Africa Re-colonised….

Along the years of my traveling in Africa I was always observant to demographic variations among air travelers and passengers, from empty seats, to Franco-phone African talking about “L’Afrique”, to the Europeans who think they shall get the elephants to mount them, to Americans who just came out of World Bank pockets as the solution, to the missionaries talking about the despair, yet collect more donations from the needy, to the Chinese who do not speak anyone except the Chinese!!!!. The problem this time, they were almost 35% of the passengers on the flight.

I always judge people with their belief system, and none I awe more than those who adopt the following proverbs saying:

• If you are patient enough you shall see the corps of your enemy floating down the river.
• Don’t give me a fish, but teach me how to fish a fish.

I believe that the above two proverbs are the inherent rules in the Chinese belief system and the main strategies that they use to conquer the world. China has adopted same strategy against USA and now it is watching the American Corp struggling to survive down the financial turbulent and turbid river.

The Chinese danger is that they are looking at “the bottom of the pyramid”, and they are uprooting the grass-roots’ opportunities in Africa. Those who have some small trading jobs here and there…..I am not saying the Chinese are wrong in their strategy to invade and colonies Africa peacefully. It the solution to their problems, where a low productivity, corruption coupled with low population density. It seems African to be the solution to all Chinese current social and demographic problems; but it seems that the African countries their and governments have lost contact with and vision of their grass-roots and they cannot hear anymore their hunger roaring

The reader may agree that those governments need the blessing of the new up coming master, but the problem that this master is not coming with new technology or development techniques, the Chinese are coming with ethnic replacement… they are creating closed communities competing with small traders, and they are financially supported by the their government, through subsidiaries schemes and incentives,

How can the poor and the helpless grass-root Africans compete with that?….at least when they used to import from china and sell in their mother land and continent, they had a job then, but now with the demographic replacement of the Africans by Chinese is dangerous, especially when they are up-rooting the citizens from their jobs, then they will create a monopoly of production, supply and afterwards ….politics

Wake up Africa and “don’t inhale”…

WILL THE ARABS READ THIS???

In 1969 when the Mr. Dayan, the ex-Chief of Staff and Defense Minister of the Israeli “Defense” Forces was interviewed regarding their combat strategy against the Arabs, including “Egypt” then, he went onto the details of the strategy specifying the axes of the envisaged attack, to the extent that the interviewer asked him out of concern: “wouldn’t the Arabs create a counter-strategy after reading about your strategy details here” then the General answered him simply “Arabs do not read”!!!!

After 40 years I was faced with the same question while going through the March version of the French DSI (Défense & Sécurité Internationale Magazine) No. 46 when I saw that not only the Arabs do not read, but apparently they also do not think.

That issue of DSI reported that the Emirate Army is on full modernization to face that of the Iranian!!!!!…..I could not hold myself laughing out this black comedy that is being played in the Gulf….to readers who does not know the nature of people in that area, the typical national Arab is a reflection of his economy, where they spend most their useful time in front of the TV either playing, Wii, Atari or virtual games.

They can not and would not fight a war of any kind, A proof of which the Gulf War I, when most the Kuwaiti flee their country instead of enrolling to fight. Historically and since 1950s the only war that the gulf area got involved is possibly was the unification of the SAUDI ARABIA, and it was fought over camels and horses and won by different breed of men that are not available in that area now….

Going back to that ugly analysis of the modern war history in that area and also the sales initiative of Mr. Sarkosi relying on Mr Bush Jr. recklessness (Please my check previous article) the Arabs went and bought toys that they do not even have the manpower to use nor even the ability to use except in simulations….

The Emirates useful male Population is 2,768,030* including immigrants between the age of 15 to 65, assuming a normal distribution (statistically, assume that 40 percent of which is between 20 and 30 years of age, and assuming population of immigrants is about 35% we shall get that total population that may defend Emirate is about 720,000 most of which are rich and represent a typical strain of cautious investor, where they prefer to buy the service than DIY (Do It Yourself). This concludes that about 400,000 people can defend Emirates at a best case scenario. Now looking at Iran, Iran has useful male population of 24,501,544* almost 10 times that of Emirates, eager and more experienced in war since 1980 till its involvement in Lebanon War III 2006 at least by strategy and systems.

Secondly, in the Gulf War II in IRAQ it is demonstrated that most important piece of equipment is the people or soldier’s belief, numbers people ready to defend and the courage factor of the war that no machine can break, same rule application is demonstrated currently in Afghanistan which USA tried recently to negotiate for alliance and when failed Mr. Obama promised them yesterday the wrath and hell.

Thirdly, when did Iran become a threat to the Arabs?, it has never attacked the Arabs first and  secondly, they are of the same religion.  During the Iraqi war, motivated by Mr. Chiney, Mr. Rumsfiled and of course the Father of all contemporary Gulf wars, the famous Mr. George H. W. Bush; to drain the Iran’s and Iraq’s resources and test new strain of chemical weapons, among other targets; it was Iraq that started.

Unless the Arabs are buying toys, stocking them for others to use, while they continue watching the war on TV, loosing their petro-money and resources on toys and not development; they are a race destined  to perish out of ignorance.

Funny enough when reviewing the Economist of March 21^st to 27^th 2009, the lead article is about how China sees the world, demonstrated by an elegant art work of the world’s map from China’s perspective and ….. to prove my point, neither the Arabs nor their peninsula are on that map!!!!.

The Wondering Mind of

NED

* Source :CIA- The-World-Factbook

NATION’S SELF –REDEMPTION

The atrocities of the Bush administration are enormous and the full extent of damage shall not be revealed immediately but for years to come…. Read Further

We cannot also accuse the Bush administration alone and absolve the American people including the current administration as Bush & Co. won election with the 50% plus one in a “democratic” process…..also we cannot absolve the American institutions including the media from diminishing and tarnishing the American image while they were following the “leader”….

We also cannot claim that USA’s liability ended when they elected angel’s face Mr. Obama, while forgetting what the world underwent and still suffering because of 50% of the American people….the Germans’ had and still are paying for the atrocities of Hitler, are the Americans better race than the Germans ?…..the Germans went into self-cleansing and to date they have no regular army, so why can’t the same happen to USA….When massive power is left uncontrolled in hands of a group of people, while diminishing or eliminating the possibility of punishment for miss-use; we are encouraging similar actions in the future then elect afterwards another angel face to clean up the mess….

I believe, like a lot of people, that we are not living in a jungle and that American War Machine has to be dissolved to avoid any future mishaps ……Alternatively bring all the members of the Bush administration to the International Criminal Court for criminal war fair and actions committed in the past 8 years…..but ultimately someone has to pay….otherwise why did the world picked to the German’s Hitler and forgot the American one….

A TALE OF TWO LADIES

Mrs. Bush and Ms Rice are trying to convince the world and the US how brilliant and advanced is Mr. Bush Jr. ….to the extent that we cannot understand his actions now but in generations to come and people of USA shall be so grateful…..what a paradox!!!!!

The Enigma Mr. Bush Jr. is leaving the white house and everything is in shambles and yet we shall not understand now, but in years to come…

Just sitting and throwing my shoulders to the back and think of the world, I cannot disagree on more in life than those statements of the Mrs(s)……

If the actions of Mr. Bush Jr. are so brilliant why does he need people to defend…acts and successes talk for themselves… To make it short and sweet just READ THIS—>….

Nationalization road map…

Usually when the World Bank officials visit any developing country the first thing they request is elimination of any subsidizing scheme to any good, starting for bread ending with fuel. They claim that all activities should be privatized even sun-rays (if they can)….I wonder whether they shall say it again ….the Capitalism has collapsed and announced dead  the minutes the bail out scheme was approved. It is a literally nationalization scheme of the private sector.

It is not first time that the private investment has to be taken over by the governments; for example it happened before in 17^th century during the railway investment fever.  A lot pyramid schemes and the private investments proved fraud and lot of small investors lost huge money to fraud schemes, thus publicized.

When the Communism failed, the west went into a hot rampage pushing all the developing countries to abide by the rules of capitalism and sell all their national assets to private sector and a new wave of privatization fever….that was mainly in the early nineties and specific after the collapse of then USSR….what shall be the case now, shall officials of the world bank run around again with a new theory of nationalizing assets is the way forward to revive economy….I believe in this crisis the world bank as the capitalism castle has lost face and cannot be redeemed…I wonder what his officials shall say to all those countries that they once told that the only way to revive economy is privatization???!!

The wondering mind of…

Ned

Politicians as economic good….

Tomorrow the world celebrates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17^th) by turning a lot of middle class people into poor. This sacrifice to the blood sucking poverty is a pledge to let major financiers and board directors survive the markets crash and maintain their mansions in the Riviera and alike.

The same head of states and leaders who rushed and instantly committed a lot of money and made budgets available to support and save their friends and golf-mates in the financial institutions, dodged committing same amounts for social needs, medical and education security for urban poor communities, in the name of market dynamics and finance mechanisms. Suddenly all the cash is made available to bail their financiers from their crisis.

From the preceding and by logical deduction, it is obvious that financing political campaigns is the best investment in the market and politicians are the best economic good that money can buy.

I would call on all governments to make available a list of the major share-holders and the annual accruals and benefits of all persons sitting on the boards of directors of those stumbling financial institution, for the tax payers to know which fat cows they salvaged.

Tax payers should be proud that they saved such miserably rich people; who embezzled millions of dollars on golf tournaments, cocktail parties and bribing their venal politicians all over the world. They should take pride at every roadside and celebrate the poverty day by embracing poverty themselves and their siblings for years to come.

The politically deprived mind of ,

Ned

Sarkozi, and THE NEW COLDWAR’S FRONT?

In the latest ministers meeting of August 23rd 2008, Putin urged for a new strategic development plan to meet the anticipated challenges which the national economy may confront in the near future and till 2020.

At the same time I watched the act and plays of the Georgian president’s Mikheil Saakashvili media warfare using the CNN and BBC as his battle field. He is diluting the fact that he is the aggressor on South Ossetia, while portraying himself as the victim….

“Misha” is the youngest president ever been in power in that part of the world, but does this mean he can act irresponsibly and yet be forgiven. he went into a full attack on an armless South Estonia, and where Russian Peace Keepers are entrusted with peace, without assessing the possibilities of full retaliation; or did he overestimate the USA support?.

If Georgian President has overestimated the USA current abilities and power, then he is too naive to govern…he should understand the USA shall not go for a full confrontation when its aggressive plan for spreading long range missile shield is not yet completed, or while it is busy internally with election and its economy is in shambles.

The admittance of the Georgian Young president on the CNN that he never expected such magnanimous retaliation, brings a question if “Misha” is conscious of the size of his army to that of Russian, and is he aware of Georgia’s Importance on energy and strategy maps!!!?

It is also necessary to ask, if the Georgian President was forced to such position, in anticipation that the eclipse of Bush regime may put him in the shadow for some long time?. I believe, for such strategic miscalculation, which brought destruction on Georgia, the Georgian President ought to be ousted and tried for war crimes and mis-governance.

It seems for the eyes of Mr. Bush and his petro-money a lot of world leaders are ready to put their desteny on the line , either unconsciously or consciously, one of Which is Mr. Sarkozi who is interfereing on issues by proxy for Bush, either in the middle east, Southern Africa or recently in Russia. I shall abstain from discussing Mr. Sarkozi personal life, yet it reflect in some aspects immature behavior; but I would like to ask is this is the same france that confronted a Nazi under Charles de Gaulle, now is rolling under the feet of USA lead by the SARKOZI. Where is the French legacy, History and Culture under Sarkozi?

Was Mr. Sarkozi aware of the history of the coldwar, when he rushed trying to break a “quick fix it” sieze fire and peace treaty between the Russian and Georgia, was he ware that he is trying to diffuse a new cold war that has been brewing since Bush came with his plans for Star War and the abolition of missile treaty . it is shameful that the once great France under De Gaulle and Georges Pompidou, is now underdog for USA.

The concerned mind of ,

Ned

Democracy and The Poor

Prahalad in his masterpiece “The Fortune At The Bottom of The Pyramid” enumerated the poor of the world to be about 4.0 billion people out of the 6.5 Billion occupying our planet (excluding UFOs of course). He said that the poor represent a “latent Market” for goods and services. He saw the numbers in that market, the same way the politicians see the poor during election times. Prahalad mentions that the basic economics in the markets at the BOP is based on small packaging of units, low margin, high volume and high return on the capital employed. I may have misunderstood him but what he mainly says to the multi-nationals is package your products in small packages, yet with the same profit margin or higher and use the poor. The previous statement is reflected during a discussion group in the elegant study of Naryan and al “The Voice of The Poor -Crying Out For Change” The study stated that the people in poor areas sometimes have to pay more for what they do get or have to provide services for themselves.

The position of a politicians during a political campaign may not differ in context but may differ in content. The needs of the Poor are simple, as emphasized by Naryan’s study; a simple job, an effective public health service and usable infrastructure. Yet they are not getting it. So now a politician role is to package those demands in little packages and make promises.

In developing countries of Africa, usually the poor finds it quite entertaining and profitable to attend the election campaigns. In some places in Africa it was recently announced that the bidding cost for vote’s can go up $3000 each. While in the North Africa the situation did not differ much but the cost is far less. Usually the women are the prime customers or targets of those campaigns, where campaigners or their sponsors promise them a basket of food and some cash that varies between U.S.$2.0 to $20 per vote. The same voters are also warned not to renegade as they are watched closely even in the privacy of the cubicles of the election station. In other sub-Saharan Africa the election process is less costly; rigging of elections is the main theme of the day. Some people were talking about ghostly election and that the dead are so loyal to the system and keen on voting, to the extent that their papers voting papers fill the ballots before those of the living.

Of course it is quite cheaper to pay such immediate tributes – especially if it is coming from the state coffers – than trying to achieve the long term investments in the dreams of the poor and realizing it. The later process requires a lot of work, determination and energy. While politicians in the election aftermath are usually either busy recovering investment or expanding their investments portfolios.

The question is “can people under dire needs elect”, can a group that is suffering the eco-harshness and illiteracy elect or can people suffering from epidemics and contaminated water, plants and soil elect. Do they have really the freedom of thought? Can they compare and question a politician or those sponsoring him, asking them for change? What are their tools for enforcing their will in case he or she failed to deliver on the campaign promises?, rather to remain waiting for the next campaign that may be rigged or never come? Are they educated enough to know their rights?. Are they allowed the freedom of speech to negotiate and discuss their future without being harassed by military or police brutality? Does anyone listen to them? Of course the purpose of these questions is not recommending exclusion but devising a real mechanism for performance monitoring for politicians, especially in Africa, without the interference of any influence group, super-power or interest group. If any one claims that parliaments in Africa and alike can monitor, I fail to agree, as they need to be monitored. It is a mind probing question.

While International Organizations talk about reinforcing NGOs to monitor, they only finance those who can dance to their tunes. One of the most entertainment sessions is when you see an employee of an International Organizations or official talks about their work for the poor and how they care for them. The funny aspect is that the offices of such officials in the African countries are always located in the richest business areas (miles from poor) and after work they drive to the rich neighborhoods, to enjoy a full belly, good pints of Blue Label or parading from one nonsense reception to another.

How can they feel the needs of the poor and how can they really assist the poor when they failed to stop all the criminal military activities and the wars in Africa. Recently when I was listening to one of those officials talking about Darfoor, I wanted to ask him “what did you really do to assist?, send bags of food and bunch of armed soldiers that systematically abuse and rape girls in those declared peacefully kept areas!!!…that is all…

Getting the people in these devastated areas busy working, doing something useful, is better than the allocations to military arsenal and peace claimed operations. Proposing or building industrial areas and giving it to the people to manage or create some management team from your posh employees to generate income in the communities can be more worthy. Building roads and providing water, away from the antics of the World Bank, can be more effective than the state of indecisiveness which only the technocrats enjoy as excuse to extend their employment contracts.

The ora-politics (from oral) of International Organization or their lip services are impressive, when it comes to covering up the ill deeds. I think it is time for this world to seek better and honest endeavors than financing arms and members of secret societies. It is time to listen to demonstrations of human rights groups rather than using them only when need arises to destabilize impudent states.

I hope above can start a meaningful discussion in that regard.

Criticned

WATER

The most valued good in the future shall be water due to scarcity and increase demand. Do we then need a WPEC (Organization for Water Producing Economic Countries). The water available for consumption globally is about 38 cubic Meter per day per capita, out of which about two third is lost between evaporation or flows back to oceans. The amount of Blue Water (available for water is supply) is about 5.2 cubic Meter per day per capita, which is also oddly distributed over the world’s population. With the global warming and other environmental changes do you think that countries with rich sources of fresh water shall create an organization for water producing countries? and shall water prices tadable like oil? If this is the case, will there be a rush to control the North Pole and South Pole fresh sources of water? and what shall happen to the urban poor populations and Third World Countries that lies in water stress zones?.

Some of above issues needs a debate…I look forward to your comments

 

NED