tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11260785829575863422024-02-06T19:53:53.828-08:00GobLogMy blog for your information; my issues for your entertainmentMediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-55415606449151500882010-05-18T10:31:00.000-07:002010-05-18T13:33:08.900-07:00Bibles for textbooks and baptismal fonts for water fountains: welcome to the Texas church aka school<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmieu4ocfJqG7FOvDwKeueH9hgqZYC_F6elPEywsxOmExTwf1C5pZVwwvcMUsY1TEFiSzrGWSP1M3felSjbsY806YrgxNEiHFqiluqMkVwDqZFWcQ2_cw01WTOY1sEsIo5x0d15dH_rM5/s1600/Cynthia-Dunbar-006.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo09SxNwTeQ4hBIcfDvB-bcZ_Gu2LbvC_JN_BtGgAqhx_oH9BS-jmymOJBApdIZ1uovXLGx8Yl4PrG95EWbWH_jHYElDTeIOx-ELEHUvpkl2ORxOepF4HJXuPglPG6TmcROdU9P2ll-fXG/s1600/keefe_kansas-education-teaching-evolution.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo09SxNwTeQ4hBIcfDvB-bcZ_Gu2LbvC_JN_BtGgAqhx_oH9BS-jmymOJBApdIZ1uovXLGx8Yl4PrG95EWbWH_jHYElDTeIOx-ELEHUvpkl2ORxOepF4HJXuPglPG6TmcROdU9P2ll-fXG/s400/keefe_kansas-education-teaching-evolution.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472709601480768690" border="0" /></a>Education in this country is considered a national trophy, one we've held onto since time immemorial. It is the cornerstone in our achievements as a wealthy, developed nation and provides a great source of export - ideas - as well as a perpetual supply of pride that the population may imbibe.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Britain is known globally for its successful tradition of higher education. At the peak of the educational pyramid that represents the stratification of the system are our universities, which are subject to further division through use of league tables. Our league tables have become increasingly popular over the last few years as the number of prospective university students has risen. Criteria pertaining to the suitability of any given university is the basis for league table rankings, which are conducted by newspaper companies among others.<br /><br />Therefore, in a professional sense, the English education system appears to justify its reputation as being at the forefront of 'information inspiration'. Despite the relatively negative perception of the UK as a haven for jobless immigrants, many foreigners who come to live in the UK are mainly here to educate themselves - this is, of course, dependent on their origin, as we generally see immigrants from richer countries relocating to the UK for what some would call a 'privileged education'. One archetypal example is the case of Indian medical students migrating to the UK and eventually becoming established practitioners there; many members of the public would tell you how common it is now to be allocated a doctor of Asian descent.<br /><br />In America, too, there is a standard of respectability for their education institutions to uphold. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone with a reasonable educational background who has not heard the name Harvard. Affiliated with the similarly famous Ivy League, which represents the supremacy of elitism in American private education, Harvard is a word synonymous with excellence. This is also the first concept of American education I ever grasped and still remains the most definitive answer to the Atlantic separation of our upper-most educational institutions in the UK and USA.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjP1APNAhetRcbV9Tegmf9yJfMO6kgweygebvcZ1YPZ1RUlCYH2pX0LXp8oAPilj6y5lACbZzpU8gobCJGyAzI-CS1QcM7RAjvearQ3ZfwlMooLpJQr_wGk7RN5lNhCMDiIqsSTGYT8N9/s1600/Harvard-logo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjP1APNAhetRcbV9Tegmf9yJfMO6kgweygebvcZ1YPZ1RUlCYH2pX0LXp8oAPilj6y5lACbZzpU8gobCJGyAzI-CS1QcM7RAjvearQ3ZfwlMooLpJQr_wGk7RN5lNhCMDiIqsSTGYT8N9/s200/Harvard-logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472708822966014530" border="0" /></a>Recently, however, I have been magnetised towards a particular issue regarding American educational culture. Being a federation of very diverse regions, it shouldn't surprise outsiders that the image of one state is not necessarily a reflection of another. Hence the subject of my interest at present: the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/16/texas-schools-rewrites-us-history">controversy of religious interference in the Texas education system</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmieu4ocfJqG7FOvDwKeueH9hgqZYC_F6elPEywsxOmExTwf1C5pZVwwvcMUsY1TEFiSzrGWSP1M3felSjbsY806YrgxNEiHFqiluqMkVwDqZFWcQ2_cw01WTOY1sEsIo5x0d15dH_rM5/s1600/Cynthia-Dunbar-006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmieu4ocfJqG7FOvDwKeueH9hgqZYC_F6elPEywsxOmExTwf1C5pZVwwvcMUsY1TEFiSzrGWSP1M3felSjbsY806YrgxNEiHFqiluqMkVwDqZFWcQ2_cw01WTOY1sEsIo5x0d15dH_rM5/s400/Cynthia-Dunbar-006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472710487609118466" border="0" /></a><br />Cynthia Dunbar, a lawyer and mother - a category of American mother reminiscent of the devoutly religious republican icon Sarah Palin - is linked to an organisation of Christian evangelists who are seeking to overhaul the way schools in Texas deliver their educational curriculum to students.<br /><br />Over a period of ideological fortification and developments to sponsorship (a burgeoning republican consensus in certain parts of America is partly accountable) Cynthia Dunbar and her religious associates have gained ground and authority in their mission to bring 'salvation' to the Texas state education board.<br /><br />In her own words, Dunbar denounces the schools that promote the current education curriculum as unconstitutional, tyrannical and tools of perversion. The main objective of this potential overhaul and motive for this group's reinforcement is to rekindle America's commitment to religion.<br /><br />Unlike the UK, in which religion is largely excluded from any democratic process, especially in Parliament, America is prone to garnering the support of religious organisations for political purposes - or is it the other way round? It is no illusion to state that social conservatism in America is a thriving breeding ground for American exceptionalism and staunch right-wing religious views. Dunbar is adamant that incorporating religion back into education is essential for the ensuring of patriotism in American culture. The fact that her cause is flourishing in the largest of the traditionally right-wing southern states is obviously <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>a sign of growing cynicism towards the presence of a black democrat in the White House.<br /><br />As far as policy is concerned, this sectarian subversion by the evangelists is a swing towards the loosening of government strings on what is allowable in connection to the curriculum. The on-going debate raging between the teaching of evolution and the teaching of creationism is undoubtedly a major incentive for this radical 'rebirth' on the board. While they might not wish to completely eradicate all awareness of evolution in schools, the conservative evangelists are intent on having the subject downgraded to the position of an abstract notion as opposed to concrete scientific truth - much like religion is treated in the UK.<br /><br />Among other typical components of the programme in line for removal are the teachings of Sir Isaac Newton (in favour of the study of the scientific advances through military technology) and the influence of Thomas Jefferson, who was an advocate for the separation of the church and the state. Strongly present in their aims is the active prescribing of capitalism, although they fail to put it that bluntly, which they see as the cornerstone of civilisation and the ultimate mechanism for the prosperity of America, God's ideal society - a beacon to the world.<br /><br />Perhaps what is most perplexing about this pseudo-political intervention is the advocacy for reintegration of the church and the state, something not seen in Western civilisations since the collapse of Vatican rule in Europe. The UK first demonstrated its authority against the Pope when Henry VIII broke away from Italy and formed the Church of England. It is understandable why the premise of religion is still prevalent in distinct spheres of American culture, as the Bill of Rights, its constitution, was heavily influenced by the religious atmosphere of the age. Nevertheless, it does nod towards an intent to indoctrinate when such a cause becomes an instrument of top-down reform, especially in education, which is arguably the most influential aspect of modern society.<br /><br />As a product of a social democracy that provides basic welfare support through a national health service and income tax, as well as being directed by a government that prefers to remain in control (that is potentially about to change), it strikes me as alien when critics of government control like Dunbar suggest that free enterprise should take precedence over a social fail-safe that guarantees some form of recovery if the system fails in some way. In terms of philosophy, this inclination towards economic autonomy in opposition to state control runs in the same vein as Adam Smith's proposition that markets benefit and individuals profit the most from minimal state supervision. The 'invisible hand' of the market - the people - will assert the economic balance and be self-levelling. Coming from a Keynesian perspective this idea as espoused by the evangelists in their preferences is greatly diametric, but there's horses for courses I suppose.<br /><br />Also, in the UK we are so stubbornly inclined to excoriate the Conservative political party for being 'medieval' and 'backwards' in terms of its ideological leanings; but, in comparison to the status quo for American republicans (the conservatives of the US), our elite lot are actually fairly liberal. I mean, at least we don't see David Cameron pledging his allegiance to God every time he pipes up about the slipping standards and lack of discipline in our educational system. Nevertheless, with the symptoms of the subjugation of the UK to the USA at a constant hum under our airwaves, I wouldn't be surprised if the future of the UK's educational institutions was one as ominously hallowed as that of Cynthia Dunbar's biblical fantasy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xrtREXmanp4Ev99rQFsLr1VDz8YXUQSTt_Ce5njxlk6zxjSv-0YXpqY1JAVQ63vVQldxeq4tTYCvpNF7AvW9OmQL3CU5F4eRx6waT6Maydpa_5fyJc_g_f0Wa_7kwGrngkPUUGci4UP0/s1600/2091134117_e3eed3dcd7_m.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xrtREXmanp4Ev99rQFsLr1VDz8YXUQSTt_Ce5njxlk6zxjSv-0YXpqY1JAVQ63vVQldxeq4tTYCvpNF7AvW9OmQL3CU5F4eRx6waT6Maydpa_5fyJc_g_f0Wa_7kwGrngkPUUGci4UP0/s400/2091134117_e3eed3dcd7_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472709242613767714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-67346452115756807652010-03-23T05:42:00.000-07:002010-03-23T06:56:48.894-07:00Calling animal control: the monkeys have got it wrong, again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcoi6fSrjeN6aJB_17kthgwqNwGTvNY6TGEP283Tz23wOcxjlGxm713wbmLAk7pGf1vcJzbriRiAtLI7UNleFAwIA926OHpQUgSYY5djg4KGWZho1Nq7_HImUvMOnf3UHWPlCcV6iGgom/s1600-h/White-tailed_Eagle_P1_large_(Mike_Brown).jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcoi6fSrjeN6aJB_17kthgwqNwGTvNY6TGEP283Tz23wOcxjlGxm713wbmLAk7pGf1vcJzbriRiAtLI7UNleFAwIA926OHpQUgSYY5djg4KGWZho1Nq7_HImUvMOnf3UHWPlCcV6iGgom/s320/White-tailed_Eagle_P1_large_(Mike_Brown).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451824824431996018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Currently in my homeland of rural Suffolk, birthplace of the potato (as far as I know) and historical headquarters of the original Anglo Saxon invaders (see Sutton Hoo, believe me, there's so much left there) there is a debate on about the 'reintroduction' of the White-tailed Eagle, a majestic aerial predator that once inhabited coastlines in the area.<br /><br />Fourth largest in the world, with a wingspan measuring up to 8ft and the explicit silhouette to accompany it when it soars over dry land, the White-tailed Eagle is no doubt a magnificent specimen of avian raptor stealth and strength. This is the kind of bird, closely related to America's Bald Eagle icon and another primarily fish-eating eagle, Stellar's Sea Eagle, that dwarf most other raptor species, making it one of the crowning glories of the natural food chain.<br /><br />What the current debate is keen to address is the reintroduction or settling of this particular eagle species in East Anglia, specifically Suffolk, which is perennially quite dry yet geologically it is quite wet, with marshland and swamp habitats common as you get closer to the coastline, which is rich in life itself.<br /><br />Now there are two sides to this debate, as there always is, with the anti-eagle front comprised predominantly of protesting farmers, those who specialise in livestock, and the other representing the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.<br /><br />For the farmers who are up in arms about the proposed reintroduction there is the argument that their speciality in animal product, whether it be pigs, cows or chickens, will be significantly affected by the presence of the White-tailed Eagles in the Suffolk area. Claims range from 'spooking' of the animals leading to 'smothering' (when chickens flock towards their coops and suffocate themselves) and even motorway accidents, whereby a pig or two could potentially hurtle out through the electric fences and onto the M1, resulting in a smash-up.<br /><br />Now I'm with Mark Avery (nice name for a twitcher), RSPB's conservation director, when he says all this speculation and rabble-rousing from the local rural businessmen is nonsense, because really we should be excited about bringing back a species such as this that has been nationally extinct for 300 years (according to the RSPB). But, however much I would love to serendipitously discover a White-tailed Eagle one day while walking along the sand dunes or through the marshes, I can't agree with this ongoing preaching about the reintroduction of extinct species.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfqyVnZtlq51fxBqjSPcG1Jz80s67IUP-AIGvOVO1aUny3NRda3ywNIgQU7I92E4OcJj5M-YdO-IM1YXRSRf0h0B36R6l0zzDf3NeGHFzUZlBcbt09Y3hbRp4qCOr8MguQc9MZLbOWOqQ/s1600-h/rspb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfqyVnZtlq51fxBqjSPcG1Jz80s67IUP-AIGvOVO1aUny3NRda3ywNIgQU7I92E4OcJj5M-YdO-IM1YXRSRf0h0B36R6l0zzDf3NeGHFzUZlBcbt09Y3hbRp4qCOr8MguQc9MZLbOWOqQ/s320/rspb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451825509178542530" border="0" /></a>Another article in the Guardian yesterday discusses the activity called 'bioblitzing', which implies amateur community wildlife observation. This is an act of human curiosity that I will always condone - sitting in bird hides at Minsmere bird sanctuary as a kid was for me more thrilling than being glued to a TV screen and experiencing social media through games consoles. I will always remember the rush I had when, on my 13th birthday, me and my father were beckoned to a particular hide where the elusive Bittern had been sighted. This was the sort of hobby I pursued, and I often ponder returning to it someday.<br /><br />Nevertheless, I'm quite sure that all this fuss stirred up about 'borrowing' other nations' animals and returning their genetic line to the habitats they once occupied in the UK is not worth its mention in the press. Let's face it, these species were driven to extinction by us, in most cases. Whether it was through direct or indirect means, we killed these creatures and they were never going to return. And who could blame other relatives of these animals elsewhere for not seeking to reclaim their natural heritage in the UK - we're clearly wankers for having had them eradicated in the first place.<br /><br />The fact is these wonderful animals - White-tailed Eagles, Osprey, Red Kite etc - were all threatened and no one really stood a chance of saving them. The mentality of most people is to only mourn once they're told it's a bad thing that they're gone. With anything other than our own species we share little sympathy until an activist comes along and declares it a crime that this even happened.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuIkHbfNBXIcIwXmTIYGyEvduagm-8mIg0DGpOGpXMQvz0zuyLdWC2Mnz35k50gdkslj-oUNPHeN4BzNLvJZYAjqAKenI6Ja4O7i31MCQXefW_wcyIuRcguqifa-mBKa51HCoxlDtL3LL/s1600-h/osprey-diving+FGD+Page.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuIkHbfNBXIcIwXmTIYGyEvduagm-8mIg0DGpOGpXMQvz0zuyLdWC2Mnz35k50gdkslj-oUNPHeN4BzNLvJZYAjqAKenI6Ja4O7i31MCQXefW_wcyIuRcguqifa-mBKa51HCoxlDtL3LL/s320/osprey-diving+FGD+Page.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451825277520898418" border="0" /></a>Sure, there are success stories. Take the White-tailed Eagles up in Scotland; they've happily grown into larger, healthier numbers since their reintroduction, which is wonderful. And those other examples, the Osprey and the Red Kite, they too represent that some good can come from human interference with nature. But for the majority of the time there is nothing good to be said about human involvement with native species in the UK or anywhere else in the world. This sounds a little pessimistic, but I say this because the majority of human involvement in nature equates to its destruction, not its preservation or conservation.<br /><br />The greater offering we can make to nature is to establish borders between us and the zones where animals can freely exist without the potential to be harmed, at least within those recognised zones. We commonly refer to these zones as national parks, although you may also find areas of special scientific interest that play similar roles in protecting certain ecosystems.<br /><br />As far as affecting our native species goes, we're fairly adept at crippling the food chains that operate beneath our economic umbrella. You could say that extinction is endemic wherever humans can be found - it's just that we're immune from it and it's the others that suffer. But taking an interest in nature is good, and so is trying to put a stop to the rampant dissolution of biodiversity, even if in the end it's either integrate, separate or destroy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNM_WuxemjD6EdwPcKzZWn6GshJgGEUGZWf6MkCRgYTvqK38UvQYoPt1sILFB58RBV_MtsyvISOPtqUiIdSRtIU4Wx5oCOh161DJFneScfbOWZdi-9O8ealVP3Cg4TW-A9N0QFu_UuW92/s1600-h/deforestation.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNM_WuxemjD6EdwPcKzZWn6GshJgGEUGZWf6MkCRgYTvqK38UvQYoPt1sILFB58RBV_MtsyvISOPtqUiIdSRtIU4Wx5oCOh161DJFneScfbOWZdi-9O8ealVP3Cg4TW-A9N0QFu_UuW92/s320/deforestation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451825714455594978" border="0" /></a>What I hope for the future is that we can both integrate and separate with nature; in the places we live we should gratefully welcome vegetation and wildlife and in the places we don't we should leave Mother Nature to tend to her gardens peacefully. As for the White-tailed Eagle spreading its wings and soaring aloft above the Suffolk countryside, I can't say it's not going to happen, but if it did I certainly wouldn't be so confident about letting my terrier run free in the fields on our regular walks.<br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-25919217557689433532010-03-14T06:25:00.000-07:002010-03-14T08:45:08.139-07:00Guns don't kill people, suicide bombers do<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Not a week goes by when we fail to hear or read news of yet <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/14/afghanistan-kandahar-suicide-bombings">another botched/successful suicide bombing</a> at the hands of the Taliban or another one of the infamous terrorist organisations that are based in regions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.<br /><br />But honestly, where do these suicide bombers get their motivation? How can something so volatile and violent really contribute to any conceivable measure of happiness? And also, do terrorists even use guns anymore?<br /><br />As common knowledge dictates, the behaviour of the average suicide bomber is slightly different to that of the average terrorist. For instance, whereas a <span style="font-style: italic;">responsible </span>suicide bomber would or at least should not flinch at the command to obliterate a marked target - anything seems up for detonation these days - your archetypal terrorist would have second thoughts.<br /><br />These second thoughts can be defined as self-serving conscious decisions made in order to protect the subject from harm - self-defence I guess. The main concept acknowledged by the non-bomb terrorist is that of the subjective self.<br /><br />And this is where the significance of the difference lies: terrorists think, suicide bombers don't. Or rather, they can't. The precise objective of a suicide bomber runs in line with the premeditated purpose of a terrorist organisation - to destroy a popular/instrumental figure or facility of the enemy (commonly the West), therefore achieving a crucial disruption of normal order and the outbreak of panic, leading to more destabilisation.<br /><br />In effect, what an organisation says goes; the life of the suicide bomber is effectively null, while the role they play in functioning as the organisation's explosive means to the destructive end is valued above an individual's right to live. This is a barbaric concept alien to most democratic western cultures and one of the reasons why suicide bombers are so feared.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">The indoctrination and desensitisation process that moulds the shape of a suicide bomber is the method applied by terrorist organisations to groups or</span> </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >protégés expecting a pivotal purpose in life.<br /><br />However, saying that these organisational 'devices' are </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >protégés is inaccurate, as </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >a </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="">protégé is usually trained by someone with experience in or of a specific field or subject and, as is the case, senior figures in organisations like the Taliban are not too keen on exploding themselves. Plus, experience of blowing yourself up is a little hard to come by for reasons most obvious.<br /><br />In relation to the goals set for a prospective suicide bomber, it is important to note that you can only become a suicide bomber once you've carried out the task and are no longer alive - result? Not really.<br /><br />Contributing to further understanding on suicide bombers are studies that have proven the sketchy theory surrounding the coveted <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200706/ten-politically-incorrect-truths-about-human-nature?page=2">72 virgins of Islam</a> more reliable. Due to the cultural difficulties </span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="">of acquiring a partner </span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="">in countries espousing the Muslim religion , a social condition attributable to the polygamous habits of men, the desire in often desperate young men to receive 'bounties of women' in the afterlife is increasingly more appealing than securing one in reality.<br /><br />No doubt the constraints in these Middle Eastern countries on the behaviour of women are also fault lines in the bedrock of cross-gender communication; men are perceived as superior to women, thus inequality causes a crude divide that frustrates young men who are naturally intent on coupling.<br /><br />To spar with superficial views on Muslim theology and practice certain hypotheses and studies have assiduously revealed that the doctrines of Islam, as outlined by the prophet Muhammed, and featured in the Koran, <a href="http://islam.about.com/cs/currentevents/a/suicide_bomb.htm">do not condone suicide bombing</a> as a key to the entrance to heaven. To make it even clearer, the Koran forbids any acts of violence against another entity that are not carried out for the purposes of fair justice, i.e. capital punishment for a serious crime.<br /><br />And as if these angst-ridden young men (<a href="http://emsresponder.com/print/EMS-Magazine/Recognizing-Imminent-Danger--Characteristics-of-a-Suicide-Bomber/1$1916">considered the easiest targets in these societies</a>; also in ours - see Farouk link below) didn't have enough to worry about, the consequences of sometimes rigid abidance to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/aug/20/qanda.islam">sharia law</a> in certain Muslim countries exacerbates their paranoia in places where chauvinistic hierarchies are rife.<br /><br />For all intents and purposes, the system that sees vulnerable individuals turned into victims of conspiratorial vendettas does its job; the terrorists augment damaged psyches with overriding compulsions to defeat an enemy that is not that individual's enemy but the target of that particular organisation's national/international frustrations.<br /><br />In the cases of many men like </span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wealthy-quiet-unassuming-the-christmas-day-bomb-suspect-1851090.html">Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> there is little to explain their transformations into suicide bombers except the sheer domination by influential terrorists of their minds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">One theory I've got going at the moment appears to be supported more and more by ever-increasing examples of suicide bombing: terrorists are phasing-out guns, making vulnerable people their primary weapons in their struggle against democracy. These unfortunate humans-cum-weapons are no longer capable of thinking for themselves, which is as disconcerting as it is reassuring.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">What we need to do is teach them how to avoid the dangerous grasp of the terrorists' rhetoric and turn their backs on a fate which IS exactly death.</span></span><br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-46885659772384495792010-03-10T02:47:00.000-08:002010-03-10T03:48:44.230-08:00An American nightmare in Angola CCR<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmceZQm7CAv7l1A2G-EFA0r8jgyf45_d5SvcGUPqeP-zBk_hMRlxy0jq0YjbO1lZhbl3GAxEBzVcHds66K0G7_3h6F8I_Dec9XAnJnTx466XFxnCsrUiyxCA8ocgZyIkw8XPhBEKiVwZmb/s1600-h/angola_3.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmceZQm7CAv7l1A2G-EFA0r8jgyf45_d5SvcGUPqeP-zBk_hMRlxy0jq0YjbO1lZhbl3GAxEBzVcHds66K0G7_3h6F8I_Dec9XAnJnTx466XFxnCsrUiyxCA8ocgZyIkw8XPhBEKiVwZmb/s320/angola_3.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446970315209283106" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">America: home of big dreams of freedom and self-worth; a place where men may prosper as they please with the knowledge that certain "inalienable Rights" that were "endowed by their Creator" are theirs to call upon in times of need.<br /><br />Louisiana: a member of a band of the Southern states of America, which has a heritage of white pride and racial segregation. As it stands today Louisiana has a strong Republican temper and is by no means a "swing state" for elections.<br /><br />Angola prison: state penitentiary of Louisiana and biggest prison in America. This prison boasts a heinous track record of inmate abuse at the hands of its predominantly white staff and has been the home of two particular men with a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/mar/10/erwin-james-angola-three">ghastly story of injustice to tell</a>.<br /><br />Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox make up two parts of the <a href="http://www.angola3.org/thecase.aspx">Angola 3</a>, a legendary trio of black Americans who ended up being held in solitary confinement for decades in connection with a crime they perpetually protest against having committed.<br /><br />The current situation focuses on these two men, now in their 60s, who were convicted by judge and a completely biased white jury in a courthouse in St. Francisville for the murder of a prison guard Brent Miller in 1973.<br /><br />Since that fateful conviction Wallace and Woodfox have been contained within Angola prison's maximum security Closed Cell Restricted (CCR) block for the longest period of solitary confinement ever recorded in America - so much for the American dream.<br /><br />The third member of the Angola 3, Robert King, escaped this American nightmare in Angola prison after spending an astonishing 29 years in CCR alongside his compatriots. King saw his conviction overturned in 2001 when Federal court permitted a retrial.<br /><br />But unfortunately there have not been so many opportunities for the prolonged lockdown of Wallace and Woodfox's lives in prison to be legally refuted and brought to fair trial in courts that haven't seen prejudicial tampering persuade them.<br /><br />While they were present in Angola prison at the time of Miller's murder - King was not yet at Angola, also known as "The Farm", but was soon moved their for allegedly conspiring towards the incident - there was no tangible evidence or reliable witness testimony to suggest any involvement by the two in the murder at all, except a biased hunch.<br /><br />Sadly these kinds of cases are not uncommon in this part of the world. The incomprehensible is easily twisted to become believable evidence against innocent men. In Angola prison alone there is an African-American majority of 80% - this also is not unusual in America.<br /><br />Despite recent political developments there is no doubting the cagey persistence of racial hatred in areas of America not so in-touch with the greater morality. Revelations about unprecedented numbers of assassination threats towards President Barack Obama are hardly unexpected given the weight of tradition in certain American cultures and the stressful economic circumstances affecting the lower brackets of society.<br /><br />However, this case concerning the Angola 3 is especially disturbing given that we are living in an age saturated by constant reminders of human rights. The single most appalling aspect of this case is that no substantial judicial review has yet prevailed in securing these men their right to freedom.<br /><br />A new documentary film by Vadim Jean, a friend of the late humanitarian Annita Roddick who had campaigned for the Angola 3, titled <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2010/mar/09/in-the-land-of-the-free-trailer">Land of the Free</a> is to be released later on this month. It is hoped more public response to this civil outrage will be accrued through an ongoing campaign that this film supports.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhnpA8qwSM7_wu0ANPEURDnJjbVfwS6pAIrHS8a9MO_WUAe6-8wcjmn5jKBwxxAA_cb3gGH0pvLetDDlmXuwhgLAhsnLkPPueY6un9084DV4iR9MnQFHoAD3TMdUNCfeOL1Y8TStc7uV5/s1600-h/angola_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhnpA8qwSM7_wu0ANPEURDnJjbVfwS6pAIrHS8a9MO_WUAe6-8wcjmn5jKBwxxAA_cb3gGH0pvLetDDlmXuwhgLAhsnLkPPueY6un9084DV4iR9MnQFHoAD3TMdUNCfeOL1Y8TStc7uV5/s320/angola_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446970543563640050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-57748662247001939212010-03-03T06:38:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:42:27.288-08:00Goliath of the market and the exodus of David<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE4DL3tJbd2s68qbhz15UAjn5iCC1Po4zQHdXou9j_TwLXktcN09bjfzex0EoRjQzPOaqLoGpD-P3J4ux7tEvwlIKB6aHC2jovNNp71jyIsi0w6u6Zpspy-wvJtTFCAc_D9LwREcDRk9m/s1600-h/tesco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE4DL3tJbd2s68qbhz15UAjn5iCC1Po4zQHdXou9j_TwLXktcN09bjfzex0EoRjQzPOaqLoGpD-P3J4ux7tEvwlIKB6aHC2jovNNp71jyIsi0w6u6Zpspy-wvJtTFCAc_D9LwREcDRk9m/s320/tesco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444463593196573602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A commercial revolution has long been in motion in the international community. It has been and continues to be a snowballing effect on the world's material-based markets targeting retail consumer culture.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The revolution itself could be referred to as the "supermarket sweep". The role accomplished by the 'sweep' in everyday social conduct has expanded positively in correlation with its ever-growing world-wide importance to both the public and the private sector in which it operates.<br /><br />In respect to the company divisions within the all-inclusive bracket of supermarkets in the private retail sector or tertiary sector services, I have earmarked just one of the major public names, albeit a vastly recognised and invincible member of the supermarket rally: Tesco.<br /><br />Tesco plc, initially founded in 1909 by Jack Cohen after he sought to sell off surplus goods from a stall in London's East End, developed significantly following a rise in consumer demand and a reformation of convenience policies in commercial enterprises during the 50s and 60s.<br /><br />As time progressed, so did the name, logo and reputation of Tesco. Nowadays you can't go far in an industrialised, densely populated urban area without spotting its plain but infamous chain-store logo - a simple read underlined with an unassuming dashed blue line. Neither can you escape its presence in the suburbs - decentralisation has been a helpful factor for its unstoppable expansion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rk3jHLQ9fB8BMqjs2ymeGel1d9IU_5t5jKZM5pGyDMunL-8IYBQ6ZW6u1BlXdK12vBtF-hutIQS3QI9wA51bWHp-aMzyERzoZLRMYNWIUfnywUNCEQOCW6kY26chnKE2PucWyXMAPLnL/s1600-h/uk-britain-tesco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rk3jHLQ9fB8BMqjs2ymeGel1d9IU_5t5jKZM5pGyDMunL-8IYBQ6ZW6u1BlXdK12vBtF-hutIQS3QI9wA51bWHp-aMzyERzoZLRMYNWIUfnywUNCEQOCW6kY26chnKE2PucWyXMAPLnL/s320/uk-britain-tesco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444462815178589490" border="0" /></a>Tesco supermarkets' (includes five other chain distinctions) outward appearance and advertising campaigns may emphasis ease of convenience and minimalistic charm, with the frugal slogan "every little helps" applied, but in reality the case of the supermarket king of the UK is much more intimidating than it is affable.<br /><br />Tesco plc rakes in an annual profit in excess of £3bn, making it the leading member of the "Big Four" supermarket chains (including J. Sainsbury's plc, Morrisons plc and Asda) with the largest number of stores nationwide at 3,729 (not including international ventures).<br /><br />In comparison, Sainsbury's has only 792, Morissons 403 and Asda a diminutive 371. Just to put the lowest proportionate competitor's position into perspective, Tesco outweighs Asda 10x with 3,358 more stores to its name.<br /><br />Other striking figures resulting from comparative analysis indicate a distinct gap between Tesco and its humbled rivals in terms of pre-tax profits (excluding operating costs): Tesco = 3.128bn, Sainsbury's = 673m, Morrisons = 670m and Asda = 638m (figures applicable to 2009 financial turnover as profit).<br /><br />Reduction of operating income through tax can often hit companies hard, especially if their annual income is equivalent to the amount of stores within their retail scope - for Tesco this appears to be negative tax aspect is a cinch to avoid.<br /><br />The reality of tax deduction for Tesco annual revenue is not below controversy. With only a 1.22% drop in profit (£3,128bn = £3,090bn) after tax in February 2009, Tesco plc isn't exactly mourning a cut off its profit. Therefore, the presence of alternative supermarkets in the UK is outwardly redundant.<br /><br />If, however, you were to take into account the maximum monthly income of individual company stores, you would notice a considerable difference in profits. Tesco is actually bottom of the ladder with just £69,902 per store; Asda sits on top with £141, 509, followed by Morrisons with £138, 544 and Sainsbury's with £70,812.<br /><br />Why then, if they aren't accumulating as much income individually as the others, are Tesco supermarkets as a company whole so profitable? There are essentially three main reasons:<br /><br />1) because of store-hoarding (a continuing process) Tesco plc has the largest store capacity nationally<br />2) as a result of wider store coverage and optimised gains it can afford expensive ad campaigns and other areas of media representation that other companies cannot<br />3) due to the nature of expansion, not only has Tesco enlarged numbers, it has diversified its service. It now deals in entertainment retail, various forms of insurance and mobile and internet provider packages among many other service broadening tactics.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I5zEm7tGO1sKTUfl_zmobVAXYXvljubKqWTLAOjZ4UQxU-G43QHUi5csvrzQLMnbBB-c3QZtFl1qYEKG25AG5Ymyv95LWLUMCp6gAZBgjatxGVMP_xAyowFNsrKfANwIBTJ6B8WosaJa/s1600-h/tesco_software.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I5zEm7tGO1sKTUfl_zmobVAXYXvljubKqWTLAOjZ4UQxU-G43QHUi5csvrzQLMnbBB-c3QZtFl1qYEKG25AG5Ymyv95LWLUMCp6gAZBgjatxGVMP_xAyowFNsrKfANwIBTJ6B8WosaJa/s320/tesco_software.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444463137993875938" border="0" /></a>So, to put it bluntly, Tesco is now the official sponsor for UK supermarket conglomeration and is not going to be halted any time soon in its ominous expansion. In fact, globally, it is ranked in a laudable third place, behind Wal-Mart and Carrefour.<br /><br />Tesco hasn't just made enemies with its obvious rivals; the evident sprawl of this particular supermarket sweep has also condemned smaller private businesses in the same market to the mere existence of a commercial cockroach, if not to complete eradication below the towering shadow of its supermarkets.<br /><br />The less-than-epic struggle between Tesco and the little middlemen wages on, although as a currently <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/03/farmer-norfolk-tesco-waitrose">dubious example being played out in Sheringham, Norfolk</a> demonstrates, it might already be a battle won - by Tesco.<br /><br />Essentially what it's down to is "greedy economics" - the pile 'em high instinct to cash-in and grab whatever's available for the taking. Tesco has come a long way and it's not looking to quit shoring up what is now the most successful supermarket chain in the country.<br /><br />Somehow I doubt the dissident power of the tinier members of this expanding market to overthrow the inordinate gigantism of Tesco, aka Goliath. There's no stone strong enough to immobilise this commercial war machine now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-lYD5Dpj4dngciSPfiuuLEgakYv9SzB5xGDSe0ZKj0HHu-PqCzqb_VAVlW_w6CjFKpS0xjeTYIsJPfyo00azOB-3GEgoCu2WO-K9EmoA4ggXryswteXYzd7zqpomABM6hXPGcwCyPKfG/s1600-h/david-goliath.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-lYD5Dpj4dngciSPfiuuLEgakYv9SzB5xGDSe0ZKj0HHu-PqCzqb_VAVlW_w6CjFKpS0xjeTYIsJPfyo00azOB-3GEgoCu2WO-K9EmoA4ggXryswteXYzd7zqpomABM6hXPGcwCyPKfG/s320/david-goliath.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444463401605376914" border="0" /></a><br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-12104146063648522622010-02-26T06:03:00.000-08:002010-02-26T07:30:47.251-08:00Narrowing at the polls pre-general election should have been expected<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ8YOnslBX9h8307fboLB76-RV8_YBE5uMLvmrIxhWWX2OawP3GkEohF11cnNf9evo46mYXuyh6EcewnKW2wUjGAgN-_MDeV-kXIhExjDW1SddM3H-nrKr67IKX2efcvXzYmCuF2kR8g1/s1600-h/cameron1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ8YOnslBX9h8307fboLB76-RV8_YBE5uMLvmrIxhWWX2OawP3GkEohF11cnNf9evo46mYXuyh6EcewnKW2wUjGAgN-_MDeV-kXIhExjDW1SddM3H-nrKr67IKX2efcvXzYmCuF2kR8g1/s320/cameron1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442571376024904946" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Conservative party's representative support percentage in the polls, a proportion of the overall figures not too far ahead of Labour's, makes complete sense in light of how social stigmas and scapegoating apply circumstantially in the UK.<br /><br />The latest information from the polls, specifically the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8538724.stm">ComRes poll</a> commissioned by the Daily Politics Show, indicates a distinct narrowing of the gap between the terrible Tories and limping Labour.<br /><br />The drop to 5 points into the lead against its top political rival may prove startling to some Conservative MPs, whose party circa last year's spring conference attained a strident 19% lead in its favour.<br /><br />Some would argue that this stage prior to the catapulting of the electoral campaign is critical in preconditioning the ability of both major parties to balloon their support base. The better lead either party secures beforehand, the stronger the chances are of them winning, as well as them bursting the other's balloon.<br /><br />Of course, no one should be specially surprised by the faltering Tory advantage. Their pole position ahead of the frequently-lampooned Labour party is probably more the product of socio-economic events than raw and consistent public appeal.<br /><br />The Tories might happen to look back a year or so and notice that their initially appeasing boost above Labour in the opinion polls surged around the time when the 2008 recession was hitting the UK hard.<br /><br />No doubt this dynamic change in economic stability, shifting global financial gain to brutal losses, had a part to play in granting more public support for the shadow cabinet and its party as Brown was forced to note the bill and bite the bullet. When the shadow was cast Brown was directly beneath it, and with this unfortunate timing came the rain of the blame game. Meanwhile, Cameron was left to count his blessings.<br /><br />It is important to recognise that Brown did in fact manage to garner a little support from the British public as he fought to reduce the impact of bank meltdown in December 2008 - so he's not the total nitwit we're told he is.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DZNDCQqhtvI4wpNPrwDJ60pNrgJq3q4ukZatlmQUDGwwfsvUFHy2K6jjLl0dpoVknE91MriWhFrUQJXDN_SD75dduLG91Vb2_gmh00hV3H2drEV2LstXZkiS_A2XuLpbw9hwkpta5_ha/s1600-h/gordon-brown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DZNDCQqhtvI4wpNPrwDJ60pNrgJq3q4ukZatlmQUDGwwfsvUFHy2K6jjLl0dpoVknE91MriWhFrUQJXDN_SD75dduLG91Vb2_gmh00hV3H2drEV2LstXZkiS_A2XuLpbw9hwkpta5_ha/s320/gordon-brown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442571512101533250" border="0" /></a>To imply the reverse is actually fairer, as Brown no doubt has the nous to formulate good aims and work towards solidifying the substantial growth required for a healthy economy to exist. Sadly, he just can't seem to get a grip.<br /><br />But the omens of an electoral flop for Mr Brown and Labour are beginning to fall back into the haze of the bigger political picture, in which both powerhouse parties are seen to be struggling to gather their supporters and comply with their wishes.<br /><br />Cameron will obviously disagree with other Com Res results which suggest <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/feb/26/new-poll-tory-lead-five-points">36% of voters</a> who participated in the poll study don't know what his party represents.<br /><br />Other prominent questions from the poll study were: <span style="font-style: italic;">I know what the Conservative party stands for and I like it </span>(28%) and <span style="font-style: italic;">I know what the Conservative party stands for and I don't like it </span>(36%).<br /><br />Also highlighted was the question "The Conservatives are likely to win the next election". Of those who answered 60% agreed, 33% disagreed and 7% failed to assert their response.<br /><br />If the current situation is anything to go by it would appear that regardless of the party voted in in May, despite the excitement felt by one and the humiliation by the other, the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/feb/26/voters-unhappy-election-result-poll">public will remain solemn</a> and in some cases indignant at the result.<br /><br />I would suggest that this forecast is made feasible due to the fact that, as mentioned above, not many people <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>know what the prospective parties for the new administration will deliver. Clearly what is demanded of them is that they do their job. Opinions on what is entailed in their job will also differ.<br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-46072231172924494802010-02-25T13:39:00.000-08:002010-02-25T14:49:12.412-08:00Valencia of Argentina: international fantasy or genuine criminal paradox?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZxMY9jbSqTceYUvWzGluOeW5SyDp1Yoe-SRv4u7rqAUYmmkyAd0XulkJcRCKY6HhXTasW87Cd8mmXlqsWbUWz5OOm0e4-f_m9ymx3S8ycrxzOmNY6OACB-JhsB_-fPVZhLjjluEUP7bx/s1600-h/ANGIE-SANSELMENTE-VALENCIA-BIG.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZxMY9jbSqTceYUvWzGluOeW5SyDp1Yoe-SRv4u7rqAUYmmkyAd0XulkJcRCKY6HhXTasW87Cd8mmXlqsWbUWz5OOm0e4-f_m9ymx3S8ycrxzOmNY6OACB-JhsB_-fPVZhLjjluEUP7bx/s320/ANGIE-SANSELMENTE-VALENCIA-BIG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442314482974156658" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Angie Sanselmente Valencia</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">, former lingerie model and Colombia's 'Queen of Coffee', has been dubbed a key figure in the traditional drugs-trafficking industry of South America. An international arrest warrant was issued in her name after details emerged of her <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/argentina/7304510/Lingerie-model-runs-one-of-worlds-largest-drug-gangs-according-to-police.html">involvement in the illegal drugs industry.</a></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Valencia, as she is known, was reputed to have dated a notorious Mexican drug baron known colloquially as "The Monster". Details released presume that relationship to be discontinued as of last year when, it has been speculated, she decided to disassociate herself with her partner and contend with his illegal empire in a business venture of her own.<br /><br />A glamorous woman known for her seductive physique and media allure, Valencia could be a character disguising a little more than just a mentality for mischief beneath her cosmetics. Following the detainment of a potential drug smuggler last year at an airport in Buenos Aires, it was revealed that she could be the ringleader of an Argentinian-based drug syndicate.<br /><br />This information was extracted from a young female model, caught with a reported 55kg of cocaine, who like other similar women connected to Valencia's alleged syndicate can be referred to as one of the "unsuspicious, beautiful angels".<br /><br />These <span style="font-style: italic;">angels </span>are employed, perhaps bribed, to smuggle the packages of drugs from Argentina to the Mexican-Caribbean resort of Cancun, wherein they are prepared for a secondary leg to Europe. Other trafficking routes aren't yet known to the media.<br /><br />Valencia has since been urged by the circumstances to keep her whereabouts tightly undisclosed; no doubt anonymity wherever she travels is vital to her inconspicuous evasion. South America has gained a worldwide notoriety for being a haven for drug production - a bitter-sweet revelation some would say.<br /><br />This latest blip on the drug celebrity radar is certainly appealing, especially to those outside of the circle of snow. The notion of a beautiful young Latino woman espousing the perilous lifestyle of a criminal 'kingpin' is far too tempting to deny. No doubt such a gender phenomenon draws the virile attention of men who affix danger to their sexuality.<br /><br />I myself can't defy the gravity of my senses to this seemingly fabricated story of crime, complicity and erotically-charged escapades in an exotic country - guess what I'll be envisioning in my dreams tonight. Welcome to Valencia's all-you-can-snort tours of South America featuring Himalayas of cocaine, real drug raids on real drug warehouses and your very own chance to spend the night in one of Buenos Aires's finest overnight cells with none other than Miss Valencia herself - VIVA VALENCIA!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-64996120490017451532010-02-19T07:42:00.000-08:002010-02-19T10:19:13.303-08:00Niger in political upheavel as military junta deposes old government<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8523573.stm">A military coup</a> has taken place in the African country of Niger this week, leaving the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States in confusion as to what the usurper administration has in store for the country's governance.<br /><br />The successful coup was carried out on Thursday by Major Adamou Harouna, during which gunfights in the capital Niamey occurred between the rival factions of military loyalists and the former Nigerien government under President Mamadou Tandja, who is currently detained by the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy.<br /><br />It has been revealed by a SCRD spokesman what the intentions of the junta are: it cites the restoration of democracy and aims to defend the population against poverty, deception and corruption. The SCRD is headed by Col Salou Djibo, who is now de facto leader of Niger.<br /><br />For Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, listed 182nd (last place) in the UNDP Human Development Index, this is the most recent political setback since last August when President Tandja overruled democratic obligations and extended his tenure.<br /><br />Former colonial power France, which ceased to govern Niger in the 1960s, is critical of this latest political dilemma by Niger's designated military. French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said that "France condemns the taking of power by non-constitutional means".<br /><br />Ecowas has also voiced its outrage at yet another demonstration of unconstitutional changes to power in Niger, which has seen military takeovers occur since its approved independence. Niger is uranium-rich, which means its in the economic interests of others as to how this pans out.<br /><br />For France especially this shift in power from the controversial Tandja government to the unconstitutional SCRD is an affront to specific spheres of business in Niger. French firm Areva has apparently invested around £970m into constructing the world's 2nd biggest uranium mine in Niger.<br /><br />The outcome of current negotiations between the new junta and the old party under Tandja will probably reveal an expected handover of all state responsibility to the SCRD, despite claims from one opposition activist that "they are not interested in political leadership".<br /><br />This transitional political period could indicate the arrival of another new military dictatorship in Africa, although the scale to which it would operate is unlikely to be as notorious as that of previous examples like Idi Amin's dictatorship of Uganda in the 70s.</div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-73095802685812338532010-02-15T13:18:00.000-08:002010-02-16T06:29:46.382-08:00Liberty should step up security, but perhaps it is guilty of the opposite<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TwEV0vG2RX3lG684a4TZFbqre1gg1b_Og8ki3pQ1Ahk73dSMYoVe7jtEX5VE_0V8BGieO6HdxZpg9KK988wO7pf890xPkaMOs6n1JGksn0QSDb9PyLB503reTybBrLOrU4K5g6YbBKwW/s1600-h/binyam_mohamed_30348t.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TwEV0vG2RX3lG684a4TZFbqre1gg1b_Og8ki3pQ1Ahk73dSMYoVe7jtEX5VE_0V8BGieO6HdxZpg9KK988wO7pf890xPkaMOs6n1JGksn0QSDb9PyLB503reTybBrLOrU4K5g6YbBKwW/s320/binyam_mohamed_30348t.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438843516617970418" border="0" /></a>The latest furore over authority control interfering with civil liberties, following on from such exhaustive procedures as the Chilcot inquiry and rows over inaccurate IPCC climate reports, inhales yet more needed public oxygen this week as the competence of a government intelligence committee and the integrity of MI5 are brought into questioning.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The heavily critical opposition to the alleged decisions made by officials within MI5 to be actively complicit in the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/10/torture-mi5-binyam-mohamed">maltreatment of a detainee of the CIA</a>, Binyam Mohamed, despite them denying any involvement that they were aware of, is gaining support.<br /><br />Queries are being made into the effectiveness of the intelligence and security committee (ISC), a government-introduced panel, which previously published a report in 2007 alluding to a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/15/how-mu5-kept-watchdog-in-the-dark">lack of knowledge on their part about MI5 activities</a>. It has been claimed that the ISC was in no position to give accurate judgements in regards to the conduct of the intelligence agency.<br /><br />For Britain's national and moral integrity this case has been a huge blow, dealt by the series of repeated investigations into the agencies held responsible and the publication of these investigations' findings for the public sphere's benefit.<br /><br />But is it actually for our benefit, or are we becoming increasingly too aware of matters which are intentionally kept secret from us? For advocates of free speech, freedom of expression and human rights, as laid down by the European Convention on Human Rights and further revised in the UK under the Human Rights Act 1998, this move made public is virtuous. But to some it is a case of disclosure that is growing up to be a vitriolic issue.<br /><br />Foreign Secreta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNwBif8XCtMkh0hKWeOaA2NL3C8XEcfRGci_WCjVGg8PvfcozpsfeoK0DAR6RTPT9lZlVKTIgA-abE0_PHE0oPvM2X_b2JSZTUHTtT5TpF5PJTAw43MNEpomBxKr2rTM6g3zHZlKheVhm/s1600-h/David+Miliband.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNwBif8XCtMkh0hKWeOaA2NL3C8XEcfRGci_WCjVGg8PvfcozpsfeoK0DAR6RTPT9lZlVKTIgA-abE0_PHE0oPvM2X_b2JSZTUHTtT5TpF5PJTAw43MNEpomBxKr2rTM6g3zHZlKheVhm/s320/David+Miliband.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438843900843791490" border="0" /></a>ry David Miliband was initially opposed to the release of covert information that contained details outlining the procedures and conduct in relation to how the subject was treated by CIA and MI5 interrogators while he was detained in Pakistan in 2002. And, of course, the chief suspect in this case, MI5, is not keen to turn its interrogation lamp on itself by responding amenably to the current allegations.<br /><br />The issue of this alarmist 'culture of suppression' argument is that although it may serve us in terms of empowering liberty, it could also switch to the reverse and compromise our national security. For centuries, not a mere decade, governments have been notified about contemporary terrorist threats by organisations and agencies designed to conceal and conserve intelligence of this kind - IRA attacks are among the not-so-distant many.<br /><br />Ever since the dawn of the new <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">War on Terror </span></span>there has been significant investment in anti-terror strategies, technologies and policies, not just in the west, but throughout all burgeoning democracies, India for one. Unprecedented overhaul in this division of national and international interests was expected and is now the norm when another fuse is lit. But we might be doing more than protecting our nation's civil liberties when we demand <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/feb/11/binyam-mohammed-torture-inquiry">justices like Binyamen's are served publicly</a>.<br /><br />To air the information of national security in such a way is to simultaneously admit that we are just as capable of error as any other established or flourishing democracy under the same circumstances - this reveals weakness. The impact of this latest Court of Appeal case is that faith in the very security services that are in place to protect us is shaken and left open to external scrutiny beyond our national political catchment.<br /><br />I'm not saying reconciling superior agencies like MI5 with the truth of its activities is a fatal mistake, and I'm certainly not suggesting that the public shouldn't know when something is amiss with its government. What I am saying is that it isn't absolutely necessary that the press should persist so much in spouting matters of perceived public interest that undermine the faith in public safety.<br /><br />We've already been told the situation with <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/25/terror-threat-uk-severe">terror threats has been bunked up to 'severe'</a> (unanswerable ambivalence, if you ask me), and so to concurrently allege the faults of a crucial security force in the UK and snub its reputation is seemingly a little off-kilter for the press. In the end, though, the expectations are that this case will be filed and used in the future to analyse the exact purpose and ethical grounds for permitting unjustified detainment of men who are hitherto conviction - if a trial ever takes off - innocent and entitled to their fair access to human rights.<br /><br />What now causes me to mutter malcontentedly and shake my head is the call for another possible, dare I say it's dreaded name, <span style="font-style: italic;">inquiry</span>. For all it's worth, it's worth very little. These hyped-up and discursive political inconveniences have yet to prove their worth in this century - what the hell IS the Chilcot inquiry? Does anyone even know how it's going? At least only those with the shoulder-padded suits to match its false appearance of broad appeal still hold their ears to the grapevine.<br /><br />Just please, for the love of much-needed time, don't hold another ill-fated <span style="font-style: italic;">in....in.......INQUIRY</span>!<br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-38995835989427087262010-01-27T07:12:00.000-08:002010-01-27T09:28:59.078-08:00Eyes on the horizon as economy scuttles away from near-darkness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyvKch98q1h1NwDUDWBsY-4jz5WMT3AQ30yWGdCWTHm9eU0LCJmZ6RTLqVPwgcmtC54ndk2bKzMJNdvKPFN4tNbpWkn6jA1CeUqBexnZ16-mFj5gofIoGHcwOqyGp_jFLI4qeRVteRnJM/s1600-h/recession-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyvKch98q1h1NwDUDWBsY-4jz5WMT3AQ30yWGdCWTHm9eU0LCJmZ6RTLqVPwgcmtC54ndk2bKzMJNdvKPFN4tNbpWkn6jA1CeUqBexnZ16-mFj5gofIoGHcwOqyGp_jFLI4qeRVteRnJM/s320/recession-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431472285692800290" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Like many of the bewildered and beleaguered electorate, I am wondering what exactly it means to 'climb out of a recession'? For instance: how in the hell are we supposed to help the process of recovery and, more importantly, help ourselves, when the canopy of confusion left over from the global economic crisis shelters not only us, but the seemingly powerful policy makers and pundits who are qualified to pacify damages in the raging sun of aftermath?<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/26/uk-recession-over">reports released this week</a> identifying how the UK has managed to recuperate, albeit in meagre amounts, from a six-quarter slump beginning in 2008 may well reveal that all hope is not lost (tell that to the 10% of the population who supposedly value at four times less than the 10% richest in this country), but the delay of departments responsible for recruiting efforts to render this slump impotent is nonetheless sadly expected.<br /><br />For all its shortcomings, nothing Labour has failed to do compares to the disappointment it has induced in lacking the calculations and urge to keep the faith of the UK electorate. during this crippling recession. Announced yesterday by the Office for National Statistics, the almost infertile <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/26/recession-economics">0.1%</a> reached in the fourth quarter of 2009 doesn't stun anyone; although, it could hardly shock us, given that most believe the worst is over and only superlatives will grab their attention, as well as their purse strings.<br /><br />But what if the worst is yet to come? Warnings of a "double-dip" recession, as the risk of returning to the last six quarters' conditions has been called, come amid claims from economic analysts who state only a limited 1% of GDP growth is expected this year (down from the average 2.5%). Whether you're optimistic or pessimistic, the fact remains that this isn't going to be a fluid process - Alistair Darling said himself, "<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/26/uk-economy-debt-bob-gross">there will be hiccups along the way</a>".<br /><br />Other analysts <a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article7003761.ece">refute what the ONS has posited</a>, and some are even declaring that the UK popped its recession bubble back in mid-2009. This cross-analyst dispute, coupled with the government's inability to bring into effect any actively encouraging role in settling the system reflects what can be rationalised as the arse from elbow impediment - nobody seems to be able to distinguish between what is and what isn't happening. Therefore, those in power - or more worryingly those who may soon take the reins (Tory proposals for public spending cuts rally much fear to them) - give us the impression that it's all a matter of guesswork.<br /><br />But despite the rule of thumb which promises trusting in the economy is never a foolproof thing, surely the people in charge should at least be able to serve us some believable policies in the campaigns linked to May's predicted general election? I mean, let's call a spade a spade: as long as it works - generates employment, bolsters the housing market, protects peoples' financial investments etc - people don't mind what waffle the politicians wager with.<br /><br />For now, though, it looks as if we're in the dark about how things are set to channel-off this year, and further down the line. One thing the <a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article7003450.ece">response from analysts</a> this week shows is that it ain't no time to be popping the champers corks just yet; give it time, and by then we'll see whether it tastes as good we hope it will.<br /><br />Visit Andrew Giddings' <span style="font-style: italic;">Journoblog</span> for a concise look at what we're currently faced with: <a href="http://andrewgiddings.blogspot.com/2010/01/recession-is-over-but-its-too-early-to.html">http://andrewgiddings.blogspot.com/2010/01/recession-is-over-but-its-too-early-to.html</a><br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-7162510100947738482010-01-20T09:46:00.000-08:002010-01-20T09:52:57.763-08:00Take a journey beyond the known world and out into the known universe (click here)<div style="text-align: justify;">I highly recommend watching the featured film attached to the page I have linked to - it is supremely awe-inspiring (you'll be hard-pressed to find anything remotely comparable to the beauty and wonder this film reveals). If you think you've seen a lot so far, you will not know what to believe once you've watched this film, trust me.<br /></div><br />The unknown spectacle awaits.MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-62853553996483179972010-01-19T06:32:00.000-08:002010-01-19T09:15:54.107-08:00Calling all Democrats: your idol seeks believers as sacrifices determine a mixed 1st year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnM105Bfnj8mJZsC8jqU0JPnvV4ObmJJ1nwm5_FCd2-h8Vdw7HXTc82HpC8i7akBjdV7ny6_o40jH1Si-qFiHJzJMgEpFVWI2Zem7KYigHNpGe12txC3hjDvu_P928CM_3qWBCfAvo05p/s1600-h/obama.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnM105Bfnj8mJZsC8jqU0JPnvV4ObmJJ1nwm5_FCd2-h8Vdw7HXTc82HpC8i7akBjdV7ny6_o40jH1Si-qFiHJzJMgEpFVWI2Zem7KYigHNpGe12txC3hjDvu_P928CM_3qWBCfAvo05p/s320/obama.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428489409775821746" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">A day away from his first year anniversary and transition into his second year as President of the USA, and, frankly, bearer of one of the biggest occupational burdens known to the 21st Century (no allusion to the perpetual Iraq/Afghanistan/Pakistan pursuit in the war on terror), Barack Obama is under no illusions as to where he stands.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F-mcEYPInFIUMwl08GfFe0qZUIJhxfYmZSNkS9SVmyGu4lGLvkXtjjVZk7cXdU_XPQ4Nj_csLBQqoEPRuzqyHU0ZExUHXp5xJ3AcQi8T2UWjNzXPRZPierSZ4kxAwGCY6uqpWq2I4Uua/s1600-h/cartoon+-+Obama+Approval.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F-mcEYPInFIUMwl08GfFe0qZUIJhxfYmZSNkS9SVmyGu4lGLvkXtjjVZk7cXdU_XPQ4Nj_csLBQqoEPRuzqyHU0ZExUHXp5xJ3AcQi8T2UWjNzXPRZPierSZ4kxAwGCY6uqpWq2I4Uua/s320/cartoon+-+Obama+Approval.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428489590906234034" border="0" /></a><br />The polls are speaking for themselves: approval ratings since his first three months in office have declined from an initially expected 70% to a less convincing 53%. Among the Democrat fold, who are seemingly still supportive of their million dollar man, 84% - party voters of a liberal inclination - have consensual faith in Obama, and can still be seen to be standing at the feet of his statuesque ideals; the policies in circulation are under a more dubious observation from advocates and critics alike.<br /><br />Since his inauguration and settling period in office, President Obama has been faced with a mountain of issues, some of which remained unattended or unsolved from the Bush administration, and others that have cropped up in an untimely fashion like pangs of indigestion. The grittiest, front row issues are themselves hard to swallow, even for a man whose intelligence and integrity to his country is unimpeachable, except for the Republican tea drinkers and resilient racists that propagate in areas of the Deep South.<br /><br />The collective issues, which, for the sake of implication, might as well be labelled the <span style="font-style: italic;"> President's Problems</span>, are increasing in urgency at every corner; here are a few that Americans are certainly drawn to in anxiety:<br /><ol><li>Economy: as America has already come to terms with the vastness of the 2008 recession's effect on them, it comes as no surprise that a lack of detectable effect from Obama's stimulus package is putting a strain on an incessantly jumpy system. Unemployment, slumps in the housing market and bank bail-outs aggregated and persist in frustrating a top economy that is stuck at rock bottom</li><li>Healthcare: if universal healthcare for America was in a glass, it would almost definitely be half-empty. The optimism surrounding such a controversial social gambit by Obama has withered with the seasons since it was first proposed, albeit audaciously, considering the strength of opposition from the Republican right. Losing out on a federal government-run insurance scheme means it will be less likely the lower end demographic members will secure improved healthcare above what has been traditionally insubstantial</li><li>The war on terror: if there is sure sign of Bush's legacy of errors, here it is. Although military campaigns, beginning in Iraq and now emphasised in Afghanistan and Pakistan, against terrorist organisations after 9/11 have reason behind them, they don't have promise. Any of what can be said to bolster such an expensive (both through loss of life and effort elsewhere) commitment to this conflict falls on deaf ears, as time and again the progenitors (American and UK government) have failed to convince us that it is worth fighting</li></ol>In the midst of political clamour that ruffles the eagle's feathers, and castigation he doesn't deserve, Obama is still up to his neck in global operations that demand his vigilance, judgement and assistance from his supporters - this is what he requires most right now, and which perhaps he is not receiving as you might expect.<br /><br />While Republican policy takes a back seat and its devisers mock and gibe about how badly they perceive the current presidency to be, Obama is stood in a playground waiting for his posse to pluck up the courage to defend him, or at least pitch in a wave some placards of their own right back at the bullies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AeSNyTTWnS8wy4U8OmukMdGh8XozdX9zlb39fIAMlEOMtpbFLenl0zU7sRNvGcZ58tUefiuyhrbJbpTPM8Gh-jjmkCf4aX0aLW_g4ZuiM75-lfeJZQQFQI_dVpMNwNS6vN88ypsyKH-F/s1600-h/obama-bill-signing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AeSNyTTWnS8wy4U8OmukMdGh8XozdX9zlb39fIAMlEOMtpbFLenl0zU7sRNvGcZ58tUefiuyhrbJbpTPM8Gh-jjmkCf4aX0aLW_g4ZuiM75-lfeJZQQFQI_dVpMNwNS6vN88ypsyKH-F/s200/obama-bill-signing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428492419820359250" border="0" /></a>We all know how bitter politicians can get, especially when they don't or can't get their way. This is why we are now seeing supportive figures from Obama's electoral campaign taking a step back and reconsidering the situation in light of how things look, a year on from all the cheering and celebration. Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic party, denounced the controversial healthcare bill as "not worth passing". This may be true, given that it will fail to act on what has always been a thorn in the poorer population's side; but it leaves Obama open to yet more slating from the right when his own kind ebb away from party lines.<br /><br />Nevertheless, as mentioned importantly in an article in the Guardian by Gary Younge, the faith in Obama and pedestal he was lifted onto by such widespread - global, even - appeal with the electorate has been shaken, and mainly because of the inherent fallibility of such loyalty. The loyalty itself was genuine, but it was made blinkered by the notion that Obama could <span style="font-style: italic;">never </span>fail to adopt the poise of the deity for America that they made him into.<br /><br />As it stands, the USA and its fluctuating faith - indicative of the contagious instability that originated in the recession - needs to offer Obama a little lift of opinion for now, as he himself must prove his worth to the Constitution and provide for his people the way they dreamt he would, but also the way the world now expects from him. Nobody said it was going to be easy. In the words of Obama: "what is required of us now is a new era of responsibility". So let the era begin already!<br /><br />Here is a link to Gary Younge's article on Obama, a year on from his inauguration: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jan/17/barack-obama-one-year-on">http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jan/17/barack-obama-one-year-on</a><br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-58041310069620901362010-01-17T13:09:00.000-08:002010-01-17T14:32:45.106-08:00The Great Ring of China: the one-party-state of real power<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnWH-dmIm7xhDfV5BCSPaUeyNFR_YHie376vYnwCz8TuVo0io9ORm4RCJbw9_5lGFT0Gabub7waXXd9SqvxBhDi2i_Lx7cnf0V2nLTZVZjWkAyINzQuNPvi1-818-pyy6ITWALmiooOge/s1600-h/Peoples_Republic_of_China_800px.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnWH-dmIm7xhDfV5BCSPaUeyNFR_YHie376vYnwCz8TuVo0io9ORm4RCJbw9_5lGFT0Gabub7waXXd9SqvxBhDi2i_Lx7cnf0V2nLTZVZjWkAyINzQuNPvi1-818-pyy6ITWALmiooOge/s320/Peoples_Republic_of_China_800px.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427836647766509922" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">China, you could say, has its very own unique circle of life; its infamous system of rigour, reproach and restraint has been one of the leading proxies of national power for decades since the founding of its communistesque People's Republic image and inauguration of its Communist Party of China, progress of which was overseen by the heroically-depicted, iconic revolutionary Mao Zedong after WWII and the fall of the old Kuomintang government in the Chinese Civil War.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The government of China currently, is not much different from what it was when it first started out. This can be seen by noting how cynical it remains in regards to ceding to its active minority dissidents, and the critical rest of the world, greater civil liberties to its subjects, most notably the right to freedom of expression.<br /><br />But, it could be posited that, after the galvanic go-getting of the last few decades and rapid technological stimulus, something in the dauntingly formidable bastion of the Chinese government has succumbed to change. However, we would be wrong to conceive of any change divergent from the precepts of the government itself; the change as it is seen today is more negative than it is positive. Take the recent clash between the web-based giant Google and our crucial global associate, China, for example.<br /><br />The internet search engine, Google, consciously objected, by way of its staunch moral compass, to the conniving deviance by the Chinese government that was shown, or rather uncovered, in the ongoing process of jamming China's internet highway to protect its internal interests (interests of the party). The party's main targets in this exposed crackdown on anti-establishment information appear to have been human rights activis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVf4dO6Wdc7EZQlDJMy2DSRvlu27hZyDIBpeJuc36rAKvxNKhBNa1YAVD2JwhTafC609PljxR-7-69wmOsHhIM1qie3qhKhgyVQy_oT7NlUu1eK57dktdZ-PjYTAmPn5qGq4OadpMA_TGU/s1600-h/google--126338561190239000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVf4dO6Wdc7EZQlDJMy2DSRvlu27hZyDIBpeJuc36rAKvxNKhBNa1YAVD2JwhTafC609PljxR-7-69wmOsHhIM1qie3qhKhgyVQy_oT7NlUu1eK57dktdZ-PjYTAmPn5qGq4OadpMA_TGU/s200/google--126338561190239000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427837221427491426" border="0" /></a>ts, whose Google accounts could be hacked into and from them have content divulged, which could lead to the denunciations of those held responsible.<br /><br />Of course, Google is likely to now retract from its previous agreements with the business of Chinese internet freedoms. This is no doubt, at least in part, due to the futility of arguing, let alone fighting with a government - not country - that specialises in an art of annual retention of its highly cherished totalitarian doctrines. And in any case, who would wish to be seen losing face to a hard-nosed, wily elite, whose position on the global stage is not only growing, but succeeding; it would surely be bad for business.<br /><br />It would be no lie to state that putting do-gooders down is business as usual for the inscrutable Chinese politicians and power brokers - these are men who cannot bear to see the divinity of their profound ideologies, and face of their founder, Mao, disparaged. To be truthful, and we all know it, their steadfast ideal is power, or at least power-based. You'd be wrong to think you could ride through the gates of the Great Wall on a white stallion of freedom and liberate the inhibited rights of the people with your righteous sword. No - China has its power covered.<br /><br />To the rest of the world, its deck is hidden. The Chinese circle of life, or Great Ring of China, is the very autonomous political device by which its government isolates itself and the country from us. Years ago, the head of China's fierce red dragon, the CPC, threw back its head and bit at its forked tail - and since then, it has refused to let itself go. Why? Because it's afraid. And who could blame them? After all it was the CPC that orchestrated outrages against its own civilians through draconian use of the People's Liberation Army, or who caused untold deaths of workers during the <span style="font-style: italic;">Great Leap Forward</span> (not so much of a leap in economic output as plummet in population). The fangs may loosen, but they won't relax.<br /><br />China, as it stands, can only stand to endure yet more oppression under the pervasive swell of the CPC. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywdSedDLCQeSoZWLf2bKNDaKtPF-fsz4Hu12ai49Fd4f7SLIzyuPWrVxVR2BAcb7s9ysPCfarQk_nTw3L-0QROM1Rz4eBTGASkq7nQd8NE3dkK7EoEhCTj1_pySWSIqQm-h7IRQDIxAaF/s1600-h/china.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywdSedDLCQeSoZWLf2bKNDaKtPF-fsz4Hu12ai49Fd4f7SLIzyuPWrVxVR2BAcb7s9ysPCfarQk_nTw3L-0QROM1Rz4eBTGASkq7nQd8NE3dkK7EoEhCTj1_pySWSIqQm-h7IRQDIxAaF/s200/china.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427837584516813410" border="0" /></a>Despite continual efforts at integrating justified expression and advocating higher freedoms, including the Charter 08 manifesto that was quashed in 2008 (a publication driving towards political reform and democratisation in China), the indomitable red dragon that holds together the Great Ring of China looks set to tighten its grip as the new decade dawns.<br /><br />Perhaps we will witness a new national and international faith emerge, as China continues to secure its reins in the global market and proves itself to be an worthy asset to a global stage that will exit 2019 under a much different appearance than it entered with in 2010.<br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1126078582957586342.post-39637167288283727512009-11-27T07:09:00.000-08:002009-12-04T08:55:11.108-08:00Mumbai martyrdom: how many more examples of extremism are we to be shocked by?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_n9ROCwq_vx2X7bWsqNegU4CSeupI21MUZqTE3QtTXqZgV_b1W78R_pjK_Gvn4JXmQnc2xcXtL3mpxDsFovy-7HRNMNMdcaz6_XD0w5Jn2TP4QFaUA_wtzMNYjfe5gzHdcXLtBIFoXBrZ/s1600/LI492EBAC2B95C3-370x248.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_n9ROCwq_vx2X7bWsqNegU4CSeupI21MUZqTE3QtTXqZgV_b1W78R_pjK_Gvn4JXmQnc2xcXtL3mpxDsFovy-7HRNMNMdcaz6_XD0w5Jn2TP4QFaUA_wtzMNYjfe5gzHdcXLtBIFoXBrZ/s400/LI492EBAC2B95C3-370x248.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408823858672892738" border="0" /></a>Today marks the first anniversary of the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, which saw 166 people killed by Pakistani Islamic militants during a three day siege of two prestigious hotels in the city, the Taj and the Trident. Among those people killed were foreigners from around the globe, including a 29 year old Briton, who has been left paralysed after the attack. Others caught in the attack include visiting westerners, Indian commuters and a Jewish family.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The exact nature of this attack appears cursory on the face of it, but suspects are currently being tried in connection to the events that took place this time last year. High-ranking members of the Pakistani Lashkar e Taiba militant wing have been arrested and put to trial by an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad. This has been viewed as an attempted concession by the Islamabad justice authorities to India, after having suffered yet more from its hostile relationship with particular Pakistani militant organisations.<br />A man named Hafiz Saeed, considered to be the organisation's spiritual guide, has been accused of orchestrating the attacks on India's economic stronghold, Mumbai, in 2008. Mumbai officially stands as the city with the highest population globally, currently estimated at around 14 million within it. It is also the largest city in South Asia. For such an outrage to occur in such a prosperous Asian city is devasting.<br />Today the memory of those who were lost over the course of the individual shootings that formed the overall terrorist attack is preserved as ceremonies take place in remembrance, near where the terrorists laid siege to a nation's people.<br />This most recent attack is not alone in the city's history of offences. Beginning in 1993 with coordinated bomb explosions, terrorist attacks in Mumbai, believed to be conceived in response to the Babri Mosque demolition, which sparked contention between Muslims and Hindus, have continued to recur - 2006 saw horrendous loss of life with the bombing of commuter transport in Mumbai.<br />The growing unease between India's government and intolerant Muslim protesters and dissidents, as well as clandestine international militant organisations, is of extreme concern to those in power, especially the current administration of the Mumbai conurbation. The fear of future attacks of the same calibre has sparked reaction in displays of strength and fortitude, as alongside memorial ceremonies in the city today there were parades of police and newly funded military defence vehicles. It is quite clear that the message of the militants is getting through to the fearful citizens of India.<br />And all this topical talk of terrorism begs the question: how long until the fear of attack is lifted? On a global, as well as intuitive train of thought, never. The damning fact of the matter is that as long as there are traditional powers in place, whether religious or secular, there will always be entities that stubbornly oppose them. In the UK, the political collisions between nationalists and those who are pro-Europe may not be violent, but they are there. In African countries like Somalia, corrupt leaders are now being challenged by angry and disillusioned supporters of civil liberties (civil liberties for black citizens that are being withheld by corrupt black politicians). Discontent is ubiquitous. Anger is ubiquitous. Therefore, opposition is ubiquitous.<br />Nevertheless, as the Indo-Pakistani contention is continually reaffirming itself, we are faced with the inevitable conclusion that differing religious ideals are not, in the perceivable future, going to cease their violent opposition of one another. We've seen it ourselves in the West in the form of the Catholic V Protestant era - countless lives were lost to that aimless cause of control - and still today these wars of faith persist.<br />To what end will this confusing trend of conflict be met? Nobody is of the authority to tell. Sadly, unlike the peaceful-minded majority, religion for some means no freedom of choice for others.<br /></div>MediaFreakFarrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311829078106356118noreply@blogger.com0