Jesse Ventura and lessons in politics

Having watched this video, there's one thing that I now resolutely believe. Jesse Ventura is a model politician. Well, Ventura has been out of government for nearly seven years, so he's not really a politician anymore. He declined a second term of governor of his home state of Minnesota for personal reasons. His wrestling career is well and truly over, he hasn't tried any wrestling resuscitation attempts, unlike certain individuals. He's resigned himself to the roles of public speaker, author and political commentator. So I should rather say that Jesse Ventura is a model to those with an aspiring career in politics. He has some very important lessons in politics, that perhaps we either need to remember or teach ourselves.

What makes Ventura different is that instead of taking a side in the now very dull and boring battle between Democrats and Republicans, Ventura stood as an independent in the Minnesota gubernatorial election 1998. Broadly speaking, he could be identified as a libertarian, once stating "I want Democrats out of the boardroom and Republicans out of my bedroom." Yet he's a far cry from political commentators on radio and TV who like to call themselves libertarian, but are really closet Republicans. It is not very easy to pigeonhole him. In this sense, he is a true role model to political independents.
In America, one has to be either a liberal/Democrat or a conservative/Republican. It's pretty much the same in the UK. Only the Conservative Party and the Labour Party realistically have a chance of getting into power. Political independents and moderates are really without a home in both countries, and in order for one's vote to count, they end up having to vote for one of the two. What Ventura demonstrated and emphasised is the importance of third parties in the political arena. A true multiparty democracy is not one in which the leadership of the country rotates between two political parties.

As you will have seen in the video, Ventura publicly questions the government on a number of issues, ranging from the use of torture on terror suspects, the conduct of the War in Iraq and even the official explanations regarding the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has shown us that it is not unpatriotic to question one's government. In fact, in the American tradition, NOT fairly criticising the government is unpatriotic. I remember the words of Mark Twain: "the only rational form of patriotism is loyalty to your country, and loyalty to the government when it deserves it."
Justifiable criticism of the government is rarely seen these days. Nobody has thought of properly taking Tony Blair to task over the War in Iraq or his role in ruining the British economy for generations to come. Jesse Ventura has shown us the importance of remembering that patriotism comes from the heart, and should not be rooted in love of the government. It should be rooted in the true values and ethics that your country espouses, and from which it derives its political institutions.

So, if you have an aspiring career in politics, remember your old friend Jesse Ventura. Remember that true democracy is not a battle between two competing political parties, and that fealty to your government is not a prerequisite for being a patriot. The real patriots of their countries are the ones who are speaking their minds and questioning their governments.

Please take your mood swings elsewhere

If there's one thing that annoys me, it's people who are incapable of dealing with their mood swings, if they have them. Before those who know me well put their fingers on the buzzers, yes this is something that I am also guilty of sometimes. But now I'm going to try and deal with my moods in future, because I've realised how irritating it can be. You must know what I'm talking about. It might be a friend or a family member. When you're hanging out with them, you can just tell that they're in a mood because they'll either be sitting in the corner sulking or they'll just be snappy if you try and talk to them. You all know who you are...

I don't own this picture. I found it on Google

So I have this to say to you: FUCKING DEAL WITH IT. If you're in a bad mood, fair enough, nobody's trying to wind you up. But don't take your anger out on other people just because you're in a mood. If you're in a mood because of shit happening, it's your own fault because if shit happens in your life, YOU need to make sure you don't walk in it. YOU need to clean it up.
Next time you're in a mood, go to the gym and run it off. Or go outside for a brisk walk. Or just get some alone time so you don't find yourself going off with your friends and family.

But my point is, please take your mood swings elsewhere. Otherwise I will REALLY get angry...

Don't just remember. Ask.

As we approach November 11th, and we celebrated Remembrance Sunday this morning, I'm driven to think about all those brave men and women who gave their lives not just in the World Wars, but sadly in the wars that followed. All of them were ordinary men, most of them came from humble backgrounds. Today's service was said to have been more poignant because yet another British soldier fell in Afghanistan, bringing the death toll up to 200.

I do not own this photo. I found it on Google

And it makes me wonder if people know why exactly they all died. We are constantly reminded to "remember why they died," but do we know exactly? And why are British and American soldiers continuing to die? Soldiers are dying pointlessly, needlessly and unnecessarily in Afghanistan. What we were fighting in 1944 is not what we are fighting now. The world has changed since then and the evidence is clear. Violence solves nothing. War must always be treated as a last resort in international diplomacy, because war involves human lives. We can't treat human lives as if they are cannon fodder and disposable.

So when you put on your poppy today or stand for 2 minutes of silence on Wednesday, don't just remember. Ask yourself, why they died. And ask yourself why are they still dying.

With that being said, my heartfelt condolences go out to all the families who have lost loved ones in the war. And my thoughts and prayers go out to those who are still there.

Free speech? As long as it doesn't insult the ANC

A big piece of news in the last few weeks is that Kader Asmal, an African National Congress stalwart and veteran of the anti-Apartheid struggle has come under fire from left, right and centre. Fikile Mbalula, former leader of the ANC Youth League and now Deputy Minister of Police called him another ‘Don Quixote’ and a ‘lunatic.’ The Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association told Asmal to go to the nearest cemetery and die. Gwede Mantashe, the ANC Secretary-General warned Asmal, “self-destruction can bleed you to death.” Why? Because Asmal committed the cardinal sin of criticising the government, and by proxy, the ANC.

At a press club function, Asmal said that government proposals to turn the South African Police into a paramilitary organisation, in order to better fight crime, were ‘crazy.’ He also accused Mbalula of ‘low-level political opportunism’ for making statements to that effect. After the shit hit the fan, Asmal reiterated that he was merely exercising his constitutional right to free speech. He warned of the creeping intolerance for dissent within the ANC. And herein lies the big problem.
The ANC is increasingly becoming an authoritarian organisation whereby debate and difference of opinion is quashed. It speaks volumes that Asmal, whose credentials include helping to start up anti-Apartheid movements both in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, drafting the South African constitution and helping to write the bill of rights, has been so viciously attacked. If a struggle stalwart like Asmal has his mouth shut like that for speaking his mind, then can the ANC honestly call itself a democratic organisation? Can an organisation that is either apathetic or ignorant to its members making statements such as “kill for Zuma” and calling for a shoot-to-kill policy on criminals honestly call itself democratic? Asmal himself made these same lamentations, and those of us who remember the old ANC are lamenting with him. We're lamenting that the democratic ethics that were upheld by greats like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chief Albert Luthuli, and Nelson Mandela are being forgotten. These men didn't hold democracy just as a policy. They held it as an attitude and a way of life.

Of course it’s too much to ask of Nelson Mandela himself to speak up in his frail state and old age. Doctors within the last two years have warned him to stay away from political controversy because of the stress involved. That’s why we need struggle heroes like Asmal to make sure that the true values and ethics of the old ANC are upheld and aren’t lost to the new ANC of people like Mbalula, Julius Malema and the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association.

A master stroke by Question Time

Having Nick Griffin appear on a public television debate against the Home Secretary, Jack Straw is a master stroke of genius by the media moguls. Of course, those who position themselves on the far left will accuse me of being a sympathiser and an enabler for the BNP. Neither of which sum up my position. I do not sympathise or feel any sense of solidarity on any of the issues which the BNP claim to stand for or against. I am resolutely opposed to racism and discrimination.

That being said, I do not feel any threat or any sense of danger from this decision by Question Time. I believe this, because the BNP has been able to summon its strength from the underground, and from the Internet. The BNP has been outlawed, which means that its members congregate together and discuss their views without fears of reprisals. The reason that the BNP has been able to generate so much support is because their views are not aired in public, and thus cannot be debated and challenged. It is too much to ask of impressionable people to question Nick Griffin at one of his Nuremberg-style rallies. Because the BNP is essentially in hiding, they can manipulate their views to be seen as "acceptable." But by putting him on TV, Nick Griffin will essentially be put on trial, and will have to explain his views to the British public. Drawing Nick Griffin out from the crevice in which he cowers and into the light of public debate will allow people to see the views of the BNP for what they really are - utterly baseless and full of hot air.

Putting Nick Griffin on TV shows the public that the authorities have nothing to fear from him. Once everyone can see the BNP for what they really are, the government and the country will have no reason to worry about them. They will become as worthless as other neo-Nazi groups operating in this country.

The Art of Laziness

If there's one thing that separates human beings from the animal kingdom, it's that we are always looking for ways to make our lives and work easier. This is a nice way to put it, in essence. The reality is that we are all absolutely fucking lazy. If there's a way for us to as little work as possible, we will do our utmost to find that way. That's laziness, I'm afraid. I'm not trying to absolve myself of any blame. I am also extremely lazy, when it comes to coursework and finding a job. And to prove it, I started writing this post a few days ago, but then got distracted by Facebook. But the fact is that the progression of man walks hand in hand with his degeneration into procrastination and laziness. This is why nearly everything these days is done on computers. Bank statements can now be viewed online, many companies are discovering the wonder of automated messages - you know, "if you are an existing Sky customer and you wish to upgrade your subscription, press 1..." Bureaucracy should be renamed lazocracy. To me, the idea of having desk jobs, protocols, rules, regulations, FAQs and "What to do if..." and all that nonsense is just a way for people to have less work to do.

That's why most of our work today is done by robots and machines. The Americans are using robot planes in Afghanistan and Iraq. While I do respect the scientific advancements in such a field, it won't be long before robot androids do all the fighting, and mankind just sits back and enjoys the show. At least then, war mongering politicians like George Bush and Tony Blair won't ever feel bad about going to war because it's not young men that they're sending to their deaths. I dread the day that a scenario seen in such films as The Terminator, The Matrix or I, Robot becomes reality. It's quite frightening. And all because we're so damned lazy to do things ourselves. And thanks to Facebook, we've lost the art of conversation. Young, frustrated, sexless, virgin boys and men are quite comfortable talking to imaginary girls on the net but they can't seem to drum up a conversation with a perfectly nice girl in the street. And nobody worries about losing touch with a friend. As long they have each other on Facebook, they won't have to text, email, phone or God forbid, write them a letter ever again.
Whatever happened to the value of hard work? Even though I'm ridiculously lazy (and to bang home the point, this is the third time I have come back to this post) I do feel proud of an essay or chore that I put 100% into. It gives me great pleasure to take a look back and admire my work. It gives me a great sense of pride to know that I did something all by myself. And I although I do tend to use Facebook way too much, I do try and text or phone a lot of my friends. Well, not as much as I'd like to think, but it's definitely something I'm going to work on.

Please don't take me for some aging, Tory redneck. I just think we should place more emphasis on conversation and hardwork. It's what makes us human after all - being able to have a coherent discussion and being able to admire the fruit of our labours.

P.S. This post could possibly be longer and open up more threads for discussion, but I'm far too lazy for that ;)

Two days from Hell

I am officially a postgraduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies. I had to prove that my academic qualifications were up to scratch, confirm that I wasn't a fraudster and that I am who I say I am, pay the fees that my parents kindly paid and get a library card. But sadly it took two days to do all that. Yesterday, after I paid my fees, I had to hand in the enrolment forms confirming that my details were correct. Unfortunately, I was not given any enrolment forms. I was supposed to do that when I first queued up to confirm my identity and show my academic qualifications. The girl who served me was either mesmerised by my good looks or simply forgot to give me the forms because I was busy making small talk with her. So, I had to go back and get the forms from her. The student helpers managed to burrow their way through the queues and retrieve the forms I needed. By the time I had filled them out, the offices were closed. So I had to come back today to give in my enrolment forms, get a library card, sign up for all my courses and meet my course convenor. So, in total, I was probably standing in a queue for approximately two hours.

A friend told me that SOAS was legendary for long, aching, enrolment queues. Sadly, he didn't tell me this before I had to enrol. Typical. What's that called? Murphy's law? I think the English and potty mouths call it sod's law. I've hardly eaten the whole day as well so I've got a slight headache, even though I've just eaten a delicious meal of homemade pizzas, salad and vegetables. I intend to sleep in tomorrow, providing that I don't receive the call of nature...

We're renovating our bathroom. Well, actually we've got someone else to do it for us. He's doing it for a very handsome price, and I'm quite relieved that it's finally getting done. Unfortunately, we've got no toilet now. Thankfully, the gym is just across the street. But it's very cold outside, and it's dark. So I'm holding on...

Inspired by a friend...

I have decided to join the millions upon millions of folks who blog. Enjoy...