Yellow Submarine is criminally underrated in my view. People tend to look upon it as a bit of a drugged-out, self-indulgent joke but, while the first two adjectives are largely accurate, “Hey Bulldog” begs to differ on the latter. I remember listening to the album over and over again when I was five or six years old. No wonder I have such an impeccable taste in music considering I was wearing out my parents’ Beatles and Hendrix vinyls while my peers were memorising the Hokey Pokey.
So anyway, they finally got the old bastard. I’ve noticed that a lot of Bush-critical blogs have felt the need to clarify their positions on this matter, as if the opinions regarding the apprehension of a megalomaniacal dictator of all non-Arab Nationalists and non-Islamic Extremists wouldn’t be overwhelmingly self-evident. I realise how easy it is to be baited and led by the nose by the Patriotism Inc. bullshit (as so many were with the subtle non sequitur of the “You can oppose the war, but you MUST support the troops” breeders’ catchcry, like a group of seagulls fighting over a chip), so while the masturbatory narcissists overcome their collective orgasms at the fruition of their imperiously patriotic wet dreams, I choose not to acknowledge the fallacious false dilemma fear-mongering, because it’s too insulting and pathetically misguided to even contemplate. The trial in an international UN tribunal should be fair and thorough, guilt established beyond reasonable doubt, and the sentence be indicative of the charges in accordance with legislation. Anyone who suggests otherwise can be safely ignored, particularly the Stoning Brigade or pro-kangaroo courtists (or both in the case of Lieberman, for example, who made a complete dick of himself by revealing an irrational and bloodthirsty Zionist streak (or perhaps it was merely partisan opportunism)). Although I wonder if Saddam will utilise the full range of his rights as a defendant and subpoena Don Rumsfeld as a character witness. And now, I will allow The Pope to speak for me.
(yes, you did read that last sentence correctly)
Pope calls for sanctions on leaders who violate rights
Pope John Paul II has called for political leaders who violate human rights to be punished, in a World Day of Peace message released amid worldwide debate over how Saddam Hussein should be brought to justice.
The pontiff also questioned whether the US-led invasion of Iraq was just as it had not been sanctioned by the United Nations.
“International law must ensure that the law of the more powerful does not prevail,” the Pope cautioned in his statement entitled “An Ever-Timely Commitment: Teaching Peace”.
“Its essential purpose is to replace ‘the material force of arms with moral force of law’, providing appropriate sanctions for transgressors and adequate reparation for victims,” he said, just three days after US troops captured Saddam hiding in a hole near his home town of Tikrit, in northern Iraq.
The Pope said it was necessary for states to avoid the “temptation to appeal to the law of force rather than to the force of law”.
“Democratic governments know well that the use of force against terrorists cannot justify a renunciation of the principles of the rule of law.
“This must also be applicable to those government leaders who violate with impunity human dignity and rights while hiding behind the unacceptable pretext that it is a matter of questions internal to their state.”
The Pope added that the “fight against terrorism cannot be limited solely to repressive and punitive operations”.
The use of force had to be “accompanied by a courageous and lucid analysis of the reasons behind terrorist attacks”, he said.
But the Pope acknowledged that international law was hard pressed to provide solutions to situations arising from “entities” which could not be considered states in the traditional sense.
“The scourge of terrorism has become more virulent in recent years and has produced brutal massacres which have in turn put even greater obstacles in the way of dialogue and negotiation, increasing tensions and aggravating problems, especially in the Middle East,” he said.
The pontiff said the war on terror had to be conducted “on the political and educational levels … by eliminating the underlying causes of situations of injustice which frequently drive people to more desperate and violent acts”.
He also recalled the UN charter, which “confirms the natural right to legitimate defence to be exercised in specific ways and in the context of the United Nations”.
The UN Security Council had responsibility for collective security with “competence and responsibility for the preservation of peace, with power of decision and ample discretion”.
Excellent points by His Whollyness (or, far more likely, his statement writers). Perhaps I’ve been completely misrepresenting these religious types throughout the years and allowing my cynicism to prevent me from realising that they actually have something unique, wise and meaningful to contribute to life…
Nah.
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