Archive for
November 19th, 2008
Stories
Rollback in New Zealand's emissions trading scheme?
A little more than a week after New Zealand’s National Party swept away nine years of Labour Party rule, new Prime Minister John Key stitched together a coalition government.
At the new government's swearing in ceremony in Wellington, Key’s center-right coalition promised to boost economic growth by cutting taxes, enacting free trade policies and expanding infrastructure investment.
Outside of jump starting New Zealand’s faltering economy, one of Key’s biggest domestic challenges will be to determine how much to preserve of former Prime Minister Helen Clark’s environmental policies, especially the carbon Emissions Trading Scheme ratified earlier this year.
To build his coalition, Keys reached out to the ACT Party, which campaigned on a platform to repeal the ETS. This partnership forced the National party to vow to delay implementing the pollution-control plan. Instead, the government will create a special Parliamentary committee to investigate amendments or alternatives to the ETS “in the light of current economic circumstances and steps now being undertaken by similar nations.”
This maneuvering comes at the heels of a recent United Nations report that ranks New Zealand with one of the world's largest carbon emissions increases since 1990.
As can be expected, many of New Zealand’s left leaning (and environmental) bloggers have deplored the potential roll-back of the ETS, however imperfect some may view the legislation . New Zealand’s scheme is scheduled to begin phasing in the forestry industry this year and introduce trading to the stationary energy and industrial processes in 2010.
“Just when the New Zealand government is taking us back to square one on climate change with a denialist dog and pony show, US President-elect Barack Obama has committed his new administration to serious action, declares No Right Turn:
Dirty America has just said that they intend to make “clean and green” New Zealand look like slackers. Is that really a reputation we want? Worse than the Americans?
If John Key really was “ambitious for New Zealand”, he'd want us to be better than that. He'd cancel ACT's denier forum and commit now to a stronger ETS with legislated targets for a 75% reduction on 1990 levels by 2020. The earlier we commit, the easier it will be, and a steeper path now always gives us the option of backing off later if it looks like the problem is well in hand. But if we follow National's “plan”, and sit on our hands for another couple of years while sending the wonks back to the drawing board for a completely new policy for the fifth time in 15 years, while having no long-term plan, then it is going to be much, much harder.
toad, writing in G. Blog, a community for Green Party members, worries that the new select committee will rehash already completed work and delay progress in carbon trading.
Of course, there will be no new evidence. This whole exercise is aimed at stalling doing anything to address climate change for another three years. On National’s part, this is because addressing climate change in any meaningful manner will annoy powerful farming and roading interests that helped to get them elected. On ACT’s part, it is because their ideological position doesn’t allow them to accept anthropogenic climate change - their peculiar logic is that if the free market can’t fix it, then it must not be happening.
Meanwhile, it seems that we all sit around for another three years doing nothing about climate change. Meanwhile, repealing the moratorium on further thermal power generation is one of National’s and ACT’s highest priorities.
Many bloggers from the left pointed to Tim Watkin’s (of the Pundit) tough questions he posed concerning the new coalition government:
Have we wasted the whole last decade debating climate change policy, if we need to go back and start from scratch with a select committee review of ETS? No party was happy with the scheme that was finally passed in September. It took years of negotiation and huge political compromise from those who voted for it. Now National will consider “any amendments or alternatives to it, including carbon taxes”. Are we just starting again then? Given that US president-elect Barack Obama is committed to a cap and trade scheme and even the United Nations is working on plans for a “Green New Deal“, why on earth are we choosing to give up our competitive advantage (ie years of policy work)?
Calling the Act party’s climate change policy a “friggin’ joke,” Tumeke saves most of the vitriol for the National party.
what are National actually going to do now in Government, and seeing as this means actually having to read National’s policy, it’s becoming quickly apparent the spin that mACTional is moderate is nonsense and that NZers have been sold a change lemon. It’s fascinating that National who drove a bloody tractor up the steps of parliament to fight the ‘fart tax’ are now so eager to bring in a carbon tax as a cop out from the emissions trading scheme, what a sick joke.
Richard Hurst writing in NZ Right Wing Leftie argues neither Labour or the Green parties are willing to admit the ETS will not deter global warming and make the government too poor to build necessary infrastructure like wind farms, dams and sustainable urban centers:
They’ve both invested far too much political capital into the ETS insanity to backtrack now. Who cares if it won’t actually stop climate change, who cares if NZ’s emissions total just 0.2% of total emissions, who cares if infrastructure that we will need like wind farm Project Hayes, the Central Plains Water dam and irrigation scheme, new hydro on the West coast etc etc are being stopped by the RMA and a hostile Labour govt, who cares if the ETS will cost NZ billions and lower our standard of living while achieving nothing…power, pride and deep unwillingness to admit their wrong is far more important to Labour and the Greens than doing what’s best for New Zealanders and the environment.
By the time New Zealanders realize what a horrible mistake the ETS is it may well be much too late. Of course neither Labour, the Greens or New Zealand First have actually asked us if we want it or not their just going to shove it through anyway. Kind of thing an election should decide surely? Instead of rushing it through under urgency before anyone can pause for thought. Reminds me of the way certain changes were made in the 1980s….some things in Labour don’t change I guess.
New committee aside, not all right-leaning bloggers believe the Key government will bring change to the country’s climate policy. Susie the Libertarian argues in a guest post at Not PC that incoming environmental minister Nick Smith’s environmental values “would not be out of place in the Green Party.”
And that alone should worry any working New Zealander with at least half a functioning brain.
Before going off on a scathing review of rural life in England under new Labour of Tony Blair, she returns to her critique of what life in New Zealand would be like under Minister Smith:
..the essence and ramifications of interference by central planners upon YOUR property and, perhaps, YOUR livelihood under the banner of protecting the environment. And with the weasel having been given the added portfolio of Climate Change in addition to that of The Environment, you can bet your ever decreasing dollar that Nick Smith has every intention of stamping his mark upon New Zealand, both rural and urban.
Others argue that Smith’s appointment proves it is politics-as-usual at the environmental portfolio.
A commenter to the Not PC blog, Mark Hubbard, argues:
With Smith also in charge of, snort, Climate Change, I think the farmers who were foolish enough to vote National are about to get a rude awakening over the ETS - which I assume Smith will have a big say in. You're right, he will take, if anything, the Green hard line. Indeed, many of the new National Cabinet, including the much touted Paula Bennett, would be just as at home on Labour's front bench. Same old, same old. I can't see how I'm going to have any more freedom from Big Old Nosy Nanny State at the end of this three years; indeed, I suspect this will finally prove the absolute ascendancy of Big Statism, and the further pounding and hounding back of individual freedom to only the tiniest of flickering lights.
Another commenter, LGM argues:
Those of you who supported the pragmatic let's-not-waste-votes option of supporting ACT or National, now is your chance. Time to lobby your ACT and National Parties. Write some letters. Call up the talkback. Call up your MP's electorate office. Let them know what you do NOT want is carbon tax or ETS or any other climate change nonsense. Are you not bearing enough of a burden supporting govt rorts already? Surely you do not want to accept more?
We’ll end here with a more general piece on a new form of religion from Dark Brightness — Bleak Theology: hopeful science — in a post called “Climate Heresy”:
…I’m becoming more and more irritated with the new Green state religion. My Anglo-Saxon forebears occaisionally sacrificed a noble to Odin one-eye, and the Romans (who were not by any means saints) were disgusted by the Druidic habit of bone fires.
The current Greens want to sacrifice humankind. Moreover, knowing that adults can think, can see when they are speaking shite (it is hard to talk about global warming after a cool northern summer, and snow in November in the South Island).
Colombia: Government, banking and pyramid schemes
Colombians are buzzing in outrage after the collapse last week of several investment offices which were operating as Ponzi schemes and pyramids, where people would deposit their savings and receive up to 300% in return. The last company standing was DMG, which has a massive following and is now being investigated and its owners arrested for alleged connections with drug trafficking cartels, money laundry and unlawful acquisition of funds. Surprising though, is that their followers have been unfailing in their support, defending DMG and its strategies on forums, comments and websites.
The topic of pyramids is so hot right now in the country that popular music singers have already released songs about it, as La Guayabita reports:
“Pongan cuidado señores
lo que les vengo a contar
por eso de las pirámides
nadie quiere trabajar
miren la fila tan larga
que hay que hacer pa' consignar
yo con esos intereses
hasta me lo hago …
mamá me lo dijo un día
no meta la plata allá
porque esta gente es muy viva
y lo van es a robar”.
what I come here to tell
due to those pyramids
no one wants to work
look at that long line
you have to do to deposit
with those interests
even I would go in…
mom told me one day
don't take your money there
because this people are very sharp
and what they will do is steal”.
We had previously covered these pyramids and DMG, you can read more about this story in Colombia: people falling prey to pyramid schemes. Jaime Plata writes in the Atalap group blog about the pyramid schemes and DMG, pointing out how these pyramids have affected rural communities, for example explaining the inflation bubble where goods have gotten more expensive since people have more money to spend, but also to the fact that liquid assets have practically disappeared in some of these communities, since all the cash is invested in these companies:
Sabían que en algunos pueblos del Putumayo y Nariño los campesinos han dejado de sembrar papa, yuca, y hasta Coca, porque las pirámides les dan un mejor salario y no hay necesidad de matarse trabajando en un trabajo honrado!! También hay otros municipios que ya no tienen dinero circulante para usar, porque todo el dinero esta metido en estas pirámides, están teniendo que regresar al trueque porque no hay liquidez!!
In the comments, pastusos brings a completely different perspective to the problem, supporting DMG. The event mentioned regarding police stealing money can be seen on this video.
te cuento que gracias al dmg en el putumayo se dejo de sembrar coca y no por el glifosato ni por las campañas de publicidad mal hechas, porque empresas como esta aclaro NO SON PIRAMIDES LOGRO QUE este hermoso municipio tuviera otra oportunidad, oportunidad que el gobierno no les brindo ni les brindara jamaz[sic], jovenes profesionales sin empleo ni oportunidad alguna lograron proyectarse y salir adelant[sic], a su ignorancia les aclaro que carlos suarez nunca se volo y nunca incumplio, al contrario medios como rcn y caracol crearon panico en la gente permitiendo que las autoridades se tomaran las oficinas y como quedo registrado en pasto se robaran el dinero de los aportantes, siendo los principales autores del complot de sarmiento y grupo aval que manejan nuestro pais a su antojo y a nuestro presidente que le dio la espalda al pueblo
An insider view of the DMG system is shown in A Midas in the Tropics [es], where Julio Caycedo and Nathan Jaccard, explore the process of becoming part of DMG, and include examples of successful clients who managed to buy products such as cars or computers, and later paid them off out of the return, in such a way that they were practically for free. The comments are largely made by supporters of DMG, who believe that if DMG collapses, it will be the government's fault, and not the company's. They consider David Guzmán Murcia the messiah, who has taken them out of poverty. One of the strongest arguments on behalf of DMG has to do with the mistrust of banks in Colombia, and how someone, after saving a certain amount of money in a bank, at the end of the year ends up with less, after the banks debit for account management, for calls requesting information and other hidden charges, while in DMG they invest and 6 months later they receive the same amount of money they invested.
Marialucy comments what seems to be echoed in the rest of the supporters:
Yo he invertido en sitios aparentemente seguros como Corfipacífico, Fondos de Pensiones, Bolsa de Bogotá, Cáceres y Ferro y en todos he perdido dinero.
Que no me vengan a decir ahora que DMG es inseguro. Y si es así, prefiero perder la plata con ellos y no con instituciones donde uno pierde y el banquero siempre está barrigón y con las arcas llenas. Por lo menos David Murcia ayudó a mucha gente y si no alcanza para mí, bueno, qué se va a hacer!
Lo que sí es cierto es que el gobierno se mete en problemas si lo hace quebrar. Además los periodistas tienen mucho que ver con ésto pues se ensañan dándoselas de virtuosos y éticos.
Ojalá nos vaya bien.
So don't come here to tell me that DMG is insecure. And if that is the case, I'd rather lose my money with them and not in institutions where one loses and the banker always has a fat belly and full chests of money. At least David Murcia helped a lot of people and if it isn't enough to go around for me, well, what can one do?
What is true is that the government will get into a lot of troubles if they make DMG go broke. Besides, journalists have a lot to do with it since they attack from their high-horse of ethics and virtue.
I hope we do well.
Recently during the collapse of the other pyramids, one company left a parting message on the front door of their office, which Reticente reproduces on his blog, where the company berates the gullible investors for believing there was an easy, quick and effortless way to make money. It ends with:
Y recuerden, las únicas pirámides que existen y no se van, son las de Egipto. Les deseamos una triste navidad y vergonzoso año nuevo pelado”.
There is even a facebook group where they are discussing the possibilities that David Murcia Guzmán could be the next presidential candidate. Although it isn't translateable on a blog post, calls on radio shows also show that David Murcia's followers believe him close to being the next Messiah, speaking of him as a prophet unjustly picked on by the government for helping the poor.
One of the greater complaints has been the lack of action from part of the government, who didn´t take measures to stop people from investing in these schemes. If it was so illegal, why didn't the government stop it, and why were they charging the company taxes if it was in the shady side of the law? Some people have their own conspiracy theories about the relationship the government has with DMG:
Bueno pues segun mi Fuente que trabaja directamente en DMG; hace algunos años hubo un negocio para Lavar dinero del Narcotrafico, en especial de los paramilitares através de DMG y en estas marañas estaba interesadisimo don Alvarito asi que, segun la parte Administrativa de DMG mientras Alvarito este y se mantenga en el Poder DMG se mantiene protegida y funcionando. Osea que al cosa ya tiene mas sentido.
DMG itself has also defended itself on the YouTube Channel: On DMG Vs. Financial Terrorism (Part 1) [es] he blames Aval group and its banking directors for the collapse of DMG due to their refusal to deal with DMG and their mudslinging tactics against the organization:
Currently, David Murcia is in the process of being extradited from Panama, where he currently lives, along with his wife, mother and other family members to answer to legal charges. DMG's supporters are blaming the government for freezing the company's assets and staunchly believe that the money they were receiving had to do with investments and trade and in the capital city of Bogotá they marched yesterday to prove their support of their hero. You can see images, read posts and view their perspective on their blog “Let us Work”. The following video records the support march which took place on November 17th to support DMG and protest against the government's actions:
As Apeláez writes in “The Putumayo Messiah”, with hard numbers to prove his point:
En particular, los holgazanes que invierten en DMG parecen no entender ( o entender muy bien) el riesgo que está detras de sus inversiones. Actuan como fanáticos religiosos detras del nuevo mesias que promete fortunas con sólo esperar y confiar. Suponen, también, que los retornos de su inversión son una muestra contundente de la mezquindad del sistema financiero colombiano y están dispuestos a inmolarse con tal de proteger al mechudo.
Según han dicho en los medios, cerca de trescientos mil colombianos son holgazanes que tienen una parte de sus ahorros en DMG. Si cada uno de estos tuviera invertido en promedio doscientos cincuenta mil pesos, hoy DMG estaría manejando en su último round cerca de treinta y ocho millones de dolares. Para poder cumplirle a sus inversores, el señor del pelo largo necesita recoger casi ciento veinte millones de dolares o de lo contrario colapsa. Si lo logra, necesitará trescientos cincuenta y cuatro millones de dolares para mantenerse a flote, y en caso de lograr conseguir esta plata con sus amigos oscuros, necesitará mil y pico millones de dolares para evitar ser crucificado.
La tiene dificil el mesias.
As the media have reported, close to three hundred thousand Colombians are bums who have part of their savings in DMG. If each one of those had invested on average two hundred fifty thousand pesos, today DMG would be handling in their last round close to thirty eight million dollars. To be able to follow through with their investors, the long haired man needs to amass close to one hundred twenty millios of dollars or it will collapse. If he manages that, he will need three hundred fifty four millions of dollars to keep his head out of the water, and in case he manages to get THIS amount with his dark friends, he will then need more than one thousand million dollars to avoid being crucified.
The Messiah will have it tough.
Israel: Ceasefire with Hamas Ends
The temporary cease-fire (tahdiya) agreement between Israel and Hamas has come to an end earlier this month with an escalation of violence in the region and a re-implementation of the Gaza blockade. Following information on Hamas preparations to abduct IDF soldiers through a tunnel, the IDF operated near the border in Gaza. The operation prevented the planned attack and killed seven Hamas operatives. In reaction, Hamas fired a massive barrage of rocket and mortar shell fire onto the Israeli south.
Earlier in June, the temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas (mediated by the Egyptian government) included the following terms: 1) stopping of all Gaza-Israel violence and an ease in the blockade 2) easing of Israeli restrictions on cargo crossings 3) conducting talks about opening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and prisoner exchange to free IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Israel pledged to refrain from massive offensive operations but reserved the right to carry out attacks on specific targets should the need arise. Hamas, on the other hand, regarded the temporary cease-fire as a tahdiya and not a hudna. Jonathan Dahoah Halevi explains the difference:
The difference between the two Arabic terms is substantial. Hudna means “truce,” which is more concrete than tahdiya - “a period of calm” - which Hamas often uses to describe a simple cease-fire. In traditional Islamic thought, a hudna is negotiated between an Islamic entity and a non-Islamic entity, but it can be reversed the moment the Islamic side has gained sufficient strength to resume fighting. Nevertheless, a hudna implies recognition of the other party's actual existence, without acknowledging its legitimacy.
A tahdiya has less standing than a hudna. Khaled Mashaal, Hamas' leader, and his deputy in leadership, Musa Abu Marzouq, elaborated in recent months their interpretation of a tahdiya. In an interview with Al-Jazeera (April 26, 2008), Mashaal clarified that for Hamas, a tahdiya is “a tactic in conflict management and a phase in the framework of the resistance [meaning all forms of struggle].” He added that it “is not unusual for the resistance…to escalate sometimes and to retreat a bit sometimes as the tide does….The tahdiya creates a formulation that will force Israel…to remove the siege…and if it happens it will be a remarkable achievement….We are speaking of a tactical tahdiya….As long as there is occupation, there is no other way but resistance.”
The cease-fire has granted Hamas a golden opportunity to expand its military build-up for the next round of terror and violence. Blogger soccer dad expanded on this point:
But all that means is that Israel will tolerate a certain level of violations before it is forced to act. The cycle will repeat unless Israel takes decisive action against Hamas wiping out most of its terrorist capabilities, just as it did to Fatah during Operation Defensive Shield.
The point of the tahadiyeh from Hamas's standpoint is to allow itself to re-arm and prepare for its next campaign against Israel.
It's also reasonable to assume that Hamas has no intention of releasing Gilad Shalit anytime soon. Despite its political and military gains from the tahadiyeh, if Hamas is brazen enough to claim that Israel isn't keeping its side of the bargain while it flagrantly violates the truce (by rearming), it wants a lot more from Israel before it will release Shalit.
The lull agreement reached between Israel and Hamas was subject to an Egyptian pledge to do everything in its power to prevent arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israel pledged to refrain from massive offensive operations but is reserving the right to carry out attacks on specific targets should the need arise.
The events which began on November 4th have brought the violence back to the region and effectively ended the cease-fire. Doc's Talk blog describes the events as they unfolded:
Following information about Hamas's preparations to abduct IDF soldiers through a tunnel, the IDF operated near the border. The operation prevented the planned attack and killed seven Hamas terrorist operatives. Hamas reacted with massive rocket and mortar shell fire, unprecedented since the lull arrangement went into effect. After the immediate barrages, sporadic rocket and mortar shell fire continued (carried out by the smaller terrorist organizations). Israel responded by closing the Gaza Strip crossings.
Another event occurred on November 12, when the IDF killed four Hamas terrorist operatives who tried to lay an IED near the border security fence. The Palestinian terrorist organizations, led by Hamas, again fired dozens of rockets and mortar shells at western Negev population centers, including the town of Sderot and city of Ashqelon. The fire, in various quantities, continued uninterrupted for four days.
…Following the lack of goods in the Gaza Strip and in response to appeals from the international community, on November 11 Israel began delivering a limited supply of diesel fuel for the Gaza Strip power plant. However, the deliveries quickly ended on November 12 because Hamas renewed its rocket fire.
…In reality, closing the power plant led to local disturbances in the supply of electricity in the Gaza City area. However, the power outage was not complete because the Gaza Strip power plant supplies only about 30% of its electricity. Hamas, as usual, initiated a propaganda campaign which exaggerated the extent of the suffering caused to local residents, completely ignoring the terrorist attacks and rocket and mortar fire which caused the crossings to be closed. The objective of the campaign has been to exert pressure on Israel through the international community, the Arab countries and Israeli public opinion. That is done to force Israel to open the Gaza Strip crossings, despite the ongoing attacks carried out by the Palestinian terrorist organizations.
While the official Israeli stance has been coming out with claims that Hamas is staging the blackouts (not the first time Israel raises this issue), the situation on the ground in Gaza is dire. Amira Hass presents a more personal description of life in Gaza:
Offices, medical practices, private residences: All are darkened by power outages that may occur at any time of day. Every phone call starts with the question of whether the person on the other end of the line has electricity. Whether they managed to bathe the kids before the hot water ran out. Whether the washing machine was working when the outage began.
Refrigerators are particularly prone to malfunction and breakdown because of the constant outages. Also, the cellular phone system weakens and sometimes crashes. Not everyone can afford buying a generator for their home or office and paying for the gas it runs on. They have to save money.
The shortage in cooking gas and diesel is starting to worry many. One mother in Gaza City had to send her child to Rafah, where the shortage is not yet felt, to buy cooking gas. Meanwhile, it is till relatively warm for November and people are putting off thinking about what will happen if Israel continues to block the transfer of cooking gas or diesel used for heating into the Gaza Strip when the winter arrives.
From browsing Israeli press and blogosphere, it is apparent that not many had truly believed the lull would even last as long as it did. In his post, Crushing the tahadiyeh Zvi Bar'el writes:
A tunnel here, a roadside bomb there, mortar bombs, Qassams, border closures, border openings, an Israeli military force enters, “rapid and effective operations,” four killed, another six killed. The chocks that have until now kept the lull in the Gaza Strip in place, keeping it from rolling downhill, are failing with increasing speed and noise. Every party is careful not to declare that the cease-fire is over, since whoever does so will immediately be denounced as responsible for crushing that fragile construction. But the truth is, it's already gone. Almost five “normal” months since the deal was struck through indirect negotiations mediated by Egypt, and it's already time to prepare for the next stage.
…
Since the cease-fire went into effect, Israel has had some pretty good reasons to renege on the agreement and to launch an assault on Gaza. Arms and explosives have made their way to the Strip virtually undetected, tunnels continued to be dug and bombs planted throughout the territory against an Israeli ground invasion. Last week's “ticking tunnel,” dug ostensibly to facilitate the abduction of Israeli soldiers, was not a clear and present danger: Its existence was always known and its use could have been prevented on the Israeli side, or at least the soldiers stationed beside it removed from harm's way.
It is impossible to claim that those who decided to blow up the tunnel were simply being thoughtless. The military establishment was aware of the immediate implications of the measure, as well as of the fact that the policy of “controlled entry” into a narrow area of the Strip leads to the same place: an end to the lull. That is policy - not a tactical decision by a commander on the ground.
Most recently, Israel has been criticized by the UN high commissioner for Human Rights. Barak Ravid and Amos Harel elaborate on Israel's reaction to her comments:
Israel reacted angrily to comments made Tuesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, in which she called for an immediate end to its blockade of the Gaza Strip, which she said breached international and humanitarian law.
In a statement from her Geneva-based office, Pillay urged Israel to allow the flow of aid including food, medicines and fuel to resume, and to restore electricity and water services in the Hamas-controlled territory.
Pillay was also quoted as saying that 1.5 million Palestinian men, women and children have been forcibly deprived of their most basic human rights for months. She also called for Israel to end airstrikes and incursions in Gaza, and for Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets into Israel.
Israel imposed a blockade of Gaza after the Islamic group Hamas violently seized control of the territory in June 2006. It recently tightened the sanctions because of rocket fire at Israeli towns.
Pillay's demands provoked an angry response from Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Aharon Leshno-Yaar, who accused her of being utterly shortsighted and repeating blatant misinformation.
“Overall responsibility for the situation in the Gaza Strip lies with Hamas, which invests all of its resources in arms and terrorism instead of providing for the civilians that it brutally controls,” Aharon Leshno-Yaar said, adding that Palestinian groups had fired more 170 rockets and mortars at Israel during the past 10 days.
Leshno-Yaar also rejected Pillay's claim that Israel has cut off essential supplies to Gaza.
“Electricity and water continue to flow from Israel to Gaza, and 33 trucks laden with supplies arrived in Gaza yesterday, with more waiting to enter as soon as Hamas ends its violent attacks,” he said.
Finally, on a personal note, from browsing blogs and news sites, even for myself it is increasingly difficult to maintain a solid opinion, as the situation on both sides of the border is ever more complex. One thing is very clear - both sides lack solid leadership, which seeds a sense of hopelessness. Even with the upcoming elections in both Palestine and Israel, there seems to be little hope for potential leaders to bring an end to the violence. What are your opinions? How can the elections affect this continuing situation if at all?
Trinidad & Tobago: Flood!
Trinidad and Tobago has been at the receiving end of some heavy rains over the past few days, resulting in severe flood waters that have immobilized commuters, compromised infrastructure and wreaked havoc on the public transportation system.
But only a handful of local bloggers were on top of the story (perhaps the rest were too busy trying to find a way home). Media Watch thanked the mainstream media “for bringing us on the ground reports of the flooding well before the major newscasts were scheduled to begin”, while journalist/blogger Paolo Kernahan thought that “the devastation across the country and in particular Port of Spain…demonstrates the desperate state of affairs in this country”:
Inclement weather is, of course, beyond anyone’s control. Our response to it is what makes us human.
Trinidadians were forced to revert to a primal state as flood waters predictably rose and swirled around our ankles, then knees, then necks. City Gate on a dry day is like a refugee camp in the Congo, a mass of humanity moving in unison like locusts in a swarm, hither and thither hoping to clamber onto a maxi without losing a shoe or your dignity. Just imagine City Gate this evening after rivers regurgitated their loads out onto South Quay and everywhere else.
People were actually fighting; frustration whittling away at already frayed nerves, men and women reverting to more primal instincts; survival, defense. The predators are lying in wait for them, teeth bared, ready to pounce on this opportunity of weakness. As frazzled city workers try to wend their way home, the killers from the ‘hotspots’ pounce on them, shattering windows and grabbing unguarded purses or cell phones. So the saga of survival plays out in the wetlands of South Quay.
Meanwhile, diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch wanted to know “what works will be taking place to alleviate this.” Paolo wasn't sure anything would be done as he continued:
We have been turkey-gobbling for years about a disaster management policy and an evacuation plan for the city of Port-of-Spain. There was no coordinated approached to advising members of the public how they should cope with the wide scale flooding, which I again emphasize was quite predictable.
Twitter had a few flood-related entries:
…and blogger Georgia Popplewell, who happened to be on the road during the downpour, posted this photo of a swollen Diego Martin river:
Finally, Paolo had a message for the nation's Prime Minister:
This is what I see Mr Manning, first world money but third world mentality that has our citizens confused and scared in a city that has become a watery prison with bandits waiting in the wings to pounce. Good thing you had three men to hold umbrellas for you. I am still hurting for the young mother soaked to her slip, clutching two terrified children’s hands because she has no answers for the look of fear in their eyes.
So raise your champagne glasses in the Hyatt to all the monuments to your success while our people wade through muddy water, hoping that it is not more of the same in their living rooms, when, or if they finally get home.
Egypt on Fire: The Gloves and The Invisible Hand
On Thursday November 6th when Egyptians were celebrating Obama's Victory, Al Ghad Party went up in flames. You can read about the initial blogosphere reactions here and here. Today I am sharing with you Wael Nawara's statements regarding the incident.
Nawara, who is a senior official at the party and among the detainees on the day of the fire, wrote in English and in Arabic about what really happened:
The so-called “National” newspapers, indeed all channels of the so-called “National” media, tried to portray the crime as a dispute between competing factions of El Ghad Party which ended up in smoke and flames. It was a cold-blooded communication strategy which aimed at discrediting the opposition and scaring the public. It also aimed at spreading a spirit of pessimism and apathy. They wanted to say, “… look how pathetic the opposition is. Look how dirty the tactics they use. How small the personal gains and political rivalry which motivate them.”
It was an intended message to the public. “You criticize the NDP so bitterly, look how pitiful the opposition is. You want to play politics, the only ‘clean' club in town, at least relatively-speaking, is the NDP.”
Wael Nawara cited incidents of how internal elections took place previously:
They failed to mention that El Ghad members have elected 3 different party presidents in the past 5 years. Ayman Nour was elected in Nov 2004, Ambassador Nagui El Ghatrifi was elected in Dec 2005, Attorney Ehab El Kholy was elected in March 2007, and El Ghad members were getting ready to elect a 4th president on 7th Nov 2008. I, and two other candidates, ran against Ehab El Kholy in the elections of March 2007. My friend and colleague, Ehab El Kholy, won by 16 votes, getting about 45% of the votes while I got 42% of the votes. I contested election results on the grounds that none of the candidates had a clear majority of 50% +1 vote, and requested another round between candidates of the highest votes, myself and Ehab El Kholy. I did so, peacefully, lawfully, inside the party, through the council of “Wise Men”, or El Ghad Senates, who act according to the Party's bylaws as an “Internal Court” to resolve internal disputes. The Senates took several weeks then announced their verdict in my favor. I waived my rights for a second round and conceded to Ehab El Kholy and worked under his command since then. I am telling this little story, just to show that we can compete and have differences, but we can choose to solve our differences amicably, peacefully, and lawfully. El Ghad is no utopian opposition party. It has its problems, internal conflicts and limitations. But to portray the massacre of Nov 6th as a confrontation between competing factions is a gross distortion of the matter.
He also clarified the positions of former party members Mousa Mostafa Mousa and Ragab Helal Hemida:
The attack on El Ghad party by a group of thugs had nothing to do with who heads the party. Mousa Mostafa Mousa and Ragab Helal Hemida were both dismissed from the party on 18th Sep 2005, as per the verdict of the party's Senate, ratified by the Higher Council, the president - then Dr Ayman Nour- and by the General Assemblies of 20th Sep 2005 and 30th Dec 2005.
The attack on El Ghad Party on 6th Nov 2008 was a campaign commissioned by Mousa but encouraged by the security apparatus, which strives to eradicate any form of real opposition in Egypt. Ragab Helal Hemida, who came hand in hand with thugs and criminals to burn down El Ghad building, supervised a similar campaign on Al Ahrar party several years ago. He is an expert, a special agent which the regime uses to destroy and splinter opposition parties.
Nawara goes on to narrate what really happened supporting his version of the story by pictures published in El Badeel Newspaper:
In the first few days, after the events of Nov 6th, the so-called “National” newspapers spared no efforts in smearing our reputation in a filthy character-assassination campaign. Leaders of the “real” Ghad party were made to look as criminals and arsons. But when El Badeel newspaper started to publish photos from the crime scene showing Mousa and Ragab heading a group of thugs who started burning El Ghad building down, throwing rocks at the party's headquarters, setting clothes on fire and throwing them at El Ghad, then wrestled with firemen trying to prevent them from putting out the fire, then started smashing cars parked under the building, then started to lute our offices and smash furniture and antiques stolen from inside, then started dancing in Talaat Harb Square celebrating their victory in setting the building ablaze, etc., etc., etc. …, all of this happening in broad daylight, in the busiest spot of downtown Cairo, under a total absence of police in uniform.
The police mysteriously disappeared, despite advance warnings and official complaints filed by El Ghad leaders asking for protection after Mousa bluntly announced that he will attack the General Assembly. Talaat Harb Square, which is usually packed with security forces, suddenly became a Thug-land. In fact, traffic police stopped traffic to allow the attackers to proceed and complete the job at hand.
When all those photos became public … when Gameela Ismail, Vice-President and spokesperson of El Ghad, came out on Orbit and Dream Channels and showed those photos to millions of Egyptian viewers … everyone wondered … how come that only El Ghad leaders, who were trapped inside, who luckily escaped death by a slim margin, were accused of causing the damage, when in fact they were the very victims facing possible death, just a few hours before?
Then, and only then, did the Attorney General decide to call Mousa for questioning. Only then, did the regime start to notice, that the crime is too embarrassing to shove under the rug. But calling Mousa for questioning is hardly an achievement. Mousa is just a pitiful “glove” to some other mysterious hand which is determined to crush all opposition.
At the end he wonders:
… until when, will this invisible hand remain invisible and immune from questioning? Until when will this hand stay outside the realm of the law?
To those who are concerned I would like to ask a question. This pathetic lawlessness which ruled the streets of downtown Cairo on the day of November 6th, 2008; whose responsibility was it? Are we just going to throw the blame on poor Mousa, Ragab and a few other thugs? Come on. I am sure that the regime can do better than that. I think the crime deserves a bigger sacrifice.
Think a little. You can actually benefit from the situation. By putting the blame on some minister or another the regime can also get rid of him. This is a bonus at times like these. After all, let us face it, the “minister” in concern is becoming a burden on the regime and all too powerful to remain in office. After all, news of a likely cabinet shuffle is flying around. The regime is a survivor. I hope it will present a bigger lamb to the sacrifice this time.
Egypt: No Sexual Harassment Here, says the First Lady
Two-thirds of Egyptian men harass women showed a survey reported by Reuters. Global Voices Online wrote about this topic the aftermath of the recent events here, here, here, here, and most recently here. But Egypt's first lady Suzanne Mubarak thinks otherwise.
Zeinobia writes in English:
Suzanne Mubarak said (in Al Ahram Newspaper) that Sexual Harassment in Egypt can’t be considered a phenomenon because of a couple of incidents!! She accused the media and the radical Islamists of blowing those incidents out of proportion!!
The first lady's statement does not surprise me. After all she, her husband, and her son believe that everything is fine and great in Egypt so you want to say something is wrong in the country in front of her !!
My dear friends Mrs. Mubarak does not walk in the streets alone except when they are cleaned from every thing including the humans. How would she see the sexual harassments incidents? How would she hear from other women and girls around her about their experiences if they live in an Egypt different than the Egypt we live in? How would she know if those who around her tell her day and night that everything is fine and great in Egypt?
It is ok that you live in a Palace and you move with bodyguards but do not underestimate that terrible phenomenon when the Western countries warn their females tourists from it. Do not underestimate it when your own official state research centers speak about fearful percentages of women who are harassed on a daily basis.
It is so provoking to hear her say such thing when she claims to be a feminist leader who liberated Egyptian Women in the last 26 years !!
In Arabic The Voice of Egypt links to news sources quoting Mubarak on sexual harassment. The blogger notes:
Links for Wed, 2008-11
Free Media Sri Lanka reports that one of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) affiliates A.R. Vanna Loshan, General Manager of Vettri FM Radio was arrested under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in Colombo. IFJ and the leading media organizations in Sri Lanka condemned the detention of the Tamil journalist without charge.
M@q at Here I am… posts a video campaigning to vote for Cox’s Bazaar Beach of Bangladesh in the New7Wonders contest.
From the 14th to the 16th of November the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit was held in Tokyo, with 160 young leaders debating this year's topic of “Challenges Across Borders, Solutions Beyond Cultures”, focusing on ways to “make the culture relevant in our changing world”. The diary of the 3-day-conference, and pictures of the event, are available on the Asia 21 Summit blog [en].
Hungarian Spectrum is wondering how it is possible that “growing marijuana plants seems to deserve as harsh a sentence as murder” in Hungary.
Simply Trini Cooking makes a trip to Mount St. Benedict - “a terrific place for a retreat or just to get away from it all.”
Diaspora bloggers Keltruth Corp. (Barbados) and Babalu (Cuba) discuss Barack Obama's choice of Eric Holder for the post of Attorney General.
Barbados Underground says that the issue of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary needs to be sorted out “to hopefully reach an amicable agreement in the national interest.”
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