Loose Cannons

Soccer capitalism

"The beautiful game is a pointless pursuit except that it provides a big stimulus for consumer spending in rich countries. One billion people will probably watch the [FIFA World Cup] final and the event itself will earn some $2.8 billion in broadcasting rights, sponsorship and ticket sales. Added to that sum are billions of dollars of indirect consumption around the world in new television sets, souvenirs, pizza and beer." — Carl Mortished, international business editor, London Times, June 15.

'Justice' Bush-style

"The successor to Zarqawi will be on our list to bring to justice." — Emperor George Bush II, June 12. Abu Musab al Zarqawi was killed by the US military in an Israeli-style assassination-by-air-strike on June 7, in which two 227-kilogram bombs were dropped by an F-16 warplane on the house he was in. The air strike also killed three men, two women and a girl aged 5-7, US General William Caldwell told a Bagdad press briefing on June 10.

'Justice' Israeli-style

"Israel killed three Palestinian children, two of them siblings, in an air strike on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after its defence minister pledged to step up military action against cross-border rocket salvos." — Reuters, June 20.

From Green Left Weekly, June 28, 2006.

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From GLW issue 673