What does it take to reason with insanity? What does it take to pacify the savagery? (copyright: SOIA)
That’s what’s at stake in Syria. The tyrant in Damascus has unleashed his forces of brutality against the demonstrators across the country. Cries for freedom are being crushed. Tanks against his own people. A mounting death toll. Power is the ultimate branch to hold on to. A tyrant’s vision of reason is written in blood. The blood of his own people. The blood of his own roots. The blood of his own history.
Freedom won’t get a peaceful chance in Syria. Opposing views and thoughts will be exterminated by all means necessary. Even if it means to burn down the nation. By all means necessary. Demise before surrender. Death and destruction before acceptance. Scorched earth before democracy. A typical tyrant’s arrogance to believe the winds of change blowing through the Arab world won’t reach his doorstep. Well, there it is. It has passed the doorstep. It’s inside the house and the house is burning. But tyrants don’t believe in calling the fire brigade; they only use policies of fuel and matches. The gravediggers are busy across Syria and there is no end in sight yet when the slaughter will stop. Kill, kill, kill, kill..... voices of dissent need to be silenced by all means necessary. No debates, no reasoning, no arguments, no talks, no negotiations, no ear for the cries. Let the tanks roll and crush hope.
But people never forget. Once deceived, abused, terrorised by its own leadership, people will grow hatred. Day by day. And one day, be it soon or be it in a few decennia, that hatred will catch up with the leadership. There is no hiding in history for those that have turned the gun on their own citizens. You can dream of a kingdom of a 1000 years. You can speak about the divine rights to power. You can proclaim that the key to the castle will remain eternally within the family or clan. And you can hallucinate for some time. But reality, that brutal reality, will one day bring you down. And very likely it won’t be painless. Neither merciless.
Stains of blood never totally disappear. They are like scars.
Human behaviour can slip away into savagery.
And the winds of change keep blowing. Demands for a better life, a more respectable life, keep sounding through the desert plains and over the rocky mountains. Enough is enough. The rage is out of the cage.
Morocco could be next. The king-dictator has kept the nation on a very short leash. But below the surface of tourism and Hollywood-sets lie poverty and the forgotten rags of the nation.
Chants of ‘death to tyrants’.
Yemen is still burning. The president is struggling to stay in power. Offers to reform. Offers to stand down in the near future. Offers to talk. But the crowd has had enough. More than enough. They want hope now, not tomorrow and not after long and dirty negotiations. Now!
Jordan and Saudi Arabia must be on the edge. Crisis meetings about ‘what if’. The world has changed. Social media, the internet and mobile phones are the tools of the oppressed. Iron fist governments can close the borders, control the traditional media, lock up as many people as possible,.... but the slaughter will be known and shown to the outside world. A nation cannot hide anymore.
For the so called civilised nations it is an uncertain time. Acting, like in Libya, leads to cries – by some – of neo-colonialism. Not acting gets criticised for allowing the barbarism to continue. It’s catch 22.
But the freedom of a people needs to be supported by the rest of the so called free world. Slaughter cannot be left unanswered. And yes, for sure, some of these changes and revolutions will succeed and others not. And yes, for sure, some changes won’t go the democratic route as it should be. And yes, for sure, some of these uprisings will be hijacked by extremists. But some of these popular explosions of anger and frustrations will lead to justice and democracy. To wider and deeper prosperity. The fear of what might happen ‘if’ cannot let the so called civilised world close its eyes and hope for the better. Voice your disgust. Voice your rejection. Voice your anger. Act.
Meanwhile the Afghan authorities have once again shown they face uphill battles to secure their nation by themselves. 500 Taliban inmates have escaped from 1 prison through 1 tunnel. It sounds like a Hollywood movie, but it’s ice cold reality. The bearded men are back in their mountain hideouts. From the cell to the caves. Revenge will follow.
Human behaviour has a touch of merry go round and round.
And the US economy is still is troubled waters. The recovery is not winning for now. Latest statistics have shown that the house prices have gone down for the 8th month in a row and are nearly back at 20009 levels. And that’s when the housing crisis triggered the lending crisis that triggered the capital flow crisis that trigged the bank melt down that triggered the economic downturn and pushed the world economy into negative territory. So we’re not out of the woods yet. Harsh times are still here to stay for a while.
The Arabs are fighting for freedom and change. The middle class in the West are hoping not to slide down into poverty and the unemployed are just burning candles for better times. If they can afford the candles...
Human suffering is a global feeling.
Suffering. Some in your face statistics out there. Australia has a population of about 21 million. The Easter weekend road toll was 19 down under.
West (from Australia) across the Indian Ocean lies South Africa with a population more or less 2 and a half times bigger. The Easter death toll on South Africa’s roads stands at 151. Kick that. Better stay indoors in South Africa!
Human driving can be deadly. Sad but true.
This week for many the world will come to a standstill because of the British royal wedding between William and Kate. The world’s citizens need some royal candy to forget the struggle and strife. Amazing how much attention and thus money goes into the media hype (and related souvenirs etc etc etc) around and bout the William and Kate ‘Yes-moment’. We live in so called modern times but ancient traditions of kings and queens seem still to fuel passions and emotions worldwide. Like dope to survive another day of brutal reality.
Human behaviour can be strange sometimes.
Throw out. New York’s alternative punkrock godfathers Sick Of It All are still at it after more than 25 years kicking around. As what could be the soundtrack to the current winds of change across the Arab world, the 4 lads released in 2006 their album “Death to tyrants”. Loud shouts for justice!
C -Ya
collateral – April 2011
Wind
Syria’s security forces are shooting at demonstrators. People killed. The Yemeni president is throwing new offers on the table to calm his people’s fury. People killed. Bahrain is still clamping down on any dissent. People jailed. Citizens in Egypt are back on the street asking for harsh punishment for former president Mubarak. Fresh protests in Tunisia to demand faster reform after the Tunisians toppled their president some months ago. Frustrations growing in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Diplomatic and military stalemate in Libya, while Gadaffi uses cluster bombs in the town of Misrata. Death toll mounting. The wind of change is still blowing across the Middle East.
Meanwhile soldiers in Africa’s tiny nation of Burkina Faso are on the rampage. They want more money. Uganda’s opposition leader arrested three times in one week. Mad Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe utters new insanity towards the West. The stalemate in Ivory Coast is broken but the body count keeps rising. Religious-inspired riots in Nigeria after the elections. Arrests and killings. South African police shoots from close range at an unarmed protestor and then beat him to dead. In front of the TV cameras. The man was part of a group of citizens demanding clean water and electricity.
More aftershocks in Japan. The misery never ends.
The world seems angry and in turmoil. Human behaviour is the match on the powder line.
Meanwhile it seems that trying to land somewhere at an airport across the USA after hours has become a dangerous mission. More and more reports of traffic controllers deeply asleep on the job. Or occupied with entertaining themselves instead of keeping the sky safe. One guy told a pilot to keep circling for a bit cause he was watching a Samuel L. Jackson movie. Kick that!
Taking a plane in the US might be risky business, but being a small kid and going to school seems also pretty dangerous territory. Three kids at a school in Texas were injured when a handgun went of accidentally. Shit happens. But what is really alarming is that the gun was brought to school by a 6-year old! Kick that. How does a 6-year old get hold of a gun?
It’s a crazy world out there. Maybe the kid wanted to keep up the reputation of Texas as a gun loving state.
Human behaviour is a finger on the trigger.
Back to the sandpits. Syria lifted its 50-year old state of emergency. What ongoing and growing public rage can do! The revolution will be televised. The family-dictatorship in Damascus kept the terror reign going for too long. And a state of emergency is the perfect trick from the mad ruler’s handbook to keep opponents in jail (and rot away in silence); media under tight control; keep the army generals happy through slash funds and stolen tax money; and install a general system of fear to keep the people silent and oppressed.
The winds of rage across the Middle east - started by the suicide of the Tunisian vegetable seller - have not left Syria untouched. Many dictators are so arrogant and so far away from reality that they think ‘it’ will not happen in their country. Till the wind picks up and the anger boils over. The Tunisian uprising have shown the people living under dictators’ boots that enough is enough and people power can achieve change. Rage against the machine of state control and state terror.
Not that all change will be positive and a direct path to solid democracy and all out freedom. The revolution has many pitfalls and booby traps. But it has to start somewhere one day to make at least change possible. The dictators and the looters of the state coffers must just recognize and realise that it can happen in their country too.
Living in decadent luxury, behind high walls and surrounded by men armed to the teeth. Hookers deluxe and cases of Johnny Walker Blue Label. Swiss bank accounts and holiday homes in France and Beverly Hills. Shopping sprees in Dubai and London. Ferraris and Masseratis. Fat as overweight pigs. But now realizing that the end of all this could just be around the corner. Be aware!
Burn the palace down. Raise it to the ground. Justice for their crimes. Recover stolen state funds. Resist. Revolt.
Listen for the wind and hear the roaming anger.
Human behaviour can be caged for long but nor for an eternity.
Another revolution is happening. More silent. Less deadly. Another one that some leaders many years ago thought would never happen. They were so confident back then that their chosen path was the right one and the one till eternity.
But winds blow and things change. And monuments come crumbling down. Stone by stone.
Fidel Castro has fully retired. Democracy is still a dream in Cuba as his brother took over the reins. But the communist dogma is crumbling. Step by step. Private ownership is soon possible in Cuba. Kick that. The ultimate sin of capitalism. Ownership! Have a rum and a cigar to celebrate that...
Throw out. The Foo Fighters have done it again. “Wasting Light” is their newest album and rocks it hard as we are used from the foos. And for the track “White Limo” the band made a video with a cameo appearance by Lemmy from Motorhead. That’s serious. And to keep supporting (struggling) local record stores Foo Fighters also just released “Medium Rare”, an album with covers. A special edition to mark worldwide record store day (just passed). So the foos ain’t standing still....
C -Ya
collateral – April 2011
Meanwhile soldiers in Africa’s tiny nation of Burkina Faso are on the rampage. They want more money. Uganda’s opposition leader arrested three times in one week. Mad Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe utters new insanity towards the West. The stalemate in Ivory Coast is broken but the body count keeps rising. Religious-inspired riots in Nigeria after the elections. Arrests and killings. South African police shoots from close range at an unarmed protestor and then beat him to dead. In front of the TV cameras. The man was part of a group of citizens demanding clean water and electricity.
More aftershocks in Japan. The misery never ends.
The world seems angry and in turmoil. Human behaviour is the match on the powder line.
Meanwhile it seems that trying to land somewhere at an airport across the USA after hours has become a dangerous mission. More and more reports of traffic controllers deeply asleep on the job. Or occupied with entertaining themselves instead of keeping the sky safe. One guy told a pilot to keep circling for a bit cause he was watching a Samuel L. Jackson movie. Kick that!
Taking a plane in the US might be risky business, but being a small kid and going to school seems also pretty dangerous territory. Three kids at a school in Texas were injured when a handgun went of accidentally. Shit happens. But what is really alarming is that the gun was brought to school by a 6-year old! Kick that. How does a 6-year old get hold of a gun?
It’s a crazy world out there. Maybe the kid wanted to keep up the reputation of Texas as a gun loving state.
Human behaviour is a finger on the trigger.
Back to the sandpits. Syria lifted its 50-year old state of emergency. What ongoing and growing public rage can do! The revolution will be televised. The family-dictatorship in Damascus kept the terror reign going for too long. And a state of emergency is the perfect trick from the mad ruler’s handbook to keep opponents in jail (and rot away in silence); media under tight control; keep the army generals happy through slash funds and stolen tax money; and install a general system of fear to keep the people silent and oppressed.
The winds of rage across the Middle east - started by the suicide of the Tunisian vegetable seller - have not left Syria untouched. Many dictators are so arrogant and so far away from reality that they think ‘it’ will not happen in their country. Till the wind picks up and the anger boils over. The Tunisian uprising have shown the people living under dictators’ boots that enough is enough and people power can achieve change. Rage against the machine of state control and state terror.
Not that all change will be positive and a direct path to solid democracy and all out freedom. The revolution has many pitfalls and booby traps. But it has to start somewhere one day to make at least change possible. The dictators and the looters of the state coffers must just recognize and realise that it can happen in their country too.
Living in decadent luxury, behind high walls and surrounded by men armed to the teeth. Hookers deluxe and cases of Johnny Walker Blue Label. Swiss bank accounts and holiday homes in France and Beverly Hills. Shopping sprees in Dubai and London. Ferraris and Masseratis. Fat as overweight pigs. But now realizing that the end of all this could just be around the corner. Be aware!
Burn the palace down. Raise it to the ground. Justice for their crimes. Recover stolen state funds. Resist. Revolt.
Listen for the wind and hear the roaming anger.
Human behaviour can be caged for long but nor for an eternity.
Another revolution is happening. More silent. Less deadly. Another one that some leaders many years ago thought would never happen. They were so confident back then that their chosen path was the right one and the one till eternity.
But winds blow and things change. And monuments come crumbling down. Stone by stone.
Fidel Castro has fully retired. Democracy is still a dream in Cuba as his brother took over the reins. But the communist dogma is crumbling. Step by step. Private ownership is soon possible in Cuba. Kick that. The ultimate sin of capitalism. Ownership! Have a rum and a cigar to celebrate that...
Throw out. The Foo Fighters have done it again. “Wasting Light” is their newest album and rocks it hard as we are used from the foos. And for the track “White Limo” the band made a video with a cameo appearance by Lemmy from Motorhead. That’s serious. And to keep supporting (struggling) local record stores Foo Fighters also just released “Medium Rare”, an album with covers. A special edition to mark worldwide record store day (just passed). So the foos ain’t standing still....
C -Ya
collateral – April 2011
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