blessed britons

In 2001, the UK government approved the sale of a £28 million military air traffic control system to Tanzania. The World Bank, which usually steers clear of criticising individual purchases, said that the system was both unsuitable for Tanzania's needs and out of date, and that a civilian system could be purchased for an eighth of the cost. Campaigners argued that the deal should be stopped on the basis that half the population of the country lacked access to clean water. This was also the position of Clare Short, then the International Development Secretary, but she was over-ruled as Tony Blair intervened personally to ensure the deal went through.

— CAAT

From The G8: Arms Dealers to the World

mad world

If a bank makes a loan, nothing is lent, for the simple reason that there is nothing of substance to lend, The bank simply makes what it terms a 'loan' against the amount of money deposited with it at that time. This is all done with the utmost ease. The bank has simply to agree that a person may take out a loan of, say, £5,000. The person taking out the loan can then spend £5,000 and hey presto! £5,000 of new number-money has been created. It is as simple as that! No one with a bank account is sent a letter telling them that the money in their account is 'temporarily unavailable, because it has been lent to someone else', because it hasn't. None of the original accounts in the bank has been touched, reduced or affected in the slightest way... but £5,000 of new spending power has been created; £5,000 of new number-money enters the economy at the stroke of a bank manager's pen...

— Michael Rowbotham

The Grip of Death

very savage men

Submitted by antarchi on November 5, 2007 - 00:39.

The fall of Delhi to the British... was accompanied by the slaughter of thousands of civilians. One officer later confessed that his men "were very savage, treating those poor wretches like vermin. Some carried ropes on purpose to hang them with, which they did with great delight." The killing was accompanied by an orgy of looting with many officers becoming rich men. Queen Victoria herself "acquired some prize articles, including the evanescent emperor's jewelled hat and gilt chairs".

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