Author: Mike

  • Crimes of the Elected , Sins of the Electorate

    It is impossible not to feel revulsion at the bombing of the rush hour trains in Madrid. Ten simultaneous explosions ripped through trains and stations killing hundreds of people, injuring thousands and plunging a nation into stunned mourning. The legacy that this leaves the families of the dead and injured is deplorable and wrong.

    It seems to me rather academic all the furor about which terrorist group is involved. Of course a criminal investigation is required to capture the perpetrators and bring them to justice. But how relevant is it that we know ETA did it or indeed one of Al Qaida’s affiliations?

    Spain has enemies, as indeed the US , the UK and other countries which have a legacy of perpetrating injustices against others. ETA sprang up as a result of the persecution and occupation of the Basque people by General Franco. The inability of the Spanish to oppose Franco and his occupation, either by lack of motivation or a failure of sympathy for the Basque suffering essentially condemned the Spanish to guilt by association. Despite deals made to give the Basque region more autonomy than anywhere else in Spain, ETA still insisted on full independence (which is what they had before Franco occupied – seems a reasonable request).

    When Tony Blair says that ‘terrorism is the greatest threat to democracy…’ , he may just be saying the required soundbyte because the democracy he espouses is that of exploitation, caballing and a mutation of capitalism into a political ideology with some socialist make up. If terrorism is indeed such a clear and present danger to democracy, then the causes of terrorism – that which fuels the fundamentalist mindsets that perpetrate terrorism must be a greater threat than the acts of the terrorists themselves. It would also follow that those who exercebate such situations that feed terrorism are themselves implicated in it.

    When the US and its and their coalition partners hold an entire nation hostage within its own borders under the guise of liberation ; bomb a sovereign country back into the middle ages; impose deplorable sanctions on medicines and food against hundreds of thousands of innocents ; covertly work to destabilise socially responsible democratic governments to install pliant elitist regimes that do the master’s bidding; when ‘peace plans’ and ‘roadmaps’ are drawn up to perpetuate the injustices of occupation and its attendant social genocide. When all these are done with such far reaching effects, the fires that heat the fundamentalist fury are stoked immeasurably.

    By signing up to the Iraq coalition, Spain’s outgoing administration turned deaf to the overwhelming opposition to the war in Iraq by the Spanish people. Millions of people demonstrated across Spain in opposition to the war and their country’s governmental support for it. As they did in the UK and many other European countries. But with the mandate handed to the elected by the electorate, the Spanish government of Mr Aznar took his country to war. Perhaps the potential of getting in good with the only superpower, the new empire; was too much to pass up. Perhaps the lure of the spoils of Iraq – with reputedly more oil than Saudi Arabia was just too enticing.

    This attack in Spain marks a continuation of the insecurity in the world – an insecurity that is made worse by imperial ambitions of the US and its junior partner in reshaping the world. All these countries (of the coalition) are by and large democratic (with the exception of some unnamed Arab countries), yet they all committed their people to war by the mandate of their electorate. A mandate that now exposes all to such vengeful attacks as seen in Madrid. If nothing else, this new turn of events may actually be good for democracy. It may almost instantly wipe out the apathy that so much money (advertising!) has failed to do. Maybe voters will sit bolt up and recognise the responsibility they have to holding their elected governments to account. Not accountability at the ballot box, but every day – questioning and demanding transparency, an end to this horse trading that is international diplomacy and statesmanship and for which the pain and suffering of the poor and vulnerable are too often sacrificed for the gains of the elite.

    Whatever the reason why the Spanish actually joined the coalition, the crimes of the elected are now the sins of the electorate, and for those who feel vengeance is theirs it would appear judgment day just passed.

  • Enough is enough

    The Guantanamo Five – five British men held in Guantanamo Cuba (formerly Camp X-Ray) have now been released to British authorities and returned home after two long years of being interned in a military prison without charge nor access to legal support.

    These men were captured in Afghanistan during the War on Terror response for the 9/11 attacks. Held for two years in Guantanamo under conditions considered both harsh and inhumane, they faced regular interrogation and psychological abuse that may well constitute torture. Their status as ‘unlawful combatants’ and thus seemingly ineligible for protection under the Geneva Convention (one must question if they were obviously eligible would they actually have been accorded the prescribed rights?) was ill conceived and illegal.

    With their detention by the US Army, one would expect that every reasonable effort would have been made by the British government to ensure their welfare and fair treatment – especially as they had not been charged with any crime. In essence they were unlawfully held and the British government failed in its duty to its nationals.

    The Geneva Convention clearly proposes that ALL combatants captured in conflict must be accorded the protection of the convention. If their status is in question (which it is), they must be accorded protection until the appropriate status was decided by a recognised legal body (military or otherwise).

    It seems that the fate of these men (innocent or not) was sacrificed at the expense of the so-called ‘special relationship’ between the US and the UK. This relationship is a myth. A capitalist imperial power like the US and indeed as the UK once was, has no special relationships. It has preferred economic partners – friends whilst economic interests converge, adversaries when they do not. As the saying goes ‘ there are no common enemies, just common interests’.

    Sacrificing Britons in the name of the ‘special relationship’ is nothing new for successive British governments – the British government has consistently failed its nationals held in the US prison system, particularly those facing the death penalty. This is not about saving clearly guilty criminals from deserved punishment (the abolition of the death penalty is a separate debate) , its about those judgments that have been independently assessed as miscarriages of justice. By not enforcing international human rights law in the name of its nationals against the US ; and being an accessory to the denial of rights to the nationals of other countries, the UK government stands in the dock as a human rights abuser.

    In any case, these detainees have been released to the British authorities, without charge or compensation. None has been sought on their behalf by the British government. Instead , upon their arrival they have been held by UK authorities – again without charge and again subject to ‘questioning’. When will it be over for these individuals is anyone’s guess, no doubt they will be subject to surveillance for a long time to come and perhaps inexplicable travel restrictions. I expect the deal that saw them released from Guantanamo was based on the promise of prosecution by UK authorities. But it seems ridiculous to think that after two years of harsh treatment and constant interrogation by the US military could not uncover incriminating evidence (scant as its requirement is under secret military tribunals), the British authorities would somehow be able to uncover sufficient evidence to charge or prosecute them under British law. Clearly a face saving, teflon shoulder move by the US to mitigate its responsibility in this violation of international law.

    It is time to say ‘enough is enough’ in the denial of the human rights of these individuals, the suffering of their families and the irreplaceable time they have lost under unlawful detention. Whatever their reasons for being in Afghanistan, until their motives and actions have been deemed illegal under recognised law they must be accorded the rights of the innocent, regardless of the seeming goal of scapegoating someone, anyone for the 9/11 attacks.

  • A Question Of Humanity

    I have just read a photo journal of a retired Israeli physician working in the Israeli occupied territories of the West Bank. (Photo Journal ). The idea of this, seeing it in pictures and reading a little about what this person is contributing to a alleviate human suffering moved me to tears. It wasn’t the cliché of enemies extending care to each other, or the selflessness of this individual nor indeed his upholding of the professional oath that moved me. What moved me was the realization that within every one of us there exists an stream of humanity that flows into the collective conscience. I concede that in many people it may as well be dry, but there is always a trickle however tiny of the stuff that makes us care for some other living creature – that makes us sensitive to the pain of others (perhaps not all others, but certainly some other than ourselves). This was a realisation of something fundamental yet forgotten.

    In the midst of the struggle against the ills of the world – disease, poverty, conflict, injustice, natural disasters and environment destruction (its a daunting list!), one forgets the people who make little dents in this seemingly insurmountable task. It is the very stream of humanity that is alive and free flowing within them that enables them to face the pain and suffering of others every day.

    Teachers, nurses and others who sacrifice personal material gain for the good of others do so out of humanity – they make no fanfare of this, nor do they seek riches. It is seldom financially rewarding work, but the rewards of humanity are the smiles and thanks of those who’s lives are touched , enhanced, saved and the knowledge of making a difference.

    Activists, conscientious objectors, prisoners of conscience, peace observers and others who face persecution and peril to ensure that they bear witness (if nothing else) to inhumanity and injustice. All of these people have something many of us do not yet possess – the conviction that we can make a difference, that the humanity we feel can extend beyond the donation to charity at Christmas or the sighs and passing sentimentality of moving paid advertising for good causes.

    So take a moment to question your own humanity, your ability to imagine walking in another’s shoes, to feel another’s pain. Try to see the world through the eyes of the homeless guy on the corner, the abused child, the starving and the dispossessed. Put yourself in their place rather than simply thank God for not being in their situation (which you can’t really appreciate unless you have been in their situation).

    Its a frightening exercise that either hardens your conscience and further droughts the trickle of your humanity or (hopefully) dislodges the dam of indifference and apathy, opening the floodgates of your conscience and care.

  • Haiti Voodoo

    A lot of speculation surrounds the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; popular reports suggest he resigned the presidency and is now in exile in the Central African Republic with his wife and close aides. Another report – verified by distinguished and independent observers – is that he was forced into exile by the US who have promoted the rebel cause ahead of the Haitian democratic mandate.

    Whatever the true events are, one thing is clear. There are dangerous forces at work in Haiti.

    This land of magic and mysticism, ravaged by decades of brutality by the Duvaliers and their dreaded Tonton Macoute militia, then by a string of military coups and puppet administrations has succeeded in oppressing Haiti to the unenviable statistic of poorest country in the hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world.

    This land that gained independence from its French colonial masters 200 years ago has had few years of prosperity. Since Haiti fought and defeated France during the revolution that won its independence , it has faced oppression and domination by the other imperialist in the region – the US. From crippling sanctions and blockades to covert operations against progressives and support for ruthless regimes in return for maintaining the status quo of neo-capitalist economic ravages, the US has played a key role in getting Haiti to where it is today. But all of this is neither new nor ingenius. It is the same tried and tested formula used against Cuba, Puerto Rico and Nicaragua and it is the same that is being attempted in Venezuela today. Like wolves in sheep’s clothing, ‘popular’ dissent is engineered against democratically elected and progressive governments to promote the elitist agenda of resources of the many for the benefit of the very few.

    Mr Aristide was the first democractically elected president of Haiti. Much was made of his being a former priest, the media profile of him was one of integrity and forthrightness. Whatever can be said about the progress or lack of, he was elected by the popular mandate of the Haitian people. No one should be able to remove him outside of the legal constitutional process – that is after all what a law abiding , democratic society is built on.

    For the shadow of US intervention in removing Mr Aristide (kidnap, intimidation or otherwise) to hang over this whole affair echoes the days of black ops, CIA sponsored executions and illegal (under domestic US law and every international treaty – even under the far reaching powers of the US presidency) activities against sovereign states. So it seems that the CIA (and other intelligence agencies) cannot stop terrorists blowing up US institutions,but they are well capable of deposing democratically elected leaders in dirt poor islands and organising bloodthirsty militia into ‘rebel’ groups – hurrah!

    The key complaints leveled against Mr Aristide’s administration by the US was the non-deliverance of key legal and economic reforms. All agreed and signed up to in regional talks (chiefly the organization of American States), but not delivered on. Was this as a result of actual non chalance on his part or were his efforts thwarted by those with their own agendas for this little island that stands (with Dominican Republic) at the gateway to the Caribbean.

    Also at issue is the compelling corruption that has seen millions of dollars in aid siphoned away with little to show. So the solution was to boot him out by force, subverting every constitutional and legal route in the process.

    Now, with the remnants of the older regime (of the Duvalier clan and their goons) securely installed in Port-au-Prince and controlling the reins of power over a destitute people, a distracted world may not even notice the renewed suffering of the Haitian masses.

    Voodoo has always been the last weapon against oppression for the masses of Haiti in the past, perhaps it will be again. But certainly the machinations of those with sinister agendas have already produced far more sinister results with longer lasting consequences than any voodoo doll or zombie potion could conjure.

  • Can The Rich Help The Poor?

    Apparently there isn’t enough money in the world to address the serious problems facing the planet and its inhabitants. The serious problems identified include hunger, poverty, lack of education, disease and pollution.

    This is the conclusion of Professor Bjorn Lomborg, author of ‘The Skeptical Environmentalist’ and host of the Copenhagen Consensus 2004 – a conference of leading minds (Nobel laureates included) to come up with proposals for prioritising the addressing of the world’s most serious issues. They hope the outcomes of this conference will be adopted by political policy makers who have to juggle the limited resources against need (often they make these decisions based on applause levels or media friendliness).

    In any case, the general consensus seems to be that money and the political will to spend it correctly (rather than popularly) are the main push in addressing the ills of the world. In my view (uneducated but well informed and idealistic as it is) is that the world’s problems can only be solved when everyone cares just a little bit more than they do.

    According to the UN statistics, a sixth of the world’s population lives in the most developed regions of the world , the rest in the less developed regions. One could get more detailed about this and find the statistics to back it up, but these are the basic implications of this statistic – a sixth of the world

    – is richer;

    – is healthier

    – lives longer

    – consumes more of the world’s resources

    – is generally more secure than the rest of the world.

    Would it be so impossible for the better off to take responsibility for five others from the less well off (ok – adopt a less off – if you will) and helped to educate the children, provide a basic balanced diet, help to transfer skills of production and generally take more interest in the existence of others and the larger human family. These are emergency times calling for emergency measures.

    Could all those involved in the delivery of goods and services that are engaged in the struggle against global poverty (which frankly is at the root of the attendant hordes of hunger and disease) not simply work for the survival of the species by volunteering their services and products. Sure they cost something – but if no one took payment what would it matter?

    Increasingly , people from all over the world are realising that we are going through unprecedented times. With the rise of multinational corporations’ scope and power, elected governments are often forced into a subordinate role to the interests of the corporation and thus its profits. People are realising that real power is theirs and are increasingly trying to wrestle back the power they relinquished to the state. The realisation that grassroots movements and people caring for other people is the only way forward.

    The days of paying some money into a charity box and supporting the work of charities and NGOs with a clear conscience are numbered. NGOs and charities are fighting a losing battle. Most do a great job, are manned by dedicated and passionate people but they are overwhelmed by the scale of the humanitarian catastrophes across the world. The global development aid budget exceeds $50 billion and this is merely a dent. Throwing more money is not an option, nor would it be a viable one if it were.

    There will never be enough money to fix the problems that face us as a world if we have to factor corporate profit into the budget or have to work against those whose primary business is promoting the very issues that we are working against (defence companies, arms suppliers etc – you know yourselves!). No amount of money can stop world hunger and disease (at least not for long) when huge profits and power are gained from maintaining these very same conditions.

    All this may indeed be idealistic hogwash – but it is an alternative nonetheless. Once we conclude that individual care and concern and the will to help other human beings out then we would have taken a massive step to facing our global responsibilities that we each have to our collective human family.

    There is not enough money in the world to absolve us of this responsibility.

  • A Reluctant God

    A Reluctant God

    When you encounter an article that starts ‘What if…’ that’s the cue to engage your imagination and cast aside your preconceptions on life. So…

    What if God really did not want to be God. What if God was simply asked to do a rush job on the Creation as a favour for some other supreme being – an office junior in a Ministry of Creation just doing a job. It does sound like a rush job doesn’t it – six days to create a world. Oceans, forests AND man!

    Did God really sign up for all that goes with the role. All that worshipping and pretentious piety. Has God ended with more than He bargained for? Even the idea of God’s gender is questioned, is He a he or a she or maybe even a ‘they’?

    For the purpose of this post, I’ll go with the popular ‘He’.

    The constant questioning of His existence, all that blaming and cussing. All that cruelty in His name, all that blood spilt in crusades for His glory. But of course, as is typical with Ministry employees, He has been moved on to something else now, with little consideration how his last project is progressing. Perhaps every now and then, He might get a call about some missing paperwork or design decision. But the longer it persists, the less He remembers.

    Of course most of the chaos has been caused by arguably God’s greatest creation – Man (its funny – do dolphins think of God , if they did do they think they are His greatest creation or is that exclusively a human arrogance?).

    So, reluctantly corralled into this job, what if God was a little forward thinking and gave Man a little more intelligence than was planned. He hoped that in doing this He could avoid some future maintenance by creating a being that had the power of choice, free will and thought (of course the power of choice would absolve the creator of the responsibility for the creations choices – nice).

    Perhaps the creation and a short time thereafter was God’s retirement; perhaps the world, the land ,seas and oceans, flora and fauna were all final farewell frivolities?. Perhaps despite all that praying and belief, no one is actually listening because God is in retirement in some divine Costa Del Sol. Perhaps shit really just happens.

    Cast into this reluctant role of super deity, the beginning and the end, what if God does not have a grand plan for each one of His creations and after the Creation(which was a Ministry design anyway) He basically ran out of ideas of what to do wit this Creation of His.

    What if contrary to popular belief God does not know, see and hear it all.A victim of his own success, perhaps God has really had enough of this enforced support role and now wants to be rid of this project that never goes away – that is more trouble than its worth.


    Featured Image By: nasrul ekramCC BY 2.0

  • Death, you damn bastard.

    Death, you damn bastard.

    My friend has a deadly brain tumor. They have done all they can, and now its time to rest and await Death, that damn bastard.

    He is more than my friend, he is my mentor – the guy I looked up to for the longest time, though not of the same mother or father, he is my brother. He made everything alright for a lot of people – me included.

    So much can be said of him now… so many occasions can be remembered. but there will be time for those – when the brandy is flowing and his friends are gathered.

    I remember him picking me up from the airport when I first ever set foot in the UK, in his suit and his Mercedes. I remember the drive from the airport with him, to my brother’s shared flat. The thought that I had him in the same country as me made my uncertain future a little more certain.

    He was always the expected guest at the party, the soul of the group. For as long as I can remember, he was Mr Dependable. He supported his parents and his siblings back home. He shouldered responsibilities many would shirk and he did this with dignity and maturity. He commanded the respect of his peers and the love of his friends. A love that transcended petty fallouts, one based on honor and respect and an appreciation that this was one damn fine human being.

    He was….No he IS a good man.

    Sure he had his demons, he perhaps drank a little too much. He could be cocky and perceptibly arrogant.

    His love for life and all within it was legendary, he loved wine, women and a good time. But when the time came for him to take his place amongst the respectably settled, he did so with his trademark confidence and fortitude and was equally successful at it as he was in all he undertook. He became a husband and a father to three beautiful children.

    But now the death that has shadowed him for two long years now is finally upon him and the twilight is near. If death could make a mistake, this would qualify as a pretty big one.

    Death , you damn bastard. Why would you take this man whose life has been a working lighthouse to many lesser opportuned souls cast adrift in a harsh world? Why abandon his family, his friends to a future without his wit, his confidence , his friendship and love? Surely there has been some sort of error, perhaps you got your list wrong. Maybe you spelt the name incorrectly. You damn bastard Death, spare him and redeem yourself. Can you not see it’s not his time?

    I cannot imagine a world without him in it, at least not such a happy one.

    After the sun has set on his story and the tears have fallen, life will go on. Age will tell on us all, memories will fade and in time the loss will dull. Yet his children will bear testimony that he did indeed walk this earth and through them his legacy must live on.

    Perhaps one can take a simple lesson from all this. Be like him. Help all you can and enjoy life to the full. So that when that damn bastard , Death comes to harvest your soul, you can say with absolute dignity and resolve that you led a good life and that you were now ready for the next. That you have done your best and the rest is left to , well, the rest.

    I salute you my friend, my brother. I will grieve you for a long time. In those moments when your name is uttered in friendly banter, be assured that it will be with respect and fondest memories.


    Featured Image By: Wayne WilkinsonCC BY 2.0