This is not something that "affects black people the world over" as the tagline of my blog so eloquently states, but I do feel like commenting on the recent brouhaha over the Beijing Olympics. The issue at hand is whether the so-called West (I hate the arrogance of that term) should boycott the opening ceremonies, or even the entire event, as a statement against China's human rights record, in particular their Tibet record.
It's no secret that the Dalai Lama is one of the most revered figures in the world, and understandable that the world leaders kowtow to him at the slightest tip (not drop) of a hat. In fact, one can call the devotion to him "servile". Since the only being I serve is God, I don't feel the same way towards the old man of Tibet, but I do respect his perseverance in the face of adversity. That being said, I'm disappointed that he could come out with a statement about boycotting any part of the Olympics, while still parading himself as a world leader. I'm disappointed because this simply shows him to be another in a long line of selfish leaders, who only draw attention to themselves, and fail to see the big picture.
What's the big picture, you ask? Let's examine it through the eyes of stakeholders:
Chinese Government and Tibetan politics
Boycotting the games will have NO impact on the Chinese government or their relations with Tibet. If anything, by forcing the hand of the world, the Tibetans are likely to receive even harsher treatment from China in the coming months and years. The only thing the West can do to force China's hand is the imposition of economic sanctions, and the West won't do that for 2 reasons - 1) it will lead to a worsening of the economic conditions in the West, since the cost of goods and services will increase and 2) will only turn China to focus more on the Russian and North Korean markets, something the US (in particular) is very keen to avoid.
What does this mean - these proposed boycotts are merely a tool that the West can say it used, without achieving any specific objective since they don't affect any of the primary stakeholders (other than the athletes).
The West
Added to reasons listed above about why a boycott won't work is the simple fact that all the big blue-chip companies - Apple, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, IBM, Kodak, etc - have already paid mega-bucks for the sponsorship rights to this event. When corporate America sneezes, so does the rest of the world, and I can assure you that no one in the West wants a cold right now :-)
The West is also complaining (trying to make excuses, more like) about how the event has been poorly managed so far, how pollution is going to bother the athletes, how the workers building facilities for the games were treated like crap, how the quality of the infrastructure leaves much to be desired, and so on. The question that should be asked is this - when the IOC was kissing China's ass in 2001 and overlooking the better bid from Toronto (I had to plug my hometown), where were all these concerns? Give me a break - it's not as if we just discovered that China had pollution or human rights issues.
Symbolism of Olympic Games
To me, this was tarnished from the very moment that the decision was made to go to Beijing for the Olympics in 2008. How the Olympics, which preach "egalite and fraternite" (equality and brotherhood) could be auctioned off to the highest bidder, just so that advertising rights to 1.2 billion people could be harnessed, never ceases to amaze me. Essentially, China's fascist, racist and nepotist regime got a pass from the international community to carry on business as usual - no different from the Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, really. It is rich, therefore, for this about-face and last-minute questioning of the decision to start.
Athletes
For those wondering why I called the Dalai Lama selfish, this is it. These athletes are the mostly nameless, poor (forget the very few NBA or track superstars who will be there) folks who have been working hard in obscurity for the better part of 4 years, so that they can display their talents to the world FREE of charge. Are we now to tell them that because China's long-running feud with Tibet cannot be solved, they cannot march out wearing their country's colors? That they cannot step out and show us the stuff they are made of, just so that the West will have some moral jubilation? Perhaps if only the end result of such actions actually resulted in Tibet becoming independent, or in China becoming Martin Luther King-like in their adherence to, and belief in, human rights! Unfortunately, another old saying rings true - if wishes were horses, beggars would ride...nay, beggars would be kings.
This reminds me of the 1980 Moscow Olympics - no I wasn't born by then - when the West decided to boycott the Games over the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Other than the damage done to the careers of many of those athletes, it probably wasn't funny to these same athletes when Afghanistan (the 'victim' in this case) sent 11 athletes to the event!
The Olympics are meant to make the world forget about the nonsense that happens on a daily basis. Politics and the games world leaders (including the Dalai Lama) play have no business with it. Let the athletes, many of whom have their one and only chance to shine, have the spotlight (even among the myriad Coca-Cola and JVC signs) and make us forget the world's troubles for once.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Of Zimbabwe and Human-Animal Embryos
Where to begin?
Thankfully, no new news to report from the US Presidential race, which is getting into that stage where it resembles an over-hyped movie that starts out amazingly well, then slips into a few doldrums, before coming up with a fantastic finish...as you may have guessed, we are well into the doldrums.
News out of Zimbabwe suggests that Robert Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980 (when Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain), is desperately seeking ways to usurp the election results from last weekend, and foist himself on his people for several more years. In fact, he has told the opposition that until he dies, no one else will be President of the country. Imagine that!
If I were the opposition, I'd begin to figure out the best way to send the old man to meet his maker...it's not like he isn't old enough to do so...
Of course, Senile Bob (my new nickname for him) would have been better off taking lessons from his counterpart in Nigeria, who didn't even bother trying to manipulate actual results, but simply recorded his purported voting numbers on the computer and presented them to the world. Who after all, can argue with a computer-generated result in this day and age?
On a more serious note, when will so-called African "freedom fighters" like Senile Bob and others of his ilk, realize that they only do themselves (and their legacy) harm with such despotic and barbaric behaviors? It's the same type of thing that brought down Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Winnie Mandela of South Africa, Sekou Toure of Guinea, Houphet Boigny of the Ivory Coast, Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia and several others. I don't know what it is about our leaders that convinces them that they are indispensable, messianic and all-powerful, but it's got to stop, otherwise we will be no better off than when the colonials were in power. At least then, we knew what we were dealing with.
That being said, I do question the manner in which the Western media has portrayed Senile Bob. It seems the recent Western (and in particular, British) noticing and sub-policing of Zimbabwean events only started when Senile Bob removed the white landowners from their farms and handed them over to the black population. This is a move I agreed with in principle, if not in practice, but ever since then, the Western media has portrayed Mugabe as Hitler's second coming. It's situations like this that prevent one from being sympathetic to a white minority.
In other serious news, researchers in the UK claim to have fused the first human-animal embryo. Apparently, it is for test reasons, but if we needed a clear sign that the world was coming to an end (and soon), I think we just got it....I mean, who THINKS of such a thing??? More on that (and the whole cloning issue) in a future piece.
Thankfully, no new news to report from the US Presidential race, which is getting into that stage where it resembles an over-hyped movie that starts out amazingly well, then slips into a few doldrums, before coming up with a fantastic finish...as you may have guessed, we are well into the doldrums.
News out of Zimbabwe suggests that Robert Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980 (when Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain), is desperately seeking ways to usurp the election results from last weekend, and foist himself on his people for several more years. In fact, he has told the opposition that until he dies, no one else will be President of the country. Imagine that!
If I were the opposition, I'd begin to figure out the best way to send the old man to meet his maker...it's not like he isn't old enough to do so...
Of course, Senile Bob (my new nickname for him) would have been better off taking lessons from his counterpart in Nigeria, who didn't even bother trying to manipulate actual results, but simply recorded his purported voting numbers on the computer and presented them to the world. Who after all, can argue with a computer-generated result in this day and age?
On a more serious note, when will so-called African "freedom fighters" like Senile Bob and others of his ilk, realize that they only do themselves (and their legacy) harm with such despotic and barbaric behaviors? It's the same type of thing that brought down Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Winnie Mandela of South Africa, Sekou Toure of Guinea, Houphet Boigny of the Ivory Coast, Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia and several others. I don't know what it is about our leaders that convinces them that they are indispensable, messianic and all-powerful, but it's got to stop, otherwise we will be no better off than when the colonials were in power. At least then, we knew what we were dealing with.
That being said, I do question the manner in which the Western media has portrayed Senile Bob. It seems the recent Western (and in particular, British) noticing and sub-policing of Zimbabwean events only started when Senile Bob removed the white landowners from their farms and handed them over to the black population. This is a move I agreed with in principle, if not in practice, but ever since then, the Western media has portrayed Mugabe as Hitler's second coming. It's situations like this that prevent one from being sympathetic to a white minority.
In other serious news, researchers in the UK claim to have fused the first human-animal embryo. Apparently, it is for test reasons, but if we needed a clear sign that the world was coming to an end (and soon), I think we just got it....I mean, who THINKS of such a thing??? More on that (and the whole cloning issue) in a future piece.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Was She, or Wasn't She...and matters from/of the heart
If you believed Hillary Clinton before this week, she appeared to have been a miraculous sort of First Lady. You know, the kind that dreams up exotic health care programs, reforms medicare, negotiates free-trade agreements and best of all, goes into a war-torn country and dodges bullets and grenades to get to her car from a helicopter. Sounds like Wonder Woman, doesn't it? Except it isn't true...none of it.
Based on transcripts belatedly released last week, after much pressure from the Obama camp (and strangely, none from the media), it has been shown that she exaggerated her role in several of the so-called policy decisions of the Clinton Presidency. Now, I'm by no means suggesting that First Ladies do not influence the decisions of their husbands, but at the same time, I'm pretty sure no first lady has done any of the things listed above. My issue with this whole matter has been the role of the press, which "appeared" to believe her stories without cross-checking their facts. After all, weren't CNN, Fox etc. on air in the mid to late 90s? Surely, we shouldn't have to rely on her private documents to reveal that this is one demagogue who will say anything to get elected!
It may sound twisted, but I'm actually hoping Hillary wins that Democratic nomination, so that she can go up against McCain in November. That, my friends, promises to be a spectacular event...if you are a Republican, and absolutely catastrophic...if you are a Democrat. If, like me, you want to see the better person and candidate succeed, it will be the perfect result because the Hill-Bill machine shouldn't be let near the White House. Perhaps, now that we know that Hillary wasn't really part of the machine, we should come up with a new name for it.....nope, I like Hill-Bill and Hill-Bill it is. Mostly because it leads into a more appropriate word - hillbillies :-)
In other matters, The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Convention was held in Orlando last week. It's always a great inspiration to see young black men and women who are excelling in their studies or professional fields, and I wish more mention was made of such positive events, rather than the focus on the negative that seems to stymie the progress of black persons the world over. Think about it, when was the last time you heard about Africa without hearing about wars and conflict, or about black America without hearing about violence and instability, or even about black Canada without hearing about gun crimes and teenage mothers? Yet, over 9,500 black engineers and engineers-to-be gathered in Orlando, and not one peep was heard. Of course, I'm not advocating that every small achievement of black folks be highlighted, because that would ultimately defeat the purpose...but a bit of balanced coverage (or no coverage at all, good or bad) wouldn't hurt.
Just my own 2 cents.
P.S. - The Black Conservative is in love...and the lucky lady doesn't even know who she is! More on that later, perhaps.
Based on transcripts belatedly released last week, after much pressure from the Obama camp (and strangely, none from the media), it has been shown that she exaggerated her role in several of the so-called policy decisions of the Clinton Presidency. Now, I'm by no means suggesting that First Ladies do not influence the decisions of their husbands, but at the same time, I'm pretty sure no first lady has done any of the things listed above. My issue with this whole matter has been the role of the press, which "appeared" to believe her stories without cross-checking their facts. After all, weren't CNN, Fox etc. on air in the mid to late 90s? Surely, we shouldn't have to rely on her private documents to reveal that this is one demagogue who will say anything to get elected!
It may sound twisted, but I'm actually hoping Hillary wins that Democratic nomination, so that she can go up against McCain in November. That, my friends, promises to be a spectacular event...if you are a Republican, and absolutely catastrophic...if you are a Democrat. If, like me, you want to see the better person and candidate succeed, it will be the perfect result because the Hill-Bill machine shouldn't be let near the White House. Perhaps, now that we know that Hillary wasn't really part of the machine, we should come up with a new name for it.....nope, I like Hill-Bill and Hill-Bill it is. Mostly because it leads into a more appropriate word - hillbillies :-)
In other matters, The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Convention was held in Orlando last week. It's always a great inspiration to see young black men and women who are excelling in their studies or professional fields, and I wish more mention was made of such positive events, rather than the focus on the negative that seems to stymie the progress of black persons the world over. Think about it, when was the last time you heard about Africa without hearing about wars and conflict, or about black America without hearing about violence and instability, or even about black Canada without hearing about gun crimes and teenage mothers? Yet, over 9,500 black engineers and engineers-to-be gathered in Orlando, and not one peep was heard. Of course, I'm not advocating that every small achievement of black folks be highlighted, because that would ultimately defeat the purpose...but a bit of balanced coverage (or no coverage at all, good or bad) wouldn't hurt.
Just my own 2 cents.
P.S. - The Black Conservative is in love...and the lucky lady doesn't even know who she is! More on that later, perhaps.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
An important speech on race relations
Yes, Sir. I was proud to hear Barack deliver that profoundly refreshing speech last night. It may not win him the election - it may even lose it for him - but I thought to myself, "this is one man of integrity". I disagree with his Pastor's brand of God's message because it strikes me as the overly venegeful, vitriolic type that hasn't moved black people forward and if anything, has only earned the resentment of white people, but I felt Obama struck the right tone in his speech. Even if he loses, he should hold his head high and move on.
For those wondering why he disowned the Pastor's comments, but not the man himself, they should ask themselves this question - when Clinton stood by her husband in 1998 and disowned his actions but not his person, was she accepting adultery as a fact or approving of it? If the answer is no, then neither should Obama's non-distancing be equated with approval and support for Rev. Wright's ill-advised comments. I was also happy to hear Obama speak boldly about his faith, since it seems in this day and age, most Democrats have abandoned God, or only mention Him in passing when canvassing votes in the red states. Then again, there's got to be a proportional relationship between supporting the right to choose and not believing in God.
Dick Cheney, who is Obama's VERY distant cousin, apparently thinks the speech was "important". When a racist old foggy like Dick, who clearly doesn't like blacks yet refuses to criticize his lesbian daughter (I digress), approves of a speech by a progressive black man - cousin or not - it really must be important.
At the end of the day, Obama's speech echoed most of what I've parroted on this space. Affirmative action and other such pro-black moves are only alienating our people from the mainstream. I could care less about how the white man feels, but until African-Americans stop seeing things as black/white and demanding proportional share instead of working for it, they will continue to have to deal with issues of credibility when facing a mixed multitude who believe that everything any black man has achieved is as a result of AA, and so should be grateful to the white majority instead of complaining.
A word is enough for the wise.
We'll keep watching further developments...
For those wondering why he disowned the Pastor's comments, but not the man himself, they should ask themselves this question - when Clinton stood by her husband in 1998 and disowned his actions but not his person, was she accepting adultery as a fact or approving of it? If the answer is no, then neither should Obama's non-distancing be equated with approval and support for Rev. Wright's ill-advised comments. I was also happy to hear Obama speak boldly about his faith, since it seems in this day and age, most Democrats have abandoned God, or only mention Him in passing when canvassing votes in the red states. Then again, there's got to be a proportional relationship between supporting the right to choose and not believing in God.
Dick Cheney, who is Obama's VERY distant cousin, apparently thinks the speech was "important". When a racist old foggy like Dick, who clearly doesn't like blacks yet refuses to criticize his lesbian daughter (I digress), approves of a speech by a progressive black man - cousin or not - it really must be important.
At the end of the day, Obama's speech echoed most of what I've parroted on this space. Affirmative action and other such pro-black moves are only alienating our people from the mainstream. I could care less about how the white man feels, but until African-Americans stop seeing things as black/white and demanding proportional share instead of working for it, they will continue to have to deal with issues of credibility when facing a mixed multitude who believe that everything any black man has achieved is as a result of AA, and so should be grateful to the white majority instead of complaining.
A word is enough for the wise.
We'll keep watching further developments...
Friday, March 14, 2008
Making NON-Sense of the Hillary Apology
There was a song by Jacksoul a few years ago with one particularly poignant line - "I swear the woman was crazy". Obviously Jacksoul, with all his unrequited love, was not talking about the Democratic Party nomination race, but he may well have been. Yes, he may well have been referring to the lady known as Hillary.
Apparently, she met with about 200 African-Americans yesterday, and on a whiteboard posted several notes expressing how sorry she was about her campaign's use of race to define this election. There are several things that bother me about this about-face, and which lead me to question its sincerity.
Firstly, why now? Why not at the time it happened in South Carolina, in Mississippi and in Ohio? If she had those strong, decisive traits she would have us believe she does, why did she wait?
Secondly, why did she have to write several apology notes on the board? Does she think there's a proportionality constant between the number of notes she writes and the sincerity of her apology? If so, she must be well and truly off her rocker, and Americans would be cautioned to take note.
Thirdly, why did it take 2 days for Geraldine Ferraro to resign from the campaign? Why wasn't she let go immediately she made those inflammatory comments by the Hill-Bill machine? In fact, Hillary came out to defend Ferraro's right to free speech.
The whole apology smacks of the same two-bit attitude the Hill-Bill machine has constantly demonstrated towards black voters - assuming them, insulting their intelligence and ultimately providing no real sense of belonging for what remains the most underserved group in the United States. I only hope those people came out, ate Hill-Bill's food, drank Hill-Bill's water and went away convinced more than ever that she should not be their President.
Jacksoul may still find it in his heart to believe in love, but in this particular crazy woman's case, I've lost any shred of respect I had for Hillary.
Apparently, she met with about 200 African-Americans yesterday, and on a whiteboard posted several notes expressing how sorry she was about her campaign's use of race to define this election. There are several things that bother me about this about-face, and which lead me to question its sincerity.
Firstly, why now? Why not at the time it happened in South Carolina, in Mississippi and in Ohio? If she had those strong, decisive traits she would have us believe she does, why did she wait?
Secondly, why did she have to write several apology notes on the board? Does she think there's a proportionality constant between the number of notes she writes and the sincerity of her apology? If so, she must be well and truly off her rocker, and Americans would be cautioned to take note.
Thirdly, why did it take 2 days for Geraldine Ferraro to resign from the campaign? Why wasn't she let go immediately she made those inflammatory comments by the Hill-Bill machine? In fact, Hillary came out to defend Ferraro's right to free speech.
The whole apology smacks of the same two-bit attitude the Hill-Bill machine has constantly demonstrated towards black voters - assuming them, insulting their intelligence and ultimately providing no real sense of belonging for what remains the most underserved group in the United States. I only hope those people came out, ate Hill-Bill's food, drank Hill-Bill's water and went away convinced more than ever that she should not be their President.
Jacksoul may still find it in his heart to believe in love, but in this particular crazy woman's case, I've lost any shred of respect I had for Hillary.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Politics of Thuggery, Nepotism and Godfatherism in Nigeria
Those who know me well will have wondered when the gaze of my ever-crticizing eye would fall on Nigeria and Nigerian politics. It's fair to say that so many other issues affecting black people, especially in North America have taken precedence over the nefarious activities of the rulers of a country that claims to be the "giant of Africa".
A brief history of politics and corruption in Nigeria will not be brief at all, and most of that information can be found from various sources on the internet. This article is not about that. No, this piece is about the brazen manner in which public officers who have been convicted of crimes (financial, political, moral, etc) still parade themselves about the country with impunity, with the arm of justice sufficiently short and unable to reach them.
This article describes an interaction between 2 Senators and the immediate past Nigerian President - http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20080313102262. Senator David Mark wants to review the sale of government properties in the federal capital, Abuja, by ex-President Obasanjo, while another Senator, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, wants this review to be halted or "forgotten"! I will explain my reasoning for choosing this article by describing each of these 3 individuals.
Senator Mark (Senate President) - A former military officer who was part of the cabal that robbed Nigeria blind in the 80s and 90s, Mark's election in 2007 was the usual Nigerian tale of stuffed ballot boxes and election thuggery. This election (like countless others) was nullified by the Appeals Court early this year. In any civilized country, once the election of a public officer has been nullified, that officer has to resign immediately, until all appeals have been exhausted and a final solution reached. Yet, this man continues to answer to "Senate President", and presumably is still being paid his salaries and allowances. When the number 3 citizen of a country is above the law, are we surprised at the breakdown and near-anarchy of such a country?
His view on this topic has to be viewed with suspicion. Mark probably wants the sales reviewed, so that he can collect a bribe or two from the guilty customers and "enjoy" his own share of the largesse. Surprised? Don't be...this is Nigeria.
Fmr. President Obasanjo - This is man who came to power talking about all sorts of economic reforms and the stamping out of corruption. The economic reform part was achieved SLIGHTLY, but if anything, the corruption levels in Nigeria attained new heights between 1999 and today. This is a man who used a petroleum trust fund (to be used for schools, hospitals, etc in oil producing areas) as his own slush fund to pay for political gallivanting, private oil blocks, private universities, etc. This is a man who according to his own son, slept with his daughter-in-law in exchange for lucrative oil and finance deals. Despite this abomination, neither Obasanjo nor his daughter-in-law has refuted the claims of the son. This is a man who apparently "spent" $10 - $16 billion on power projects (depending on whom you ask) in a country whose citizens receive power, if they are lucky, for 1 hour a day.
Finally, this is a man who sold properties in the nation's capital, the monies for which have not been accounted for. A man like this should be locked up, yet he continues to insult the country by posing as an 'elder statesman'.
Senator Obasanjo-Bello - As the former President's daughter, perhaps it can be understood that she would support her father - crocodile tears and all - except that she is a Senator of the Federal Republic. Of course, this is Nigeria, where there is no threat of public umbrage at such a crass display of fatherly affection by someone who is a sworn legislator for people whose economic futures have been mortgaged by her father and his policies.
Any shred of sympathy stops once you realize that this is the same Obasanjo-Bello who used her father's stolen wealth to appropriate and corner several of those same 'power projects' that her father siphoned money from. Oh, I should have mentioned that she used a fake name in those transactions, didn't cut her Austrian partners in the deal despite the bribes they paid her (incl a fully loaded Toyota Land Crusier 4WD and cash), and is now being sued by those same Austrian partners both in Nigeria and in Austria.
Again, in any civilized country, the official would have been forced to step aside or resign (witness Elliot Spitzer) till the court case has been settled, and if the person refused to do so, the press would have harangued, editorialized and generally disturbed until they were forced to.
It also begs the question - how did she get elected as a Senator, or even better, if her papa was not in Aso Rock (the Nigerian version of the White House), would she have been elected?
Only in Nigeria can these 3 crooks operate with the impunity and braggado that they have. Only in Nigeria can the common person on the street not react to such high-handed behavior because the common person on the street is waiting for their turn to plunder the wealth of the country. Only in Nigeria will the mainline press refuse to call these people to order, because they are hoping to be made Special Assistants on Media, Media Advisors or Public Relations Secretaries to a politician/public officer in the future.
I make mention of this article and its protagonists, because I'm constantly besieged with calls from extended family, friends, etc wondering whether I plan to return to Nigeria to settle down and "bless" the country with my talent and abilities. The answer is - NOT ON YOUR LIFE!
Call me selfish, call me unforgiving, call me westernized, but never will I give anyone the chance to call me corrupt, or in the absence of that, become another frustrated technocrat because the country of my dreams is falling apart like a deck of cards; and its inhabitants could care less, merely waiting their turn to attain a higher status and join in the looting of the nation, like hyenas at a zebra's carcass.
A brief history of politics and corruption in Nigeria will not be brief at all, and most of that information can be found from various sources on the internet. This article is not about that. No, this piece is about the brazen manner in which public officers who have been convicted of crimes (financial, political, moral, etc) still parade themselves about the country with impunity, with the arm of justice sufficiently short and unable to reach them.
This article describes an interaction between 2 Senators and the immediate past Nigerian President - http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20080313102262. Senator David Mark wants to review the sale of government properties in the federal capital, Abuja, by ex-President Obasanjo, while another Senator, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, wants this review to be halted or "forgotten"! I will explain my reasoning for choosing this article by describing each of these 3 individuals.
Senator Mark (Senate President) - A former military officer who was part of the cabal that robbed Nigeria blind in the 80s and 90s, Mark's election in 2007 was the usual Nigerian tale of stuffed ballot boxes and election thuggery. This election (like countless others) was nullified by the Appeals Court early this year. In any civilized country, once the election of a public officer has been nullified, that officer has to resign immediately, until all appeals have been exhausted and a final solution reached. Yet, this man continues to answer to "Senate President", and presumably is still being paid his salaries and allowances. When the number 3 citizen of a country is above the law, are we surprised at the breakdown and near-anarchy of such a country?
His view on this topic has to be viewed with suspicion. Mark probably wants the sales reviewed, so that he can collect a bribe or two from the guilty customers and "enjoy" his own share of the largesse. Surprised? Don't be...this is Nigeria.
Fmr. President Obasanjo - This is man who came to power talking about all sorts of economic reforms and the stamping out of corruption. The economic reform part was achieved SLIGHTLY, but if anything, the corruption levels in Nigeria attained new heights between 1999 and today. This is a man who used a petroleum trust fund (to be used for schools, hospitals, etc in oil producing areas) as his own slush fund to pay for political gallivanting, private oil blocks, private universities, etc. This is a man who according to his own son, slept with his daughter-in-law in exchange for lucrative oil and finance deals. Despite this abomination, neither Obasanjo nor his daughter-in-law has refuted the claims of the son. This is a man who apparently "spent" $10 - $16 billion on power projects (depending on whom you ask) in a country whose citizens receive power, if they are lucky, for 1 hour a day.
Finally, this is a man who sold properties in the nation's capital, the monies for which have not been accounted for. A man like this should be locked up, yet he continues to insult the country by posing as an 'elder statesman'.
Senator Obasanjo-Bello - As the former President's daughter, perhaps it can be understood that she would support her father - crocodile tears and all - except that she is a Senator of the Federal Republic. Of course, this is Nigeria, where there is no threat of public umbrage at such a crass display of fatherly affection by someone who is a sworn legislator for people whose economic futures have been mortgaged by her father and his policies.
Any shred of sympathy stops once you realize that this is the same Obasanjo-Bello who used her father's stolen wealth to appropriate and corner several of those same 'power projects' that her father siphoned money from. Oh, I should have mentioned that she used a fake name in those transactions, didn't cut her Austrian partners in the deal despite the bribes they paid her (incl a fully loaded Toyota Land Crusier 4WD and cash), and is now being sued by those same Austrian partners both in Nigeria and in Austria.
Again, in any civilized country, the official would have been forced to step aside or resign (witness Elliot Spitzer) till the court case has been settled, and if the person refused to do so, the press would have harangued, editorialized and generally disturbed until they were forced to.
It also begs the question - how did she get elected as a Senator, or even better, if her papa was not in Aso Rock (the Nigerian version of the White House), would she have been elected?
Only in Nigeria can these 3 crooks operate with the impunity and braggado that they have. Only in Nigeria can the common person on the street not react to such high-handed behavior because the common person on the street is waiting for their turn to plunder the wealth of the country. Only in Nigeria will the mainline press refuse to call these people to order, because they are hoping to be made Special Assistants on Media, Media Advisors or Public Relations Secretaries to a politician/public officer in the future.
I make mention of this article and its protagonists, because I'm constantly besieged with calls from extended family, friends, etc wondering whether I plan to return to Nigeria to settle down and "bless" the country with my talent and abilities. The answer is - NOT ON YOUR LIFE!
Call me selfish, call me unforgiving, call me westernized, but never will I give anyone the chance to call me corrupt, or in the absence of that, become another frustrated technocrat because the country of my dreams is falling apart like a deck of cards; and its inhabitants could care less, merely waiting their turn to attain a higher status and join in the looting of the nation, like hyenas at a zebra's carcass.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The (Hypocritical) Democratic Party and Race
Say what you want about Hillary Clinton, but the woman has balls. Massive balls. I'm not even kidding...I wouldn't be surprised if she literally had them, which may explain why Bill is never in her bed....
All jokes aside, how someone who is over a hundred delegates behind the front-runner can suggest, not to mention insist, that the party would be best served by having her on top of a Hillary-Obama ticket is unfathomable. Read some views and takes on the story from Jack Cafferty, as well as some inflamed readers, including a few from the Great White North (no, I wasn't responding in disguise) :
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/10/why-are-clintons-pushing-hillary-obama-ticket/
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees Hillary for the bitter, greedy old hag she is. I've been preaching it on this blog from Day 1. Hill-Bill will do anything to become President of the United States. Hill because she wants to prove at all costs that she was the brain behind Bill's presidency, and Bill because he wants to prove to his wife that despite his loose morals, he loves her and would do anything for her, including twist a few superdelegate arms and make inflammatory comments. I guess the 'ghosts' of Lewinsky and Paula Jones (and who knows how many other average-looking secretaries) still haunt the Clintons.
In a related issue, wasn't it funny to see a so-called Liberal (and former Democratic Party VP candidate) Geraldine Ferraro play the race card and get all the media flak? Funny because she wasn't the first to do it, despite the media trying to make it seem like she was. Yes, Bill himself - the self-appointed "first black President" - who sees himself as the Messiah of black people was the first person to bring race into this race (pardon the pun).
What is not funny, and what has continually been revealed in this race is the apparent willingness of white folks who claim to be liberal to come out and showing their racist tendencies. This is a group that will go to war for gays, criminals, the so-called right to choose (otherwise known as the right to kill) and other despicable practices/elements of society, yet will continually try to insult and demean the black race. Even when they do something positive for our race, they try to rub it in (a la Clinton) and assume themselves to be our Saviors. They don't mind doing anything for us, as long as we stay perpetually under them.
This is at the heart of the reason why I've never cottoned onto the political left. At least with the right-wing of politics, you know where you stand on issues. Frankly, anyone telling me the Republican Party is more racist than the Democratic Party (or Conservative Party vs Liberal/NDP Parties in Canada) should have their heads examined. The difference between the right and the left is that the left will say anything to win votes, but they are all the same at the end of the day, run by white men and increasingly by white women, who are beginning to show that they are just as vitriolic, racist and "patriarchial"(we'll need to find a new word, because matriarchal is too gentle) as their male counterparts.
I can make a bold declaration - If Obama was a white man, with the same intellect, charisma and ideas, this race would have been over in New Hampshire. The Senator from New York would have been knocked out a long time ago.
All jokes aside, how someone who is over a hundred delegates behind the front-runner can suggest, not to mention insist, that the party would be best served by having her on top of a Hillary-Obama ticket is unfathomable. Read some views and takes on the story from Jack Cafferty, as well as some inflamed readers, including a few from the Great White North (no, I wasn't responding in disguise) :
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/10/why-are-clintons-pushing-hillary-obama-ticket/
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees Hillary for the bitter, greedy old hag she is. I've been preaching it on this blog from Day 1. Hill-Bill will do anything to become President of the United States. Hill because she wants to prove at all costs that she was the brain behind Bill's presidency, and Bill because he wants to prove to his wife that despite his loose morals, he loves her and would do anything for her, including twist a few superdelegate arms and make inflammatory comments. I guess the 'ghosts' of Lewinsky and Paula Jones (and who knows how many other average-looking secretaries) still haunt the Clintons.
In a related issue, wasn't it funny to see a so-called Liberal (and former Democratic Party VP candidate) Geraldine Ferraro play the race card and get all the media flak? Funny because she wasn't the first to do it, despite the media trying to make it seem like she was. Yes, Bill himself - the self-appointed "first black President" - who sees himself as the Messiah of black people was the first person to bring race into this race (pardon the pun).
What is not funny, and what has continually been revealed in this race is the apparent willingness of white folks who claim to be liberal to come out and showing their racist tendencies. This is a group that will go to war for gays, criminals, the so-called right to choose (otherwise known as the right to kill) and other despicable practices/elements of society, yet will continually try to insult and demean the black race. Even when they do something positive for our race, they try to rub it in (a la Clinton) and assume themselves to be our Saviors. They don't mind doing anything for us, as long as we stay perpetually under them.
This is at the heart of the reason why I've never cottoned onto the political left. At least with the right-wing of politics, you know where you stand on issues. Frankly, anyone telling me the Republican Party is more racist than the Democratic Party (or Conservative Party vs Liberal/NDP Parties in Canada) should have their heads examined. The difference between the right and the left is that the left will say anything to win votes, but they are all the same at the end of the day, run by white men and increasingly by white women, who are beginning to show that they are just as vitriolic, racist and "patriarchial"(we'll need to find a new word, because matriarchal is too gentle) as their male counterparts.
I can make a bold declaration - If Obama was a white man, with the same intellect, charisma and ideas, this race would have been over in New Hampshire. The Senator from New York would have been knocked out a long time ago.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)