In The Panama Capers We Trust by Clive Hambidge

Image by Zervas via Flickr

by Clive Hambidge
Writer, Dandelion Salad
London, England
April 14, 2016

The Panamanian Capers

Apparently, if you’ve seen the news, the leaked Panama Papers[1], from the “tight lipped” (Economist) Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca & Co, are spilling the beans on the details of what the rich, powerful and greedy “beyond avarice” get up to with unseemly amounts of dosh, in 214,488 offshore tax havens. Mossack Fonseca & Co has been under investigation and intense scrutiny for some time. Ken Silverstein contributing editor for Vice who had cased the Mossack Fonseca & Co joint, two years before the Panama Papers disclosure, writing: “If shell companies are getaway cars for bank robbers, then Mossack Fonseca may be the world’s shadiest car dealership.” True but the Mossack Fonseca shenanigans are part of the problem but not the endemic problem. The endemic problem is American financial hegemony. Mossack Fonseca’s offices have just been raided almost certainly because Panamanian politicians and their dealers (they are all in need of a fix) will be implicated in all sorts of sordid stuff. And one expected that.

Tony Blair, George W. Bush and David Cameron: Hijacking God? by Felicity Arbuthnot

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

by Felicity Arbuthnot
Writer, Dandelion Salad
London, England
April 13, 2014

There must be something in the water at No 10 Downing Street, currently inhabited by Prime Minister David Cameron.

When Tony Blair was in residence, according to the diaries of his former communications director, Alastair Campbell, before the illegal invasion of Iraq, for which Blair’s Downing Street offices produced fantasy, fictional, false justifications, the then Prime Minister was guided by his faith and regularly spoke to “his Maker.” Blair may have “spoken” – but, as ever, he clearly didn’t listen.

Nelson Mandela: Obama, Clinton, Cameron, Blair: Tributes of Shameful Hypocrisy, Part 2 by Felicity Arbuthnot

by Felicity Arbuthnot
Writer, Dandelion Salad
London, England
December 18, 2013

Nelson Mandela’s life, included violence and controversy but he “walked the walk” paying the price of twenty seven years in jail for the racial equality he fought for South Africa. For all the country’s complexities, imperfections and astonishing betrayals(i) the concept of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission surely averted a cycle of vengeance which would have dwarfed the country’s continuing turbulence.

Nelson Mandela: Obama, Clinton, Cameron, Blair: Tributes of Shameful Hypocrisy by Felicity Arbuthnot

by Felicity Arbuthnot
Writer, Dandelion Salad
London, England
December 6, 2013

Accusing politicians or former politicians of “breathtaking hypocrisy” is not just over used, it is inadequacy of spectacular proportions. Sadly, searches in various thesaurus’ fail in meaningful improvement.

The death of Nelson Mandela, however, provides tributes resembling duplicity on a mind altering substance.

UK Prime Minister Covers Up Crimes Against Humanity by Felicity Arbuthnot

Image by chrisjohnbeckett via Flickr

by Felicity Arbuthnot
Writer, Dandelion Salad
London, England
November 19, 2013

Hypocrisy, the most protected of vices.
— Moliere, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, 1622-1673

Last week a little more was learned as to the circumventions in Whitehall and Washington delaying the publication of the findings of Sir John Chilcot’s marathon Inquiry into the background of the Iraq invasion.

Keiser Report: Michael Hudson: Working Class Debt Slaves

Image by Mary Crandall via Flickr

with Michael Hudson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
michael-hudson.com
October 5, 2013

RT on Oct 5, 2013

In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert, discuss David Cameron as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which causes the wealth of the nation to drop. They also discuss Continuous Payment Authorities as a metaphor for our financial systems continuously taking toll payments, whether via interest fees or inflation.

UK Parliament Votes No: Will Syria Cut Us Down to Size? by Lesley Docksey

Image by chrisjohnbeckett via Flickr

by Lesley Docksey
Writer, Dandelion Salad
England
September 2, 2013

There has been an epidemic of outrage in the United Kingdom over the last few days, most of it coming from the great and not so good.  The original cause was the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria.  With no hard evidence as to what the attack involved and who was actually responsible, our leaders had no hesitation in blaming President Assad, and suddenly we were awash with demands for ‘intervention’, military of course, as if the West hadn’t been intervening from the start.

Fracking–Britain’s Next Revolution by Lesley Docksey

by Lesley Docksey
Writer, Dandelion Salad
August 21, 2013

Image by Push Europe via Flickr

‘Water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.’
— Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

At long last Britain is discussing and objecting to fracking – or we would be if the general public had access to accurate information.  As it is, Prime Minister David Cameron is going all out to promote a country-wide embrace of shale gas.

Cheerleading Another Bloodbath in the Name of Peace by Felicity Arbuthnot

Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr

by Felicity Arbuthnot
Writer, Dandelion Salad
London, England
June 24, 2013

“Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians it is an act of terrorism.” President Barack Obama 15th February 2013. (Re Boston bombings.)

Having learned nothing from the catastrophes of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, it seems President Obama, the equally clueless UK Prime Minister Cameron and his culturally challenged Foreign Secretary William Hague are cheerleading another bloodbath in formerly peaceful, secular, outward looking Syria.

Putin Stands Up to G8 Warmongers on Syria, Reaffirming Support for Assad Govt. by Finian Cunningham

Image by G8 UK Presidency via Flickr

by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from PressTV
June 19, 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin can take credit for standing up to the G8 warmongers on Syria. Thanks to the feisty Russian leader’s political courage, an all-out war in Syria may have been averted – at least for now.

Only days ago, Western media were touting that Putin would be given a political drubbing at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland this week by the US, Britain and France – the three main NATO powers pushing for regime change in Syria.

US, UK Diabolic Lie: Syria Used Chemical Arms by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from PressTV
April 27, 2013

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

You have to admit it. The Americans and British do make a formidable double-act – of deception and criminality. Where one party has the firepower, the other has the liar-power.

The diabolic duo is at it again. This time the criminal magic show is to sell the lie to the world that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons of mass destruction. Weeks of political choreography have set up the issue of chemical weapons as a convenient “red line”.

French War on Mali to Clinch Warplane Mega-deal by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from PressTV
February 21, 2013

Image by Cau Napoli via Flickr

France’s claim of combating terrorism in Mali does not add up. Re-conquest of this former French colony and control of rich natural resources in West Africa are some of the more plausible reasons for this criminal offensive that began on 11 January.

Yet another plausible reason is to showcase the Rafale, France’s new fighter-bomber.

Our War on Nature by Lesley Docksey

by Lesley Docksey
Guest Writer
Dandelion Salad
Jan. 27, 2013

Image by Sam Dredge via Flickr

With the ‘global war on terror’ dominating the headlines, when Western interests headed by Western security and armed forces are sweeping across vast swathes of the Middle East and North Africa, people are losing sight of a threat that will affect everyone, rich or poor, regardless of their religion, status or nationality.  So caught up in its Crusade – and what else can we honestly call it when the countries we are invading, attacking with drones or interfering with behind the scenes are all entirely or partially Muslim – the West is blind to the crusade it should really be fighting, that of climate change and the destruction of the natural world upon which all humanity depends.

West Scripting Scary Scenario In Syria by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from www.presstv.com
August 30, 2012

Image by Beshroffline via Flickr

The conflict in Syria is unfolding like a predictable plot line – a script that appears to be a re-run of some Hollywood cliché movie – only the script is being written with outrageous cynicism in Washington along with its criminal co-stars, Britain and France.

Tugging on public heartstrings this week, the Western powers are emoting about the plight of hundreds of thousands of refugees pouring out of Syria into neighboring countries: Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. The United Nations fears that the number of refugees in Turkey alone may reach 200,000.

A Tale of Three Tragedies by Felicity Arbuthnot

by Felicity Arbuthnot
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
London, England
1 April 2012

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

“ … she becomes the endless scream in the breaking news,
which was no longer breaking news, when the aircraft returned to bomb a house with two windows and a door.”
(The Girl/The Scream, Mahmoud Darwish, 1941-2008)

March was another month of tragic, needless lives lost, the searing grief of mother’s and father’s for lost son’s and daughters.