Cover Story 0017

Key to Demorkneycy ?

If when it comes to politics you tend to roll your eyes, shrug your shoulders and say 'I don't care about politics / I am unpolitical / I can't change anything, anyway / The world is as it is / Politicians are selfish bucking fastards ... etc. etc. -  ahem: all these are political comments.
It's the polis where politics begins.
Actually, it begins within your four walls.
No?

Oh well, then hurry on to the next most thrilling blog.

End of the beforegoing.

"High quality education … support for vulnerable people … ferry services for our scattered communities … waste collection … roads maintenance … council housing.

Just some of the many services run by your local Council. Our work touches almost every aspect of life across Orkney. As we prepare for Tough Times and Tough Choices I’m posing six questions on this blog.  There is a reply form below for your ideas and suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you."

A Council Convenor's introducing 75 (!) words to - what I think - a remarkable blog.

Why (would I make a post of this)?

Well, the other day I took the time and read all - yes: all - contributions re 

- priorities
- roads
- education
- transport
- care
- other ideas

and afterwards thought: that's an interesting attempt.
What a feedback. If only  Orkney's elected representatives will take serious what those wrote they are representing. This blog is a chance! Do they know?
 
Now are the Orkney islands inhabited by approximately 20,000 people, about as many as are living in the little town where I was born once in the past millennium.
Such 'thing' wouldn't work in London, New York, Tokyo, hm? Not to speak of Great Britain, the U.S.A., Japan etc., let alone India and China.


Well, it would. At least, it could.
It's - repeating myself - the polis where politics begins.
Actually, it begins within your four walls.
No? 

End of the beforegoing.

Following the links given above you will find one contributor writing:

It is quite obvious that this entire blog has only been set up to give the impression that 'we' are somehow part of whatever solution the council comes up with and so are helping to decide our own fate. This is not actually the case. [...]

I wish s/he (who in the following wrote down some good thoughts) were wrong; because - repeating myself - if  Orkney's elected representatives will take serious what those said they are representing, they will be giving evidence of that they understood what they are: representatives.


End of the beforegoing:

And here a tiny service for those visitors from the U.S.A. who normally watch Fox News and only accidentally landed at Omnium and would not immediately know the whereabouts of the Orkneys.
 

 Got it?

 

Cover Story 0011

Things fall apart

Waiting for the barbarians

The barbarians are coming*

(a bit) about the authors:

Chinua Achebe

J.M.Coetzee

Jean Ziegler

* Could not find this book in English. Its complete title reads:  

The Barbarians are Coming: Capitalism and Organised Crime

As for some crossroads

When reading an interesting little crosstalk about crossroads in the comment section to Stan's fascinating post Blather and blarney and blindfolding the devil which to read and enjoy herewith I do again wholeheartedly recommend, it crossed my mind that once in the past millennium with great interest I read this book.


Well, actually I had just been after - sic! :) re-reading it only a couple of weeks before, which was the more interesting, as the reader had the advantage to know more about the past 13 years than the contributors while writing their essays.

John Hume, f.e., could not know that in 13 years time there'd be a heated discussion whether a majority of the Irish in the(ir) second referendum about the so-called Lisbon-Treaty within one year should vote "Yes" or once again "No".

Still, his essay Everything is Political in a divided Society could easily be written in September 2009.
Judge yourself.
Here's a short excerpt taken from “Arguing at the Crossroads – Essays on a changing Ireland”, 1997, pp 105/106:

"[...] The renewal of Ireland is scarcely thinkable outside the process of the development of a political and cultural Europe. [...] It (the EU; sj) is the greatest example of conflict resolution in the history of humanity. Nations who for centuries invaded each other, occupied each other’s territories, expelled each other’s peoples and massacred each other, came together freely to bury their old hatreds. [...] But the fact that these nations have preserved their identities is even more encouraging. It proves that institutions can be created to pursue common objectives without sacrificing Europe’s diversity of culture and traditions.

[...] The more people are given responsibility for their future, the more they show their ability to take such responibility. The more people believe that their political institutions belong to them, the more effective those institutions will be.
[...] Working for a new Ireland in a new Europe [...] It is time to look honestly at the virtues and defects of our society and find new answers capable of preparing us for the challenges which lie ahead. It is time to paint a realistic portrait of society and to abandon the consolation of outmoded imaginary mental pictures. We need the courage to imagine new perspectives which will help us to formulate answers to the questions of social diversity, possible political institutions and the eventual resolution of our conflict."

Just to increase my stats

Gardening, flowers, (romantic) poems, 'sweet' songs (of love) ... oh, what a boring apolitic blog Omnium has become - some readers might think...

... perhaps -? :) - not thinking of that everything is politics;

... perhaps - ? :) - not being aware that it is politics saying: I don't care about politics'.

End of the beforegoing.

As everybody knows I am just crazy about my stats. Absolutely crazy. 90 percent of my time I am thinking of my stats. Gosh, Jesus, Allah, Montezuma, Buddha, Venus, all gods I don't mention ... and not to forget the devine head of a dead sardine - care for my stats.

It's why I am linking to billions of blogs, visit each hour millions of them and leave myriads of comments ... such as: Wonderful! Brilliant! Nicely put! Love it! Aww, gorgeous! Amazing! etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum ...

and not to forget: would be sssoooo lovely if you found time to visit my wonderful ... eh humble blog.
Lots of love, Yours ...

End of the beforegoing.

Back to the stats I am such crazy about.
For weeks - ah what am I saying? - for months ! they have been decreasing. And that's only why the watchdogs of Monsanto are obviously thinking 'another idiot's resignating'.

Ah, gentle(wo)men: How could I risk your jobs. Forgive me, please?

You see, I thought it's only fair to give a certain President some days more than one hundred to prove that eloquency which by a credulous majority is easily taken for charisma, can be as dangerous and evil as what an imbecile son of a former evil babbit that managed / was chosen to become President of the most wonderful of all wonderful countries, could ever babble.

End of the beforegoing.

To slowly ... very slowly ... enure readers what might - if I feel like :) - (again) become a topic on at of Omnium - ah those prepositions! -, here's for a very tiny warm-up.

Maybe I am going to feel fancy to ask the most honourable Mr. Obama what he has been doing about those bucking fastards in his country during the past 100 + X days.
May be there will some other questions been asked.

Yes, I can!

Such questions won't change anything, you say?

:)

Quite. But isn't is a pleasure to call liars liars, and greedy bastards greedy bastards?

And now imagine: Those greedy bastards - most of them at least any Sunday showing sanctimoneously presence in the church of their choice ... convert to Islam / Judaism / Buddhism/ Hinduism / start worshipping the head of a dead sardine ...

Now, that would help to save the planet!

The peace of the night.

Turkey on tenterhooks

'Normally' I do set links - yes, yes, it's time to overcome my lazyness and perhaps even for a revival of my 'Wordy Wednesdays :) - however this synopsis of what keeps great parts of the Turkish society on tenterhooks is so excellent that I asked Erkan - after the private, here the official congratulation, Dr. Saka :) - for his permission to pinch it.At the bottom you'll find - in chronological order - several links to the best source one can find when being interested (not only!!) in what's going on in Turkey.
End of the eulogy. :) Judge yourself.

Forensic officers search for weapons in a wooded area in central Ankara January 9, 2009. More than 40 people, including three retired generals, nine military officers, a state prosecutor and a former chairman of the higher education board, were detained for their suspected links to a right-wing group. The military, which has unseated four governments in the past 50 years and views itself as the guarantor of Turkey's secular order, denies any link to the group, known as Ergenekon. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY)

Here are some ideas Erkan briefly notes
about the Ergenekon case:

1. I am personally not upset that coup plotters and their sympathizers are at least 'harassed' during the never ending Ergenekon case. All arrested, detained, investigated personalities are part of dark relations in Turkey's recent past. One is happy to see that there is a sort of "divine justice" in life.

2. I am suprised that the Case continues even after the end of closure case against AKP. There is a widespread belief that there is an understanding between the military bureaucracy and government now. PM Erdoğan's pro-State statements and cadre changes in AKP leadership seemed to be evidence for this belief. The case seemed to have lost AKP's political support.

3. Ergenekon is a very broad, powerful and well-supported network. Its illegality is reversed or justified by a particular civil mode of political culture. There are many civilians who support coups in order to protect the regime. This is still a strong pattern of political thinking in Turkey. One should not forget that in 1960 an elected PM was hanged! In order to protect Kemalism, many civilians would not mind a military coup and even execution of government members. In such a political climate, Ergenekon gang members could easily operate, settle and be protected. Many gang members become inseperable from the rest of smypathisers.

4. Turkish legal system is conservative, backward and has loopholes. In such a political and legal context, it is very hard for prosecutors to operate against Ergenekon. No need to say, system is totally politicized.

5. In order to operate, political and communal support is needed. I do not mind that prosecutors have some "backing".

6. In order to operate, there might be some violations of "procedures", that are constantly highlighted by secularist circles. "procedures" that are never settled, that are constantly manipulated. Same procedures that were not criticised when PM Erdoğan was imprisoned before, when Beşir Atalay, current minister of interior affairs, was thrown out of his university years ago, when pro-Islamic columnists were detained in the same like some columnists are now detained....

7. Despite my support in general, I have to admit that the Case process sometimes becomes too problematic to support. the Indictment itself is an interesting text but messy, long and evidentially weak.

8. I feel better with the latest wave of arrests after which hidden weaponry is found. Technical analysis finally secured the fact that some newly found grenades are now part of a group of grenades that were found initially in Ümraniye, İstanbul that started the whole process.

9. I understand that some of the arrests are just meant to harass pro-coup personalities who does not have any organic membership with the gang. But evidential connections have to be secured. Only after hard evidence, this very difficult process of Ergenekon case can continue and maintain public support.

10. But how can there be more evidence? That's a hard task. Turkish intelligence seems to be divided. Only some can provide direct help. Army intelligence act mostly after the fact. Evidences can easily be hidden or destroyed under the cloud of sympathy in several levels of bureaucracy. Police forces can be helpful but according to media reports, which are themselves quite suspicious, evidence is not collected properly (such as data found in computers are not registered according to proper procedures) and despite good intentions, evidence is corrupted most of the time.

11. In case of lack of hard evidence, evidentiality of the case becomes inevitably political. If there was a strong mainstream media support, instantiation of strong evidentiality could be more easily achieved. This also lacks.

12. If political support is secured limitedly through some negotiations, then there will only be some victims, and Ergenekon case will be closed without much sensation at a particular moment.

13. If political support is secured strongly, then there will be sensational conclusions. If AKP secures another big victory in March elections, this might lead to a strong political support for the case.

14. If Ergenekon gang members decided to retire after the AKP rule, their old misdeeds would be forgotten and they would live happily after. But their belief that they own the State led them to this particular predicament...

15. This is a good lesson for some: if you politicise the law, this is what you will get. This is in turn a lesson for those who rule now: If you maintain this level of politicization, you might again become the victim of the process. Justice is needed for all, although revenge tastes good for the moment...

On the same topic:

Here come the pain - Ergenekon gang receives a serious blow in the 10th wave of arrests

'Turkish judges' - so anxious ...

Why does military intelligence fail to see what the police can see?

Did the last Ergenekon operation just save us from a military coup?

As time goes by

Mrs. J. does sometimes worry for the statics of the house, but that's another story. :)

And neither I intend to tell that I was ten years, one month and nine days old, when John Fitzgerald Kennedy was murdered (by whomsoever), nor to bore with my memories.

Much more interesting I found when today re-reading this extra edition that 40 pages (mainly containing of large-sized Black&White photos) then would have cost 50 Pfennnig (ca. 25 Euro Cent), that 'Illustrierte' would have been spelled Illustrirte, and that it could have been knocked together within less than 48 hours and thus before Jack Ruby murdered Lee Harvey Oswald.

Sorry for the quality. (A4 scanner)

Well, and I find interesting that today 45 years ago I would not at all have taken notice of that on this very day also an author had died, parts of whose work some years later I'd devour with pleasure - Aldous Huxley.

Parts of his work? Well, I prefered his first two novels to those on which his fame mainly bases.

Most impressed, though, I was and still am by one of Huxley's short stories: Klein Archimedes / Young Archimedes.

So, if you find you must repent
from side to side in argument,
at least don't use your mind too hard
but trust my instinct - I'm a bard.

Couldn't have put it more nicely than Robert Frost. :)

Set book for good people

You are sure you'd never (be able to) commit atrocities? I am not.

[Hannah; sj] Arendt's phrase 'the banality of evil' continues to resonate because genocide has been unleashed around the world and torture and terrorism continue to be common features of our global landscape. We prefer to distance ourselves from such a fundamental truth, seeing the madness of evildoers and senseless violence of tyrants as dispositional characters within their personal makeup. Arendt's analysis was the first to deny this orientation by observing the fluidity with which social forces can prompt normal people to perform horrific acts.

One passage in Philip Zimbardo's book The Lucifer Effect: Understanding how good people turn evil (the title of the German edition, published this month, reads: Der Luzifer-Effekt: Die Macht der Umstände und die Psychologie des Bösen.
Instead of writing a review, I do recommend by following the links above to develop your opinion on your own. One tip, though: don't miss the offered quotations; afterwards - the more in case you did not happen to hear about the Stanford Prison Experiment - you might like to visit Professor Zimbardo's homepage and afterwards hardly can await Monday morning so that you can hurry to the bookshop round the corner and order the book.

Yes, I am aware of that the effect would almost be the same were my recommendation addressed to the birds which right now are sleeping in the trees. :)
Who'd read such book, anyway?
Some scientists? - Fine.
Those who for almost all their life have been trying (sic!) to understand how (good?) people (get) turn(ed) evil? - Fine.
And who else? - Quite!
Or does anybody think that any leader(s) of any state will make "The Lucifer Effect" a set book for their people, at least for all those who want to join the armed forces?

The Peace of the Night!

Every baby will be delighted

Every German citizen should have the right to vote in national elections, even those under the age of 18, says a group of parliamentarians. They've proposed a law that would allow parents to vote for their children.

In case anyone does feel the wish to continue, voilà, here you are.

As I am determined to spend this day far from the madding crowd I shall not comment on mad crowds' proposals.

There is but one tiny word attracting my attention.

Did your eyes detect it, too?

Right. Every.

And what does every mean? ... Correct: Every.

So, what's the following? ... Rubbish?

Well, I'd not go as far.
Let's agree to that the whole article consequently lacks of sense.

How could any accident like this
ever happen? What's amiss?

Frankly, I don't know, as to my knowledge only the brightest brains would nowadays get offered the chance of trying to become a journalist and, after a 6*-education only the crème de la crème of these brightest brains would ...

Hm ...

hm ...

why would I suddenly think of the White House?

Hypocritical cant

To start with the beginning: For the past 20 years I have been fully aware that when researching 'hot topics' there would be third listeners - at least now and then. That's why I use to greet those listeners and wish them a nice day. Hm, well, sometimes I'd be a tiny bit mocking.

No need to say what I think about the fact per se.
However, I am surprised that 'everybody' - politicians and media - by their reaction would try to make people think wiretapping of / spying on politicians and journalists would not be the norm.
What hypocritical cants. Otherwise secret services* would have nothing to do, would they?

The Afghan government is clearly upset by revelations that Germany's foreign intelligence service (BND) had been spying on the country's trade and industry minister. It says it will approach Berlin in the next few days.
News broke at the weekend that the BND had read e-mail correspondence between Der Spiegel reporter Susanne Koelbl and an Afghan politician between June and November 2006, sparking outrage because of the breach of press freedom.
It only emerged on Thursday (Apr. 24) that Trade and Industry Minister Amin Farhang was the actual target of the operation. No explanation has been given for why he was under scrutiny.
Farhang, who lived in Germany for a number of years, has told the German newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung that his life was now at risk because the measure implied that he was co-operating with hostile forces.
"Because of this absurd lie that I'm some kind of double agent, my life and the lives of my family are in great danger," he said. "I could be shot on the street tomorrow," he added.
Full article here.

As said, I am not surprised about the fact itself. Just one question, though.

Given I do understand Mr. Farhang correctly, he says his life is at risk because corresponding with a German journalist implies he was co-operating with hostile forces.

So, why are there still hostile German soldiers in Afghanistan?

Would be nice if the answer would not be 'Germany is also defended at the Hindu Kush', for a change.

* not: intelligence services

O tempora, o mores!

Today German lawmakers agreed to allow broader embryonic stem cell use. But they signaled their ambivalence by refusing to completely do away with restrictions.

Germany's science minister, Annette Schavan, said reforming the law was key to fostering research in Germany.

“This is a good day for both protecting life and also for research in Germany,“ Schavan, of the Christian Democratic Union, said after the vote Friday. *

Hear hear!

And may I add it is a good day for Mrs. Schavan et al.: Here questions like this one will not be asked.

There was, however, a German philosopher whose name is being pronounced like one of the words you could read in the devil's title: Kant.
And I am quite sure Kant would agree: What a bunch of hypocrites, per se!

Having followed the discussion about stem cell research from its beginning in the past milennium, I am not surprised, though.

To give you at least a glimpse, of what made me come to call hypocrites hypocrites, I commend reading this article.




* Full article here.

Malta, media & malheurs

“As a result of new corporate policy, di-ve.com will not, for the foreseeable future, cover political activities and statements as part of its day-to-day operations.”

Nothing wrong with it, so far. They could also have announced that in order to increase their readership from now on to change from English to a rarely spoken Hindu dialect. That's freedom of enterprise.

So why would quite a few people be not amused? Well, on the same day the Maltese news web portal published this notice (February 4th), in Malta parliamentary election was scheduled to be held on March 8th.

Thus, an act of self-censorship? A ban on politics? Yes, says the European Federation of Journalist. EFJ General Secretary Aidan White calls it

"a craven act of self-censorship at a critical time when the public needs reliable political coverage to be able to make informed decisions on the elections. Cutting political news is a shocking violation of responsibility."

Are these indeed the words of the EFJ General Secretary? Or have these lines been written by someone who recently jubilated, 'In November I'd not know how to write shornalist, and only three month later I happen to be one!'?
Apart from that the adjectives craven and shocking in this context are pretty redundant, does Mr Aidan think that the public does not need reliable political coverage as long as the times are not critical?
Well, and what evidence does Mr. Aidan have to call the decision (whose?!) an act of self-censorship? Perhaps it was just a 'gentlemen's agreement'? Or why would the notice be published on the same day the election date is being announced, and presumably only a couple of hours after one could have read within this article:

A democratic Malta must realise the media scenario is changing and evolving, even with the general aspirations of the rest of the country which are increasing. Readers and our audiences are ever more demanding for more news and better quality, and they are giving every indication of a society that is maturing and expecting more. Our society is becoming ever more discerning when it comes to the media, and yet the exigencies such a role brings for the media is not being properly recognised by the parties and institutions.

There are quite a few questions one could ask.

But the EFD, the Journalists’ Committee and the Institute of Maltese Journalists needed obviously all resources to write a 'joint letter' to the company's chairman:

“We hope you realise your company’s decision is a disservice to your own customers, to the Maltese public in general and to political parties that need journalists to disseminate and analyse their programmes before our country is called to vote.”

Oh dear. Does the public need journalists 'to disseminate and analyse the programmes of political parties' who'd write such sentences on their own behalf? Do political parties need them? Journalist's who seem not even able to investigate on their own behalf?
Apropos, 'our country'. Our? Whose? The journalists' country?

Nitpicking aside. What happens to the political editors who are not political editors anymore? Filling the space by writing articles about the open days at car dealers etc. without which those would not take out an ad?

What, by the way, if di-ve.com's advertising partners took political responsibility? They could f.e. publicly declare:

“As a result of new corporate policy, we will cancel our ads for the foreseeable future, in which di-ve.com does not cover political activities and statements as part of its day-to-day operations.”

Said Adlai Stevenson:
'Newspaper editors are men who separate the wheat from chaff, and then print the chaff. '

'And the best of these would become General Secretaries', he did not say. Perhaps a craven act of self-censorship?

All these illegal buildings!

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein has condemned a decision by Israeli authorities to demolish the Al-Omari mosque in the village of Umm Tuba near Jerusalem under the pretext that the [700 year old] building had been built without a license.

In case this Ma'an News article bases on facts:

Would anybody, please, show me building application and licence for the Second temple?!

No, not what is written in the Book of Ezra; a notarized building application, an authenticated design and full planning permission and a certified and legalized building licence.

Otherwise, I think it were logic to immediately raze the Western respectively the Wailing Wall.

The Peace of the Night, and good luck!

*

Oh well, just in case any persons thinking they were peace-loving Muslims, intend to enthusiastically lavish me with virtual back-slapping and oriental flowery hymns of praise - think twice!
Next you might be asked for certain documents according the Dome of Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Salam!

Swearboarding for Saudi Machos

Yesterday, by scroogling Lord Ahmed and Fethullah Gülen in order to find articles in which both gentlemen would be mentioned I did again stumble over something completely different: this one month old article.

And again I felt the almost untamable wish to at least let the judges and everybody (!) responsible for enabling such "legal practice" know the myriads of curses, maledictions and swear-words my closest friend and I have been collecting, so far.

Yes, deeply I did regret that once I promised myself to keep contenance when blogging.

End of the beforegoing.

Today, what a surprise, one could read this.

Relief for the woman, yes.
But did the news calm my furor? Not at all.

And so, in a few minutes, after having fallen into the feathers and having put the head on my pillow I shall hopefully get presented the same dream I enjoyed the night before.

The King of Saudi Arabia, his complete entourage including judges and clergy being sent from the desert into the devils' kitchen where they are getting preferential treatment: Heaviest swearboarding which would not end before these ... hm ... these gentlemen would promise with immediate effect to veil their faces up til infinity and walk four steps behind their wives when lugging the shopping bags.

The Peace of the Night.

News from Russia ha ha ha

There have been elections in Russia?

I see.

The media are selling the results as news.

A "news" which a ready wit might have written twelve weeks or twelve months beforehand with sufficient accuracy.

A Fortune for Talking Blairney

What might, f.e. an engine-driver grossing about 2.100 Euro think when reading this?

500.000 pound plus an offer to give Tony Blair a 2,4 million-villa for "talking Blairney"?!

As one who would not envy a Ronaldinho or any other "star", because being offered such sums I should not deny, I do just ask:

Why would people pay such astronomic sums for ... almost nothing?

Why would - to give just another example - the German power company ENBW while announcing the necessity of rising energy prices, offer Al Gore 180.000 Dollars to appear in front of a handpicked audience?

Why would Al Gore demand: No photos during the event, no quotes, no articles?

Did he tell something different to his handpicked audience?

If not: why did ENBW-chairman Utz Claassen not charter a cinema for his "friends" / clientele? Would have been a tiny bit cheaper, wouldn't it?

Thus: Cui bono?

Who does get what advantage / profit when paying a fortune for ... almost nothing?

Apropos Al Gore: A well deserved laudation on (of? - ah these prepositions!) the "Peace"-Nobel Prize Winner and on the Nobel Prize Committee you will find here.

As for the rest:
Well, it's said the devil would always relieve himself on the biggest heap.

The Peace of the Night!

Targets for common purpose

In certain situations it is wise not to react spontaneously but rather go to bed and listen to one’s pillow.

I am glad I did so yesterday night. I should have regretted my words.

And this is what my pillow told me.

[A new young dynamic female member of one of those wonderful think tanks abandoned to vice, sitting vis-à-vis Mr Cheney.]

Do you love bloodsport? [sneer]

I love it, sir.
The chase, the sport of kings,
Images of war without guilt. [Clintonian laughter]

[sneer] Any suggestions?

We need a solution for the growing army of homeless people, right?

Rather today than tomorrow.

Well what about following project? Let’s collect all the organic waste and transport it …

. . . invite our homeless fellow countrymen; on behalf of the political correctness (little sneer]

Yes, of course, Vice-president.

- and women … [sneer] ….

- and women … [Clintonian laughter] … er … where did we stop? Ah, best will be I do repeat: Let’s invite our homeless fellow countrymen and –women to settle in a reservation.

Okay. Where?

Montana?

No.

A reservation along the Mexican border?

Excellent. And then? Ah, didn’t we recently speak about that our boys and the Blackwater folks et al. do need exercise conditions in step with actual practise in order to get optimal prepared when going abroad to make this world a better place?

Sir?

Moving targets, and so. [sneer].

Gorgeous. [Clintonian laughter] I fear, though, … er … some do-gooders …

No problem, I let George Doublejooh deliver one of his touching speeches, spiced up with the usual stuff. Only this morning Laura and I had a chat with God about compassion, democracy, patriotism and love, and so on and so on. [sneer]

[Clintonian laughter] And God said: Sometimes you should not ask what the people could do for the state, but what the state could do for the people. In this moment Laura and I decided to initiate a patriot act for our wonderful homeless fellow countrymen. We ordered our National Guard to help those humble people to find a new homeland in …

Okay, okay. How many quick targets do we have?

One million lost their home only last year. And thanks to the housing crisis there might be another two millions this year.

Sounds good. And, anyway, there will always be fresh supply crossing the border to our National Security Homeland. [sneer] Any logistic problems?

No, Sir. It will, of course, be a no-go area. Those who survive a day will get some waste from hotels and super-markets. And fresh targets will be delivered on demand.

Okeydokey, and make sure that at minimum twelve weekends get reserved for special guests and members of the club. Especially the latter will be delighted about such new kind of safari. [sneer[. Err, better you do not mention the safaris. Just write 'for common purpose'.

All right, sir.

Good job. See you tomorrow.

Good bye then, sir.

…

Ah, where to start?

9.000 will do?

[nodding]

Then I do suggest Orlando.

And up I woke. Glad that it had been just a dream. But what a horrible dream. And why? Orlando? Then I remembered what I had read a couple of minutes before I had gone to bed, and decided neither to listen to nor to watch any news nor to read any newspapers ... at least for one day.

Another Lip Service Day (for Peace)

As said, today is another Lip Service Day: The so-called International Day of Peace.

What's about Famine-Day?

Or will all the actions fill but one little stomach? Today? Right now? The stomach of any child soundless whining at its mother's breast which has no milk?

What is yoga as peace in action but naively acting for the sake of acting?

Peace Day? Or just another day for wheeling and dealing?

Pay Day?

Did you already order the Better World Shopping Guide?
Its FREE ... ehem . . . With your tax deductible donation of $20

Or the better world HANDBOOK?
It's even a bit freer . . . With your tax deductible donation of $50

- - -

Ah, perhaps today I am a little unfair with some nonprofit organisations.

Therefore: only those feeling blamed and insulted by what I wrote above ... only those are meant.

And now for something not completely different.

Today's Peace Day reminds me of the first poem in many many years that I spontaneously wrote in February 2003, when heinous warmongers pulled the strings and let their illiterate puppet threaten the "alliance of the unwilling" by saying "You're either with us, or against us."

New World Order

Those
pleading for peace
without diplomacy
are being taught:
You are an enemy.

- - -

According to Tetrapilotomos the puppet, which barefaced claimed to be a "peaceloving person" could have also declared: "Peace is not of vital interest to my masters. God bless me ... eh, them."

"To tell the truth", Tetrapilotomos went on, "I'd rather prefer that one day will be said about these and other masters, their puppets and other useful idiots, what in 1588 was a dictum in England: 'God blew his breath, and they were scattered.' Of course, absolute peacefully, and it needn't be a celestial being; a tiny little butterfly in the Amazonian rainforest would do."

Much ado about doing not much

Coincidence?

Yesterday, I quoted my closest friend, Tetrapilotomos:

"Sometimes I think: Past is. Is presence. Impossible to let bygones be bygones or even forget about. It’s there. Is presence. And maybe herein lies the reason that we remain unable to learn from the past."

What I had not been aware: Yesterday was so-called Children's Day. In Germany.

At night I read one of these BBC-Listeners from 1959, which - to my great delight - I had only recently rediscovered in a "forgotten" box.

And I found this advert.

Yes. Past is. Is presence. Nothing changed.

Why?

It is not due to any existing or not existing God's will. It is a - perhaps ... probably the infamy of mankind.

And today is another Lip Service Day . . .

And tomorrow . . .

Congratulations, Russia!

You can't say civilization don't advance. ... for in every war they kill you another way.

[Will Rogers]