And surely G.W. is pleased to be considered as well as Mr. Putin, the other hero of Berlusconi.

Poor Italy!