You’ve Got Hacked

So over this past week there have been a barrage of Assad’s personal emails leaked to the press and it has given an interesting insight into the personal and private life of one of the world’s most hated figures. Amidst all the chaos, mayhem and bloodshed that is currently occurring in Syria one wonders what goes on in the head of Bashar Al-Assad…. And the answer is unsurprisingly, not much. There are no real bombshells hidden amongst the emails but nonetheless the emails do help in shedding some light on what is actually going on at the top of a well renowned secretive and exclusive regime.

So here is a brief round-up of 3 things I found most humorous:

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1)  His Humour: Twisted

How do we know this? Assad apparently sent a Youtube video link which re-enacted the bloody siege of Homs using toys and biscuits to amuse an aide. This guy, whilst everyone else is busy amusing themselves with funny  and cute cat and baby videos he is out there LOL’ing at a bloody crackdown on his own people… which HE is instigating. I get that cat video’s are ‘too mainstream’ man but this is the wrong ‘hipster’ approach to it. Its more ‘Creepster’ if anything.

But to be honest, Ima give the dude the benefit of the doubt. Knowing him, he probably got confused and thought this video was actually a live recording of events on the ground. You see, with all that crap the Syrian State TV is pouring out it must be very hard to distinguish fact from fiction. And in this case, toy’s and biscuits probably seem just as plausible as any propaganda report that has been churned out by his beloved State TV. IF anything…. the video is probably more factual.

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2)  His wife: shopping like there is no tomorrow

While Bashar is busy handling important state affairs like downloading the newest Chris Brown track (Team Breezy) and linking to his favorite educational videos on Homs, his wife was making a real difference and impact….. on their bank accounts. Woman reportedly dropped $10,000 pounds in Paris on some candlesticks. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but since when did anyone need to spend that much on candlesticks? Has no one alerted the woman of the advent of electricity? Even the gluttonous Kings who ruled in the Dark ages are turning in their graves at the thought of that much wonga being spent on candlesticks. Unless she dropped that amount on a bunch of candles she plans to send to the many areas in Syria which are currently being besieged by her husband’s security forces I see no good reason why she did what she did. Hell, the figure 10,000 and the word candle should never be in the same sentence together… Ever!

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3) His Love life: Saucy

Well ‘ello ‘ello. Look what we have here. The above picture was sent to Bashar by a yet unidentified confident of his.

Now putting aside the fact that this girl is clearly a desperate hussy, one begs the question, how does this guy do it? This guy has got the face of a muppet and the personality of a puppet … he isn’t a catch but more of a loss, and that’s putting aside all the blood he has on his hands. Yet he still seemingly has woman swooning over him. I have never understood the appeal of a repressive dictator let alone a mass murdering one. From Mubarak’s wife, to Ben Ali’s wife, to Bashar’s wife etc. it seems like a heartless, corrupt and bloodthirsty git is not a turn off. Do these women have no ounce of self-respect or worth? Aren’t we woman supposed to be the nurturing, caring and loving ones? Yet we find so many of this high-profile woman shirking this maternal side to them and sticking by their barely there men. There is no rhyme or reason to why they would sell their morals down the river &….oh wait .. hold up…. *re-reads point number 2* …oooooh I see it. One word: Kerching. Money makes the world go round and apparently, these woman’s love lives aswell. It’s all about the dolla dolla bills.

Apparently in these woman’s cases, some things aren’t priceless, and for everything there is Mastercard.

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Revolution Lives On

At least five people have been killed in a violent assault by the Egyptian army and police to evict protesters from Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Hundreds of soldiers and police, backed by armored personnel carriers, used teargas, rubber bullets and batons to evict several thousand protesters from the square that was at the heart of the popular uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak a mere nine months ago.

The mass protests were held to protest against the current ruling military Junta (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) who are seen by many Egyptians to be preserving the institutional rule of the past and therefore threatening Egypt’s future. 

Now, the fact that Egyptians are still protesting isn’t something that should be simply decried. On the contrary, it should be something that’s in some way applauded. Why? Because in the run up to Mubarak’s toppling all the nay sayers could be heard saying something along these lines: ‘Even if Mubarak goes…nothing will change…someone will come in to replace him’. It would simply be a case of a different leader but the same type of leadership.

What has the recent protests in Tahrir shown? That the people who fought for this, bled for this, sacrificed for this WON’T let their efforts go to waste..won’t let their efforts get hijacked by a few enriched elite…won’t let the status quo rule again..won’t let their country slide backwards instead of move forwards…won’t let their children grow up in a world that was no different to theirs.

It’s dam well not perfect and its not easy, but no one who has studied revolutions or history would dare tell you any different.. but it’s all you have…. and by far..it is better then what you had.

In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end ~ Alexis de Tocqueville

Nothing in life worth having comes easy

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The Syrian ‘Contestation’

I know I haven’t written a new blog post in a while but I have unfortunately succumb to the laziness of the summer holidays. Plus I have been doing a bit of traveling and this has unfortunately messed up my writing schedule…yes I just used the word schedule to describe my erratic posting, I thought I’d bring a bit of sophistication to this post.

But it was actually through one of my travels that I was inspired to write this next blog post. I recently got back from a Viva Palestina conference which was held in Lebanon. It had a wide range of speakers who lectured at this event, from people like Salma Yaqoob, Ghada Karami and Karma Nabulsi to more controversial speakers like George Galloway. It was actually the last speaker who actually spurred me to write this post over his unabashedly biased and unfair views on the Syrian situation. So this post will basically flesh out some of the points I heard and have heard about before, regarding Syria.

Syria is Unique

Now this argument basically states that we cannot compare Syria to the revolutionary upheaval that is going on in other countries in the Middles East as Syria is ‘unique’ and is dealing with a ‘special’ set of circumstances.

Well to this I say, yes Syria is unique…so what? So is every other country on this earth and every human being for that matter. No one is stating that Syria is a de facto carbon copy of Egypt, Tunisia etc., all we are saying is that its PEOPLE share the same grief. What I don’t think is unique to Syria is the desire by its people to simply be free of tyranny, oppression, torture and censorship.   The power structures do differ in each of the different countries in the Middle East but that doesn’t mean we can’t judge each regime as harshly or as equally when it comes to the crimes it commits against its people. This excuse of Syria being a ‘unique’ case baffles me. It baffles me because it not only was the same tried and tested excuse used by dictators like Gaddafi, Mubarak, Saleh etc. but it is an excuse which is as vacuous and hallow as its orators morals.

Bashar looking for peace and reform-

Correct me if I am wrong, but last time I checked Bashar wasn’t traipsing round Syria blowing bubbles, handing out daises and making peace signs.

Fear of sectarianism-

This point has been highly debated, so I won’t go into too much depth. But what I say is whose fault is it if it does turn into sectarian warfare? Syria, like Bahrain, suffers from a minority complex, a twist let’s say on the Napoleon complex. By simply keeping the status quo the threat of ‘sectarian’ warfare is only exacerbated as it simmers under the flames of injustice. You are not going to resolve these so called fears of sectarian warfare by sticking to the status quo and wishing the so-called divisions away.

Plus remind me again who is the one currently loudly spouting these fears of ‘sectarian warfare’? Yes you guessed it, none other than the state itself. Suddenly the people murdering their own civilians in cold blood have acquired a sense of worry and attentive care over the possibility that its people might supposedly kill each other without its help.

I have yet to hear protesters in the street abroad or in Syria scream and rant about sectarian warfare. Last time I checked the chants weren’t sectarian in nature but specifically Bashars-&-the-rest-of-his-regime-should-f-off in nature.

And to say this is purely sectarian would be a grand disservice and affront to the many Alawites who have also stood against the Syrian’s regimes actions. This belief in the sectarian card seeks only to benefit the regime in power.

Need Syria to stabilize region-

When has the region ever been stable? Countless wars and conflicts have time and time again torn the region apart. And these wars and conflicts usually have the fingerprints of foreign powers all over them. But this revolution sweeping the Middle East is the first time initiation and actions have been spurred by the domestic populace and not some elitist twats in offices in Washington or London etc. It is only through the direct rule of the people that the region will finally find some sort of stability or peace. No longer will we have to put up with the west’s feigned cries of concern about bringing democracy to the shores of the Middle East…through bullets & bombs. This democratic spirit will instead be carried and resolved by the voices and chants of the people.

Pro-Palestine & Anti –Israel:

Now this excuse was a big favorite with a few *cough George Galloway cough* pro-Palestinian activists. This excuse basically states that Syria is basically one of the few countries in the region which is unabashedly pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli in its foreign policy. This is in stark contrast to lets say countries like Egypt under Mubarak’s rule which had stood by and done nothing to help ease the Palestinians plight.

So let’s tackle this point head on. Because Syria is ‘Pro-Palestine’ and ‘Anti-Israel’ (which by the way I don’t actually believe is truly the case) it means that it should be cut a little slack. What a Joke. How about if we used this type of logic and implemented it into another scenario. Just because a murder is a registered annual donator to Oxfam, Amnesty, The Red Cross etc. does not mean he should be judged any differently than a murder who is not as tickled pink when it comes to his charitable donations. That would be complete lunacy. I don’t care about Bashar’s foreign policy what I care about is his current disgraceful domestic policy. So even If he were to single handedly head into Gaza ready to do battle with Israel guns blazing like some Rambo stunt double, not a dam thing would change in my opinion. His people are still dying and being shot at in the streets. Fact. I don’t care if he cares & nurtures ill puppies to full health in his spare time and helps old ladies cross busy motorways as a hobby. This all doesn’t change the fact that as I type people are being shot at and bombed for the sake of securing his backside on the throne for a longer period of time.

And another thing, so he is pro-Palestine, tell me what has changed in the years he, or his dad in that case, have been in power? Correct me if I’m wrong but Palestine is still occupied and Gaza is still blockaded. Fat help his pro-Palestine stance has been to resolving the issue.

Also, there is a cloud of contestation surrounding the actual relationship between Israel and Syria. Israel in fact is not exactly popping champagne bottles and toasting to the idea of the Syrian regime maybe falling. Because as people rightfully say, better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

So Bashar’s regimes political standing on the issue of Palestine doesn’t at all justify or excuse the brutal crackdown on protesters we see occurring. It’s still a tyrannical dictatorship regardless of whether or not it’s in bed or in a ring with Israel.

The blood of Syrians shouldn’t be used to wash away the blood of Palestinians, freedom should be a right afforded to all and not just the select few.

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Till Next time,

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The Real Hero’s

Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if you lived elsewhere or were born into a different life or fate? Would you be the same person you are now or would your current self be a hollow shell of your potential self. The fact you were born and live in a western developed country already means you have won the lottery of life by being in the top bracket of richest people in the world. This is because the west holds 45% of the worlds wealth even though they only compromise 13% of the worlds population. And that’s simply a fact from birth.

We all fall privy to taking the things we have for granted by complaining about things which would probably not even register on the radar of concerns of the majority of the world’s population. We all have needs and desires, but I’m guessing if we hadn’t won the geographical lottery our needs and desires would probably be markedly different. I’m not saying its evil or bad that we have been so lucky in life and that we can at times take things for granted. After all we are only human and as humans we are flawed and are in a way programmed to survive, live and adapt to the direct environment surrounding us. I’m just saying this becomes a problem when we choose to not look beyond our self-engrossed lives and fail to take heed of the lives and concerns of others. It’s when we become immune to the world around us that we begin to falter and loose balance and perspective. Some may call it ignorance; I like to call it pure laziness.

The current events in the Middle East I feel have really highlighted this for many people I know. People who were apolitical or not bothered suddenly have found their eyes opened to this new awareness of reality. Its mainly because many of my friends are Arabs like me and happen to have or know of people in the region. So seeing this turmoil and unrest occurring close to home has affected them. But the problem I sometimes find I ask myself, is what would happen if we were in the heart of that revolution? Would I act differently? Would I be that person who doesn’t speak up out of fear? Would I be complacent? Would I be as brave as those we hear about daily on the news?

The reason I wanted to speak about this was because of two main events I heard about that both distressed me.

The first one relates to the 13 year old child named Hamza Al-Khateeb who was beaten up arrested and grotesquely mutilated by security forces in Syria for joining a protest. The link below I think does his story justice in recounting what actually happened:

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/05/201153185927813389.html

He was only 13. Imagine that, at 13 I was busy worrying about which toy I wanted my parents to buy me or where I wanted to go out to with my friends. But here is this 13 year old protesting and enduring things that not even a fully grown man could endure. The torture he suffered is that straight out of the worst horror movies. But yet he had to suffer through it all and loose his life simply because he chose to join a protest. Protesting? Something many of us would go out of our way to avoid doing. And I will be the first to hold my hands up and say I don’t go to as many as I should and that’s something I will personally work on changing.

And the second event that brought this closer to home was finding out some news from a good friend of mine about her 17 year old cousin who has been arrested, detained and beaten by police for simply wanting to start up a protest with friends in Saudi Arabia. The details below of what happened were sent to me by her and I have paraphrased it as best as possible:

He wanted to start a protest in Qatif with around 6 other boys about the current situation in Saudi with the arbitrary arrests and the abhor able role of Saudi forces in Bahrain. So they all decided to go to Qatif and just as the boys started to gather, they arrested him. His aunt wanted to see him so she went to the prison place and asked the people there where he is. Of course they sent her from center to center from Qatif to Demmam until 3 in the morning trying to find where they had detained him. When they found him he had obviously been beaten. He has exams next week and the family doesn’t know when or if they will let him out. His dad offered to pay money but they said no. His name is Mousa Jaffer Alsadah and his date of birth is 13 august 1993.

So for those who ask me what is the point of all these revolutions and protests I say it’s for people like Hamza, Mousa and the many other brave souls like them. People whose unashamedly brave & bright light should not be dulled & crushed by a repressive dictatorial self-interested-and-engrossed regime. People whose actions put the majority of supposed ‘real’ men & leaders to shame. They do this all so that subsequent future generations can live without fear of this ever occurring to them. So that they never have to deal with such inhumane depravity. They sacrifice their today for the bright future of others tomorrow. Not many of us would be able to do or endure what they did. And I’m not asking any of you to do that, all I’m asking is that you make sure their actions aren’t all in vain. So do your bit and please spread the word anyway you can by sharing this article if you haven’t already. This is especially a pressing matter of concern regarding my friend’s cousin Mousa Jaffer Alsadeh who is still being unfairly detained as I post this.

Till next Time,

Rest In Peace Little Angel, Hamza Al-Khateeb

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Bin Laden Dead & Gone?

Ok so unless you have been living under an isolated rock of sorts you will probably already know the hoopla surrounding whether Osama Bin Laden is dead or not. There are conflicting views and that is mainly because the circumstances surrounding Osama Bin Laden’s death have been vague and mysterious to say the least. But I’m not here to re-hash the many different views or opinions on whether he is dead or not, rather what I’m going to talk about is how all these different scenarios still lead us to the same conclusion.

So the options surrounding what has happened mainly fit into these 3 categories:

1> Osama Bin Laden Is dead and the narrative given by the US is what occurred.

2> Osama Bin Laden is not dead and this is all a ruse to distract us from the issues at hand i.e. Middle East unrest.

3> Osama Bin Laden has been dead for a while or has died already and it’s now just coming to light as it is being used as propaganda for one reason or another by the US.

So those are the 3 main positions I have ascertained from people, if it isn’t exactly that, then it is something that is very similar to 1 of the 3 points.So regardless which camp you fit into let me tell you how regardless what you believe the aftermath is the same. Here are the facts:

Osama Bin Laden was already rumored to be very ill due to kidney failure and was already on a dialysis machine. He was an old man stricken with illness and was therefore a shadow of the man he was before. Regarding Al-Qaeda Osama Bin Laden was never really the brains behind the operation; he was more a figurehead and leader and had a devoted team around him that helped him execute plans or decisions. But this network had been greatly diminished in strength, size, importance and capability if not completely demolished. This is mainly because of the many US led attacks on the organization and the many members that have been killed off or arrested in the time between 9/11 till now. So overall, the operation was a hollow shell of its former self.

So what about all the failed attacks we saw occurring in the US by so called Al-Qaeda members i.e. shoe-bomber? Well the attacks we have seen in the past few years where actually those orchestrated by self-made small Al-Qaeda type cells like the one in Yemen that spurned the failed shoe-bomber attack. So these weren’t really branches from the organization but more a fact of groups trying to emulate and share in the familiarity associated with an already world-renowned and recognizable network like Al-Qaeda.

So what now? Basically, regardless of whether he is dead or not, or died a while ago Osama Bin Laden and the original Al-Qaeda network he spurned is no longer the main focus or worry for many state leaders and terror analysts. His irrelevance has been greatly highlighted especially by the recent Middle Eastern uprisings. Reform and revolution were simply brought about by the people on the ground and not by Al-Qaeda. The so-called and self-imposed ‘bastions of change’ were noticeable by their absence as the nation’s people showed how much can be done through simple unity and determination. A case in point being the fact that Osama Bin Laden released a tape calling for the overthrow of Mubarak a WEEK after Mubarak had already been overthrown by the Egyptian people.

So in summary, I don’t mourn nor care much for Osama Bin Laden and the twisted organization he founded. Mainly because he not only caused countless innocent deaths but also tainted a region’s people and religion.  The people in the Middle East have managed to swell the hearts of their nations with pride and honor through pacifism and unity, something which Osama Bin Laden never could or did. He divided rather than united, destroyed instead of built. He is the antithesis to the brave uprisings we see occurring in the Middle East.  He is an irrelevant and unnecessary stain in the narration of the momentous and historical events we see unfolding in the Middle East. The perceptions of him greatly outpace the reality of the situation. A man whose time was up well before his death.

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Till Next Time,

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How do you solve a problem like Saudi?

Saudi..Saudi.. Saudi….aghh…What a little old conundrum you are. Where do you even begin when there are so many contradictions to pick from.

I personally think many of the problems in the Middle East can be directly linked to that oil-rich monarchical piece of land. It’s as much to do with the monarchy as it has to do with the oil. Because of its geopolitical situation and because it pumps out 55% of the world’s oil the west is keen to keep it sweet and stable. It also doesn’t mind acting like the west’s lackey every now and then as long as it gets to do as it pleases in its nation without scrutiny, criticism or comment. So think of its relationship with the west as a symbiotic corrupt rave.

But let’s bring these back to recent events which highlight how Saudi Arabia likes to react to the revolutionary atmosphere that has swept the Middle East.

Well, when it occurred in Egypt King Abdullah was non-to-pleased. He threw his own version of a hissy fit over the phone with Obama saying that if he pulls his military aid budget from Egypt he would personally make sure that Saudi picked up the tab and cost. Not only that, but boi was not happy about the tone Obama used towards Mubarak, he wasn’t being ‘supportive’ enough.

Alright just to jog people’s memories a bit, let’s remind ourselves of some of the *best loved * phrases that were used during that time period:

‘Orderly Transition’ ‘Restraint on both sides’..

Yea that’s about it….I know…FREAKIN HARDBALL BIGMAN words being thrown about the place….if words could cut…these bad bois would have sliced and diced you in no time.

But on a serious note anything other than America having literally espoused these words while sat lovingly on the lap of Hosni Mubarak couldn’t have made their reaction to the events any tamer. They only started talking in more blunt and harsh terms when Mubarak was literally packed suitcase in hand and out the freaking door. But yet King Abdullah apparently couldn’t stomach this…wait till he gets ahold of what people say about him behind his back/across-the-atlantic-since-they-fear-and-value-their-lives-and-don’t-actually-like-the-idea-of-being-jailed-and-maybe-killed…boi is gonna be FUUUUUU-ming

Now if that wasn’t enough, it was also revealed later on that King Abdullah personally spoke to Mubarak during the protests and URGED him to crack down harder on his protests….yes…apparently thugs with sticks, stones, Knives, guns, bombs and PIMP-MY-RIDE camels and donkeys to boot just don’t cut it with him…its  Go big or go home with King Abdi *yea he is getting a nickname*…all out bloodshed or nothing..

And we can clearly see what King Abdi would have liked to see unfold in Egypt with the events occurring currently in Bahrain. What’s worse is that the Bahraini security forces where already clearly cracking down hard on the protesters before the Saudi troops were sent in…as there where many deaths and injuries reported and recorded on video footage. But apparently that wasn’t enough. Big Daddy had to get involved and show ‘em how it’s really done. And so Big Pappi has sent in the ground troops to ‘bolster’ the forces and bring a quick and ‘decisive’ end to the protests going on in Bahrain… I think the most striking thing is that this is the first time I have seen the Saudi troop being used properly in any type of battle scenario…. and it’s against other Arabs and Muslims… doesn’t sound really Islamic from the get-go but go figure… Hypocrisy wouldn’t be their middle name if they didn’t act hypocriticaly .

Now I won’t go into detail into why King Abdullah feels the need to get involved, as I don’t think his rabid thought process deserves the time of day or justification, but to summarize it for those who aren’t aware, it basically revolves around his inherent fear and paranoia about the Shia unrest in Bahrain spilling into his back garden and spurring the Shia in the Eastern province of Saudi to rise up against him. So therefore quell the protest in Bahrain bloodily in his eyes, and you’ll fix the problem….yea…like I said…really doesn’t deserve the time of day. Especially considering that all the recent protests in the Middle East have highlighted that the more people die and the more bloody the conflict, the more ardent the protesters get to achieve their goals and the more courageous and far-reaching their- demand’s get. But common sense doesn’t seem to be an important thought process in his eyes.. he likes to take a more Gaddafi-esque approach.. he’s all for the latest trends and apparently this is all the rage.

Which then moves me onto the small protests in Saudi. The reasons why the protests haven’t really gotten off have been due to heavy police presence on the roads and citizens being warned explicitly that if they protest they will simply be jailed. This has already occurred with the few brave protesters who have managed to hit the streets. The King has also done what he does best and made it rain dollar dollar bills to try and appease some of the population and keep them content and complacent.  Not only that but to show how seriously the monarchy fears the whole unraveling of a protest type movement they have even wheeled out the tried and tested ‘religion’ card…oh yes…they have ‘consulted’ *aka basically told them they better back them up one way or another, proof or no proof, or they can say hello to spending the rest of their lives in the god dam clinker* with the ‘scholars’ and have issued a fatwa *religious ruling* banning protests…. Yes…how ‘convenient’.

It just astounds me how BLATENLTY the monarchy can flaunt the fact it can use and twist religion to suit its own selfish ends and to secure its seat of power….this IS a case of a country turning into a ruler-ship cult where everything that matters revolves around the monarchy.

Out of all countries I think Saudi is the one that grinds my gears the most, not only are the ruling family a bunch of self-proclaimed hypocrites, but they wrongly claim to embody an ‘islamic’ kingdom…so not only tarnishing the lives of its people, but also tainting the name of the religion in the eyes of people around the world.

Unfortunately this blog post is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Saudi but to save this from turning into a book this is the most I could really put in. But for all those wanting to read roughly more about the protests in Bahrain consult *how formal am I.. I’d fit right in with the Queen* my previous blog post on Bahrain. It sketches out things briefly.

Till Next Time,

 

‘Statesman’, ‘Salesman’ or plain ol’ git?

So the inspiration for this post comes from David Cameron’s recent lil treck round the Middle East *I know I know.. I am so early with these posts you’re questioning if I’m actually an Arab after all*. There was controversy surrounding his trip, but before I get into those details how about we pander to the whims of the current government and describe what they would like you to think happened:

After the brave Egyptians followed the example of the Tunisian people and overthrew their corrupt dictator Mr Cameron decided to valiantly ride his metaphorical white horse and head straight to the Middle East to congratulate the recent success of the Egyptians in Tahrir Square. Being the big-hearted man that he is he didn’t restrict his visit just to Egypt, no, he made the effort to spread the love around in the region and show his support, goodwill and solidarity with the Arab people who had fought so tirelessly for justice, democracy and freedom. Also by being the first western leader to grace the shores of the Middle East since the revolutionary atmosphere had first begun, Mr. Cameron was honorably setting a high-standard precedent for other less courageous leaders to hopefully follow in his graceful footsteps.

Oh that Cameron, such a strong-willed charismatic and moral leader. *swoon*

Well…unfortunately we don’t live in the world of make-believe and fairytale. Instead we have to deal with the crass and cumbersome harsh light of reality.

In actual fact this trip to the Middle East was planned ages ago and had nothing to do initially with the revolutions we see sweeping across the Middle East. Instead it had more to do with an important Arms trade fair that was going to be occurring in Abu Dhabi…yes…girls we aren’t the only ones who are susceptible to the shopping frenzy…our grown-ass male leaders seem to have a soft spot for it to. Mr Cameron being the ‘great’ leader had planned to go to this fair and use this all-round trip to generally hawk off British arms to the so called ‘leaders’ of the Middle East with the help of his delegation of arms manufacturers.

To be honest, I just think Mr Cameron has probably watched Sex and the City 2 and seen how Carrie and the girls flew off to this exotic middle eastern region in Abu Dubai and thought ‘I want me some of that’. But of course to save face he had to bring in some ‘macho’ into the equation and so instead of the sex and the city girls of ‘Miranda, Charlotte & Samantha’ he brought along the British arms dealers. And with them in tow he could set off for the joys of sun, sand and selling-arms-to-corrupt-undemocratic-repressive-arab-leaders-to-make-a-quick-buck in the Middle East.

But on a serious note, what an utter affront and disrespect to the many brave souls who have lost their lives and are STILL loosing their lives fighting in these revolutions. The LEAST he could have done was at least to suspend and postpone the arm selling aspect of his trip considering the circumstances. Especially when you are selling them to current undemocratic dictators ….just WTH …the nerve of him to stand in Tahrir square and extoll the notions of democracy, freedom, human rights etc. and praise the virtues of the revolutionary uprising and then to simply hop-skip it to  nearby dictatorship countries and sell some more arms beggars belief.

No words can rightfully completely justify and excuse their actions..…but with them being in the profession of politics you can ALWAYS rely on them to try and give excuses to legitimate their sorry actions. So here are a few I have heard/read:

Cameron actually cancelled his appearance at the actual Arms fair: oh yes .. thank you for that Cameron…that’s really what matters…not the fact that your arm’s  dealer BFF’s have been flown in with you and are STILL selling their wares and arms .. It was the idea of you being their personal Pin-Up model at the fare that really grinded our gears. A publicity stunt at the arms fair like you are some hired Paris Hilton totty at a club we can’t stomach….the actual issue of the arms still being sold by the people you have flown in as part of your delegation is dismissible.

Only a quarter of the people who flew out with him where part of the arms group: Stop the PRESS! ONLY a quarter? My bad, My bad, and here was I thinking it was a THIRD of your delegation. If that’s the case that’s just A-OK…but it best be EXACTLY a quarter…anything above that is asking for trouble. Has no one told you that anything-above-of-a-quarter –of-whatever-delegation-you-are-taking is a crowd? Too-many-people-over-a-quarter-of-your-delegation spoil the broth? Don’t worry you haven’t heard these age old-sayings because now you are in the know.

If we don’t sell arms to them then other countries will: Wow…Really? Would you allow this choice of phrase or excuse in any other circumstance?  I.e.  Hey don’t get your panties in a twist, if WE didn’t sell Iran/Al-Qaeda/Syria/Every-Tom-Dick-and-Harry-that’s-on-the-wests-axis-of-evil-list nuclear weapons then someone else would have … *shucks*…you KNOW it’s all about the profit margin ay?

The leaders won’t actually use most of the weapons sold on their people as they are more warfare than internal repression arms: Yes so maybe for example, Saudi Arabia won’t use F-16 bombers on their people. That will mainly be because of the fact that even if they wanted to they probably can’t. .. many of the arms that are sold to the gulf states and other states in the region are to high-tech and advanced for the countries to actually operate or even maintain or sustain in workable conditions without help from the west. So why do these leaders buy these weapons? It’s mainly because the ‘politicians’ who buy these weapons for their country usually skim off or get some commission from the transaction. This therefore means the countries MONEY is being wasted in corrupt ways to benefit the pockets of the few over the mass of the countries people.

So in conclusion, Mr. Cameron is not simply a TYPICAL political git …. Cameron ‘luv’, please leave the blatant and insulting two-faced aspect of your current approach to politics to THEEEE experts…by experts I mean dam COINS and Tony Freaking lar-di-dar- Blair. Put to rest the cheap knock-off tribute act to your apparent idol Tony Blair. It’ll be not only for our own good, but yours. There is only so much ‘bastardisation’ one can handle in the world, and the quota is currently full to the brim.

Till Next Time,

P.S I didn’t make this picture myself, stumbled upon it and thought it fitted the post perfectly

Here is link if your interested:

http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news760.php

 

How to make revolutions more appealing

Before you read any further i do warn you all that this is a light-hearted post so to speak so don’t take it literally and to heart.

Ok, so i thought i would do my bit for charity and post a helpful and useful post. We all know of someone who finds it hard & tricky to get their heads around what’s going on in the Middle East revolution-wise. So how do we rectify this? How do we break it down into a simpler bite-size form?

I think i might just have the answer: use Analogy’s…and in particular…football analogies.

Why football I hear you cry? It’s simply because no other sport can capture the hearts & minds of the majority of the world’s people so intensely. Proof being, every time there is a match on that involves a team of 11 over-paid-&over-valued footballers playing against another team of 11-over-paid-&over-valued footballers my facebook newsfeed blows up. People’s facebook statuses become alight with news and updates on what’s going on…it’s so mind-blowingly gripping that some people even manage in their excitement to mistake their facebook’s for an official football commentary channel….i am so well informed i feel like i am literally part of the team….if not on the pitch then at least on the subs bench

So how about we mould this enthusiasm and interest into a topic like the revolutions in the Middle East. Consider this a template:

Imagine the police/pro-government forces are one team, and the anti-government supporters are another….Disregard if you can the idea of a limit imposed on how many players you can have on a team…we are trying to be all-inclusive. Throw in an imaginary football whenever you are watching scenes of unrest between the two crowds. When they are clashing…the match is on….when they are not…it’s half time….One again…i stress the need also to eliminate the component of ‘time’ when you’re watching this ‘match’…If you can’t seem to do that think of it as ‘overtime’…it’s meant to cover all the wasted time the ‘dictators’ have been in power.

But where does the dictator fit into all these football shenanigans? Well he is the manager of the police/pro-government forces… whilst the manager of the opposing team is Mr common sense & dignity.

When the police/pro-government forces are using dirty underhand tactics against the anti-government supporters i.e. beating them, shooting at them etc. That’s their version of playing foul. So of course this should be met with a stern rebuttal by the referee.

Yes there is a ‘self-imposed’ referee in all this and its the international community…in specific …the leaders of the countries that really matter on the world stage…so yea…Imagine Obama or anyone from the U.S state department in a referee kit whenever they are making a speech…whenever you hear the words ‘restraint’ that’s a straight up yellow card….when the words are on the level of ‘transition’ you know things have gotten serious and big daddy is pulling out that red card.

Oh and before i forget, you must be wondering about the goalposts and how goals are actually scored. Well the overall goal is for either team to get their hands on the ‘throne of power’ trophy….the current holders of this trophy are the team headed by the ‘dictators’.  You can also think of the army as ‘goalkeepers’ for both teams, as they are the ones that really determine whether the goals can actually be scored or prevented.

So overall, this post is a messy business for anyone who has no clue what football is. But for everyone else, rejoice, this revolution can now be shared and watched by all football fans with as match fever and vigour as countless other football matches … albeit it being a match with a few ‘minor’ adjustments.

Till Next time,

 

Viva La Revolution EGYPTIAN style!

Right off the bat I want to congratulate all the fearless Egyptians who have come out throughout these protests to voice their rights and unequivocally demand that they be recognized and heard. That also includes the many brave souls and hero’s who have risked and lost their lives in this movement. May you rest in peace and may your actions resonate throughout time in the hearts of every Egyptian. It’s a bittersweet moment knowing that those who risked the most cannot be part of the joy and celebration that all the Egyptians are participating in today

But I do think the question that people will be faced with after the celebrations and festivities  have died down will be what happens next? It’s important that things are not left up in the air as the revolution of change does not simply stop with the door hitting Mubarak forcefully on the way out. So here is my brief summary about some overall important points:

Firstly, the fact that Mubarak has been forced out is of course in itself an amazing achievement ..It’s also very powerfully symbolic as it shows that no leader can claim to be immune from the movement and will of his people… It’s also helps in making the remaining corrupt, dictatorial and autocratic Arab leaders hopefully shake uncontrollably in their custom-designed-fur-lined-dolled-up-gold-embroidered-slippers… in other words the demand for sleeping pills will shoot up drastically as restless nights take their toll…so if anyone is looking to make a quick buck that’s a heads up to which shares you should invest in. If the guy who gives extra strong super-glue a run for its dam money *on what can act as better adhesive to the throne of power* can eventually haul on out than ANYONE is susceptible to getting the Alan Sugar ‘Your fired’  dress down.

But Mubarak didn’t of course survive as long as he did in throes of power without having sweetened the deal for the people he has placed around him. So therefore anyone who is seen to be a dummy or cronie of Mubarak should be also swiftly shown the door….. preferably the door of the garbage disposal chute… when the disease -ridden head rolls the body should swiftly follow… and that includes that TWAT Suleiman who i think has proven that no matter who you are, there is always some prick waiting in the wings who will eclipse you at whatever area you choose to specialise in… in Mubarak’s case…that area is : Bastard-ness…yep Mubarak…you officially have someone you can favourably contrast yourself against..

These changes need to be coupled with a complete overhaul and reform of the flawed constitution and electoral process. This will allow things like limits to presidential term to be added so that no one else will be able to do a ‘Mubarak’….if the constitution and electoral process are not addressed fairly and properly, then the foundations of democracy will be weak and anything that is built on it will be inherently shaky and susceptible to failure.

And another thing is that caution should be exercised with regards to the military who are now effectively in power…. that is for the simple reason that Mubarak himself and the presidents that have preceded him have all come from the military……coupled with the fact that the many heads of the military are BFF’s with Mubarak … I heard they even have those tacky BFF necklaces  … someone needs to tell them that’s SO 2000 & late.. Plus the proof that they receive millions in funding from the U.S means that people should be wary of where their loyalties actually lie….And by the military I’m only really referring to the top brass…not the brave underlings who have generally shown that their loyalties are to the Egyptian people first and foremost.

So therefore the interm government that will rule and look after things till elections are actually held should include the opposition figures that have been instrumentally part off and supportive of the movements in and out of Tahrir square and who have stood firmly by the Egyptian people.

This is an unprecedented moment in the history of the Middle East and the momentum should not be lost as this change can hopefully reform not only Egypt’s destiny but the destiny of the whole region…

Egypt is, after all, Om El-Donia: Mother of the world

Till Next Time,

 

Way to Pop an Egyptian party Hillary

So the story that everyone has been hooked on in the news is of course the goings on in Egypt….well…i say everyone…seems the USA has gone a bit quiet on what’s going on. Actually wait…my bad…i spoke to soon, i have come across a statement by the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton…USA the so called beacon of democracy….USA the lauder of people’s liberties…This should be riveting:

‘U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday urged all sides in Egypt to exercise restraint following street protests and said she believed the Egyptian government was stable and looking for ways to respond to its people’s aspirations.’

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSWAT01483220110125

*scrolls down webpage…double checks the quote…checks Google and other articles for the extended version…goes back to page and searches for a to be continued….checks if this statement is a teaser trailer to a forthcoming fully detailed response….*

W-T-F …is that ALL? *puts down Cheerleading USA Pom poms…takes of Statue of liberty inspired crown…* I heard it was going to be a good ‘un….the character profile promised so much….yet delivered so little….Hooooooooooooooooold up DJ and PLEASE re-wind that track…is that REALLY all you have to say?

If so then I have a little story to tell that will beggar belief that THIS is all the U.S or Hillary could really fathom…huddle round kids:

Back in 2003 a war was waged on Iraq…one of the many reasons to go to war was to bring democracy to Iraq…we had George Bush aka dog and Tony Blair aka tail spreading word of how they were going to be the righteous victors to bring this elusive concept of democracy to the shores of Iraq. Yes theeeeeeeey where the ones who would bring forth this mystic beast called democracy and impart it on the Iraqi people…and they were going to stick to their guns and like  true cowboy’s in a Wild Wild West era where going to wage war to bestow this selfless gift to the Iraqi’s…..yes i know there were other claims to war e.g. Nuclear weapons etc…. but if you’ve been listening to anything Tony Blair’s been droning on about you’d be forgiven for thinking there where no other points to war…plus, even if their where no weapons he still would have gone to war he claimed..Because Saddam is a ruthless dictator etc. ….I’m not disputing the ruthless dictator credentials by the way for those up in arms.

So because they were on this virtuous mission they weren’t going to heed the calls of the namby-pamby UN to hold back till they secured some sort of resolution for the war….SCREW THEM!..They had no BALLS the US cried…they didn’t CARE about the Iraqi people…oh NO they were on a ‘humanitarian’ democratic mission…and no one was going to stop them…they were bringing the democratic party bus to Iraq…they were going to impart this precious baby of the west  to Iraq.. And as a famous wise film *cough cough dirty dancing* once eschewed: ‘NO-ONE puts baby in a corner’ ….not on this dance floor they don’t…

Actually….depends who’s idea it is to bring baby to the dance floor…if it’s the population then F*** that b**** can stay in the corner…that S*** is asking for trouble if she is running out on us…she’s OUR date….we bring her to the dance floor you hear?  And then we let you have a dance or two with her…but in the end she is coming home with US *holla at me Hamid Karzai if u know what I’m talking about….U KNOW what I’m talking about…we all know those elections where as dodgy as Hosni Mubarak’s face…you lil rascal you*

Anyways after all this hoopla….. Iraq isn’t what you would call a pin-up style democracy…so thankfully you would think this Egyptian  street level call to democracy could  be pounced on by you lot to salvage your street cred…since you did also claim that bringing democracy to Iraq would act as a domino effect in the region bringing democracy to other countries.. But funnily enough when Hillary Clinton and the USA, where handed this democratic movement on a plate…. I mean literally on a silver platter with a silver knife, fork and BUTLER to boot they didn’t want much to do with it???? Well the only thing they wanted with it was to tell the population who are striving for it to show ‘restraint’?

Now I’m not saying the population should go anarchic and cause as much destruction as possible for maximum effect but what I DO understand and see is that the people who are protesting when faced with the beating batons and rubber bullets of the police should not just sit back and take it…no they SHOULD fight….why? Because it is their right’s and the rights of future generations they are fighting for, and regardless of what you say no revolution from the bottom-up has ever come without a struggle of sorts…if you have forgotten this ample fact America refer back to the history books…the French revolution…the AMERICAN revolution…the revolution against apartheid in South Africa the U.S etc.

Point being if, as i have said before, you are going to claim to be the bearer of democracy, human rights, liberty etc. Then you better well check yourself before you wreck yourself and defend those who need defending…No No NO NO NO…GEORGE AND TONY…PUT DOWN YOUR DAM GUNS…not that way…sheeeeesh talk about jumping the gun….it can be through simply pulling back the unbridled support Mubarak has from you in aid and foreign policy initiatives. …It’s a surprise why you aren’t acting on this…

Well actually not a complete surprise…I do know that the reason why Hosni Mubarak is on the Paris Hilton US version of the hottie list and not the nottie list is simply because he is our b****…and we are a nation of dog lovers aren’t we?

The same old crap is lauded about….Mubarak is a bastard…but he is OUR bastard…he keeps them radicals at bay…you know who I’m talking about …those gun-totting-suicide-bombing-turban-loving-slipper-hurling-camel-riding-falg-burning-islamic-extremists….

But last i checked Osama Bin Laden was NOT running for presidency in Egypt or any other region and that goes for the rest of that radically deluded bunch……most people in the middle east *the majority save a few* don’t agree or like Osama bin laden and his cronies or even other  extremist forms and versions of his ideals and values…yea shock horror….the people who bomb weddings in Jordan,  kill Shia’s and Sunni’s alike in Iraq and massacre Christians and Muslims in Egypt aren’t well received? So no we won’t be having a BLAST with the extremists when Hosni Mubarak leaves…

But what you are doing by keeping silent and continuing your hypocritical foreign policy stances IS pushing more vulnerable individuals TOO extremist means, because violence whether we like it or not, becomes the only possible solution or outlet in a desperate dead-end situation  for desperate people.  So if you want to call for restraint Hillary your targeting the wrong people, call for restraint on your aid budgets and foreign policy activities that back-up dictatorships like Hosni Mubarak…that way you can help in actually solving a crises….and working your way to de-tarnishing your really grimy image abroad,

And if you are lost for words on what to say to the Egyptian population than look no further than your own constitution for inspiration

‘We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.’

‘No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.’

And if you’re not bothered to read….just take a glance at the statue of liberty and all it stands for….maybe then you will have more to say on this subject then a few pitying words on restraint..

The values your country was built on are values that are not and should not be restrained to your shores alone….but remember that they must not be forced on a population they must COME from the population….after all…isn’t that what democracy is about? Rule BY the PEOPLE, FOR the PEOPLE.

Till Next Time,