NYT Series explores the role of resources in African conflicts

A new series from the New York Times is delving into the role of natural resources in African conflicts.  The series begins in Congo, where an estimated 5 million people have died since the mid-90s.  Mineral extraction companies and western markets have played indirect roles in these conflicts.  Beginning in the mid-90s, armed groups saw natural resources as a means of propelling their efforts.  The most notorious character to use resources such as diamonds in building armies and amassing incredible wealth was Charles Taylor, the Liberian President who is currently on trial for war-crimes at the Hague.  Conversely, governments have used their untapped natural resources to pay private military companies to put down armed insurrections.  Doing so has linked private military companies with mineral extraction companies, a very questionable partnership.  This also begs the question of how "noble" armed insurrections, which can oust corrupt governments, can succeed when mercenaries with better technology and fighting skills allow anti-democratic leaders to cling to power.  This catch-22, damned if you do damned if you don't climate shows that the wealth of diamonds, oil, gold, silver, etc. are more of a burden than a blessing to many Africans who are trapped in cycles of violence.  This is a series that is long overdo but very important.

VP Job Opening: Large, Polluted Shoes to Fill

I have spent way too much timing thinking and writing about Dick Cheney. This may very well be my last post on the Angler, the most powerful VP in American History. My admiration for Joe Biden and my joy in John McCain picking Sarah Palin, are but mere shadows in the enormity of Dick Cheney. May he burn in hell, if indeed hell exists. When he dies, I'll stand on his grave and curse him forevermore.

1) Spearheading the effort to scare the media into compliance over the Iraq Invasion

2) "We will be greated as liberators in Iraq"

3) "The war will be paid for in oil revenue. $17 Billion tops."

4) Detainees in the War on Terror are not Prisoners of War

5) Domestic Wiretapping is good for Americans

6) The Bush Doctrine was really the Cheney Doctrine

7) Torture, lies and coverups

8) Cost-Plus, no-bid contracts for his former company Halliburton (KBR, Bechtel, etc)

9) Valarie Plame

10) Massive environmental pollution, pushed bills with such lofty titles as "Clean Air Act" while allowing environmental law-breakers to go unpunished

11) The list goes on and what we don't know could fill the oceans.

Meanwhile in Africa...

people are unable to live at subsistence level. Oil and mining companies continue to make incredible profits from resource rich environments but such revenues fail to reach the common citizen. Exxon Mobile's record quarterly profits of $11.1 Billion comes in the wake of record levels of poverty in Africa and a ever-growing gap between the world's richest and poorest nations.

Corruption reigns supreme, leaders hoard any wealth that is created, the local populace emulates such behavior and the day-to-day survival depends on a bribe here and a favor there. Swaziland, a country of incredible poverty and equally incredible mineral resources, is but one example of power run a muck and a populace ignored by its wealth-hungry leaders. Chumming with China, Shell and BP, these leaders grow to dismiss their people and lavish gifts upon themselves and their loved ones. To create a more egalitarian global economy and to improve the security of nations who depend on oil and other resources from overseas; a wise decision would be to promote real economic growth -- demanding that 50% of profits be made available to social projects and revitalizing foreign development, while simultaneously revoking the ability of foreign governments to handle or have access to currency. Or something like that.

Dennis Kucinich @ the DNC: Wake up America!

The Democrat who is fiercely independent: Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich at the DNC: Wake Up America!

Hospitals deporting illegal aliens

Incredible how the anti-immigrant sentiment that is widespread among Americans has made its way into institutions charged with providing care. Immigration reform is going to take some drastic changes in coming years; I just hope that ridiculous notions of walls and mass-deportations fall by the wayside. Those who create notions that these are some kind of 'silver bullet' solutions have no concept of the complexities of immigration trends around the world, what fuels immigration into this country and the important role that immigrants play in our economy and our culture as a whole. If people are apprehended by the police and discovered to be here illegally, I understand that they can be deported but don't think that they should unless they have broken a law (apart from residency). Regardless, for hospitals and non-law enforcement groups to take a role in the deportation of undocumented people is horrific and must not endure.

Red for Rangoon

Red for Rangoon They’re saying to don red clothing, For unity with freedom bleeders; Rangoon moral authority makers, Dreamers of peaceful revolution and A world of star gazers and monks. But when the baton meets the bald head What power does prayer and protest have, Let alone the color of the shirt I wear? A Molotov cocktail and a sniper Or a chant and a song, what revolution Has been born here on my television? The princess elect has been moved From house arrest to a prison cell. A disgruntled postman seized Power and fancies himself king. A world of sympathy knows not How to rectify the beleaguered beauty Of the possessionless peacemaker. Blinded by tear gas and deafened by Automatic rifles, tortured in the bowels Of an unidentified chamber. How this red shirt does so little and why A fist in the air fails to empathize. There are no strong words, only strong arms And tomorrow's revolution will be televised.

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My trip to Ghana

Ghana is considered to be an oasis in an Africa marred by conflict and poverty. I was surprised to find that human trafficking was so common and that I didn't have to dig to do my research. I thought to myself that if Ghana had such a problem there is likely to be an even greater problem in neighboring countries. But this may not be the case. The US State Dept. recently said that as many as 50,000 people are trafficked into the US each year. Ghana has a very well written law on human trafficking and slave-like exploitation but struggles to enforce it. I think that in the US there are similar laws and efforts and no one wants to say the word "slavery." Trafficking in humans doesn't necessarily rely on abductions or long journeys in shackles. Todays slaves often make the trip themselves, coerced into thinking that a job waits for them, only to arrive and find it impossible to leave. Forced prostitution is the most common form of this phenomena in the US and the most lucrative aspect of human trafficking globally. However, children are also used in forced labor in agriculture and as I learned, fishing. Areas that have economic opportunity are likely to also find ways to cut costs to the 'bottom line.' Globalization and capitalism run amuck is the source behind treating people as disposable units. It is why there are more slaves today than during the Trans-Atlantic trade and they are available at a fraction of the cost. some fascinating reads on this subject are written by Dr. Kevin Bales, such as "Disposable People" and "Understanding Global Slavery." Also worth looking at are the organizations Anti-Slavery International, Free the Slaves and Stop the Traffik. This ugly side of the global economy exists not only because it is lucrative but because people don't know how to identify it or don't pay attention. One of the most common forms of slavery in the US is from domestic servitude and it often happens with people who are very well respected. Keep your eyes and ears open and get informed!

chocolate: more slavery than savory

Nearly 1/2 of the world's cocoa beans come from the Cote D'Ivoire (ivory coast) in West Africa. It is believed that over 12,000 children have been enslaved to feed the world's love for chocolate in this country alone. Look at the guide provided by Stop The Traffik to find out what chocolates are best to buy and to find out more about this repugnant industry.

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May, 2007: Bronze metal for most deadly month in Iraq War

Recent figures show that the month of May was the 3rd most fatal month for US troops since the 2003 invasion of Mesopotamia. The waxing and waining range of deaths that accompany the approaches of the US military are very interesting to examine. For example, November 2004 was the siege on Fallujah, spurred by the sabotage and ambushing of 3 Blackwater employees. Subsequently, 135 troops died in April of 2004 as insurgent methods grew more complex and the campaign against Sadr and the Mahdi Army reached fever pitch. However, US troop deaths have dropped greatly over the past 3 years, though civilian deaths and ethnic killings have soared. The idea that Iraq was rapidly descending into civil war is now something more questionable, as it appears that to a certain extent, fighters will fight whoever there is to fight. US troops represent a "common enemy" but when they are not engaged, the power struggle between Iraqis and between foreign fighters ensues. Is it a lose/lose? The "theater of war" that Bush/Cheney Co. has sought to create is something we should view in a different light. If not Iraq, then in the streets of America became an anthem for the neoconservatives during the early days of the war. This idea was repulsive to all progressive thinkers, thought to be something no more than scare tactics. Its a no-brainer that Iraq was a mistake. But what now?

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Real buffalo soldiaz

How many times a rapper gets shot will translate into how many millions they are likely to make. The trend started by Tupac Shakur was continued by 50 Cent and a slew of other urban rappers. In the world of street credibility, it shows their willingness to stay alive and lends to the myth that they are hard to kill. But is selling drugs and competing for an audience in the race for the dollar really anything to admire? Why are there so many musicians who feel they earned their way to stardom by competing in such businesses, believing they grew up in a war-zone? I only ask this because Slate magazine wrote an article about a band called Tinariwen that is definitely worth checking out. They have a page on myspace that will allow you to hear some of their stuff. Though the language is in the African Toureg, the songs are mostly about their time in guerrilla movements against the Malian Government that forced them off their traditional land. Their following has grown from the deserts of Mali to a big part of Europe. The pain and anger are still evident in their songs, who's lyrics are expressing the pain of being away from home. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin helped to produce and promote the band, after seeing them in the Festival in the Desert in 2001. These are true warriors. It is very rare that musicians are anything more than wanna be revolutionaries and are simply violence aficionados. They are playing at the Glastonbury Festival on Sunday the 24th and at the Exeter Festival on the 25th. I really want to see them...anybody who is planning on attending, let me know!

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Think slavery ended hundreds of years ago?

Take a look at this article on modern day slavery. I'm going to Ghana in the month of July to do research on child slavery in the fishing industry. It is important to realize that slavery in various forms is bigger today than at any point in history. This phenomenon is not confined to the continents of Africa and Asia. Take a look at the various stories and most importantly: BE VIGILANT! Slavery in various forms may be existing under your very nose.

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