Bangkok Riots Continue

This is truly sad to see.

Two dead, many hurt

A man and a woman were killed and 358 other people injured during violent clashes between police and supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) yesterday, according to the Public Health Ministry.

The injured were being treated at BMA Medical College and the Vajira, Central, Chulalongkorn, King Mongkut, Siriraj, Ramathibodi, Rajavithi and Police hospitals. Ten were in serious condition with six having lost limbs.

A military forensic source said a man who lost a leg had it blown off by a ping-pong bomb in his pocket.

Deputy Metropolitan Police chief Pol Maj-Gen Jakthip Chaijinda said the loss of limbs was unlikely to have been caused by police tear gas canisters, but rather by explosive devices.
The first death yesterday was a man whose dismembered body was found thrown from a white Jeep Cherokee that had exploded. The jeep had been parked in front of the Chart Thai party headquarters on Sukhothai road, Dusit police said.

Ramathibodi hospital's forensic department identified the victim as a man aged 40 to 50, department chief, Pol Gen Wicharn Priewnim said.

Chairat Ngamjit, a PAD supporter from Nakhon Ratchasima, told police the jeep belonged to his son and he had driven it to the rally with his wife. He did not know the dead man.

The second death involved a woman in her 20s, identified as Angkhana Radappanyawut. She was pronounced dead at Ramathibodi hospital after sustaining serious chest injuries, according to hospital officials.

Assoc Prof Dr Than Supattharaphan, the hospital director, said most of the 74 people at Ramathibodi hospital were being treated for exposure to tear gas.

Among the wounded police officers, two were stabbed. One, Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Thaweep Klanniam, was struck with the sharpened end of a flag pole in the torso. The pole severed his lung.

Four other police officers were shot by PAD supporters, deputy Metropolitan Police chief Pol Maj-Gen Amnuay Nimmano said. One was shot in his chest, one in the collarbone, one in the neck and the other in his right hand. They were rushed to Vajira and Chulalongkorn hospitals.
Another policeman suffered broken legs after being hit by a car driven by a PAD supporter.

The sixth clash since yesterday morning erupted last night at the Metropolitan Police

headquarters.

The confrontation started at 10.20pm when PAD demonstrators threw bottles into the police compound, prompting the police to retaliate by firing tear gas into the crowd.

Creepy Robot Girl Causes Market Crash

Stock Markets around the world plummeted today as Japan Scientists displayed their life long dream creation - a robotic 5 year old girl. No explanation has been given as to why exactly the Japanese scientist would fashion their supposedly life-like human robot as a young girl.

"It's definitely that robot-girl" said one panicking imaginary investor. "Damn that thing is so creepy I had to sell everything I had at a loss."

This singular imaginary unconfirmed opinion contradicts earlier reports that the market drop was caused by ridiculous outfits from Pierre Cardin.

Thai Parliment Seige

Thailand continues to have big political problems which are unfortunately turning violent. A coup should be expected in the next few weeks if this continues.

PAD: Dissolve the House

The People's Alliance for Democracy locked the government inside parliament and demanded Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat dissolve the House by sunset on Tuesday or face "decisive action". PAD protesters shot and seriously wounded two policemen during a violent rescue operation of MPs and senators held hostage for hours.

The 6pm (1100GMT) deadline passed without major incident, but the site of new protests around parliament was tense.

PAD gunmen shot three policemen near the parliament. Two were in criticial condition after being shot in the chest and the collarbone respectively. The third was shot in the leg. There were no arrests.

The shooting took place during a police operation to free more than 300 hostages held by the PAD inside parliament. Police fired tear gas and laid down smoke cannisters to obscure their dramatic rescue of Members of Parliament and Senators.

The PAD had earlier "allowed" government and parliament staff and media people to leave the parliament building, but held the MPs and senators.

Police then opted to fire smoke flare and tear gas at the PAD ranks in an attempt to open a pathway to release those who were still inside the building, otherwise unable to leave.

Prime Minister Somchai, after a meeting with senior military staff which supposedly centered on the border dispute with Cambodia, was completely tight-lipped on his future actions towards the PAD. He told a brief press conference that he would not quit, but that the government will "try to solve the problem."

An explosion believed to be a bomb ripped a Jeep and killed a woman near the protest.

PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul issued the 6pm deadline threat on a fast-moving Tuesday, after police tear-gassed PAD demonstrators in the morning - and PAD struck back by besieging the parliament and kidnapping virtually the entire government and most MPs and locking them inside parliament.

Police who cleared the way into parliament on Tuesday morning stood by and watched the demonstrators regain the offensive and put a tight ring around parliament buildings.
In addition to the cabinet and more than 300 MPs and senators, the PAD also held an unknown number of government and parliament staff and media representatives hostage, and cut off lights and water to the compound without police resistance.

Mr Sondhi did not clarify what "absolute measures" PAD might take on Tuesday evening. But thousands of supporters were said to be on their way to Bangkok from up-country locations.
Back at the Parliament, most of the MPs and senators were still trapped inside the building as of Tuesday afternoon after the government delivered policy statement as PAD supporters blocked all the exits and entrances of the parliament.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob announced the closing of the joint session of the parliament at around 1pm after the government spent less than two hours to deliver its policy statement. The session was wrapped up quickly with little debate.

The opposition Democrat party once again boycotted politics, staying an arm's length from both the government and the protesters. Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said from the distant sidelines that he felt the government had no legitimacy to govern, but was unable to suggest what action it should take.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, accompanied by four to five followers, escaped the tight PAD siege on parliament by climbing ver a fence to the next-door Vimarnmak Palace, a royal site. Then, he got on board a police helicopter, which took him to the Armed Forces headquarters.

Mr Somchai was meeting late on Tuesday afternoon with chiefs of armed forces and supreme commander to discuss political turmoil.

Kids' Book

With the Big Brother / 1984 style of Obama's campaign this shouldn't come as big surprise. And after all, if Strong Bad can have a Childrens book why not Obama?

Ayes the Bomber

An outstanding piece on the Hippy Kook Ayes and his "activism".

Fire in the Night

During the April 16 debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, moderator George Stephanopoulos brought up “a gentleman named William Ayers,” who “was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol, and other buildings. He’s never apologized for that.” Stephanopoulos then asked Obama to explain his relationship with Ayers. Obama’s answer: “The notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was eight years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn’t make much sense, George.” Obama was indeed only eight in early 1970. I was only nine then, the year Ayers’s Weathermen tried to murder me.

In February 1970, my father, a New York State Supreme Court justice, was presiding over the trial of the so-called “Panther 21,” members of the Black Panther Party indicted in a plot to bomb New York landmarks and department stores. Early on the morning of February 21, as my family slept, three gasoline-filled firebombs exploded at our home on the northern tip of Manhattan, two at the front door and the third tucked neatly under the gas tank of the family car. (Today, of course, we’d call that a car bomb.) A neighbor heard the first two blasts and, with the remains of a snowman I had built a few days earlier, managed to douse the flames beneath the car. That was an act whose courage I fully appreciated only as an adult, an act that doubtless saved multiple lives that night.

Run Away!!

'We're not going to win,' British commander says of bid to quash Taliban

Britain's top commander in Afghanistan says the war will not end in victory, the latest indication of soul-searching as Canada's allies grapple with how to handle the rising power of the Taliban insurgency.

Wasn't some spineless twit like this responsible for the first British routing in Afghanistan?

The blunt statement from Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith - "We're not going to win this war" - came just days after a leaked diplomatic cable hinted that the British ambassador in Kabul has a similarly dark forecast. The brigadier suggested that a negotiated settlement will be necessary.

Blunt? He's smoking a blunt?

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Brig. Carleton-Smith said a "decisive military victory" is not feasible and that NATO should lower its expectations about the outcome of the war. "If the Taliban were prepared to sit on the other side of the table and talk about a political settlement, then that's precisely the sort of progress that concludes insurgencies like this."
"That shouldn't make people uncomfortable," he said.

No, people should be comfortable talking to a bunch of murderous bandits who want to force their stupid beliefs on their fellow citizens. Right. Thanks for that advice. Twit.

That places Britain, with at least 3,500 troops standing alongside Canada's forces in southern Afghanistan, in direct conflict with U.S. leaders, who continue to argue strenuously that the war can only be won by substantially defeating the Taliban. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his ministers have endorsed that view, although most other NATO nations have favored negotiations.

It places one General, not Britain in conflict. I would bet my hardly earned cash that 98% of the 3,500 British troops would like to prove General Negotiations wrong.

Brig. Carleton-Smith's words are the most explicit expression yet of a view that has become
dominant in many member nations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

You know this how?

That view effectively isolates the United States, the biggest donor of money and troops to the war. Starting later this month, the U.S. Afghanistan strategy will be designed by General David Petreus, who devised the "surge" of extra troops in Iraq last year and who has become the head of U.S. Central Command in order to shift the country's priorities toward the Afghan war.

The British proved you can beat insurgencies in Malaysia.

Prime Minister Harper has previously sided with the Americans on such questions, refusing any suggestion of direct negotiations with the Taliban and ridiculing politicians who have suggested a political solution. Conservatives gave NDP Leader Jack Layton the nickname "Taliban Jack" for lobbying in favour of negotiations in recent years, and the moniker became popular among Canadian troops as a derisive shorthand for politicians who don't support the war.

During last week's election debate, however, Mr. Harper avoided discussing the possibility of a victory and suggested that Canada's goals now involve empowering Afghan forces rather than totally defeating the Taliban: "If we are to truly pacify that country and see its evolution, we have to train the Afghan army and police so that they are credibly able to take greater responsibility for their own security."

Well we all know who the staff at the Glob and Mule will vote for.

Negotiations should consist of the following.

a) Do you surrender?
b) No? Okay. Blam!
c) Clean up stain.

Blue Horse Shoe Loves Anacot Steel

Brussels Leads the Way

Ah... You'd think the Europeans would have learned about trying to control the free markets by the excellent job the Soviets did.

Germany takes hot seat as Europe falls into the abyss

The European Central Bank – which raised rates into the teeth of the crisis in July – has played a shockingly destructive role in this enveloping slump. Its growth predictions this year have been, and still are, delusional. Neglecting its global role, it has vastly complicated the fire-fighting efforts of Washington.

It could have offered “cover” to the US Federal Reserve this spring when Ben Bernanke was forced by events to slash rates to 2pc. It could at least have signalled an end to monetary tightening. That is how an ally ought to behave.

Instead, it stuck maniacally to its Gothic script, with equally unhappy consequences for both sides of the Atlantic, as well as for China, Japan, and India. The euro rocketed yet further, which it turn set off an oil shock as crude metamorphosed into an anti-dollar with leverage.

The ECB policy was self-defeating, even on its own terms. It merely drove headline inflation even higher, while deeper forces of underlying debt deflation pulled the real economies of Germany, Italy, France, and Spain into a recessionary vortex.

Super Creepy

This is absolutely frightening. The kids start off singing songs now they march about doing some bizarre chicken wing thing. Remember, the rank and file of the Khmer Rouge were under age of 18.

ZOOM