Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Where to Invade Next?
I was wandering through Planet Books in Mt Lawley (highly recommended for topical, political and thought-provoking material) and noted a book titled "Where to Invade Next?" by Stephen Elliot. On the back cover was the following quote:
Inside the book is listed the top countries (along with explanations) on the USA's hit list ... and yes, Venezuela is there along with the usual suspects of Iran, Sudan and North Korea ;-)
More detail at http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9781932416930-0
"About ten days after 9/11, I went through the Pentagon and I saw Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz. I went downstairs just to say hello to some of the people on the Joint Staff who used to work for me, and one of the generals called me in. He said, "Sir, you've got to come in and talk to me a second." I said, "Well, you're too busy." He said, "No, no." He says, "We've made the decision we're going to war with Iraq." This was on or about the twentieth of September...
"So I came back to see him a few weeks later, and by that time we were bombing in Afghanistan. I said, "Are we still going to war with Iraq?" And he said, "Oh, it's worse than that." He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, "I just got this down from upstairs" (meaning the Secretary of Defense's office) "today." And he said, "This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years."
— General Wesley Clark, February 27, 2007
Inside the book is listed the top countries (along with explanations) on the USA's hit list ... and yes, Venezuela is there along with the usual suspects of Iran, Sudan and North Korea ;-)
More detail at http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9781932416930-0
caveat civis
Further to my recent focus on Fred Phelps, the NSW Liberal Party and other Christian terrorists, I now draw your attention to the formation of Australia's first Islamic political party, The Best Party of Allah in Australia.
According to The Australian the party founder, Kurt Kennedy, believes that "all Australians should be living under Islamic law dictated by the Koran" and that we have nothing to fear because "The positive part of sharia law is (about) treating everybody fairly".
All well and good ... IF equality is the foundation stone. Unfortunately it may not be that simple - nor is it right and just!
Despite the spin, Islamic values are NOT exactly the same as those of any other religion, though they are more similar to Jewish or Christian beliefs than either of those religions would care to admit. As such, it is incomprehensible that a nation, especially Australia, should have to base its laws upon any one religion, even Christianity.
Islam, like any other religion (including Christianity) or political ideology, is subject to interpretation as well as the external forces that are invoked when trying to apply theory to a practical world. Communism is a great theory (true equality), but in practice it is unworkable and unjust. Capitalism is equally problematic.
Orwell's masterpiece, Animal Farm, suitably depicts how the forces of power, greed, discrimination and social politicisation of a community evolves from a genuine intent to provide equality, be it from a progressive or conservative perspective.
Evolutionary theory (the survival of the fittest) dictates that it is against our nature to believe anything other than that "some are more equal than others". If we add to these murky waters the widespread indoctrination that must naturally follow any implementation of a state-endorsed religion, then we will encounter a firestorm of fear and bigotry not unlike that seen in Nazi Germany, Apartheid South Africa, and the Crusades era in the Middle East.
Religion and politics are a chaotic mix, just as the suppression of religion in particular nations also breeds unnecessary suffering and malcontent. The separation of state and church is not only a cornerstone of democracy, it is the most fundamental of all human rights - the right to exist as an individual, with thoughts, actions and values of one's own choosing.
I don't deny the right of Kennedy and his supporters to establish an Islamic-based political party, and I have said as much previously on this blog here and here, but I cannot support the intent to establish any form of theocracy, whether it be Christian, Moslem or otherwise. I will also be the first one to stand up to oppose the possible election of any representative from such a group.
The Theocracy Alert - Early warning System is suitably on Orange status, the second highest rating.
[+/-] show/hide this post
According to The Australian the party founder, Kurt Kennedy, believes that "all Australians should be living under Islamic law dictated by the Koran" and that we have nothing to fear because "The positive part of sharia law is (about) treating everybody fairly".
All well and good ... IF equality is the foundation stone. Unfortunately it may not be that simple - nor is it right and just!
Despite the spin, Islamic values are NOT exactly the same as those of any other religion, though they are more similar to Jewish or Christian beliefs than either of those religions would care to admit. As such, it is incomprehensible that a nation, especially Australia, should have to base its laws upon any one religion, even Christianity.
Islam, like any other religion (including Christianity) or political ideology, is subject to interpretation as well as the external forces that are invoked when trying to apply theory to a practical world. Communism is a great theory (true equality), but in practice it is unworkable and unjust. Capitalism is equally problematic.
Orwell's masterpiece, Animal Farm, suitably depicts how the forces of power, greed, discrimination and social politicisation of a community evolves from a genuine intent to provide equality, be it from a progressive or conservative perspective.
Evolutionary theory (the survival of the fittest) dictates that it is against our nature to believe anything other than that "some are more equal than others". If we add to these murky waters the widespread indoctrination that must naturally follow any implementation of a state-endorsed religion, then we will encounter a firestorm of fear and bigotry not unlike that seen in Nazi Germany, Apartheid South Africa, and the Crusades era in the Middle East.
Religion and politics are a chaotic mix, just as the suppression of religion in particular nations also breeds unnecessary suffering and malcontent. The separation of state and church is not only a cornerstone of democracy, it is the most fundamental of all human rights - the right to exist as an individual, with thoughts, actions and values of one's own choosing.
I don't deny the right of Kennedy and his supporters to establish an Islamic-based political party, and I have said as much previously on this blog here and here, but I cannot support the intent to establish any form of theocracy, whether it be Christian, Moslem or otherwise. I will also be the first one to stand up to oppose the possible election of any representative from such a group.
The Theocracy Alert - Early warning System is suitably on Orange status, the second highest rating.
[+/-] show/hide this post
Birthday blues and Christmas hope
Today I have reached 35 years of age.
Normally it is a time for celebration, but this year I am making it a time for reflection. Not just because I'm despondent at the return of Dubbya to the Whitehouse, following Howard's undeserved election bonanza. Rather I am reflecting upon the fortunes of my life, given the quirk of nature that saw me born in one place and not another.
Today I have the dubious privilege of exceeding the average life expectancy of 1.5 million people in Botswana by 5 years, and I've equalled the life expectancy for 10.5 million people in Zambia. see Index Mundi
Instead of Africa, I was lucky enough to be born into an anglo-saxon Australian family, giving me a good chance to reach 80 years of age. I'm almost at the halfway mark. Only ten countries in the world manage to have such a long life expectancy for their citizens.
- Andorra (83.5)
- Macau (82.03)
- San Marino (81.53)
- Singapore (81.53)
- Hong Kong (81.39)
- Japan (81.04)
- Switzerland (80.31)
- Sweden (80.3)
- Australia (80.26)
- Iceland (80.18)
Canada falls just behind in 11th place with 79.96 years.
Australia might be better ranked if it were not for the shameful health of our indigenous people, whose life expectancy is at least 20 years less than non-indigenous Australians.
It means that our indigenous people have a life expectancy only slightly better than the people of Cambodia and Sudan (58 years) but worse than that of Bangladesh (61 years) and India (64 years).
So much is wrong with our own nation.
So much is wrong with the world.
I'll be waiting a very long time to have my birthday wish fulfilled (I can't tell you, as that supposedly renders it invalid) ... but I live in hope. Enormous hope, backed by perserverence and a willingness to be a conscientious objector against the misguided selfishness of our modern world.
Part of this hope has been revived by the plan for Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to re-record the Band Aid hit, "Do They Know it's Christmas Time" using a swag of contemporary artists. Although it is expected to be an instant chart topper and raise millions of dollars for Ethiopia and Sudan, it is still a small drop in the ocean and is literally just a "band-aid" to a gaping wound on human existence. Poverty and related health issues can only be solved by the combined will of the international community through their governments.
But good luck and congratulations to Geldof and his team for putting this issue back in the spotlight.
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Mad Mbeki
South African President, Thabo Mbeki, seems to be losing the plot in a more irrational way than ever before. His recent attack on "whites" leaves many people wondering why this man is President.
Whether Mbeki is justified in his explosive retort against racial slurs is not the point. Every word he utters simply loses him more credibility in his leadership position. He already lacks credibility when it comes to dealing with the welfare of his people, especially if the issue is AIDS related.
Mbeki is oblivious or chooses to ignore the peril of his nation.
Bleating about racial slurs and condemning whites for focussing on the need for HIV treatment and prevention will not raise the dead or cure the sick. Mbeki is an ignorant man who does not recognise the link between HIV and AIDS. His legacy will be the death of millions more in South Africa.
P.S. [28 Oct 2004] Some good references:
One side of the story
The other side of the story
AIDS focus in South Africa
The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
Whether Mbeki is justified in his explosive retort against racial slurs is not the point. Every word he utters simply loses him more credibility in his leadership position. He already lacks credibility when it comes to dealing with the welfare of his people, especially if the issue is AIDS related.
Mbeki is oblivious or chooses to ignore the peril of his nation.
- South Africa has the largest HIV+ population in the world
- 1 in 5 adult South Africans carry HIV
- 1 in 4 pregnant women are HIV+
- Over 600 die each day from AIDS related illness
- 40% of deaths in the 15 - 49 year age group are AIDS-related
- A 15-year-old only has a 20% chance of reaching 60 years
- By 2010 life expectancy will be less than 40 years.
- By the same year 6 million would have died as a result of AIDS
Bleating about racial slurs and condemning whites for focussing on the need for HIV treatment and prevention will not raise the dead or cure the sick. Mbeki is an ignorant man who does not recognise the link between HIV and AIDS. His legacy will be the death of millions more in South Africa.
P.S. [28 Oct 2004] Some good references:
One side of the story
The other side of the story
AIDS focus in South Africa
The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
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