DarkObserver, 25. Dezember 2002 um 14:38:10 MEZ

Merry Christmas (?)

I -and the world as such- have had nicer Christmas days than this year's.

A relationship I'd had high hopes for, is about to break up and the world is holding its breath and waiting for the USA to wage its war with Iraq.

It saddens me, that I of all people have become sort of a harsh critic of the USA lately, but since it's the current administration's politics I'm totally opposed to rather than the American people as such, it's not a short-sighted, one-sided notion.

But consider this: Not only is the USA now keeping Muslim people in detention for pretense reasons, like alleged visa violations, they're continuing to bully other countries not on their "friends list" if they attempt to utilize nuclear power. But India for example, is even welcome to wield atomic weapons because they are a newly-approved ally. All others trying to do the same are told to watch out or get hit across the face by the world's remaining single super-power.

Don't get me wrong: I sure as hell don't condone undemocratic governments as in North-Korea, Iran or elsewhere but one should apply the same standards to everyone, something the Bush administration is obviously not doing. North Korea is getting even more threatening than Iraq as far as their potential for weapons of mass-destruction is concerned and what happens? Right... I call that hipocrisy!

The UN weapons inspections in Iraq should be called off right away, because their result is moot anyway. Mr. Bush -or rather his advisors I guess- will invent reason after reason to "justify" going to war after all.

I advise all Americans with cable or satellite to watch BBC World News to get the REAL deal about what their government is doing. Big American networks or CNN won't tell you the whole story!

Since this war seems inevitable, let's hope the number of civilian casualties will be as low as possible and that it will not spawn new and extended conflicts elsewhere. That's my hope. My fear is it will...Fucked-up world, this.

DarkObserver, 25. Oktober 2002 um 13:21:01 MESZ

My thoughts on the sniper case

It seems as if U.S. police have finally caught the people responsible for the sniper attacks in the Washington area.

What struck me as odd is the fact that they are black. It's well-known that most serial killers are white, single men between 20 and 40. Black serial offenders are pretty rare, as are women.

But then this case lacks the typical markings of the serial killer like the usual carefully selected type of victim fitting the criminals (sexual) fantasies -except maybe for the want of the feeling of power over others.

I know all that from the book "Mind Hunter" by John Douglas who practically invented the technique of psychological profiling while working for the FBI.

There are other motives that can drive someone to crime and it remains to be seen what they were in this.

I admit, that I'd rather wanted the sniper turn out to be one of those white, right-wing, gun-toting militia types with a "my-mom-completely-fucked-up-my-mind" syndrome. Not this time, it seems.

That one of the suspects apparently converted to Islam last year and allegedly made sympathetic comments about the men carrying out the 9/11 plane crashes won't make things easier for Muslims and/or blacks in the States. I sure hope, that this case won't start a new wave of racial/religious violence.

Gun laws in the U.S. are a joke from my European vantage point. If guns weren't so easily obtainable, they wouldn't be readily at hand every time someone goes loco.

The obsession of Americans with guns borders on the grotesque, even the insane!

Here's an example I found on the Web, adequately named Arm the Populace

Check out their offer for the Bushmaster XM-15 rifle -the one used by the sniper- and the "Check here for Wholesale prices for your children" link, both right on the frontpage.