Clueless
Watching president Bush on TV talk about Iraq being a symbol of democracy last night in my hotel room, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this gent. It must be painful to be as dumb as he is. There is one thing about being president, let alone the president of the United States: the spotlight is always on you. Even those subtle flaws that you never really paid attention to are exposed and beamed to the world. If you were as dumb as GWB is, the spotlight makes you look a hundred times dumber than you really are (although I wonder how you could possibly be dumber than he is but that’s for scientists and to a certain extent the good lawd to answer) The spotlight on GWB doesn’t lie. It’s like watching TV in hi-def. You see, some of the older news anchors got away with alot: that occasional pimple didn’t stand out as it would on hi-def, the coffee stained teeth didn’t stand out in low resolution, neither did the receeding hairlines and pink skin when our fairer skinned anchors blushed. But now that’s gone, I mean you have to look good to be on TV. Hi-def doesn’t lie: the brown teeth need to go.
“He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don’t let that fool you. He really is an idiot.”
- Groucho Marx
This is what the UN speech did to president Bush. You can’t help but think this is the same man who four years earlier made highly respected former chief of staff and secretary state Colin Powell make a case for war with Iraq and basically lie to the world about Iraq having WMD. And then earlier this year had Condoleeza Rice stall talks of a cease fire to give Israel more time to flatten Lebanon’s infrastructure in the name of eradicating terrorism.
The greatest threat to “democracy” - whatever this means - is GWB. US foreign policy is fundamentally flawed and largely based on the assumption that democracy works - but this is a point to be argued on another day. What GWB and his cronies have done in a mere 6 years in office is set back US foreign policy relations to cold war times. The US is progressively taking the former Soviet Union’s place as the aggressor and a threat to world peace with its present occupation of Iraq (teetering on the brink of full blown civil war) and Afghanistan. In addition, this collosal failure that is Iraq coupled with the failure by the Israeli army to dismantle hezbollah have actually popularized extremism in the region.
You would have to be clueless (as our beloved GWB is) to not see that the actual winners on this so-called war on terror are these same Terror organizations. Failure to admit to this failure and subsequently re-think their approach to the ‘war’ by the Bush administration will continue to breed resentment on the world stage and the credibility lost - on both the home and international front will be hard to gain back. Ofcourse this administration sees a totally different picture but only time will tell.
Who are we?
We have been labeled rebels, uncouth, egotistical maniacs…yes the insults have been hurled at us. We have taken them, re-fueled ourselves, even laughed in their faces. We have made them jealous of our ways, our uncompromising attitudes have made enemies to last us generations. We think we are the epitome of society, the most sought after prize this side of the sahara, we attract crowds by the thousands, we are hounded by media houses. We issue incoherent statements, make grandiose plans, steal from the public without resentment. We are corrupt in our ways, our followers worship the ground we walk on, we are selfish, yes selfish indeed. Do not be mistaken though, we are the cream of the crop, our doctors are based abroad, we only work when we feel like, yet we collect devilish paychecks each month. Yes sir, we will clamor for change, as long as that change is beneficial to my pursuit of power, yes more power. We have no vision whatsoever, we are uncouth egotistical maniacs only looking out for our best interests. They call us honorable, yes, but there is nothing honorable about us, we are what we are. We are uncouth rebels and egotistical maniacs. You know who we are
Travelling
No Liquids Please.
Ever since the ban on liquids on flights I have had to learn the hard way. I had to throw out my lovely ‘Cool Waters’ cologne on a flight to Dallas from Las Vegas. It was either that or going back to check it in. Seeing as we had barely made the flight, there was no way this was happening. Toss the dang thing! Orange juice costs me a ridiculous $2.20 at the airport now. I am supposed to be somehow thankful that American Airlines serves stale pretzels and a soda. There’s an inflight movie (if you fly at night – cross country) but you have to buy headphones at the ‘customer friendly’ price of $2. Drinks on a plane are a standard $5 and the overly loud attendant always invites us to apply for the AA Card and get 25,000 miles upon approval. This and the incessant mailings: It is now official, I get more junk mail from American Airlines than any other company, well apart from American Express and Capital One, my shredder has been working overtime – and it will only get worse.
Travelling to Ohio
At the airport Monday morning, I ran into members of a church ministry visiting Dallas from Arkansas, their earlier flight had been cancelled, their next was scheduled to depart at 9. Close to 8:30 comes the announcement that the flight to Arkansas has also been cancelled but that American Airlines will do everything to schedule them on a different flight. There is uproar; I imagine not a lot of people flying on September 11th, flight not fully booked - cancelled. I’m in the state of Ohio. Home of the The! Ohio State Buckeyes, this is country, not that country, Idaho – now that’s country. Lead story on the news this morning was about a couple (white girl, black dude) who had gone home to meet the old man, spent the night at the place, next morning old man wakes up finds cigars missing he pulls a shot gun on the couple – the couple whip out their pistols – old man in hospital: critical. There’s also a dude shot at a nearby Park, critical in hospital gets a visit from his girlfriend – and his other two girlfriends who didn’t know each other. You know how that goes. I figure we’re not on the safest side of town, there are CCTVs all over the building, we’re in town for a week but after two days it feels like we’ve been here too long. I’m exhausted. It’s like a drill each time we exit the building, especially if you work late – check the monitors make sure no one is waiting for you outside, take the remote key – just incase you need to get back in, proceed with caution. We are told to be extra careful there was a break in not too long ago.
The Neighborhoods
There’s s sign by an old rundown house that says “Apartment Available”. I wonder who would want to live here. By highway 70 close to the ‘Siebenthaler Ave’ exit is a run down motel – there’s always people on the porch anytime we drive by. There are also three abandoned buildings, - One was a “Denny’s”, the other a Holiday Inn and the third looks like an convenient store/gas station. It’s Friday and I can only think of one thing: Home sweet home.
Dancehall/Riddim Mixx
Finally, I have been having technical issues with podpress trying to play mixxes, I think i’ve pretty much resolved it. This is the dancehall mixx.
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About
Magaidi.com is the journal of the African kid. A diary of sorts, a collection of musings and a discussion point on the way forward for the motherland.
