23 March, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Sad news about Sylvia Plath’s son committing suicide.

As everyone already knows, Jade Goody died yesterday, on Britain’s Mother’s Day.  Too bad OK! Magazine rushed out their death issue in advance, otherwise they could have really milked the Mother’s Day angle.  This editorial in the Independent is one of the best pieces I’ve read on the Jade phenomenon.

And finally, President Obama will be visiting London next week for the G20 summit on April 2nd and 3rd.  I plan to participate in the protests.  As I’ve already written countless times, the presidential election changed my political views a lot.  And my tax dollars going to bail out Citibank was the last straw (I have an extreme hatred of Citibank, that bunch of vampires).  Of course, they are just symbolic (for me) of the whole bailout. This is an explosive time to have a G20 summit and there are going to be many protests in London next week from a variety of groups. Depending on how many people actually show up to protest, parts of the city could become paralyzed and there could be violence or even rioting.  The police have a tendency to be heavy-handed when it comes to protestors, which makes matters worse.  This Saturday there’s the Put People First march.  There’s an alternative summit at the University of East London on April 1st.  And this group that calls itself “G20: Meltdown in the City” wants to bring London to a standstill and storm the Bank of England during the summit.  Should be an interesting week…

1. Comments RSS

1. Ken Says:

   March 23rd, 2009 at 4:50 pm

   Jade was an astute self-promoter who lived the life she wanted to lead. The very public way she chose to die, and the reasons she chose to do it, made the whole ocassion rather heroic. Only an ass would begrudge her wish to provide for her boys.

   Did you catch the bus tour some angry citizens staged this weekend in Fairfield County? They went to the houses of two AIG execs. All these guys are quite vulnerable when you think about it.

   I’m wondering where and when the first serious act of violence against one these bailed out institutions will be. You can see it coming.

2. Caroline Says:

   March 23rd, 2009 at 11:10 pm

   Please be careful where you protest AF. The cause my be worthy, but being jostled, beaten or even imprisoned is not much fun.

3. Anglofille Says:

   March 24th, 2009 at 12:55 am

   Ken: I agree that there will be violence against some of these financial institutions – this bus tour, while amusing, seems to promote some sort of lynch mob mentality, which is a bit frightening.

   Caroline: I would only participate in peaceful protests. I know how out-of-control these protests can turn, especially where the anarchist groups are involved. I’m actually not one for large crowds, but there seem to be a couple options for peaceful demonstration, so I do want to participate if I can.

4. Ken Says:

   March 24th, 2009 at 8:36 pm

   Most of the US based AIG execs have agreed to return their bonus money. But a good chunk of the simoleans went to the London based unit, AIGFC, that created this chaos.

   The money was returned thanks to the agressive efforts of Mr. Andrew Cuomo, the Attorney-General of New York State. Because Wall Street is in New York, he has the ability to create awful civil and criminal exposure for the financial sector. But he admits that he can’t go after the London execs.

   There isn’t a Long Arm Statute (jurisdiction) in the world that can get him from Albany to London.

   Where are Washington? And the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York? Good questions.