God & evil

Get this. A truck salesman in the US state of Missouri is offering a free AK-47 when buying a truck or van. So we are not talking about the “traditional” extras that might be thrown into the mix, like extra speakers, sunroof, sporty exhaust pipe, rims,... No, we are talking about an AK-47. A fire weapon.

In fact the AK-47 is the weapon of choice of most rebel fighters around the world. Be it the Talban in the Afghan mountains. Be it the Hutu butchers in eastern Congo. Be it child soldiers in Liberia in the 90s. Be it Islamic fighters in Russia’s hellhole Chechnya. But here in the US Midwest this truck salesman wants to push up his declining sales figures by offering this symbol of resistance as a nice little “extra”. It just sounds surreal. But then again, many ‘thoughts’ coming out of the Midwest are detached from reality.

The salesman said that “The purpose for guns like AK-47s is home defence." Oh, I forgot that typical American mythology of the right to own a gun. And the salesman was quickly to add that "God wants us to defend ourselves against evil." Now the circle is round. God and guns. They strangely seem connected forever. I guess the Taliban in Afghanistan or Pakistan also refers to their “god” when blasting their AKs at NATO soldiers or Pakistan forces. The divine right to kill. For sure self-defence is a respectable issue. But it’s too often a thin line. Besides the extra fact also that too many deadly accidents happen with guns in private homes. Be it kids accessing daddy’s gun, or a domestic flare-up spilling over into a killing zone.

Human behaviour.

From the Midwest to the outside world. A giant leap. Recent days trespassing Americans have made the news. First and foremost there were the 2 American ladies whom crossed by accident into North Korea – the most paranoid nation in the universe. Bad step. Wrong move. They were caught. The paranoia went into overdrive as usual. Stories of spying. CIA. Secret missions. A Hollywood movie in the making. Ridiculous sentence. Fading hope. Cries for help. And help came. Good old Bill Clinton to the rescue. Still hasn’t lost his charm. He went to the evil empire, talked the talk, and came back with the 2 ladies. The nation’s hero. George Bush Junior must be depressed back at the ranch in Texas. Big points for slick Bill while George was praying back down in the south. Hollywood is certainly drawing up the script already.

And all this while Bill’s wife Hillary has just started her African tour. It’s like a Clinton competition for whom gets the most media coverage in the household. Hands down victory for Bill. Hillary needs some catching up to do. Their daughter Chelsea must be having fun. It’s Wednesday. Mmh, let’s check my diary. Dad is in the evil empire playing superman, and mom went down to Africa to read those corrupt Kenyans the riot act. I wonder if Chelsea gets her parents frequent flyer miles for a holiday in Hawaii?

Let’s see if Hillary’s tough words toward corrupt politicians in Africa will stand the test of time. Talking tough when the cameras roll and walking the talk afterwards when commercial and / or strategic reasons pop up are too often a different piece of cake. Anyway. I liked her speech in Kenya. She was right and to the point. Let’s wait and see now.

But I am sliding away from my trespassing Americans. So we had the two American ladies saved by Bill from the dungeons of North Korea. Westbound from the Korean peninsula there is that powder keg region called the Middle East. Now some Americans, I think 4, have illegally walked from northern Iraq into Iran. The other evil empire. Bad move. And I am still confused why Americans, or anybody else for that matter, would go on a hiking holiday in northern Iraq. Adventure is one thing. Stupidity another. So they got caught by Iranian cops and are now facing justice for illegally entering Iran. That’s a tough one. Just as the hard line, nuke freak won the presidential race. Bad move. Bad timing. Bad luck. It’s like giving the Iranian president the perfect bargaining chip in his standoff with the West. I should say the West and many others.

Don’t want to be mean but are geography lessons in US schools so bad that Americans don’t know about borders and different countries? Maybe they think that the difference between North and South Korea is just like the difference between California and Nevada? Or that Iran and Iraq are all just part of one nation called the Middle East.

Honestly, you don’t just walk into a country. Can you imagine a Mexican, as he gets arrested by the US cops south of San Diego telling them. ‘Oh, am I in the US? Oh sorry, I was just walking along the river or across the hilltop in Mexico and must have gone lost”. I know, I know. It’s not the same thing (as they say) but I was just thinking about illegals entering the US as I was writing the faith of these Americans trespassing here and there.

Anyway, the 2 ladies are free from their Korean nightmare. Wondering if Bill is buying airline tickets to Iran next? Don’t think so. The poker game with Iran isn’t the same as the one with North Korea.

That’s that for missing Americans. One that wasn’t MIA was the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Wife of superman Bill. Her African safari across 7 countries is in full swing. After corrupt Kenya, she got to South Africa.

She reached the Rainbow nation just as it is facing a winter of discontent. Yes, for those wondering, it’s winter now in the southern hemisphere. South Africa is facing social unrest and protests in all corners. Public service staff (trash collectors, municipal officials, public hospitals staff,... ) have just returned to work after days of striking for better wages. The public broadcaster was on strike. Now the state owned telephone company has laid down tools. Same for the state owned electricity company. And before all these strikes, several poor urban suburbs – townships as they are called – were up in arms, stoning cars and cops, setting tyres on fire on the roads,... as they were angry that they seem to be forgotten by government as they slide deeper into poverty and live in horrible conditions without sanitation, schools, medical facilities nor electricity. Oh, and the main airport in South Africa nearly ran out of fuel. But Hillary wont see any of all this. Red carpet, handshakes here, there and a bit more somewhere else. Fine words. Glass of champagne. Then visiting some social project and off to her next safari-stop Angola.

And all these hick ups as South Africa is getting ready to host the soccer world cup next year. Both Koreas are already qualified for the world cup. Korean war in South Africa! The Netherlands and Australia are also already qualified. Obviously also host South Africa. Japan is nearly ready to buy their tickets I think. Pretty sure the classic stars Brazil, Italy, Germany, Spain and England will make it too. The US seems likely also to come down south next June 2010.

Speaking of soccer or football as it is called more traditionally in Europe. Believe it or not but the Somali Football Federation is still very active despite the war, famine, Islamic attacks, Ethiopian invasion, no central government for about 20 years or so, northern provinces wanting independence, pirates,... Amongst the slaughter the Somali football fever is alive and games are being played. Surreal.

Throw out. Listening to the new release by Death Before Dishonor. It’s called “Better ways to die”. Boston tunes. Hard!

C-Ya

collateral – as August 2009 moves on