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Analyses US elections Voorpagina

Stupid American Voter

For all the criticism levelled at Team Clinton for her so-called harsh treatment of Team Obama, the latter should be happy and thankful for it.

Why?

Because Team Obama can learn a thing or two from the attacks, knowledge it will need during the general election.

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Analyses US elections Voorpagina

Greg Palast on amateurs Clinton & Obama

“Amateur Hour in Blue

We can trust Correa to keep the peace South of the Border. But can we trust our Presidents-to-be?

The current man in the Oval Office, George Bush, simply can’t help himself: an outlaw invasion by a right-wing death-squad promoter is just fine with him.

But guess who couldn’t wait to parrot the Bush line? Hillary Clinton, still explaining that her vote to invade Iraq was not a vote to invade Iraq, issued a statement nearly identical to Bush’s, blessing the invasion of Ecuador as Colombia’s “right to defend itself.” And she added, “Hugo Chávez must stop these provoking actions.” Huh?

And then Obama weighed in, too.

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US elections Voorpagina

The Case Against Barack Obama UPDATED

obamabarack.jpgBarack Obama is destined to be the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party. The young (46) Senator for Illinois has a number of advantages which he can exploit to the fullest. However, there are also two giant negatives that could pose severe problems for him during the general election — an election which will be just as closely fought as 2000 and 2004.

 

UPDATE: And now he’s starting to piss off the press corps.

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US elections Verkiezingen Voorpagina

The Case Against McCain

mccain.jpgJohn McCain is destined to be the next nominee for the presidency on behalf of the Republican Party. Many Republicans don’t agree with him leading the pack, but votes are votes and all things being equal, McCain has decisively won most of the states during the Republican primary. And there are a number of traits and advantages that will help McCain in his fight against Barack Obama, or Hillary Clinton. But there is also a very strong case against McCain; like Clinton, he carries a lot of negatives. And no, his age isn’t one of them.

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US elections Verkiezingen Voorpagina

Make no mistake: it’s going to be just as close this time around

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There are those on the Democratic side of US politics at the moment who firmly believe that they will easily win the White House come November. They should think again and above all, learn from history.

Because that’s exactly what they thought in 2000, and once again in 2004. And with John McCain destined to become the Republican nominee for the presidency, the Democrats had better rethink their optimism and start digging some trenches. Because like in 1992, 2000 and 2004, it’s going to be close hand-to-hand combat to finish with a razor-thin margin on November 4 of this year.

The Clintons and the DNC’s leadership know it; the RNC smells it. Question is, does Obama know it?

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US elections Voorpagina

Prediction: she’s going to lose part II

The prediction still stands. It’s over. And yes, this had a LOT to do with it. (But then again: I basically wrote that story already on January 28.)

The media folks simply wanted a fresh body to suck on.

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Analyses Meningen Voorpagina

Joran van der Sloot to remain free part II

joran.JPGYou read it here first: Joran van der Sloot will remain a free man. That article was based on mere analysis but now the expectation has become reality: a judge on Aruba has refused to allow the Prosecution Office (PO) to re-arrest Van der Sloot. The judge ruled that the man, who ‘confessed’ that he disposed of the body of Natalee Holloway after she died, was arrested twice before, without the PO being able to tag him with the murder or disappearance of Holloway. The judge didn’t want Van der Sloot arrested again; he deems the new “evidence” – a confession from Van der Sloot caught on camera while he was smoking drugs – not enough.

And that creates a problem. Could it be that the judge is seeing the same problems as written in my article? Unfortunately for the Holloway family, the man who apparently could not care less about what happens to other people (much less the girl he wanted to have sex with) will never be held accountable for his actions. Except by the public, of course. More than 7 million people in the Netherlands – that’s almost half the country – watched the TV-show by crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, in which Van der Sloot ‘confessed’. Other TV-shows, newspapers, magazines, the entire media worked the country into a frenzy before the show, aired yesterday. It may turn out to have been much ado about nothing.

Update: the former head of police on the island of Aruba, who acted as chief investigator in the Holloway case, just now said that he doesn’t believe that Van der Sloot will ever be arrested again until more evidence pops up. OK, so that’s that; we’ve had the story about the dead blonde us whites can all identify with. Can we now please focus on issues that I think really matter?

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Voorpagina

Joran van der Sloot to remain free

Joran van der Sloot, the alleged ‘killer’ of Natalee Holloway, is going to remain a free man. Any Dutch lawyer will destroy the ‘case’ any prosecutor will try to bring to a court following the TV-show of Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries.

First, there’s still no body.

Second, while making his repeated ‘confessions’ in a car and under constant secret camera surveillance (which is already problematic under Dutch law – will a court accept the video?), Mr. Van der Sloot was constantly smoking weed. Any lawyer worth his salt will argue that Mr. Van der Sloot was under the influence of drugs at the time of his ‘ ‘confession sessions’ and that he therefore cannot be held accountable for his actions or words. Van der Sloot already went on live television two days before the show in which his ‘confessions’ were aired to state that what he said wasn’t the truth; that he was exaggerating, and that the stories he told were made up.

Third, there is no independent source or witness to back up Joran’s ‘confession’. Van der Sloot says that he had Natalee Holloway disposed of by a friend, a fisherman, who took the lifeless body of the girl to sea after she died. However, at no time during his show does Mr. De Vries produce this ‘friend’, named ‘Daury’ by Van der Sloot. This raises questions. Does this man exist? If so, why didn’t De Vries find him? Or perhaps he didn’t exist, which should work out fine for Mr. Van der Sloot’s lawyer. His argument, that Joran was spaced-out on dope and talking crap every time he was smoking weed in the car, will only gain more traction if this ‘Daury’ doesn’t show up to back up Joran’s ‘confession’.

Fourth, even if Joran’s confession is accepted by the court, then the court will still have to take his word for it that she was already dead before he / his (imaginary?) friend let her slip into the sea. All that he can then be accused of is gross neglicence and letting disappear a dead body (under Dutch law). And not even that; he would be an accomplice, as he got aided by someone else. (If this is true, of course.) If a court accepts his confessions (remember the drugs-argument!) about what happened, then it will also have to accept his argument that she died in his arms – but that he did not intentionally kill her.

As for the man’s personality: yes, he certainly needs to visit a shrink or two, and that for a long, looong time. But a court still will not look at his personality, but at the mere facts.

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Voorpagina

Nederland: maak het maar kapot!

Mensen die de minister van Financiën dood willen rijden. Mensen die de premier dood willen rijden. Mensen die niet meer snappen dat de minister en de premier dat niet snappen. Mensen die vinden dat de koningin maar op moet donderen omdat ze iets verstandigs zegt. Lekker makkelijk ook: de koningin mag niets terugzeggen. Prijsschieten. Mensen die liever hebben dat hun stad in de fik wordt gezet, in plaats van dat voorkomen wordt dat de stad dus de fik in gaat. Mensen die vinden dat alles wat met een accent praat in principe geitenneukers zijn, en die dan heel verrast zijn dat de beledigden in kwestie boos worden. Mensen die vandaag nog – wat, gisteren! – alle ongelovigen het liefst zouden onthoofden. Sterf maar. Mensen die niet willen dat anderen plezier hebben. Mensen die zichzelf tekort gedaan voelen. Mensen die niet willen dat anderen, die misschien niet zo hard werken als zij, toch een leuk salaris verdienen. Mensen die niet willen dat anderen, die veel harder werken dan zij en ook nog eens heel veel meer verantwoordelijkheden hebben, heel veel meer verdienen. Mensen die drie keer per jaar op vakantie gaan. Mensen die zouden willen dat ze zich één keer per 5 jaar een vakantie konden veroorloven – in Limburg. Limburg, dat wenst dat mensen zich wat vaker dan die ene keer per 5 jaar een vakantie konden verloorloven – een vakantie in Limburg. Mensen die A willen ten koste van B, kortom, terwijl C mag doodvallen ten faveure van D.

Het is en blijft knap, zo’n scala aan verschillende meningen in één klein landje. Dat is zeker. Nu alleen nog de trots en de terugkeer van fatsoen.

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Analyses US elections Voorpagina

The donkey is biting the hand that feeds it

The number of Democratic politicians that is lining up to endorse Barack Obama — and not Hillary Clinton — is impressive. Despite Clinton’s surprise win in New Hampshire, which must have caused a blow to confidence in Camp Obama, some pretty high-ranking Democrats are leaning to endorse Obama. John Kerry was the latest high-profile Democrat to throw his support (and sponsors!) to Obama. So what’s going on? Why is Hillary, a prominent Democratic Senator and wife of the man who is seen as the virtual leader of the Democratic Party, suddenly the least popular gal on prom night?

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