chaos and honey

Happy Chanakuh  

transparency and the u.n go together like oil and water. the following link from a financial times article linked by the ny times reporting that up to 1/3 of the money for the tsunami relief in asia is going to administrative costs which the u.n. refuses to disclose how the money is spent - this after promising last year that they would fully disclose all details. once again the u.n. shows us why it is a failed institution........
anyone hear anything good out of sudan lately btw (i mean ever)?

1/3 Gone On What Exactly?

as much as some would like to think that today is a new era and circumstance and all things are different allow me to point out that politics have not changed since the beginning of time.
politics are local, and the locals all have their favorites, rudimentary.
was someone really expecting the shi'ites to suddenly in large measure vote for sunni or kurds in iraq?
why is it that so many in the media are taking umbrage at numbers that would mirror most other communities in the world.
correct me if i am wrong, but by and large politics is frequently a matter of sects voting for their tribal favorites.
in city elections in the states you frequently have black vs. white, italian vs. jew, working class (studied publically and did a lot of handshaking) vs. silver spoon (some studying privately and made sure he maintained status in proper clubs)....
for all those saying that the iraqi elections are marred by voters making sure they are part of the correct sect we should ask for perspective.

as an example, when amir peretz recently wrestled away the labor party from shimon peres, it was widely said that part of peretz's method was to get as many sephardic jews (read jews from the arab lands) to newly register as labor members and vote thus taking the power away from the azhkanazi jews (read jews from euro & new world) who controlled the party.
and as much as no one wants to start a fire fight, it may be true.
thus part of the reason so many labor voters (read azhkanzi jews) have moved over to sharon's party or slipped into other parties quietly.
....we are going to have an election in israel in less than 100 days..........
we essentially have three genuine leaders to choose from,
we have a union leader - peretz - who is being portrayed as uncorruptable (pardon me while i choke),
we have a another man - bibi - who was an excellent finance minister but is widely disliked for his ability of speaking well and seeking power while doing it,
and an overweight jew - sharon - who at a very advanced age decided to have a stroke recently but is still able to out think the entire country......

Flowers In The Sand 

interesting post in the BIG PHARAOH
as always.........this is a blog that should be read consistenly.

i am going to start a list here of sites, and other links regarding holocaust denial that is taking place now.........
Muslim Brotherhood Leader Speaks this link added on thursday night the 22nd of Dec.

Guardian Opinion

Free Muslim Coalition Thoughts

Wikipedia Info

ADL On Bradley Smith

simply put, israel as a nation which is supposedly responsible for the well being of its citizens should wipe the iranian military infrastructure out.
israel should use its full military capability and destroy the threat.
anyone that denys that the threat doesnt exist and that not enough venom has been spewed by the leadership of iran to justify the israeli action is either deaf or dumb.
the longer israel waits, the more realistic the thought becomes that israelis are living in an iranian death camp.
how many of us will die? that is the question....

some more thoughts on the iranian/ israel saga. it is less than likely that israel will undertake any operation against iran unless it has full backing by the states and europe as i have written about before. that being said, it is not for israel to prove its intentions are worthwhile to iran,
IT IS iran that now needs to prove its intentions for the 'good' (hopefully) to israel.
want to bet that this isn't going to happen?
no doubt we have reached a very serious escalation in 'the crisis' but much to my chagrin there is no one at the helm right now in israel who can manage this theatre - not even sharon, this mainly because of the election tumult he is now involved in.
perhaps after the election in israel - march - more serious focus will come about but until then israel will make believe that the iranian leadership is merely full of hot air - and it will be israel's mistake just as it was a mistake by european jews not to take the threat of hitler seriously.

there are some among us who think hamas should be allowed to openly run for govt in palestine.

Palestinian Election Results

this because when elected as leaders of their various districts they will suddenly have to go from 'revolutionary' to trash collector.
and the thinking goes.......eventually hamas will prove that they are as ineffective as picking up the trash as anyone else in the world and suddenly will be stained by the onslaught of reality (and the smell from the trash).
this in essense is the great thing about democracy, it eventually levels the playing field and gives a wide opportunity to the many seeking power only to allow them to prove that in fact they are human like everyone else.
this policy btw worked fairly well in northern ireland when implemented by the brits, the ira - sein fein - when allowed to run found themselves dragged into the mirth and proved to be just as corruptable as all others.
and thus we get to the elections just held in iraq, no matter what detractors say, this is a victory for bush and united states policy.
eleven million people voted in the elections choosing from a wide range of candidates including secular and religious and ethnic oriented political parties.
perhaps all sects will fall into a vicious civil war in iraq, but perhaps the sects will actually learn that they can work together.
again this will not take place in a kodak moment, we will need to give all of the people and their groups time to become accustomed to the tasks and workings of political and civil oddities such as trash collecting, the clearing of snow, making sure mr. nassar's mail get delivered to the right house.

Spanish Architecture

interesting article from ny times on spanish architecture which is inspiring many......

Istanbul, Turkey - Emblem In St. Sophia  

THE SIDEWALK - Zevchi – December 2005 - Kfar Saba, Israel

Waiting for the accident to happen.
Warned of imminent catastrophe,
Nobody has the desire to stop.
Seams coming undone
And not only the wearer knows.
Yet the machine that stitched and distributed
Cares not for the user as long as they consume.
It is for the public to worry and despair
About it clothes falling off and being naked.
We grasp for evermore, the cars and the furniture,
New bottles of wines - likely only better locations,
Lively cheeses to tumble into breads
That crumble and remind us of real dilemmas.

We traverse the sidewalks, across the bird droppings
Seemingly implanted in the gray and damp cement,
Which meanders through a toxic park of graffiti laden walls
Stained from mildew and pollution.
The sandbox listlessly awaits children,
But the drunks with their cheap plastic bottles
Anxiously long for those merely visiting the grounds
To exit so they can rest and think about yesterdays – good and bad.
A girl of fifteen talks on her mobile phone
Loudly so others can dutifully listen
And know that she is angry with her friend
Who has disappointed her so, for refusing
A party that will no doubt be awash in drugs and lunatics.
Other paths to the center foam with immigrants
Who do not speak a common language and probably don’t want to.
They come from all the continents and there most remain in their minds.

Discarded newspapers tumble about,
Occasionally a lucky page
Plastered to the pavement via spilled soda and dog urine is read.
On the main street either in rain or sunshine,
There is a stench that does not change in winter or summer.
The printed word makes no difference,
There are too many words nowadays.
Engrossed with hopes,
While dwelling on despair
Faces cannot wash the discontent away,
Nor the absurd style of walking
Stigmatized by not giving way and
Colliding
Without apologies.