Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, which is a little unexpected, I certainly didn't think I would be writing that so soon. I'm left though trying to think of what he's done in actions that deserves such an award, when others like Morgan Tsvangirai are truly more deserving.

I do however agree with the Nobel committee's statement that, with regard to Obama:

Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts.

The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations.

Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting.

Yet aren't you just giving Obama the award for not being George W Bush? Yes Obama isn't a warmonger, he has opened dialogue of more than two syllables with other countries, understands that climate change might be little worrying and of course also partly closed Guantanamo Bay. Yet he also legislated for detaining people without trial, rather than put them on trial. Released memos that show the Bush administration was torturing people, but declined to prosecute them for crimes clearly committed. Has has called for nuclear disarmament while sitting on the biggest pile of nuclear weapons in the world, not one of which has been disarmed.

He speaks of shared values, all while you can still be thrown out of the military for the crime of loving someone of the same sex, when only a handful of states do same sex couples have the right to marry and he's yet to retract the state terror/spying policy brought in under Bush.

Yes his words are lovely, so now he's got the Prize, earn it.

Gary McKinnon Hacker

Gary McKinnon lost his latest High Court appeal, it seems likely now that he will be extradited to the United States. Clearly what he did was wrong and he shouldn't be exempt from the law. Yet that should be proportionate, he is not a terrorist, he is the sort of guy that would stand outside of area 51 with tin foil on his head, while holding a sign saying "the truth is out there".

Why make an example of such a person? I would like to think that after a change of administration that the hysteria over terrorists would have calmed down. This is a good opportunity for Obama to show that. For our government it's also a good opportunity to address the US-UK extradition treaty's inequality. Tony Blair signed the treaty with the US, yet he would have signed over his Mother to George Bush. It's a product of appeasement, that needs to be redressed in 2009.

Birther Movement USA

I first heard about this conspiracy theory that Obama isn't an US citizen shortly after he was elected, it appears this as now gathered momentum. Producing a Hawaii birth certificate and birth notices in the Honolulu press, has done nothing to dampen the idea that Obama is not American.

It seems amazing, of all the criticisms that can be made, yet I'm sure it has nothing to do with his colour. I wonder if after they've whipped themselves into a frenzy over this, whether Obama will release the original birth certificate. I hope so, though it won't make them look any sillier than they do already.

To think people wonder why his opinion polls are so high, Republicans make him look good.

Financial Regulation, Regulation, Regulation

Bit of a contrast with what the governor of the Bank of England and Alistair Darling say about the "R" word. Yet this recession illustrates that people need to be protected from the banks and banks need protecting from themselves. This situation of putting foxes in charge of the hen house doesn't work.

Some degree of regulation is needed, what form and how much is obliviously a debate in itself. What I would like to see though is greater protection for consumers, going into a bank is like walking into a tigers den. Credit cards, loans, mortgages, over drafts all at a competitive rate of *6%. Obama has announced plans for a consumer body that would stop 'predatory lending', given this was part of the catalyst for this recession, it makes sense to address that. Yet what does our government do, nothing.

Alistair Darling says "more needed to be done, notably to increase the availability of credit." Why didn't they make that part of the criteria for bail out money? Who on earth signs a cheque for billions without having terms. I guess the same people who made Fred Goodwin a millionaire and a Sir. If the nationalised banks started lending others would have followed suit, if they lowered interest rates on mortgages, other banks would have needed to be competitive. That's one area that would really help out a lot of home owners and people trying to get on the property ladder. Yet nothing.

It really disappoints me that from this recession, so much could be done to improve and stabilise our economy. Like supporting our industry, products have to be made and food has to be grown, it makes sense to me at least to spread the risk and not just rely on financial services. Particularly by supporting industries essential to everyday life. Yet nothing, this will become a missed opportunity.


* Terms and conditions apply 2 months bonus rate only, normal rate 25%.

D Day Landing - 65 Years

Today in 1944, thousands of men from the 4 corners of the world landed on the beaches in Normandy. Politicians have tried to turn today into an Obama photo opportunity and political event. By doing so they disgrace the memory of all the men, that fought their way up those beaches, thousands of whom never went home to their families. Today's event should always be first and foremost for them.

I am grateful that I've never seen the side of war, that the veterans and the generation of D-Day did. As my Granddad's silence when I asked him about the war, always said more to me than words ever could.

North Korea Threatens to Attack South Korea

Morten Morland cartoon

This situation just got stranger, North Korea has declared it is abandoning the truce that ended the Korean war, and will attack South Korea if it joined US-led inspections of vessels suspected of carrying weapons. Why try to provoke as much as this?

A test for Obama perhaps, their hostile intent has always been US facing. Who can tell with North Korea whether he's struck the right note. The international community is still speaking in one voice and more pressure is being placed on China to get involved. It is a concern that if China stop filling the void sanctions create, that civilians will be the only ones suffering. It's a really difficult balance to maintain, given they have no other recourse.

There far are too many unknowns in this situation, but if Obama and South Korea aren't panicking with the information they have. I think it's most likely that something internally is happening, yet due to their scary state controlled news we're not aware of it.

North Korea - Nuclear Test

Great the nutter has a nuke, Kim Jong II has tested a nuclear weapon. From the data they have on the test, it's an explosion of up to 20 kilotons, which is comparable to the American bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He followed this up today with firing short range missiles into the Sea of Japan.

What's worrying is how volatile the situation and he is, it leaves the international community treading on egg shells. Military action seems very unlikely, given he clearly has weapons and is mad enough to use them. Sanctions have largely been by passed or only effected civilians, no doubt allowing Kim Jong to use it as propaganda. Diplomacy and negotiations to date have only gone so far, before Kim Jong withdraws and does something like this.

The international community response seems to still be the diplomatic one, though Obama is pushing for the one voice together approach. He and the UN/EU may be a good position now to really put pressure on China to include there voice among everyone else's. Their main tactic however may just be trying to keep a lid on it in order to wait out Kim Jong, given he clearly doesn't look well. His son Kim Jong Nam will inherit his position, he seems to be slightly less unstable, and could prove to be open to negotiations.

Kim Jong typically makes a point and steps down from his hostile position, though with a powerful nuclear weapon in the situation, it could push this into a Cold War area. The big unknown here is if he's on borrowed time with an illness he has nothing to lose. The diplomatic approach is by far the best response given it's not a good idea to push people, when you don't know how far you can.

Obama Torture Memos Tony Blair

Obama releasing the CIA torture memos has been like lighting a fuse. The information being released is staggering in it's implications, torture by the Bush administration had generally been dismissed as "a few bad apples", yet the information now shows the Bush officials set-up "interrogation methods" as early as July 2002. Which is before the memos that reviewed and created their legal frame work. That approval has been linked to Condoleezza Rice, Cheney and Rumsfeld, with a lot of talk of prosecuting how far will they go?

What makes the information particularly relevant is, they created a torture programme from the start. Worst still the torture that started before invading Iraq was being used to get an Iraq - al Qaeda link. They didn't just lie to invade Iraq, but they used torture to enforce that lie, then lied about the torture. They even prosecuted people for what happen at Abu Ghraib prison, when they authorised the abuse, knowing the "few bad apples" were them.

What about the effect here in Britain, can our government really keep saying they just didn't get the memo or not know anything for over 7 years? The memos being released has had it's first effect, Guantánamo torture evidence that was suppressed is being bought into question for release. Secondly the 7 men who were at Guantánamo bay in their case have accused 17 members of MI5 and MI6 of 'collusion in torture, unlawful rendition and unlawful detention'. Their cases are certainly stronger off the back of this.

Yet should the agents be prosecuted? They're accountable to the government, not us. So why isn't the government's investigation pressing ahead to address this, rather than former prisoners and us having to use the courts to get answers, and how far can we go with prosecution? As who were the MI5 and MI6 agents asking the questions for, who moved them to countries that out source torture, and who else needed a reason to invaded Iraq. Tony Blair himself said in his "give war a chance" speech:

I still believe that those who oppress and brutalise their citizens are better put out of power than kept in it.

It is not for our politicians to pick and choose who should get human rights, that's what laws are for, nor is it right for our politicians not to be subject law themselves. Particularly since their actions can not be justified as a consequence of war, they didn't act under fire, they acted in a clear and premeditated way.

BNP EU Elections

Harriet Harman has said that "Labour is facing its biggest threat from the BNP" at the forthcoming EU elections. I was out today at a shopping centre in my local area, the BNP were there handing out leaflets, campaigning and talking to people. Generally where I live votes Conservative, and given the interest the BNP were creating today, I would say that threat doesn't just apply to Labour. Conservatives taking a less Euro-sceptic or not clearly stating their position on the EU, are in danger of pushing people into voting BNP out of protest.

This obsession political parties have with the internet after Obama's success, are missing the point. Yes it's a great way to get information to people, but you're not going to get people to click on a link if you don't generate interest in doing so. That's why Obama's on line campaign was successful, but it wasn't internet based alone. He went out and spoke to people, along with thousands of people phoning and campaigning on his behalf.

If political parties don't go out and talk to people, they're just giving votes to the BNP. People will think at least they're taking an interest in my local area, worries and in me, which is what I saw today.

"Tea Bagging" the White House

Conservatives in America have created a protest campaign against the amount of tax payers money Obama is spending. They've themed the campaign around the 'Boston Tea Party', and are calling to "Tea Bag Obama". For those that are in the know with regard to what "Tea Bagging" refers *nudge, nudge wink, wink* this is genius.

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G20 Day One Recap

As the dust settles on the signs denouncing greedy bankers, Gordon and Obama finish talking about their “special friendship”, and Jamie Oliver fires up the Downing Street oven to prepare a lavish dinner for world leaders. What is it people will remember?

The protests certainly have out numbered the coverage of anything so far, particularly this.




The only way Brown can compete with that is, riding into the press conference on the back of a horse, blood running down his face and suit slightly torn, shouting “it's hell out there but I made it”. Or being lowered on top of a giant globe into the middle of the press, jumping off and striding towards his podium.......which sadly I can actually imagine happening.

The "special friendship" has been getting a bit of coverage, not in an entirely positive way though. The meaning for the public has changed since Churchill first used it, under Blair and Bush it came to symbolise minsters falling over themselves to please the USA. Not really the best term to be using right now and such remarks are only remembered by politicians in fondness.

President Sarkozy looks likely to upstage the G20, by having a tantrum and turning the summit into an episode of EastEnders. I wouldn't be surprised however, if the Euro replaces the dollar as the main international currency off the back of this. Given the EU leaders certainly have a firm agreement as to what they want, along with a strong position.

On all the main news sites the protests along with France and Germany's demands are in the top3 most read today, Gordon's press conference doesn't make the top 10. Has what the G20 can achieve been pushed into hot air territory? Or is it simply that the drama is a lot more entertaining than Gordon?

Not Much Of An Obama Bounce Poll

Following on from my Obama bounce post, the first polls after Brown's meeting are in (read more).

Conservatives - 42% N/C
Labour - 30% +2
Lib Dems - 19% +1

It's worth noting that 2% is within the margin of error, which is roughly 3% overall.

Gordon's Obama bounce

There's been a lot of different articles lately about New Labour's expectation of an Obama bounce to their opinion polls. Given public reaction to Dawn Butler's Obama letter. It's a volatile gamble drawing attention or comparisons, as they need to stand up to scrutiny, not just personal but public.

You have to wonder why they would invest so much expectation in this to begin with, as what real value does it have? Obama has of course bailed out the banks and economy in the way Brown did, but does a possible endorsement of his policy effect votes? Will that really be what people think of in the voting booth, when so much news about Brown's role in this recession or how much New Labour have claimed from tax payers has been in the press. People don't unlearn things, forget, but it doesn't take much to remember.

If opinion polls do go up off the back of these meetings, how permanent will that be? Given that there are so many things fundamentally wrong with the direction and actions of New Labour. That unless they're addressed, why would voters listen to them? They have to use any positive attention as a spring board for something more. Which means working through their fatalism. They've become a far too divided party, media certainly sense that and are picking at them one by one.

What's worrying about New Labour expectations is that desperate springs to mind. Not just desperation for improved poll results, but desperate to take what you can before you have to give it up and people with nothing to loose can do very desperate things.