John Pilger on Empire: war and propaganda

In the New Statesman. It ends: 'I think Orwell got it right in this passage from Nineteen Eighty-Four, a tale of the ultimate empire:

"And in the general hardening of outlook that set in . . . practices which had been long abandoned - imprisonment without trial, the use of war prisoners as slaves, public executions, torture to extract confessions . . . and the deportation of whole populations - not only became common again, but were tolerated and even defended by people who considered themselves enlightened and progressive".'

For further discussion of the American Empire, check out Doug Nesbitt's review of John Rees's Imperialism and Resistance.

On the latest from Lebanon, see Lebanon Updates as well as here, which quotes Dante: 'The darkest places in Hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.'

Professor Paul Rogers, of Bradford University, meanwhile has written a detailed discussion of British sea power: A 21st century question, which looks at Britain's attempt to play its role in this 'New World Order'.

Finally, those interested in Cuba's past and present might be interested in Chris Harman's article in the latest ISJ, as well as Louis Proyect's comments on Sam Farber.

Edited to add details of the next national demo in London: