Buffalo Bagels

[Ignis Fatuus]

A Libyan government spokesman has told Sky News that Colonel Gaddafi's forces would never kill civilians, insisting that the leader was "loved by millions".

Reminiscent of Saddam's placeman claiming that Iraq had not attacked any foreign embassies in Kuwait; on being pressed, he said that Kuwait did not exist any more, so these were not embassies, therefore no embassies had been attacked.

Why do we have to put up with these bastards? Can our leaders not just say in plain language that they are talking tulip?

[SimonMac]

Why do we have to put up with these bastards? Can our leaders not just say in plain language that they are talking tulip?

No because they will basically be open to the fact that most of the time our fearless leaders are talking tulip theselves anyway!

[Ignis Fatuus]

I admit that I fear that the biggest truth-teller in this affair might be Gaddafi's son, who said that when we got to thinking about the oil, we'd be back.

Another hobby-horse of mine: never mind global warming, never mind usage of resources, our dependence on oil puts us permanently in hock to some of the worst despots, and should be reduced on those grounds alone.

Let's go with nuclear. Support comes from an unexpected source:

As a result of the disaster at Fukushima, I am no longer nuclear-neutral. I now support the technology.

A crappy old plant with inadequate safety features was hit by a monster earthquake and a vast tsunami. The electricity supply failed, knocking out the cooling system. The reactors began to explode and melt down. The disaster exposed a familiar legacy of poor design and corner-cutting. Yet, as far as we know, no one has yet received a lethal dose of radiation.

-- George Monbiot

[Clippy]

Surely, the greatest regime spokesman was Comical Ali.