tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38842980324339711832024-03-05T04:30:01.378+00:00 OUFIOUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-27214357343349649512023-11-04T12:22:00.028+00:002023-11-05T09:32:02.549+00:00The Dilemmas of War<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNJ9tUI0Q5bZ7z2Q7kuy65i5IcbNVJMFPkCGjkouO5AZq6TzNKJcvOnQiAfD6joIf8TIgZeyrlYt-x4vaRABw0WuElxwtG8UIna2yfBjzy2LGcq-5GaTgqsTFomdEGkky8bxMi2EgGKRyEbOA2q0rGJjgo60gjxM5ghZ1sCKCe3iJPoaqZr8OX46fdFw/s2000/PAL%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="2000" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNJ9tUI0Q5bZ7z2Q7kuy65i5IcbNVJMFPkCGjkouO5AZq6TzNKJcvOnQiAfD6joIf8TIgZeyrlYt-x4vaRABw0WuElxwtG8UIna2yfBjzy2LGcq-5GaTgqsTFomdEGkky8bxMi2EgGKRyEbOA2q0rGJjgo60gjxM5ghZ1sCKCe3iJPoaqZr8OX46fdFw/w400-h261/PAL%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #0e101a;"><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The Israel-Hamas Conflict - Part 2</span></p>In this article, I try to be cleareyed without getting involved in emotional outbursts. Nor would I try to popularise any blame game, but I would try to distance myself from the outpouring of grief we see on our screens that continues to unfold daily. This discourse is more or less a sequel to last week's article; however, in this analysis, I again try to go beyond the causes and roots of the problems and avoid the present-day happening. This undertaking will discuss the dilemmas faced by both of the parties involved. On the one side, the </span><span style="color: #0e101a;">pent-up frustration resulted in the loss of control, lashing out and killing unarmed civilians and on the other, a harsh retaliation anchored on a disqualification of the entire Gazeans. </span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Hammas group are Palestinian self-appointed protectors of the Palestinian people but are not recognised so much by them. However, their attack on the Israeli Kibbutz on October 7th has ignited an onslaught by the Israeli Defence Forces on the entire Palestinian population of Gaza. An unarmed 2.5 million people live in an area no more than a quarter of the size of Yorkshire. Despite calls for a ceasefire from around the world, destructive and relentless indiscriminate shelling shows signs of stopping. </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My guess is that describing the men and women of the Kibbutz as unarmed is an erroneous term. </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Since declaring Israel as a Jewish state, the right-wing government has allowed the settlers, as well as all its citizens, to carry arms. These heavy weapons are often used to force the eviction of Palestinian people from their homes. So Hammas' argument goes, they are no longer unarmed therefore are legitimate targets. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='497' height='279' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyi-_O4U0YYH8bMcOjiI_yXDt2IgNq4Jy-k6-L-plv4j8S-Jfc5WnfSFIr--HRQI3aZp7p0rUQrnHvMXGtd0w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div> <i>The <span style="font-size: x-small;">Gaza Strip is often described as an open Prison.</span></i><br /><br /><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Since October 7th, we have seen daily death and destruction filling our TV screens. The news comes to us with warnings about "images you are about to see". It is horrendous time we are passing through. Suffering is all around us, and we are living in a world of military power and fear. The war in Sudan is ongoing, and so is the war in Ukraine. Now we have the Israel-Hamas war. Before long, we would no longer need warnings of forthcoming images. We would not be traumatised but immune since human nature can only comprehend so much at a time. <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"> </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It is an axiomatic fact that this is a different type of war than has gone before; it is well beyond another round of conflict. This war, Israel says, is existentialist, and to some extent, I agree with them. However, here is the catch: who is Israel fighting? Israel is flirting with a dilemma of its own ma ing. The roots of the conflict lie in its right-wing policies and its hawkish attitude toward the Palestinian people, which continues unabated despite the international outcry of condemnation that had gone on for years. Hamas say they are freedom fighters, and they waged this war against the oppression of its fellow Palestinians, a battle for liberty and against the apartheid regime of their opponent. The terrorist attack of early October killed and kidnapped many civilians, which, three weeks later, they still hold as hostages, invited Israel to unleash a war for its survival and to maintain its oppressive regime, continuing to justify its actions by the "right to defend ourselves.", while the Palestinians without any recourse, from the Arab world, continue as hostages to for une. But the sad part for Hammas is that i</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">t is difficult to fathom the other motives that go</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"> beyond gaining world attention and further notoriety and what Hammas hope to gain out of this war. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwx5uenduUYZVbCmFQucbiPm1Lm5iWO6eF8xKKkAJsBPs6xhETKkszB4gY2dBx5Al9E6HcFacd2oH0JM6liSwrUO4HG8n16F9xacOI7zkjaMVmboObrTWG2lHzRB2PY1hOr5aXAb1ml0tWYzX_8SNVyVRno8rMaDO90GYtM9zyxHQmXYujzbdJKvnIPc/s1920/Pal%20Woman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwx5uenduUYZVbCmFQucbiPm1Lm5iWO6eF8xKKkAJsBPs6xhETKkszB4gY2dBx5Al9E6HcFacd2oH0JM6liSwrUO4HG8n16F9xacOI7zkjaMVmboObrTWG2lHzRB2PY1hOr5aXAb1ml0tWYzX_8SNVyVRno8rMaDO90GYtM9zyxHQmXYujzbdJKvnIPc/w400-h225/Pal%20Woman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Israel sees itself in a catch-22 situation, so much so that it has to deal with three entities at once: Hostages, civilians and a terrorist organisation. The ramifications of not crushing terrorism could affect not only Israel but the entire Western world. Painful to Israel, it may be, but its savage response can only have a limited effect on terrorism locally or in the international arena. But its action will be partly responsible for igniting terrorism in other parts of the world. Coupled with the rhetoric of support mainly from Democratic governments with high immigrant populations, it ignites the catalyst of extremism and radicalism. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In effect, as I see it, Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of America and Europe. Hamas is a convenient litmus proof of terrorism, an organisation recognised as such by Europe and America, so they must be dealt with on terrorists' terms, which is how the Western world sees things. American and European wholehearted support is on the same terms. The problem, though, is how Israel weeds out the good from the bad. The consequent barrage of shelling gives evidence it was divorced from its allegiance to its citizens as well as the citizens of its allies. </span>That leaves Israel under an ethical yoke, a burden of how to deal with such a situation. Israel is a functioning democratic state, holding to moral ground responsible to itself and the international community, and it has a moral responsibility towards its citizens, first and foremost. </p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='497' height='229' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzpX112gIX4B2aun-y_oyh4ur1yQ22zHxNSRnOuX3DCqbbiXqTebCEp4DvliPCT96MWf39iJThzTSRZv2BCwA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It finds itself unable to filter out the primary target; it realises unravelling the problem could be expensive, being forced to reject the concern over the lives of those hostages, as of all other Western hostages. They must remain the collateral damage caught up in unfortunate circumstances of war. War is Realism focused on an objective, a question of military power remaining central. Hence, it must sacrifice them as soldiers tied up in the conflict. From Israel's perspective, a pursuit of realpolitik, a zero-sum war: a matter of kill or be killed. For Israel, it is not just a war but an eradication of a foe; bloody it is, but there is no other way. The options are limited, as Israel recognises. That is for the present, but the future could be far more ominous. Israel will need to address the regional network of threats and armed groups backed by Iran now menacing the country on multiple fronts. These include threats from Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, as well as from within the Palestinian population in the West Bank. That is aside from the dangerous power vacuum left behind.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">But there is also this worrying irony. The majority of the Palestinians are Muslims, and the fanatics amongst them and those around the world see this conflict as a war against Islam. Their Islamic world has hijacked this conflict and is trying to turn the sting on its head into a Jihad; the extremist among the mainstream has morphed Hamas' objectives into a struggle to defend the Muslim faith. American and European enthusiastic support of Israel and against the Palestinian flag, a political move, is interpreted as an anti-Islam action. This motive would most likely awaken the hibernating terrorist cells in Europe and America. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">But that is not all. Where would we go after the extinction of Hamas? With the revival of discrimination against the Palestinian people in place, there remain scores to settle by both sides. If history is anything to go by, Military machismo has never solved an ideology. The Berlin Wall, the Iron Curtain and Soviet communism came down by persuasion and an ideological change driven by smart power, which compensated for an impossibility. Extravagant principles, nasty politics, and the arrogance of power are demons that rob any leadership of choice. New approaches are in desperate need. For a mighty military power like Israel to stop portraying the Palestinians as worthless, negating such an extremist outlook must sit at the core of commonsense policies. To formulate a carrot-and-stick strategy, look at recent events as a call for more negotiations, multilateral diplomacy and less reliance on military power and force.</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-17274477547746209342023-10-29T08:28:00.003+00:002023-10-29T09:32:11.123+00:00The War on Social Media<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgKUJYt85xsc1POv6Bv1i2CZHcpV_kgx2qdOyT15NTjIlq74O5g6l1NDoIV3U9KhGqvsBnC05nhjMX1Sfrbkmjasii3nA8i6bJT-1qbgfj5Gt7T6l81ns0ZXxAnUeiB6jzGA4ixsFNL20jtHu4B4kFvb0vXWaDv5GuJVAjAjs2FUuJ639a8AtvfGar40/s1000/Free%20speech%20barbed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgKUJYt85xsc1POv6Bv1i2CZHcpV_kgx2qdOyT15NTjIlq74O5g6l1NDoIV3U9KhGqvsBnC05nhjMX1Sfrbkmjasii3nA8i6bJT-1qbgfj5Gt7T6l81ns0ZXxAnUeiB6jzGA4ixsFNL20jtHu4B4kFvb0vXWaDv5GuJVAjAjs2FUuJ639a8AtvfGar40/w400-h400/Free%20speech%20barbed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Israel--Hamas War</span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>I</b></span> know I am only an armchair warrior, but I have lived long enough to say that I have never experienced such a war. Since the start of The Israel-Hamas war on the 7th of October, it was not confined to jet fighters and tanks but has taken a form all of its own. It is a war of words, emotions, blame, and counterclaims that are mostly unsubstantiated, reason-lacking, and littered with opinions void of any intellectual substance. We are getting carried away by the emotion of the occasion. </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>N</b></span>ot only in the physical world, but this war has taken over the virtual world like a hurricane. Social Media is abuzz with rumours, abuse, and misinformation. More than likely, it will be won or lost on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. YouTube, Photoshop and imaging AI never had it so good. Unsuspecting, our posts give their CEOs power to regulate us without liability to them. We forget Social media is funded through trading personal data to advertisers. Algorithms categorise opinions, and that personal data is then used to target users with information, or disinformation, tailored to their personality” – in other words, to send people content which is centred on ideas they already agree with. Ideas are reaffirmed rather than challenged; accordingly, social media groups are affirmed in their apparent objective truth. This affirmation increases hostility when those groups are exposed to those who do not share their view. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='445' height='325' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVdvQhGhbMHYGK8nf5zM4w_BKmFkucPVviON7vStp_R7IVCJRzb6EnmP_iPLjgKpMaCKEng5yZGjw4bPMCIA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b> S</b></span>haring has taken on a new dimension. In this war, it is not to amuse or help others, but it gives us status and adds importance that we are in the know while we give away our identity. Yes, sharing means we are connected to the world and how we perceive it. No fear or possible bias could stop it; pivoting on one word in a headline could impact our emotional factor, which decides which side we are on in this war. Physical violence on our streets is not far behind perpetrated by these platforms. Unfortunately, a source of progress, they are not.</p><p> </p><p> <b><span style="font-size: large;">H</span></b>ere we are; we thought only bombs could hurt us. For instance, the Christchurch gunman in New Zealand, not long ago, had spent years on social media trying to advance the cause of white power. His social media posts, he eventually decided, were not enough; now it was "time to make a real-life effort post." He murdered 51 people. The repercussions mean we are not safe anywhere; the war on our street would continue long after the shelling stops. </p><p> </p><p> <b><span style="font-size: large;">T</span></b>here are no sides or causes to consider, neither toleration nor moderation. There is no in-between but total and absolutist blame. Governments, the press and the rest of the world are divided between East and West; each side blames the one side even for atrocities committed by the other. The word 'counter' is everywhere—counter-blame, counter-proof, counter-pro, counter-statement, and all the Counter you can think of. 'Viral' is not far behind. It is not fashionable to be moderate or compromising, and remaining silent is not an option. </p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>F</b></span>ree speech is paramount to the value of Democracy; it was supposed to bring out the truth, but it is morally bankrupt in this war. It has taken a hammering in the virtual space of the internet; Democracy is morphing into totalitarianism. Worse, we see it replaced by distortion and lies online; both could mean we face backlash and possible reprisals.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A</b></span>nd it is spreading. Since October 7, more than 150 companies and leading Brands have made statements condemning Hamas’s attacks on Israel. Those with branch offices in Israel have taken pages in the press advertising the fact. Some employees and customers have started expecting or demanding that companies speak out on social issues and take a stand. They are expected to go public on Social Media. This would inevitably create an environment where their employees, with different opinions, are barred from deviating from that position. It also puts heavy pressure on companies and employees to carefully navigate the tricky terrain in their public statements as the war continues. And again, falling in the middle is not an option. Viewpoint diversity and individuality are not applauded but are vilified and attacked. Consequently, social media can easily collapse into a marketplace filled not with ideas but with intellectual thuggery.</p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b> I</b></span>n this jungle of posts, the truth is getting lost. The constant bombarding of videos and articles does not intend to differentiate between truth value and emotional responses. The primary objective is to compete in the popularity stakes. Emotional content is easier to understand and connect with, and that is what dominates digital platforms. The urge to generate emotional reactions and seek the approval of one’s followers and friends results in intellectual debate being pushed to the margins. The legitimacy of these posts is given by the number of 'shares' or 'likes', so the mechanism of searching for the truth becomes irrelevant. Attention-grabbing is the driver, so the ideal intention of free speech to seek knowledge gets lost on social media. Moreover, Ideas are global, and the sheer size of social media makes it impossible to search for the truth. Between this polluted content, it is also impossible to establish any form of discussion on the validity or otherwise of this war.</p><p> </p><p> <b><span style="font-size: large;">F</span></b>alse posts on social media can quickly gain attention and be shared widely, strengthening the voices spreading misinformation. They can deceive and mislead individuals, distorting their perceptions of reality and shaping public opinion based on incorrect or manipulated information, drowning out accurate information and creating a distorted narrative. Moreover, false posts on social media platforms might discourage individuals from engaging in free speech, especially if they fear backlash or becoming targets of online harassment based on their views. This chilling effect can hinder open and diverse dialogue.</p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b> C</b></span>ensorship is undemocratic and has no grounds in Liberal thinking public where even racists have rights. No perfect censor can filter out true or false; to do so can only lead to suppressing ideas, which can kill individual thought. We all have the right to drive a car, so we all have the right to pollute the air. Moreover, we relish commanding a 'like' to our unchecked posts, irrespective of whether we unsuspectingly echo fibs or misinformation. The most important is popularity. Social media was prophesied as a digital leap in democratic speech, a marketplace of ideas or a source of communication, sadly, no longer. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">O</span></b>n an individual basis, self-discipline is essential; we either become more discerning in learning media literacy or rely on fact-checking websites or organisations that investigate and verify the accuracy of claims made in news and other sources. Such as the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) to assess the quality and reliability of information.</p><p> </p><p> <b><span style="font-size: large;">O</span></b>n the other hand, especially in this war, censorship is required to prevent forms of hate speech that target marginalised communities which may need to be restricted to maintain social harmony and ensure equal participation of all citizens in public discourse. Striking a balance between protecting individuals from harm and preserving free speech is crucial. It is evident by the fact that Antisemitic hate crime has continued to soar in London, with 408 offences recorded so far this October, compared with 28 in the same period last year. Islamophobic hate crime is also on the rise, up from 65 offences last October to 174 so far this month.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"> W</span></b>hen the guns fall silent, the war of words will go on. It is crucial, however, to strike a balance between combating misinformation and preserving the democratic values of free speech and diverse opinions. Achieving this balance requires ongoing dialogue, learning, and continuous improvement from social media platforms, as well as active engagement from users and society as a whole. And, in this war, only History will be the adjudicator in this quagmire of truth and unsubstantiated claims to bring justice to the victims of the war.</p><div><br /></div>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-33954852428661172202023-08-13T08:51:00.001+01:002023-08-13T09:01:28.964+01:00Europe: A Cultural Time Bomb?<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLm-uuHaWN9s0Kg_cO_yFUczXUCg9-wL5GaFyhO8ZNCjfxkcWieT0JemDIwjv9mBrKMD9C1jiD7SCavzR_7pkx6FmFypcf1Cvnp9oZwnafX_wiAbICBNP2XLgVVSS7n3ZB07cX5JbUNa7Izs_EQ7Ps27Dgm2XjCetPapgTRGMBrBIQLaEYfSAQ6MBqW8/s1000/Europe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLm-uuHaWN9s0Kg_cO_yFUczXUCg9-wL5GaFyhO8ZNCjfxkcWieT0JemDIwjv9mBrKMD9C1jiD7SCavzR_7pkx6FmFypcf1Cvnp9oZwnafX_wiAbICBNP2XLgVVSS7n3ZB07cX5JbUNa7Izs_EQ7Ps27Dgm2XjCetPapgTRGMBrBIQLaEYfSAQ6MBqW8/w400-h400/Europe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span><br /><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Abstract</span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">I start by surveying the origins of the social problems gripping most European societies: rising crime, radicalism, racialism and Jihadism, mainly among the youth of Black and Muslim groups throughout Western countries. A worrying counterculture sweeping Europe is demographically impacting its social fabric. I then sketch out their causes and how they are intertwined, mostly stemming from poverty, discrimination, alienation, marginalisation and feelings of being left out. I then propose ideas on how Europe needs to respond to achieve social cohesion and adapt to the inevitable incoming cultural diversity. </span></div></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At the end of WWII, Europe (as in all references, I include Britain as part of Europe) wanted to get back on its feet, clear up the destruction the war had caused, begin reconstruction and re-industrialise. Manual labour was in short supply, so the countries turned to their former colonies. Britain turned to its former Caribbean, Indian, and African countries. France primarily relied on Algerians, Moroccans and other former North African colonies. Although Germany did not share in the carving of Africa, like Belgium, it was reluctantly granted a place in the sun. It also had allies such as Turkey. From these sources, it invited a labour force mainly working as guest workers in the car and construction industries. Germany also turned to Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Yugoslavia to work its mines and to satisfy its other booming sectors. There was also a wave of Irish immigrants to post-war Britain, mainly employed in heavy work, building trade and infrastructure. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>The import of human labour continued throughout Europe, including Spain, Holland and Italy. This cheap foreign labour put to jobs that the local inhabitants would rather not do. The social implication constituted a dividing line that ran parallel to previously imbued racial ideas of the white man's preeminence over the 'other'. In Britain, this influx of foreign labour created faint signs of xenophobic tendencies, enough for some landlords to put up signs "No Irish no blacks, no dogs" in windows of rented accommodation. Derogatory Terms such as Wog, P*ki, etc., increased.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The spark of prejudice and discrimination lit up, but as yet too dim to the naked eye. Only, it would crystallise in the European social outlook and in many European institutions, including law enforcement. Up until now, European authorities were unaware that ubiquitous social attitudes of superiority were taking hold and would act as stored markers in the future. However, social stratification and categorisation were indeed taking place. A Nigerian person in Nigeria is identified by his tribe and by his Religion. The same person in Germany is identified as Nigerian or African, while he is recognised as Black in Britain. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Bearing in mind that by 1914, Europe held roughly 85 per cent of the earth as colonies, protectorates, dependencies, dominions, and commonwealths, it is no wonder that most immigrants into Europe were either Black or Muslim. </span></p><p><span style="color: #404040; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; text-wrap: nowrap;">Nonetheless</span><span style="font-size: medium;">, the flow of multiethnic and multi-religious people continued, changing Europe's industrial and commercial landscape. The economies of Europe expanded at a phenomenal pace. In Britain, the average annual growth of GDP was raised – from an average of 3 per cent to 3.6 per cent between 1962 and 1973. Real GDP per capita by the end of that period had risen by 45 per cent. Moreover, the 1960s also saw a notable rise in labour productivity. At the start of the decade, it was growing by 2.6 per cent a year; by 1967, the annual growth rate was 6.4 per cent. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In early August 1972, the President of Uganda, Idi Amin, ordered the expulsion of his country's Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave the country. Most of them are holders of British nationality, granted to them for building the Kenya-Uganda African Railways, so Britain was the obvious choice of refuge. Their arrival added to an already complex cultural mix, fuelling further prejudices. Similar intakes were happening elsewhere. Europe at this time was seeing tremendous growth in economic immigration. Yet the countries concerned remained undeterred by changes to its social complexion, unaware they were constructing a 'problem', as yet, a pixelated view of cultural complexities. Even from these early stages, they should have noted that cultural differences must be appreciated and understood.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbL4BZhwBVnQlDoo4d1Xu2ke9qvShaBvtZL6MoMoGi1zQUF3f8SOzPgB0eCFkdpASylTJ8k10314hQuN0JPStKNAh04AvYD9hsmyRDnlSbAJ9YstCEOZiRM0LmscvlPY9SDMT6kvd1NJdpCa32a6tDx8Pr5NNs3yNcVFA8M-xowVKQ3M160Xof4dVjy7U/s1920/RACISM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbL4BZhwBVnQlDoo4d1Xu2ke9qvShaBvtZL6MoMoGi1zQUF3f8SOzPgB0eCFkdpASylTJ8k10314hQuN0JPStKNAh04AvYD9hsmyRDnlSbAJ9YstCEOZiRM0LmscvlPY9SDMT6kvd1NJdpCa32a6tDx8Pr5NNs3yNcVFA8M-xowVKQ3M160Xof4dVjy7U/w400-h225/RACISM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Two economic classes of migratory people into Europe had given rise to population dynamics and city demographic changes. Those who come to Europe for work tend to congregate, building up distinct pockets of culture and enjoying their shared language and customs within their closely-knit communities. In Britain, for instance, the Irish Catholic went to Kilburn in inner London, those of Indian origin housed in South Hall West London, and later arrivals concentrated in Harrow, Kingsbury and Wembley areas of North London. At the same time, people from Muslim Pakistan went to Tower Hamlet in East London. A slum area part of London, which had previously housed mainly Russian Jews escaping the numerous Pogroms and who gradually moved to Golders Green and Hendon in North London. Those from Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, went to the Green Street area of Forest Gate, East Ham, while Caribbean people joined in Brixton, South London and Jamaicans in Notting Hill. People who come in for humanitarian reasons tend to be more affluent, integrated more efficiently in terms of housing and education and more geographically distributed, living in central London and its outer suburbs. However, all these clusters of immigrants had no wish to mix with natives but tended to stick to their cultural communities, sharing a common language and customs as those they left behind. The same overall grouping occurred in Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester and Liverpool.</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> A similar shaping of social landscapes was taking place in Germany's Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt cities. While in France, people mainly from Almaghreb, North Africa, which includes Tunisians and Algerians, heavily concentrated mainly in Paris and less so in Lyons and Marseilles, South of France. Immigrants who made their homes in both countries worked in the mining, steel, construction, and automotive industries. Their woman took up domestic work for extra income. At the same time where such heavy concentrations of common identities were located, shoots of counter-ideological forces began to surface. Faced with the downturn of the economy in France and Britain, economic hardship coupled with neglect in government housing re structural policies, second-generation immigrants felt deprived and disadvantaged, an anger that showed itself in the increase of ideological radicalism. Immigrants started to be perceived not as Immigrants from Morocco, Pakistan or Turkey but as "Muslims". More of that later. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Frustration and Anger; an easy go-to emotion, began to surface in earnest, and both had different strands that showed in many ways: Rioting and looting by the Black community and the terrorising that later ensued by Muslim radicals. It goes without saying that the vast majority of both communities are law-abiding individuals, and only a tiny minority indulge in rioting and religious fanaticism.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It is interesting to understand why such escape routes were chosen and what European government institutions can do to prevent them. Let me take the Black issue before embarking on the more challenging Muslim 'problem'. Both are analogous; although linked in many ways, at the same time, they diverge in other ways. The Black minorities' route to violence through negative emotions such as anger and frustration ends up in what is sometimes dubbed 'grievance culture'. This is mainly evidenced these days by increases in serious youth violence and knife crime, often caused by drugs and gang culture. Studies show the main reason is racial discrimination, repression and lack of opportunities in work, housing and barriers they face to social mobility. Having closely examined the issues involved, there are clear signs of racial disparities marked by colour prejudice.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SzelMp1QCQpDPA71sPBeAKp4_v6sl_XW88xROVVZoLF8wbrCXqiQgNCTo_z52McHyyNwNEKsEo8DNi9e_Incs_cHPJXiFHVLV0xc7CmRYmq-of5K526d7HJ9tEFQx34ZXdNfAPcq3pukNm7j8CW_G909cnNfyImOUfGXWR1YCTp5uKIcacJuBgufcYI/s1000/Violence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SzelMp1QCQpDPA71sPBeAKp4_v6sl_XW88xROVVZoLF8wbrCXqiQgNCTo_z52McHyyNwNEKsEo8DNi9e_Incs_cHPJXiFHVLV0xc7CmRYmq-of5K526d7HJ9tEFQx34ZXdNfAPcq3pukNm7j8CW_G909cnNfyImOUfGXWR1YCTp5uKIcacJuBgufcYI/s320/Violence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Black people face unacceptable difficulties in simply finding somewhere to live or getting a decent job because of their skin colour, according to findings from a major repeat survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Many from deprived and disadvantaged families are neglected in care homes, living under constant threat of exploitation, eviction, and arrests. Take racial harassment: 30% of respondents say they have been racially harassed in the last five years; 5% have been physically attacked, and around a quarter of black people experienced racial discrimination at work or when looking for work. Young black people are especially vulnerable; in some countries, up to 76% are not in work, education or training compared to 8% of the general population. 14% of respondents say private landlords will not rent accommodation to them. This is especially problematic, as only 15% own property, as opposed to 70% of the EU's general population. In addition, 45% live in overcrowded housing compared to 17% of the general population. Discriminatory profiling in police stops is also an issue: 24% of respondents were stopped by the police in the last five years. Among those stopped, 41% felt the stop constituted racial profiling, which undermines trust in policing and community relations.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Faced with such high hurdles, many opt out of the education and employment system but take more accessible routes to better themselves—drugs and gangster culture, which inevitably leads to rioting, looting, serious youth violence, and knife crime. Opting out is also mirrored in the make-up of the social fabric of much of the black community, where single mothers living in ghetto-like council estates suffer absent fathers, child neglect, deprivation, and an altogether dysfunctional style of life. Unfortunately, it is so often popularised by the media as Black people's disease.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaMLA5jP90P39WyxgHC0ziHZIgonpkCgt9d3zCqLpsP5fsdLQypq7cLRc9_Gege0r3fhEdCTU9KVBYx0nnk8cEtgx33TkTu9b6k7kWu5vUu0mLO-iVaaY5zT98TO348idFgqP6zyV7hrQ0XuBqIjI4URXjc0TcTSyKEBIKiJlwo4L41noV6qpZsUssQU/s1920/Religion%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaMLA5jP90P39WyxgHC0ziHZIgonpkCgt9d3zCqLpsP5fsdLQypq7cLRc9_Gege0r3fhEdCTU9KVBYx0nnk8cEtgx33TkTu9b6k7kWu5vUu0mLO-iVaaY5zT98TO348idFgqP6zyV7hrQ0XuBqIjI4URXjc0TcTSyKEBIKiJlwo4L41noV6qpZsUssQU/w400-h225/Religion%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The second part of this article is about the 'Muslim' problem'. Terrorism and violence are among the first things many people think about when coming to this subject, which can generate both racist ideas, Islamophobia and hate crime. So, what drives youths, by all evidence, a tiny Muslim minority, towards that end.? Aside from the similarities we found towards black people here, there is an addition of a vital element: Religion. Many studies on the subject, however, dispute elements of Religion are the factors since most of those turning to violence are not religious zealots or picked up their teachings in Mosques or religious schools. Different studies show different conclusions. Much evidence suggests other complex series of societal dysfunction factors involved in causing barbarous carnage. While many other experts dispute this, they believe ideological factors veer these youths towards Radicalism, Jihadism and violence. </span></div></div><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w8wQCff3guBtzqpmevBFoEhUYh4_tz5D_5VSu4TbsDLviJXPAuEDURABTp3CBwTBoDANp8uqzmAr6W1zKOwdgEKkhm2BaCuF-C-lTVgqOZQ8JzEy6s9dpDzaxBp0KNrfhROT-Eu6d0Q3NtELVuOb5cnhsSsfIHnpdMnETSladfd7lCf2FjpxmJh1NYk/s1920/Radicalism.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w8wQCff3guBtzqpmevBFoEhUYh4_tz5D_5VSu4TbsDLviJXPAuEDURABTp3CBwTBoDANp8uqzmAr6W1zKOwdgEKkhm2BaCuF-C-lTVgqOZQ8JzEy6s9dpDzaxBp0KNrfhROT-Eu6d0Q3NtELVuOb5cnhsSsfIHnpdMnETSladfd7lCf2FjpxmJh1NYk/w400-h225/Radicalism.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Both sides agree these youngsters have become "radicalised," a process through which vulnerable Muslims are groomed for extremist violence by those who champion hate:</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">1-The claim is that people become terrorists because they acquire specific, usually Religiously informed, extremist ideas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">2-These ideas are acquired differently from those in which people receive other extremist or oppositional ideas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">3-A conveyor belt leads from grievance to religiosity to adopting radical beliefs to terrorism.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">4-The insistence that what makes people vulnerable to acquiring such ideas is that they are poorly integrated into society.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Jamie Bartlett, head of the Violence and Extremism program at the British think tank Demos, argues that such terrorism "shares much in common with other counter-cultural, subversive groups of predominantly angry young men."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It also follows that those who spurn secularised ideological differences, upholding self-proclaimed righteous codes of conduct, and wish to impose them on others are the principles markers of fanaticism. These intolerable attitudes towards others' way of life lay the rules of incompatibility. Inversely, visible features of marginalisation, the pull away from the mainstream invisible and peaceful vast Muslim majority. They perceive an array of moral wrongs by the mainstream while allowing a build-up of multiple grievances against the not-like-minded, including fellow Muslims, ending in terrorist activities against clubs, theatres, Churches and even Mosques.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But Religion is not always the ruling factor in violence. There are many home-grown youngsters whose orientation is at the opposite end of Religion. Anger and frustration fill their everyday life, and they feel left out without a chance to better themselves. They feel alienated from the mainstream and realise they are incapable of achievements, causes for which many of them can not reason. Unable to reach where they want to be, prisoners within themselves without any release opportunity from a nightmare. Their only way to express themselves is through intolerance, crime and violence. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> As such, there are clearly many strands to the problems and, equally so, many threads to be tied together by those in governments to introduce effective measures for Europeans to integrate. Harmony is of the essence before time runs out and for the divisions to turn from social to political since the Hard Right is eager to capitalise on riots and civil unrest in Europe's capitals. The parties of the Right have been steadily gaining traction among voters and consolidating power in recent years in tandem with increased immigration due to Europe's open borders policies. The sudden and high rates of imports of immigrants, mainly from Muslim countries, clearly put a strain on Europe's social fabric, exhausting the provisions on health, housing and education.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As I see it, the keys</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> to integration are three-fold. I call for the general white native populations, the immigrants, the government, and voluntary organisations for providing the essential tools. Remember that blacks and Muslims living in the EU are a highly diverse mix of ethnicities, languages, secular and religious tendencies, cultural traditions and political convictions. Often, the second generation, although of similar makeup, is more challenging to handle, having experienced some of the prejudices faced by their parents.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQPqIVTcfw7ACnELHqqcpxxkBu5urqsSzczcSGTbCD0nvAU1VnV8wLJNIr-OXz-33f7Qfka9ZMj_TvCDOIuJ1CcO1kZ23Q-zfbmSVjIhugbVma76zP2jZC6WHxvqJwg1TekfaIkHsm5p6Wu5hmzeavOCU-iwGenoeJ5hh2gQZvh8SGvZy-ysl68Qlslk/s1920/Integration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQPqIVTcfw7ACnELHqqcpxxkBu5urqsSzczcSGTbCD0nvAU1VnV8wLJNIr-OXz-33f7Qfka9ZMj_TvCDOIuJ1CcO1kZ23Q-zfbmSVjIhugbVma76zP2jZC6WHxvqJwg1TekfaIkHsm5p6Wu5hmzeavOCU-iwGenoeJ5hh2gQZvh8SGvZy-ysl68Qlslk/w400-h225/Integration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Now for the more challenging 'Muslim' problem, in my opinion, its possible causes and possible remedies. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Many European Muslims, particularly young people, face barriers to their social advancement. This could give rise to a feeling of hopelessness and social exclusion. Racism, discrimination and social marginalisation are serious threats to integration and community cohesion. Discrimination against Muslims can be attributed to Islamophobic attitudes and racist and xenophobic resentment, as these elements are often intertwined. Available data on Muslim victims of discrimination show that European Muslims are often disproportionately represented in areas with poorer housing conditions. At the same time, their educational achievement falls below average, and their unemployment rates are higher than average. Muslims are often employed in jobs that require lower qualifications. As a group, they are over-represented in low-paying sectors of the economy. This could give rise to a feeling of hopelessness and social exclusion.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">For example, in the UK, a radio programme produced by the BBC in 2004 carried out an exercise where 50 firms received applications from six fictitious candidates with names strongly suggesting white British, African or Muslim background. The white candidates were more likely (25 per cent) than the black (13 per cent) applicants to be invited to interview, while those with a Muslim name (9 per cent) had the least success. In France in 2004, the University of Paris sent out standard curricula vitae identifiable as being from a variety of ethnic groups in response to 258 job advertisements for a salesperson. It was found that a person from North Africa had a five times less chance of getting a positive reply. The same is found to apply to educational facilities and housing, and altogether, like the black population, severe restrictions on social mobility are a general failure of meritocracy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Moreover, discrimination and social profiling can run along these lines. A European Muslim can not be Iraqi/British or Algerian/French, the same as he can not be Catholic/Muslim. There is no such thing as American/Arab or American/Muslim, only Arabs or Muslims. Going off topic a little, in America, for instance, the government has denied the Arabs their individual and exclusive identity, and they remain invisible and outside the political arena as a consequence. American prejudice runs: "You can hit an Arab free; they're free enemies, free villains—where you couldn't do it to a Jew or you can't do it to a black any more." Or, when an Arab/American says 'we', a white American asks, "Who do you mean?"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To meet the ideological and racial conundrums, since integration is inevitable in minimising social disturbances, we need to overcome several myths as a starting point. The apparent failure to integrate by Muslims has been viewed in cultural terms, that is, as a failure to adapt to European culture and to adopt European norms, values and styles. In other words, Muslims do not integrate because they are Muslims, and Islam is perceived as incompatible with Western culture and values. A further problem is that Islam has been constructed as a problem. To damp down the growing anti-Islam sentiments that have recently arisen due to increases in migration. To understand the cultural difference not to lump all Iraqi, Iranian, Moroccan, and Pakistani not by nationalities but Muslims. People from Morocco and people from Afghanistan have only religion and Islamic culture in common and nothing else. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It is important to note, religious violence is not exclusively directed to Muslims but is widespread among other religious groups. <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/5169/antisemitism-in-europe/" target="_blank">Antisemitic violence</a> exists in all its forms as well as <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2022-001070_EN.html" target="_blank">antichristian</a> violence directed at Christian groups. People do ask why this Christophobia goes mostly unreported and those committed in places like Pakistan receive little interest.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I argue, therefore and advocate the following suggestions. Measures and practices that tackle discrimination and address social marginalisation should become policy priorities. Also, they should incorporate anti-racism and diversity training in their police training programmes. To implement support measures for migrants and minorities, including Muslims, to provide them with equal opportunities and prevent their marginalisation. Minorities should be actively consulted in formulating policies aimed at social integration. Governments must encourage and intensify their efforts to improve employment opportunities, particularly social mobility for minority youth, Black and Muslims alike. Discussing racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and discouraging religious hostilities should be part of official school curricula. To encourage to engage, especially among the youth, more actively in public life (e.g. in political, economic, social and cultural institutions and processes). Media are encouraged to implement recruitment and training initiatives for journalists to better reflect the diversity that exists in European society. States are encouraged to enact or reinforce legislation on Internet service providers to prevent the dissemination of illegal, racist material. Last but not least, new training is an opportunity for culture change in policing, undertaking measures to rebuild public trust. Increasing the representation from ethnic minority communities across the country introducing guidelines, if not disbanding racial profiling. These encouragements will set trends in bringing fresh perspectives, helping to build a service more representative of the public it serves and instilled with the right culture, hoping to eliminate incidents such as the recent French riots.</span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOuORTsHhPRJFarZTW2EVNaduauOkAJojc1pW4NR-_VYH57ueK9yTmpMapM9SPrZt0WKigp0JaAHkrxgc48JGTFKNWJfVzCUzP_QXj9Q621ILqz7H9yDYawQXG0r89STNxsiUELYAhnUTxXNCo8jUcPhv4K4gWtsZy5lQfE8WnbpBrFmbbuYkzEPs1w8/s1920/Islamophobia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOuORTsHhPRJFarZTW2EVNaduauOkAJojc1pW4NR-_VYH57ueK9yTmpMapM9SPrZt0WKigp0JaAHkrxgc48JGTFKNWJfVzCUzP_QXj9Q621ILqz7H9yDYawQXG0r89STNxsiUELYAhnUTxXNCo8jUcPhv4K4gWtsZy5lQfE8WnbpBrFmbbuYkzEPs1w8/w400-h225/Islamophobia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Integration must not stop at the gates of the host country, but the Muslim community needs to acknowledge its share of responsibility and play its part. Because part of the reason for resisting integration among people of the host country is Islamophobia. Much of this fear stems from the continued scenes of violence in Pakistan, Afghanistan and from most of the Arab countries. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At the popular level, Islamophobia is very powerful in generating anti-Islam sentiment leading to hate crimes and hate speech. Hardening of attitudes also dramatically increasing, as revealed by a special study on Islam by the Bertelsmann Foundation. Taking Germany as a case study, the 2014 public opinion survey shows the following alarming percentages: 57% of Germans believe that Islam poses a threat; 61% are convinced that Islam is incompatible with the West; 40% say that 57% that“because of Islam I feel as a stranger in my country”; and 24% think that Muslims should not be allowed to immigrate to Germany. Also, in the UK, according to YOU GOV, a survey in England revealed that 49% agreed that there would be a clash of civilisations between Muslims and native white Britons. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Muslim countries can not ignore these figures, they need to accept some of these findings because they are counted as responsible for the degradation of Islam. They can not dismiss the rising tide of Islamophobia by dismissing it by suggesting it is a sort of incurable Western illness. Also, they defend their position by claiming that European-native Jihadists or ISIS sympathisers do not represent real Islam. Moreover, some rich Muslim countries need to stop exporting nihilistic fundamentalist movements while keeping a tight grip on protest and dissent at home. The same applies to teachings in Mosques and Madrassas in host countries. Such measures will help to narrow the cultural distances between Muslims and other religions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbGQbTdgb3e3Ax6NhIw_QcjQjvF0ypyoY5ciZ-cM5Dj5r5BfbHd6UIp7qqrVdkQi-OXKsCydKec3i_5Fbwb5MGH3mKiQKcVRfvEXpN7UMK29iC7k4TvkOlqwvAH2lCt3cArriDAdQK1cd7-5e3981uolSbRF4fT_loM3x4smzMjNgPXCw1NvfjQKCdWc/s1920/Hate%20Crime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbGQbTdgb3e3Ax6NhIw_QcjQjvF0ypyoY5ciZ-cM5Dj5r5BfbHd6UIp7qqrVdkQi-OXKsCydKec3i_5Fbwb5MGH3mKiQKcVRfvEXpN7UMK29iC7k4TvkOlqwvAH2lCt3cArriDAdQK1cd7-5e3981uolSbRF4fT_loM3x4smzMjNgPXCw1NvfjQKCdWc/w400-h225/Hate%20Crime.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In conclusion, some 25 million Muslims and an estimated 10 million black people live in Europe. A clash of cultures is bound to come unless Madrasses, Mosques, government institutions and NGOs help to stamp out Islamophobia and mitigate the harmful rhetoric coming from the far-right parties. Racial stereotyping, force, surveillance, stigmatisation and repression do not answer social problems like Radicalism, Jihadism, youth violence and knife crime. Greater efforts are needed to emphasise social-economic integration, civic participation and equal citizenship, as opposed to ethnic solidarity. However, Europe may be at a crossroads but remain determined to find solutions to quell the anger and accommodate minority interests by exploring adequate measures while remaining mindful of cultural differences. Finally acknowledging, multiculturalism is an inescapable part of European life, and accepting that Europe is changing its colour and starting to appreciate the social reconstruction of its peoples and the richness that comes with cultural diversity.</span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-80021058430902681252023-01-29T07:56:00.000+00:002023-01-29T07:56:57.296+00:00 Human Rights in retreat<p> </p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span style="color: #494746; font-family: times; text-align: left;">Eighty years ago, Winston Churchill declared one of the aims of the
Second World War to be the ‘enthronement of human rights’. Within a
decade, the United Kingdom was leading international efforts on a
non-binding Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and, shortly
after, negotiations were concluded for the European Convention on Human
Rights (1950). These two instruments opened the door to a new
international legal order, one that placed the protection of the
individual at its heart and set limits on the actions taken by states and
their governments. The European Court in Strasbourg was created to provide
enforceable safeguards against abuses of public authority. Despite many
sceptics to such ideas and the spread of exceptionalism around the globe,
I here argue that human rights must be universal and equality before the
law and access to justice together ought to form the backbone of a democratic
state.</span></span></span></div><p></p><p></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="color: #494746; font-family: times;">The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the General
Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948, embodies the broadest
consensus of contemporary civilisation on the subject of Human Rights. It
gives recognition of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable
rights of all members of the human family, which is the foundation of
freedom, justice, and peace in the world. But unfortunately, many of those
countries that have signed up need to pay more attention to the significance of this </span><span style="color: #494746; font-family: times;">comprehensive declaration</span><span style="color: #494746; font-family: times;">, not translate it
to suit their culture to provide a fence against what it
stands for. Here as we shall see later in this essay, overcoming what the convention stands for, several hurdles of State autonomy, exceptionalism, and State
sovereignty. </span><span> </span></span></span></div><p></p>
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<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<i>The forgotten Uyghur people in China</i>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i>
</p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span><span style="font-family: times;">So, what are Human Rights – Human rights are fundamental rights and
freedoms that every person in the world should have. Human rights are norms
that aspire to protect all people everywhere from severe political, legal,
and social abuses. Examples of human rights are the right to freedom of
religion, the right to a fair trial when charged with a crime, the right not
to be tortured, and the right to education. A call on courts and citizens to
give full and faithful protection to the rights of everyone, regardless of
race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin. There must be a presumption
of innocence. It is the responsibility of the state to prove that someone is
guilty not of the suspected person to prove their innocence. People should
not be coerced into confessing to a crime or giving evidence against
themselves. In general, if someone exercises their right to silence, it
should not be used as evidence of guilt or as a reason to place them in
pre-trial detention. Human rights are a deserved justice that protects the
individual to enjoy life as he or she pleases. To suppress the freedom of
choice, whether culture induced by the states will be considered a violation
of human rights or tyranny; a vicious act to mask concern for human dignity.
Rights also define the claims that one legal subject could legitimately make
against another to protect their person, property, business, reputation, and
interest or to compel another to live up to their contracts, promises, and
other obligations.</span>
</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNDTN10SuxJrJbVIQ1jYBf65F1Kq8EyNBAxwJQ4wzyh8Wh3-omnX58_QUmqQBmZBEF98w96UY6ybxUOJRZC2mtc9eMKxp7Cke51-crElODJY9PGh5BpCkdzwdlYqc3knysXfj8w9XkF9PiDyFcZ-6YSUBnr15ZZaAMqrtNLd7Dk4Q5cmtDHttaOT2/s1920/Human%20rights.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNDTN10SuxJrJbVIQ1jYBf65F1Kq8EyNBAxwJQ4wzyh8Wh3-omnX58_QUmqQBmZBEF98w96UY6ybxUOJRZC2mtc9eMKxp7Cke51-crElODJY9PGh5BpCkdzwdlYqc3knysXfj8w9XkF9PiDyFcZ-6YSUBnr15ZZaAMqrtNLd7Dk4Q5cmtDHttaOT2/w400-h225/Human%20rights.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #3a3c3e;"><span face="ReithSans, Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>The large-scale protests in China are not just a response
to Covid restrictions but about fundamental human rights,
including freedom of speech. They follow weeks of
demonstrations in support of women’s rights in Iran.</i></span></span></span></span>
</p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: times;">In this essay, I tackle several themes and ask whether Human rights are
universal and whether democracy and the rule of law can stand without
respect for human rights. In that context, I ask questions about the
existence, content, nature, universality, justification, and legal status of
human rights against an almost universal moral code. A shared moral norm of
actual human moralities that are enshrined in Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Confucianism, and Buddhism. Human Rights are a social construct, </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: times;">cultivated from a natural being, </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: times;">that appeals
to every individual to be free. To take away freedom and liberty by imposing
state control is tyranny and unfortunately is on the increase with the rising trend of
Authoritarianism around the world; often exercised by powerful leaders to
satisfy their selfish ambitions.</span></p>
<div><br /></div>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #494746;"><span style="font-family: Quadraat, TimesNewRoman, Times New Roman, Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif;"></span></span></span>
</p>
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<span style="color: #494746;"><span style="font-family: Quadraat, TimesNewRoman, Times New Roman, Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZKjp51qArYVzQ9Tgk1ChNOl_GeaOC52XgciC6PB25mnKW-Z8JNcjIahPUoyCL2mRBtB40hjc3GNfHY0d3iWarLYN9z-VmopLOqj4ILwZksejFeUwT0k9zj3jwDnF9yZAD-YBCDtRLXplbGJp549zKKvhWisjz80vIpH8LMw5G1oUOwQmetu7SQ1W/s2000/State%20Law.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZKjp51qArYVzQ9Tgk1ChNOl_GeaOC52XgciC6PB25mnKW-Z8JNcjIahPUoyCL2mRBtB40hjc3GNfHY0d3iWarLYN9z-VmopLOqj4ILwZksejFeUwT0k9zj3jwDnF9yZAD-YBCDtRLXplbGJp549zKKvhWisjz80vIpH8LMw5G1oUOwQmetu7SQ1W/w400-h200/State%20Law.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p></span></span></span></span>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: times;">With that in mind, cultural exceptionalism by civilised bearers of
responsibility and States is a misdemeanour, and those who practice it lean
on morally hollow legal justification and fail in their ethical duties. It
is unfortunate if Human rights become unavailable to any jurisdiction or
group of people. Without respect for human rights and the right to life, a
country ceases to be democratic. The rule of Law, Democracy, and human
rights are intertwined, where neither religion nor ideology has a place.
Ignoring the conception of democratic rights runs against the grain of an
intrinsic desire in every one of us to be free.</span>
</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"><span style="font-family: times;">However, that said, although rights and liberties have been part of the
tradition since biblical and Roman days, many theologians and
philosophers today view rights with suspicion, if not
derision. And since Human Rights are generally believed as a social
construct, they are not natural. Around the world, there is tension
between religious freedom and sexual freedom in modern liberal
democracies. Many religious critics view rights as a dangerous invention
of Enlightenment and post-Christian liberalism, predicated on a
celebration of reason over revelation, of greed over charity, of nature
over scripture, of the individual over the community, of the pretended
sovereignty of humanity over the absolute sovereignty of God. These
scholars call for better ideas and language to emphasise core virtues like
faith, hope, and love and goods like peace, order, and community.</span></span>
</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"><span style="font-family: times;">Where the State assigns itself as the keeper of religious scriptures,
they need to adapt for its citizens' benefit and comply with the rules. In
contrast, they must reconsider local cultural exceptionalism, traditions,
and tribal customs. Despite their antipathy for the whole human rights
system and to the Rights of the individual but to move away from the
exceptionalists' view of the idea of this system of individualism as corrosive of social
cohesion. To reject ideas, this system erodes the social customs and traditions and the ideas of an
unsustainable position once the individual ceases to be subordinate to the
group but commits to shared values towards a common culture. The exception is not to be an individual.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span>
</p>
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<p></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="font-family: times;">While others reject the concept of natural rights altogether arguing that
only positive legal rights are real. Also believe moral right is objectively
real, but not effective unless translated into positive law terms. They are
dismayed by abstract and universal rights declarations — like the French
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens (1789), the United States Bill
of Rights (1791), or the Universal Declaration of Rights (1948) and their
many progenies. They believe, these grand rights documents have encouraged citizens and
authorities, lawyers and judges alike to invent all manner of untethered
rights claims, upsetting long cultural traditions in so doing.</span>
</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="font-family: times;">There is no denying of course, that human rights can only be legal rights.
I argue that the wrong is where the constitution that anchors such
legality is warped or contradicts the moral norm, making dissent punishable
by an ideologically induced law. This is where human rights are governed by
ideologically inspired ideas transcending the rules of a covenant to which
they are signatories. Since it is arguably a social construct, its
suitability to one society may differ from that of another. Creates an
opportunity for some states to decouple from the Human Rights convention.
Here we enter a minefield of contradictions. First, what makes an
ideologically inspired law? Where does that law fit when that ideology
conflicts with other ideologies inspired by ‘norms’ within the different
cultures of the same society? The struggle for freedom can be found in every
culture. I am also considering the contrast between the USA and Iran or
Afghanistan, for instance. Is the Electric Chair less humane that stoning a
woman to death? Both deny the right to life by lawful execution. We will get
to that later.</span>
</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVBCQ7fx2COsNuuOQGAIpZX7Lo09-rSpBiCVwHwXxMY1AXfjwiLWS2NI3R_RHCn0APyHOSP6Ih1uyF_GdgHw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The plight of the descriminated Uyghur community in China</i> </div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: times;">Many states reject the idea of Western-sponsored ideas of freedom.
Nevertheless, people have human rights regardless of whether they are found
in practices, morality, or the law of their country or culture. And like
many western States, and for practical reasons, countries around the world are free to impose several qualifications on ideas
of universality. First, the right to vote is held only by adult citizens or
residents and applies only to voting in one’s own country. Second, the human
right to freedom of movement may be taken away from a person convicted of
committing a serious crime. And third, some human rights treaties focus on
the rights of vulnerable groups such as minorities, women, indigenous
peoples, and children. Also, in such cases, as the Bill of Rights in the UK
today, the right to protest, dissent, and demonstrate only applies to
peaceful protest and does not extend to any violence inflicted or damage
caused during a protest or wilful obstruction of motorways. In other words,
Human Rights are not absolute or for any one culture to monopolise.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #202124; font-family: "Liberation Serif", serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLeN6SNvJCPDkZa8j_Ktq_k4L13fe0NfpYjWQubP5ASjnx-9K8XkYUefUsW10v0UoU16Tdz8OCrPAL2nC7w0CYFY1WoKeBfTs49oa7bp3Hc1XjPAd8_36L5Kp3G4ofP7EloB9_nY4DbKJe9cVyJ_hlQCAUASiff4BSo8dyCSVGWC6kFJH6X2q-jIw/s1920/iMMIGRATION.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLeN6SNvJCPDkZa8j_Ktq_k4L13fe0NfpYjWQubP5ASjnx-9K8XkYUefUsW10v0UoU16Tdz8OCrPAL2nC7w0CYFY1WoKeBfTs49oa7bp3Hc1XjPAd8_36L5Kp3G4ofP7EloB9_nY4DbKJe9cVyJ_hlQCAUASiff4BSo8dyCSVGWC6kFJH6X2q-jIw/w400-h225/iMMIGRATION.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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<i>Asylum seekers, Refugees, or immigrants</i>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span>
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<p style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span style="font-family: times;">The new Bill of Rights aims to replace the Human Rights Act 1998
in line with Brexit ideals. It is arguably designed to "help prevent
trivial human rights claims from wasting judges" time" and to make it
clear UK courts do not always need to follow the decisions of European
courts. However, public consultation found people were "overwhelmingly
against the proposals", with victims of violence against women, care
home residents, and those whose family members have lost their life due
to the actions of the police among those raising concerns. The reforms
would undermine the universality of human rights by making it more
difficult for certain groups to bring cases. Also, it contains clauses
that make it easier to deport foreign criminals. The intention is to
ensure a proper balance between the rights of individuals and effective
government in line with British common law traditions and reduce
reliance on Strasbourg case law. For the record, A refugee,
conventionally speaking, is a person who has lost the protection of his
or her country of origin and who cannot or is unwilling to return there
due to well-founded fear of persecution. Such a person may be called an
asylum seeker until granted refugee status.</span></span></span></span>
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div>
<p></p>
<div><br /></div><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: times;">Exceptionalism goes even further. The Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan,
demand to be left alone to implement their own religious and cultural values
at home without foreign interference. Leaders in Kabul insist on not being
judged by the norms of others --especially in the West. When America's
Western allies tell it that the U.S. capital punishment system is barbaric,
local politicians and courts reply that it is their way and no one else's
business, precisely what the Taliban says. The United States insists, for
example, on the right to execute persons who committed crimes as minors.
Never mind that this violates U.S. obligations under the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It is the American way,
representing American values and ethics. Many other countries, such as
Egypt, Sudan, Turkey, and China, practice a variety of cultural
exceptionalism, some more exaggerated than others; such was the case in
South Africa's system of Apartheid as is today alleged in Israel.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;"></span>
</p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6wqvfnf6DfN8hjUDX0sDygb_0c7FMZ3EUOId82GlHl7LOqmiE8Xn7t3O4LndoRwtaHBlbol5RKCRLa5EdeVx882tzXBsdMnf0IR9BQV_kWLaocvpdZosXybZ-9nX8LXj1_osmvOkBkyCi3XrD91SusiKBF-kr7NkRTct6L_F_yG6TjZLtuya_u8z/s1920/Green%20fabric%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6wqvfnf6DfN8hjUDX0sDygb_0c7FMZ3EUOId82GlHl7LOqmiE8Xn7t3O4LndoRwtaHBlbol5RKCRLa5EdeVx882tzXBsdMnf0IR9BQV_kWLaocvpdZosXybZ-9nX8LXj1_osmvOkBkyCi3XrD91SusiKBF-kr7NkRTct6L_F_yG6TjZLtuya_u8z/w400-h225/Green%20fabric%205.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Volkhov; font-weight: 600; text-align: left;"><i>Pakistan Arrests “11th Imam of Islam” Under the </i></span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Poppins; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">most stringent laws in the world<br />and carry a possible death
sentence</em>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="font-family: times;">On the other hand, the safety net created by The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights treaties setting out civil, political, cultural, and economic
rights, as well as the rights of children, women, ethnic groups, and
religions, made no room for cultural exceptionalism. In my opinion, wavering
ideas of what is Right for you is not right for us; runs unsteadily
towards injustice, since the freedom of an individual is inalienable. The
challenge now is to create a globalised culture universalising the idea that
human rights drive decision-making and overcoming false beliefs that its provisions weaken
state sovereignty. On the contrary, Human rights, democracy, and the rule of
law create an environment in which countries can promote freedom, protect
individuals from discrimination, and ensure equal access to justice for all.
Freedom is a natural desire, but for many, freedom is a struggle
discriminated from understanding what it is to be free, to have no
fear.</span>
</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="font-family: times;">With freedom, however, comes responsibility and in this modern digital age
control of the internet is an essential part of the universal order. It
ensures the rights of all concerned while protecting children from harmful
influences. Surveillance and regulating the internet is an added part of the
Bill of Rights I referred to earlier. One of the methods used is Artificial
Intelligence (AI). Although using this method, there is the likelihood it leads
to the erosion of individual freedoms and human judgment with automated
control Human rights remain central to what it means to be human.
Governments need to ensure they are used as shields, monitoring what can be
harmful and overseeing accountability and remedies for any breach of those
standards. . Protecting us in the digital age will determine the internet
will be a force that liberates, not enchain us. Action to control harm
neither constrain freedom nor encroaches on privacy. </span>
</span></span></span></p>
<div><br /></div>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg7uS2a4P0d7BttbGuUSExyXCeqKpASnCgy9MyxH60hIkEvauvTuKs8UJa7jO0BxvqY8bAXTqcC079DCIYKO_3r3jK6FC6DgT_Lh-tOYAnpyUPb1GiLL---yEzjfmGTZJsRFXksR_yE6E6pzHbv7-5Y7gB546qfheiCl4PwxWR4twBKj_WiNsTKrV/s1920/Women.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg7uS2a4P0d7BttbGuUSExyXCeqKpASnCgy9MyxH60hIkEvauvTuKs8UJa7jO0BxvqY8bAXTqcC079DCIYKO_3r3jK6FC6DgT_Lh-tOYAnpyUPb1GiLL---yEzjfmGTZJsRFXksR_yE6E6pzHbv7-5Y7gB546qfheiCl4PwxWR4twBKj_WiNsTKrV/w400-h225/Women.jpg" width="400" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Women have been stripped of the Right to be a Woman.</i>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<p></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span><span><br /><span>
<span style="font-family: times;">In conclusion, I believe the government’s à la carte approach to human
rights would not do and would not sustain a democratic system. While
policing Human Rights does not create authoritarianism but ensures a balance
with the Rights of every individual. Obligations under the European
Convention on Human Rights ensure that these rights continue to be
highlighted by the State’s Rule of law as set out under the convention. To
move away from shared ideas of conformity versus autonomy but build an
interrelationship within state society in line with Democratic values.
Democracy is a universally recognised ideal based on shared universal
values, irrespective of cultural, political, social, and economic
differences. In tandem with its content values of the Rule of Law and
equality of Justice, it preserves and promotes the dignity and fundamental
rights of the individual. Sadly Human Rights are in retreat; seeking utopia
is not real. The widespread exceptionalism, discrimination, torture, and
abuse of the individual are increasing in this ever more turbulent
world. </span>
</span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzdMQHUXuB3354OekslzZ2AwZR5GOV1kjeDhLHFzpUWeNhedkl4DD1qAix59sWPSxebBx9Td96nEUmJNzxJww' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>
</div>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<i>According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the situation is so
desperate for Afghan women that they commit suicide at a rate of one or two
a day.
</i>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<br />
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-65409857829235387272022-07-24T19:41:00.004+01:002022-07-29T08:11:53.647+01:00The Race to number 10<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrQTmjtkN80IiXvtaLw0j1v3vF_kdPUTGeA3qAudefiAQvlQDSD45-q3o7rMuTQFQO25fAPYsN5gxvkTNK9HiG_uQzcwLAP-H9yYSyOQVNUB_Zfyh2o3A_rktsxDzzJW7hQyV5tQ03RmlI7ZbqkLq0zaboiW0kzjIBXw8bLYEjFVgCqXT-r7uKYhz/s1080/time%20to%20go%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrQTmjtkN80IiXvtaLw0j1v3vF_kdPUTGeA3qAudefiAQvlQDSD45-q3o7rMuTQFQO25fAPYsN5gxvkTNK9HiG_uQzcwLAP-H9yYSyOQVNUB_Zfyh2o3A_rktsxDzzJW7hQyV5tQ03RmlI7ZbqkLq0zaboiW0kzjIBXw8bLYEjFVgCqXT-r7uKYhz/w267-h400/time%20to%20go%202.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A fight to the finish, no doubt it will be a bruising contest. Whoever wins this race will come out the loser. Britain is ailing, and none of the arguments put forward by both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss makes much sense in the long run or stands on enough firm footing to win an election in two years. Britain can not afford a test of time because economically, it is bleeding and fast becoming the sick man of Europe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Britain is facing the prospect of reliving the nightmare of the 1970s, when inflation, interest rates, price rises and wages were chasing each other. Fifteen, twenty, or even thirty per cent rise in wages to accommodate price increases. All spiralling out of control. The strong trade unions at the time, trying to protect the standard of living of their members, were indirectly fanning the flames of inflation by asking for higher wages. Today, we have a limited labour supply thanks to Brexit policies of closed borders. The basics of supply and demand plus Social media help to embolden attitudes risking the appeal for higher pay. Then as today, the steep hike in energy cost was partly the reason for this nightmare. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The two contenders have to deal with an array of problems they would face from day one. Prices in the UK have been rising at their fastest rate for forty years. Lorry drivers were first in the queue for wage increases. Then on Teachers, public sector workers, British Airways, Barristers, Nurses, and more. The central bank faces a balancing act with setting interest rates between applying too much pressure to deal with the prospect of high inflation. The politicians need to deal with the fallout. The cost of money, as well as the cost of all services, food and energy, are picking up. The signs that the country is heading for a recession. The cost of the living crisis must force an incumbent government into action.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Britain faces massive interest payments from debts dealing with the Pandemic. Cutting taxes to protect consumer income at this stage is another debtor finance policy the country can ill afford. Easing the pain in the short term will not make it go away. One of the priorities for the government is to deal with falling output, invest in technology in industry and infrastructure and build prospects for the future. To deal with problems of worker numbers, the taxpayers are declining, dependents on either side, the very young and the old are increasing. The incoming Prime Minister's priority is a need to orchestrate the recovery from the present economic shocks and cut taxes when the country can afford it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On balance, the chances of the two contestants lie on a knife edge. Whether Rishi is premiership material remains doubtful. He lacks the charisma and appeal; his knowledge and intellect don't make up for either, perhaps too honest for a politician. Besides, whether Britain is ready for a Brown face occupying number ten is a shot in the dark. Liz portrays herself as a giver by not raising taxes. A populist in the Johnsonian mould is more about style than content. Winning is all that matters; varnishing what matters and hitting all the right notes makes her the darling of the Party's right-wing. In a recent Gallup poll, she is placed way ahead of her opponent in popularity. So take your pick.</div></div><p><br /></p>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-55466169007300965712022-07-10T08:09:00.001+01:002022-09-07T08:04:44.815+01:00The End of the Johnson Era<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceyk_M-fOsBT1A9-irEYnmq1A0pO2FzGxhZTZr04dW-1YZretHFNdi8Mx4x_mzjNnQnOxJ1LtL7f1x_8LPq5ONtR-GMz2LqX8ztd2Ld1shnX-M-LziQZ4zHfGEQPngBURvWlzrhTpH_wPMZav5Q3sFCQ1QJMrg0FgiNdhR5z8NdS1IUP_JKd1CPq1/s1000/BJ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1000" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceyk_M-fOsBT1A9-irEYnmq1A0pO2FzGxhZTZr04dW-1YZretHFNdi8Mx4x_mzjNnQnOxJ1LtL7f1x_8LPq5ONtR-GMz2LqX8ztd2Ld1shnX-M-LziQZ4zHfGEQPngBURvWlzrhTpH_wPMZav5Q3sFCQ1QJMrg0FgiNdhR5z8NdS1IUP_JKd1CPq1/w400-h306/BJ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, we see the back of Boris Johnson. His wish came true; he didn't want to be a one-term Prime Minister. He never was fit for Downing Street; he should've stuck to his columnist and magazine editorial jobs where he is at ease with words. His facility with words largely helped to get him through that famous glossy black door of number ten. He ignored the anger of many of his MP's and the calls for him to resign by loyalists, he could have done so with dignity instead he leaves office in disgrace. </p><p>When campaigning for the conservative party's leadership, he had a talent for expressing a lie that made it believable. He won that contest, and not long after, defying expectation, with the same approach, he won the premiership in a landslide election victory with the highest majority since Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. That gave him a mandate to "get Brexit done". He will go down in history as the person who got us out of Europe. </p><p>Not telling the truth was a fixation that marked his term of office. His career as a correspondent, journalist and early political position was littered with untrue statements for the sake of just saying something instead of reporting the truth. Throughout that period, he got the sack from a stream of jobs. But the strangest thing was he always had people rallying towards him. Maybe his buffoonery or just a comic-like appearance with a Chirchellian delivery had a special appeal that pulled them in. After dinner, speaking awaits most probably at £100,000 a go. </p><p>But things have changed since he won that massive majority, effectively creating a coalition of North and South of the country under the banner of levelling up. Jeremy Corbyn is no longer on the scene, Brexit has not gone to plan, and the economy is in dire straights, signifying the winning mandate has gone to shreds. That was realised early enough, so it was a matter to keep to it or concentrate on voter appeal and window dressing. Disagreement on geography spending became a simmering dispute between the Prime Minister and his then Chancellor. Hence, the direction of travel was lost, most probably at the gates of the Pandemic. Taking tough decisions was not the make-up of Boris Johnson. However, unfortunately, for replacement, we don't have much to go on. We don't have anyone with enough charisma to pull the country together. </p><p>The end came after the revelation of a series of scandals, cutting corners with the truth, chaos, parties during lockdowns, breaking his own laws and getting fined by the police, and their cover-up led to the loss of trust by both the public and his MP's. He knew nothing for one minute, and then it turned out he knew quite a bit but had forgotten. Later his memory recovers, and he apologises. And to wrap it up, now is time "to move on"—a matter of drip-drip allegations and drip-drip denials. More than anything, supporting the scandalous behaviour of one of his senior ministers was one drip too many. Finally, Rishi Sunak, his Chancellor and Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, had enough and could no longer defend the indefensible, so they decided to resign. The former blames differences on economic policies, and the latter accuses the government of lacking integrity. Both together, losing trust in their leader, triggered the avalanche of resignations.</p><p>He has gone but not gone. He wants to stay on as caretaker Prime Minister despite the collapse of his authority and allies deserting him on all sides. That means his Presidency-like status goes on but lame until his successor is chosen despite the chorus of conservatives asking him to step down immediately. Aside from the good for the country was the good of the conservative party's reputation. To save what good is left of it. Unfortunately, however, no one in the wings to take over the party's leadership. No challenger, a serving minister or otherwise, had emerged to take over. So we are into an interregnum government of three months or so. Unless, of course, the system of choosing the next Prime Minister gets speeded up, which is likely. Many have put their hats in the ring, but at any other time, not one of the incumbents considered of material quality, let alone the premiership. But, we have to choose from what we have. Not much left in the barrel, though.</p><p>Tough decisions, to jump on one thing or another, you can not be all things to all men. But at such juxtaposition, the mind could play dirty and fuzzes the way forward; eventually, ambition for power overwhelms reason. And here we have good examples. Power corrupts, a flawed personality corrupts further and defending such a character carrying the lies forward as Nadhim Zahawi, Liz Truss and others that remained, in his inner circle, immediately put them on the spot. Moreover, the effect of supporting that same shady limelight would ruin their reputation, seriously undermining their political future. Zahawi, a 33-hour stay at number eleven, will go down in history as serving the shortest term in the role of Chancellor ever. At last, he had the nerve to submit his resignation. But, alas, too late to save his political future. </p><p>That support was against the backdrop of Johnson's loyalists quickly having read the script jumped ship, draining away at speed. </p><p>So what is the road ahead for Britain? Whoever succeeds him or she will be greeted with a monstrous in-tray: the economy, Energy, Ukraine, Health, confusion over the Northern Ireland protocol and the overall Brexit disastrous after-effects. The post Pandemic economic stall, worker shortage across all industries and raging war in Europe have caused Britain to have one of the lowest economic growth in the world. Are we going to see a rescue, or are we in it for the long term? A cycle of economic tensions, inflation and squeezes on household income will cause severe hardship for many.</p><p>Moreover, Britain has become unproductive as a nation, making it difficult and unaffordable to ease the pain. Welfare, ageing, health, investments and income will suffer as a consequence and will be an incredible challenge for any incoming Prime Minister. Who is up for the job is anybody's guess, but one thing is for sure, we won't see food becoming cheaper and zero interest rates will be a thing of the past.</p><p>My money is on Jeremy Hunt, the only candidate who never served in Johnson's government, but unfortunately, at the time of writing, he still has not declared to be standing for the leadership. He is also a remainer, so hopefully, if he makes it, Britain will stand a good chance of getting back into Europe its rightful place. My next favourite is Rishi Sunak. I see him as the most competent person to tell it as it is. He is more conservative, advocating sound policies of spending only what you have. Tax cuts will be a dominant feature in the race; he is the man to consider how to go about that. Zahawi is a chameleon if ever there was one. He did not jump ship in good time; his loyalty got the better of him, and he got soiled from the relationship with Johnson. Javid is focused and an excellent communicator, but his disciplinarian approach could be his downfall. Finally, Liz Truss is a latter-day Thatcherite but with a more hands-on approach, acquiring leadership skills early in her political career. The present-day favourite, Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, has declared himself out of the race. It would be interesting to see whom he backs. His support could make a vast difference to his or her electoral fortune. There are others, but for now, I have discounted them as they also ran. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='497' height='279' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzHWsuXh3ydDhTJw7hcQSWrt0Nw_uCL_Vzd5xIBsn3iWV6qKSXFAL_tw__BbqvrwMWQdufLEqf5vZ-7giEhGA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;">Source: Oddschecker as at 10/07/2022</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Britain needs a change in its culture of politics at the top table, and Downing Street needs to be more generous with the truth. </span></b></i></p>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-29109058872531736832022-05-22T08:01:00.001+01:002022-05-22T08:01:32.666+01:00The Unborn and the The Living<p><span><span>"</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt;">The
people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them
that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of
government hold their power, is derived. </span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">"</span></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> -
James Madison, </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">4</span><sup style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> President of the United States.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<br />
</p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
More than anything, that quotation should go down as the ultimate
definition of democracy. And more than anything, it is the people of
the United States who are failing to honour this remarkable
declaration. America today is in a downhill spiral on many fronts,
most of all its democratic eminence on the world political stage. Its
Constitution is not far behind in tracing that same path. The
trajectory of the United States Constitution, designed to serve the
people to uphold the Right of the individual and seek justice for all
concerned, is failing. Those magic attributes are coming under
constant strain as the political elite's institutional partisan
approach to governance is continuously undermining its legitimacy. Aided and abated by a biased judiciary headed by a
Republican-inspired supreme court. Strange as it may seem, as often
happens in America, these combustible dynamics fall under the
influences of the Evangelical movement. The Church is increasingly
engrossed in right-wing politics, putting it ahead of its religious
ideology.<br />
<br /></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">As I see it, three issues are tearing American culture apart today. In
that endeavour, I need to unpack my opening paragraph to outline what
is proving most contentious, to show a widening gap in moral
relativism in American society. Many believe the Anti-abortion
movements are supported by the Constitution's fourteenth amendment, Gun
control and vigilantism are shielded by the second amendment, but both are guided by the
Supreme court deficiencies. With the Republican majority of the Justices on the bench, the present Judiciary is drenched in right-wing conservative bias, determined to undermine the values of precedence long rooted in the legal system. Such evidence of a failing system of political-cultural discrimination is increasingly seen as an ethical aberration by the rest
of the world.</p><p align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Abortion</u></span><br />
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='321' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyu5Qp_AgXtnShb5hVIRdIZeYeGERFWkNdComj_ey6fUqXC46PHGTq3C3EKkNL_zH7_HfNmFvD6Ac1qn7Ec9w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>There
is Anti-Abortion, Pro-life, and the Right to Abortion. The first two
are the same; it just depends on how angry you are. Anti-abortion, a
populist term spearheaded by leading city governors and senators
right-wing politicians, has become highly politicised. Pro-life is a
term held together by right-wing legal processes and assumed moral
justification. In recent times, having lost the fight against sex and
sexuality, a geographical switch over has taken place from the
Catholic majority Northern Bostonian states to the more conservative
Southern Mississippian states, which are now more concerned with
upholding moral rights. Even though millions of American
Christians who, after a lifetime, spent considering their political
affiliations in the context of their faith, are now considering their
faith affiliations in the context of their politics.<br />
<br />
In
1973 a landmark ruling took place in the case of Roe v Wade. An issue where the supreme court set out the benchmark of up to 24 weeks legal
to carry out an abortion allowing planned parenthood and giving the
Right to liberty. See my blog post <a href="http://freddieoufi.blogspot.com/2017/03/life-abortion-and-human-right.html" target="_blank">here</a>. However, in the recent case
of Dobson v Jackson, the state of Mississippi has appealed to the
supreme court to water down the ruling bringing the legal limit to 15
weeks, effectively weakening the precedence. In consideration, the
majority of the nine Supreme court members have so far sympathised
with that judgment, ready to review it. Their argument rests on the
absence of explicitly expressed rights of abortion in the amendment. A recently leaked document shows U.S. Supreme Court may even overturn
Roe v Wade, passing on rights of decisions to individual States. The
result is a patchwork reading of the Constitution and a medley of
interpretations. For example, justice Clarence Thomas, a Republican,
asked the abortion rights counsel, "What constitutional right
protects the right to abortion?". But when advocating to carry
guns, he never asked where it says for the individual to carry a
concealed handgun in the Constitution.<p></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUGFAa3OR11-ev0ahVMM6YRL_FWL8Rtz7JIURW4Pzbki6_CF5RgdVo4pdIbDD-SENkPffQf9XedJNLgVMUuUbmpEAWUtjVN2Oj0DEIyo8zRMoZo5hvuTMmx_JGtE4MPVSSF1EhrrjdgX3MA8TOeOP0QxkfMvlXz_KxHeDPW9Jknh9GgfpNsfmgKQr/s720/Gall%20Abortion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="720" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUGFAa3OR11-ev0ahVMM6YRL_FWL8Rtz7JIURW4Pzbki6_CF5RgdVo4pdIbDD-SENkPffQf9XedJNLgVMUuUbmpEAWUtjVN2Oj0DEIyo8zRMoZo5hvuTMmx_JGtE4MPVSSF1EhrrjdgX3MA8TOeOP0QxkfMvlXz_KxHeDPW9Jknh9GgfpNsfmgKQr/w400-h226/Gall%20Abortion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <br />
<br />
Briefly, the
amendment states: "No State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United
States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or
property". If leaks are confirmed, the judge's ruling would
automatically remove the individual's Right to freedom on a broad
scale. Many see it contravening the Rights given under the
Constitution and Human Rights recognised by International Courts of
Justice to which the United States is a signatory. Such rolling back
of precedence taken on a personal level rather than a consensus of
opinions by experts in science, humanities, and legal professionals can
undermine public trust and confidence in the Judiciary, if not the
Supreme Court itself. <br />
<br />
Based on such prediction, some
southern republican states have competed as to who would be the most
pro-life state. Oklahoma has outlawed abortion outright, and Texas
has both criminalised abortion even in cases of Rape and Incest. That
includes self-induced and the morning after pill. Contraceptives are
not on the table just yet but may soon be. Any party that helps in the process in any
way would also be liable. Other states have outlined laws ready to
trigger come June 2022 once the supreme court sets out its final
ruling on the subject. They have also outlawed anyone who aborts
in so-called sanctuary states, such as California, where the law is
likely to remain more relaxed in sympathy with the old ruling. The law
would go so far as to attempt to extradite a doctor engaged in
abortion in an outlawing state but living in a foreign country. <br />
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Gun
Control</u></span><br />
<br />
The wild West is alive and well in America, where
the Right to bear arms is a fundamental Right. Most states have
virtually unrestricted rules for the concealed carrying of guns
outside the home. The Right to bear arms at home or in public,
concealed or otherwise, triggered or with safety catch on, are all subjects to each state to decide for itself. Another handful of subjects polarising American society today. Centred on how to interpret the second
amendment. In brief, it reads, "A well regulated Militia, being
necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to
keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." In translation, it has taken on a
patchwork and degrees of interpretations by individual states. Many states do not see the amendment confine itself to a military meaning but it translates into the public domain of Self-defence. That of course can also encourage vigilantism which is what is happening more often across the country. The
overreach here is; in making every citizen a soldier and every
soldier a citizen. If that 'soldier' outside or inside the home kills in self-defence the second or fourteenth amendment can see him right, and who can also find sympathy with his action in the supreme court. <br />
<br /><br />
Keeping
a registered pistol, shotgun, or automatic rifle (depending on
the length of the barrel) with a safety pin is lawful and enough as a
self-defence measure in some states. The Supreme Court ruled otherwise, meaning to
keep the firearm loaded and unlocked for immediate self-defence. The
judges ruled it is unconstitutional for a State to prohibit people
from keeping and bearing arms "to deprive the United States of
their rightful resource for maintaining the public security",
conveniently dismissing the military meaning of the amendment. Recently the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment right to
bear arms is an individual right, not associated with the
militia.<br />
<br />
In the case of New York, where state law requires
individuals to get a license to carry a concealed gun outside the
home. Here is what Justice Kavanaugh (Republican) has to say: "On
the standard of particular to them, [...], why isn't it good enough
to say I live in a violent area and I want to be able to defend
myself?" commenting on difficulties obtaining a gun license. Justice Samuel Alito (Republican) wondered how the New York law was
not "consistent with the core right of self-defence."
Surely immature questions: "keeping and bearing Arms" is
not the same as hiding them on your person. Imagine a densely
populated New York where most carry guns in public, making it easy to
take the law into your own hands.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zZYGtDAKHiyAk4fln5q_VhGTMUnJn6FnCz64a7fPVef5U3P91V2LD43nCC1kzpVQkeFXwFQi-aJKIIrbKYGQLB5mv7FF99YZzHqnvbrkuL37qbJJiX4JwBhCp48jhr6aq_7RtBK_roviLIMBpG-WqmMdi2738JC7Zxf66quVA_Zhiw0HJZBDyhRa/s720/Gun%20control%20gal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="720" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zZYGtDAKHiyAk4fln5q_VhGTMUnJn6FnCz64a7fPVef5U3P91V2LD43nCC1kzpVQkeFXwFQi-aJKIIrbKYGQLB5mv7FF99YZzHqnvbrkuL37qbJJiX4JwBhCp48jhr6aq_7RtBK_roviLIMBpG-WqmMdi2738JC7Zxf66quVA_Zhiw0HJZBDyhRa/w400-h226/Gun%20control%20gal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <br />Incidentally, these judges setting out these guidelines contradict their earlier
definition of the constitutional Rights expressed in earlier cases. The U.S. Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican presidents
repeatedly assure the American public they respect precedent, do not
decide crucial constitutional questions based on their own policy
preferences, and are not legislating from the bench. However, a
simple change in court personnel should not dramatically alter the
rule of law. Unfortunately, time and again, that is proving
hollow. Mass shootings in recent weeks in Indiana,
Georgia, Colorado and California have become routine; the public is
almost immune to the news. <br />
<br />
Controversy arose in two
crucial cases, highlighting the absurdities of the mishmash of
enacting independent State law and the political bias expressed by
the Jury. The Arbery case is a racially charged shooting of an
unarmed black young man out jogging in a quiet neighbourhood. An
affluent area in Atlanta, Georgia,(Democrat), where recently there
have been some robberies. He was followed by three white men and was
shot dead on suspicion of committing a crime. Lawyers for Mr Arbery's
family have called his death a "modern-day lynching". The
men argue that they were defending themselves (self-defence), while
trying to make a "citizen's arrest". Instead, they were
found guilty of murder.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_VvJ_NR4tBiBb792nEEMMEYbRxMWKQB-4eYHoeRFhKBtUR-0t4p-GmfYJh2wTfn87kp6D0RcASHeAjWUmA4h5UcWtGrKDPOrXADyIM_URL2jdf09MC2TYRYrHsRC1PBrt5SQ1PeSLou06eSyw2WHXTkAnF0Pw1IuPQ0slAmiWLLjDUCteJa_sstr/s1389/Gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1389" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_VvJ_NR4tBiBb792nEEMMEYbRxMWKQB-4eYHoeRFhKBtUR-0t4p-GmfYJh2wTfn87kp6D0RcASHeAjWUmA4h5UcWtGrKDPOrXADyIM_URL2jdf09MC2TYRYrHsRC1PBrt5SQ1PeSLou06eSyw2WHXTkAnF0Pw1IuPQ0slAmiWLLjDUCteJa_sstr/w400-h230/Gun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <br />
While in another case, a young
white man was cleared of all charges relating to two Black men he
shot and killed during unrest in Wisconsin (Republican). Armed with a
military-style semi-automatic rifle, he roamed the streets, telling
the police later that it was his job to keep the streets safe. He was
found not guilty and set free. One of the charges brought against him
was possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18. It was
later dropped when his lawyers successfully argued state law allowed
for someone under 18 to possess the firearm. <br />
<br />
If the
second amendment is not enough to free you, try the fourteenth. When
you are finished with the amendments, your fortune is dependent on the bias of the
Jury. Like members of the public, they can be orientated by the effect the current socially trending
climate is having on society. They look at justice through the woke
goggles of today, assessing their verdict on the life of the victim
and the liberty of the living.<p align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='324' height='270' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzsBcdX9PoeuwEi9g8ZChHGSxu3Z6EIcgXl_P58njyqOb89zM-M8pfRmnB9dY7HhDw8I_NvlggD5kQ5wb0GKQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Conclusion</u></span><br />
<br />
In
between all this, the question of interpretation centred on the
individual's Right and the atomisation of liberty. It boils down to
the question of Rights and freedom of expressing those remains dependent on a State's political climate. The result is a pixilated understanding or a confused interpretation of the
Constitution. Setting a cultural dividing line in a politically highly charged US of A, where,
unfortunately, moderation can land you on the wrong side. Interpretation of
the U.S. constitution is like the interpretation of the bible; it
generates different opinions and interpretations. In politics, that
line of misunderstanding gives rise to egregious dynamics toward
divisiveness. Never before have I experienced the power and influence
of words; that can not only divide a country and society but assume a
cultural ideology. The Bill of Rights, enshrined within the
Constitution, is not referred to as the Rights of Man. It is a
point of reference, a defensive and an attacking tool. In both
cases cited above, vigilantism is allowed to live well in the United
States; the wild West was not much different. It is down to the
Supreme Court, the principal body and source of decisions that lay
the grass-roots of American society, but under a conservative trajectory, it suffers from myopia. Tragically, Republican
chauvinism defines American justice, ensuring personal interest and
public desires do not coincide, allowing the former to overlap the latter. But
quashing long-rooted balanced precedence, the United States judiciary
undermines its credibility. While saving the life of the unborn, the
Supreme Court remains numb in saving the life of the living.<p></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-10009388229742582532021-10-03T08:12:00.003+01:002021-10-03T08:22:09.749+01:00Turmoil in the Arab World<p> </p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy9UdozCf5rbvEfL_wDmcVRLDFHpR1L_d1L-HEO4orarWYoR2Pr1h1K4k6uzBpGSyMG5kZcRtpyUXhYp2Jx7g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The dislocated world of the Arab Middle East</i></div><br /><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Gamal Abdel Nasser, 1918-1970, Egyptian army officer, prime minister (1954–56), and then President (1956–70) of Egypt has a lot to answer for; the Arab – Israeli War of 1967 was his making. Feeling emboldened having taken part in the downfall of King Farouq, the Pan-Arabism he advocated during the 1950s sought to redeem the grievances of the Palestinian people following the defeat of the Arab army during the 1948 war with Israel. </span><span style="color: #0e101a;">The 1967 Six-day war saw the Arab army defeated yet again, the complete destruction of their air force. Entire squadrons of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The War was over in twenty-four hours. The five days following, was left for the Israeli army routing the combined enemy armies. </span><span style="color: #0e101a;">On the one hand, it was a humiliating defeat to Arab governing authorities; on the other, it was an awakening of the Arab civil societies leading to a loss of confidence in their governments' legitimacy and ability to govern. More than anything, it was the Islamic awakening. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Islamists sensed the prevailing uncertainties reading the political weakness took advantage of the moment to show that present authorities have lost their way. After years of incubation of radicalism, they were out in force to prove Islam was the solution. The belief is that Islam should guide social and political as well as personal life. But more than an Islamic awakening, revolts, dissent, and civil agitation of many colours were on the horizon. After the fall of the Iraqi Monarchy in 1958, the other regional Monarchs became protective, fearing they would soon become endangered species. Since then, coup d’état, revolutions and toppling of regimes had become part of the everyday lexicon in the Middle East. All came down to power and control.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwmTJ5q-jNnT732XYrr27DZ8vQRS-kQpeFoWaJ6pBtKP-mD-TRmNa0bdcOs88Z6PGG9Dw3fqyGYbXpzva9-Fw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="color: #0e101a;">The evolution of Islamic ideology, the pressures on the Regimes </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><i>and the consequent Civil unrest</i></span></div><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;"> </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Threats of this kind and more hostile are still perceptible throughout the Arab Middle East, as this essay will hopefully show. That fear from mounting pressure is here, and fear of losing their grip on power and control is now. Fear by Arab regimes is felt from the outside as it is from within. That is a lot of anxiety to contain. The fear is real whether king, Emir or President because their legitimacy with no exception stands on shallow grounds. Islam and the activities of the Islamists groups represent the most severe threat of all. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Ironically without a Caliphate for directions, Islam and independent interpretations of its ideology work to disunite the Arab Muslim world. </span><span style="color: #0e101a;">In this case, as if to fear the United States was not enough, it is more of a question of who's Islam is any way they fear most. To n</span><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">egotiate this maze of</span> thorn infested complexities for Autocrats and authoritarians while also looking behind is a mammoth task. They fear loosening the rein because they well know what partially triggered the uprising in Syria was not only the lifting of the martial law in effect since 1963 but the relaxation of political freedom.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Islamists, such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its Sunni offshoots and their Shia counterpart <span style="font-family: inherit;">Hizbollah</span>, aka the Party of God, are capable of dislodging the State's authority. Allowing them conducive conditions, such as openness to electoral Democracy, for instance, the movements can gain enough popularity to lead to state efficacy that can fundamentally alter the political landscape. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">However, turmoil can also appear in many other guises, despite an overall show of popular loyalty to the regimes. Since arbitrary repressive and putative measures over the ruled can only achieve veneer thin loyalty. Often enough in the Arab world, commitment to laws and policies are without virtue, verified by their procedural features as they unfold.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Moreover, all governments and their political institutions in all Arab Middle East lack democratic legitimacy-ruling without consent. Consequently, the countries in the region fail to be nation-states since they all fall under either the King's Will or Autocratic regimes. Lacking the Democratic Right to rule is, therefore, a given. Hence, popular rule by obligation is a weakness. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Here the Islamists, usually structured within the framework of welfare and education, as a state within a state and culturally embedded in a radical civilisation, can take advantage and are always ready to establish an Islamist State. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Another weakness the Authoritarian regimes have is their Constitution. Without exception, all Arab countries adhere to Islam as the State religion and have enshrined the Sharia, God's Laws within its texts. The purists' definition of which can defy modern life. This, many would argue, can lead to hypocrisy by the authorities or, at best, contradictions to the laws of Islam, especially when implementing liberal laws. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The Laws of the lands must explicitly serve religious ends. As for morality, Islam believes its teaching delivers from an exclusive standpoint. The rights to covenants of God's moral codes. Political Pluralism, Proselytising, Minority Rights, Women's Rights, Gay Rights, social justice and of course, Democracy are all a no-no. As a social movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, for example, the goal was nothing less than the revival of Islam. To reactivate the once flourishing spread of Islamic civilisation, in this day and age against an increasing secular people, and to stem all currents that frustrate the incubation of illiberal radicalism. These are the forces that Arab political administrations have to tackle. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevAcUte5JIEj2JjIhq7FIvqljE8dsNkomUJwP4vvWfRRTiQymtMox-apo-jQ6X9wFLsvyHQW0GOJU9I5ldWu0vCDxwdxPhwK0pTgmnPk2ge0iWXfQ2jfwQtAMjjszgcTOwkcSxr51b-8/s960/free+speech+2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevAcUte5JIEj2JjIhq7FIvqljE8dsNkomUJwP4vvWfRRTiQymtMox-apo-jQ6X9wFLsvyHQW0GOJU9I5ldWu0vCDxwdxPhwK0pTgmnPk2ge0iWXfQ2jfwQtAMjjszgcTOwkcSxr51b-8/w444-h250/free+speech+2.png" width="444" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Crime of free speech. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Israeli made Pegasus Spyware is used to keep people in check.<br /></i></div><br /><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and their many offshoots, Salafis (purists), Wahabism of Saudi Arabia, and those in Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, all share a common thread. Anti-colonial and anti-Israel. Also, not so much the means they choose that defines them but the nature of their end. From an Islamist individual to an Islamist State. They are patient, seizing the moment when ready. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">According to one of their spokesman, "government have the clock, but we have all the time". They all provide some degree of welfare: health, education, employment etc., mainly funded by donations from private individuals; the counter-elite. Such freely extended help gave Islamists their prominent role in civil society. And politically, a rising status can oppose pressing regimes for political change to an already fragile political structure. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">What is occurring in the Arab world can be understood as revolutionary change and evolution of Islamism. Under authoritarian rule, they take cover from repressive measures by affiliating to other parties moderate Islamists, such as the Wasat party, or even Christian parties. Such an arrangement provides them with a layer of protection from government crackdowns or international condemnation, avoiding being labelled as a terrorist organisation by the United States. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In Lebanon, bearing in mind the current dire situation, people suffering shortages of all kinds, there has recently been a convoy of tankers carrying hundreds and thousands of litres of Iranian fuel across its borders. Hizbollah, supported by Shia Iran, wants to show the Lebanese people and the world that Iran, not Sunni Saudi Arabia, provides such relief. They are the good guys, and Hizbollah is hardly a terrorist organisation.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Moderate Arab regimes faced with a social movement defined as above are faced with a problem of how to practice their Constitution. First, to contain the Islamists from growing too comfortable and damping down their politicising activities. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Trying to achieve false neutrality, to leave <span style="font-family: inherit;">people living</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> by their conviction, is a loose attempt at separating State from religion.</span><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Smok and mirrors are what it is; pretending to preside over Democracy in the hope this would minimise criticism from European and American friends. Jordan</span>, or where there are democrats without Democracy, for instance, they rig the system, democratic rules are twisted by the king's order, making it harder for The Islamic Action Front (IAF) to gain seats in Parliament. Aware of the fact that Parliament and Democracy are both used as a means to an end of Islamising. This is not exclusive to Jordan, but Jordan will do. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">Equally worrying for regimes implementing rules is the absence of a Califate who can otherwise adjudicate a final authority on the Sharia. The judiciary uses the 'Path' not as a source but as the source for legislation. The Koran and the Hadith covering criminal, commercial and family laws are open to different interpretations. The final authority in countries such as Egypt, for instance, lies in the power of the President. Each head of State takes it on themselves to act as guardians of Islam and its definitions as they see it. Hence it comes down to who's Islam. These different interpretations stand in the way of unity among the Arab States. Saudi Wahabist would not support Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation supported by Qatar and Turkey on the same side, but unlike Egypt and Jordan, it supports the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;">How to spread benign liberalisation such as open nightclubs, access to alcohol drinking, unblocking immoral television programmes, or even allowing men to work in women beauty salons yet remain faithful to the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad is not an easy task.</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Administering the Sharia law, the outcome
will be the political will of the State and not the religious law of Islam.
These hollow claims in the name of Islam by the ruling elites are not
necessarily valid made only to legitimise their state control. According to professor Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim, "Sharia can
only be freely observed by believers by its nature and purpose. Its principles lose their authority and
value when enforced by the State." The scenario here, however, the Rulers are the State. In the words of Louis XIV of France </span><span style="background-color: white;">“l’etat c’est moi”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx2QL8t0FEgOu-656uiaPNHu9mhXB1gTxI0Fwp6DJuT3FRsf-CNaYCI7nmgO7wFRrGIS114Z4gH9hBYBSgfKQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Causes of widespread social and psychological strains and tensions</i></div><br /> <p></p><p>Problems for the regimes do not stop at the door of Islam. Governments in the Middle East of whatever hangtags are either Authoritarians or Autocracies. With their awareness of the quiet revolution, they acquire different values from their citizens to stay at the top above the law and unaccountable. Either born into power or having developed political power by a coupe, but in any case, in the absence of popular consent, their legitimacy is wafer-thin. Countering their paranoia to a utopian social order includes oppression, muzzling descent, surveillance, and all manner of civil liberty restraints on the ordinary individual. They dismiss the democratic fact that people are the ultimate seat of sovereignty. </p><p>In contrast, the elite and tribal leaders kept at bay for support and favour within a symbiotic spiral of advantages. As a result, instead of serving the people to protect the interest of the regime and its cronies, businessmen became wealthy by buying state assets undervalued or delivering services above value in return for kickbacks. </p><p>However, Modernity and Democracy in an increasingly connected world coupled with rapid population growth change at their doorstep is hard to avoid. These countries that form the heart of this essay are struggling for economic advantages and civil liberties. Unfortunately, both are not delivered. Those men and women educated with a degree need employment. Still, lack of appropriate investment and lack of innovation job scarcity prevails, and civic clampdown coming on top of all this the resulting discontent and disobedience is not far away. </p><p>Prolonged parental dependency and unemployment are dangerous. They sow the seeds of dissent and frustration. Oil-rich states like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait ease the situation on themselves. These Rentier States can afford to buy obedience and unconditional loyalty. Their more outstanding capabilities enable them to employ those young people into their nationalised oil oriented industries or bring them into their already bloated civil government network. Those less well-off countries like Jordan and Egypt receive generous handouts from the United States and their richer cousins. From the former, thank you present for signing peace with Israel and the latter for containment of the Islamist movements or banning them altogether. </p><p>Whether buying loyalty, or by a US veto, or due to some perversive state activities, or some electoral engineering, the so-called Arab Spring has failed even in Tunisia, where it all started. For now, the power of social media, the "Twitter revolution" that helped bring down Egypt's presidency, has inadvertently brought in the military, which effectively brought down a democratically elected government. All that with the United States giving its wholehearted blessing despite its pledge to strengthen Democracy and promote peace worldwide. </p><p>Still, there is a very tired and worn out saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely; if ever there was a time to requote this passage, it is now. Alteration of power in the Middle East does not come easy, if at all. Democratic regime change backed by fraud-free elections is out of the question. Authoritarians and autocrats hate giving up power; their leadership more often becomes ancestral. Or, in Iraq's case, it remains in the hands of the majority since Arabs in Iraq, as elsewhere where governments are weak, people tend to define their identity in the form of religion before the country. </p><p>Inevitably political identity leads to polarisations, and some regimes create the very crisis they wish to exploit. They fuel these perceptions to drive a wedge between Shia and Sunni. In such scenarios, regime change can only come about by revolution or assassination or a repeat of Tunisia and Egypt by the Social Media and graffiti or Iraq in 2003 by foreign invasion. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5hAWkcgCK9bCF6hu2SF_JUQvwx5yGs3SyCjra0QaqP9mSEle0_hcZQPXzBcrVs01qeTBGvTeKHYH9SVXvYMwtYaln_J8ZZkfEqt-QtgJ47KQEdKwBm2mD_XX0Ges_nMobDkJwRRJMDM/s780/gg1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="780" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5hAWkcgCK9bCF6hu2SF_JUQvwx5yGs3SyCjra0QaqP9mSEle0_hcZQPXzBcrVs01qeTBGvTeKHYH9SVXvYMwtYaln_J8ZZkfEqt-QtgJ47KQEdKwBm2mD_XX0Ges_nMobDkJwRRJMDM/w380-h243/gg1.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: italic;">An image directed at the head of Supreme Council of Armed Forces [SCAF], Muhammad Hussein Tantawy, criticising him for embracing Mubarak's policies and corruption. (Photo: Reuters – Asmaa Waguih)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: italic;">Extensive use of Graffiti in Mohamed Mahmoud Street near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.</span></div><br /><p>Regime change, if not a total reconstruction of the social order, is bound to come. Top-down rampant corruption was the leading cause for a popular uprising or the so-called Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq and Lebanon. All facing severe economic problems such as poverty and unemployment. Despite police brutality, the masses stood firm. Unfortunately, those fighting for democratic transformation, which would bring freedom and rights, lacked the backing of institutional structure. They also differed as to what freedom meant. The social media they used so effectively proved insufficient to sustain a lasting political change. In the end, they failed to cooperate and settle their internal disputes. They agreed on ousting a regime but could not decide on the State's future identity and share power. However, people are still pursuing what modernity offers: bread, freedom, social justice, human dignity, and equality before the law.</p><p>Powerful forces such as Islamism, accumulation of social grievances, widespread social deprivation, and calls for freedom and liberalisation are pressurising all regimes in the Arab world to change. To help people consolidate a political identity or introduce a framework of political opposition and remove the sentiments of distrust. Stalemate is not an option but must consider changes even to the entire social order. Illiberal democratic rule marking out inflexible Arab exceptionalism needs to be revolutionised. The globalised world is signalling change, and modernity offers much, so the Arabs can not drag their feet too long; accountability and nation-building are wanting. Internet's role as a space where collective dissent can be articulated is not going away. The problem they have to get over is their paranoia and lust for power, both of which in the liberal world is a challenging mix. Much of what is happening in the Arab world is revolutionary, the awakening of civil society amid civil activism. This is a rare example of a revolutionary process playing out in real-time before it happens. Still, its process remains in doubt, but one thing for certain democratic cultures is indispensable for the evolution of democratic order to take hold. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-4565259794327867142021-09-27T17:58:00.002+01:002021-09-27T17:58:53.175+01:00A Post Card from the Past<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzE3ERYDeqMVuBKkovcTImmxF8Bc8gvE3ldTz3zXO16u-u64jA3T7zD0xaA-spb0Zs093bSYf3QBTk92sx6KEKu7KfbGHZYnv5Ffa6zJb9QUBm95HQ_MkOJI8MIWgnwA1zItQh1OyeBE/s1920/Snapshot_71.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzE3ERYDeqMVuBKkovcTImmxF8Bc8gvE3ldTz3zXO16u-u64jA3T7zD0xaA-spb0Zs093bSYf3QBTk92sx6KEKu7KfbGHZYnv5Ffa6zJb9QUBm95HQ_MkOJI8MIWgnwA1zItQh1OyeBE/s320/Snapshot_71.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyp8R4oPQAhMqdzGBkdFrlxc7Xhor_cfchAVMMfWb-1s7ZKGJFaj0Wc-RKUWwbh2I2FhqO8SC-a11xB0QvWLQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-62236114316591454642021-07-27T08:31:00.001+01:002021-07-27T08:46:21.355+01:00Baghdad Revisited<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mSxLWltwgtTuoBD2mLNt5XpeMZePuz5WG1J9S6TeWkIjIm_Wp2a45oQvZDH7cyEMA4M1KVoQ3mbb9RDN5AgdgaVK4AhRX3uMW4h-uV5jNjhBFJKEEkls86xTA5Dnrvd0735I4BmsJSE/s1920/Baghdad+Revisited.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mSxLWltwgtTuoBD2mLNt5XpeMZePuz5WG1J9S6TeWkIjIm_Wp2a45oQvZDH7cyEMA4M1KVoQ3mbb9RDN5AgdgaVK4AhRX3uMW4h-uV5jNjhBFJKEEkls86xTA5Dnrvd0735I4BmsJSE/w390-h219/Baghdad+Revisited.png" width="390" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='430' height='291' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx15LI845uObBlWux7YWdxstwPidzyHuvIblo6JAimayM3HvqQoo5uPe1QIfuKzRp2p7aTs2yLyCYr2tHCMqQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /></div><br /> <p></p>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-15479274540900209662021-04-21T13:16:00.000+01:002021-04-21T13:16:03.773+01:00The Arabs<h2 style="text-align: left;"> The Arabs</h2><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEwWwtuih6hCF4K8W_N1Put6R62GhRoiCdrnvASW4pSbA-kWqYOMWi3gW1QAjsRtU-zDDSlwxxBQqHhNAQk1TgVRygmlr723jyaXu9OaDXfadaL_aLoEwFnKi7PqgtaUSi75hSZcDDKk/s1920/Snapshot+-+20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEwWwtuih6hCF4K8W_N1Put6R62GhRoiCdrnvASW4pSbA-kWqYOMWi3gW1QAjsRtU-zDDSlwxxBQqHhNAQk1TgVRygmlr723jyaXu9OaDXfadaL_aLoEwFnKi7PqgtaUSi75hSZcDDKk/s320/Snapshot+-+20.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwYOY7a567-9T1dMNQoyqh9NWKWnXGSUJR-5CCVMDzYmTgPdoLDhG3TlvnilKf1HTODFskXDYeRzOe-oSToqw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-75120697848135310632021-04-21T13:10:00.002+01:002021-04-21T13:10:43.024+01:00Gambling<h2 style="text-align: left;"> Gambling</h2><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx7zdRFs6rjDKJMJCDOIlhT12XUGcdHeORQjLmOUBvoq1byp4rwRxVo-G9BKwxA2Rml9efVgkcMAjDtZUX0emsq5ZOff1Dazw0CmGQNrccYVgQNWuiGiEDe0Sp_5cI2_eNydtAj9Enmw/s1920/Snapshot+-+19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx7zdRFs6rjDKJMJCDOIlhT12XUGcdHeORQjLmOUBvoq1byp4rwRxVo-G9BKwxA2Rml9efVgkcMAjDtZUX0emsq5ZOff1Dazw0CmGQNrccYVgQNWuiGiEDe0Sp_5cI2_eNydtAj9Enmw/s320/Snapshot+-+19.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzFAM_twx2mB6gJxZLSVmKplymJnI49Rb-h75TH3n-a_HLefw2ZVe1X6ZG3ZrlsDoEFYiVUGXc25escGgQjzA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-23152262190752259182021-04-21T12:59:00.002+01:002021-04-21T12:59:49.279+01:00Our Yesterday<h2 style="text-align: left;"> Our Yesterday</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTC4kjCoYc37gQ7OtAzAio4jHSRLK0RiqNHKxkTvNWX2UgFgkWrHE-hq0ViAskDsUH7yMcdPYiZGynMVAQkVWDOCrx4Wfsd_iOus8g-BmSzigm6ucUpRAK8lG6hncOfp1b90JFiT9kfVU/s1920/Snapshot+-+18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTC4kjCoYc37gQ7OtAzAio4jHSRLK0RiqNHKxkTvNWX2UgFgkWrHE-hq0ViAskDsUH7yMcdPYiZGynMVAQkVWDOCrx4Wfsd_iOus8g-BmSzigm6ucUpRAK8lG6hncOfp1b90JFiT9kfVU/s320/Snapshot+-+18.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dztd2V4n1T8e04pziP63JlHT1lIbjFTB1uDyF1UDfq6B40CI8dQp0IxJ13LZaZAneghOs0w9OTtTEabM12OIA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-22852516374090902952021-04-21T11:53:00.007+01:002022-09-30T08:40:28.902+01:00Trafficking<h2 style="text-align: left;"> Trafficking</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dh12G5WJD-1e7GzUXpEryVkIob-RaBlYAp93d9EMM-Tm6Rr9xekgcMbXN3kPaPfM1XBof10exZj2fAmLok6eF4JobDLG5Hv9rsMhE2KLaabOFM5uivegNZ9V-xe9_ZWfgY0dNeVtuRE/s1920/Snapshot+-+17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dh12G5WJD-1e7GzUXpEryVkIob-RaBlYAp93d9EMM-Tm6Rr9xekgcMbXN3kPaPfM1XBof10exZj2fAmLok6eF4JobDLG5Hv9rsMhE2KLaabOFM5uivegNZ9V-xe9_ZWfgY0dNeVtuRE/s320/Snapshot+-+17.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylNCkVg7C0DiR5WfJ2Pnsyxls64kAD88Mmyg9rG3XUtQTJf64x5iUfl01qRCX-JDmjfUgjcpREtAD0kPJ5GQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-44651370844446944692021-04-21T11:40:00.001+01:002021-04-21T12:13:40.884+01:00Hundred Year Marathon is over<h2 style="text-align: left;"> Hundred Year Marathon is over</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil03gxXxHiWNVdDyPHcJkGeyVmjTcs52a3_K0oqLXbDt7uyzi4ALuRHs3_kpOfHVRKoutUS2OnUQkKwYOXxZrcjs9RWPjcu5fKqDgTZIznMgQJOR0IvNr7zS_4Zc_8InXcR6IO35hBFUE/s1920/Snapshot+-+16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil03gxXxHiWNVdDyPHcJkGeyVmjTcs52a3_K0oqLXbDt7uyzi4ALuRHs3_kpOfHVRKoutUS2OnUQkKwYOXxZrcjs9RWPjcu5fKqDgTZIznMgQJOR0IvNr7zS_4Zc_8InXcR6IO35hBFUE/s320/Snapshot+-+16.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='252' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw9az6cKxLHGLuJcAtP2FyqyjGxFm4PFV2DPNPUmiUVAionCYcjHfy9-wmE0ZhQzWGqUM-SvTvXU6K6HwtBfA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-86115414816663690572020-07-26T10:16:00.003+01:002020-07-26T10:16:45.724+01:00Cancel Culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: red;"><u>Cancel Culture</u></span></h2>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">"The past controls the present and future. You can't control the past. Also, you can't control the way the past controls the present and future. So, you can't control the present and future" - Simon Blackburn, Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge.</span></i></div>
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Modern states have impeachment; ancient Athens had ostracism; Social movement has a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/style/cancel-culture.html" target="_blank">cancellation</a>. Free speech is under assault by the Twitter mob who see it as their legitimate right to shout down speakers of whom they disapprove. Speaking one's mind, which may turn out contrary to a current fashionable group thinking of the day could lead to internet shaming. People finding themselves on the wrong side of the fence either be cancelled, ostracised or dehumanised. The dark side has meant some people have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/21/caroline-flack-death-social-media-cruelty-celebrities" target="_blank">committed suicide</a> as a result of saying the wrong thing, on social media, or even between friends. There is a danger brewing of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/obama-woke-cancel-culture.html" target="_blank">growing hostilities</a> towards opinion others don't agree with. Attempts at silencing our most basic liberty to speak our mind; the most fundamental of freedom carries a penalty of disengaging the social-cultural bond of shared values. Bullying for the hell of it by some marginalised group with their own agenda for a new orthodoxy. Actions are taken on the assumption that the atmosphere would be improved by throwing out a dislikeable character. A judgment hinged on expressing a different opinion - a new polarising attitude in society taking place, that is democratising cruelty. Cancelled does not mean to cancel an appointment or a meeting but a human being.<br />
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<span style="color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In an attempt to put a bulwark against this wave of cultural antipathy by social warriors to silence people holding contrary opinions, <a href="https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/" target="_blank">Harpers Magazine</a> put out a letter signed by more than hundred people from many walks of life in defence of tolerance and debate. Contained a message that makes it abundantly clear that "</span></span><span style="color: #121212;">a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments that tend to weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favour of ideological conformity" for</span> the sake of damage control instances arising, where institutions, Advertising companies, <span style="color: yellow;"><a href="https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter" target="_blank">publishers</a>,</span> university professors or individuals who are in the public eye increasingly afraid to be seen stepping out of line. The hasty and panicked decision by these institutions has meant "editors are fired for running controversial pieces. Books are withdrawn for alleged inauthenticity. Journalists are barred from writing on certain topics; professors are investigated for quoting works of literature in class; a researcher is fired for circulating a peer-reviewed academic study, and the heads of organisations are ousted for what are sometimes just clumsy mistakes". <span style="color: #121212;">There is genuine concern that free speech is being stifled. Those who signed the letter include white people, black people, gays, Muslims, Jewish and leaders of their communities from all walks of life.</span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those accused of new moral orthodoxy </span></span><span style="color: #121212;">argue that opinion and views by public figures should be held accountable for them. </span><span style="color: #121212;"> Others believe such grandstanding approach shows an attitude of patronising superiority. The counter-argument being that </span><span style="color: #121212;">cancel culture can be a way for the powerless to bring down the powerful.</span><span style="color: #121212;"> Surely g</span><span style="color: #121212;">roup thinking that suppresses individual thought inducing conformity, by </span><span style="color: #121212;">vilification of personality for expressing views incompatible with current opinions, pretends to be the new moral orthodoxy is wholly unacceptable in today's modern society. Losing a job, a threat to career and friends staying away for fear what may render culture contamination is intolerable. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #121212;">Among those who dared to be signatories of the letter are well-known personalities. JK Rowling, Dame Anna Nicholson, Salman Rushdie, Naom Chomski are among other giants of the literary world that formed the rich list of celebrities </span><span style="color: #121212;">most whom have Ivy League or other prestigious credentials</span><span style="color: #121212;">. For all the good work these people do, they are rubbished and cancelled for some remark or expressing a viewpoint. They are vilified by the collective herd of intolerance coming from bigoted group think. Attempt to force those with the intellectual mind to acquiesce to their way of thinking who see themselves as part of the new orthodoxy. Instead of this tyrannical approach, such exercises of none elastic approaches, they do well to draw a balance between the significant</span><span style="color: #121212;"> changes of life to that accepted at any one time. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #121212;">One can also argue the use of social media has made it possible the power to take down people, a privilege hitherto reserved for the press media, now snatched away, passed on into the public domain. But, somehow, Liberalism and moral freedom have delimited and abused such powers. </span><span style="color: #121212;">People are pilloried for criticising a way of thinking, expressing their own standpoints, by objectors who show a tyrannical approach to silence their opinion. </span><span style="color: #121212;">Ideological clusters policing the internet, ensuring that one must not step outside a red line. A coercive application of censorship by those who assume the power to erase others. </span><span style="color: #121212; font-family: inherit;">A shoal who would ensure one keeps to their way of thinking by attacking free speech and oppressing the individual right of expression into a group-think collective that does nothing more than to acquire a herd type social opinion. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #121212; font-family: inherit;">Of course,</span> they have a moral right to express their views on whichever side they are on. A time of a reset maybe? Advocating a corrective of what has gone before. There is no problem with that, but the freedom of expression is a part of a healthy democratic society, they and everyone have the right to engage with that, being mindful not to express a bigoted or hateful opinion. The application of reason is what is essential here, it should not go missing. If one is offended, that should be the beginning of the discourse, not the end of it. Ask why have I offended you and let us discuss it. Cancellation is the end of discussion. In universities, considered crucibles of free expression, where lecturers find themselves out of favour and hounded out of their jobs as we have seen recently, run diametrically opposed to what universities are about. Universities are for the application of reason and tolerance. The way to defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion, not by trying to silence or wish them away.<br />
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It is also important to remember that intolerance has a habit of swinging with the national mood. An example of this is Winston Churchill. Half a century ago following his death, the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson described him as "the greatest man any of us have known".The BBC reflecting the national mood documented the funeral procession along the same lines expressing similar sentiments. The attitude today could hardly be more different. He is seen today by the same organisation bearing responsibility for the death of 3 million people in the Bengal famine in 1943. At an interview on Radio 4, no one came to his rescue afraid of the moral contamination. Indeed with the Black lives matter theme at full swing, he is today held responsible for prioritising white lives over Asian lives" and "precipitator of terrible mass killings" so he should be knocked off his plinth. Not many do realise, in those days almost everybody on the right as well as on the left was a racist. But, when judged by contemporary moral standards, only the Right stand accused.<br />
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Judging and Branding an individual by the present structure of the world for expressing an opinion in earlier times is a twist in the understanding of knowledge reading him or her back to front. Some are proud of the structures built they form the mental housing in which they live, whereas others believe they need dismantling and start fresh. On August 22, 1862, <a href="https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/abraham-lincoln-papers/thinking3.html#:~:text=On%20August%2022%20the%20Tribune,do%20that....%22" target="_blank">The New York Tribune</a> quoted Abraham Lincoln saying "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would". For generations of Americans Abraham Lincoln, known as the great emancipator, should he be cancelled? Also rather doubtful if anyone wants to destroy <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/lord-nelson-slavery-abolition-william-wilberforce-dark-side/" target="_blank">Lord Nelson's </a>column in Trafalgar Square for opposing the abolishing of slavery or indeed toppling the Pyramids of Egypt built by slave labour. Like all balance sheets and the moral one is no exception, objections need to weigh up the two sides irrespective if one opinion runs against the grain of another. Let's face it, rules we have been conditioned to abide by have become our principles. With history, we start to work out what happened then bring in the morality and conclusions to it. Instead, the warriors start with the point of view of now and re-reading the past in retrospective.<br />
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Morality is like a tide, forever changing. Similarly, acceptance of opinions or moral judgments seems to migrate and mutate from one generation to another, at times expressing views on the right side of the line that could easily be interpreted in the years that follow as unacceptable and charged differently. Any persons who happened to have merely agreed with that line of thinking, then, but twenty years later faced with the new orthodoxy will also be cancelled; finding oneself at the wrong end. Moreover, anyone, say, in an old photo is seen with another who may have suffered a slip in moral judgment admissible at the time, can suffer morel contamination and similarly branded. Surely intellectual enquiries must be allowed to flourish. Subjecting people to mob justice is an abuse of power by marginalised self-assured groups who assume newfound ability to change the world. Instead, by such McCarthyite witch-hunt on social media, they would inevitably be inhibiting truth and imprisoning free speech. After all, like someone said, "Because in the end, we all can be potentially cancellable – but you can't cancel my right to think."<br />
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-16557528492422573942020-07-19T09:33:00.002+01:002020-07-27T15:15:14.198+01:00Mind the Gap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Battle-scarred Britain must look after its own to narrow the gap of inequality.</font></div>
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As the COVID-19 outbreak took hold, in no time it became a global pandemic in March 2020, governments all over the world imposed various forms of 'lockdown'. Comparisons and contrasts between the different experiences of quarantine and self-isolation highlighted on social media. Much of which was suggestive of the unevenness of the pandemic's consequences. Aside from the destructive effects, COVID-19 inflicted on people all over the world, here in the UK it has done more. The result has put a spotlight on the dividing gap in the quality of life between the affluent areas and those deprived often sitting side by side. This adjacency goes to magnify further the inequality, particularly of income and wealth. Despite the apparent fact that the virus does not discriminate between rich and poor, nevertheless, a disproportionate effect between the poor with least capabilities to protect themselves and those privileged fluent areas well protected from the devastating impact of this killer virus continue to exist. I will attempt to analyse reasons for such disparities, their long term effect and what the government can do to close the widening gap, to level up the economies and to create opportunities towards a fairer Britain. </div>
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Even the altruistic spirit generated around the peak of Covid-19 infections seeing key workers carrying on with their duties in defiance to the dangers, they are exposing themselves. Also, the solidarities exhibited; an appreciative public daily clapping across the country grateful to the effort these people are putting in to save lives. A touching moment that we may yet see more of the same in going forward. Similar bonding occurred immediately post WWII, and government responses were no less affirmative. Significant steps are taken to restructure social institutions and moderate Capitalism to care for as many people as possible.<br />
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The measures taken by the government in alleviating the pain of the loss of income by individuals and companies alike are in a similar vein. Those compensated by being furloughed and companies extended by up to 80% in grants for salaries paid as well as other protective measures are taken to insulate individuals against rent, eviction, rates and so forth. Western governments alike endeavoured in efforts, that had to show that the liberal democratic system works and democracy can indeed fit in with Capitalism.<br />
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Unfortunately many especially the young and the angry youth disagree. The uncertainty and the security the government tries to establish has lost it, its popularity and trust. It is a bitter cry caused long before the advent of Coronavirus, but dissatisfaction and rage have been brewing for some time. The youth of today carry heavy baggage, their disadvantages are numerous; opportunities, housing, education, to name a few. Those who fail to make the grade, to gain a foothold on any of those find it a hard struggle to break the chain of such an ongoing burden. Especially those uneducated who miss out life's chances, because they remain unaware of grabbing seemingly opaque opportunities. Not realising that any one of them may likely be an open door.<br />
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Many factors can perpetuate this never-ending struggle to make ends meet. Well paid manufacturing jobs that at one time paid just about enough to put bread on the table has gone replaced by services with low pay. The uneducated and the unskilled have no chance to escape they end up in the life of crime, drugs and idleness or increasingly dependent on the state for a handout. Especially those coming from broken homes can suffer the most. Even the young university-educated savvy enough to grab life's opportunities find it hard to make ends meet when having to tackle the high cost of housing, especially in London. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scene in Tower Hamlet one of the most deprived areas of London.<br />
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<br />On average, households in <a href="https://trustforlondon.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com/media/documents/Londons_Poverty_Profile_2020.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">London spend 18%</span></a> of their net income on meeting housing costs. Job insecurity, coupled with most of the income earned going on rent, is a heavy load to carry. Without occasional parents handouts, even on special occasions is seen as placing an unwarranted burden on their parents, and many of them do not have generous parents or rich enough to help. For many, coming to terms with their lot is a hard act, realising they are on the poor side of a divided society can only fuel the anger and frustration. Even though continued, almost full employment would have mitigated the effects of inequality or pulled in the divide. This situation fares even worse with Black and some Asian mainly Bangladeshi people who face prejudice and discrimination almost at all levels, whether institutionalised or systemic as they go through life.<br />
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After all, it was not long ago since the banks partly responsible for the global financial crisis in 2008 got billions while a pittance went to the homeowners and victims of the same banks' predatory lending practices. The angry crowd feels that financial help was misplaced; instead, it should have gone directly to homeowners affected not only would have helped them but would have helped the economy to perform a robust recovery from the depression of 2008/2009. For an added pain the system allowed in severe austerity restricting their income further. The other side of the scale the investment bankers, at Wall Street and Main Street. Like the city of London executives, they built a wall of lawyers to shield them from blame, to ensure they are not held accountable for other people misfortune. The banks went on to abuse the UK legal system to foreclose on mortgages and evict people. It is no exaggeration to say that one of the reasons the youth are angry at governments for allowing such immoral Capitalism to corrupt democracy. The rules are designed by those who stand to benefit from them. They can take advantage of the poverty trap. Also many of those young people who are antiauthority, they perceive the UK government to oversee the corporate welfare, to allow within the system enough critical features in terms of profits, taxes and the social limitations, to curtailing welfare on the poor. The system so conceived mainly by the rich and powerful pressurising the government. At all levels, such detachments by two sides of the socio-economic divide the outcome of which is increasing inequality and poverty can lead to social unrest and segregation. Choice, for the poor, is not an option. Neither is it an option for Black and Asian people to avoid the chequerboard effect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London City Skyline a couple of miles away from Aldwych High Street.</td></tr>
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It is natural for many inhabitants in London, or those aware enough to recognise how private capital is sitting side by side with run-down public housing lived by in by those of low income. The best example is the dividing line of the M40 makes between the two Kensingtons where the horrible events of the Grenfell Towers come to mind. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6047d75e-971f-11e7-8c5c-c8d8fa6961bb" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">The blackened shell</span></a> of which is visible from the immaculate Georgian terraces of Notting Hill and Holland Park. Mean household income across the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, was £116,000 a year, the highest in London. Yet research found the district was the capital's most polarised borough, with more than half of benefit recipients living in the most deprived quarter of neighbourhoods. In this borough, as well as Camden, Islington, Westminster and elsewhere, wealth and deprivation rubbing shoulder to shoulder. Especially since on the lockdown and the spread of COVID the spotlight has shone a brighter light on the densely packed areas such as Brixton, Tower Hamlet etc. to realise that <a href="https://trustforlondon.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com/media/documents/Londons_Poverty_Profile_2020.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Wealth</span></a> is very unequally distributed between Londoners. Those in the bottom half of London's wealth distribution hold just 6.8% of the capital's total wealth, compared with those in the top 10%, who hold 42.5%.<br />
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To explore ways in which the quality of life, therefore is a priority for any government to tackle to make cities a "fairer" place to live and work. Central to that task, is tackling inequality, particularly of income and wealth. Poor and rich people are increasingly living separated with an ever-widening gap in between, can threaten the social dynamics of cities. London, in particular where segregation and clustering, primarily pinned by affordability, especially when social mobility is not out of free choice, is a growing problem. The measure of the number of people in poverty is best made by those family whos children in need of free school meals (FSM). <br />
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Every child born is a new generation. Living in poverty concentration neighbourhoods is transmitted between generations. Neighbourhood poverty can be contagious, increases over time through to the residential mobility behaviour of households. This mainly caused by the misguided urban policy of demolishing houses in deprived areas only to replace them with housing for the middle class. A malicious attempt at desegregation which can only redistribute poverty to assign it to other areas. Such harmful forced social mobility made to reduce inequality can only add to it. Instead, attempts must be made at reducing inequality by creating opportunities for people and to invest in education. To focus on both people and housing for an inclusive growth strategy.<br />
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The inequality of incomes in London is far greater than in the rest of England. When combined with housing costs are much higher than in other parts of England. Seeing the present housing cost, it is no surprise that poverty is more prevalent in London than in any other part of the UK. In fact, based on the relative the low-income measure of poverty (after housing costs), 28% of Londoners (2.5 million people) are in poverty, compared with 22% in England overall. Inner London has poverty rates that are 10 percentage points higher than in many parts of the North of England. Over half of Londoners living in single-parent families are living in poverty, four in ten children in London live in households in poverty, 25% of working-age adults in London are living in poverty. Pensioners and the disabled make up the rest.<br />
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Housing is often the single most significant expense for any household and is a significant driver of poverty in London. It also plays a crucial role in the well being in having a secured sense of place. Many Londoners suffer from this shortfall of good quality housing. At the extreme end of the scale, are those living at the mercy of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=slumlord&rlz=1C1WPZA_enGB769GB769&sxsrf=ALeKk00ZTfuM-eFhYgF7cU8liyFu-4QR2A:1595140944703&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSrYCL29jqAhWTonEKHfZcAyMQ_AUoAXoECBMQAw&biw=1366&bih=618" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">slumlords</span></a>, living in a <a href="https://www.brexit-watch.org/post-brexit-britain-should-not-tolerate-slumlord-millionaires" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">caravan</span></a> or the <a href="https://londonist.com/what-sitliketobeastealthcamperinthecity" target="_blank">'<span style="color: red;">Vanlifers</span>'</a>. Their problem of homelessness also extends from rough sleeping to sofa surfing. On average, households in London spend 18% of their net income on meeting housing costs. This compares with 11% in the rest of England. For those in poverty, they face housing costs that, on average, amount to 56% of their net income. As well as the challenge of affordability, Londoners also experience real issues with the nature of homes in London, such as the condition of properties, the security of tenancy and overcrowding. While the fall in the proportion of households below the Decent Homes Standard has been a little faster in London than the rest of England, there are still over half a million homes that fall short of what is considered decent. Another issue is overcrowding. Nearly one in four children (22%) in London live in overcrowded accommodation, twice the proportion in the rest of England (11%). The issue is most prevalent among those living in the social rented sector, where four in ten children (40%) live in overcrowded accommodation.<br />
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What this has meant is that there is a definite shift in housing redistribution, people moving out to outer suburbs or move to poor areas adding to the burden of overcrowding fueling further the effects of Socio-economic segregation. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Studies show rising</span></a> inequality as a significant cause of increasing disconnection and argue that a high level of isolation can undermine the social stability of cities. The riots in Paris (2005), London (2011) and Stockholm (2013) cannot be seen separate from high concentrations of poverty in these cities, often in combination with high levels of ethnic segregation.<br />
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Those with low income have less of a choice where to live than those of high-income earners. This demographic inequality began in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008 but gained momentum since then. A dire need for affordable housing in London, so inflow and outflow of those serving the rich and affluent spend less on both time and cost of travel. Such hard evidence puts pressure on the Greater London Authority to build more affordable housing more quickly. But, as the Grenfell disaster showed, London's housing crisis is one of quality as well as quantity. This is not socialism but social care.<br />
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A time bomb in waiting. Rising inequality in incomes and wealth is a major concern because it also influences variation in other life domains such as education, health, life expectancy, or employment prospects. Inequality can harm the social stability of societies and reduce trust in governments and institutions. It could even put at risk democratic processes as lower-income groups become disengaged with politics. The Liberal viewpoint perhaps has come back to haunt us, manifested by so much anger we see around us. It is difficult to see peaceful demonstration without it being peppered by violence directed at authority. The risk of peaceful protests going of control is ever-present, where passion runs high mainly from anger and frustration. This was clearly demonstrated by the recent near-riots in support of Black Life Matters in London. The system that lets them express their anger is the very system that is failing them. </div>
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Since 1991, partly due to globalisation, employment, and self-employment <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obes.12113" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">income inequality</span></a> continue to rise but is fair to say, several factors have mitigated the effect of these changes on total income inequality. First, pre-COVID-19, the disparity between those with different employment statuses has fallen, primarily due to a fall in the number of unemployed, albeit mostly in low pay employment. Second, employment taxes have played a more significant role since 1991 in mitigating the increase in inequality of gross employment income than they did before 1991. Third, investment income has contributed less to total income inequality since 1991, mainly due to the decline in its importance as an income source. Finally, a rise in the relative incomes of pensioners and households with children under five – both groups that benefited from reforms to welfare benefits and tax credits during the 1990s and (especially) 2000s – has pulled inequality down. Overall, since 1991 these four factors have almost entirely offset the impact on income inequality of the inequality-increasing changes in the distribution of earnings and self-employment income.</div>
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Post Covid-19, however, the outlook, in the short term at least, is bleak. Future movements in net earnings inequality are, therefore, likely to become central to the trend in income inequality. Now it is the turn of the rich more up to them along with the government to restart the economy and encourage recovery help to limit further scarring effect COVID is leaving behind. Time to help these vulnerable groups of people across London and the country to break the link of poverty and deprivation. Above all, help to narrow the gap to make borrowing more accessible and help change the social infrastructure, for a chance to enjoy the sunlight of opportunity, so they start to chart their own destinies. In compensation, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: red;"><span id="goog_145139680"></span>the rich</span><span id="goog_145139681"></span></a> have to swallow a bitter pill of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/cartercoudriet/2019/10/15/billionaires-more-taxes-gates-buffett-bloomberg/#5f170ff77792" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">higher taxes to redistribute</span></a> their wealth, but this time to desegregate narrowing the gap of social distancing. Consider it payback for the protection and the service of those key low paid workers carrying on with their duties of saving lives, aware of the invisible enemy and in defiance to the dangers it poses. For those spirited nurses' altruistic action, cleaners and all those kept the NHS, the backbone of healthcare, to open all hours, for them working from home was never an option. <br />
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After all, for those at the top continue to enjoy the best health care, education and benefits of wealth, those one per cent, their fate is bound up by how the other ninety-nine per cent live. The Price of Inequality need not be so high, time to create a more dynamic economy and fairer and more equal society. Social distancing may not always be the answer to salvation. </div>
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-6261237547983492162020-07-03T09:50:00.002+01:002020-07-03T11:32:53.805+01:00A Time to Hope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The current controversy.</h3>
In the light of current political turmoil in the Middle East, the most attention grabber has been the speculation whether the policy of Israeli government towards its Palestinian population is about to take a turn of no return. It is about to vote for the annexation of the West Bank, a clear sign it does not give a toss about international rules of conduct which deems such action illegal. Nevertheless, what will emerge in the days to come is that annexation will indeed become a fact of life and objection to it would be a thing of the past. Arab objections would be mere lip service as was the case when America moved its embassy to Jerusalem. All of this means Israel confirms to the world that the UN-sponsored rule-based international order is defunct and meaningless. Recognising Israel's power and influence in the world, which incidentally far exceeds its size, a new approach to peace negotiation is needed.<br />
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But annexation is nothing new. Since 1967 Israel's Prime Ministers have countenanced the systemic spread of settlements over the West Bank. The difference now is that Benjamin Netanyahu the present Prime Minister is overt in his unabashed arrogance, backed by unequivocal support from the American administration, is flouting international laws by advocating annexation.<br />
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Some would argue annexation spells an end to any hope for peace between the Palestinians and Israel in the future. It could also mean the corraling of the Palestinian population into clusters of occupations attracting the attention and accusation of an Apartheid system. Thirdly, an inescapable option; Israel to naturalise all those Palestinians fall under its wing. Such a course of action would be self-defeating in the long run as eventually, the Arab population can outvote an incumbent government.<br />
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If the last option becomes an inevitable choice, it would be the Palestinians the majority of whom are Muslim become Subjects of a Jewish state. Could be anathema for many Muslims. But still, that would bring them into line with Christians living in the neighbouring Arab Muslim countries. Christians have been doing just that since the turn of the Twentieth Century. Every Arab country, except for Syria, has its constitution enshrined by Islam. The proclamation is that Islam is the religion of the State. Which means in cases where adjudication required the teaching of the Koran, and its interpretation would hold sway. In Israel's case, despite what it says on the cover a 'Jewish State', it purports to lives by secular Liberal democracy.<br />
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Enough talk of annexation, apartheid, and occupation and let us rewind a little and use this occasion a turning point in establishing a new peace accord.<br />
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According to Jean-Paul Sartre, an eminent French Philosopher, his theory of existentialism is embedded in the idea that "existence precedes essence". Only by existing and acting a certain way do we give meaning to our lives. The people of Palestine should carry this mantle of wise philosophical approach. To widen their hope and broaden their vision towards a new future.<br />
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Recent history and blight of the Palestinian people</h3>
Since the Nakba of 1948 life has stood still for them. The myth of winning world opinion to their cause by continued dependence on world charities has only entrenched many of them in continued misery, being there and meaningless. The poignant belief that such manifestation of victimhood will bring back the past to its mythical glory is nothing less than political manipulation by those who stand to benefit. Such a purposeful and imposed objectives for the continued blight of people allow the Palestinian leadership to enjoy perks and economic opulence. So they ensure to remain in the political limelight for whatever other advantages that could bring. <br />
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To structure world opinion by the Intfadas that followed the initial diaspora, or to scaffold world morality or sympathies with nothing to offer but impoverishment have clearly not worked. Many living in Gaza today have remained uneducated firmly entrenched in myths and misery. A show that<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;">testifies to the absurdity of the human condition, their only escape route is their irrationality.</span></span> They continue to find a reason to hope in what impoverishes them. Still embroiled in that one ideological stance unknowingly grouped and used as a bargaining ploy- innocents in a desert of desolation—time to look for a new horizon.<br />
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But first, the world has to stop the widespread belief that siding with the Palestinians is a left-wing ideology. The cause has to transgress beyond this almost single share of value. Just as Black lives matter, share their values with white people, the discrimination they face pales into insignificance compared to daily atrocities, the Palestinian people undergo. Establishing shared values in human life, civil and human rights with the world at large. "I can't breath", is a scream for help but in Palestinian hands has always remained merely an echo in the hollow chambers of world opinion. Nobody, not even the Arab world there to circle their wagons against injustice. The Palestinian people in Gaza and occupied lands have been drained of hope, the alternative to turn to the next phase. <br />
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The Palestinian leadership.</h3>
The geriatric Palestinian leadership have been inept at dramatising the suffering and the existential threats of its people. But, finding itself deep in troubled waters, and currently swimming against the tide, no harm to turn to a true cliche, it is never too late to attempt a reversal of fortune. It is time to realise that Mahmoud Abbas and co. are facing a crisis. The political situation is at a crossroad faced with difficult choices, divided when they are needed most. The status quo thus far they have enjoyed can not be maintained. Faced with a deteriorating situation to their leadership, coupled with an increasing loss of land since the Oslo agreement things need to come to ahead. A change to a more active, energetic and innovative group is the only remaining hope for the Palestinian people to weave back their identity and their integrity. In a world where scepticism has putrified their cause a thorough overhaul needed to claw back the expanse of their ideals. A cohort of Palestinian intelligentsia is never far away talented enough to broaden this stagnant and myopic vision, world-renowned and influential. They can and are willing to offer their expertise for the purpose if only<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> allowed a </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">platform to engage</span> and fit into the system.<br />
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Objectives</h3>
So, what to do to widen this narrow scope. A new perspective to go beyond a pixelated eye view of things to bring these concerns to the fore of world opinion. Fighting for justice and fighting for peace needs new blood a new declaration of intentions. A new war of ideology and civic nationalism required to redefine the meaning of life of the Palestinian people. To disarm the hatred, mistrust and suspicions of all concerned. To spring out firm beliefs in new ideas pulling the cause forward to new frontiers. Coming in peace is the new slogan and for many in the Middle East a modern philosophy. A new bargaining concept needed to carry the Palestinian people to the elusive peace they so dearly deserve. To stop rehashing views of old but to start lifting the veil of ambiguity and suspicion. To behave as people, not as victims. And lastly, strange as it may seem, to debunk Netanyahu and Gantz hawkish philosophies and appeal directly to the Israeli people whos life does matter. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In liberal democratic states, more than ever before, the voice of the people that make the events governments follow. Recent three appeals to the electorate in Israel is a case in point. The hierarchy needed legitimacy and three elections in a row within a space of a few months is a prime example of electorate rule. So make use of the system and start to make amends and not rash ideas of throwing people in the sea—a new beginning to create a new past for the future.<br />
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The Future</h3>
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Anachronistic myths and propaganda are best left to history. </h4>
Time and again, myths and propaganda inadvertently scored their own goal. Threatening language have also left a disfiguring scar on world opinion. Videos of atrocities across the social media showing grievances in all sorts of their ugly forms have proved self-defeating. At best they grab attention for no more than ten or twenty seconds they share. Olive branches and white doves no longer constitute chapters for peace. World interest can only lie in the scope and sincerity of intentions. In all of this, it is worth to bear in mind justice lies on the side of the underdog, so here justice will prevail, but knowing how to grab it to serve ideals, is an art form. Mao Tse Tung Long March was a retreat but won him victory. So, time to learn a new approach and time to latch on to the modern world. Ideas are starting points and what may be an unpleasant truth annexation could be a turning point, the first step to peace and a time to hope.<br />
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-78982372174149982842020-05-24T10:23:00.010+01:002020-07-20T10:36:40.178+01:00Taylorism, Fordism, Toyotaism, Zoomism <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The first signs of panic that Corona Virus or Covid-19 was coming when Toilet paper hoarding began trending.<span> </span>And before any lockdowns supermarkets were running out of flour and pastry ingredients.<span> </span>Channel 4 Bake off spurred other Television channels to capture the spike of TV viewing public who felt the need to compete in upcoming MasterChef finals.<span> </span>Signals began to trigger odd signs; Corona generation is for a liberated woman to snap back to the Kitchen. Surely, can't be the case after a long struggle to escape the kitchen sink. The UK government was all for washing hands and proclaiming we are in this together.<span> </span>That sparked a buying spree of Bacterial soap by many people to sell at a profit which killed any ideas of solidarity. Shortages of masks, ventilators, hospital beds ensued. Soon enough we were learning a foreign language: Lockdown, social distancing, Wuhan, Covidiots and of course the difference between Pandemic and endemic.<span> </span>Working from home became a fashion symbol and more in tune with social class awareness generally associated with higher-paid employees.<span> Using Zoom, a cloud platform for video and audio conferencing was about to take over our working habits.</span><span> </span>Others who could not work from home became key workers, the majority of whom are much lower paid but, we all cannot do without.<span> </span></div>
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Within a couple of weeks following the World Health Organisation announcement confirming the Corona Virus is transmissible from human to human, formally announcing a pandemic, the world began to close down. For protection against the disease, individual social distancing meant confinement at home. From an individual level soon, it caught on to country-level. European countries took on individual decisions to close their borders. One wonders whether the Union in the European Union is a bonding of convenience merely veneer thick. On our TV screens, we are served a daily diet of gloom and doom, where the count of people dying took on a macabre interest. Covid-19 was monopolising television news hours and most of the other tv hours. How to deal with this novel disease became prioritised over all other TV scheduling overlapping government activities. Dynamics of information fed a wall to wall coverage of News about hospital beds and securing hospital equipment, levelling the curve took on priority over everything else. Hospital beds were at a premium. Not to overwhelm admissions of people suffering from the disease became a government priority, the Nightingale Hospital in East London, with 5000 beds hastily put together became a symbol of creative thinking and British manpower. </div>
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Fear of the unknown betrayed regular everyday habits. Life, as we know it came to a standstill but we realised an inevitable change is on the horizon. Closing down of society meant planes grounded, Airports silenced, roads emptied, public transport was running on empty, ferrying only the brave key workers continually exposed to this invisible enemy. An altogether eerie feeling, walking in the centre of town, here in London, is like living in a vacuum. The only consolation was the unpolluted roads meant a clean environment; people were breathing carbon-free air. Hotels closed their doors, and Cruise liners were kept at a distance from every port. With shops ordered to close and others running out of business, online shopping meant Amazon was taking over our retail habits on the way to making its owner the first trillionaire. Search engines on the internet, as well as our smartphones monitoring our movements and patterns, configuring our data. Making us the science of tomorrow, shaping our digital footprint to study to make available for numerical analyses in this information age; mining extractivism for the digital industry. Anonymous statistic from a gathering system of unauthorised virtual surveillance beginning to resemble a monitored society we are docile enough happy to accept. </div>
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The foremost intention of the government is the management of behaviour. Inhibiting, procuring, annulling, reversing, manipulating, controlling, or assuring the actions of the other leading to self-care, self-regulation, or, in this case, self-imposed immobility. So production must proceed to keep the country alive. The thing important about behaviour management is productivity, the benefits it brings and who benefits from them. At this point in quarantine and working from home, we are already beginning to see the growing communicating platforms such as Zoom, Cisco Webex, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts and others, platforms facilitate meetings for offices; businesses, politicians, high school and college students. Indicating our <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/technology/facebook-remote-work-coronavirus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">working habits</span></a> are changing. A microeconomy of self-enclosure is already in place: Zoomism.</div>
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<a href="https://zoom.us/home?zcid=2478" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Zoomism</span></a> and working from home for the Corona generation is part of the dynamics of production techniques. Even if that change from office and group environment stands at odds with the <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.economist.com/news/2008/11/03/the-hawthorne-effect" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Hawthorn</span></a> </span>experiments, that was part of the generational working environment phenomena and the positivity of production that it proved. <br />
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In the early twentieth century, there was <a href="http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/Taylorism.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Taylorism</span></a>; a new working method of a production technique that analysed the production workflow. Dividing the unit of production into small, simple segments that can minimise training time and lowering of skill required in favour of highly skilled previously employed workforce. A method correlated time performance lowering wages at the same time to produce items at lower prices. <br />
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<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fordism"><span style="color: red;">Fordism</span></a> "the eponymous manufacturing system designed to roll out standardised, low-cost cars and afford its workers decent enough wages to buy them." Mass production never had the need to look back with an efficient workforce within a happy environment.<br />
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That was to change under Japonisation or <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227593995_Global_Toyotaism_and_Local_Development" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Toyotaism</span></a>, which replaced Fordism, represented a profound change in work direction for the car industry. When the ideas came to England, it brought a long overdue manufacturing method. Eventually, Birmingham, the centre of Car production in the UK, saw a turn round for British Car manufacturing. Rise from the doldrums after the demise of British Motor Corporation, BMC in the 1970s. Toyotaism or Japonisation is a just in time management method (JIT), a system of production limiting stockholding for the right time required as well as training along the lines of supervision and payments. It replaced Fordism, in having also established piece-rate, hourly work without compulsory social security. </div>
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This change of landscape carries a very hefty price in socio-economics terms. The fall-out for both government and the individual is enormous, and when the tide of Coronavirus finally ebbs the cost of mitigating the damage it exposes and leaves behind will be even higher. It is estimated thus far governments and central banks have cushioned world economy by around $15 trillion. The costs involved in extending a lifeline at protecting jobs and keeping the economy buoyed is unprecedented, yet the downturn economists forecast is a certainty. There is every reason to believe a downturn can carry with it social exclusion, global unemployment, widening the gap of inequalities and worsening poverty. Coming at a time, when the world was finally shaking off the debris of the economic recession of 2008. The economic stimulus needed to get the country up and running when this is over will be painful for all of us. The UK will emerge from lockdown with high and rising public debt, disrupted supply chains, and increasing unemployment. I am no economist but thank goodness for near-zero interest rate now and for some time to come. That would go a long way to mitigate the pain of any action the government decides on how we would have to pay for the debt, by way of taxes or otherwise.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Coming out of lockdown, blinking into the daylight of the economic disaster trying to adjust for a ‘new normal’ will prove an inexact science. Besides, </span>there is a hefty price to pay in our relationship with others that would need adjusting. Already two months into the lockdown the effect of social distancing and isolation many are touch starved. No shaking hands, no kiss greetings, no sitting shoulder to shoulder. Touching is an integral part of a human relationship, but we are denied it. A healing hand, stroke on the face, pat on the back, touching when we speak extends a friendly gesture. We have to rethink our mental attitude and make up for this loss of touch and pretend distancing does not mean avoidance. When touch starved, we act nearness to make up for the loss. Our body signals it can do without, it takes over, like being thirsty but there is no water, so we imagine water instead. And, to communicate with eye contact, especially when wearing a mask doesn't say much without full facial expressions. Our eyes need help at social interaction; to express happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust. A smile can say a thousand words in any language and breaks down barriers in any culture.<br />
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-1817359235357121772020-05-18T12:24:00.012+01:002020-06-05T08:54:42.457+01:00United States and Iran entered uncharted Territory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">The latest round started with </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Trump's violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal.</span></div>
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br />
</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">As revolutions go, two things the Iranian Revolution of 1979 has in common with its French counterpart two hundred years before, is its reign of terror. The second is the attempt to spread their ideologies to neighbouring states. The years 1792 in response to revolutionary fervour, Paris experienced absolute mayhem, which saw thousands executed and imprisoned. Tehran fared no better executed Royalists and those suspected of collaborating with the old regime. The French declared war on almost all of Europe in an attempt to spread their ideas of Liberte, </span><span class="SpellingError SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Egalite</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> and </span><span class="SpellingError SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Fraternite</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> across its borders. Similarly, the Iranian </span><span class="SpellingError SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mullas</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> are in proxy wars to impose Pan-Islamism </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;">and geopolitical instability</span><span style="background-color: inherit; font-family: inherit;"> in the region. </span></div><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #202124; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #202124; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The Revolution in Iran also sparked a religious </span><span class="SpellingError SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Shia</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> awakening that saw Ruhollah Khomeini</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="background-color: inherit; color: #202124; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><span class="SpellingError SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="background-color: inherit; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; color: #202124; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">come</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><span style="color: #202124;"> to power imposing on the nation </span><a href="https://institute.global/policy/what-velayat-e-faqih" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Velayat-e faqih</span></a><span style="color: #202124;"> for a road map. A deep-thinking philosopher and a cleric, who aspired to lay claim to </span></span><span class="SpellingError SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="background-color: inherit; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; color: #202124; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Shiaism</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="background-color: inherit; color: #202124; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> very soul. In the process, he made Islamic fundamentalism a political force, which was to change Muslim Politics around the world. The Revolution also declared itself on the side of justice and equality harbouring some faint shades of Marxism. Its message </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #202124; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">to reform the social structure, help the deprived and to reduce the widened economic divide under the Shah, </span><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, that </span><span class="TextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="color: #202124; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">the Revolution toppled. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="EOP SCXO24504407 BCX0" style="line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Iranian Ayatollahs rule did not correspond to Plato's idealist vision of Philosopher Kings: possessing a love of wisdom, to drive Republics towards utopia. Instead, their teaching had religious fundamentalism in its veins. Without doubt, in the forty years since the Revolution Iran, had </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">produced generations of scientists and technocrats capable of developing nuclear programs and sophisticated weapons systems and succeeded in a continuous increase in regional influence. This has come at a cost to its p</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">eople and the region as a whole. Almost unlimited drive for internal suppression accompanying the support of aggressive fundamentalism, which embodied the regime's concept of Pan-Islamism. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">The regime inclination to use violence to spread their ideology hardly differentiates Iran from that of a rogue state. From the Revolution early days, it encouraged students to storm the American Embassy in Tehran, held its US citizens hostage. There was the London embassy siege, the Fatwa to murder Salman Rushdie. Iran was also suspected in the bombing of French, and American Embassy compounds in Beirut in 1982 and 1983 respectively, which saw scores of American, French and Lebanese nationals killed. So far, forty years on, the Revolution, </span>Iranian people still struggle to find their identity, freedom and economic wellbeing. A tortuous root in a jungle of violence, strict and monolithic emblems of a theocratic regime none more so contrived than the wearing of the Hijab. The elaborate revolutionary visions not endorsed by intelligence and accountability but fuelled by continuous effort to destabilise the region. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then came a light of reason and hope. One after effect the embassy sieges had, was the American administration had imposed economic sanctions against the Iranian administration. For a time it crippled the economy. Resilience to suffering learnt from the Iraq/Iran war had its limits, it eventually came to negotiate. Nevertheless, during this lull, Iran had managed to embark on a nuclear programme that worked in its favour; a bargaining chip to ease the sanctions, the US Government's go-to foreign policy tool. Eventually, in 2015 Iran and six world powers signed a nuclear deal <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (</span><span class="SpellingError SCXO211017448 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; font-variant-ligatures: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">JCPOA</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">). </span><span class="TextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">A deal that </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">placed strict limits on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief and the release of $100 Billion of Iranian money held with American Banks. The deal did not include any mention of Iran's subversive activities carried on regardless. And the deal did not produce prosperity, as Mr Rouhani had promised Iranians, and Iran continued to test missiles and meddle abroad. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="TextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO211017448 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The Trump administration, in its early days, cooked up a deal with Saudi Arabia, President Trump went on to describe the JCPOA "</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">was the worst deal ever negotiated". The US administration contempt for alliances, in true fashion, announced it was withdrawing from it. New added sanctions were imposed only this time more stringent. T</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;">he sanctions, this time, were illegitimately imposed after breaking an international agreement when Iran was still complying with the deal. T</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">he European signatories laboured with it trying to keep it on life support. But, in keeping with Iran customary aggressive approach, President Ruhani issued an ultimatum to the European powers, almost chocked the agreement to death. His country would no longer comply with parts of the deal and later threatened to walk away from it. Well, so much for Hope, Light and Reason, since then US and Iran relations took a nosedive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The United States is protecting American interest against Iran using Israel as a tool. </span></div>
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</span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Round table discussions were replaced by sabre-rattling, bluff and counter bluff, persistent threats met with counter threats. All of this fell into the lap of Israel, already on the warpath, and had scorned at the Obama administration to go ahead with the JCPOA deal. Israel and the US were now on the same platform hand in glove setting the agenda for the entire Middle East. Sunni, Saudi Arabia joined in this heated verbal fray in an outward show of solidarity against Shia Iran, but ominous signs were on the horizon building up for a confrontation. On the one hand Saudi v Iran on matters of theological orthodoxies, America v Iran for greater influence on the region and Israel willing to attack Iran, drawing on their old and tired existential arguments. Taken together, creates an epicentre for conflict, and an ideal scenario to fuel an arms race. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;">Iran now looks poised to resume its slow but steady march </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">towards the bomb and relentless drive en route to empire building. That is if the sanctions don't push it over the edge beforehand.</span></span><br />
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</span> Renewed sanctions on Iran and the threat <span style="background-color: transparent;">to punish anyone who trades with it have wrecked what is left of the JCPOA agreement, has effectively cut off Iran from the global economy. The idea was "to bring Iran to its knees" but unfortunately the American administration use of blunt tools such as sanctions to cripple the economy is hurting Iran's population. The Mullas chauffeured in BMW's, making millions on contracts and creating monopolies on goods by withdrawing subsidies on others. The unabashed corruption of the elite continuous unabated. </span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">The young no longer have the revolutionary zeal, which welcomed Khomeini on arrival to Iran from exile in 1979. Instead, after forty years, they are suppressed and coerced into complying to imposed arbitrary social laws.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> Old dogmatic clerics set antiquated ideas on diverse, well educated young people using the revolutionary guards as their main tool to keep order. In true Khomeini fashion, the Shia Mullas preach martyrdom and sacrifice for the cause. In keeping with an earlier time, when during the Iran/Iraq war Khomeini sent thousands of children to the front line as waves of human shields. While the sanctions continue to miss their targets, inflation is on the rise underscored by a depreciating Iranian Rial, which guarantees a downhill slide in the standard of living. The effects were demonstrated in the economic crisis of November 2019; triggered the greatest existential crisis in the regime's 40-year history. Protesters took to the streets in Tehran and other major cities calling for regime change. The government resorted to brute force, killed at least 1500 protesters and arrested thousands of others.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: x-small;">Setting the Agenda for Iran as well as for the entire region.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Turning to current issues of state, a cold war is heating up, it all depends on foresing what the end game is. It is, however, doubtful whether both the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.mideastweb.org/iranian_letter_of_2003.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">US</span></a> </span>and Israel have an end game built in its strategic security architecture for the region. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">The increased tension in the Gulf bound to escalate into a major conflict. Exemplified in part by the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and its maximum pressure policy. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">The arms build-up thus far, by politically impotent, <a href="https://thearabweekly.com/saudi-arabia-ups-defence-spending-face-iranian-threats" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Saudi Arabia</span></a>, increased activities by US naval forces in the Gulf waters, the downing of US drones and blowing up tankers by the Iranians and the killing of Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">have added to the likely hood of military confrontation. A situation is not too dissimilar to the arms race pre-1914, which eventually unleashed a war with devastating consequences. None of the actors wanted war, but all stumbled into one. The allied two countries; Germany and Austria misinterpreted words on a diplomatic document. So could US and Israel. Faced with conflicting messages emanating from Trump's administration that is not too difficult; for chauvinist, President Trump, war could be only a tweet away. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">To borrow from philosopher Georg Hegel, "We learn from history that we do not learn from history."</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">New ideas coming through from the Trump administration, setting up the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #313132; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), along the lines of NATO wouldn't do it. An alliance, that excludes Shia Iran, but made up of Sunni Muslim countries, to add Israel would antagonise Iran further, can only prolong the simmering regional conflict. Rather than serving as a bulwark against Iranian aggression, it can aggravate it further. </span></span></span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">I</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">ran, the United States, including Israel, is faced with two options. To avoid a showdown, let Iran simmer under the pressure of sanctions although that would leave its population to suffer continued deprivations. Weighing up the odds in favour for the population either to rise up en masse to demand regime change. Or, faced with such possible implosion, and on the edge of losing control, the regime would go all out with their nuclear programme crossing the strategic red line. In the process it threatens the simmering status quo, putting Israel existential reality on alert. A risky situation; to build reactors can be quicker than sanctions begins to bite. With such an imminent threat, the US and Israel would then react, a possible overreaction, throwing away any chance at diplomacy. Even though both the US and Israel have developed precision weapons, the possible loss of life and carnage, in war is inevitable. </span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: transparent;">The other option is an attempt at dialogue. T</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ragically, this logic is no longer fashionable in this part of the world</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. However, time to draw a new Middle Eastern security architecture to ameliorate the conflicting concerns. To devise a system that can set the agenda and take into account the genuine interests of the countries of the entire region. For the United States to drop its demand for regime change, ease the sanctions to formulate a peace accord matrix. For Iran to relinquish its seemingly inexorable quest for nuclear armament join the world order of international relations and rejuvenate its moribund economy. An agreement for the cessation of terror activities, to terminate religious rivalries. Adoption of an all-encompassing Arab peace initiative to include the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">A challenging and ambitious proposal indeed, but if the geopolitical countries genuinely want peace, it can work. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: x-small;">The unparalleled power of American might </span></div>
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-29898756177173822772020-04-27T10:26:00.008+01:002020-06-04T13:29:08.308+01:00The China Syndrome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">Part 1: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">The China Conundrum</span></u></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">This blog post will be in two parts concerning three main issues. First, on the hesitant flow of information during the first </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">crucial seven weeks between the appearance of the </span>first <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">symptoms of Coronavirus in early December and the Government's decision to lock down the crowded city of Wuhan where the disease first appeared. Second, on the failures of Chinese officials </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">to warn the wide world about the possibility of the virus having the ability </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">of a </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">human to human transmission. Third, the fallout from the global economic damage to Globalisation and in particular to the further deteriorating US/China relations. Brushing off the early tsunami failures pointed at Chinese authorities, accusations it should have acted earlier, China has come out fighting in a turbocharged effort to upend what might be </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">construed as failure. Turning a disadvantage into an advantage. A time when the rest of the world in lockdown, Red </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: inherit;">China is succeeding in its propaganda to weaponize and politicize the disease tempting the world to turn East. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">On December 30, 2019, Li Wenliang, 33 working as an </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">Ophthalmologist </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">sent a message to a group of fellow doctors warning them about a possible outbreak of a mysterious illness that resembled Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, where he worked. Days later, he was reprimanded by state officials and made to sign a statement in which he was accused of making false information and spreading illegal rumours. He went back to work only to succumb to the disease, later identified as Covid-19, and died three weeks later. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">In the days before his death, Li said "If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier I think it would have been a lot better", in an interview with </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050;">The New York Times</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">. "There should be more openness and transparency", he said. At the time the treatment he received from the authorities caused outrage on social media.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Laboratory leakages and mistakes are not so uncommon in China. SARS, the respiratory disease infected 800 people around the world in 2004 was caused by lax rules at a laboratory in <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/news-analysis/sars-escaped-beijing-lab-twice-50137" target="_blank">Beijing</a> where safeguards and safety rules were undermined. In Covid-19 China, so far, has denied a laboratory accident to be the case. At the same time, the American Administration is convinced this is what happened, are happy to engage in a blame game insisting on calling the disease the Wuhan Virus. The World Health Authority (WHO) has joined forces with China in saying there is no evidence the origin of the virus was in a laboratory. But here I argue searching beyond circumstantial evidence is difficult if not impossible, especially when looking at the jump I refer to below. The best evidence is on probability or reasoned assumptions and how likely it is for a mistake to happen. An error or an accident is just is, and searching for patient zero is not an option.</span></div>
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China has claimed the source of the outbreak to a "<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coronavirus-china-wild-animals-food-markets-wet-markets-a9460501.html" target="_blank">Wet Market</a>" in Wuhan, and in particular of eating Bats. <span style="font-family: inherit;">T<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4e4d;">he great mysteries of the Covid-19 pandemic, however,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4e4d;"> is how, exactly, made the leap from wildlife into humans. Moreover, t<span style="font-family: inherit;">here are reports </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4e4d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">the virus could have been circulating earlier, in November and even October. Which means there are many other possible places it could have jumped from; a bat, or an intermediary species, to humans. <span style="font-family: inherit;">A characteristic feature of </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">zoonotic diseases</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> can jump from animals to humans. However, a new infection such as the Covid-19 or Coronavirus once in a human it seems it can go on mutating. This makes it highly challenging to trace the symptoms, whether they are actually originating from this particular virus let alone treating the cause. Sending an international team to investigate would be unlikely, for China could be sensitive to outsiders investigating what they consider interference in an internal affair. If China decides not to cooperate, it </span></span>would raise further suspicions at obscuring information which can add to the chorus of doubters. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfACPqG2MGn6vtXFrX0WdoAxtr8blrv4nLKVIHKBVyqAiSmv5E9MA1uPT3Q4JrHJ08xGSuh-Oc32CTQ4j_rAn0Dr7Z31svCL2kCBWNQucuv6nqz-VxP63ME4zX67ynf96top_M7G5_QEQ/s1600/wetmarket-11_custom-d8c5b4bc1659e49609c65c61af57f392398c6f5b-s800-c85.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfACPqG2MGn6vtXFrX0WdoAxtr8blrv4nLKVIHKBVyqAiSmv5E9MA1uPT3Q4JrHJ08xGSuh-Oc32CTQ4j_rAn0Dr7Z31svCL2kCBWNQucuv6nqz-VxP63ME4zX67ynf96top_M7G5_QEQ/s400/wetmarket-11_custom-d8c5b4bc1659e49609c65c61af57f392398c6f5b-s800-c85.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Lack of an explanation leaves a controversial vacuum </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">once this disease has abated. The argument can drag on, and it could further flare up, leading to all sorts of misunderstanding. The result of which would be added strain to fracture relations between countries at a time when unity is essential to fight the disease.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"> C</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">redibility to t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">he American assumption; the condition started in a laboratory is gaining traction. Countries like Australia, </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-government-coronavirus-may-leaked-chinese-laboratory-covid-2020-4?r=US&IR=T" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Britain</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"> and Germany have joined the coterie of doubters of the Wet Market theory. Including Emanuel Macron of France who hinted, China has covered up its Coronavirus crisis, saying: "it would be naive to say they've been better at handling this - there are things we don't know about" [...] "unknown things that have happened". Scientists are also divided on this issue. According to Nim LeDuc, head of the Galveston National Laboratory in the US about Chinese scientist rubbishing the Lab theory he said </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4e4d;">we don't know what kind of pressures they might be under from their Government to deny the lab theory. </span><span style="color: #4c4e4d; text-decoration-line: inherit;">LeDuc says the hypothesis, the animal market played a role in the virus jumping to humans also remains strong. "The linkage back to the market is pretty realistic. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;">Further controversy was generated when new death figures in Wuhan were recently uncovered. The numbers were revised by 50% adding</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: "guardian text egyptian web", georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1,290 fatalities to the city's toll, taking the confirmed count to 3,869 from a previously reported 2,579 in a city of 11 million people. According to the officials, "there has not been<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">underreporting or misreporting, but there has never been any coverup, and we do not allow coverups." </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: inherit;">The miscount is also fuel to the fire. By any reasonable sense of imagination, one can tell the figure is too small considering a city of that size, especially where the virus was in free circulation for a month before any containment took place and when these figures are compared to those of London, New York or Paris. </span><span class="TextRun SCXO212475519 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXO212475519 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><span style="font-family: calibri, calibri_msfontservice, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even those local people living in the area are blaming both the national Government and local agencies for not warning then early enough. They also believe the death toll should be much higher than what the Chinese Government have admitted.</span></span></span><span class="EOP SCXO212475519 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050;">As</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> officials have battled the epidemic, they have also tried to stifle widespread criticism that they mismanaged their response to the initial outbreak in Wuhan city then in China itself. M</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">issteps are also pointed at officials who underestimated and underplayed the threat of the Coronavirus all the while dragging their feet to arrive at an accurate position. The Irony is a</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">fter SARS, Chinese health officials built an infectious disease reporting system to evade political meddling. But when the Coronavirus emerged, so did fears of upsetting the hierarchy in Beijing. Numbers were only counted by hospitals of patients with known connection to the Seafood market and such narrow criteria discounted possibilities of human to human transmission of this new disease. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;">This is well over a month after the virus was first detected and after 217 people were infected in Wuhan and somehow much later, infected people in Beijing and Shanghai. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reasons for delays is the Chinese system of control. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Doctors had to have their cases confirmed by bureaucrats before they were reported to higher-ups. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">H</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ead of the national health commission team investigating the outbreak, confirmed two cases of infection in China's Guangdong province had been caused by human-to-human transmission and medical staff had been infected. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Xi Chen, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health, said the likelihood of human-to-human transmission had appeared large given how many cases were confirmed. "It's hard to see all these cases coming from animals in the same market,"</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;"> With infections detected in nearby </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212;">Thailand, Japan and South Korea the Chinese Health Authority were still saying the disease was "controllable". At this stage, even WHO was again linking the Virus to Animal to Human focusing on Wuhan Wet Market, since closed as the source of infections. Eyebrows raised when the world was becoming aware that other than from Wuhan, no cases were reported in other areas in China while increasing number of countries were starting to report incidents inside their borders. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is also worth noting t</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">he timely sharing of information related to events, which may cross borders and threaten international public health remains a central feature of the International Health Regulations. As things stand l</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">eaked documents are showing, even after officials knew they faced an epidemic, they delayed warning the public for six days. The world is demanding answers about whether there was a coverup, and China must respond in full if only to abide by the rules. </span></span></div>
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<u>Part 2:<span style="color: red;"> The Coming Meltdown of Liberal Democracy.</span></u></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, more than anything was an iconic symbol for the end of the Cold War between the Western world and the Soviet Union. Liberal Democracy emerged triumphant against a communist system more often engaged in fascism and oppression of its people than egalitarianism. After the liberation of East Germany and the subsequent fall of the Iron Curtain, Liberal democracy had nowhere to go. Still, it was quickly harnessed in bringing the world together under a new political and economic internationalist order. For new members wishing to join as China did, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">it would play by the rules, open its markets, and privatize its economy. As the country became more prosperous, the Chinese Government would respect the rights of its people and liberalize politically. China has significantly benefitted. It has s</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">ince grown, after the US, the second-largest economy in the world but is steadfastly proving a gamechanger, refusing to abide by the rules it signed up for. Globalization put China on the map as an Industrial and Technological powerhouse with </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">equally impressive leverage for world power status but now sees itself on an economic and political collision course with the US for strategic supremacy.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">The vulnerability of liberal democracy is freedom. A blind spot that goes to challenge Orwellian fear of illiberalism, surveillance and control; conditions people of China live under. In the days of Mao Tse Tung, there was his Red Book today China has the Xi App an equivalent instrument for the control of free-thinking. A unit connected to a central point, time spent on it reading XI's thoughts and speeches earn points which can go in his or her favour when applying for jobs. For students to pass exams and help them go into universities of their choice. The points are automatically recorded while the app is in use. It also tells the authorities Age, Gender, timed whereabouts and assesses their opinions on current matters which can earn extra points. Control and surveillance against all religion imprisoning Muslims for 'educational' purposes and destroying places of worship, including churches. The App reached number one in the Chinese App Store, a 24/7 monitoring unit of all aspects of life. </span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To borrow from a biblical saying; what Globalisation giveth Globalisation taketh away, the Coronavirus may do just that if China missed a cue with America. With Trump at the helm steering the US in almost everything, from science to law to economy and to the rights of abortion, a China misstep, however, is highly unlikely. Come what may world experts were predicting 2035 China would overtake the economy of the US. But, seeing how America is run, the Coronavirus pandemic is anything to go by, a revised date of 2030 is more likely. The only thing, which may slow down China is America's</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> market power, underpinned by the dollar's status as the unrivalled global reserve currency. Undoubtedly clash of Titans is on the horizon rivalling over a system where America aiming to prevent China from becoming a "global hegemonic power" and China calling it "the grand game of the century".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>A likely high score by China can come from <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;">its arsenal of the highly technologically tuned propaganda machine and surveillance operation; typical state activities of a controlled authoritarian government. Being ahead of the game suppressing information from the world about the spread of human to human infectious, it built a fence around the vulnerability of their communist party system. China is weaponizing this lead, converting early missteps to its advantages giving clear signals it would no longer play by the rules of democratic engagement. Clearly emerging as the front runner in leading the world in </span>n</span></span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.3px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ew regulations and a new international order. Two underlying tremors that would make the world less free and less safe. Furthermore, C</span></span><span style="color: #0e101a;">hina would be engaged in weaving a web of deception, ransoming truth for trust, in an effort of pursuing their dream to rejuvenate the glory of a once-great nation. It is rumoured: China is negotiating with the British Government for supplies of hospital requirement by putting 5G contract on the table. A bully thy neighbour tactic. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0e101a;">China's growing influence is mostly made by coercion. The Belt and Road initiative investment costing over a trillion dollars is in the same vein. It comes at a price landing most signatories in debt and politically subservient to China. Same goes for investments in Africa, charging poor countries high-interest for loans on projects only to see them abandoned later. </span><span style="color: #0e101a;">It is now helping it to act out a caring scene, a charm offensive no less, obscuring attempts to </span><span style="color: #0e101a;">dominate their economic infrastructure.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0e101a;">China produces half of the masks of the world, but the head start on the Coronavirus recovery meant it had cornered its own supplies of masks as well as buying and hoarding other world supplies before the pandemic.</span><span style="color: #0e101a;"> Coming to the rescue when other countries are strapped with their own problems. Those beleaguered countries with not enough hospital beds, suffering from overcrowding of dying patients are forced to turn to China for supplies. <a href="https://www.devex.com/news/the-politics-of-generosity-brussels-aims-to-counter-chinese-narrative-on-coronavirus-96944" target="_blank">Europe put out a statement</a> saying "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This is the case of China, which has moved on from being the cause and the epicentre of the crisis to being perceived as a strong supporter of efforts by affected third countries to contain the mess.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0e101a;">The Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of production in Europe and the United States. Globalization, specialization, no inventory and slack production spaces at a premium have meant a just in time deliveries. This goes to show in China, a specialized factory stopping its production of parts could have an immediate effect on another dedicated factory needing the same parts, say in Italy or Germany to complete a part of Fiat or Mercedes cars. The rat race, an essential ingredient of Globalisation has meant cutting the cost of production to the bone, to create ever more specialized producing units. </span><br />
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Globalization is not a one-way ticket to utopia. To feed the consumer appetite of Europe, demand must look elsewhere; syphoned off to other Asian countries, such as India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia etc. Also for easy reach, there is East Europe and Turkey. In the Americas, Mexico can cooperate as it has slack space to use up for production and would welcome the opportunity to increase its supply to the US market. </span>With such highly tuned production units, it is not easy to turn the wheel, but Europe and the US look within for a turnround in cost efficiency. Increase the use of Robotic and automation technology for products such as computer hardware, medical equipment and other products it has assigned to China. Trade with China would need not come to a sudden stop, but by gradual displacement of priorities in supply and demand. Whatever the shape of the fallout, when counting the cost, it would be painful for all regions. <br />
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The same goes for technological know-how in the IT industry in America's Silicon Valley. It doesn't stop its wheel of fortune hunters, the flourishing entrepreneurs are on a conveyer of enterprises. Their innovation can find different supply chains no longer risking copies and imitation of their best products </span><span style="color: #0e101a;">while negotiating a maze of intellectual lawsuits as in the case with phones and tablets.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a;">Standing against such a scenario and to gain the initiative, is the new China government scheme announced by </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Xi Jinping "</span></span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #0e101a;">Made in China </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">2025" a state-led industrial policy, which seeks to make China dominant in global high-tech manufacturing. Ten years plan to develop electric cars, next-generation information technology, advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. It is a state-led to make China dominant in IT, and in high-tech manufacturing by 2025. The trade war has turned into a system war; Liberalism against Authoritarianism at a time when Europe despite the EU name is cracking up, and social distancing is no longer confined to individuals but to Europe and the United States. China, with its propaganda machine, is poised to gain the upper hand. But seeing November 2020 is just around the corner, and the Republicans getting nervous, the likely hood that Trump is becoming a liability and a one-term president. There is hope yet for Liberal Democracy to live another day. </span></span></div>
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-71646035396241777672020-04-20T11:43:00.000+01:002020-05-07T13:33:15.112+01:00Iraq,The Agony of Independence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>The Battle for Iraq</u></span></div>
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Just for distraction, today, I turn to Iraq. With Coronavirus monopolising conversations and to a certain extent dominating our lives that may not be a bad thing.<br />
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For many Iraqi people, its politics is their second most favourite subject of conversation. The first subject is food, of course.<br />
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Seeing Ramadan is just around the corner, I thought it an occasion to focus on where Arab Islam and its politics taking Iraq, in particular, the circular arguments it faces relating to its religious affiliation. Bearing in mind that Iraq sits at the heart of the Middle East its political and religious convictions, could have a profound influence on all its neighbours and beyond.<br />
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I try in this essay and in the video below, take a new look at the situation and how religion is defining Iraq's political standpoints. My other concern is who holds power in the country and to focus on the politicians' ability to lead considering the religious handicap that straps in the would-be non-conformists; a fear of ostracisation it almost invariably imposes on such occasions. Opposition to the status quo is frowned on and could lead to a career in the wilderness. Instead, its politics runs along sectarian lines, and the divide underscores ideas on how to practice Islam.<br />
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At the heart of the battle for Iraq sits religion, differences in the practice of it and how it intertwines with politics. Shia and Sunni schism is mainly on theological grounds how to be a good Muslim. Disagreements circulate on which sect represents true Islam. A difficult one! Bearing in mind that bribery and corruption demerit the faith but the elite of both colours in Iraq, so positioned in the country, are inherently prone to this weakness. More so, both cultures run in tandem and increasingly proving just as unbending makes things even more difficult for Iraq to get ahead.<br />
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As I understand it, the modernist Sunni school of thought of True Islam is going back to the period of the first four Caliphs; Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. A period later equated with western-style democracy. A period of thirty to forty years when Islam was on the crest of a wave, powered by divine will. But a period of disputes soon followed, and Shia articulation took different roots utterly opposed to what then mainstream and orthodox ideology. Beyond Iraq, part of the schism today mainly centred on theological grounds —firmly disagreeing with Shiite notions to placing clerics between man and God. Modernism also entails draining the religion from a culture of theological corruption built around it over millennia that has tarnished its image.<br />
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For Shia going back to this 'Rashidoun' period and risk approval of the illegitimate first three Caliphs would be an attempt at 'sunnanisation' of Islam; fitting to Saudi Salafi fundamentalism. Such modernist approaches would be anathema to Shia traditionalists. For the traditionalist Shia, they accept nothing less than to make Iraq an Islamic State to join in a coalition with Iran. For Sunnis to entertain such ideas is like considering joining with a Zoroastrian state. Their conviction of true Islam is the Shia's primary drive to making Iraq an Islamic state and to forever leave it outside the fold of Arab Nationalism. Having reached this far Iran would not hesitate to invade the country if it feels a Sunni coalition might disown it of its rightful prize.<br />
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Cairo, Baghdad and Damascus a once-proud centre of Arab nationhood. Today the latter two are being drawn away from the Sunni compass of influence, leaving Cairo on the edges. Still, with oil plenty around the world and with price bottoming out as I write, Saudi finance is on a downward slide. In sympathy, we might yet see the Al Azhar rediscovering its Shiite roots and tip the balance. Lebanon and Yemen are already following close behind within this budding Shia Crescent.<br />
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Iranian Shia Islam at the heart of the Middle East is not far fetched. A scenario that Sunni Islam, including those of North African states, have yet to grapple with. Seeing that fortune, power and leadership entrusted to the Sunnis for centuries by the will of God, so they believe, finally slipping away. Today Arab Sunnism is at its political weakest. The billions of Dollars the Sunni Arab world, including Turkey, that feathered their combined approaches to proselytising has instead encouraged radicalism. Their soft power politics has not produced the desired counter lever so effectively effervescing from Tehran. <br />
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A resort to other means. If not religious reform, which admittedly is off the agenda, a new political approach which has to include compromise. After decades of war, exhaustion bound to set-in making concession that much easier. Westphalia of 1648 all over again, but look where that got Europe - The Enlightenment, Knowledge and the final separation of State from Religion. Independence, secularism and free thought are not so bad after all. Clinching medievalist Europe into the age of Reason.<br />
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In my opinion, Iraq is at ideological crossroads,. Whichever root it eventually decides to take it will pull with it the rest of the Middle East and Arab Nationalism likely to live another day. Sitting at the heart of the Arab Muslim world with the potential of super wealth and with that comes, power and influence knocking at its doors - is a giant yet to wake up. The flip side is that it is plagued by corruption and its ruling elite complete lack of empathy towards its citizen. Even so, both Iran and Saudi Arabia with potent regimes, can not afford to take their eye off the ball because their ideology emanating from Mecca, Najaf and Qum are at stake. Whoever wins Iraq will prove to 1.6 billion followers that their belief and practices are unarguably projecting true Islam. After all, the battle for Iraq is just as much as it is the battle for Karbala, and Najaf, two of the holiest shrines for the Shia, as it is for the heart and soul of Islam.<br />
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-63168139945930166832020-03-19T10:16:00.000+00:002020-03-19T11:18:30.028+00:00Money, Money, Money.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>To begin with, the word ‘<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/money" target="_blank">money</a>’ itself comes from the Roman mint at the temple of Juno Moneta. Moneta was Latin for Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory and mother of the Muses. Thus, for the Romans, Money was a store of collective memory linked to the reproduction of the arts as a living tradition.</i><br />
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Ever wondered where Money comes from, its history and why it is an intricate part of our lives. Without it, some would say we are worthless. A cliche no less that says Money is the root of all evils; it brings out the worst in all of us; envy, lie, cheat, corruption and greed for the love of Money. And of course, happiness, but not all in equal measure. It also, of course, brings out the best in a few of us. From philanthropists to hardcore criminals alike, Money is the driving force. It can cause upheavals upon family members and if mishandled can break up age-old friendships. Money is the fundamental product that forces us to work to hold an occupation motivates us towards a career. It provides a challenge towards a stimulating and fulfilling lives aside from creating the potential for earning a living. Plastic Money, Chocolat money, Monopoly Money and Fiat Money (IOU's), all have their uses. Some, digital money that travels at the speed of light becomes just a number ceases to have existential value; it shifts from real to virtual Money. It can even be laundered.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Psychologically, Money is the ruler of our behavioural economics; splitting bills at restaurants, paying Tax, shopping and winning the lottery no less. Money surrounds our behavioural track which energises that all-important human moral pendulum. Money is the problem as well as the solution. From an individual perspective, it is the indicator that personalises us; our honesty and dishonesty, wavering between altruistic or egoistic. Steering others to distinguish our moralities and judge our ethical stewardship. Money frames many of our cognitive triggers in our behaviour towards one another. I am no economist, but I guess i</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #31353d;">n a hardcore economic term, every one of us is a Time Dollar, Time Pound, Time Euro - to others, we become time value. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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Money on its own has no intrinsic value, it can't give neither pain, pleasure or desire unless somebody has something to sell. Food, housing, jewellery, yachts even the humble tinned Tuna fish are commodities that can bring value to Money. And of course, the more we have of these things, the more status we acquire. The chain of production and consumption are motored by buying and selling. Making Money with Money, buying and selling with Money, and as Economists would say the two faces of Money, Capitalism and markets work in conjunction. And in many ways, the psychologist says such economic behaviour provides the positive relationship of Money to culture and civilisation.<br />
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On our own; Money is worthless, as a means of exchange, we need others for it to become of value. Making interdependence a necessity which can add to the social complexity that is part of our everyday interactions. Money, along with language, is the chief cultural infrastructures that allow us to communicate.<br />
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Adam Smith, the father of Capitalism, talking of behaviour said: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">However selfish man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though they derive nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it." A peculiar phenomenon I might add. Either he was naive to think that people get pleasure from seeing others happy because they have lots of Money or envy hadn't occurred to him. Although he rightly goes on to say in his <i>'Theory of Moral Sentiments'</i> that human beings can be altruistic and benevolent; hence today tend to admire the philanthropists amongst us. However, recent studies show </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">that being exposed to Money led to significant changes in people's actions. Those who had money on their minds became individualistic and were less inclined to help someone in need. More prone to work alone than interact with others. </span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like in almost all things, there are exceptions even in this age of Money. There are responsible individual companies that are meeting the challenges presented by the current pandemic outbreak of Covid-19, of this deadly disease. In contrast to the sluggish response by US administration, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #31353d; font-family: inherit;">Google and Facebook rushed to meet with the World Health Organization (WHO) officials to talk about reactions and provided early funding for the WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #31353d;">Amazon, one of the Seattle, Washington State, US, leading employers, quickly announced a halt to all international travel and, alongside Microsoft, donated $1million to a rapid response Seattle-based emergency funds.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #31353d;"> Before this virus, </span></span>social distancing was the usual method of managing the gap between rich and poor.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #31353d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; text-align: justify;">Such social organisation, identity construction, normative standards, and the science of human behaviour as a whole are, in no small extent bounded by money supply & demand and price & value. For instance, </span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, school holidays, black Friday and royal weddings are the time for stores to make a killing. Promotional opportunities for stores to capitalise on consumer habits. </span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">Princess Charlotte generated more than £80 million in retail sales with £27 million of that total being driven by souvenirs.</span></span><span style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: , "helvetica" , "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">The other side of the coin, is consumer s</span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">pending at this time becomes very difficult to control, holding back is not an option and at times buying reaches fever pitch. Scenes of people clamouring over each other to pick up a Sony or Samsung or iPhones. People often have no plans for how much to spend when going to Malls, but simply go on a buying journey of merely random shopping when more often look at brands before they look at prices. Strangely enough, studies also show, people are more careful when spending on a card than with cash. Overall though, w</span></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: inherit;">e all have ideas of what is a necessity, and what is an extravagance since they are both tendered by our personalities. So, we have to work overtime juggling our priorities: what puts our spirits up can also hurt our bank balance.</span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: inherit;">Another observation is that Money in different scenarios takes on a Chameleon effect. By that I mean when it comes to Money, with friends we have a communal relationship whereas with strangers we have an exchange relationship. If a stranger volunteers to do something for me, I show gratitude by offering him Money. Whereas if I am invited to dinner and forgot to bring a bottle of wine or a box of chocolate with me, I can hardly offer £20 to my host. Sorry, there was no wine shops open on the way, but here £20 instead. </span><br />
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: inherit;">Money and spending it can say a lot about us, we give away much of our personality by the way we behave with it. Our personal tastes often dictate how we spend our Money but no matter how rich people are frivolity almost certainly shunned by all. However, we can gross exaggerate thinking we are better managers of Money than others because we hate the sense of loss. But surely, here also there must be an average which suggests some of us are bad at money management or just spendthrifts. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: inherit;">By in large, we try to maximise the pleasure we gain from Money, but such ideas can be complicated. </span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">We get pleasure in winning 50 pounds on the lottery in one week and winning 100 pounds the following week than winning 150 pounds all in one go. That is not all; there is something called 'Loss Aversion', and that is where losses can mean much more to us than gain. For instance, in gambling loss and gain of the same magnitude feels terrible overall. If you come away from the gambling table not having won anything but not having lost anything either, you come away feeling bad. </span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">(I am not into gambling, so all this stuff remain untested). E</span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">ven when people are holding stock of shares seeing them going down in value although it hurts but not as much as if they were to sell them when going down. So people, despite seeing the downturn on the shares they still hold on to them until hopefully, they go up again. The time of crisis comes is when paying of Tax. For a tax payment to be deducted at source is much easier than say for self-employed. It can be harrowing when its time to have to pay</span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;"> back out a lump sum after you earned the Money in the first place. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0a0a0a;">Our behavioural economics take a sharper turn when shopping at stores. Our spending antennae can be particularly sensitive when looking around for something we want to buy. We are particularly sensitive to any disadvantages we might spot comparing between expensive and good value. </span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">Retailers are tuned to this, so they put out things in a minimum of threes. Three very similar mobile phones on a counter are displayed; A at £599, B at £499 and C at £399. The comparison does the trick. The B always wins because it is not as expensive as A and must be better than the cheapest C. Almost always we fall for the compromise. And, by the way, prices ending in 99 is a marketing ploy so much better value than 55 or 35. This is especially evident at Sale time when people are searching for bargains buys. This is another example where consumers are primed and where </span><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">fast thinking is essential. But, when making decisions, our instinctive behavioural economics wavers so we often make mistakes. For whatever reason, what we bought was not such a bargain after all.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">When it comes to eating out with friends, spending takes a different ball game and Money and value play their separate parts. At a dinner table, people discuss anything and everything, even sex, but no one talks about Money. Looking at the left of the menu, we see a variety of dishes on offer before turning slightly to the right to cost of the items. Then comes to mind the touchy and delicate question of splitting the bill. Some of us (now here ignore the personal tense), don't eat or drink as much as others, so at times choosing from the menu can be a little tricky and, a cool head for mathematics is called for because as of here it gets all very calculating. To order a glass of Gavi di Gavi that cost £24 is expensive but if it was going to be divided by six then not so expensive. Same when choosing Lobster with Pasta at £60 instead of a plate of Pasta at £12 from the menu. Since the cost of what I order gets divided over the six of us, might as well order a lobster and Pasta and glass of chilled Gavi di Gavi. That way, instead of costing me £84, I would end up paying only £16. Problems start when every one of the six is thinking the same thing, and before I know it, Lobsters are trending. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0a0a0a;">I think I stay home, I've never been good at Maths. </span></span><br />
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-38624658048965348812020-03-15T08:47:00.001+00:002020-03-15T08:47:47.132+00:00Woke up and smell the coffee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">S</span>ex is going out of fashion. Down at Victoria's secret the lingerie most successful brand to date is taming its sexy look. Opting to more subdued tones for its bras, diversity amongst its leggy tenuous models, and heaven forbid; allowing the waifs on its catwalks to put on some curves. The beauty ideal as we know it is changing forced to roll with the times. Sexualised marketing from the likes of American GQ, Playboy and Abercombie & Fitch amongst others are more woke and inclusive. Self-love, self-respect and self-worth towards a more liberal outlook that is gaining pace; the woke culture is upon us. Outlooks, whether socially progressive, politically vigilant, or aware of all forms of injustice, prejudice, racism and care for the environment all fall under the woke umbrella. Wake up to Woke.</div>
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It all started from the concept "to take the knee" by Colin Kaepernick, an American athlete rather than standing up at the American national anthem. Overnight he became an outcast. Nike, footwear manufacturing company, launched "Just do it", an advertising campaign in support of its prized personality "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." they said. Boycott Nike campaign followed, and Nike shares took a tumble. But, America soon realised racial justice was the backbone of the constitution and Nike shares spiked. From a protest by an activist over police killings of African Americans and other injustices, anger became amplified by Black Lives Matter Movement - "Stay Woke". It transgressed from social media to the streets across America, becoming viral - a worldwide rallying cry.</div>
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<span class="inline-triangle inline-icon" style="background-color: white; color: #767676; font-family: "guardian text sans web" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Nike's</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #767676; font-family: "guardian text sans web" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> ad featuring the American footballer Colin Kaepernick helped boost the company's profits to $6bn. Photograph: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images</span></div>
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To gain such momentum, especially among the young meant change in behaviour of how they live and to accept liberal values which at times mean sacrifice. Woke, is making a statement of our political and social attitude. To show we care, to be alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice, socially progressive, take on social responsibility and ethically compliant. <span style="color: #404040; font-family: "helmet" , "freesans" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span>Marketing campaigns must now show duties to the planet, environment-friendly and conscious of caring for the eco-systems. So far as to say that some companies are taking on the role of stewards of nature setting standards for a company's operation that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) set of criteria help to manage relationships with employees, suppliers, customer and the communities where it operates. These include energy use, waste, pollution, natural resources conservation and treatment of animals. Young investors advocating such concerns are increasingly acting out the company approvals by putting their money where their values are, avoiding companies with known exposure to coal mining or weapon manufacturing, for instance. Eventually and in all likely hood for a company to operate it must acquire and ESG certificate as a social license so people would buy from it and for people to work for it hoping to attract the best and the brightest.</div>
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In 1989 following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Francis Fukuyama, a political theorist announced that history has come to an end. Liberal Democracies and free-market Capitalism of the West and its lifestyle has triumphed. Globalisation and the widening gap of inequality by prioritising freedom then followed, and with it, the scaffolding of morality holding Capitalism was demolished. Public anger that ensued, however, was rooted towards governments. Ideals had to change, corporates whos only values was to make a profit for its shareholders compelled to vault face or at least willing to compromise or mask the activities with a human face acquiring profits. To tame the hell-bent drive for profit meant leaning on the liberal socially conscious side of the spectrum is dubbed woke Capitalism. Get woke or go broke gradually was becoming a reality. From now on, Milton Friedman's argument "<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." no longer so configures by the Millenials. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><a href="https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/get-woke-go-broke" target="_blank">Masks come in all shapes and size</a> real and artificial, and Capitalism can exhibit all. Those companies with ideas and pledges that profit-making can be socially progressive often build a deceptive picture. Not solely working for its self-interest but in tandem with a culture of feeling is too romantic and, in the long run, merely </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/may/23/woke-washing-brands-cashing-in-on-culture-wars-owen-jones" target="_blank">woke-washing</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">. As we all know, pledges, especially New Years ones as sincere as they may be, are hardly kept. Moral ideals and socially conscious Capitalism sounds all very hunky-dory in theory, but greed and all-out profit-making</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> are hard to let go. The mask more than likely is nothing more than gossamer-thin veneer dressed up as a social concern. Politically, most of these companies would still support the Republican parties since Woke, for their liking, is too leftist. A <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/08/29/socially-liberal-companies-really-do-contribute-more-to-democrats" target="_blank">wokeness index</a> makes interesting revelations. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">While maintaining a woke front, companies will be hard-pressed to keep all three: economic efficiency, social justice and individual freedom. Profit with a progressive social purpose is an artificial concept of modern Capitalism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">For instance, appealing to consumers by clever PR work instead of <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/02/silicon-valley-giants-accused-of-avoiding-100-billion-in-taxes.html" target="_blank">paying taxes</a>. Fertiliser companies show social concerns by appealing to farmers new chemicals that can save the planet. A large retail organisation in the US claim to support the anti-gun lobby, so they stop selling arms in one state. An Airline ended discounts for members of the National Rifle Association following a mass shooting.<span style="color: #121212;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To have under their payroll, a transgender employee. Advertising veganism as</span> opposed to beef burgers. Commitment to renewable energy. Cosying up to the 'Fair Trade Movement'. O</span><span style="background-color: white;">usting chief executives for age-old claims of sexual harassment by some employee who suddenly saw the light in the #Me too movement can be on top of a tree of wokeness. Why even Civil-Rights hating Saudi Arabia is virtue signalling; allowing women to drive while jailing their empowered compatriots for political dissent and silencing the media. On the other hand, a</span><span style="background-color: white;">buse, not eating vegetables and not turning vegan, advocating coal and steel production and even travelling by plane runs bad with the eco-system and terribly un-Woke. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It must be said, however, one light that truly shines among the crowd is Starbucks. Starbucks boasts one of the most popular corporate Facebook fan-pages, with 4m "friends", and 300,000 followers on Twitter. The often dubbed Fourbucks due to its high prices. Its friendly approach and its show of concern for the welfare of its African Coffee growers is fortifying its balance sheet and levelling out its competitive edge with likes of McDonald's who incidentally went Green a couple of years ago. But in general, for CEO's to become social activists coming on the side of cultural injustice must show real commitment. Politically active and patriotic to the new woke generation who make up their consumers and workers.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">The social scene, however, is blighted by radicalism that goes the distance in hurting the cause. And, any institution that volunteers to stem such activities is opting for the Woke Cup. A holier than thou approach is springing up on the back of the Politically correct movement we hoped we saw the back-off - 'This is Woke'. Have a look at this <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/revealed-woke-media-outfit-thats-actually-uk-counterterror-programme" target="_blank">Woke approach</a> by a Woke Muslim group, critical of those inhibiting free speech, also noting the composition to give you an idea of how they define themselves and how they think society defines them. This is one way the Home Office encourages people to participate in combatting extremism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The increasing number of Millenials ask well-intentioned searching questions, but often their reasoning falls on extreme of the liberal spectrum bordering on the ridiculous. Lately, t<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">he ubiquity of woke culture as a social concept is present in social media, in the workplace and elsewhere. In an effort to politically identify, often use an </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11042609/woke-free-speech-if-they-agree/" target="_blank">aggressive approach</a> to establishing moral superiority ending up contradicting the liberal democracy they try to develop. Pushing the liberal cause too far employing and asserting dominance is akin to weaponising their so call-virtuous standpoint. On the margins, thy breed vigilante groups by collective media sharing to name and shame. Before long, it will become the thing it is trying to replace. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Such attempts at social outcasting were bound at some stage come face to face with the inevitable backlash. However, the social harm that many believe globalisation generated had continued the anger that demolished the Berlin Wall but took different forms to translate itself on society. Rebelling with a cause is not a new phenomenon but a generational thing. Human nature is not static but develops on all sides. Riots, protests, marches and social media all have their time to capacitate movements for social restructuring and woke is no different. This time unlike its predecessors, the cause is not confined to one group or to one purpose. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">Liberal democratic ideology to correct injustice whether to humans, to animals or to the planet is for the benefit of all concerned. Free speech is excellent so long as it carries responsibility; not judgmental but compromising. Casting stones does not bring about change and an inflated power attitude of if you are not with me; you are against me, would not go very far disguised as woke or otherwise. The other side of the coin headline-grabbing stunts on social media where attention-grabbing is the ultimate prize can have only limited value. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">The rest of us better woke up and smell the coffee.</span></div>
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OUFIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583847779944899846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884298032433971183.post-6770304876283402202019-10-20T08:20:00.003+01:002020-07-18T06:45:17.591+01:00What does it mean to be white?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="font-weight: normal;">What it means to be White? <span style="text-align: left;">“It means many things, but it means not ever having to bear witness to the pain of racism on people of colour. It means not being held accountable for the pain that you cause people of colour. It means not knowing the history of this country [USA} and being able to trace that history into the present. It’s being relentlessly reinforced in superiority and then not ever being able to admit that” <span style="color: red;">- <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Robin+DiAngelo&rlz=1C1WPZA_enGB769GB769&oq=Robin+DiAngelo&aqs=chrome..69i57j35i39j0l3j69i60.2344j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Robin DiAngelo</span></a>.</span></span></i></h3>
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<span style="color: #1c1e29;">There is a global rise in white Nationalism and none more so than in the United States. There is a belief in some quarters non-white immigrants and refugees are "invaders" who pose an existential threat to the white race. The wide-scale attacks that resulted in killings include Muslim worshippers at mosques in Canada, Britain and New Zealand. Black Americans in church, in South Carolina; Jewish Americans in synagogues across the United States and Germany. Not spared are left-wing politicians and activists in the US, UK, Greece and Norway. Most often translated as vindictive 'whitelash' fuelled by racial hate towards people of colour or people who are different but happen to be non-white. A revolt by some restless white people asserting their dubious cultural values in whiteness, a race still undefined but is uncritically accepted. Often placed as a benchmark by which to judge the claims and define the rights of non-whites, ignoring the fact colour of the skin is only a part of human makeup not to be closed in a world of its own and deny its universality. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e29;">For many, white domination is a cultural attribute. An armoury to shield the maligned myth their white colour is the default colour. Where did this idea of white race come from, God, nature or human-made? If so, why, did anybody configure such an approach and for what purpose. How did the meaning of white change over the centuries? Discussions on race and ethnicity always tend to be on people of colour while whiteness remains invisible. Racism is like talking about a disease. Whiteness is just there, institutionalised, forming the structure of racial relations. I try, in this essay, to deconstruct these toxic human violations and racial fetishism. Unpack this phenomenon that mostly exists in Western Countries but has a special place in the United States of America. It is there I concentrate on to pick up my sources. The way it is perceived in the US, and its caustic application there makes it that much more visible. Visible to people of colour but invisible among White Americans those who never have had their racial role challenged. </span>A nation with growing diversity but remains generally dominated by white people and remains a society that is so separate and unequal by race. </div>
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An attack at a Walmart superstore in El Paso, Texas, a majority-Hispanic city, on August 3, 2019, left 22 people dead and more than two dozen wounded. A shooting the previous weekend at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California, packed with families with young children, left three people dead and 15 wounded. A mass shooting that occurred at the Tree of Life Synagogue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, eleven people killed and seven were injured. The alleged shooter, a 46-year-old white man, reportedly shouted: “All Jews must die!”. On June 2015 June 2015 Nine people killed during Bible study at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, US. Also elsewhere in the world. In Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15, 2019, two consecutive terrorist attacks on two Mosques left 51 people dead. In January 2017, Six people killed during evening prayers at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada. The shooter prompted by Justin Trudeau’s tweet that refugees were welcome in Canada, and that “diversity is a strength”. </div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">All these attacks were perpetrated by white people gunning down others for merely being different. More often these gunmen are inspired by two ideologies. One of </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/roanna-carletontaylor/what-exactly-do-we-mean-b_b_17393486.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">far-right politics</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> or extreme nationalism emboldened by authoritarian tendencies. The other is </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/white-supremacy" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank">white supremacy</a>.</span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In America, many subscribe to racist beliefs that white people considered superior, a superior race and therefore should be dominant over other races. Their white colour preserves them <a href="https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf" target="_blank">privilege</a> in the same way they believe it a privilege being American. They refuse to see people as individuals but associate them with anything negative because they are not white. A self-acquired power to sit in judgments over people's capacities and worth, what they look like, where they come from, and how they speak. A racial understanding that says unless otherwise specified Americans mean Whites. Continually fail to realise that such political polarisation is fuelled by aversion, exploitation and denigration. </span><br />
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The imagery of race in the United States is hardly ever out of play. A long history of Affirmative Actions for racial fairness during Antebellum South, following the Emancipation of January 1863, the Reconstruction and since have failed to dislodge the pernicious concept of racial prejudice. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deconstructing Racism</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1c1e29;">To deconstruct this prejudice, it is essential to go back in history to show how it was constructed. </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In the colony of Virginia, a Tobacco growing region in 1630, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Punch_(slave)" target="_blank">three indentured servants</a>, two white and one black decided to escape but caught almost immediately. The white men were sentenced to four additional years of servitude whereas the black man was ordered to serve in perpetuity. Thus, the law came to be interpreted differently for a white person. The judgment was a gift to wealthy landowners in a profoundly unequal society. The plantation class, Tobacco growing was labour intensive at the time, needed a reliable and consistent supply of labour force. For the first time, the slavery of black people became officially accepted. That different treatment between the black people and the advantaging of the White poor, of European descent, became ongoing. That coalition of white people encouraged an anti-black culture. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><font size="2">From left to right clockwise. Typical sailing ship slave traders used. Hungry Sharks trailed the slave ships. Those seriously sick were thrown overboard. The Lining up of slaves for the journey across the Atlantic. Ota Benga, a human exhibit. At the primate house at the Bronx human Zoo, September 1906.</font></i> </td></tr>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> In 1619 a <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-african-slave-ship-arrives-jamestown-colony" target="_blank">Dutch ship</a> brought 20 slaves to James Town brought over from Angola, specifically for that purpose. Both, hardcore chattel slavery of people of African descent and Anti-black laws distinctive and cruel soon took hold. Such cruelty showed </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">white men could go ahead and rape a black woman and any child born to an enslaved woman will also be a slave.</span><span style="color: #1c1e29;"> Further</span><a href="https://www.history.org/history/teaching/slavelaw.cfm" target="_blank"> laws passed in Virginia</a><span style="color: #1c1e29;"> exempted a master from gilt or liability for killing his slave. </span><span style="color: #1c1e29;">Virginia at the time was giving away land in 50-acre allotments only to Europeans. After much debate, in 1</span><span style="color: #1c1e29;">680 The English House of Burgesses, in Virginia gave clarity to the definition of the White Man - Who will be a citizen and who has the right to own land. Soon after in 1691 for the first time, White became a defining term bounded and defined by state laws. If any White man was "to marry a woman of colour shall be removed from this dominion and banished forever." </span>Since the early days, White people have the right to own black people, to buy and sell as live livestock. A totalitarian framework of slavery was born and constructed in the United States. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><font size="2">Capitalism at its cruellest. King Cotton White Gold. Virginia was renowned for Tobacco. South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi where eventually home for the Cotton Plantocracy. Louisiana specialised in Sugar.</font></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1c1e29;">Skipping forward about two hundred years, to Oregon State, North of the State of Nevada. In 1844, the local government passed a law banning slavery, but at the same time required any African American to leave the State. Those Black people that remain would be flogged publicly every six months until he left. In 1857, its constitution banned black people from coming to the state, residing in the state, or holding property in the state. During this time, any white male settler could receive 650 acres of land and another 650 if he was married. This, of course, was land taken from native people who had been living there for centuries. </span><span style="color: #1c1e29;">Over the next hundred years, further laws and numerous censuses, and naturalisation act, the young US continued to deny citizenry to black people</span><span style="color: #1c1e29;">. Since argued, it was neither Bigotry nor of Right or Prejudice, but it was all about Power. Until late into the twentieth century, Race was an identity, and despite the Natural Rights laid down in the Constitution, White became written about as American national identity. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e29;">Efforts for Social Construction following the emancipation of 1863 prompting the introduction of the Civil Rights Bill, ended in resentment, hatred and further discrimination against people of colour. Violence became everyday life. In 1866 a Memphis riot broke out following a collision of horse-drawn hacks. It resulted in 46 black people dead and five black women raped. In the New Orleans massacre when Blacks were assaulted indiscriminately, and despite raising, white flags of surrender 34 Black people were shot down in cold blood. Whipping coloured men went unabated and "shot down like wild beasts", according to one witness. A Texan individual said what many were thinking: "the destiny of the negro race can be summed up in one sentence - subordination to the white race. Riots and Killings were not exclusive to the South. The New York riots of 1863 burned Asylum for Coloured Orphans and "committed acts of unimaginable cruelty upon the City's black population." according to Mattie Griffith, an eye witness. Throughout the twentieth century, <a href="https://talkbusiness.net/2018/04/phillips-county-memorial-to-note-one-of-worst-race-riots-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">racial riots</a> were never far away.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e29;">The late nineteenth and early twentieth century saw the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws" target="_blank">Jim Crow laws</a> mandating racial segregation in all public facilities. Later upheld by the supreme court grounding its ruling on 'separate but equal'. </span>In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson's <a href="https://www.aaaed.org/aaaed/history_of_affirmative_action.asp" target="_blank">Affirmative Action</a> signed the Civil Rights Act, which legally ended discrimination and segregation that had institutionalised social and <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">economic, educational, and social way of life </span>for African Americans</span>. <span style="color: #1c1e29;">Prejudices and discrimination over race still exist, albeit a little more varnished. Who gets what jobs, access to health care and education and who gets loans to buy their houses and at what interest rates all graded on the colour of people's skin. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1e29;">In the United States, more than any country, it is Race identifies the imagery of a person of colour. But a white person escapes such racial objectification and rationalisation. </span><span style="color: #1c1e29;">White people are within a system and shaped by it. A system where the individual does not need to be conscious of intentional racial prejudice. Some in the US admit there is a black-white dichotomy in society. There are bookends. White is on one end, and black is on the other. The experience of prejudice and discrimination depends on where one is positioned on the scale. The closer you are to white, the more benefit and the closer you are to black, the least benefit and more disadvantaged. Also, racial profiling, acceptance of habits and ethnicity are scaled up and down depends on what white people value, moral code of law and the vagaries of politics. A case in point for such haphazard interlocking is found in how the Arab people perceived pre 9/11 and the present. </span></div>
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It is argued that since 1635, racism, not race has been the central force in American history and ever since the country has failed to confront and defeat it. As <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dyer" target="_blank">Richard Dyer</a> in his 'Essays on Race and Culture' suggests that the symbolism of the colour white – e.g. purity, health, cleanliness, light, knowledge, and goodness has become part of the cultural construction of “whiteness” as a race. At the opposite end are all the negative symbols associated with 'blackness' becomes associated with black people as a race. Moreover, an <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">individual who is a member of a “non-white” race has his or her nature defined by their race. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Such as</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> a black writer, black Doctor or Black something giving colour to a profession? Other people are raced, white are just people who are not usually racially seen.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In ordinary speech, they mention the blackness of people they know but do not mention the whiteness of the people they know.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This is not far off from saying that whites are people and people of colour are something else.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">A</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">s a visible category or signifier, whiteness is granted, ideologically and socially, a position of power. At the same time, whiteness as a racial category is invisible: whites are never marked or viewed as being determined by their race.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">White remains the default colour in the United States. </span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"> To some extent, and despite the multicultural country it has become, the US constitutional rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not equally shared. The hurdle as I see it, much of America has institutionalised Whiteness as a structure and a system that was established by the White settlers - “we built this country.” All those who came after are mere immigrants. Their inward prejudice of many Americans prevents them from accepting parity shunning equality with those whom they enslaved. They exercise widespread discrimination to guard on that privilege mythologising it for superiority. White supremacy granted to them by nothing else but the colour of their skin. A constructed culture endorsing a right to privilege they would turn into the power of invisibility. It so remains mandatory for the Black Man to know white behaviour, white history, and white social behaviour and to accept, as in all cases of minorities, that privilege is never reciprocal. <o:p></o:p></div>
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