Winston

Putting that X on the ballot paper is serious business. It’s a very vital part of building a democratic, just society. Be it in darkest Africa, or be it in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Speaking of Afghanistan. The elections there seem a distant memory but still no final results. The counting is still ongoing. Mad. It’s poisonous to take such a long time to count the X’s. The longer you wait the more tension and stories – true or false – of unfairness and rigging. Already now there are hundreds of official complaints that have been lodged. Doubts if it all went right or wrong are growing. And the releasing of results drip by drip doesn’t help as it fuels the tensions and rumours and doubts and speculations. Afghanistan on the edge.

So we are still waiting. But ever-growing doubts that whoever wins these elections will not be accepted by all – especially amidst the pile of complaints of election fraud. And what’s next? The international force troop level was increased to improve safety during the election period. But what’s next? These extra troops can’t stay there for too long. Especially as pressure back home from where these troops come - be it Germany or the UK or the US – is growing to bring the boys (and girls) back home. The vision of a long, endless mission is growing. The ghost of Vietnam is creeping down the graveyards and into the communities. There is no easy solution. And certainly not as the international community keeps making mistakes with civilians casualties by error-airstrikes, and keeps changing its social and economic policy and approach towards the farming community across Afghanistan. And amidst all that the poppy culture is just growing and growing across the land. Hello heroin addicts!

Every second of every day. That is how democracy is built. Not by blitz actions or political propaganda. It’s a process that needs nourishing on a constant basis.

Elections soon also in Germany. The issue of troop presence in Afghanistan is playing heavily in the election race in Europe’s heartland. But current prime minister Merkel seems reasonably solid and very hopeful to stay in office. Germany is a great example of stability and solid democracy. Coming out of the ashes of world war two and fascism it has turned into some kind of model state. Not that it is paradise and all is perfect. It just has built up very solid democratic, social and judicial structures from which many countries can learn. It has somewhat an external image of a boring place, but Germany as a nation with its schools, hospitals, social benefits, voting rights, workers rights, free market approach,... has done very well. No doubt about that. Respect where respect is due.

From a good example to a rotten one. The one puts the other one in perspective.

Gabon on Africa’s west coast. A dictatorship since independence. The longest serving man-in-power of Africa. A fiefdom of an undemocratic ruler protected by its former coloniser France amidst a pool of harsh poverty. So the president-king dies. Old age. Under pressure of changing times elections are organised. The dictator’s son wants to continue the family reign. He wins the elections, but in Gabon a single majority wins. So you don’t need more than 50% percent to take the crown. Whoever got the most votes - even if it only represents 40% of the casted votes – takes it all. And the dictator’s son wins. Takes the power. Elections to continue a royal-style rule. Violent clashes and deaths in Gabon’s 2nd city. But the world moves on. Gabon’s vast majority goes back to survival mode. The pool of poverty just doesn’t dry up. And the ruling family - and its supporting maffia - can continue to cash in on Gabon’s oil wealth and use private jets to go to Paris for hair treatments, dentist appointments and lavish parties with caviar and French champagne. Meanwhile the masses fight for the rotten crumbs on the city’s trash site.

Speaking of oil. I picked up that some American senator or member of Congress is angry that Scotland released the Libyan Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds. The killer is apparently at heaven’s door (or wherever he goes after his last breath) because of cancer. Remember the dude was sentenced to life for being the orchestrator of the bombing of the Pan Am flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. I think it was in the 80s. And it was a bloodbath.

So the US politician now madly screams that Scotland – who had the legal authority and not London – released the mass killer to ‘soften’ possible oil deals between the UK and Libya in the near future. So he claims that a trade deal is at the heart of the release and thus that British trade opportunities have torpedoed British justice.

It’s pretty thick coming from a US politician. The whole American foreign policy is based on business deals and trade opportunities. Who the hell is this American politician to become holier than thou? It’s ridiculous. Look inside your own policy making first before going on a verbal rampage against others.

Of course trade relations always play a role in political decisions. And with political decisions I mean the wider set of policy making, and thus also political undercurrents of judicial decisions, or political aspects of human rights criticism, or trade reasons to ‘export’ democracy or keep silent on dictators. It’s all over the world the same tune. Big bucks drives policy.

So can this US politician just shut up and get real. Double standards freak! Taking ‘ethical’ advice on foreign policy decision from a US senator or Congress member is like asking Italian prime minister and loverboy Berlusconi guidelines on being faithful. Or asking China advice on multi-party democracy. Or Sudan about internal war crimes. Or Zimbabwe’s nutter Mugabe about fair elections and solid economic policies. Or Canada about football aka soccer. Or Iran about fair trials for political opponents. Or Venezuelan president Chavez about free media. Or India about traffic regulations. It’s all a sour joke.

Human behaviour is a sickening process of being deaf, dumb and blind.

And what is all this fuss about Obama’s video to kids about the importance of doing well at school and studying hard. What’s all this rightwing venom about socialism and indoctrinating kids? Where were these same loudmouths when cowboy Reagan, Bush Sr, and Bush Jr all went to schools themselves to address kids directly? I didn’t hear those scaremongers then. Nice and quiet back then.

And Bush Jr even held the schoolbook upside down in front of the youngsters. Remember that famous picture of Bush Jr in the classroom on that day of infamy – 9/11? What an example is that to the youth of America? I am your president but can’t even recognize I am holding a children’s book upside down. What about that? Too dumb to recognize dumbness.

Rightwing, conservative America still just can’t grip reality that a black man is in the white house. It is just beyond their wildest dreams. Reality has crossed the Rubicon. Talking communism and indoctrination about Obama’s “learn good”- speech to school kids, but no word about brainwash when they teach about God & guns to their own children. Just a bunch of frustrated, narrow minded cavemen. And keep in mind we are not talking about the Republican party in the good old Eisenhower tradition. No, the Republican party has turned into a nasty frustrated fringe clan for the likes of cold war addict Palin, torturer Cheney and muscle freak Schwarzenegger. Welcome to reality.

I heard somebody on the radio yesterday saying the classic line that today was the first day of the rest of his life. First price for smartness. Yesterday was also the most recent day of your past. And tomorrow is the second day of the rest of your life. If tomorrow comes! Wow, give that guy a medal for being so smart that I just can’t grasp his intellectual capacity. Kick that.

From school kids, Palin, elections and dirty politics to a pigeon. All in a day’s work.

This is a cool one. South Africa isn’t taking top prices for its internet speed nor for its internet roll out nor for its sky high internet costs. It’s far down on the world scale for all of those.

So there was this one small company that got fed up with its slow, “professional” internet connection through South Africa’s state telecoms company Telkom. So a frustrated employee joked that it would be faster to send the documents with a pigeon. Old style.

Well the joke was put to the test. And here enters Winston the pigeon into the fray. Winston got a 4 gig document put on his leg – on a small USB stick or something like that. The pigeon was released in an office with the goal to fly to another office some distance away. At the same time of Winston’s release the office in the destination location would start downloading that same document.

So you see where this is going, right? Winston reaches destination after a 2 hour flight. As he (or maybe it was a she) clocks in the downloading of that document has only done 4% so far. 4% Of the 4 gig size document. After 2 hours! Kick that. Winston for president!! Telkom board up for resignation please.

Throw out. For no specific reason I decided to listen to Avoid One Thing’s self titled debut album from 2002. Boston tunes with vocals and bass by Joe Gittleman who is more known for his 4 string action in Boston’s famous ska-rock band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Avoid One Thing brings catchy punk rock. Like it.

C-Ya

collateral – September 2009