An “un-jolly” old and Unjust Jamaican Saint Nicholas

 An “un-jolly” old and Unjust Jamaican Saint Nicholas

 Oh! Oh! Oh! It’s the season to be Jolly in Jamaica again we love the ho -ha of a good Jamaican Christmas we are a people religiously and materially punched drunk on a good old Christmas. By now the Portia Simpson -Miller led Government officials are unwrapping their 60 Million Jamaican dollars worth of high end SUV (JEEP).Jamaica’s idea of a Globalised Christmas is a woman dressed in a Brazilian wig, cheap false nails from Singapore, a tight cheap shiny dress from China, discounted underwear from Victoria secret in the USA,  a fake Gucci handbag from Hong Kong and a replicated Dolce & Gabbana slipper while dancing to misogynist background music- courtesy of "Vibes Cartel". Her spoof male counterpart is a man with his face bleached out by cheap Indian bleaching cream, studded gold earring bought in Panama, string vest from Thailand a tight pair of jeans from new York and a pair of Clark's extorted from his family in London-dancing to” Boom By Bye in a Batty Boy head”.

 I am self-disgusted to churn out this aggressive generalisation of my beloved country as most of us a humble, loving and decent people who are broadminded and generally modest. But running concurrently to our better selves is the dark side of our cultural equation bedevilled by debt riddled and morally bankrupt society where politicians run “amuck”.According to the debt Management Unit of the Ministry of Finance Jamaica has racked up $81.9billion of additional debt during the period January to September 2012. The nation ended 2011 with debt in excess of $1.63Trillion at the end of September 2012, calculations estimate the nation's debt has grown this year by about five per cent to $1.71Trillion. Jamaica has added debt at the rate of $299million per day or $12.5million per hour or $207,000 per minute or finally, almost $3,461 per second.

So while we shake our tambourines and sing Christmas songs to the backdrop of thieving oily mouthed rapture hungry evangelist waiting to steal our Christmas Sunday collection drop, just remember that our debt to GDP ratio is running at a whopping estimated 135%. And a new IMF deal is yet to see the light of day. Oh! By the way don’t forget to remind Dr Pieter Phillip about the Recommendations of the 2004 Matalan Report that has hovered over the head of four Jamaican prime minister that called for a reform of the tax system, a trimming of public sector wages and pension reform. So I would like to send a Message to Dr Peter Phillips our very clever Finance Minister via an entrenched "champagne Socialist".

Please tell him that he only growth this bad Santa has seen from my birth in Jamaica in the past 49years- is the increase of politician’s wages, their waist sizes, wallets and their walk-away retirement packages. And while conveying my message to Dr Phillips- if he is on speaking terms With Mama Portia-tell him to convey my regards to her for looking so young and stunning. The Brazilian wig that she bought in Miami on her recent shopping trip epitomises the incredulity of the spectre of globalisation it looks real to her poor constituents but it’s still fake like Usain Bolt’s American accent. Even I Santa could not get such a good deal from Brazil although I buy my presents at the pound shop in bulk.

  Dear Mr Politician you might believe that this Un -Jolly Old St Nicholas has an axe to grind because I have ran off to greener pastors in the UK and is ungrateful for bad mouthing Jamaica but this broke arse Santa became fed up because I wanted a better life for my Children. I wanted my children- like the thieving politicians and corrupt business men in Jamaica- to escape the poverty trap and attend Ivy League Universities similar to the ones that your children attend. So I created my own version of equal opportunity by migrating with them to the United Kingdom.

It’s cold as hell up North and I miss the Sunshine but I can’t afford to return to live because of the murder rate as I know full well that I might get gunned down and robbed in my slay by those little shooters that you have created because of your corruption graft and mismanagement of the Jamaican economy. You can’t exactly regard me as ungrateful as I help my relatives and friends with remittances with my slay full of Christmas barrels. By the Way, I am coming to The Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival and me and my family will be staying in an undisclosed all inclusive own by a rich Jamaican. My only hope is that he pays his fair share of tax and is not benefiting from the waivers that the Matalan report omitted to mention.

To my fellow Jamaicans it may seem as if voting in and out the two major political parties has been a fool’s errand since independence in 1962.Together with the frequent hurricanes since 1988 they have made our lives a living hell at the root of our economic crisis lies a moral crisis that has nothing to do with god or the devil. It’s a long time we haven’t had a debt free Christmas. Our challenges lies not so much in our ability to be creative people but by our failure to demand a moral /ethical leadership in Governance. Our problem is rooted in our neglect as responsible citizens to demand that the two duopolies masquerading as two democratic parties to provide a stakeholder leadership culture that is responsible and just.

 On our part as citizens we are guilty of selfish “shortermism” and materialism. The two duopolies that have duped us will never own up to the fact that they have failed us. Instead, they distract and confuse us in a poker game of finger pointing and a cacophony of pre -election lies. Bad Santa or not let us demand a culture of honesty and responsibility. The sentiment that the Jamaican Government should borrow and repay our public debt and to help the poor and vulnerable has long evaporated.

Donovan Reynolds is a Blogger and Independent Writer. He is a British based Social Worker and Human rights Activist. He has an interest in Politics, Culture, Human Rights and International Development issues. Readers of this blog may add their comments or critique at the space provided on this blog .Or alternatively they may e-mail him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk/ or dannygerm@twitter

Examining the Recent Political Crisis In Egypt: By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer.

Examining the Recent Political Crisis In Egypt: By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer.
Political scenarios for the future are hard to predict. Moreover when religion and politics intermingle it creates a toxic concoction. Long known for its pyramids and ancient civilisation, Egypt is the largest Arab country and has played a central role in Middle Eastern politics in modern times. In the 1950s President Gamal Abdul Nasser pioneered Arab nationalism and the non-aligned movement, while his successor Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel and turned back to the West. Egypt has been a key ally of the West; it has played a major role in the Israeli-Arab conflict no wonder President Obama intervened cautiously during the overthrowing of President Mubarak.

 But the protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 is putting Egypt at the crossroads once again. The process that led to an Islamist Muslim Brotherhood breakthrough at subsequently annulled parliamentary polls and a narrow win for the Brotherhood candidate in the presidential election of 2012 has turned sour.This has not made the situation better Mr Mohamed Morsi the Muslim Brotherhood candidate and president of Egypt, issued a decree giving him sweeping constitutional powers that has now backfired.
 
The move prompted his critics to accuse him of seeking to monopolise power creating widespread protest by the opposition parties. Egypt’s health ministry said late on Wednesday  the 5/12/12that at least 211 people had been injured in clashes between Morsi’s secular-leaning opponents and Islamist supporters, as riot police attempted to break up the violence. In addition three members of Mr. Morsi’s advisory team resigned over the crisis. They are Seif Abdel Fattah, Ayman al-Sayyad and Amr al-Leithy. They all tendered their resignations, bringing to six the number of presidential staff who have quit in the wake of a decree that has triggered countrywide violence and has drawn a negative international spotlight on Egypt.
So the Muslim Brotherhood led Victory at the polls should have been the solution to Egypt’s long history of dictatorship has suddenly shaped up to be a dictatorship regime in its own right. The aborted revolution of January 25, 2011, which succeeded in ridding the country of the decades-long rule of Hosni Mubarak, has failed to address the authoritarianism and corruption embedded within the state's institutions, from the military and the security agencies, to elements within the judiciary and state run bureaucratic institutions.
 
In March 2011 voters widely approved a referendum to delay the passage of a new constitution, instead preferring first to elect a new parliament and head of state, resulting in one of the most dysfunctional transitions in modern political history. The lack of will to see the revolution through to its conclusion has yielded a unusual fusion government made up of a combination of the counter-revolutionary remnants of the old regime as well as the self-proclaimed protectors of the revolution, embodied in the group that has enjoyed the greatest electoral success of any political actor, the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the Arab world's most influential and one of the largest Islamic movements, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. Founded in Egypt in 1936 as a Pan-Islamic, religious, political, and social movement by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna, by the end of World War II the MB had an estimated two million members. Its ideas had gained supporters throughout the Arab world and influenced other Islamist groups with its "model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work”. The Brotherhood's credo was and is, "Allah is our objective; the Quran is our law, the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations." Its most famous slogan, used worldwide, is "Islam is the solution."

On the foreign policy side of the equation the west historically has fostered a good political strategic partnership with Egypt mainly as a go between in defusing tensions between Israel and Palestine. But the New Egypt under President Morsi has yet to prove itself to key allies like the United States and other Western countries that he is an ally worth backing, especially after he failed to tackle the attack on the American embassy in Cairo last month by angry protesters denouncing an anti-Islam film. Other issues of concern to America and its European allies include freedom of speech, women's participation in politics and the future of Egypt's Copts who feel increasingly threatened by the rising power of Islamists in the country.

The conflict in Egypt squares with political theorist Samuel Huntington clash of civilization hypothesis. He believed that while the cold war had ended, the world had reverted to a normal state of affairs characterized by cultural conflict. In his thesis, he argued that the primary axis of conflict in the future will be along cultural and religious lines. Egypt is a prime example of a country where people’s cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of complex political conflict. According to Huntingdon Irreligious people like the opposing liberals in Egypt who violate the base principles of religious organizations like the Muslim brotherhood are perceived to be furthering their own pointless aims, and as a result will face violent action.

President Morsi’s use of his democratic legitimacy to shield himself from all accountability, the president has raised the stakes of political competition in Egypt. Given the intensity of the response, however, the unintended consequence of this overreach may be to force a rethinking on the part of the Muslim Brotherhood's political leadership. But as already stated when there is a mixture of politics and religion there is always a tension between religious cultural norms and the idea of political liberal reform agenda- religion always wins. Religious leadership is primarily rooted in adhering to a strict rule of law that cannot be negotiated away while western Liberalism has a modicum of flexibility whether real or pretentious.

 So it is my opinion that the fault line between the Muslim brotherhood and the liberal opposition parties and Christians in Egypt will become even more polarised in the coming months. Although we hope that there will be a breakthrough of the current political stalemate. Those of us who had hope that the Arab spring would have brought a rooting out of dictators in the Arab States have to manage our utopian expectations less we become embroiled in bitter disappointment.

Political, social and economic challenges are frequently articulated through the language of dialogue or conflict .Egypt is at a very delicate crossroads as it seeks to forge a new political identity. The dye is cast by the President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood narrow electoral win. Can the manifold crises of contemporary life in Egypt be made more intelligible through the frame of unauthorised political decrees by the Muslim Brotherhood with Islam at the core of its political philosophy? There is a current belief by political commentators that the New Egypt is flanked by the forces of religious conservatism and self-obsessed autocratic institutions who are unwilling to chart a new democratic pathway. While liberal and Christian and political oppositions lay angry on the periphery feeling as sense of being duped by a false revolution. The question is can the manifold crises of contemporary political life in Egypt be made more intelligible through the frame of the Muslim Brotherhood rule by decree? Political scenarios for the future are difficult to predict- so your guess is as good as mine.

Donovan Reynolds is a Blogger and Independent Writer. He is a British based Social Worker and Human rights Activist. He has an interest in Politics, Culture, Human Rights and International Development issues. Readers of this blog may add their comments or critique at the space provided on this blog .Or alternatively they may e-mail him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk/ or dannygerm@twitter

The Beleaguered JLP and a Farcical 67th Annual Conference

The Beleaguered JLP and a Farcical 67th Annual Conference

Sunday’s scaled-down public session at the JLP annual conference will be the first since the party suffered electoral defeats in both the General Election in December and the Local Government Elections in March 2011. However, the party says it is anticipating vibrant and vigorous sessions. The conference will be held under the theme, “Vision, Focus, Build, and Connect”. I would like to use my blog to critically discuss two statements that came out of the beleaguered labour party on the eve of its national conference.
 
First, a statement made by JLP Opposition Senator Dr Christopher Tufton last Thursday where he echoed former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's comments ‘about the behaviour of politicians driving away bright minds from politics in Jamaica’. Speaking at a forum hosted by Generation 2000 (G2K) and its University of Technology chapter Dr Tufton hinted that the party was on a constant recruitment drive to attract what he regarded as Bright Minds to the Party. In his speech he also lambasted both political parties’ politicians for creating a credibility gap between their prospective followers and political Parties in Jamaica.

On the surface it is a reasonable comment to make one that is “populist” and will no doubt cast him as an honest broker an image that he normally portrays before the media. In my Opinion politicians need to begin to close the credibility gap within their organisation that they lead, way before they embark on a recruitment drive. In a blog posted just after the JLP had lost the general election I made a clarion call for a root and branch Reform of the Jamaica Labour Party. I had at that time hammered out 10 critical questions for the party to consider in its review of action for the party if they were to make any meaningful progress as an alternative to government.

Those questions are:
(1)What has caused the Party’s core to shift from its base?
(2) Is the method of selecting candidates and the monitoring of their conduct working?
(3)Why is the JLP the “ugly Betty “of Jamaican Politics and what can be done to improve its image and likability?
(4)What does the Party need to do to attract and retain new supporters and membership?
(5)Is the Party’s Ideology and core message at odds with the current politic and domestic climate?
(6)Is the JLP centralised way of structuring its organisation working?
(7) Is the current leadership adequately trained and motivated sufficiently to lead the changes that the organisation needs?
(8) Are the JLP delegates and Party functionaries sufficiently trained and motivated to attract new supporters?
(9) Is the party’s candidates and leaders selected fairly by their local delegates and are they representative of the general population?
(10) Is the Party serious about tackling corruption and has the determination to uproot corrupt official from its leadership and distance itself from criminal activity and garrison politics?

Question seven speaks directly to Mr Tufton: he is the Deputy Leader in charge of Area4- he did poorly in the Local and General election as a matter of fact on top of losing all the parish councils in Area 4 during the last Local Government Election to the PNP. In addition at the last General Election in 2011 he performed disastrously losing his own seat to the PNP’s Hugh Buchannan. Organisational Management and more specifically political progress are about results and taking responsibility for failures within organisations. But Jamaican has a flawed understanding of organisation behaviour built on a false misnomer of likability over performance credibility and effectiveness within organisations.

 I know this will rile up his supporters as he has cross-party appeal in Jamaica. Politics is not a beauty contest it is about effective communication of a party’s core message and getting people to buy into that narrative and cashing in on it at an election by demonstrating “win ability” at the polls. If you can’t win your own seat as a leader what credibility or moral mandate do you have to convince your aspiring candidates to? A good academic credential is an asset but political savvy is about your own track record of good leadership demonstrated by effective results. No wonder the JLP is the first one term government in the history of modern Jamaica -as its decision making process is flawed and needs an urgent review audit.

The second issue that I would like to address is the fact that Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) member Everald Warmington had filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking an injunction to bar the election of three front runners for the posts of deputy leader on Sunday. On Saturday the news came in that Mr Everald Warmington has withdrawn the injunction application against the election of three deputy leaders for the party. It is understood that one of the issues raised by Warmington is the failure of the branch network to meet and send in minutes of their meetings to the party’s headquarters on a timely basis.

Evrald Warmington seems to represent all that is symptomatic of the JLP as a dysfunctional organisation. While the party in its pre-conference nuances tried to present themselves as a cohesive unit on the eve of the conference he took out an injunction bring three aspiring deputy leaders who did not follow the party’s constitutional internal processes. You can’t help but to give him some kudus by bringing to light that its business as usual whereby the party functionaries at the grass roots are often by passed in order for the big wigs in the party to further their personal political ambitions. Totally oblivious to the fact that the JLP is a democratic organisation and that its delegates and the selection committee should be at the core of its decision making process. As it stands now in my opinion the party is being led by a set of Plutocrats who have their heads up their posteriors.

To conclude we expect it to be business as usual as it regards to infighting in the JLP. The JLP organisation is like an old computer used by the Russian cosmonauts during the latter stage of the cold war in Russia -it is useless and needs radical reform. On the back of two election losses it cuts a pathetic figure, it’s a limp organisation masquerading as a genuine political party. The JLP has certainly become “the ugly Betty of Jamaican politics”. When the delegated and supporters arrive in Kingston today for the Sunday public session of the JLP 67th National Conference- if they are discursive they will be pondering: how did such a progressive party funded by Sir Alexander Bustamante descend into such a farce of an organisation?

Donovan Reynolds is a Blogger and Independent Writer. He is a British based Social Worker and Human rights Activist. He has an interest in Politics, Culture, Human Rights and International Development issues. Readers of this blog may add their comments or critique at the space provided on this blog .Or alternatively they may e-mail him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk/  or dannygerm@twitter

Israeli Assassination of Hamas Military Chief as Hamas announces that it will open the Doors of Hell in Retaliation: By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer

Israeli Assassination of Hamas Military Chief as Hamas Announces that it will Open the Doors of Hell in Retaliation: By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer

Ahmad Jabari, the head of Hamas's military wing, has been assassinated in an Israeli air strike on Gaza. Israel killed the military commander of Hamas in a missile strike on the Gaza Strip and launched air raids across the enclave, pushing the two sides to the brink of a new war. The attacks on Wednesday the 14th of November marked the biggest escalation between Israel and Gaza fighters since a 2008-2009 conflict and came despite signs on Tuesday that neighbouring Egypt had managed to broker a truce in the enclave after a five day surge of violence. Hamas said Ahmad Al Jabari, who ran the organisation's armed wing, Ezzedine Al-Qassam, died along with his son when their car was blown apart by an Israeli missile. Palestinians said nine people were killed, including a seven-year-old girl. Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency and the military also confirmed the operation.

 

"During a joint operation of the General Security Service [Shin Bet] and the IDF [army] today, Ahmed Jabari, the senior commander of the military wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, was targeted," a statement from the Shin Bet said. The military said Jabari "was a senior Hamas operative... directly responsible for executing terror attacks against the State of Israel in the past number of years”. The purpose of this operation was to severely impair the command and control chain of the Hamas leadership, as well as its terrorist infrastructure," it said in a statement. Military spokeswoman Avital Leibovich said the strike was the start of an operation targeting armed groups in Gaza following multiple rocket attacks on southern Israel. “The IDF started an operation against terror organisations in Gaza due to the on-going attacks against Israeli civilians," she said on her Twitter account. Later in the evening, the Israeli military has said it was prepared for a ground operation in Gaza "if necessary”.

“All options are on the table. If necessary, the IDF (army) is ready to initiate a ground operation in Gaza," the military said on its official Twitter account .Responding to the killing, the armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said its fighters would "continue the path of resistance”. “The occupation has opened the gates of hell on itself," Leibovich  a senior Hamas spokesman  said, in a statement in a passionate call for revenge. Said to have been the head of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades. He in the past has co-ordinated much of Hamas' military capability, its military strategy, and the transformation of the military wing. He also led the final negotiations in Cairo that concluded the prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel in 2011.The killing of Jabari sparked furious protests in Gaza City, with hundreds of members of Hamas and the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, chanting for revenge inside Shifa hospital. Outside the hospital, armed men fired weapons into the air, and mosques throughout the city called prayers to mourn the commander's death.

 An Israel defiant defence Minister Ehud Barak warned on Tuesday prior to the targeted assassination that a flare-up in violence with Gaza was "not over," after Palestinian fighters fired two more rockets and Israel carried out air strikes throughout the previous night. Barak, meeting Israeli military chiefs, said the current round of confrontations was on-going, adding that Israel would decide how and when to respond to the rocket fire. “It is certainly not over and we will decide how and when to act if necessary," he said in remarks communicated by his office. “We intend to reinforce the deterrence, and strengthen it, so that we are able to operate along the length of the border fence in a way that will ensure the security of all our soldiers who are serving around the Gaza Strip," "At this time... it is preferable to act [in a timely fashion] rather than just talk.” he said.

 

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the longest-running and most contentious in the world. The conflict can be seen at one level to be essentially over the competing claims of two different nations to one area of land. However the issues are deeply complex and contested, and in 2010, despite many years of a peace process a final solution to the conflict remains a distant hope. Both Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups have reacted to the conflict by forming a large number of peace building organisations, including some notable collaboration.
 

The main bone of contention is the Israeli West Bank barrier .A separation barrier under construction by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier's total length will be approximately 700 kilometres (430 mi). The barrier is for 90% a fence with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on-average 60 metres (200 ft) wide exclusion area, and 10% of the barrier is eight metres (26 ft.)-tall concrete wall. The barrier is built mainly in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Palestinian West Bank.

 

According to the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, 8.5% of the West Bank area is on the Israeli side of the barrier, and 3.4% is on the other side but "partly or completely surrounded".

Opponents of the barrier like me object the wall on the basis that: the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. We argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security, violates international law.  It also has the effect of undermining negotiations (by establishing new borders), and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank and to access work in Israel. In a 2004 advisory opinion resulting from a Palestinian-initiated U.N. resolution, the International Court of Justice considered that "Israel cannot rely on a right of self-defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall". The Court asserted that "the construction of the wall, and its associated regime, are contrary to international law”. While: some Jewish settlers on the other hand: condemn the barrier for appearing to renounce the Jewish claim to the whole of the Land of Israel.

 

Since June 2007 Hamas has governed the Gaza portion of the Palestinian Territories, after it won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament in the January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections and then defeated the Fatah political organization in a series of violent clashes. The European Union,[ the United States, Canada, Israel and Japan classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile the Arab nations, as well as some other countries including Russia and Turkey, do not.
In the January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections Hamas won a decisive majority in the Palestinian Parliament, defeating the PLO-affiliated Fatah party. Following the elections, the United States and the EU halted financial assistance to the Hamas-led administration In March 2007 a national unity government, headed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas, was briefly formed, but this failed to restart international financial assistance Tensions over control of Palestinian security forces soon erupted into the 2007 Battle of Gaza, after which Hamas retained control of Gaza while its officials were ousted from government positions in the West Bank. Israel and Egypt then imposed an economic blockade on Gaza, on the grounds that Fatah forces were no longer providing security there.

 

After a series of behind the scene brokered Arab led negotiations between Fata and Hamas .On May 4, 2011, Hamas and Fatah announced a reconciliation agreement that provides for "creation of a joint caretaker Palestinian government" prior to national elections scheduled for 2012. As part of that agreement, Hamas' resistance would be peaceful and not military, according to Israeli news reports. The conflict between Israeli and the west bank simmered with the odd artillery shelling between both parties meanwhile Fatah and Hamas enjoyed a awkward coalition mainly to attract international aid to keep the near bankrupt Palestinian coffers afloat.

The history of Israeli and Palestine is a long history of filed negotiations from as far back as back as you can imagine. The last direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority took place since September 2010 as part of the peace process, between United States President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The ultimate aim of the direct negotiations at that time was reaching an official "final status settlement" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by implementing a two-state solution, with Israel remaining a Jewish state, and the establishment of a state for the Palestinian people. In early September, a coalition of 13 Palestinian factions began a campaign of attacks against Israeli civilians, including a series of drive-by shootings and rocket attacks on Israeli towns, in an attempt to derail and torpedo the on-going negotiations.
 

Direct talks broke down in late September 2010 when an Israeli partial moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank expired and Netanyahu refused to extend the freeze unless the Palestinian Authority recognized Israel as a Jewish State, while the Palestinian leadership refused to continue negotiating unless Israel extended the moratorium. The proposal was rejected by the Palestinian leadership, that stressed that the topic on the Jewishness of the state has nothing to do with the building freeze. The decision of Netanyahu on the freeze was criticized by European countries and the United States.

Wednesday's attack comes after several days’ worth of Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, leaving at least seven Palestinians dead and several more wounded. Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator based in the West Bank, told Al Jazeera News: "We condemn this Israeli crime and assassination of Ahmad Jabari."We are witnessing a major escalation against our people in Gaza, and it seems to me the Israeli agenda is war, not truce or a ceasefire. We hold the Israeli government responsible. He said.
 

On BBC Palestinian security sources and medics confirmed a total of four air strikes across Gaza during the late afternoon, two in Gaza City, one of which killed Jabari, one in northern Gaza, and a fourth in the southern city of Khan Yunis. A CNN correspondent, reporting from Beirut, Lebanon, said Jabari had been a target for Israel for a long time. In my opinion this has been  a big loss for Hamas, and a success for Israel, who have been after him for a while and it could lead to an outright Israeli Palestinian war on the eve of President Obamas second term in office. Certainly I believe we will see an escalation for sure within the immediate future as the Hamas supporter in in the Gaza strip are infuriated and want revenge. We expect therefore in the days to come a lot of civilian casualties’ bot in Israel and on the Palestinian side. So let us watch the space in the days to come and wish for a speedy resolution. As it comes on the back of a civil war in Syria and both events could plunge the entire Middle East in a complex conflict that the world is unprepared for.

Donovan Reynolds is a Blogger and Independent Writer. He is a British based Social Worker and Human rights Activist. He has an interest in Politics, Culture, Human Rights and International Development issues. Readers of this blog may add their comments or critique at the space provided on this blog .Or alternatively they may e-mail him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk/  or dannygerm@twitter

Black British View of the President Obama Election Victory and its Domestic and Global Implications: By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer

  Black British View of the President Obama Election Victory and its Domestic and Global Implications: By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer

Barrack Obama and the Democrat Party in the US secured a second term in government 7am GMT on Wednesday watched by thousands of TV viewers on this side of the Atlantic in a nail biting victory that at time was too close to call. Addressing cheering supporters in Chicago at his campaign headquarters he promised ‘The best is yet to come’. David Cameron the British Prime minister tweeted him a warm congratulatory message from a tour of the Middle East promising to continue the special relationship that the UK and the US both share. The electoral victory was well clear of the 270 needed for victory and his winning margin passed the two million mark with the Republican taking all but one of the marginal electoral battleground states.

Mitt Romney the Republican Runner called Obama at 1 am prior to his concession speech called Mr Obama to ceded defeat after a prolonged period of number crunching that went against him. Shortly after, he made an eloquent and balanced concession speech thanking his running mate Paul Ryan, his family, Donors and supporters of the Republican Party. Romney looked emotionally drained but was gracious enough to urge on the need for a consensus, he urged Americans to ‘put people before politics’.
Obamas Victory speech was eloquent, statesmanlike, soaring and pragmatic and may well go down in history among the 100 greatest speech of all time. The inspirational grandiloquence of “We are an American Family and we rise and fall together” is a clever catch phrase along with a riled up rhetoric that followed a will echo beyond Chicago in a melodious way into the apogee of history.

 It received a robust review in the British press and was cheered on by his protagonist in the Centre and liberal left of the political spectrum in the UK. Judging from the feedback in the media and by the rabble rousing left wingers in the pubs of London they were happy overall that the Republicans were trounced. Conservatives such a Richard Goodwin in the Evening Standard chided Romney for failing to express the American way in his election campaign like the late Republican President Ronald Regan. He also criticised him of portraying an un-American vision.
My personal Criticism of Governor Romney having watched the election from a distance was that on a personal level he may have been a nice person but his campaign came across as too old school, too white, too male, too rich, too against immigrants and too out of touch with the ordinary Americans.

History have a way of evening out the playing field after years of oppression and discrimination against immigrants ,blacks, LGBT, young people and women they have now craftily mastered the way of using the electoral college system of selecting the American President designed ironically by the Republicans. The feelings among white wing protagonist that I spoke to is that there is a growing fear that Republicans are finished in the future as an electoral force at a presidential level in the US. With the emergence of a more diversified and multicultural America the political tectonic plate has shifted in favour of an urban voting pattern.
Will this therefore trigger a call by the Republican for a reform of the electoral college voting model in favour of a first past the post system that we are accustom to in the UK? 

  Alternatively this threat of an erosion of the US Republican power base in my opinion may force the Party to broaden their policy tent and distance themselves from the neoconservative and the Tea Party’s unscrupulous agenda. But this might be wishful thinking as the Old Republican brigade are stubborn and entrenched in their old ways already the bloodletting conversation coming out of the Republican party is that one of the failure of Mitt Romney in the debates that he lost the election by foolishly occupying the political middle ground.

So the Democrats won the argument by portraying the Republicans as fixated on, reducing the economic deficit at the expense of growth. On the other hand they were portrayed as a party of tax concession givers for the Rich and neglecting the poor and middleclass, Pro special interest Gung hoe on foreign policy, anti- Immigration and against the interest of 47 per cent of American people. The one dispiriting aspect of this election that shocked the British Public was the overall cost of the election the price tag was a whopping US $2.5 billion (£1,6billion).This was in part to the party’s being good at eliciting funds from their donors. This happened in the wake of a Supreme Court Ruling in 2010 which removed the restriction on campaign fundraising spending. This is not good for democracy as money from large donors comes with an expectation. Media Moguls in the US must be licking their chops from the huge swathe of advertising money spent on negative advertisement that fuel hatred and polarise the already deeply polarised American society and must feel hurtful especially the urban poor in the US who continue to slide down the greasy pole of upward mobility. Notwithstanding it was felt that the election process was incident free overall and despite a few technological glitches it was an example to the world especially developing countries of how peaceful an election ought to be.

We in the Black Community UK are accustomed to less glamorous elections in the UK as we watched in amazement of the Black President as he took to the stage in Chicago against the backdrop of Stevie Wonders signature hit- Sigh Sealed and Deliver- doused in a shower of glitzy confetti. Britain did not miss out on the election party CNN hosted a party at Mayfair in the City of London attended by the political well-heeled where guests were offered a choice of Obama and Romney badges. Judging from the feedback supporters of Romney left the party early with disappointment etched on their faces.

The republicans had their own election bash in an upscale community in Clerkenwell although the event organiser Camilla Wright, initally she wanted a mixed audience only Republican supporters could afford the drinks. Patrons at the event were updated at the event by Tweets from noted Broadcaster Richard Bacon who skiped live from Florida with regular updates. I listened to him on BBC Radio five he had two Republican guests who he got under their skins regularly with his edgy, comical but cynical criticism of the Republican Right. The working poor like me had to alternate between Aljazeera, CNN, BBC, the internet and the Radio5.  In between, I had several cups of teas to stave off the night sleep but it was well worth it.

Black British Citizens looked on with a sense of pride begrudgingly as the idea of a Black Prime Minister for us is a pipe dream as we are still at the stage of tackling racism in football leagues. A pre-election poll gauging the choice of who was the British choice of candidate in the US Elections showed that 90% of British people were broadly in favour of an Obama victory. I suppose, it’s good to have a black president as long as he is on the other side of the Atlantic.   I can’t recall going to the home of a West Indian or African friend’s home without seeing a photograph of Barrack Obama and his family hanging proudly from their Communal Hall. It’s almost as if Obama is our President by an act of rebellion. But while we goat in his victory we are politically aware that the task ahead for him in the next four years will be a cat herding exercise.

We know for example that vengeful republicans in congress are already itching to block any progressive legislation that the democrats may want to push through congress. The challenge for Obama is to forge a working relationship with the Republicans to avoid an economic gridlock- is almost like asking your ex-wife to cover the expenses of your new marriage to a after a nasty divorce. Obama during his victory speech pitched the need for consensus and agreed to a post-election meeting with Mitt Romney but difficult sweet heart deals will have to be made.

As stated whichever party in government usually don’t affect the relationship between the US and The UK and the historic ties are deep but Europe is in economic decline and the relationship between themselves and the US is currently uneven. After the second Wold Western Europe and The American government clever shared the Boards of the major global financial institutions such as the World Bank, The IMF and NATO among themselves creating cementing an economic and Political hegemony over the planet. However as we speak Europe is in decline and Germany single headedly is trying to keep the European currency from collapsing. It is a long held whisper among leaders of Europe that while the US has used its relationship with Europe to leverage its vast Empire experience to quell hotspots globally.  Now that the European Union is in trouble economically the US under Obamas leadership has gone silent.

Further afield Chinas appetite for oil and raw material to fuel its growing.Its new found expansionist global capitalist ambition funded by the "Walmartisation" of its economy and clever currency manipulation has US on the economic back foot. Chinas unfair trade advantage became an election football during the election campaign. A fourth term Obama will have to mend fence with the newly elected young Chinese Leaders who will be elected by the congress of the Chinese Communist party. America enjoys an awkward economic relationship with America as its surplus is invested US domestic debt while the president will be expected to reduce the trade deficit caused by American huge appetite for Chinese manufactured goods.

After the dust of the election settles it is widely expected that Hilary Clinton will demit the Foreign affairs portfolio leaving lots of unfinished business. Whoever takes over will have the arduous task of managing the backlash of the Arab Spring and taking the finger off Israel’s trigger that has a nuclear ambitious Iran in its sight.

An incoming Secretary of State will be faced with the dilemma of using the hawk or dove approach in those delicate negotiations in to avert a war that will loom in the backdrop of those diplomatic talks. Featuring prominently on Obamas in-tray will be Syria’s Civil was and how to get the stubborn President Assad to take a hike of face the wrath of the International criminal court of which the US is not a Signature to. Africa had high expectation of Obama in his first term that was by and large unmet no wonder the content leaders are “coseying” up to China. Africa is shedding its image as the begging bowl of the word and is buying into the idea of aid for trade. However, Africa still has a corruption problem regardless of green economic shoots emerging from countries such as Nigeria and Ghana it is expected that they will become more independent and lead the way by a good example. In his second term Obama has the difficult task of distancing himself from the unhealthy relationship with the Egyptian army and to seek out Boka Harem in Nigeria the new terrorists on the block with a reputation to match Al-Qaida.

The global south is no longer the political fiefdom of the US as countries like Venezuela and Brazil are getting wealthy and is no longer beholden to US economic policy.  The re-election of President Hugo Chavez who is still friendly with the Castro’s much to the annoyance of the US. Closer to home the US backed war on Drugs in Mexico is unwinnable and is raking up body bags by the thousands. Will Obama be brave enough to boy into a liberal drug policy by decriminalising drugs and breaking the power of drug lords in and outside of the us, The only persons that have benefitted from the war on drugs is the Us gun Lobby who sell arms to both the government’s and the vicious drug lords.

Be that as It May President Obama has one thing on his side he is a personable leader and a master communicator as he negotiate his way through his second term Black Britain and the liberal left wishes him well as he spawns the many problems of the US on a global and domestic scale. We recognise from across the Atlantic that the biggest problem that he has to negotiate is to remove the obstacle of big moneyed special interest for between himself, his decision making process and the people that he serves. He may well have to cut sweetheart deals with the Republicans in the US congress but we hope that in making those deals the 99% is not sold down the road as it was they who gave him the mandate to serve a further four years as commander in chief. We wish you a safe and progressive tour of duty Mr President.

Donovan Reynolds is a Blogger and Independent Writer. He is a British based Social Worker and Human rights Activist. He has an interest in Politics, Culture, Human Rights and International Development issues. Readers of this blog may add their comments or critique at the space provided on this blog .Or alternatively they maye-mail him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk/  or dannygerm@twitter

Obama in an Election Race that will go all the way to the Wire: Verdict of the third and final US Election debate by Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer

Obama in an Election Race that will go all the way to the Wire: Verdict of the third and final US Election debate by Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer

President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney had their final debate on Wednesday the 22/10/ 12 as a precursor to a two-week campaign that leads to US Election Day. So much was expected from them in third and final televised debate as they tussled for the political affection of undecided Democrats and Republicans as they tried to lay bare their foreign policy prowess. The venue for the verbal spar off was in Florida, one of the key battleground states, at Lynn University.

For Obama spin doctors the recession has ended, employment figures have slowly climbed and other indicators show the economy has improved. Spending by American consumers probably picked up in the third quarter, helping the world’s largest economy overcome a slump in business investment that is holding back the expansion. They point to the fact that the countries Gross domestic product rose at a 1.8 percent annual rate after expanding at a 1.3 percent pace the prior quarter, according to the median forecast of 66 economists surveyed by Bloomberg ahead of Commerce Department data Oct. 26/2012. It would be the first back-to-back readings lower than 2 percent since the U.S. was emerging from the recession in 2009. According, to the U.S Department of Labour Statistics: employment for 16to 24-year-old young persons in the U.S reached 19.5 million in July 2012:  Up from 2.1 million since April. 

In 2011, youth employment rose by 1.7 million from April to July. The July 2012 employment-population ratio for youth--the proportion of the 16- to 24- year-old civilian non institutional population with a job--was 50.2 percent, up from July 2011.
But there lingers among the US electorate a widespread sense of unease and dissatisfaction with the way things are going. The feeling is pervasive that the economic argument has to be won by the republicans if President Obama is to win a second term in office. 

Mr Romney, his vice-presidential running mate Paul Ryan, and the Republican Party in the run up to all three debates have had their campaign bolstered by big-spending patrons eager to dispatch Mr Obama to a one term political oblivion. They blame Mr Obama's policies for the ongoing economic malaise, and hope voters will overcome their fondness for and political investment in him. By pointing out that in his four years of government there is no significant economic achievement for the Republicans to crow about. But in my opinion neither Obama nor Romney has fully fleshed out their economic policies for the future, as doubts remains about how either Republican or Democrat would tackle the $15tn (£9.3tn) US debt.

There was a good deal of agreement during the debate on foreign policy between the two US presidential contenders at the third and final debate. They both agreed to defend Israel if it came under attack from Iran. In addition neither candidate appears to want to unleash another US military intervention in the region, though both clearly would not rule out the use of force.

Throughout the debate Obama rocked the governor and onetime Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints with spiky and sarcastic attacks on his credibility as a word leader. In fact, Obama got off the two best lines of the debate. One was clearly prepared in advance. He charged that Romney “has the foreign policy of the '80s, the social policies of the '50s and the economic policies of the '20s”. The other was apparently spontaneous. When Romney criticised cuts in the number of ships in the US Navy, Obama responded that times have changed. “We have fewer ships, but we also have fewer horses and fewer bayonets.” This I interpret as an attempt by the President to portray the Governor as inexperience and out of touch with American foreign policy needs.

But Mitt Romney went on the offensive by demeaning the President for not doing more to keep Americans safe by pointing out that Americans was three year closer to a nuclear Iran a usual scaremongering tactics often used by Republicans. A CNN poll at the end of the debate showed voters giving a 48%to 40% per victory to Obama. 
Meanwhile the right wing press and their pollsters a wash with money from big Republican donors must be planning a counter attack offensive as their campaign machinery roll out across marginal states for the next two weeks- trying to win the affection of the 11% of undecided Americans.

 For now Republican spin-doctors are inundating the left wing press and social media of medieval caricatures of Mitt Romney riding a world war one decor war horse pointing a bayonet. A word of caution to the Michelle Obama fan club – encourage her kiss in public and watch the daily gallop polls trough the corner of her eyes as on the final night of debate the fat lady only lip singed for President Obama the idea of a Black first lady kissing on the white house lawn infuriates the Sarah Palin and the Tea party fan club. This coming election may down in history as the closest political race in the history of the US. The last time cried on my couch in London as I watched Barack Obama  trounce Senator John McCain to become the first black president of the US this time around I am willing to froth from the mouth in anguish.


Donovan Reynolds is a Blogger and Independent Writer. He is a British based Social Worker and Human rights Activist. He has an interest in Politics, Culture, Human Rights and International Development issues.Readers of this blog may add their comments or critique at the space provided on this blog .Or alternatively they may e-mail him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk/  or dannygerm@twitter

Obama Trounced in First face off and Needs to Up His Game in the Remaining Debates: By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer.

The first Pre- US election publicly aired political debate took place last Wednesday with both President Obama and his Republican contender Mitt Romney having two separate visions for the economic future of the US. With an economic double dip recession looming in the backdrop of the next presidential cycle. The importance of these debates reflects not just the closeness of the race but the politics at stake. More than in most US presidential contests, the candidates embody clear alternatives, between a larger, more interventionist state and a stripped-down, market-oriented one.

In his manifesto pledge President Obama has unveiled a plan to cut the national debt by about $4tn over a decade. The strategy hinges on eliminating wasteful spending in government programmes like Medicare and generating revenue by ending some of the Bush-era tax cuts for high-income households and closing tax loop holes. The plan also includes troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, imposing spending caps for future overseas military operations, and a $32bn cut on direct payment to farmers over 10 years. In a nut shell Obama proposes the reduction of federal spending on the US armed forces and the more prudent budgetary control and a raising of taxes on the wealthy individuals and corporations.

Romney's proposed approach to creating jobs hinges upon less regulation, a balanced budget, more trade deals to promote growth, and cutting the corporate tax rate to 25 from 35 per cent. He has also proposed replacing unemployment benefits with an unemployment savings account, as well as repealing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law that gives the federal government new powers to regulate Wall Street after the financial meltdown of 2008 Romney says his private sector experience as CEO of Bain Capital makes him an ideal candidate for job creation. In response, the Obama campaign has accused Romney of heading a carpet-bagging corporation that destroyed domestic companies, sent jobs overseas, and forced bankruptcy onto a number of firms.

Glued to my television set in the UK and deprived of my early night sleep -from the very beginning of the 90 minute debate, Mitt Romney looked comfortable and prepared for the debate. He appeared relaxed someone totally in charge of his brief. President Barack Obama on the other hand looked exhausted and exasperated he was thrown onto the defensive throes for most of the encounter. He missed some open goals, at one point. Mitt Romney queried whether the President's assertion  that companies get a tax break for shipping jobs overseas, saying that after 25 years in business: 'I don't know what you're talking about. I need to get a better accountant'.

President Obama failed to use the debate at that stage to highlight once more that his opponent is a multi-millionaire who last year paid a tax rate lower than most average Americans, so probably has a pretty good accountant. There was no mention of the '47 per cent' video which has damaged the Romney campaign so badly, and only a passing reference to the auto industry bail out. This was an insipid, uninspired and uninspiring performance from a sitting President who four years ago energized a country and a generation with his message of hope and change. That allowed Mitt Romney to appear calm and in control, even Presidential.

Realistically, the first political debate certainly won’t win Mitt Romney the US presidency. Political campaigns are about stealing momentum: and at the very least Obama’s has been checked. In the next two debates, he needs to come out fighting, and show not just the mastery of detail that he was at pains to convey at the debate with Mitt.  The magical passion, zeal and charisma that won him 2008 election will have to return sooner than later. One thing is certain from listening to the debate-Mitt

Romney is right back in this race after a terrible month coloured by his 47% gaffe. But it’s far from over for President Obama as the polls still have him in the lead. The expectation by Democrats is that Mr. Obama will now doubtless practice more seriously for the second debate on October 16. Its more informal, “town-meeting” format will test both men’s ability to connect with real voters: Mr. Romney especially scores low in polls when voters are asked if he can empathise with their lives. So a word of advice to my  jittery face book Democrats: tell your trounced candidate Obama –less showing of public affect with Michelle in Public outings. Advise him that he has to recapture the political fighting spirit of 2008.

Donovan Reynolds is a British based Jamaican Social Worker,Human Rights campaigner  and Independent writer.He is a blogger with an interest in politics ,culture and International development issues.Feel free to give feedback on the space provided below.Alternatively you may respond by e-mailing him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk ,dannygerm@twitter  or on his facebook link

The Clash of Civilizations and The Making of a New World Order: A review of Samuel P Huntingdon’s and its Relevance to our New Political order By Donovan Reynolds Blogger and Independent Writer

.
The recent killing of the U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on the 11th September 20 12:  — when the consulate in Libya was overrun by protesters and, some say, Islamist militants. This embarrassed the interim Libyan leadership in the capital Tripoli and fuelled public anger at the continued presence on the streets of units from the revolutionary army whose loyalties are often unclear.

 President Barack Obama on the 25th of September 2012 invoked the words of Mahatma Gandhi in his address to the UN General Assembly here as he remembered US envoy to Libya who was killed in violent protests that erupted in the aftermath of an anti-Islam film, saying the "crude and disgusting" video was no excuse for an "attack on America”. Three days before Presidents Obama speech impassioned and well measured speech the Daily mail published a shocking revelation: That a Pakistani minister has offered $100,000 to anyone who kills the maker of the on line anti-Islam video that has launched deadly protests across parts of the Muslim world.
 
The threat from right-wing extremist terrorism is as deadly as the atrocities committed by the Islamic Jihadist. On July 22, 2011, Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik bombed several government buildings in Oslo, Norway killing eight people and injuring more than 30. After the bombing, he made his way to Utoya Island in a fake police uniform and began firing on people attending a political youth camp for Norway's left-wing AUF political party, killing 68 and injuring more than 60. The 2011 Norway attacks became the largest mass killing of people committed by a single person during peacetime, excluding use of bombs.

As a child I always read widely and it gave me had a vivid imagination. I wanted to travel the world and broaden my horizon by travelling to different cultures. When the opportunity for me to travel to Barbados at the age of 16 years. It was my first holiday opportunity without my mother. So, it was hugely alluring as I had always harboured ideas of grandeur delusion about the outside world. A group of my friends in Kingston Jamaica decided to travel to Barbados I managed to convince my parent to allow me to go after confirming that an adult whom she trusted would be travelling with us and she had called Barbados and made arrangement with a College friend of hers who owned an hostel in Bridgetown Barbados to Keep us for a week.

On my arrival in Barbados we made friends with my mother’s friend relative Charles Padmore was kind enough to take us to Harrison Point Cave Hill, St Lawrence, Boscobel and Silver Sands all of which we enjoyed immensely and shared similarities with our Jamaican environment. My first culture shock came  when our host on a visit to the Bridgetown Harbour Charles showed me a cross dressing man whom I swore was a female  initially but was told after that he was a cross dresser who was originally named Paul but had changed his name to Paula and had become a male prostitute. Upon receiving that information I shuffled uncomfortably and my toes curled in a cringing manner. How was I a boy from a rural district on the outskirts of Kingston to process such a strange phenomenon?
 
On my penultimate day I went for a walk by myself and came across about five bearded Indian men dressed in what I recognised at the time as long black dresses walking towards me I immediately became paranoid and ran back to the cottage that I was staying. Almost out of breath I knocked up my boarder at the cottage and told her what I had seen. She gave me a cold drink to calm me down and explained to me that the men that I had seen were Muslims from Trinidad trying to set up a mosque in Barbados. About an hour after the men came to the cottage and we were introduced to them. They told us that Islam is one of the world's major religions, along with Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity They  also said  that Islam's central teaching is that there is one all-powerful, all-knowing God, who is referred to by the Arabic name, Allah. I was told that In Arabic, Islam means "surrender," or "submission," to the will of God and that Islam was a religion of peace. It sounded reasonable to me but it was different from what I was told by the Rector of my local church.

Today I live in London which is a city that celebrates a multicultural lifestyle with people of diverse ethnicity and religious beliefs. A society that embraces multiculturalism is said to be a society at ease with the rich tapestry of human life and the desire amongst people to express their own identity in the manner they see fit. It is a far cry a way from 1980 when I visited Barbados and had a narrow view of sexuality, culture and religion. Today I am also an unashamed secular humanist with a left of centre liberal viewpoint which sits squarely with the philosophy of multiculturalism. But ever so often, since 9/11 the great promise of multiculturalism and its avowed benefits of a tolerant society have become questionable Utopian ideal. As; ethnic and religious flash points across the globe drive an uneasy wedge of discontent among the great promise of globalisation and the push towards a unified world.

It seems wholly appropriate for me to assume that we are experiencing ‘a clash of civilisations. ‘The Clash of Civilizations is a theory, proposed by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, that people's cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War era.
Samuel P. Huntington was a former White House Coordinator of Security Planning for the National Security Council for President Jimmy Carter. Huntington began his thinking by surveying the diverse theories about the nature of global politics in the post-Cold War period. Some theorists and writers argued that human rights, liberal democracy and capitalist free market economy had become the only remaining ideological alternative for nations in the post-Cold War world. Specifically, Francis Fukuyama argued that the world had reached the 'end of history' in a Hegelian sense.
 
Huntington believed that while the age of ideology had ended, the world had only reverted to a normal state of affairs characterised by cultural conflict. In his thesis, he argued that the primary axis of conflict in the future will be along cultural and religious lines. As an extension, he posits that the concept of different civilisations, as the highest rank of cultural identity, will become increasingly useful in analysing the potential for conflict.

In the 1993 Foreign Affairs article, Huntington wrote: It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.

Huntington in his seminal thesis on the clash of civilization explained that some of the factors contributing to this conflict are that both Christianity (which has influenced Western civilization) and Islam are: Missionary religions, seeking conversion of others. Universal, "all-or-nothing" religions, in the sense that it is believed by both sides that only their faith is the correct one .Teleological religions, that is, that their values and beliefs represent the goals of existence and purpose in human existence. Irreligious people who violate the base principles of those religions are perceived to be furthering their own pointless aim, which leads to violent interactions.

More recent factors contributing to a Western-Islamic clash, Huntington wrote, are the Islamic Resurgence and demographic explosion in Islam, coupled with the values of Western universalism—that is, the view that all civilizations should adopt Western values—that infuriate Islamic fundamentalists. All these historical and modern factors combined, Huntington wrote briefly in his Foreign Affairs article and in much more detail in his 1996 book, would lead to a bloody clash between the Islamic and Western civilizations.

Huntington offered the following six concrete explanations for why civilizations will clash:
 1.Differences among civilizations are too basic in that civilizations are differentiated from each other by history, language, culture, tradition, and, most important, religion. These fundamental differences are the product of centuries, so they will not soon disappear.
 2. The world is becoming a smaller place. As a result, the interactions across the world are increasing, and they intensify civilization consciousness and awareness of differences between civilizations and commonalities within civilizations.
 3. Due to the economic modernization and social change, people are separated from longstanding local identities. Instead, religion has replaced this gap, which provides a basis for identity and commitment that transcends national boundaries and unites civilizations.
 4. The growth of civilization-consciousness is enhanced by the dual role of the west. On the one hand, the west is at a peak of power. At the same time, a return to the roots phenomenon is occurring among non-Western civilizations. A west at the peak of its power confronts non-Western countries that increasingly have the desire, the will and the resources to shape the world in non-Western ways.
 5. Cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily compromised and resolved than political and economic ones.
 6. Economic regionalism is increasing. Successful economic regionalism will reinforce civilization-consciousness.
5.Cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily compromised and resolved than political and economic ones.
 6.Economic regionalism is increasing. Successful economic regionalism will reinforce civilization-consciousness.

To conclude, In 1993, Huntington provoked great debate among international relations theorists with the interrogatively-titled "The Clash of Civilizations?", an extremely influential, oft-cited article published in Foreign Affairs magazine. Its description of post-Cold War geopolitics contrasted with the influential End of History thesis advocated by Francis Fukuyama. Huntingdon died December 24, 2008 (aged 81) befittingly at the famous Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts USA. He failed to factor in the role of right wing terrorist like Timothy McVeigh who was involved with the devastating Oklahoma Bombing.  However, he undoubtedly is one of the best conservative writers of his time. The legacy that he has bequeathed to political analysts and commentators is an invaluable way of deciphering the complexity of the new world order in a post- cold war era.

He was spot on with his predictions. His his critics such as Paul Burman are not word a mention as they are way off target. Huntington’s last book: Who Are We? -The Challenges to America's National Identity, was published in May 2004. Its subject is the meaning of American national identity and the possible cultural threat posed to it by large-scale Latino immigration, which Huntington warns could "divide the United States into two peoples, two cultures, and two languages”. In this book Huntingdon was way off target and may have stoked up scaremongering by pondering to the conservative side of his brain. Or flippantly ,in his last days at Martha’s Vineyard he may have been possessed by John Belushi’s ghost  and dreamt up such an absurd book while paranoid and drinking champagne with other neo-conservatives. Whatever the case, the clash of civilizations by my account is more accurate than the book of revelation that John wrote.

Donovan Reynolds is a Blogger and Independent Writer.He is a British based Social Worker and Human rights Activist.He has an interest in Politics,Culture,HumanRigts and International Development issues.Readers of this blog may add their comments or critique at the space provided on this blog .Or alternatively they may e-mail him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk/ dannygerm@twitter

I begrudge the success of every Jamaican Deejay Incessantly. By Donovan Reynolds- Blogger /Independent Writer

I begrudge the success of every Jamaican Deejay Incessantly. By Donovan Reynolds- Blogger /Independent Writer.
 Winston Foster is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, widely known as “Yellowman”. He grew up in a Catholic orphanage called Alpha Boys School in Kingston, and was shunned due to having albinism, which was usually not socially accepted in Jamaica. Alpha Boys School was known for its musical alumni. In the late 1970s Yellowman first gained wide attention when he won a contest event in Kingston, Jamaica called "The Tastee Talent Contest" where deejays would perform toasting. Like many Jamaican deejays, he honed his talents by frequently performing at outdoor sound-system dances.

In 1981, after becoming significantly popular throughout Jamaica, Yellowman became the first dancehall artist to be signed to a major American label (Columbia Records).[ He was popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, coming to prominence with a series of singles that established his reputation. Yellowman was forced to undergo a very invasive jaw surgery to remove the malignant tumour that had formed. This surgery permanently disfigured Yellowman's face, as a large portion of the left side of his lower jaw had to be removed to successfully extract the tumour. He re-invented himself with his 1994 album Prayer, which stepped away from the slackness that gave him his initial fame. Yellow man’s ugly looks despite his huge financial success became the but of every ugly joke that has ever existed. So much that: when he took on a lovely bride Rosie- a cruel joke made the rounds. Many advised him to make a living will to compensate her for the indignity of waking up each morning and having to look into his face. Yet Yellow man has held down the indignity of his detractors to have become the most toured reggae artist ever he is a living human cash machine with or without a jaw bone.

The first time I saw Elephant Man performing thought he was a clown from the Barnum & Bailey circus. The lisp accompanying his accent was very strange and his orange colour dyed hair made him look very camp he scared the hell out of my young children at a concert. But it was not long after he launched into his set with his catchy lyrics and his creative dance move the energy god won us over with a stellar performance. Ten years on and twenty baby mothers after: He still continues to woe audiences locally as well as in North America and Europe. There's never a dull moment with Elephant Man. With a seemingly inexhaustible energy source, he throws himself into everything he does: whether it’s playing football, deejaying on the corner or in front of 20,000 screaming concert goers - Elephant Man does it in abundance. Formerly of the Scare Dem Crew, Elephant oozes individuality from his trademark yellow-orange hair, to his custom designed ride, his outlandish jewellery and a stew of signature utterances - "You know how we roll"!  He is still a walking cash machine with an ego and a huge expensive house to match. Its still puzzling to me how he continue to churn out hits and scratching his clothes off in between with his hum teen baby mothers.

Ninjaman is a Jamaican Deejay short of looks but very talented lyrical and has staved off may competitors in lyrical battles for the deejay high priest of the dance hall Kingdom. Ninjaman, alias the Don Gorgon, (born Desmond John Ballentine on January 20, 1966, in Annotto Bay, Jamaica) is a popular dancehall deejay and actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style. Ninjaman is currently out on bail awaiting trial for a murder that was committed in Kingston, Jamaica. At the age of 11, he launched his deejay career with the Black Culture Sound System at age 12 as "Double Ugly". In 1980, he joined Kilimanjaro, there got the chance to learn from established deejays Super Cat and Early B, and released his debut single as "Uglyman".Things got handsome financially for him when he changed his name to Ninja man when he joined the King jammys recording label in Water House St Andrew and began churning out hits accompanied by pure drama. If Ninjaman was not half literate he could write the dummies hand book of why we should all stay away from crack?

Despite hits over the years like "Murder Dem", "Permit to Bury" and "Above the Law" reinforced Ninjaman's image of a violent rude boy. One of his most infamous rivalries (besides the on-going quarrels with Flourgon and Super Cat) was the one with Shabba Ranks, leading to a number of clashes. In 1993, criticism of Ninjaman's violent and pro-gun lyrics arose, leading to a decline in performing gigs and chances to record.By 1997, Ninjaman had changed his name once again, now performing gospel reggae songs as "Brother Desmond". He sought help to fight his crack cocaine addiction in born again Christianity. In the late 1990s, he was accused (but later acquitted), among other things, of having raped a woman at knifepoint in his home and having murdered a taxi driver. He was sentenced to one year in jail in late 1999, after being convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. In July 2001, Ninjaman was assaulted with a machete, suffering several wounds, some to the head and face by his brother in-law after throwing his 2 year old child out of his window.
In March 2009, Ninjaman, along with his son Jamel, was arrested and charged in connection with a murder of Ricardo Johnson on Marl Road, Kingston, Jamaica. He was granted bail for the sum of JD$2,000,000 in March 2012, and his trial for murder is still pending in the Kingston Supreme Court.

It has been said that Ninjaman comes up with all of his lyrics on the spot in the recording studio, in a freestyle manner as he is illiterate and can’t pen his lyrics. It is said in jest hat if he sees one of his hit songs written on a brown paper bag he could not recognise it. Yet he has several financial lives and still has the ability to rake in millions from royalty’s stage show performances and new recordings if he is able to acquit himself from his latest murder charge.

Bounti Killa  his real name Rodney Price is a famous Jamaica Deejay who earns 40k for his boked performances in North America and Europe. Price moved to Kingston at an early age, along with his mother and siblings. His father owned and ran the Black Scorpio sound system and Price started his musical career as a sound system deejay in his early teens. At the age of 14, Price was shot by a stray bullet during a gunfight between rival political factions, and while convalescing in hospital decided on the name Bounty Killer. After recovering, he increased his performances on a greater number of sound systems, and turned his attention towards recording. During the early 1990s, Price was encouraged recorded at King Jammy's studio in Kingston. Price eventually recorded with King Jammy, the first session being in Spring 1992.[2] One of his first tunes was the "Coppershot", which Jammy was unwilling to release due to its lyrics glorifying gun culture. Jammy's brother Uncle T disagreed and released the single himself.

In 1993, Price performed at the annual hardcore festival Sting, held in Portmore, Jamaica every year on Boxing Day, whereupon he had a high-profile clash with fellow deejay Beenie Man. The rivalry continued through the 1990s, with both accusing the other of a stolen act. They settled their differences after both realized the negative effect their feud was having on the industry.[1] He has also had heated rivalries with several other top deejays, including Merciless and Vybz Kartel, throughout his career. He increased control over his output in 1995 by leaving Jammy and setting up his own Scare Dem Production company and Priceless Records label.

During the 1990s, Price voiced for several producers and labels in Jamaica, releasing songs such as "Defend the Poor", "Mama", "Book, Book, and Book “,” Babylon System and Down in the Ghetto". At about this time, he became known in USA and in Europe, recording with such artists as Busta Rhymes, No Doubt, Masta Killa, The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, Swizz Beatz and AZ.In the mid-1990s, he began releasing albums, with four released in 1994. His 1996 album My Xperience was hugely successful, spending six months on the Billboard reggae chart. In 1997 Bounty Killer decided to make a cover version of Rose Royce hit single Love Don't Live Here Anymore and invited Swedish superstar Robyn. The song made a huge success in the Caribbean & the US. It was also featured in She's So Lovely (Sean Penn film).

In 1998,  Bounti Killa contributed the song "Deadly Zone" to the album Blade: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture. Price has expressed disdain for popular rap, which he called "embarrassing to reggae," even while collaborating with Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and others he considers hard core. However, in 2001, Price collaborated with No Doubt on their single "Hey Baby". Further success followed with albums such as Ghetto Dictionary Volume I: Art of War and Ghetto Dictionary Volume II: Mystery, the latter receiving a Grammy nomination. In 2006, he signed with VP Records and released the compilation album Nah No Mercy – The Warlord Scrolls on 7 November 2006. He has been credited with having inspired many young artists such as Vybz Kartel, Mavado and Elephant Man and several other members of The Alliance.

In 2003, Price cancelled two of his concerts after the LGBT magazine Outrage! Petitioned Scotland Yard for his arrest, claiming songs about killing gays[5] would incite violence and harassment against the gay community. He returned in 2006 after a three-year hiatus, performing uncensored lyrics at several venues without recrimination.
 Price was arrested twice at the annual International Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay Jamaica: he was arrested but not charged in a 2001 altercation with another performer and arrested and charged in 2008 for using profanity during his performance. He was also arrested on 3 February 2009 after allegedly running seven traffic lights in Kingston, Jamaica and charged with refusal to take a breathalyzer test and disobeying red lights. Price was arrested by police in June 2006 and charged with assaulting the mother of his child. According to the Jamaica Star, "The complainant was allegedly punched in the face several times, dragged some distance away and her head slammed into a wall."Bounti Killa is famous for butchering the English language and is famous for coining the phrase ‘I are the one’ during an interview on Entertainment Report aired on the Jamaican National television where he claimed to be responsible for a number of younger and upcoming deejays success. He is rich infamous, feisty and talented and has a huge bank balance and while I berate his behaviour ashamedly begrudge his financial success.

I have over the years raked up huge debts educating myself and my children as a lurch closely to wards my pension settlement with a double dip recession looming constantly in the background. The days of receiving a golden handshakes or a golden wrist-watch is a distant memory. I might have to take my mind off that a pre-retirement  Mediterranean cruise that I yearn for and trade it in for a wash in the polluted Wag Water River. The only thing I have in common with famous Jamaican deejays is a failure to keep my zipper up. It might be my redemption at the age of 49 I have just had twins Danilo and Cassiano .Unlike my other children who have gone the academic route -I am going to take a differed road with their upbringing. I want them to be famous Jamaican deejays or wealthy boxers. Yes, I want them to be famous Jamaicans and walk around with millions of dollars in brown paper bag like American rappers’ Fifty Cent & Rick Ross’. It is an insurance against a failed retirement if they are filthy rich they will give me a good funeral perhaps a glass coffin with all the shenanigans of a gangsta funeral as a compensation for this horrible life.

Donovan Reynolds is an independent writer; British based Social Worker and Human Rights Campaigner. He is interested in Human Rights, Politics, Culture and International Development Issues. Readers are invited to provide feedback in the space provided on this blog or alternatively you may contact him at dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk on dannygerm@ twitter.

Shocking Revelation: Cannabis Use Lowers Young People I.Q.

 Shocking Revelation: Cannabis Use Lowers Young People I.Q. By Donovan Reynolds

While growing up in Jamaica in 1974 at the age of 11 years as a child I ran away to escape the horrors of domestic violence from a physically abusive father. I spent a short period of time with one of my mother’s friend in a place called Richmond in St Mary close to a male penal institution called Richmond Prison Farm. I attended a school in Richmond briefly nestled between the orange plantation and the Prison Farm. I had my first cannabis ‘spliff ‘one day while truanting from School with other tearaways in order to medicate away the pain of missing my mother and the horrible thoughts of leaving her behind to live with such an ugly beast of a father. The puff from the cannabis took me into a dark place with psychedelic background lights that made me very paranoid. It felt as If I was having a mirage were by I was attacked by several imaginary hostile Calvary soldiers with shiny swords waving above their heads. I began hallucinating and it felt as if I was experiencing a massive panic attack. To take the edge from disturbed mental state my cohorts squeezed a few sweet oranges down my neck to tame my appetite and I was given a bath in a river nearby to sober me up.  Later I was taken home to my guardian by a prison warder and my arse received a smacking that immediately sobered me on the spot and my posterior ached for days. During my teen years I went on to flirt with other less enterprising forms of substances- I dabbled with a bit of alcohol and tobacco but no other psychotropic drugs.

 While travelling on the London underground tube to work this week I was treated  in the Daily Mail to the shocking revelation that teenagers addicted to cannabis risk damaging their IQ and show signs normally seen in early Alzheimer's.The research was carried out by a eminent international research team, including some from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, put more than 1,000 boys and girls through a battery of IQ tests when they were aged 13 and 14. They did the same tests more than 20 years later, at the age of 38. The study found a marked drop in intelligence and attention and memory were also harmed. More sobering is the revelation from researcher Professor Terrie Moffitt, of the Institute of Psychiatry, said: 'Research has shown that IQ is a strong determinant of a person's access to college education, their lifelong total income, their access to a good job, their performance on the job, their tendency to develop heart disease and even early death.
  I reminisced mischievously after reading the article on the train that had I not dabbled in a bit cannabis at such a early age on that sordid day in 19 74 and damaged my IQ. I could have now been a rocket scientist on my way to work at the NASA space centre. But instead, I was on my way to work as a Care Manager in an unglamorous low paying job with the National Health Service. But equally I was well happy that my guardian had slapped my bum so hard was able to avoid cannabis dependence and truanting and severe learning difficulties.
For a man who had a near encounter with cannabis induced psychosis and a difficult childhood I have gone on to have a university education and a modest career as a Social Worker and part time Journalist is not a bad outcome in the scheme of things but it could have all gone potty.

The idea that Post- modernity, capitalism, the frantic Youth craze and its social trapping has caused mans insatiable appetite for drugs may be a figment of our imagination It seem as if our habit for using drugs was handed down to us  genetically by our ancestors in the caves of Africa many eons ago .Earlier this month scientists at Aberdeen University in Scotland revealed they have found a switch in the brain which may explain why smoking cannabis causes psychosis and addiction in more than one-in-ten users. The team, at Aberdeen University found a genetic difference in the switch, probably inherited from early humans who smoked the drug in prehistoric times.
The difference may also explain why some people could be more susceptible to conditions such as obesity. The chemical 'switch' discovered by researchers could explain by one in ten cannabis smokers suffer from psychosis and addiction issues.
 Meanwhile over on both sides of the Atlantic some misguided Rastafarians with their head constantly covered in a plume of cannabis smoke continue to peddle half-truths and explode various myths to young persons about the wisdom of the weed that was supposedly found on Solomon’s grave. In part it is true that the plant cannabis has medicinal values but when taken through your mouth and exhaled from the nostril , it ratchet up the case load at mental health institutions across the globe and lower teenagers IQ. As a matter of fact smoking on a whole is a dangerous and the confirmation that smoking among teenagers in the UK is a cause for concern with policy makers and health professionals.

A survey carried out In the UK for the NHS Information Centre by the National Centre for Social Research and The National Foundation for Educational Research .This survey is the latest in a series designed to monitor smoking, drinking and drug use among secondary school pupils aged 11 to 15. Information was obtained from 7,296 pupil’s in246 schools throughout England in the autumn term of 2010. In 2010, 5% of pupils smoked regularly (at least once a week), a similar proportion as in 2009. Girls are more likely to smoke regularly than boys. The prevalence of smoking increases with age; 12% of 15 year olds said they smoked at least once a week, compared with less than0.5% of 11 year olds.

The idea of a woman pulling on the end of a cannabis “spliff” unashamed is no longer a rear sighting as the statistics above has confirmed that it is a dangerous new vocation for  ‘ladetts’ living  in urban settings where the pressure to appear tough and hip like their young male counterpart. The recent new research always reveals a close relationship between increase vulnerability to mental ill-health and the use of psychotropic drugs by young people. Finally I have to admit that cannabis use in general is such a challenging undertaking as it’s the most socially accepted drug across the world I have weighed into it because of the serious health social and financial cost to our health and social and Economic wellbeing implication of its misuse. On the other hand you may be like my cousin in Jamaica called ‘Jah T’ that doesn’t care a joint and is stoned all day on the weed. He is always so high on cannabis every day - so much- that he washes his chalice more often than the dinner plates in his kitchen sink.

Donavon Reynolds is British Based Social Worker and a Human Rights Campaigner with an interest in Politics, Culture and International Development issues. Readers are invited to give a feedback on this blog at the space provided below or to e-mail him at Dannygerm63@hotmail.co.uk.You may also give your feedback on the Facebook or twitter link on this blog.