Just breathe

Ugly statistic. Over a period of 19 months 426 South African police officers were charged with murder, rape, corruption and armed robbery. Kick that! “Serve and Protect” they say.

With statistics you can really play around to make a point stronger. So this situation means that every month just around 22 cops are charged with any of the above criminal acts. I should say, pretty serious criminal acts. That’s between 5 and 6 cops per week. Every week of every month. How bad is that? The men and women in blue turned nasty criminals. Then the authorities wonder why mob justice is growing across South Africa (sadly so). Well if you can’t trust the cops, who to turn to? It’s a creeping rot. A blue rot. A rot with a badge. And a gun.

From the rot within to efforts of peace.

So Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize. Surprisingly I might certainly add. Isn’t this noble award traditionally for people that have contributed to peace and the development towards peace on planet earth? Isn’t it an award for peace deeds done and not for possible future peace deeds done? Obama has good intentions and probably decent plans, but what practically has he done so far that he merits this prestigious prize now. With all respect, but....

And Obama was only 2 months or so behind his desk in the White House when the Nobel Peace Prize Committee closed its nominations list. So what did Obama practically already do and/or achieved by March 2009 to advance peace? It just feels that the understandably Obama-fever also has hit Norway where the Nobel Peace Committee hangs out. It feels that the awarding of this medal to Obama is more a sigh of relief that Bush-clone John McCain didn’t make it last year November. A deep breath of happiness that the Republican warmongers, with the bible in one hand and a machinegun in the other, were pushed to the sidelines of world politics (at least for now). And that is a relief for sure. But the Nobel Peace Prize Committee should stand above that. Haven’t they diminished the real importance of this award by giving it to Obama now? Rewarding intentions have replaced rewarding real action. Commitments to peace have replaced actions towards peace. This prestigious award should be about facts and actions and legacy, instead of hopeful speeches and likable intentions. Too early to put Obama on that pedestal. It’s poisonous.

And where to from now? The prize is nearly a set up for Obama to fail. The hopes are higher than ever while he is just a politician (maybe a good one, but still) in an inhuman, unfriendly American political system. And peace in the Middle East is not just something you do at the flick of a switch, even with the best intentions in mind. The hate there is generations deep. And what about Afghanistan? Are more troops gonna help? Is leaving an automatic surrender to the Taliban? Is staying keeping president Karzai in the saddle against all odds and despite massive fraud in the recent elections? There are, by the way, still no final results of these elections. Still not. And how will Obama’s negotiating partners react? The hawks in Israel. The nuke freak in Tehran. Hamas in Gaza. The Taliban in their mountain caves. They know now that Obama has extra weight on his shoulders. The weight to live up to the expectations of having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Has the Nobel Committee not torpedoed peace itself by awarding Obama this glorious prize and now raising the bar so high that Obama can only fail when it comes to peace in the Middle East, and bringing Iran back from its mad nuke plans, and building a democratic, just society in Afghanistan? How can Obama achieve success now with the Nobel Peace Prize around his neck making every move harder; every plan more scrutinized; every hope shot down faster. The peace dove needs Prozac!

The Committee might have shot themselves in the foot. And oh yes, the Taliban were quick to react. The cavemen are clearly avid followers of world news events. Maybe they have CNN’s Breaking News on their cell phones beeping away.

Let there be peace. Human behaviour is already bloody enough.

Throw out. I had the chance early last month (or was it August?) to hear the then upcoming album “Backspacer” from Seattle rockers Pearl Jam. I was impressed. Now I got the release as such. Great artwork too by the way. And wow, what an album. From the rock-‘n’-roll-on-steroids from “Supersonic” to the intimate, nearly acoustic “Just breathe”; it’s all pure gold. “Are you dropping bombs? Have you heard of diplomatic resolve?” Eddie Vedder sings on “Got some”. An amazing track. The return of producer Brendan O’Brian, who worked with them on their earlier albums, has probably something to do with it that this album is such a jewel.

C - Ya

collateral – October 2009