Sunday Reading | Double header

Not having much sleep here at cheztyger, the boy is cutting another tooth, so it’s a case of the walking dead at the moment. I certainly don’t have the vigour to write anything constructive.

The heating is back on, so at least I’m not knackered and shivering.

Anyway - Sunday Reading… Why not try Niall Ferguson on the Chinese-American trade imbalance or Will Hutton on the Euston Manifesto?

Freezin!

We have a problem with the combi-boiler, and the house is freezing. The plumber isn’t returning our calls. I had a ice-cold shower this morning and my partner had to use a bucket of hot water; she’s not a bloody hatchback.

I had a look at the boiler and ensured the pressure was ok, but it looks like the ignition, so we’re going to need parts. My mother always said, don’t mess with underage girls or gas, so I’m not going to fiddle with it.

If that plumber doesn’t call today, I’m going to hunt him down like a dog.

Poor debating

Do you know what annoys me?

Of course you don’t know what annoys me, how could you know? Unless you’re psychic, and if you are, clear off, you weirdoes freak me out.

Anyway back to the script…

What annoys me, is the post-Iraq sarcastic auto-response from the Pro-War lobby that goes:

Oh, yeah, it’s all about the oil.

It’s usually followed by a yawning emoticon, for added sarcasmic resonance. It’s used, naturally, to kill off any argument that ensuring cheap, ever-flowing supplies of oil may, in some way, influence US foreign policy. I mean, what a far-fetched conspiracy theory that is?

The fact is almost all foreign policy is economic. Access to factors of production has always represented a motive for international diplomacy and war.

It’s a weak response to a blindingly obvious argument.

The Corrie-Nation

I was deeply moved. Her story is a very American one. Her intimate struggle to determine and express her self identity is eerily familiar. A suffocating, bland and odorless Nothing hangs over the land.

Over on Diary of a Skeptic, Chagnon has posted about his trip to The Playhouse Theatre, London, to see My Name is Rachel Corrie, here.

Famously the play was cancelled in NYC.

Another historian warns of a dangerous future

An apocalyptic warning from Timothy Garton Ash, on the subject of the international stalemate over Iran, in today’s Guardian, here.

Nial Ferguson, another historian, wrote something similar back in January, here (pdf).

More resignations at the Whitehouse

The press will be glad to see the back of Scott McClellan, he was a stooge, and had the limited vocabulary of an Albertan chemical engineer. But as far as the administration’s mechanics, he was a ‘nobody’ behind the scenes.

Rove’s removal from policy is two-pronged. One he will concentrate on this years Senate and Congressional elections, his strengths are in solidifying the social conservative vote. The other is the abject failure of Bush’s second term domestic policy. He has failed to pass a single major bill, without it either being diluted, or defeated outright.

Considering Bush has enjoyed Republican dominance in both houses, this must represent a serious lack of confidence in his ability to govern. Also, let’s not forget, it was Republican dissent that forced these changes, including the replacement of Andy Card. There had been whispers from leading GOP Senators and Member of Congress for months.

David Cameron’s new blog

Is David Cameron the first leader to blog?

Tuesday 18 April 2006

Hello everybody!

Well, what a week I’ve had! Talk about no rest for the wicked - I’ve been up to my opposable eyeballs in work, work, work!

I’ve been filming non stop for my very own programme, all about little old me. You’ll love it - The exciting adventures of one chameleon and his heroic rise to the top with me as the star. Hurrah!

I just can’t wait for you all to see it. They’ve managed to capture my best side I think, and I look jolly spiffing standing in front of all those microphones…

Oops! Silly me! Don’t want to give away all the best bits!

You’ll just have to watch me tonight on BBC2 at 5.55pm, on ITV at 6.25pm or on BBC1 at 6.55pm, or click here to see more of Dave’s adventures.

See you all there!

Dave

Central Funding is undemocratic

If we introduce central funding for political parties, how will this be attributed?

One assumes it will be the basis of current seats, so the dominant party will get the most finance, meaning we may end up with a one-party state, the party in power can, in effect, control the ‘message.’

Or maybe the three major parties will get an equal share? But what about the Greens, the Libertarian Party, the SNP, or Plaid Cymru, how will they break into the mainstream? Or how could I set up a political party, unless I was allowed to wet my beak in the available funds?

Central funding will ring-fence the main political parties, and dislocate them from their responsibility of courting a membership. Our parties will be even more homogenous and nebulous, and the differences, and therefore the choice, will become evermore vague.

Political parties are corrupt now, so what difference will central funding make? They will still subvert the system.

Central funding is undemocratic, and the fact that parties are calling for it, is every reason to reject it. This demand is systematic of their abject failure.

Let them die, let’s not stump up cash for life-support.

Blair and May 5th

In less than a month, we will have our local elections, and the news that the British National Party may enjoy increased success, has certainly animated the body politic, and filed hundreds of column inches. But the real news will be the collapse of the Labour Party, as the electorate delivers its latest verdict on the government’s performance.

I expect a damning judgment.

No doubt, victory in some wards for the BNP, would be a devastating indictment for the failures of political multiculturalism, but on the wider scene, I expect both the Conservatives and Lib Dems to enjoy some success.

You see, Tony Blair New Labour Party is, utterly and completely, morally bankrupt. Now I know, all political parties are corrupt, amorphous, and devoid of any ethical value, but the recent Cash for Peerages scandal, has surely been the nail in the coffin for the New Labour project.

Labour have sold their base-support down the river, as they ‘modernised’ and ‘reformed’ their message, and now they lack the financial foundations to fight their elections, so they must turn to criminal acts to oil the wheels of their campaign. Now the centre ground, on which they have built their new church, is repulsed by their flagrant abuse of the law, and nauseous at their attempts to squirm and spin their way out of any accountability.

One wonders what political capital Blair will have left, if indeed, Labour is demolished in the election. One imagines the rancour for his head will be deafening.

Tsunami pledges almost in

When you consider how pathetic nation states are at delivering on their aid promises, don’t you think this is fairly good going?

From Reuters:

“The world’s response to the tsunami was the best ever,” U.N. emergency coordinator Jan Egeland said. “Governments, the private sector, and individuals around the world opened their hearts and their wallets. Private donations for the tsunami eclipsed anything seen before,” he told Reuters.

However, ironically, it’s the charity organisations themselves, who have failed in co-ordinating the relief:

Bad co-ordination did not just waste cash but in some cases endangered the very communities agencies were trying to help.

Langenbach told how MSF doctors turned up to vaccinate children only to discover other groups had been there before them, but had failed to leave any records.

“In the end no one knew any more who had been vaccinated so there was a risk that some people were getting vaccinated two or three times and others not at all,” he said.

[...]

Aidworkers said one lesson that had to be relearned was the need to consult and involve local communities. Not only does this ensure aid is appropriate but it is important psychologically in helping survivors take back control of their lives and in building a stable society.

“There’s an important distinction between operating with a sense of urgency and operating with a sense of haste,” The U.N.’s Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Eric Schwartz said.

“Recovery is far more difficult than relief. If you’re asking me am I worried it’s going to be a multi-year process the answer is; No, I’m not. Do I think you need to move with a greater sense of urgency on issues like getting people out of tents and into transitional shelters? Absolutely. And there it is appropriate to light a fire under officials.”

Asa’ad | An appeal

I have a friend, who I know through an international politics forum, whose is struggling to make ends meet in war-torn Baghdad. He a civil engineer by trade, but unable to work, not only because on high unemployment, but because as a Christian, he is discriminated against in this religiously divided city.

His name is Asa’ad, and recently his mother was taken ill with serious medical problems and complications - cardiac, renal and pulmonary. Despite his mother’s grave condition, she will be discharged untreated, if Asa’ad cannot raise the deposit, as a guarantee that he can fund her treatment.

Of course Asa’ad cannot pay for this treatment, so myself and a few other forum folk are looking to raise the necessary funds, which can then be wired to Asa’ad.

I have not known Asa’ad too long, unlike the other members of the forum, but his bravery, and optimism, in the face of a harsh reality, have always impressed and humbled me.

If any readers, or anyone who happens to stumble across this blog, are aware of any organization that may be able to help Asa’ad, please let me know so I can attempt to contact them. The amount of money we are looking for is not a vast amount, around £1,000, and this would make an immense difference to one amazing man and his family.

I may set-up a PayPal account, in attempt to raise some funds via micro-finance, but ideally I would like to find organizations that specialize in such cases.

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading, and if you know of any organisations that may help, please leave a comment below.

Ructions in Alexandria

I have just added an excellent new link on the blogroll, for a US blogger of Egyptian descent, Alb Sayed قلب سيد. I have just been reading a post about some religious trouble that is fermenting in Alexandria.

This is the first I have read about any trouble:-

A (supposedly) crazed man (or men) enter three churches within the span of thirty minutes (some say less) armed with knives of some sort, and begin slicing everyone in their path. Christians, justifiably angry, protest over the violence and what they feel is a Muslim, government supported, conspiracy against them that is a result of years of being discriminated against in their own country. Muslims start a counter protest over, what they feel are Christians over flexing their muscle and attacking innocent Muslims unjustifiably. Throw the Egyptian police and their beat anyone senseless who dares to even look at you startegy into the mix, and you have a home grown, very violent, extremely uncivil, no holds bar, Egyptian riot.”

A (supposedly) crazed man (or men) enter three churches within the span of thirty minutes (some say less) armed with knives of some sort, and begin slicing everyone in their path. Christians, justifiably angry, protest over the violence and what they feel is a Muslim, government supported, conspiracy against them that is a result of years of being discriminated against in their own country. Muslims start a counter protest over, what they feel are Christians over flexing their muscle and attacking innocent Muslims unjustifiably. Throw the Egyptian police and their beat anyone senseless who dares to even look at you startegy into the mix, and you have a home grown, very violent, extremely uncivil, no holds bar, Egyptian riot.

The violence will probably go on for a few more days. And even when it subsides, it will hardly mean that the emotions fueling the rage on both sides have evaporated. The underlying fact remains that, crazy or not, the assailant or assailants, although individually not representative of Islam, have personified through their actions the hateful language that is routinely spoken by and about fellow countrymen. This goes for both sides, but obviously the Muslim majority feels that they have the right to spew this hatred from loudspeakers during Friday sermons. While the Christian minority keeps it confined to family and friends.

Evolutionary Musings

An interesting post on Mr Zhisou’s blog regarding the characteristics of intelligent life, here.

Twelfth Night Orthodox Celebrations

A bit late to be showing these pics from January, but still worth a look, just to see these Orthodox Christians enjoying a brisk dip in freezing Moscow.

From MOSNEWS: -

Russian Orthodox Christians have a tradition of celebrating the Twelfth-Night (the Eve of the Epiphany) by swimming in ice-holes that symbolize the baptism of Jesus Christ in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. And it does not matter if water in the Israeli river is much warmer than water in Russia rivers. True believers are inspired by their religious enthusiasm.

But this year only the bravest Orthodox Russians got changed into swimming costumes to perform the feat. Temperatures in Moscow dropped to minus-30 Celsius (minus-22 Fahrenheit) overnight and at least 24 people have died of hypothermia across Russia over four days of frigid weather.

Guns ‘n ammo!

What’s still the best assault rifle in the world?