Police execute innocent worker in London subway
(wsws.org, 25 July 2005)
The public state execution of Jean Charles de Menezes in a London subway carriage on July 22 marks a watershed. . . . England, the country of the Magna Carta, is now one in which innocent civilians can be shot dead on the capital's streets at the discretion of the police, without any explanation, much less justification, and with the only outcome being a brief statement of regret. . . . Eyewitnesses have provided horrific accounts of how the petrified 27-year-old Brazilian electrician "looked like a cornered rabbit" as he was pursued by three plain-clothes officers into the train carriage, before being pinned to the ground and shot five times in the head at point blank range. . . . Not only did Menezes have no connection with the terror attacks, police had no grounds to suspect that he might be involved in such crimes, or any others, for that matter. That he was seen leaving a house that had been placed under police surveillance wearing "suspicious" clothes was enough for police to act as judge, jury and executioner. . . . Given suggestions that the shooting may not have been carried out by police officers at all, but by members of the security forces or the SAS, everyone has the right to ask just what type of Orwellian dystopia has been created in Blair’s Britain. . . . Menezes' death is not a blameless consequence of the July 7 bombings, as is now being claimed. Over the past two weeks, an officially sanctioned climate of hysteria and panic has been consciously whipped up, in which the state has been given carte blanche. . . . The government itself has a vested interest in generating such an atmosphere in order to avoid having to answer damaging questions. Whilst police have demanded new powers to detain people without charge for up to three months, the government has made clear its intention to rush through new legislation, including making it a criminal offence to "glorify" or "condone" terrorism, with major ramifications for free speech. . . . It is under these conditions that it has emerged that the rules governing police use of firearms have been officially revised and a de facto shoot-to-kill policy secretly adopted. . . . In March 1988, when the SAS shot dead three suspected IRA terrorists in Gibraltar, there were repeated denials that the British state had an assassination policy. . . . Not so today. Writing in the Daily Mail, before the police admission that they had killed an innocent man, Tom Bower opined: "In normal times, yesterday's state execution of a suspect in a Tube train in the middle of the capital would have evoked a tidal wave of revulsion and protest." . . . The terror threat, however, had changed all that, he wrote. Britain’s Muslims, in particular, would have to accept that "many civil liberties will have to be infringed." Security requirements would now involve the suspension of Habeas Corpus, "unexplained arrests," and even "the more common use of such police assassination." . . . Just where are the powers-that-be intending to take Britain next? . . . In the weeks to come, Blair and his apologists will continue to utilise the threat of terrorism to avoid any accounting for his war policy and justify its continuation, along with ever more massive attacks on democratic rights.
posted by LoZo 11:44 AM
Catholic Church fractures as nine women are ordained
(BBC NEWS, 26 July 2005)
Nine Roman Catholic women have been unofficially ordained as priests and deacons in North America, risking excommunication by the Vatican. . . . The women - seven Americans, a Canadian and a German - were ordained by three female bishops, who were also unofficially anointed in 2003. . . . "I believe it's valid even if it's against the law of the Church, because it is an unjust law," Germany's Regina Nicolosi, who was ordained a deacon, was quoted by the Associated Press news agency. . . . Married with children and grandchildren, she said she did "not fear an excommunication because I don't feel excommunicated". . . . The location for Monday's ceremony was chosen because it was in the international waters between Canada and the US where no diocese had jurisdiction, organisers said. . . . "Our ship will sail through some stormy weather but it will not go down," said Patricia Fresen, one of the presiding female bishops unrecognised by the Vatican. . . . There was no immediate reaction from the Vatican.
posted by LoZo 10:35 AM
This sounds like thought from a "Catholic Madrassa"
[COMMENT by Lorenzo: I stumbled on the following comment while I was searching for any possible links between the new Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts, and the fascist Catholic cult of Opus Dei. What is chilling about the view of the world this young man holds is its similarity to religious fanatics from other sects. In addition to the Bush war of terror, we are also in the middle of a world-wide religious war. . . . Hey, you humans out there, when are you going to get these murderous monkeys under control?
Currently, I am enrolled in the M.A./Ph.D. program in Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. Previously, I have written for Catholic newspapers and on-line resources about the JP2[John Paul II]-Generation. Lastly, I plan to enter the seminary in the fall - I made the decision on the day of the funeral of John Paul II. My older brother, a J.D. program graduate from Notre Dame, is a seminarian at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. . . . my brother tells me that one cannot find a young seminarian in the city of Rome that does not endorse the Church's positions. If you have ever visited a Roman seminary (like the Pontifical North American College), then you know that we are talking about large numbers of young men. . . . Also, I think that one has to look in the places where the new evangelization is being taken up with vigor in order to read more carefully the signs of the times. Here in Washington, we have numerous study groups on Pope John Paul II's Love and Responsibility and his Theology of the Body. Also, the new ecclesial and lay movements are attracting a great deal of attention. I regularly attend an Opus Dei evening of recollection where nearly thirty to fifty young people gather monthly for spiritual growth and direction. Additionally, I have friends in groups such as Communione e Liberazione (which are just as orthodox) whose numbers rival our own. To add to the foregoing, my university quickly fills classes on the thought of Pope John Paul II every time they are offered. . . . Lastly, my generation is continuously bringing forth study circles, outreach programs, and student-led mini-think tanks (like New York's "World Youth Alliance") where we study the writings of Pope John Paul II and celebrate his life. . . . the JP2-Generation is here and we are not afraid of the future! We are so in love with our great John Paul II and we are ready to embrace his successor. Naturally, those in our ranks do not include all of the young people of the Church or of the world. But, we are a growing bunch. Our enthusiasm, hope, and many prayers will very shortly outpower the spinmastery of the E.J. Diones and the Peter Steinfels of the world, you just wait.
[COMMENT by Lorenzo: It would be nice if some of this spiritual enthusiasm could be channeled into increasing love on the planet and not misery and death as is preferred by the likes of this evil new pope of theirs.]
posted by LoZo 1:57 PM
Worldcom's ex-boss gets 25 years
(BBC NEWS, 13 July 2005)
Former Worldcom boss Bernard Ebbers wept openly as he was sentenced to 25 years in jail for his part in the scandal which brought down the firm. . . . Mr Ebbers was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy in March, following revelations of an $11bn (£6.2bn) accounting fraud at Worldcom in 2002. . . . The 63-year-old was also guilty of seven counts of filing false documents. . . . The sentence was handed down by federal judge Barbara Jones, who earlier this week rejected his bid for a new trial. . . . The sentence was the toughest yet in a string of corporate scandals in the US. . . . Mr Ebbers did not address the court. Instead, he wiped his eyes with a white tissue. Meanwhile, Kristie Ebbers, his wife, cried quietly. . . . The jail term effectively satisfies pleas from prosecutors for a life sentence to be imposed on Mr Ebbers. . . . Mr Ebbers will begin serving his sentence at a federal prison in Yazoo City, Mississippi, situated close to his home. [IS his home!] . . . Mr Ebbers "was clearly a leader of criminal activity in this case," the judge said. . . . "A sentence of anything less would not reflect the seriousness of the crime." . . . Worldcom emerged from bankruptcy last year and is now known as MCI.
posted by LoZo 10:19 AM
