Two items seem to keep appearing in the news on a regular basis, one of these of course is Zimbabwe, the other are the pirates around Somalia with their hijacking of vessels and the demand for millions of dollars in ransom.
I wonder, when I look at these two situations in particular, what the hell the United Nations was created for? If memory serves, there was a great deal of displeasure with the former international body that was developed after the First World War ie. The League of Nations because they were simply unable to take any action internationally that could prevent the horrors that are represented today by the Zimbabwean and Somali situations.
In the case of Somalia, if ever the description of a failed state could be applied it should be here. Half the country is in the hands of rebels the other just less than half is in the hands of pirates while the remainder is in the hands of the so-called government. In a situation like this, if the legitimate government of Somalia called upon the United Nations for assistance I wonder what would happen? Would United Nations actually get support from the nations around the world who would come in with their military and other forces ready to blow the crap out of the rebels and the pirates at the same time as restoring some form of democracy Somalia as an end result?
Unlikely.
Of course it could be argued that it's a 'been there done that' situation, after all the Ethiopians were in there trying to assist for some time and didn't seem to get any support from anyone else.
Now there are forces from various nations in the form of naval vessels steaming around the Gulf but apparently not doing much good if the current news about the hijacking of a German tanker is true.
Zimbabwe, a country that was once the breadbasket of its locale is now greatest failed state of all within the region with an economy that has completely failed and a government that is in tatters. In this case of course it would be difficult to receive a request from the official government to the United Nations for assistance after all the current head of government seems to be the problem together with his military and other commanders. This is another failed state in Africa with a different facade and it's another place where millions of people are starving and from which they are fleeing in their thousands and being foisted on the world as refugees.
As countries around the world settle them into their own societies and train them in their languages and hopefully integrate them into their ways of life, I wonder how many of them will see work over the next few years as economic depression rather than a so-called recession hits most of the "developed"world?
This is not the time to be a refugee, this is not the time to be an immigrant, this is not the time to be homeless, this is not the time to be dependent on charity. As those who in the past have enjoyed a reasonable way of life contemplate their immediate future of poverty or at least least less economic freedom than they have known, so their thoughts are likely to turn to the preservation of their income and their assets for their own use and not to charity.
The next few years are likely to see a great deal of "me me me" without any reference to "you."
On this particular occasion I do not want to be a prophet to the future, but what I see around me is a lot of doom and gloom for a lot of people. I'm not sure what the Rudd government can do on this occasion, even with the surplus that it had to spend from previous years economies and I am certainly not sure what if anything the current opposition is likely to bring the subject.
If you want to see more about the Somali hijackings try the following link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7847351.stm
As for Zimbabwe don't bother to look, the news is just too depressing!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
One last thing about refugees
I was focused the other day not the only on the destruction that had taken place in the Gaza refugee camps, as a result of the Israeli military operation, but on some interesting commentary that has come out in the papers since then. There was the example a picture of an old man sitting on his lonesome with a green flag unfurled above his head. What was he doing there on his own? Simple, he had responded to a call for Hamas supporters to demonstrate on the streets of Gaza. Why were there no others with him? That's not really a question that I can answer from here in Australia, however there are people in the Middle East with far more local knowledge of the subject than I, suggesting that while the armed Hamas supporters are now claiming a victory in the midst of the death and destruction that has taken place, there is some recognition by the general population that if he destruction that has taken place is seen as a victory it would be interesting to see what a loss would look like.
Policemen are reappearing on the streets wearing their weapons, Hamas fighters are also appearing with their arms and this has set people to wondering where they were when the fighting was going on. They seemed to have melted into the background at that point, and the general population in Gaza seems to be voting with its feet when a called upon to congregate in celebration of the great "victory" that was won over the last few days. Hence the lonesome old man with his green flag unfurled perhaps.
At the same time as all this was going on in Gaza there was also a meeting of the Arabic countries of the Middle East to see what they would think they could or would be able to do to support the Palestinians.
Saudi Arabia was at the forefront of trying to mend fences and bring unity to the representatives surrounding the conference table. A Syrian representatives apparently was interested only in trying to label " the Israeli entity" as a terrorist organisation rather than discuss what if any needs the Palestinian refugees had in Gaza.
What the Syrian representatives did not mention, I suspect, was the way in which Palestinian refugees are being treated within Syria and elsewhere in Arabic countries - this story from the archives about Iraq is just one example.
Similarly there are other Arab countries around the Middle East who will accept Palestinian refugees, but who have not accepted that these same people should become part and parcel of their citizenry and lose their status of refugee over time.
Australia has accepted refugees from all sorts of countries over the years including no doubt some from the former Palestine. Have these people being put into refugee camps and forced to stay there? I think not. They have been integrated into the communities into which they were eventually settled and have become part and parcel of the Australian way of life. They have retained the right of return to their country of origin and some have no doubt taken up this option. For most others though, Australia is a country that has accepted people from everywhere in the world and actually spent loads of resources helping them to settle in this country. This investment in human beings from all over the world has been repaid many fold by well integrated citizens who have participated with gusto in the life of Australia and have indeed made their unique contributions from within their cultures to the developing Australian culture that today people find both interesting and welcoming when they visit or as they grow up in it.
Australia is today a truly multicultural society thanks to all of those people who have come to our shores regardless of their condition at the time.
I suspect that many countries in the world could learn from what has been achieved in Australia
As I reminisce about the past I look at what is being provided to refugees elsewhere in the world today and think that many of the services that were pioneered in this country could perhaps be mentioned in discussions with representatives of those countries and that some of the lessons that have been learned "along the way" passed on to them as a way of trying to assist them by providing opportunities to learn from the difficulties as well as the successes of our past.
There appear to be certain countries in the world who are not dealing successfully with their refugees, if by "success" we mean the successful integration of refugees into the host population. If we do not mean success in these terms, then I for one would be interested in finding out what the meaning is in those places. Where we have successive years of countries that open their doors to refugees, presumably they mean to give them refuge and then allow them to make the choice of staying in the host country or returning to their home country as and when conditions change. Maintaining their refugee status for decades at a time is not what I would consider as being the goal of a refugee policy.
Still, what would I know, I am just an arm chair blogger after all.
Policemen are reappearing on the streets wearing their weapons, Hamas fighters are also appearing with their arms and this has set people to wondering where they were when the fighting was going on. They seemed to have melted into the background at that point, and the general population in Gaza seems to be voting with its feet when a called upon to congregate in celebration of the great "victory" that was won over the last few days. Hence the lonesome old man with his green flag unfurled perhaps.
At the same time as all this was going on in Gaza there was also a meeting of the Arabic countries of the Middle East to see what they would think they could or would be able to do to support the Palestinians.
Saudi Arabia was at the forefront of trying to mend fences and bring unity to the representatives surrounding the conference table. A Syrian representatives apparently was interested only in trying to label " the Israeli entity" as a terrorist organisation rather than discuss what if any needs the Palestinian refugees had in Gaza.
What the Syrian representatives did not mention, I suspect, was the way in which Palestinian refugees are being treated within Syria and elsewhere in Arabic countries - this story from the archives about Iraq is just one example.
In 2006 the UNWRA produced a publication that shows that there were over 119,000 registered Palestinian refugees in Syria in that year. What is shameful about this is that it supports the reality that the Syrian population has not absorbed these people since 1948 in some cases and 1967 in others. Why they have not been assimilated into the general population is not a question I can answer, but it may be something the Syrian government can and perhaps should be asked.BBSNews 2007-04-24 - RAMADI, (IRIN) -- Palestinians living in Iraq's Anbar province have come under increasing pressure from militants to leave or be killed, NGOs and Palestinians say.
The remaining displaced from Ramadi still receive assistance from aid agencies but many have returned to the city. [Date picture taken: 11/13/2006] Image Afif Sarhan/IRIN
Palestinians in the capital, Baghdad, have long been threatened by armed groups and harassed by authorities but threats to them in other provinces are a new development, aid workers say. Sunni-dominated Anbar used to protect Palestinians, who are predominantly Sunni too, but times have changed."Palestinians had been looking for safety and had found it in Anbar province but now they are being targeted [there also]. The threats they have received are an effrontery against the feelings of Muslim Arabs. They have nowhere to go and might be killed if they try to go to another place," Mahmoud Aydan, a media officer for the Ramadi council, said.
"We believe that there are about 150 families taking refuge in different cities of Anbar province but they haven't been registered with the National Food Programme which makes it harder to know their exact location," Aydan said.
A spokesman for the Baghdad-based Palestinian Muslims Association (PMA) said he was concerned about the fate of Palestinians in Anbar governorate after militants left threatening notes on the doors of Palestinians taking refuge in the area.
"At least 17 families have fled Ramadi [capital of Anbar and about 100 km west of Baghdad] after militants gave them a week to leave their homes or become the next victims of violence in Iraq," Ahmed Muffitlak, a spokesman for PMA, said.
Palestinians have nowhere to go
"But they don't have anywhere to go. Some families told me they are going to try to reach the al-Waleed camp near the Syrian border. Others expect to be accepted in Baghdad's Sunni neighbourhoods," he added.
In Baghdad, Palestinians - especially those in the mainly Palestinian neighbourhoods of Baladiat, Hurriyah and Iskan - continue to be discriminated against and continue to receive threats to leave the country.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a press statement in March that at least 186 Palestinians have been murdered in Baghdad between April 2004 and January 2007, while about 15,000 Palestinians remain in Iraq, fewer than half the number who had lived there previously.
Muffitlak reiterated the PMA's call for the protection of Palestinian refugees in Iraq and has urged the Iraqi government and international NGOs to assist the threatened families in Anbar.
"They should do something before more Palestinians are killed. It is the minimum they can do to save so discriminated against a community, which cannot even return to its original land," added Muffitlak, who is in Ramadi trying to persuade the local authorities to protect Palestinians.
Ahmed Raki, a 43-year-old Palestinian father of three lives in Ramadi. He is looking for a place at al-Waleed camp on the Syrian border, which has become a makeshift home for hundreds of Palestinians fleeing violence.
"There are dozens of [Palestinian] families living with Iraqis in Ramadi, Fallujah and al-Qaim and the threats have been delivered to their homes. We don't have money, goods and some elderly people are very sick, requiring urgent medical assistance. But they will be forced to flee the area to save their lives," said Raki.
"Two girls from our community were raped last week by militants who told them that it was a message to the Palestinians in Anbar to leave the area," Raki added. "I have to leave before my two daughters meet the same fate."
Similarly there are other Arab countries around the Middle East who will accept Palestinian refugees, but who have not accepted that these same people should become part and parcel of their citizenry and lose their status of refugee over time.
Australia has accepted refugees from all sorts of countries over the years including no doubt some from the former Palestine. Have these people being put into refugee camps and forced to stay there? I think not. They have been integrated into the communities into which they were eventually settled and have become part and parcel of the Australian way of life. They have retained the right of return to their country of origin and some have no doubt taken up this option. For most others though, Australia is a country that has accepted people from everywhere in the world and actually spent loads of resources helping them to settle in this country. This investment in human beings from all over the world has been repaid many fold by well integrated citizens who have participated with gusto in the life of Australia and have indeed made their unique contributions from within their cultures to the developing Australian culture that today people find both interesting and welcoming when they visit or as they grow up in it.
Australia is today a truly multicultural society thanks to all of those people who have come to our shores regardless of their condition at the time.
I suspect that many countries in the world could learn from what has been achieved in Australia
As I reminisce about the past I look at what is being provided to refugees elsewhere in the world today and think that many of the services that were pioneered in this country could perhaps be mentioned in discussions with representatives of those countries and that some of the lessons that have been learned "along the way" passed on to them as a way of trying to assist them by providing opportunities to learn from the difficulties as well as the successes of our past.
There appear to be certain countries in the world who are not dealing successfully with their refugees, if by "success" we mean the successful integration of refugees into the host population. If we do not mean success in these terms, then I for one would be interested in finding out what the meaning is in those places. Where we have successive years of countries that open their doors to refugees, presumably they mean to give them refuge and then allow them to make the choice of staying in the host country or returning to their home country as and when conditions change. Maintaining their refugee status for decades at a time is not what I would consider as being the goal of a refugee policy.
Still, what would I know, I am just an arm chair blogger after all.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Following the blog:
Unbeknown to me, there have been some changes at Blogger, that now enable you to show that you follow this blog so that other readers can see that you too are a reader and hence a follower.
I have added a widget to my blog that enables you, my readers, to become identified as 'followers' of his blog and hence to be recognised as such.
All you have to do to become a follower is press on the link on the left side of the blog entitled Follow this blog.
The pop-up dialogue box that follows enables you to fill in your details if you wish or to indicate if you wish to follow the blog anonymously. Given these two options as a reader, you are now able to identify yourself and by doing so immediately promote your own blog or your Web page as well as yourself.
I for one would like to know who my readers are and of course I would like to be able to read their blogs or web pages so that I can get an idea of what they are thinking about and how they feel about things in general. Information such as this would enable me to direct my comments about things in my 'audience' that would also enable me to contact individuals if they wish to be identified sufficiently formed in to do so.
So far, as this is a new feature only four of my readers have identified themselves. Check it out, you too can identify yourself as a reader of Pete's Place either anonymously or with your personal details being made available.
Since this is under your complete control the level of identifications is up to you. Try it and invite me into your blog by using the follower widget.
Have fun.
If you want to see what Blogger has to say on the subject visit their help page at http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en-au&answer=104226
Garpet
I have added a widget to my blog that enables you, my readers, to become identified as 'followers' of his blog and hence to be recognised as such.
All you have to do to become a follower is press on the link on the left side of the blog entitled Follow this blog.
The pop-up dialogue box that follows enables you to fill in your details if you wish or to indicate if you wish to follow the blog anonymously. Given these two options as a reader, you are now able to identify yourself and by doing so immediately promote your own blog or your Web page as well as yourself.
I for one would like to know who my readers are and of course I would like to be able to read their blogs or web pages so that I can get an idea of what they are thinking about and how they feel about things in general. Information such as this would enable me to direct my comments about things in my 'audience' that would also enable me to contact individuals if they wish to be identified sufficiently formed in to do so.
So far, as this is a new feature only four of my readers have identified themselves. Check it out, you too can identify yourself as a reader of Pete's Place either anonymously or with your personal details being made available.
Since this is under your complete control the level of identifications is up to you. Try it and invite me into your blog by using the follower widget.
Have fun.
If you want to see what Blogger has to say on the subject visit their help page at http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en-au&answer=104226
Garpet
A final look at the Gaza situation
One of my collaborators has recently posted me an article from the New York Times way back in 2000 that may make some sense about recent proceedings, please check it out.
Gas Deposits Off Israel and Gaza Opening Vision of Joint Ventures
By WILLIAM A. ORME JR.
Published: September 15, 2000
I never know whether these stories can be relied upon. However if there is truth in this story, then less useful minds than mine can find some rationale behind what's been going on in Gaza. The question really is what value will be found from the supporters of Israel and/or the supporters of those living in Gaza. Will they finance further exploration and drilling and then at what cost.
Watch this space I guess is the best we can hope for at this point.
Thanks to Robbie my informant in this case for digging around in his archives. Given my previous understanding about the gas situation in that part of the world this is the last thing I would have expected. It is also amazing to me that in the years since the story first appeared I have never heard anything more about it. Are there any of my readers out there who have?
If so let us know. Show us how clever you are with your Googling. :-)
Of course if it's true, then both sides have to stop being greedy and actually learn how to share a cake or manna from heaven, if you prefer. Otherwise they might blow it all up before either side can benefit from the proceeds.
Of course there are others who are looking at what has been achieved and if we go to the New York Times once again we will be able to look at their version of reality in 2008.
Gas Deposits Off Israel and Gaza Opening Vision of Joint Ventures
By WILLIAM A. ORME JR.
Published: September 15, 2000
I never know whether these stories can be relied upon. However if there is truth in this story, then less useful minds than mine can find some rationale behind what's been going on in Gaza. The question really is what value will be found from the supporters of Israel and/or the supporters of those living in Gaza. Will they finance further exploration and drilling and then at what cost.
Watch this space I guess is the best we can hope for at this point.
Thanks to Robbie my informant in this case for digging around in his archives. Given my previous understanding about the gas situation in that part of the world this is the last thing I would have expected. It is also amazing to me that in the years since the story first appeared I have never heard anything more about it. Are there any of my readers out there who have?
If so let us know. Show us how clever you are with your Googling. :-)
Of course if it's true, then both sides have to stop being greedy and actually learn how to share a cake or manna from heaven, if you prefer. Otherwise they might blow it all up before either side can benefit from the proceeds.
Of course there are others who are looking at what has been achieved and if we go to the New York Times once again we will be able to look at their version of reality in 2008.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Can YOU make it in high finance?
Apparently so, if you have a long ring finger.
We are going from bad to worse in financial areas it seems to me. It doesn't seem to be bad enough to have lost hundreds of billions of dollars of people's money we are now seeking explanations about how to do this well in high-risk financial transactions situations of the future by undertaking research on the length of someone's ring finger. Check this out:
I can see it now, in the future we will be able to make it on to the trading floor simply by holding up our lengthy ring finger and convincing our colleagues that by our exposure to testosterone at an early age we have the skills and the know-how that suits us for future multimillion dollar trades on the floor of a stock market somewhere.
Isn't it bad enough that we have lost hundreds of billions of dollars on the stock market thanks to something that traders and others may have done wrong and now, right now, just as we are seeking to remedy some of the failures of the past Doctor Coates and his research suggests that testosterone in the womb and the production of long ring fingers for male traders may be the answer to the production of skilled traders who can stand the stresses and strains of the stock market floor.
Just when I thought I had heard it all. If this is the way of the future then I see a rocky road ahead.
We are going from bad to worse in financial areas it seems to me. It doesn't seem to be bad enough to have lost hundreds of billions of dollars of people's money we are now seeking explanations about how to do this well in high-risk financial transactions situations of the future by undertaking research on the length of someone's ring finger. Check this out:
By ABC News Online's Katie FranklinIs this guy really serious? If so, then we have some real kooks running business schools in England and probably elsewhere in the world.
Are
Posted Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:48pm AEDT
Updated Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:23pm AEDT
The traders participating in the study specialised in high-frequency trading, which involves fast-paced buying and selling.
The traders participating in the study specialised in high-frequency trading, which involves fast-paced buying and selling. (AFP: Timothy A Clary)
The length of a trader's finger may determine how successful they are on the stock market, new research suggests.
A study conducted by British researchers has found a strong correlation between a person's pre-natal exposure to testosterone and improved financial performance in men on the trading room floor.
The trait of having a relatively long ring finger indicates greater exposure to testosterone in the womb, the researchers noted, and this points to improved performance in high-stress financial areas.
The research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States.
The study's lead author, Dr John Coates from the Judge Business School at Cambridge University, says he began thinking about the role testosterone plays in the behaviour of traders while working on Wall Street.
I can see it now, in the future we will be able to make it on to the trading floor simply by holding up our lengthy ring finger and convincing our colleagues that by our exposure to testosterone at an early age we have the skills and the know-how that suits us for future multimillion dollar trades on the floor of a stock market somewhere.
Isn't it bad enough that we have lost hundreds of billions of dollars on the stock market thanks to something that traders and others may have done wrong and now, right now, just as we are seeking to remedy some of the failures of the past Doctor Coates and his research suggests that testosterone in the womb and the production of long ring fingers for male traders may be the answer to the production of skilled traders who can stand the stresses and strains of the stock market floor.
Just when I thought I had heard it all. If this is the way of the future then I see a rocky road ahead.
Farewell Condoleezza
A recent article on the ABC reported that:
If there are only typographical errors, then shame on the editorial staff. If however there are errors in the use of the English language, then they are not only deplorable, but possibly a reflection on state of education of the people involved.
Please let me know what you think about the state of English language teaching and usage in this country.
Hint 1.
Camp David retreat
Hint 2:
1. suite of rooms or suite of furniture
2. suit of clothing
"United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has bid an emotional farewell to hundreds of staff at the State Department.What readers need to look out for are the typographical errors or perhaps the errors in the usage of the English language in this piece of reportage.
Although technically in office until Tuesday when Barrack Obama is inaugurated as President, Dr Rice is spending the weekend with outgoing President George Bush at his camp David Retreat and Monday is a national holiday.
In the main lobby of the State Department, known as the Hall of Flags, Dr Rice said goodbye to hundreds of cheering colleagues.
Wearing a red suite she said a few words while misty-eyed.
She stopped for pictures, shook hands and then left through the main entrance.
Dr Rice will now return to the world of academia at the University of Stanford in California, leaving history to determine her legacy."
If there are only typographical errors, then shame on the editorial staff. If however there are errors in the use of the English language, then they are not only deplorable, but possibly a reflection on state of education of the people involved.
Please let me know what you think about the state of English language teaching and usage in this country.
Hint 1.
Camp David retreat
Hint 2:
1. suite of rooms or suite of furniture
2. suit of clothing
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
From the waiting room at an ACT Health Centre
You sometimes find the strangest things when you visit ACT health.
On this particular instance I was visiting ACT health as part of a weekly program which is assisting me with a pressure sore. In the waiting room there was this strange thing called The Epoch Times. Believe it or not the thing actually has a web address. I have deliberately not placed the web address for this link into the text that I am typing for you I will actually spell it out. The web address is HTTP://www.theepochtimes.com.au
Try this for yourselves and see what results you get the let me know how you get on. I had a paper version of The Epoch Times to read which told me it's offices are in Forest Rd Hurstville NSW at telephone number (02) 86686188. The entire newsletter is printed in Marrickville.
There is an article in the December 17 - 23 publication labelled edition 204 which is of considerable interest to me.
The title is " Fixing Somali Piracy the 'Jefferson' way" which I hope you too will be able to read at your leisure.
I wrote some comments in jest the other day about our need for the Phantom, a legendary figure from the comic world whose parents, grandparents and many other ancestors fought against piracy, successfully it would seem.
In this article there is an explanation about Thomas Jefferson, a future president of the United States but then First Minister to France and John Adams met Abd Al-Rachman then ambassador to London from Tripoli.
Somehow, I still have this naive expectation that the UN will function the way it was designed and for the purposes for which it was designed if only we gave it a chance.
I wonder if in 2009 with a new American president and through the fiscal crisis, perhaps a willingness to change and do things differently and better we might not get some better outcomes.
On this particular instance I was visiting ACT health as part of a weekly program which is assisting me with a pressure sore. In the waiting room there was this strange thing called The Epoch Times. Believe it or not the thing actually has a web address. I have deliberately not placed the web address for this link into the text that I am typing for you I will actually spell it out. The web address is HTTP://www.theepochtimes.com.au
Try this for yourselves and see what results you get the let me know how you get on. I had a paper version of The Epoch Times to read which told me it's offices are in Forest Rd Hurstville NSW at telephone number (02) 86686188. The entire newsletter is printed in Marrickville.
There is an article in the December 17 - 23 publication labelled edition 204 which is of considerable interest to me.
The title is " Fixing Somali Piracy the 'Jefferson' way" which I hope you too will be able to read at your leisure.
I wrote some comments in jest the other day about our need for the Phantom, a legendary figure from the comic world whose parents, grandparents and many other ancestors fought against piracy, successfully it would seem.
In this article there is an explanation about Thomas Jefferson, a future president of the United States but then First Minister to France and John Adams met Abd Al-Rachman then ambassador to London from Tripoli.
The two envoys of the nascent American Republic inquired; “by what right the Barbary states preyed upon American shipping, enslaving both crews and passengers? Al-Rahman replied in a now familiar refrain; “it was written in the Koran, that all Nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon whoever they could find and to make Slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.” Jefferson noted, with irritation that Al-Rahmen did not fail to; “mention the size of his own commission”, writes Hitchens, in “Thomas Jefferson: Author of America (Eminent Lives)”.
Comprising of today’s Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, the Barbary States terrorised, extorted, kidnapped and enslaved “some 1.5 million European and Americans between 1530 and 1780”. Hitchens surmises, Jefferson had already decided, after his first encounter with the extorting Al- Rahman, that should he become commander-in-chief of American forces, he would strike the Barbary pirates.
And so he did, the first “Barbary Wars” began in 1801, when President Thomas Jefferson dispatched a freshly minted naval squadron to North Africa, to protect American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean. He even assembled a small coalition from Europe’s seafaring nations. The ensuing conflict lasted some 15 years, and concluded with the shelling into submission of Algeria in 1816. The first line of the Marines’ Hymn still invokes the attacks and victory over the Barbary States; “To the shores of Tripoli”.
(then to more recent times)I am unable to check whether the paragraphs above are true or not. If they are however, then I wonder whether America, Russia China and other states whose shipping is being affected (this now includes Saudi Arabia and no doubt will include Iran if it does not do so already) should get together and create a force of warships and military personnel ready and willing and able to clear the world's shipping lanes of the Somali pirate presence and if necessary, with the permission and support of the United Nations, enter Somalia itself to establish law and order there, so that we no longer likely to have have another:
. . .In November, 2002, after the capture of Abd al Rahman al Nashiri, widely acknowledged as Al Qaeda’s chief of maritime operations, interrogators were astonished, “by a 180-page dossier, captured with him, which listed cruise liners sailing from Western ports as "targets of opportunity." The dossier indicated that large cruise ships exceeding 140,000 gross tons and carrying more than 5,000 passengers were desirable targets for terrorists.” Nashiri insisted that if warships became too difficult to approach, tourist ships could be targeted.
“CNN Effect” That famously coined 24/7 news coverage, of starving and dying Somali children, beamed into our lives throughout 1992-1993.Let's deal with Somalia the way that less well informed people did several centuries ago. Let's wipe out the pirates, bring back some law and order and assist Somalia which in my view is now a failed state, to deal properly with its borders and its people.
Somehow, I still have this naive expectation that the UN will function the way it was designed and for the purposes for which it was designed if only we gave it a chance.
I wonder if in 2009 with a new American president and through the fiscal crisis, perhaps a willingness to change and do things differently and better we might not get some better outcomes.
George Bush/John Winston Howard Freedom Medal Presentation
"He is a man of honesty, and moral clarity ... he can make a decision and he can defend it and he stands his ground," Mr Bush said. "That's why I callled him a man of steel."
As seen on the ABCWell may he laugh because, I am delighted to be able to report that I have not seen any plans for this "man of steel" to be awarded any Australian medals.
I also have to say that I think it most unlikely that Mr Bush will be awarded any similar medal in Australia, for anything.
Of course these are only my views.
Canberra & district walks.
I would just like to introduce my readers a new blog by another Peter otherwise known as Snusher. The blog is
Since he has just started, it is not possible to say how frequently you will need to visit the site to get maximum value, because the frequency of his contributions are also an unknown at this point. You can of course write to him by making comments to his blog seeking different formats, more information, less information, greater frequency, and so on. I guess that the more people that he finds who read his blog and are willing to participate, for example by writing about their own bush walks or actually seeking to go walking with him the more enjoyable the process will be for everyone.
Personally I wish Peter all the best in his new endeavour and hope that both he and all of you out there who read my blog and are interested in bush walking can benefit from a collaboration.
I have written to Peter on the subject and also about the bush walking club in Canberra so I hope that my contribution here will not regarded as a nuisance but rather as assistance.
Canberra & district walks.
If you are an inveterate bush walker as Peter is, then you will get excellent outcomes from his blog.Since he has just started, it is not possible to say how frequently you will need to visit the site to get maximum value, because the frequency of his contributions are also an unknown at this point. You can of course write to him by making comments to his blog seeking different formats, more information, less information, greater frequency, and so on. I guess that the more people that he finds who read his blog and are willing to participate, for example by writing about their own bush walks or actually seeking to go walking with him the more enjoyable the process will be for everyone.
Personally I wish Peter all the best in his new endeavour and hope that both he and all of you out there who read my blog and are interested in bush walking can benefit from a collaboration.
I have written to Peter on the subject and also about the bush walking club in Canberra so I hope that my contribution here will not regarded as a nuisance but rather as assistance.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Where's the Phantom when you want him?
Where's the Phantom when you want him? After reading the story from the BBC about the pirates who live in Eyl a town in Somalia is almost with a sense of total disbelief that one reads about the inability of modern societies to prevent gun toting pirates in this day and age.
Where is the money going is another good question? Any country whose total GDP is 20 million per annum this story purports that the ransoms obtained by the pirates for the shipping they have hijacked amounts to something like $30 million per annum. What do people do with an amount of money that is greater than the total amount of money that comes through their own country. It appears that one thing they did not do is to head for politics to become part of the government of the country. After all why would they need to do this they have demonstrated to all and sundry that they could make more money than the government on any day of the week and that their families can benefit from their entrepreneurial skills far better in this environment that if they were living under normal government regime. Read the story for yourselves and then tell me what you think about piracy in 2009.
Where is the money going is another good question? Any country whose total GDP is 20 million per annum this story purports that the ransoms obtained by the pirates for the shipping they have hijacked amounts to something like $30 million per annum. What do people do with an amount of money that is greater than the total amount of money that comes through their own country. It appears that one thing they did not do is to head for politics to become part of the government of the country. After all why would they need to do this they have demonstrated to all and sundry that they could make more money than the government on any day of the week and that their families can benefit from their entrepreneurial skills far better in this environment that if they were living under normal government regime. Read the story for yourselves and then tell me what you think about piracy in 2009.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Our Continent
New Zealand has been known as the land of the long white cloud. Why can't we in Australia have an "endearing" nickname for Australia as well?
Perhaps the size of this continent may provide the answer.
At present we have a cyclone crossing the coast north of Cairns and threatening to flood and devastate quite large parts of North Queensland. One commentator has managed to compare this area with the size of France. Just think about it folks, mere parts of North Queensland are larger than the the whole of France.
My partner and I have spent many happy months exploring France and all the delights that it has.
I'm afraid I can't say the same for North Queensland or indeed for many other parts of this continent. However I suspect that with the right equipment we could probably spend several months beginning to explore parts of Queensland as well.
Meanwhile, in the south eastern part of the continent, from Canberra right down to Melbourne, the weather seems to be threatening lengthy spells of exceptionally high temperatures, thereby creating the risk of huge bush fires in much of the countryside that is still in drought. Meanwhile, we have not even mentioned what the weather is going to be like in South and Western Australia.
With variations in temperature, rainfall, cyclones, bush fires etc. How is it possible to give a singular description, much less a cute one to this tremendous landmass?
I was watching a show on TV the other day, helping people learn to "four-wheel drive".
Fascinating.
Can you imagine having a large four-wheel-drive, fully loaded with both passengers and other gear, towing a caravan, no doubt also built for outback conditions and also filled with all the necessary equipment for a lengthy journey into our outback environment.
If you have this picture in your head let's proceed little.
As soon as you manage to get off the main highways you may find yourself on roads that can run for hundreds if not thousands of miles with neither hide nor hair of bitumen. These roads are dirt, sculpted by the wind and weather into either sand traps of monumental proportions or corrugated (dare I call them) roads that appear to be designed to test and probably wear out your suspension and all the other aftermarket shock absorber accessories that you bought to deal with these "little issues".
This particular show demonstrated how at slow speeds, say 20 to 40 km/h both your four-wheel-drive and your caravan are able to cruise along the rutted roads in a way that enables your suspension to work well as designed. They also demonstrated how at higher speeds, say 80 to 100 km/h, the tyres managed to touch the top of the ruts only, thereby giving you a "smooth" ride, but reducing the level of traction to almost zero. They then demonstrated what it would be like to encounter a problem like a simple turn at almost zero traction. I'm sure that your imagination does not need to work overtime to picture the overturning of both the four-wheel-drive and the caravan it was towing. Equally I'm sure the imagination does not need to go into overdrive depicted travelling along thousands of miles of corrugated road and 20 to 40 km/h.
Driving in different types of sand was also demonstrated because the sand dunes both in Central Australia and sometimes along the coast in areas where roads are not yet available, can provide for some exciting, but potentially dangerous driving situations.
Another part of the demonstration was to show you what it's like to cross creek in flood.
The first and most obvious part of the lesson was to try and find a spot where the entry into the water was at a very low angle and where the water was likely to be at its shallowest. There was also some advice particularly for diesel drivers about why it was important to have a snorkel attached to your vehicle. There was a clear demonstration about how you can breast the water and provided that you continue as slow and steady pace how the machinery will continue to work just when you think it is unlikely to do. By the end of the demonstration most drivers would have learnt the lesson about slow and steady wins the race.
Anyway I am not here to teach people on how to drive. I am here to suggest that the complexity and size of our continent is such that no single endearing comment can possibly describe it adequately.
So welcome to our large and complex continent.
We may not have a cute name like New Zealand, but we do have a terrain that is many times the size of France and where I hope you can continue to have endearing experiences as you travel in the outback.
Perhaps the size of this continent may provide the answer.
At present we have a cyclone crossing the coast north of Cairns and threatening to flood and devastate quite large parts of North Queensland. One commentator has managed to compare this area with the size of France. Just think about it folks, mere parts of North Queensland are larger than the the whole of France.
My partner and I have spent many happy months exploring France and all the delights that it has.
I'm afraid I can't say the same for North Queensland or indeed for many other parts of this continent. However I suspect that with the right equipment we could probably spend several months beginning to explore parts of Queensland as well.
Meanwhile, in the south eastern part of the continent, from Canberra right down to Melbourne, the weather seems to be threatening lengthy spells of exceptionally high temperatures, thereby creating the risk of huge bush fires in much of the countryside that is still in drought. Meanwhile, we have not even mentioned what the weather is going to be like in South and Western Australia.
With variations in temperature, rainfall, cyclones, bush fires etc. How is it possible to give a singular description, much less a cute one to this tremendous landmass?
I was watching a show on TV the other day, helping people learn to "four-wheel drive".
Fascinating.
Can you imagine having a large four-wheel-drive, fully loaded with both passengers and other gear, towing a caravan, no doubt also built for outback conditions and also filled with all the necessary equipment for a lengthy journey into our outback environment.
If you have this picture in your head let's proceed little.
As soon as you manage to get off the main highways you may find yourself on roads that can run for hundreds if not thousands of miles with neither hide nor hair of bitumen. These roads are dirt, sculpted by the wind and weather into either sand traps of monumental proportions or corrugated (dare I call them) roads that appear to be designed to test and probably wear out your suspension and all the other aftermarket shock absorber accessories that you bought to deal with these "little issues".
This particular show demonstrated how at slow speeds, say 20 to 40 km/h both your four-wheel-drive and your caravan are able to cruise along the rutted roads in a way that enables your suspension to work well as designed. They also demonstrated how at higher speeds, say 80 to 100 km/h, the tyres managed to touch the top of the ruts only, thereby giving you a "smooth" ride, but reducing the level of traction to almost zero. They then demonstrated what it would be like to encounter a problem like a simple turn at almost zero traction. I'm sure that your imagination does not need to work overtime to picture the overturning of both the four-wheel-drive and the caravan it was towing. Equally I'm sure the imagination does not need to go into overdrive depicted travelling along thousands of miles of corrugated road and 20 to 40 km/h.
Driving in different types of sand was also demonstrated because the sand dunes both in Central Australia and sometimes along the coast in areas where roads are not yet available, can provide for some exciting, but potentially dangerous driving situations.
Another part of the demonstration was to show you what it's like to cross creek in flood.
The first and most obvious part of the lesson was to try and find a spot where the entry into the water was at a very low angle and where the water was likely to be at its shallowest. There was also some advice particularly for diesel drivers about why it was important to have a snorkel attached to your vehicle. There was a clear demonstration about how you can breast the water and provided that you continue as slow and steady pace how the machinery will continue to work just when you think it is unlikely to do. By the end of the demonstration most drivers would have learnt the lesson about slow and steady wins the race.
Anyway I am not here to teach people on how to drive. I am here to suggest that the complexity and size of our continent is such that no single endearing comment can possibly describe it adequately.
So welcome to our large and complex continent.
We may not have a cute name like New Zealand, but we do have a terrain that is many times the size of France and where I hope you can continue to have endearing experiences as you travel in the outback.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Movies
It's not often that I write a report on movies, I will make an exception in this case by writing briefly about the movie called 'The Zookeeper'.
The plot synopsis is provided at IMDB by Michael Alden {see below}
Generally it is rare for me to feel anything more than "its a movie" when I see something on television or indeed on the big screen. Somehow this movie managed to break that nexus.
Perhaps it had something to do with my own childhood, when I experienced a civil war myself.
If you have ever stood in front of a bakery and had a Russian tank arrive, slowly revolve its turret, so that the working end of its cannon is pointed at you and your mother while you were part of a queue waiting for bread, then you'll have had an experience of what it is like to be part of a civil war.
As it happens in my lifetime, all that took place was that two Russian soldiers to jumped out of the turret, went into the bakery, loaded their arms with loaves of bread, handed them all to another guy in the turret and then drove off leaving behind a group of scared civilians who reformed the queue and waited patiently for their bread, once again.
It is an open question as to what should be learned from this, was this a lesson about a civil war or about queue jumping? I will leave you the reader to decide.
In any event, I was drawn into the picture and found it to be a good viewing experience. If it's available on DVD try and get a copy at least on loan and see it. Well worth the experience.
To go from a very serious plot to a comedy regime, do try "The Gods Must Be Crazy II" while this movie gets fewer points from its IMDB voters if you're in the mood for a little fun, this is the movie for you.
I won't spoil the plot, but for those of you who have seen "The Gods Must Be Crazy I" and found this to be good viewing, then you will not be disappointed by this later story. I hope that apart from the humour, you will come out of your viewing experience with a greater if not profound respect for the skills of the Kalahari Bushmen (and women).
Personally I would not want to even try to live their lifestyle or in their region. However if I was for any reason to venture into this region I would really want Xixo be my guide and teacher.
The plot synopsis is provided at IMDB by Michael Alden {see below}
"Eastern Europe - a city torn by civil war - Present Day Jonah Ludovic writes in his journal. His poetry softening the cynical observations of a man living a self imposed penance. Wherever he came from and whoever he was, Ludovic is now alone, silenced by a crime unknown. Ludovic can hear the shelling of an imposing civil war. He can see the flashes of fire destroying a city that once was his home. He doesn't move. He just writes. As daybreak arrives, the shelling has ceased. Ludovic makes his way to his job as a custodian at the local zoo. He is met at the gates by the fleeing staff. Ludovic chooses to remain behind, he has no where to go. Along with an elderly guard and a veterinarian, the three set out to care for the animals and hopefully protect them and themselves, from harm. It is not long before the war has reached the gates of the zoo. Dragov, the sociopathic captain of a local search platoon of nationalists, heightens the intensity of the senseless war with surprise visits and violence. Within days, the guard has disappeared and the veterinarian killed. Ludovic is left alone with the threat that he will be next. His solitude is broken with the arrival of Zioig. A wounded nine year old, who after miraculously escaping incarceration, has learned the skills of a vigilante. Ludovic wants nothing to do with the boy, who will bring nothing but trouble, but cannot turn the wounded child away. Ludovic's frustration intensifies when a young woman, Ankica, makes her way to the zoo gates. Escaping from a concentration camp and aided by those in the underground, Ankica has made her way to the zoo in search of her son. The reunion successful, Ankica makes it clear that they will stay in the zoo together and Ludovic will help them to avoid re-arrest. Ludovic is at a loss. The war has intensified. The animals are on the brink of starvation. Without the animals, there is no job. Without the job, there will be no freedom. Although reluctant, Ludovic agrees and together, with Ankica and Zioig struggle to keep the animals alive. In reaching out they discover each other, their secrets and the hope that eventually finds peace, forgiveness and love. Written by Michael Alden {novelma@aol.com} "This was presented by SBS the other night only four years after its introduction to the general public. It may well be that I was about to be lulled to sleep by anything that was being presented except that this movie, instead of putting be to sleep, actually woke me up. It was exciting to see a man like Sam Neill play the role of a middle-aged zookeeper caught up in the middle of a civil war and it was perhaps more exciting, because it gently led me into the midst of the story and the feelings of the characters involved in the plot.
Generally it is rare for me to feel anything more than "its a movie" when I see something on television or indeed on the big screen. Somehow this movie managed to break that nexus.
Perhaps it had something to do with my own childhood, when I experienced a civil war myself.
If you have ever stood in front of a bakery and had a Russian tank arrive, slowly revolve its turret, so that the working end of its cannon is pointed at you and your mother while you were part of a queue waiting for bread, then you'll have had an experience of what it is like to be part of a civil war.
As it happens in my lifetime, all that took place was that two Russian soldiers to jumped out of the turret, went into the bakery, loaded their arms with loaves of bread, handed them all to another guy in the turret and then drove off leaving behind a group of scared civilians who reformed the queue and waited patiently for their bread, once again.
It is an open question as to what should be learned from this, was this a lesson about a civil war or about queue jumping? I will leave you the reader to decide.
In any event, I was drawn into the picture and found it to be a good viewing experience. If it's available on DVD try and get a copy at least on loan and see it. Well worth the experience.
To go from a very serious plot to a comedy regime, do try "The Gods Must Be Crazy II" while this movie gets fewer points from its IMDB voters if you're in the mood for a little fun, this is the movie for you.
I won't spoil the plot, but for those of you who have seen "The Gods Must Be Crazy I" and found this to be good viewing, then you will not be disappointed by this later story. I hope that apart from the humour, you will come out of your viewing experience with a greater if not profound respect for the skills of the Kalahari Bushmen (and women).
Personally I would not want to even try to live their lifestyle or in their region. However if I was for any reason to venture into this region I would really want Xixo be my guide and teacher.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
The news of today and "The Sword and the Scimitar" a story from and about the past
As we turn on our television sets in the mornings some of us are checking to see how the conflict in Gaza is going on.
On one "side" or the other, people in Australia have relatives there. Regardless of which "side" of this conflict you happen to support, if you do, or which side in this conflict you feel is in the wrong, if you do, on both sides there are people being wounded or killed.
How they live when they are not killing and maiming each other is also worth commentary, though not here and certainly not by me.
My sympathy goes out to those who have been wounded or died in this conflict and of course their families in Australia or elsewhere.
I make no comment about this situation other than that. I limit my comments simply because I think this is the best I can say to my correspondent in Israel, whose views I published here the other day
I have just finished reading a book called "The Sword and the Scimitar". This represents to some extent, the story of yesteryear.
In general terms this is a rather lengthy story about Malta and it's people, leading up to the siege of Malta during the times of Suleiman "the Magnificent"and La Valette.
In general terms the story depicts the fate of at least one family in Malta and the part that they play in the years leading up to, during and immediately after the siege of Malta.
If you have ever been to Malta and visited the various forts, Auberges and heard something of the history of these islands then somehow the story comes alive.
Equally if you have visited Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey, then once again the story comes to life for you.
The conditions that prevail at the time of this Muslim/Christian struggle are I think extremely well depicted by the author David Ball. He does not mince words nor does he leave us in doubt about the conditions that prevailed at the time for those who fell into the hands of those in power be they Christian or Muslim at the time
Well worth a read even if it is rather lengthy at times.
If you feel queasy about how people treat each other depending on their religion back then when the Crusades were still around, when half the known world was under the command of Suleiman the Magnificent, then it's not so difficult to see that similar behaviours appear to have stuck around and are with us to this very day. What has changed is who has more or less power at any given moment in time.
On one "side" or the other, people in Australia have relatives there. Regardless of which "side" of this conflict you happen to support, if you do, or which side in this conflict you feel is in the wrong, if you do, on both sides there are people being wounded or killed.
How they live when they are not killing and maiming each other is also worth commentary, though not here and certainly not by me.
My sympathy goes out to those who have been wounded or died in this conflict and of course their families in Australia or elsewhere.
I make no comment about this situation other than that. I limit my comments simply because I think this is the best I can say to my correspondent in Israel, whose views I published here the other day
I have just finished reading a book called "The Sword and the Scimitar". This represents to some extent, the story of yesteryear.
In general terms this is a rather lengthy story about Malta and it's people, leading up to the siege of Malta during the times of Suleiman "the Magnificent"and La Valette.
In general terms the story depicts the fate of at least one family in Malta and the part that they play in the years leading up to, during and immediately after the siege of Malta.
If you have ever been to Malta and visited the various forts, Auberges and heard something of the history of these islands then somehow the story comes alive.
Equally if you have visited Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey, then once again the story comes to life for you.The conditions that prevail at the time of this Muslim/Christian struggle are I think extremely well depicted by the author David Ball. He does not mince words nor does he leave us in doubt about the conditions that prevailed at the time for those who fell into the hands of those in power be they Christian or Muslim at the time
Well worth a read even if it is rather lengthy at times.
If you feel queasy about how people treat each other depending on their religion back then when the Crusades were still around, when half the known world was under the command of Suleiman the Magnificent, then it's not so difficult to see that similar behaviours appear to have stuck around and are with us to this very day. What has changed is who has more or less power at any given moment in time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
