It is the oldest trick in the political book: in times of crisis, create a diversion. The Romans may not have invented this one, but it was certainly made famous by the Emperor Nero. It is said that while the Roman Empire crumbled, he gave the people circuses hoping no doubt to ‘turn the page’ on the current crisis.
Every day John McSame and the Republicans conjure up a new circus: the current one, twice as ridiculous as the last. This week it is “Joe The Plumber”; the week before it was William Ayers. Sometimes there are even two circuses at once: witness Palin digging up ‘old washed- up terrorists’ and Joe Six- Pack and juggling both at the same time.
To keep on offering the same millennia old politics, one has to have complete disdain for the people. The Republicans must think everyone is stupid. Was it King Louis of France, who during the revolution, when his suffering subjects asked for bread, disdainfully declared “Give them cake to eat!”? Well we know what became of him.
While the people of the US are asking for answers about what is happening to their retirement funds, their jobs, their loss of financial security the best that John McCain and Gov. Palin can offer is the same old, tired, reactionary rhetoric of the 1950’s. “Socialism” is what Senator Obama is trying to force on the country – like that which exists in Canada and Europe - they trumpet from the political podium.
The whole world must be laughing at that one. Well I guess no circus is complete without the clowns. I can’t wait for the American electorate to “turn the page” on this Republican Circus.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Into Africa
Recently President Bill Clinton made one of the most profound statements I have heard from a political statesman in a long time. He said: “I wish the media – for about 18 months – would stop referring to Africa as if it were one country. There are 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and most of them are doing reasonably well. But all the news is about the wars, famines, and health epidemics that are taking place in a few states. And when these are reported it is said to be happening in 'Africa' as if the continent was one country.”
There seems to be a concerted effort to portray Africa and peoples of African descent as in some way inferior to other races: unable to solve their own problems; dependent on handouts from the rest of the world. I guess it is one way for the former European powers and their descendants to cleanse themselves of the collective guilt for the absolute rape of the resources and people that took place for over 300 hundred years and continues to this day.
To be fair, present day exploitation is due to a great extent to bad governance and unbridled greed by those who have seized leadership positions. But it is also due to vestiges of the colonial system of ‘divide and rule’, where states were created through bringing natural enemies together without regard for geography, ancestry and culture: as happened with the Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda.
It is generally accepted by the evolutionists, that human life originated in Africa –most likely East Africa. This is posing a dilemma for the racial supremacists – white and yellow: but mostly the whites. But the most convincing evidence that the black race was first, is the genome evidence. Over 97% of the genes in all mankind can be traced to people from Southern Africa. (It would appear the Adam looked something like – Nelson Mandela!)
The young have seen that all this nonsense about racial superiority is without foundation. They have seen that whenever black peolple have been given even a half-level playing field, they have grasped it and excelled. (No wonder they are supporting the Obama candidacy with such vigour.)
But the transformation in racial consciousness didn’t start with Obama. Sports and music have played the most important role in causing this paradigm shift – from Jesse Owens to the Williams sisters to Pele to the 'African' marathon runners, both male and female- people of African descent have proven that – given the opportunity – they are superior or equal to all comers. What the people of the many countries of Africa need are not hand- outs, but opportunity.
Chris Rock may not be the funniest man alive or even the smartest. But for my money he is the smartest comedian on the planet. He said something with which I concur wholeheartedly. “There won’t be true equality in the world until the black man is paid as much as the white man for being mediocre!”
There seems to be a concerted effort to portray Africa and peoples of African descent as in some way inferior to other races: unable to solve their own problems; dependent on handouts from the rest of the world. I guess it is one way for the former European powers and their descendants to cleanse themselves of the collective guilt for the absolute rape of the resources and people that took place for over 300 hundred years and continues to this day.
To be fair, present day exploitation is due to a great extent to bad governance and unbridled greed by those who have seized leadership positions. But it is also due to vestiges of the colonial system of ‘divide and rule’, where states were created through bringing natural enemies together without regard for geography, ancestry and culture: as happened with the Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda.
It is generally accepted by the evolutionists, that human life originated in Africa –most likely East Africa. This is posing a dilemma for the racial supremacists – white and yellow: but mostly the whites. But the most convincing evidence that the black race was first, is the genome evidence. Over 97% of the genes in all mankind can be traced to people from Southern Africa. (It would appear the Adam looked something like – Nelson Mandela!)
The young have seen that all this nonsense about racial superiority is without foundation. They have seen that whenever black peolple have been given even a half-level playing field, they have grasped it and excelled. (No wonder they are supporting the Obama candidacy with such vigour.)
But the transformation in racial consciousness didn’t start with Obama. Sports and music have played the most important role in causing this paradigm shift – from Jesse Owens to the Williams sisters to Pele to the 'African' marathon runners, both male and female- people of African descent have proven that – given the opportunity – they are superior or equal to all comers. What the people of the many countries of Africa need are not hand- outs, but opportunity.
Chris Rock may not be the funniest man alive or even the smartest. But for my money he is the smartest comedian on the planet. He said something with which I concur wholeheartedly. “There won’t be true equality in the world until the black man is paid as much as the white man for being mediocre!”
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