Thursday, November 23, 2006
Another National Day
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Pity The Nation
Lebanon looks set for turmoil once again. First Hariri went in an explosion so massive that it blew a huge crater in the road. Fingers were pointed at Syria. Now it's Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, shot in a Christian neighbourhood in North Beirut. Once again, before anything has been established, fingers are pointing at Syria.
Why are fingers so eager to point?
This is the simple equation in the mathematics of Lebanon. But the fact is we do not know who killed Pierre Gemayel, but we know what the likely consequences will be. So, the qustion here, as in most other incidents that happen in countries unfortunate enough to be in the way of power politics, who benefits?
The title Pity the Nation comes from the poem The Garden of the Prophet (published 1933), by the Lebanese Christian poet Khalil Gibran. When asked by a disciple about the city of Orphalese, the sage said, "My friends and my road-fellows, pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion ('Wayloul li ummatin taksourou fiha al tawa'ef, wa takhlou minal deen')...Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation." For a poignant read of this extract of the poem, I recommend this presentation by Lawrence of Cyberia.
ß
Why are fingers so eager to point?
This is the simple equation in the mathematics of Lebanon. But the fact is we do not know who killed Pierre Gemayel, but we know what the likely consequences will be. So, the qustion here, as in most other incidents that happen in countries unfortunate enough to be in the way of power politics, who benefits?
The title Pity the Nation comes from the poem The Garden of the Prophet (published 1933), by the Lebanese Christian poet Khalil Gibran. When asked by a disciple about the city of Orphalese, the sage said, "My friends and my road-fellows, pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion ('Wayloul li ummatin taksourou fiha al tawa'ef, wa takhlou minal deen')...Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation." For a poignant read of this extract of the poem, I recommend this presentation by Lawrence of Cyberia.
ß
// posted by beta-blogger @ 1:38 PM
Pity The NationSunday, November 19, 2006
Turn On, Switch Off
This is a campaign that I totally support, so I shall reproduce the logo below coming as it does frm a totally unexpected part of the world:
I shall go along with anyone who wants to switch off because television is the most subversive, distracting, corrupting device to have been born to this world. In the part of the world where I come from, the lure of television is such that it flickers endlessly in the lounge of every home, none daring to switch it off. Even in the rare moments when it is off, it is switched on again as soon as a guest arrives so that guest and host can sit down and stare at the idiot box and consume as likely as not, a truckload of American tripe.
Television has been linked to the growing violence among children, autism, declining moral standards and attention deficit disorder. It is the major cause of stupidity among adults. Well think, what intelligent person would sit down and watch Big Brother?
Netenyahu once allegedly said that the easiest way to make Iran cower was by beaming American television at them, and then within a generation they will want to be like us. Well, I don't know about Iran, but many folk in this globe are already there.
So switch off, read a book, talk to your friend, your neighbour, yourself. You will not miss them brothers and sisters, but they will miss you!
ß
I shall go along with anyone who wants to switch off because television is the most subversive, distracting, corrupting device to have been born to this world. In the part of the world where I come from, the lure of television is such that it flickers endlessly in the lounge of every home, none daring to switch it off. Even in the rare moments when it is off, it is switched on again as soon as a guest arrives so that guest and host can sit down and stare at the idiot box and consume as likely as not, a truckload of American tripe.
Television has been linked to the growing violence among children, autism, declining moral standards and attention deficit disorder. It is the major cause of stupidity among adults. Well think, what intelligent person would sit down and watch Big Brother?
Netenyahu once allegedly said that the easiest way to make Iran cower was by beaming American television at them, and then within a generation they will want to be like us. Well, I don't know about Iran, but many folk in this globe are already there.
So switch off, read a book, talk to your friend, your neighbour, yourself. You will not miss them brothers and sisters, but they will miss you!
ß
// posted by beta-blogger @ 11:18 AM
Turn On, Switch OffTuesday, November 14, 2006
Whose Security, Whose Council?
Have the Arab leaders finally woken up or are they just not feeling very well?
In Cairo last Sunday they decided to break from their shackles and agreed to start cash flowing again to the Palestinian Auhority, something which Arab banks have refused to do in deference to US's and Europe's disappointment that it was Hamas that was chosen by the Palestinian people in a fair and free election. Democracy works, as they say, but for whom?
This Arab change of heart came after the US vetoed an amendment sponsored by Qatar in the Security Council condemning Israel's attack on Beit Hanoun that killed 20 Palestinian civilians and injured scores of others. You may want to go here to see what actually happened, and I won't warn you about what you will see because we — in the safety of our homes — have no right to be squeamish while those who were there actually suffered and died.
The US-led blockade against the Hamas government has caused untold suffering to the Palestinians who are now living below the poverty line, all for exercising their vote. But the US money still flowed, to the PLO, to arm and train them so that they will do part of the dirty work by waging war against Hamas and help despatch them quickly to their graves so that democracy will once again thrive in Palestine. (Historical note: Saddam did this work once for them when he waged war against Iran. And then, with both sides weakened, they came back to thank Saddam for that.)
Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmud Zahar said that already $30 million had been transferred to the Plestinian Authority by Kuwait but how or when it will land there is still a big question mark.
Israeli Prime Minister said that the shelling of Beit Hanoun was a technical failure and a mistake. Just as the killing of Rachel Corrie was a mistake, and Tom Hurndall, and the UN observation post in Lebanon, and USS Liberty were all mistakes.
Read:
§ Hamas History Tied to Israel
§ Italy: Israel shelled Beit Hanoun deliberately.
ß
In Cairo last Sunday they decided to break from their shackles and agreed to start cash flowing again to the Palestinian Auhority, something which Arab banks have refused to do in deference to US's and Europe's disappointment that it was Hamas that was chosen by the Palestinian people in a fair and free election. Democracy works, as they say, but for whom?
This Arab change of heart came after the US vetoed an amendment sponsored by Qatar in the Security Council condemning Israel's attack on Beit Hanoun that killed 20 Palestinian civilians and injured scores of others. You may want to go here to see what actually happened, and I won't warn you about what you will see because we — in the safety of our homes — have no right to be squeamish while those who were there actually suffered and died.
The US-led blockade against the Hamas government has caused untold suffering to the Palestinians who are now living below the poverty line, all for exercising their vote. But the US money still flowed, to the PLO, to arm and train them so that they will do part of the dirty work by waging war against Hamas and help despatch them quickly to their graves so that democracy will once again thrive in Palestine. (Historical note: Saddam did this work once for them when he waged war against Iran. And then, with both sides weakened, they came back to thank Saddam for that.)
Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmud Zahar said that already $30 million had been transferred to the Plestinian Authority by Kuwait but how or when it will land there is still a big question mark.
Israeli Prime Minister said that the shelling of Beit Hanoun was a technical failure and a mistake. Just as the killing of Rachel Corrie was a mistake, and Tom Hurndall, and the UN observation post in Lebanon, and USS Liberty were all mistakes.
Read:
§ Hamas History Tied to Israel
§ Italy: Israel shelled Beit Hanoun deliberately.
ß
// posted by beta-blogger @ 4:18 PM
Whose Security, Whose Council?Sunday, November 12, 2006
Pantomime Time Now
The Neocons are on the run? Don't you believe it. They're all just scampering from a sinking ship and then when they're all dry and regroomed, they'll all come back wearing a new shirt.
The watch should now be on the Democrats who're cock-a-hooping it to the Senate and wherever they get to now that they've got the votes. So what will they do now that they're on the Hill and the Republicans seem to be going over it? Impeach Bush? Rescind all those laws that Bush and his mates passed in those heady days when he mentioned the single truth that he'd ever uttered? That the American Constitution was just a piece of paper? ("Stop throwing the Constitution in my face, It's just a goddamned piece of paper!"). Well let's face it, Bush's is an administration of thieves, embezzlers, torturers, swindlers, private contractors, sisnister figures lurking behind streetcorners that you won't want to be walking behind you on a dark night.
Bechtel's moved out of Iraq with $2.3 billion of Iraqi reconstruction funds, and they've reconstructed sweet fanny adams over there. As Dahr Jamil reports:
They now want to hang the man who gave Iraq a lot better than that. But here's a photo to remind you who the real crooks are:
Bush is now talking reconciliation, Blair will talk his statesman talk before he disappears into his fake ermine and come back as Lord Blair of Iraq and WMD. While in Iraq, someone will bleed and die, some child's life will fizzle out with diarrhoea, some poor citizens will continue to suffer the stench of raw sewage outside their doors, some innocent job seeker will die in the blast of some mad mysterious bombers. In Palestine some family will be blasted to shreds while huddled together in bed, some men will be trod under some Nazi jackboots, some parents will ululate and cry.
Life, as usual, but not as you know it. Lucky you.
ß
The watch should now be on the Democrats who're cock-a-hooping it to the Senate and wherever they get to now that they've got the votes. So what will they do now that they're on the Hill and the Republicans seem to be going over it? Impeach Bush? Rescind all those laws that Bush and his mates passed in those heady days when he mentioned the single truth that he'd ever uttered? That the American Constitution was just a piece of paper? ("Stop throwing the Constitution in my face, It's just a goddamned piece of paper!"). Well let's face it, Bush's is an administration of thieves, embezzlers, torturers, swindlers, private contractors, sisnister figures lurking behind streetcorners that you won't want to be walking behind you on a dark night.
Bechtel's moved out of Iraq with $2.3 billion of Iraqi reconstruction funds, and they've reconstructed sweet fanny adams over there. As Dahr Jamil reports:
The average household in Iraq now gets two hours of electricity a day. There is 70 percent unemployment, 68 percent of Iraqis have no access to safe drinking water, and only 19 percent have sewage access. Not even oil production has matched pre-invasion levels.So, whatever happens in the world, there's always a party there on the Hill. Now it's the turn of the Democratic party, and so into the vacuum now left by Bechtel and all those other Neocon-backed companies that are now well past their sell-by date will step...
They now want to hang the man who gave Iraq a lot better than that. But here's a photo to remind you who the real crooks are:
Bush is now talking reconciliation, Blair will talk his statesman talk before he disappears into his fake ermine and come back as Lord Blair of Iraq and WMD. While in Iraq, someone will bleed and die, some child's life will fizzle out with diarrhoea, some poor citizens will continue to suffer the stench of raw sewage outside their doors, some innocent job seeker will die in the blast of some mad mysterious bombers. In Palestine some family will be blasted to shreds while huddled together in bed, some men will be trod under some Nazi jackboots, some parents will ululate and cry.
Life, as usual, but not as you know it. Lucky you.
ß
// posted by beta-blogger @ 11:53 AM
Pantomime Time Now
