practically insurgent

John McCain on why the United States must "reward" its ally Colombia for it's appalling human rights record, with a free trade pact:

An overwhelming majority of historians will tell you that protectionism and isolationism were a major factor in one of the greatest depressions in the modern history for this country. I am not going to sit by and see that happen

I mean, firstly, he's got the discipline wrong, I would imagine that anyone claiming a link between economic protectionism and economic recession would be some sort of economist, or at least an economic historian. As to the 'overwhelming majority', do you suppose he conducted a poll? As far as aware the academy, certainly in the humanities, has a bias to the left, and I doubt many would echo the above.

Finally, I wonder if McCain is aware that protectionism has been a major factor in the industrial development of the entire rich world?

So here we are then, in a country that barely manufactures anything, where the credit tap to the working class majority is about to be shut off, where the government seeks to restrict real wages for the very same people, that is, so we're told, reliant on consumer spending to fuel economic growth.

And here I am watching the television and Tesco's, which I suppose must represent a barometer of some sorts, are advertising their latest deal, something about money off your petrol in exchange for doing your shopping with them, as 'inflation busting'. Forget the statistics, if the advertising executives think that the hard times are a buzzword, we all must be really feeling it.

What is it? Ten per cent on foods prices? 15% on petrol prices? We're told there must be belt-tightening, but it's always ours, never theirs', and it always assumes we were living the high life since the last crisis, instead of just racking up debts and earning more or less the same we always did.

I saw a little trail for the African Union Conference on BBC News 24 the other day and the state of nonsense that embroiled the media came into sharp focus. As the camera panned across the room it flashed across delegates from various countries; in a few seconds we'd gone past the leaders of Angola, Egypt and Algeria.

Had we kept watching the number of delegates that could plausibly claim to be from countries that conduct even relatively peaceful, free and fair bourgeois elections could be counted on one hand. The number from one-party states, from countries where elections are more or less entirely rigged, where governments are co-operative lash-ups between warring factions could not be counted on one hand.

So this was the hope of Mr.Tsvangirai? That Hosni Mubarak would have the chutzpah to tell Mugabe to hold free and fair elections? To refrain from meeting out to his opponents the same treatment that he routinely inflicts on his own people?

Levy Mwanawasa, the Zambian President, a prominent critic of Mugabe was himself mired in an election rigging scandal just two years ago when very strong questions were asked about his victory over Mugabe ally Michael Sata.

From where does the expectation come that the majority of these leaders would be likely allies of the MDC?

It is about time that the opposition in Zimbabwe came to terms with the reality that the international community cannot and will not ride to its rescue. Their movement will have to stand or fall on its own strength, it must plan to remove the Mugabe with whatever resources are available to it. The longer it holds its collective breath in expectation of salvation from outside the greater the chance it will pass out and die before even attempting to wrest control of their country away from Mugabe.

Mercilessly stolen from Stroppyblog:

"We recognise that the conditions for gay and lesbian people in Iran – and many other countries – are such that some individuals are able to demonstrate a need for international protection... With particular regard to Iran, current case law handed down by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal concludes that the evidence does not show a real risk of discovery of, or adverse action against gay and lesbian people who are discreet about their sexual orientation."

So, when convenient, the Iranian regime's treatment of homosexuals is an outrage, an example of its atrocious human rights record and a reason why our government and others should continue to attack the regime through aggressive diplomacy, sanctions and potentially war.

However, when it comes to actually taking responsibility for defending people under threat of persecution, when it comes to committing resources to ensure that people are safe to express their sexuality however they like, that they don't have to hide away to practise their basic human rights, we say "oh, it's not so bad, so long as you're quiet about it". Presumably that goes for everything? Darfur's not so bad so long as you don't let on that you might not be Arab, I bet Zimbabwe's perfectly fine if you're discreet about opposing Mugabe, even Rwanda was great, if you kept being a Tutsi to yourself.

Our asylum policy these days is more or less as follows: you must prove not just that you are part of a persecuted group under a brutal regime (so, for instance, being gay and Iranian doesn't cut it, being an MDC member in Zimbabwe, nuh-uh), but that you, and you specifically are targeted for persecution, this has to be beyond doubt, and stories of previous persecution don't count. I swear to God, the motherfucking SAVAK could fax through a death warrant and these bastards would still find a reason to send someone back.

How the fuck can our government continue to lecture the world on human rights and still pull the bullshit?

At every tournament you can always sort of guess the instructions the referees have had beforehand, as if they all get sat down beforehand and told something monumentally stupid like "yellow cards for all late tackles" or something equally daft.

And this European Championship it seemed like someone had told them; 'less is more'. It has been a tournament of basically zero contentious decisions. Off the top of my head I can recall three penalties, the one that Luka Modric scored for Croatia, the one that Adrian Mutu missed for Rumania and the one with Eric Abidal being punished for having a stupid coach. Any more? Since those I've seen plenty of good shouts waved away, one's you would've had down at 50/50 or better, poor Fernando Torres even got punished for being fouled this evening!

It's been elsewhere in the pitch too, a lot of physical stuff has been let go, throw-ins even, I've lost count of the number of foul throws that they've let slide. Actually, I think the entertainment in the tournament has reflected that - no matter how much the Christiano Ronaldo's of this world might complain, football is a far better game with a good helping of physicality and if referees let it flow as far as possible, not if players like him are mollycoddled into thinking they can dance around without someone occasionally putting a foot in.

(congratulations to the Spanish, I tipped them at the start and they outclassed the Russians this evening. Little thing, did anyone notice the Russian midfield suddenly pressing much higher up the pitch after half-time? Thought it killed them, they looked ok sitting back and relying on the dinky Spanish centre-halves to eventually fuck up, they pushed on the Spanish midfield, who were good enough to pass through them, full backs isolated they looked a lot weaker...)

We were so outraged by Hillary Clinton's defeat in the Democratic Primaries, that some of us going to vote for a man who called his partner a cunt and a trollop in public. The shithouse identity politics in this American election round hits a new low.

You couldn't make it up.

There's been some really interesting stuff out there if you look hard enough. Two in particular stood out for me, Louis Proyect's effort on Baseball and Capitalism was fascinating even if my interest in the sport is pretty limited. It was a profound insight into sporting culture nevertheless.

A pretty vital contribution to discussion of the pogroms in South Africa from Black Looks, going beyond a liberal expression of outrage towards understanding the systemic violence in that country. Somewhere else I saw a post, entitled 'South Africa at the crossroads', which got me thinking that the 'crossroads' was 10-15 years ago and the ANC government chose the path marked 'expand social inequality, suppress the poor and entrench the new political and economic elite'.

I've decided to copy Inveresk Street Ingrate and make this a sort of politics/football kinda website. This could be because I lack the originality to come up with quality political blogging themes (last night's bad idea was 'a male feminist's guide to dating' eugh) or it could just be the temptation of EURO2008 - though will come to expect inexplicable posts about my true love, Ipswich Town FC.

Last night upset me. Not just because Turkey play fucking horrible football, nor even because all of the class players on the pitch last night were playing for Croatia. Even though the Croats play in those Ustashe colours and sport some of the nastiness nationalism on the continent. It upset me because Slaven Bilic is the fucking daddy. Just everything about him is what a football manager should be. There's a point at which self-assured comes out the other side of arrogance and takes on the qualities of 'he who has attained nirvana, understands all things and knows all things'. He has this, he instilled this in his team, he got them playing intricate but adventurous football, he out-thought managers across Europe, and he had the nerve to tell us lot that our team was a load of shit, rather than throw some platitudes out there. Outspoken, god-like self-possession. Not enough to prevent your centre-half getting under a long-ball and a swung left-leg someone sticking the ball in the top-corner. Till next time Mr.Bilic.

For tomorrow. I can't see Italy winning. Really, not even with Spain's record of choking. They're too good for this Italian side, which in the regular order of things is slow and pedestrian, but without Pirlo will lack anything resembling creativity, and without Gattuso will be without much bite. Plus, the defence looks ropey, and the best two strikers in the tournament will stretch them (as they have everyone else). What the hell is an Italy side without a well-organised back line anyway? I want it to happen anyway, I hate the idea that football teams somehow have this eternal soul that dictates their fortunes, like Spain will always manage to fuck it up, or Italy will always play shit and spawn their to the final. And remember, these days.... ser español ya no es excusa: es una responsabilidad!

e2a: whoops, changed it to tomorrow, coulda swore it was Spain v Italy tonight...

The MEN writing a gushing, completely uncritical article about New East Manchester, that makes a change!

Come marvel at the all the wonderful new houses, transport links and jobs they've created! Aren't they so fucking brilliant. I wish I was on the board of New East Manchester, so I could be so awesome, and maybe get some help setting up my £5m posh restaurant, so all my fellow board members could have a jolly and chat about how fantastic it is that we've built all these wonderful new houses and bestowed our wondrous talents on the good people of East Manchester.

HAPPY DAY!

Has anyone seen any mention of the Obama's campaigns racist treatment of two muslim women on any of the liberal American blogs, any of the anti-racist activist blogs, anything like that? Apparently it wasn't politically correct (ah, an accurate way to use that term!) to have two women in hijabs (the headscarf, not the niqab, the face covering) in the background of a campaign speech, so he had them moved out of shot.

Because at the moment the only coverage I've seen has been LGF, reproducing the argument for political point-scoring purposes.

Does Obama gets a pass on this shit, because, despite all the evidence to his reactionary politics, his support for imperialist foreign policy, his domestic agenda, his lack of any left-wing policy of note (but he opposes the war! you fucking wait), he's still being pushed as some kind of progressive martyr?