Mutual Blackmail: Paul "The Don" Wolfowitz vs. the World Bank Gang

From today's Guardian:

"According to Mr Coll's notes: "At the end of the conversation Mr Wolfowitz became increasingly agitated and said that he was 'tired of people ... attacking him' and 'you should get your friends to stop it'. Mr Wolfowitz said, 'If they fuck me or Shaha, I have enough on them to fuck them too'," naming several senior bank staff he felt were vulnerable."

So don't place any bets on the World Bank "fucking" Paul "The Don" Wolfowitz any time in the next coupla weeks. If he manages to hang on till June 1st, it's being whispered he has a cool 400 grand bonus coming his way. Not to mention the payoff.

How will the WB Gang deal with this, er... sensitive situation? Maybe The Don'll resign on June 2nd. Or maybe Al Qaeda'll drop a coupla bombs next week and then all the dopes will conveniently fuhgeddaboudit. Precedents? Precedents we can give you:

'September 10, 2001: Rumsfeld Announces Defense Department Cannot Track $2.3 Trillion in Transactions'

Or maybe this bunch are really ruining the business climate and heads are finally gonna have to roll.

Sharp (On Art and Life)

Elliott Sharp: "I am angrier than ever." [Interview in German]

Ich habe kürzlich in Peking gearbeitet, und man hört ja immer, die Zensur in China sei erbarmungslos. Ich fand das gar nicht. Man kann in China machen, was man will, es ist nur manchmal illegal. Bei uns ist es viel schlimmer. Wir haben Medien, die sich selbst zensieren, wir haben nominelle Freiheiten, die kaum jemand mehr nutzt. Ich lese via Internet viel in der internationalen Presse, aber wer das nicht tut, ist inzwischen völlig unzureichend informiert...

Wie hat sich die amerikanische Gesellschaft seit den neunziger Jahren verändert?

Es gibt eine kleine Oberschicht, bei der sich politische Macht und Kapital konzentrieren; der militärisch-industrielle Komplex beherrscht das Land und seine Ökonomie. Eine Mittelschicht gibt es kaum noch, der größte Teil der Leute sind eine Art moderner Sklaven, die das nicht einmal wissen. Die meisten Künstler versuchen, ein Leben außerhalb oder am Rande dieser Gesellschaft zu führen, was nicht oft gelingt.

-------------------------------------------------------------

[I was working in Peking recently, and one keeps hearing that the censorship in China is merciless. That's not the way I experienced it. In China, you can do whatever you want - it's just illegal sometimes. In the US, the situation is much worse. We have media that censor themselves, we have nominal liberties that are hardly used by anyone any more. Via the Internet, I read a lot of international press publications, and anyone who doesn't is by now completely misinformed...

How has US society changed since the 90s?

Political power and capital are concentrated in a small upper class. The military-industrial complex rules the country and its economy. There hardly exists a middle class any more; most people are basically modern slaves and don't even know it. Most artists are trying to live outside of society or on its margins, but seldom manage to do so.]

--- Via the excellent SteinbergRecherche.

"Supporting the Troops" by lying to their families.

Untold Stories from the Pat Tillman / Jessica Lynch Hearings

By DIANE FARSETTA

Counterpunch, Weekend Edition
May 12 / 13, 2007British reporters quickly debunked Lynch's rescue as a staged media event, and, once she was well enough to realize and respond to the narrative, Lynch herself disavowed the rest. During the hearing, Rep. Waxman added another wrinkle -- evidence that the "rescue" operation had been delayed, for publicity purposes:

Rep. Henry Waxman: The military had an opportunity to rescue you, when you were captive for ten days. But there was a whole day, before they captured you, when they were preparing not just to rescue you, but to videotape the rescue. Were you aware of that, or aware of it now?

Private Jessica Lynch: Not at the time, I wasn't aware that they were videotaping me, no. But after the fact, yeah I knew about it and now, you know, I kind of understand why they did it.

Waxman: Well, maybe you understand it. ... I come from Hollywood.

See also: "Pat Tillman, Our Hero":

"Pat Tillman, who was killed in Afghanistan last year, believed the US war on Iraq was "f***ing illegal" and counted Noam Chomsky among his favorite authors. ... Mary Tillman says a private meeting was planned between him and Pat after Pat's return--a meeting that never took place, of course. Chomsky confirms this scenario."

Ever?

RICE: So our friends in the neighborhood need to know and the Iraqis need to know that we are not looking to leave Iraq. That’s not why this President went into Iraq and it’s not how –

ROSE: Ever?

RICE: Charlie, we are not going to leave an Iraq that is not capable of defending itself and with a foundation for future reconciliation.

Tout ça n'empêch'pas, Nicolas, qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

Elle n'est pas morte ! (1886, E. Pottier)
- dédiée aux survivants de la semaine sanglante.

On l'a tuée à coups d'chassepot,
A coups de mitrailleuse,
Et roulée avec son drapeau
Dans la terre argileuse.
Et la tourbe des bourreaux gras
Se croyait la plus forte.
Tout ça n'empêch' pas, Nicolas,
Qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

Comme faucheurs rasant un pré,
Comme on abat des pommes,
Les Versaillais ont massacré
Pour le moins cent mille hommes.
Et ces cent mille assassinats
Voyez c'que ça rapporte.
Tout ça n'empêch' pas, Nicolas,
Qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

On a bien fusillé Varlin,
Flourens, Duval, Millière,
Ferré, Rigault, Tony Moilin,
Gavé le cimetière.
On croyait lui couper les bras
Et lui vider l'aorte.
Tout ça n'empêch' pas, Nicolas,
Qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

Ils ont fait acte de bandits,
Comptant sur le silence,
Ach'vé les blessés dans leurs lits,
Dans leurs lits d'ambulance.
Et le sang inondant les draps
Ruisselait sous la porte.
Tout ça n'empêch'pas, Nicolas,
Qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

Les journalistes policiers,
Marchands de calomnies,
Ont répandu sur nos charniers
Leurs flots d'ignominies
Les Maxim'Ducamp, les Dumas,
Ont vomi leur eau-forte.
Tout ça n'empêch'pas, Nicolas,
Qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

C 'est la hache de Damoclès,
Qui plane sur leurs têtes.
A l'enterr'ment de Vallès,
Ils en étaient tous bêtes.
Fait est qu'on était un fier tas
A lui servir d'escorte !
C' qui vous prouve en tout cas, Nicolas
Qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

Bref, tout ça prouve aux combattants
Qu'Marianne a la peau brune,
Du chien dans l'ventre et qu'il est temps
D'crier : Vive la Commune !
Et ça prouve à tous les Judas
Qu'si ça marche de la sorte,
Ils sentiront dans peu, Nom de Dieu !
Qu'la Commune n'est pas morte !

Boredom