Economics of The Noble Path

The Economics of the Noble Path group meet every now and then. Like the great and the good do at weekends. They quietly invite interesting speakers from around the world to Italy, in this case the seaside town of Rimini...It would have made a great orgy. As an intellectual gathering it fell horribly short.

...But here and there were chinks of light. It isn't all fakery and canapés. Jean Zeigler of the UN spoke with anger about the connections and similarities between GW Bush and OB Laden, and how "globalisation is like AIDS it destroys the immune system of poor countries."

...[L]et us not go home with no hope. The small number of Italian students who were fortunate enough to attend could speak the truth. As with all events such as this it is only here that we see how ordinary people know best. We see how any elite will inevitably be lost in a sea of chauffeurs, back slapping and Pouilly Fume.

"They don't care," said a young woman waving her fingers at the departing dignitaries. "The system is too good for them. They talk a lot and do nothing, they say how bad things are and then they go to the Grand Hotel (Five Stars) for lunch. What did they say? That the world is wrong? We know that. Are they really serious? Do they think we can't see?"

....They have a deep contact with the United Nations, the bumbling frightened group of useless men and women who spent so long on their knees in front of the USA that they finally succumbed in February, as "the evil of international law" was "destroyed," as President Bush's advisor Richard Perle put it.

And remember this is a 'liberal' group. Or at least that is how it sees itself.

..."The key is the implementation of human rights conventions," [British MEP Emma Nicholson] said. "The separation of politics and justice is paramount, all people must come under justice."

So, I asked her, how does Guantanamo Bay, Bagram Air base - where the U.S. have beaten to death two prisoners - and the coalition prison in Baghdad, holding 11,000 without trial, fit in to that role of communal law? Especially as her role as vice president of an EU committee on human rights?

"What?" she said seemingly confused. "Gua what, Guat what? What? I don't…" She turned to her Italian translator to help her out.

"You know," said the translator in her Italian accent, possibly translating English into English for the first time. "Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where the prisoners are held."

"What?" repeated Nicholson. "I don't understand."

"You know, the prisons.."

"Oh that…" said Nicholson "well, my answer to that is…I'm a European."

Which didn't appear to be an answer at all, it appeared to be code for "fuck off."

Eventually I got her to admit that European nations had been involved in all the conflicts which led to these prisons being created. She refused to countenance anything to do with Afghanistan, she is after all "a European" but said she, "would like to go and visit the prison in Baghdad, but I haven't had an opportunity. And remember Iraq is full of criminals."

Six months after the war and the representative of the European Union committee that deals with human rights has not even visited the jail. Still, Iraq is full of criminals. It certainly is. So, to sort a few things out I cornered her as she tried to leave.....  article