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This Day in Cable History. (May 12th 1986. Madrid

This Day in Cable History. (May 12th 1986. Madrid)

QADHAFI RETALIATES AGAINST SPANISH EXPULSIONS.LIBYA MAY 12 RESPONDED TO FRIDAY’S EXPULSION OF ITS CONSUL GENERAL, CHARGED WITH PASSING FUNDS TO A SPANISH ARMY COLONEL ON THE ANTI-DEMOCRATIC RIGHT, BY PNG’ING THE SPANISH COMMERCIAL AND CULTURAL COUNSELORS IN TRIPOLI. MFA’S SUBDIRECTOR GENERAL FOR NORTH AFRICA TELLS US THAT THE GOS WILL NOT RETALIATE SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE EXPULSIONS; AS INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE INTO THE LIBYAN ACTIVITIES HERE, HOWEVER, MORE EXPULSIONS ARE QUITE POSSIBLE.

This Cable, written on a Monday afternoon in 1986 describes some of the “realpolitik” between Spain and Libya at the time. Further, this cable was written 27 days after the United States bombed Tripoli and surrounding military bases. Though QADHAFI and his administration were not an innocent party to the events leading up to the raid; the raid-bombing itself was condemned by many countries.

By a vote of 79 in favor to 28 against with 33 abstentions:

the United Nations formally adopted resolution 41/38 which “condemns the military attack perpetrated against the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on 15 April 1986, which constitutes a violation of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law.

The actions of the United States and subsequent rhetoric from Washington produced the phrase “War on Terrorist havens” which, eleven years later would evolve into the Bush rhetorical staple “War on Terror”.

Cultural

Some of the Movies released in 1986:

• May 16th: Top Gun
• April 25th: 3 hommes et un couffin
• June 13th: The Manhattan Project

As a propaganda device, the film Top Gun was a master piece. Essentially a 110 minute long US-Air-force recruitment video; the film is but one, in a long line of war glorifying films produced by Hollywood.

Some of the more popular Songs:

• West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys (April)
• “If You Leave,” Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark(May)
• “No One Is To Blame,” Howard Jones(June)

The above listed songs are but a snap shot of music popular at the time when this cable was written. It is of note, how heavily the cold war influenced popular culture. A particularly stunning example of cold war pop culture influence is in the video for “If You leave”. Taken from the movie Pretty in Pink (also released in 1986) the video starts with Molly Ringwald reading aloud the history of the Warsaw pact.

The New York Times Best Seller List (Top 3) May 11, 1986 Fiction

• A PERFECT SPY, by John le Carré.
• I’LL TAKE MANHATTAN, by Judith Krantz.
• THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, by Robert Ludlum

The New York Times Best Seller List (Top 3) May 11, 1986 Non-Fiction

• THE TRIUMPH OF POLITICS, by David A. Stockman
• YOU’RE ONLY OLD ONCE! by Dr. Seuss.
• BUS 9 TO PARADISE, by Leo Buscaglia

As what one might expect; the above list of top selling books denote a culture inundated by the rhetoric of MAD. (Mutually Assured Destruction)The above selection of fiction titles, show a desire to understand the context of the cold war through sensationalized spy thrillers; whereas the selection of non-fiction, for the most part, seem to illustrate a need to believe in something else, something better. Of course this over looks the blatant contrast of THE TRIUMPH OF POLITICS which is a rather scathing account of President Reagan’s economic policies.

Economic:

• $ vs ESP (1 = 139.697)
• Gold Price (May 1986) 342.40
• US Dollar Index 106.6678
• Dow Jones: May 1986 Close 1895.95

Exports / Imports
May 1986
Exports:181.2
Imports:194.7 :-NOTE: All figures are in millions of U.S. dollars on a nominal basis
Balance:-13.5

Important Events:

• The world’s worst nuclear disaster occurs at Chernobyl, USSR, April 26th.
• FOX Launched October 1986
• Election of Corazon Aquino

Concluding thoughts and remarks.
Those cognizant of world events in 1986 must have surly felt the world was on the verge of self destruction. The Berlin discotheque bombing, the “retaliatory” strike by the US on Libya; Chernobyl and Challenger all played out under the shadow of MAD and the trickle down theory. In relation to these events, the content of the cable and the Spanish corruption it illustrates truly does seem tame in comparison.

References and Sources.
___________________________________________________________________________

http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/index1986.php
http://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/reagantax.html
http://www.imdb.com/year/1986/
http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id217.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGawOk107eU
http://www.hawes.com/pastlist.htm
http://www.hawes.com/1986/1986-05-11.pdf
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/1986/05/86MADRID5480.html
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c4700.html
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c4700.html#1986
http://untreaty.un.org/cod/avl/ha/ufp/ufp.html
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/resguide/r41.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbqrH6ZJyY8
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/41195/gaddis-smith/the-triumph-of…

Banking Corruption:

Victoire

Support WIkileaks.

Iceland blasts US demands for lawmaker’s details in Wikileaks probe.

As reported today by the German news organization  Deutsche Welle, the Icelandic government is taking the DOJ’s request for personal information of one of their Parliament members  seriously.

Icelandic politicians have blasted US demands for Twitter to hand over a member of parliament’s account details. Birgitta Jonsdottir faces investigation as one of several people connected to the website WikiLeaks.

Icelandic Foreign Minister Oessur Skarphedinsson said it was not acceptable that US authorities had demanded the information.

Complete coverage from DW

Asking, The Wrong Questions.

The nature of the Internet makes detailed, concise, well thought out arguments almost impossible. The fluidity, the ebb and flow of information all conspire against the well thought out essay. In the past weeks, months even, there has been numerous attempts by myself and others to boil down the main arguments, the main points to be made, to try and shine some light into the encroaching darkness. While some have made a good go of it, placing cap-stones on some of the more pressing issues; others have failed miserably. I am forced to concede, alas, I am in the “fail” category.

I can hardly count the numerous “beginnings” of essays; which, in my heart of hearts I felt, were Surly to illuminate and keep the darkness at bay. However, it seems, new information, new spins on old information come flooding; torrents of rumors, facts and fallacies kaleidoscope round; peculate and illustrate most macabre.

This will not happen now.

A perfect case would be the newly released cable which shows (more or less) that Operation Desert Storm was in fact as much of a shame as Gulf War II. I knew it in the 90′s as I know it now. Further, when this cable was released it prompted a memory of something Noam Chomsky had written  close to that time.

I could dive into some sort of confessional, some flagellation about how “we” failed and that failure cost lives: both immediate and future.

But, I won’t. I will trust you to read the cable and come to the same conclusion. I will not add my “spin” to it, because anyone with some sense of empathy will pretty much reach the same conclusion.

Another example of a brilliant essay wanting to be written, ( just not by me) would be the memo circulating around.  This memo details the new bureaucratic measures the United States will be implementing to insure there are no future “wikileaks”  I could wax sympathetic to the mid level mangers who have to implement this.  I could point out, by even implementing these policies they will create the very same “environment” which they are trying to discover and presumably avoid.  Apparently, the author of the memo never was forced to attend Total Quality Management classes.

But, I won’t: I haven’t the time. Things are already changing, and have changed while writing this.

Example: Julian Assange is “late” Why is this even important? Because, a rather length piece could be written on how any other person out on bail, who showed up a tad late, would not have been given a warning: verbal or not, it probably just wouldn’t have happened.

Again, I won’t.

I will ask simple question though.  A question which is sure to be “naive” in retrospect; maybe even the wrong question to be asked. Nevertheless, I will ask and hope (in my heart of hearts) that the question resonates true, resonates above all, resonates to the heart of the matter.

1. Why is the United States Government (my government if you are wondering) finding it so hard “to do” the right thing? A simple statement to the nature of  “In the past, we have done some godawful things. Things which no sane country would be proud of. We ask your forgiveness in time, as the truth of our statement will be seen though our actions and not our words alone.”

Perhaps, it will be answered, Perhaps.  But in an answer to a question not asked of yet,  here is some parting music.

Wake Up, America!

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In the hands of Big Brother.