Molotov

Iron Lady, Nation of Steel: An Opinion Piece
Submitted by an Anonymous Writer

The more the state "plans" the more difficult planning becomes for the individual.

A quote by Friedrich Hayek, one that can only sum up the resounding impact that the policies of Margaret Thatcher has had on this nation. Whether you love her for her uncompromising stance on Trade Unions or loathe her for the path of privatization that she's set us upon, it cannot be said that she hasn't changed the nature of the British Nation in the following ways:

Small Government: Let's face it, the decades old tradition of state control over industry is dead and gone. The Government's role in the economy is becoming minimal and this may not be a bad thing. Innovation and productivity is at an all time high in the UK, and it's because the Managers have gone back to managing.

Prestige on the World Scale: Gone are the days of the Suez Crisis when our nation fell from grace on an international scale, trade ties are deepening with Israel, a bastion of stability in the Middle East and one of our Greatest Allies.We fought hard for our rightful territory in the Falklands from the Argentine Fascists who fought only for the right to exploit the island's inhabitants. Most importantly though and irrefutable proof of her strength is our PM's willingness to stand fast in the face of tyranny; be it the the slow collapse of the Soviet Bloc, as witnessed in Romania or the ever-growing influence of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran. The UK does not bow to Tyrants.

Defense of the Individual: The rise of the Co-operatives in the Eastern Bloc is undeniable evidence of the failure and inefficiency of the Socialist mode of production. These co-ops have been founded for the sole purpose of exploitation of the masses on an industrial scale, placing unprecedented levels of control in the hands of Militant Unions. Here in the UK, we appreciate the value of private property. We understand that with hard work and dedication, we can surpass the limits placed onto us by the Socialists within the Labour Party.

In Summary, Margaret Thatcher has helped to restore Britain's glory and prestige on the world stage and will continue to be a Champion of Freedom and Individualism for decades to come.

PLO Leader Killed by Airstrikes in Tunisia

The sun settles into the early morning sky. A hot summer's day on the North African coastline begins, the Mediterranean glistening in the morning rays. In the distance, the city of Tunis stirs and begins its day. The strike comes without warning. Out of that empty sky, the roaring of fighter jets streaking low over the ground eviscerates all illusions of calm. The munitions do their quick and bloody work, but all sights are lost in the thudding, roaring, screaming, shattering sound. It lasts an age. It lasts but a moment. The Israeli Air Force has emerged once more, stretching out its white and blue hand in retaliation for Palestinian terror attacks over the past 12 months. More than a hundred are injured, with nearly as many dead. And amongst them, crushed amongst the rubble - the man who once was Yasser Arafat.

Yasser Arafat, leader and symbol for the terrorist PLO has been killed in what seems to be an Israeli Airstrike launching a retaliatory attack against a known PLO stronghold in Tunis. Eyewitness accounts have claimed that the attack took place shortly after sunrise, and that Arafat had recently returned to his quarters after going for a jog around the compound when the Israeli Air Force leveled the terrorist compound with their state of the art munitions in the span of minutes.

No official statement has been released by Israel as of yet, however it is popular belief in Israel and in much of Europe that the PLO should be absolutely eradicated by the IDF, citing the bombings, assassinations, murders and the most notable murder of Israeli Athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich.

Margaret Thatcher has been quoted as saying "Good riddance." upon hearing of Arafats death, but there is no substantial evidence of that.

Violence erupts throughout the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as tens of thousands of Palestinians - men, women and children - protest against Israeli occupation, violence, deportation, imprisonment, detention without trial, and racism - not to mention the death of Yasser Arafat. The death toll climbs rapidly as IDF troops fire into crowds and deploy tear gas against angry mobs in Gaza. Violence begins to spiral out of control as Israeli forces attempt to arrest or otherwise target Fatah leaders in the aftermath of Arafat's death, clashing with armed Palestinians, fedayeen, and the general populous.

*The unrest spreads rapidly, with strikes across Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem as workers refuse to travel to their jobs in Israel, shops remain closed, and civilians lead the way along with Palestinian militia forces in erecting barricades and seizing control of neighbourhoods. Many Israeli settlers in the West Bank flee their villages, and abandoned settlements are torn down. By the end of the year, more than 500 Palestinians are dead, and Gaza and the West Bank described as being in open revolt.

The West Bank and Gaza has erupted into open warfare as local Arabs riot against the IDF presence in the area, accused of "Violence, Deportations and Detention without Trial" by PLO and other provocateurs. The IDF have responded in kind with tear gas and live fire against the Fedayeen and Armed Palestinians hiding within the rioting masses, seemingly there to incite Arabs to violence against Israeli Authorities. The Armed Militias have begun the erection of barricades and the seizure, and destruction of Israeli settlements in the region, leaving many Jewish Refugees to fend for themselves in an increasingly hostile and Anti-semetic environment.

*International outrage pours in at the Israeli response so far - as well as at Israel's killing of Yasser Arafat, viewed as a hope for a peaceful solution to the fighting. Egypt leads the Arab world in condemning Israeli actions, in the process calling the Camp David Accords "nothing more than a piece of paper".

The Egyptian Government has issued a scathing condemnation of the Israeli response to the unrest, implying that Israel views the Camp David Accords as "nothing more than a piece of paper." The Rhetoric has been 1-sided, as Egyptian Media has completely ignored the various instances of violence against the Jews of Israel in recent days.

*A Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood issues a new charter, declaring its participation in the revolt against Israel and its desire to liberate Palestine. They name themselves the Islamic Resistance Movement (Harakat al-Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya) - or Hamas, for short.

Yet another organization dedicated to "resistance" against Israel has formed, known as "Harakat Al-Muqāwama Al-Islāmiyaa" or "Hamas." This group is Islamist in nature, seeking the complete annihilation of Israel and its replacement with an exclusively Islamic State in Palestine. This is no surprise, as they are an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. They have been active in violence against the IDF as of recently.

Chants of "Protect the Baltic Sea" are deafening in the streets of Rakvere and other urban centers across Estonia after the Estonian Communist Party, subordinate to the Soviet Government has announced the opening and expansion of Phosphorite Mines in Northern Estonia, despite the public position held by the party that the decision would be made by Estonians.

Despite numerous petitions and general opposition to the renewed mining efforts In Estonia, the Communist Party of Estonia remains unwilling to negotiate any sort of agreement with the demonstrators whose ranks include prominent environmentalists and intellectuals such as Endel Lippmaa, founder and chairman of the Science Council of the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics. Students of the University of Tartu have unanimously denounced the actions of the Communist Party and have taken to wearing yellow T-shirts bearing slogans of "Phosphorite-No Thanks!"
Yet more controversial has been this image, created by Priit Pärn and published in Sirp Ja Vasar (Hammer and Sickle), shows a peasant shoveling a piece of manure shaped like Estonia, uttering the words "Sitta Kah! or "just shit." This image has already been widely circulated by demonstrators and used to denounce the unpopular Phosphorite project.

Another concern brought by this project by more xenophobic elements is that of demographics. Many in Estonia view the opening of these mines as an opportunity by the Russians to import Russian migrant workers to Estonia, upsetting the demographic balance currently estimating Estonians making up ~60% of the population in the small Soviet Republic. Whether these fears be unfounded or not, the unpopularity of the Phosphorite Mines has united Students, Intellectuals, Workers and all strata of Estonian Society, how the Soviet Union reacts to this popular movement may set the precedent for future events in the Baltic States.

Thousands of youth gathered in the Cathedral Square of Riga (Latvia's Capital) for a Rock Concert have marched down Lenin Avenue towards the Freedom Monument chanting "Soviet Russia out! Free Latvia!" have been brutally suppressed by Soviet Security Forces and have left many youth incarcerated in Soviet Jails.
This is not the first, nor will it be the last of such demonstrations in Latvia, as the Soviet Union's plan to build a hydroelectric dam on the Daugava River, Latvia's largest river has been met by public opposition and the formation of the Environmental Protection Club. It is widely believed that the stoppage of construction for this dam will preserve Latvia's landscape for the years to come. A similar plan to build a metro in Riga was obstructed as well by public opposition, claiming that the project would destroy the cities cultural and historical heritage.

It is the belief of many in Latvia that as long as these displays of defiance towards Soviet Rule continue, their aims of Independence and Democratization will be achieved and recognized by the international community, and perhaps a national revival may be seen in the coming years.

*Sponsored by the Muslim nations of OPEC, a two-phase production slowdown is agreed as a protest measure against Israeli reprisals against the Palestinian community in the aftermath of the death of Yasser Arafat. Oil prices spike globally in response, but stop short of becoming unsustainable.

The recent "Declaration of Independence" of the Palestinian Territories by multiple Nationalist elements has drawn solidarity from the Muslim nations of OPEC, which has approved a slowdown in oil production in protest against IDF retaliatory measures following attacks from the Fedayeen and other groups.

Effective at the beginning of Q2 1987, we propose a voluntary reduction in production quotas by 5% for the next sixth months. Should those nations who commit to such a reduction find that by Q3 1987, the situation of the international community has not changed in regards to the Palestinian crisis, they will then commit to a 15% reduction, as proposed over a decade ago. Such an alliance of member nations will be authorized to meet again and discuss further action by the end of the four fiscal quarters, should we once again find it unsatisfactory.

Iran, champion of the OPEC protest; proposed a voluntary reduction of production quotas by 5% for the next 6 months. As a result, Global Oil Prices have spiked but are yet to be unsustainable, the Iranians have also proposed that if the situation in Israel does not change, then the reduction will reach 15% until desired changes have been made. The United Kingdom is expected to remain resolute in support of Israel in the coming months.

*The impact of OPEC slowdowns in the US is heavily mitigated when President Reagan announces the sell-off of part of the US Strategic Oil Reserves to maintain price stability. Although popular with consumers, the move causes considerable concern amongst political and military leaders.

The United States has for the most part, avoided the effects of the slowdown through the controversial sale of part of the Strategic Oil Reserve in the goal of maintaining price stability. This decision, while popular with consumers has drawn the ire of Generals and Politicians alike who view it as a compromise and a liability in this age of ever-growing global interdependence. Perhaps a sign of the ever-decreasing influence of OPEC over International Politics? Definitely a sign of turmoil to come.

A representative for the RAF has suggested that exercises may be taking place alongside the Israeli Air Force in order to foster better relations with the Jewish State and further increase discipline in the ranks of the Royal Air Force. Not much else is known, but an official announcement is expected in the near future.