Nov.29: The news that isn't in the TandT

The Los Angeles Times (World edition) for today has rather a big story. Major banks in the US and Europe, in defiance of the law and in full knowledge of what they were doing)  have been laundering Mexican drug money. One of them just got fined a hundred and sixty million for ir. (Big deal. The amount they laundered was $420 BILLION.)

That's just one bank. So what 's the total for all the banks? It must be bigger than the whole national budget for Mexico. This is an important story from many angles. But it's not in the TandT.

The TandT has reported on Egypt's first, democratic election. But it got the report from Reuters so, as usual, it's not quite complete. For example, there is no mention that the Supreme Council of the Military (the generals) has announced it will retain power  no matter who is elected. It will also refuse to permit any consitutional change that would reduce the power of the generals.

But to get to that part of the story, you'll have to look up The Irish Examiner for Nov. 29,

On Syria, again from Reuters, we are told more of what we already knew about the sanctions by the Arab League. It still hasn't told us exactly what the Arab League is, what a collection of dictators and killers it is, how member states have killed (and are still killing) their own citizens for precisely the same reasons the Syrian government is.

Nor is there a mention that Iraq has abstained from the vote.Isn't that interesting? Almost the only democracy (sort of) in the Arab League does not support the sanctions.

The Arab League accuses Syria of war crimes, torture, murder, and rape. Gee. They didn't say that when the US did it to Iraq. The Arab League also says it has to intervene for humane reasons. Right. The dictators of the Arab League have a long record of concern about humane behaviour.

There is really nothing in local news.

The op ed page has its usual, utterly pointless column by a staff writer, this one about the thrill of travel, and getting to see fascinating places like Oxford, Nova Scotia.

Even Norbert has nothing to say. This time, it's about issues that might be covered in the budget. One issue is the environment, particularly shale gas. Norbert does not seem concerned that nothing has been done about that for over a decade. He takes comfort that the government will do something about it. And, though it might not be much, it will be progress. In other words, we ae being set up for Alward not doing much about anything - and beiing told that at least it's progress.

So that takes care of that problem.

Speaking of progress, there is still no news of developments concerning Mr. Northrup's fearless demand for a sincere (Northurp expects sincerity; he is not  man to mince words) apology for illegal shale gas exploration. Nor is there any word on the government's intense criminal investigation of an illegal act the company has admitted it did. (If I went through a stop light, would a sincere apology make it okay? Or could I expect the police to study the case for several weeks (at least) before issuing a ticket?  Or maybe just a demand for a sincere apology?)

Good editorial cartoon, though. I wonder if de Adder would be allowed to do a similar one for the so-called "progressive conservative" party.