It sometimes becomes incredibly difficult to know how to keep having faith in someone else's word. Yet, faith in humans must live on.
Il devient parfois extrêmement difficile de savoir comment garder la foi en la parole d'autrui.
Pourtant, la foi en l'être humain doit survivre.
July 18, 2005
July 13, 2005
Falling waters and Emperors
The Horseshoe Falls at Niagara were gorgeous, breath-takingly powerful and a reminder of nature's amazing beauty. The green colour of the flowing waters before they crash down to become white walls is etched in my mind forever.
I also discovered the Emperor Penguin which lives in Antartica last night. No, I wasn't there, but I saw the film "La Marche de l'Empereur" by Luc Jacquet. A slightly sentimental look at this bird's striking will to survive and its very human-like patterns of child-bearing and raising, but I never knew anything about them so I loved it. The panoramas were awe-inspiring and the soundtrack eerily beautiful. I had never imagined so many colours at the South Pole.
I also discovered the Emperor Penguin which lives in Antartica last night. No, I wasn't there, but I saw the film "La Marche de l'Empereur" by Luc Jacquet. A slightly sentimental look at this bird's striking will to survive and its very human-like patterns of child-bearing and raising, but I never knew anything about them so I loved it. The panoramas were awe-inspiring and the soundtrack eerily beautiful. I had never imagined so many colours at the South Pole.
July 08, 2005
War
So this is war then, using different armies.
If states employ people who will kill and get killed for the national cause, then terrorists are employing people who will kill and get killed for their cause.
When state-sponsored, it is "legitimate", has been since it was decided with circular logic that the State is the only legitimate user of violence (police, army).
State-sponsored wars kill civilians through "collateral damage". Terrorist-sponsored wars aim at civilians who become pawns to reach the "King".
State-sponsored wars are held in defence of "human rights and a civilised way of life". Terrorist-sponsored wars are held in defence of "freedom and the right to live in a specific way".
Yes, forcing women to cover themselves from head to toe to avoid social rejection is not quite the same thing as forcing women to stay reed-thin to avoid social rejection. But when the parallels are drawn between the two, there's a way to step back from the propaganda on both sides and see through it. It's impossible to declare that because a statesman or a terrorist leader did this or that, people deserve to be bombed. People are accountable for the leaders they elect, but the Londoners also protested strongly against the war in Iraq after the war in Afghanistan. Afghanis had no clue that some crazy movement was going to bomb the Twin Towers.
If this is war, then there are simply new weapons, and the State is no longer the sole large-scale wielder, legitimate or not. Escalating the defence will bring on heavier artillery. Reducing poverty might help. But in the end, it seems like the world just became a new Wild West.
If states employ people who will kill and get killed for the national cause, then terrorists are employing people who will kill and get killed for their cause.
When state-sponsored, it is "legitimate", has been since it was decided with circular logic that the State is the only legitimate user of violence (police, army).
State-sponsored wars kill civilians through "collateral damage". Terrorist-sponsored wars aim at civilians who become pawns to reach the "King".
State-sponsored wars are held in defence of "human rights and a civilised way of life". Terrorist-sponsored wars are held in defence of "freedom and the right to live in a specific way".
Yes, forcing women to cover themselves from head to toe to avoid social rejection is not quite the same thing as forcing women to stay reed-thin to avoid social rejection. But when the parallels are drawn between the two, there's a way to step back from the propaganda on both sides and see through it. It's impossible to declare that because a statesman or a terrorist leader did this or that, people deserve to be bombed. People are accountable for the leaders they elect, but the Londoners also protested strongly against the war in Iraq after the war in Afghanistan. Afghanis had no clue that some crazy movement was going to bomb the Twin Towers.
If this is war, then there are simply new weapons, and the State is no longer the sole large-scale wielder, legitimate or not. Escalating the defence will bring on heavier artillery. Reducing poverty might help. But in the end, it seems like the world just became a new Wild West.
July 04, 2005
Democracy moves ahead
And it's 38-22.
For the first time in Mauritius history, the elections results are rather tight, as opposed to previous victories of 52-8 or 54-6. This gives rise to an active opposition, and to a government that will be kept on its toes every step of the way. The Alliance Sociale struggles into power, led by the Labour Party. Now comes the time to take stock of what they inherit from the previous government, and to assess how they're going to keep this gelatinous coalition together: it is slippery, mobile and could soon morph into a very demanding monster.
The case of a minority government in Canada right now shows that it can be very hard to move ahead with policy when internal dissent poses a threat to governmental stability. Still, two-thirds of the seats is strong enough that there should be no excuse for inaction.
Mauritian politics just reached a new level of maturity. I'm not exhilarated: with politics, I'm always apprehensive but hopeful. Let's watch this.
For the first time in Mauritius history, the elections results are rather tight, as opposed to previous victories of 52-8 or 54-6. This gives rise to an active opposition, and to a government that will be kept on its toes every step of the way. The Alliance Sociale struggles into power, led by the Labour Party. Now comes the time to take stock of what they inherit from the previous government, and to assess how they're going to keep this gelatinous coalition together: it is slippery, mobile and could soon morph into a very demanding monster.
The case of a minority government in Canada right now shows that it can be very hard to move ahead with policy when internal dissent poses a threat to governmental stability. Still, two-thirds of the seats is strong enough that there should be no excuse for inaction.
Mauritian politics just reached a new level of maturity. I'm not exhilarated: with politics, I'm always apprehensive but hopeful. Let's watch this.
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