NB: This essay is based on my reading of "The Best Intentions: Kofi Annan and the UN in the Era of American Power" by James Traub, plus associated knowledge.
It's a matter of general knowledge that Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations was a colossal failure, and is only worth noting as an historical matter because it was a herald of the United Nations.
The UN itself was largely the brain-child of Roosevelt, who almost literally gave his life to ensure its creation. It's painfully ironic that America's last great President (Eisenhower the soldier, Truman the bomber, Kennedy the playboy, Nixon the liar...so it goes on). It is even more incredible how ignorant the average American seems to be about the UN and how it operates. In speaking of the disastrous Somalia affair - watch of read Black Hawk Down if you wish - Clinton stated that the UN "needs to learn to say 'no'"; he knowing full well that the UN only does what the Security Council allows; knowing full well that the average American citizen would be blissfully ignorant of this, and exploiting the juxtaposition ruthlessly.
Continue reading this article here:
http://www.hungrysociety.co.uk/topics/79-society/96-understanding-the-un-1945-1960
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Killer Elite
Yesterday evening, I watched again the film "Killer Elite", based on the 1991 book "The Feather Men", written by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The opening screenshot is black with white text describing the economic unrest, the soaring price of oil and the international friction. Then it states the year: 1980.
The fact that in 30 years, nothing has been accomplished other than to return Britain to a cycle of political and economic violence over the scarcity/cost of oil is utterly ridiculous. The fact that it coincides with the imminent resurgence of Tory reform in this country is tragic to the point of heartbreaking.
Now, as then, Britain is/has been involved in a war that we had no business being a part of, for something that we have no right to. As the end screenshots of "Killer Elite" remark: the full involvement of the British SAS in the Oman War of the late 70s is still highly classified under Britain's official secrets act. How much involvement of the British military in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will still be classified 30 years from now I wonder?
Continue reading this article here:
http://www.hungrysociety.co.uk/topics/79-society/94-killer-elite
The fact that in 30 years, nothing has been accomplished other than to return Britain to a cycle of political and economic violence over the scarcity/cost of oil is utterly ridiculous. The fact that it coincides with the imminent resurgence of Tory reform in this country is tragic to the point of heartbreaking.
Now, as then, Britain is/has been involved in a war that we had no business being a part of, for something that we have no right to. As the end screenshots of "Killer Elite" remark: the full involvement of the British SAS in the Oman War of the late 70s is still highly classified under Britain's official secrets act. How much involvement of the British military in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will still be classified 30 years from now I wonder?
Continue reading this article here:
http://www.hungrysociety.co.uk/topics/79-society/94-killer-elite
Friday, December 30, 2011
"News" as a Commodity
I have already aired the opinion that the news has become a commodity, a form of consumerism, but what do I really mean by this? To my mind, it is completely obvious that the news is now nothing more than another pastime. That is because production of the news has become another closed-rank profession.
Consider this tangent for a moment: professions, not as an avenue (as in the phrase "career path") but as a securely guarded building where none but the certified (or, in the case of politicians, certifiable) may enter. None may practice any form of medicine save the trained physician; so far, so good. But now, it is actually against health and safety guidelines to give painkillers to a colleague at work, and by that logic therefore, to ask for them!
So it is with the news (or any form of "professional" writing for that matter). Those of you that have tried to get published, take heart! Your writing isn't bad, it simply does not meet the political ideological standards of the publisher/editor, aka the reader base, aka the accountant watching the circulation numbers.
Continue reading this article here:
http://www.hungrysociety.co.uk/topics/80-media/93-news-as-a-commodity
Consider this tangent for a moment: professions, not as an avenue (as in the phrase "career path") but as a securely guarded building where none but the certified (or, in the case of politicians, certifiable) may enter. None may practice any form of medicine save the trained physician; so far, so good. But now, it is actually against health and safety guidelines to give painkillers to a colleague at work, and by that logic therefore, to ask for them!
So it is with the news (or any form of "professional" writing for that matter). Those of you that have tried to get published, take heart! Your writing isn't bad, it simply does not meet the political ideological standards of the publisher/editor, aka the reader base, aka the accountant watching the circulation numbers.
Continue reading this article here:
http://www.hungrysociety.co.uk/topics/80-media/93-news-as-a-commodity
Dragon Mission / Impossible Tatoo
Hello all!
You may well guess from the post title that yesterday I saw two film - that's right, two films in one day. What's amazing is that each film, by my guess (I haven't checked because I'm on holiday so I don't really care!), was 2.5 hours. Add on adverts and trailers and I spent about 6 hours in the cinema yesterday! How did I manage to accomplish anything else?!
So, film one was Mission Impossible 4 (aka Ghost Protocol), and film two was The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo (the English version with Daniel Craig, just to be clear). If I had a place to write a subtitle for this post I would have written Lights and Clockwork. That is, Mission Impossible being lights, and TGWTDT being clockwork.
MI4 was all lights and very little substance. It's the same old espionage premise of a new wrinkle on detente - that is, some subversive moron trying to restart the Cold War. The stunts are spectacular, but the layering of impossibility upon impossibility drives this film into the realms of absurdity: climbing up the outside of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building (at 828m / 2,717ft) with nothing but powered suction gloves (one of which, of course, breaks on the way up) in the face of an approaching sandstorm...need I say more. On the other hand, all the lights were very entertaining, it's just a shame that the two brief attempts at clockwork are of almost no interest by the time they come to "light"!
By comparison, TGWTDT is virtually all clockwork and no lights. I think the film does Sweden a disservice in as much as the entire country (including everyone and everything in it) looks grey from start to finish. In addition, whether it's a Hollywood version or not, the international cast being almost devoid of Swedish talent, is remarkable. To give the film its due, the acting is remarkable in many places - notably Christopher Plummer and Rooney Mara. Stellan Skarsgaard is in fine form as always, but many of the other actors seem to be going through the motions more than anything else. Going back to Rooney Mara, the magnetism of her appearance aside, her acting is remarkable, considering how little she actually says. The final scene in particular is astonishing in its intensity, and perhaps that also explains, to some extent, the harshness of my opinion on the film. I felt deflated, a much diluted version of her character's feelings. On the other hand, the film did ultimately leave me interested in reading the books - more than any review or word of mouth recommendation has thus far accomplished (despite one failed attempt with this first story).
To conclude, neither film is magic. I would only see either again to kill time, not really for the escapism I generally seek at the cinema. I don't want to put anyone off. Mission Impossible is solid work, and is entertaining while TGWTDT is a very dark, haunting film that I enjoyed; the fact simply remains that neither have that winning combination of lights AND clockwork.
In other news, I have seen trailers for Men in Black 3(?!), a fantastic looking film called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which - despite my better judgment - I hope will see a return to form for the Spielberg-Williams partnership. And finally, The Artist, looks truly wonderful as an exploration of the troubled transition from silent movie to talkie.
You may well guess from the post title that yesterday I saw two film - that's right, two films in one day. What's amazing is that each film, by my guess (I haven't checked because I'm on holiday so I don't really care!), was 2.5 hours. Add on adverts and trailers and I spent about 6 hours in the cinema yesterday! How did I manage to accomplish anything else?!
So, film one was Mission Impossible 4 (aka Ghost Protocol), and film two was The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo (the English version with Daniel Craig, just to be clear). If I had a place to write a subtitle for this post I would have written Lights and Clockwork. That is, Mission Impossible being lights, and TGWTDT being clockwork.
MI4 was all lights and very little substance. It's the same old espionage premise of a new wrinkle on detente - that is, some subversive moron trying to restart the Cold War. The stunts are spectacular, but the layering of impossibility upon impossibility drives this film into the realms of absurdity: climbing up the outside of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building (at 828m / 2,717ft) with nothing but powered suction gloves (one of which, of course, breaks on the way up) in the face of an approaching sandstorm...need I say more. On the other hand, all the lights were very entertaining, it's just a shame that the two brief attempts at clockwork are of almost no interest by the time they come to "light"!
By comparison, TGWTDT is virtually all clockwork and no lights. I think the film does Sweden a disservice in as much as the entire country (including everyone and everything in it) looks grey from start to finish. In addition, whether it's a Hollywood version or not, the international cast being almost devoid of Swedish talent, is remarkable. To give the film its due, the acting is remarkable in many places - notably Christopher Plummer and Rooney Mara. Stellan Skarsgaard is in fine form as always, but many of the other actors seem to be going through the motions more than anything else. Going back to Rooney Mara, the magnetism of her appearance aside, her acting is remarkable, considering how little she actually says. The final scene in particular is astonishing in its intensity, and perhaps that also explains, to some extent, the harshness of my opinion on the film. I felt deflated, a much diluted version of her character's feelings. On the other hand, the film did ultimately leave me interested in reading the books - more than any review or word of mouth recommendation has thus far accomplished (despite one failed attempt with this first story).
To conclude, neither film is magic. I would only see either again to kill time, not really for the escapism I generally seek at the cinema. I don't want to put anyone off. Mission Impossible is solid work, and is entertaining while TGWTDT is a very dark, haunting film that I enjoyed; the fact simply remains that neither have that winning combination of lights AND clockwork.
In other news, I have seen trailers for Men in Black 3(?!), a fantastic looking film called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which - despite my better judgment - I hope will see a return to form for the Spielberg-Williams partnership. And finally, The Artist, looks truly wonderful as an exploration of the troubled transition from silent movie to talkie.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Gender Equality, CETS210 and Half the Sky
Back in May, the 121st meeting of the Council of Europe in Istanbul, where they launched the new European Convention on domestic violence.
The paragraphs below are taken directly from http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/ :
This new Council of Europe treaty is the first legally binding instrument in the world creating a comprehensive legal framework to protect women against all forms of violence, and prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence. The Convention also establishes an international mechanism to monitor its implementation at national level.
The following countries signed the new Convention during a ceremony held in Istanbul: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. The British government has not signed the Convention and has not commented on its decision.
Human Rights Watch's summary reads:
The Convention on Domestic Violence – launched in May and so far ratified by 15 countries – calls for establishing hotlines, shelters, medical and forensic services, counseling, and legal aid services. It is designed to help the estimated 25 percent of women in the European region who experience physical or sexual abused in their lifetime.
To give this convention some context...
During my time in Georgia last year (one of the worst places I have ever been to in terms of gender equality) my Mum read and shared the following statistics on domestic violence in Europe:
In the UK, a woman dies twice a week as a result of domestic violence.
Elsewhere it's twice a day (I forget the country I'm afraid).
In Russia it's twice an hour.
In Ukraine it's twice every 30 minutes.
Is anyone else now slightly horrified at Britain's apparent flat refusal to ratify this convention?!
In conjunction with this, the book on a human rights subject that I most recently finished reading (I'm still ploughing through "The Fear"), was "Half the Sky" by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This is a monumental book about the impact of gender issues the world over. The statistics are overwhelming, terrifying but ultimately galvanising. It is a rare book that combines a newsworthy observe and report approach with a multitude of avenues for action. I recommend it whole-heartedly. Note in particular the huge irony of the title of the book: it is based on the proverb "women hold up half the sky", coined by Chairman Mao of all people. If Communism, in China at least, acheived nothing else, it did engage 50% of the population to boost the country's economy. And people wonder why China is so productive!
The issue from the book and the subject of the European convention on domestic violence, is NOT that women are not being treated as equals, but rather that they are not being treated like human beings. Perhaps we in Europe can complain about gender equality, class equality or a classless society, wage equality and so forth, but in countries where "gender inequality" is truly rampant, we are still talking about human rights across the board because the trend in many less developed countries is still to educate only their sons, to ensure proper healthcare to only their sons.
It puts me in mind of the film "300", when the Spartan King, Leonidas, is talking with the Persian emissary and the Queen interjects caution against stupidity.
Emissary: What makes this woman think that she can speak among men?!
Queen: Because only Spartan women give birth to REAL men.
"Half the Sky" makes the point that women themselves are among the worst offenders in terms of gender inequality. The traditional belief that sons are better than daughters overrides any thought of the equality of opportunity in the modern world. For example, many microfinance organisations will ONLY lend to women, because men - by and large - are unreliable clients.
The global issue of gender equality is monumental. The UK's role (or lack thereof) at the Council of Europe's meeting on the domestic violence convention is right here on our doorstep. Whatever else may be true, the UK is still an example to much of the rest of Europe, and those beyond its borders who are also welcome to ratify the convention. If the politicians won't lead, we must lead them.
I can't help feeling that this apathy is due to the Tories ubiquitous tax reductions versus the cost of meeting the convention's stipulations. But be that as it may, "Half the Sky" makes an excellent point: politicians may not follow morality, but they will follow votes. If enough people raise a fuss, they will act, just to retain the concerned citizen demographic.
My first step is going to be contacting Refuge, the domestic violence charity to see who in our current government I should contact about this absurd failure to commit to this outstanding piece of legislation.
Watch this space!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Game of Shadows
Alright, I admit it. It's a bit of a slow day at work, plus I think an occasional film review will do on my blog what watching them will hopefully do in my life: keep me happy.
I first got interested in human rights, and finding a way to work at it, when I read Romeo Dallaire's account of his time as commander of the UN forces in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994. His account is incredibly harrowing and I can easily understand how much worse it must have been living through working towards the completion of the book over many months. It is a terrifying testament to the fragility of the mind that one of their most gifted and upbeat researchers committed suicide just a short while before its publication. I suffered a fairly serious emotional depression after reading it myself.
So, human rights work where I can, cinema for the rest.
Monday night just gone (19 December 2011 that is) I finally found myself with enough money to get a new Cineworld monthly pass. It is a wonderful solace to me, being able to go and lose myself in a film; it always has been. When I started to find the atmosphere of Lee Abbey a little claustrophobic, I started going to the cinema 2-3 times a week! Just for the record, for those of you that don't know and might be interested: Cineworld does a monthly pass, which at the time of writing is GBP17.99 a month to include London West End cinemas and GBP14.99 a month otherwise. Seeing as the usual ticket price after 5pm and at weekends is GBP8.20 (more if it's 3D), you only have to go twice and you've made your money back! No-brainer in my opinion.
Having secured my new pass, I went to see Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.
I am the first to admit that I'm easily pleased, but I loved it. There are so many aspects that were wonderful to observe. The first is the relationships: Holmes and Watson's partnership is treated very well. It almost seems to approach homoeroticism, if not outright homosexuality, but each of their raging, testosterone-fuelled arrogances soon puts paid to any further thought.
Similarly, the gentlemanly respect between Holmes and Moriarty is a joy to behold and the addition of Moriarty's quiet, restrained demeanour that hides his simmering rage, is brilliantly portrayed by Jared Harris.
I'm trying very hard not to give away plot and ruin it for those of you that haven't seen it!
My only complaint is that a good deal of the subject matter is far too dark to be allowed a 12A rating. I found some of it difficult to watch myself. From my point of view, the distinctly comic element of Stephen Fry's appearance as Holmes' elder brother, Mycroft, was more than welcome. The complexity is another problem. By the time the full truth is revealed I can imagine many being rather lost, again thinking of those who are only just legally permitted to view it! This was my complaint when viewing the first film: that Holmes' genius was only revealed at the end of the film - he appearing to be something of a bungler and buffoon until that point. In the new film that problem is remedied, but not sufficiently to dispel the shades of complexity that we encounter at every turn.
My only other comment would be on the ravishing beauty of the gypsy woman, played by Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (of "The Girl Who..." trilogy fame)...that's by-the-by anyway!
I hope I've given you a reason to see the film, without ruining it for you. And I look forward to our next encounter in this ongoing interplay of shadow and light - that is, human rights activism and film review!
I first got interested in human rights, and finding a way to work at it, when I read Romeo Dallaire's account of his time as commander of the UN forces in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994. His account is incredibly harrowing and I can easily understand how much worse it must have been living through working towards the completion of the book over many months. It is a terrifying testament to the fragility of the mind that one of their most gifted and upbeat researchers committed suicide just a short while before its publication. I suffered a fairly serious emotional depression after reading it myself.
So, human rights work where I can, cinema for the rest.
Monday night just gone (19 December 2011 that is) I finally found myself with enough money to get a new Cineworld monthly pass. It is a wonderful solace to me, being able to go and lose myself in a film; it always has been. When I started to find the atmosphere of Lee Abbey a little claustrophobic, I started going to the cinema 2-3 times a week! Just for the record, for those of you that don't know and might be interested: Cineworld does a monthly pass, which at the time of writing is GBP17.99 a month to include London West End cinemas and GBP14.99 a month otherwise. Seeing as the usual ticket price after 5pm and at weekends is GBP8.20 (more if it's 3D), you only have to go twice and you've made your money back! No-brainer in my opinion.
Having secured my new pass, I went to see Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.
I am the first to admit that I'm easily pleased, but I loved it. There are so many aspects that were wonderful to observe. The first is the relationships: Holmes and Watson's partnership is treated very well. It almost seems to approach homoeroticism, if not outright homosexuality, but each of their raging, testosterone-fuelled arrogances soon puts paid to any further thought.
Similarly, the gentlemanly respect between Holmes and Moriarty is a joy to behold and the addition of Moriarty's quiet, restrained demeanour that hides his simmering rage, is brilliantly portrayed by Jared Harris.
I'm trying very hard not to give away plot and ruin it for those of you that haven't seen it!
My only complaint is that a good deal of the subject matter is far too dark to be allowed a 12A rating. I found some of it difficult to watch myself. From my point of view, the distinctly comic element of Stephen Fry's appearance as Holmes' elder brother, Mycroft, was more than welcome. The complexity is another problem. By the time the full truth is revealed I can imagine many being rather lost, again thinking of those who are only just legally permitted to view it! This was my complaint when viewing the first film: that Holmes' genius was only revealed at the end of the film - he appearing to be something of a bungler and buffoon until that point. In the new film that problem is remedied, but not sufficiently to dispel the shades of complexity that we encounter at every turn.
My only other comment would be on the ravishing beauty of the gypsy woman, played by Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (of "The Girl Who..." trilogy fame)...that's by-the-by anyway!
I hope I've given you a reason to see the film, without ruining it for you. And I look forward to our next encounter in this ongoing interplay of shadow and light - that is, human rights activism and film review!
Zimbabwe - The Fear, The Hope
In the south-eastern corner of the African continent, lies the land-locked country of Zimbabwe, formerly named Rhodesia after the British politician Cecil John Rhodes. Originally Southern Rhodesia, the country became Rhodesia after Northern Rhodesia gained independence and became present day Zambia.
The story of modern Rhodesia and Zimbabwe may as well begin in the politically fraught climate of the late 70s and early 80s, the days of Ian Smith - the white supremacist (in true Rhodes fashion) who claimed there would never be a Black government in his lifetime, ensuring this by stipulating a minimum salary before the right to vote was earned; and with white supremacy rampant across the southern states of the continent (including the hugely supportive government of neighbouring South Africa), it certainly seemed likely that he would be proved right.
Smith was also the man who took the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, having failed to gain independence by request from Britain. This decision brought about the first issuing of economic sanctions by the UN, Britain's Harold Wilson having taken the country to the UN for that very reason. As history has shown, however, economic sanctions are rarely as effective as they might be, serving as only a weapon against the antagonist (something Mugabe has done throughout his career) and hurting those who are already struggling to survive.
Continue reading this article here:
http://www.hungrysociety.co.uk/topics/79-society/92-zimbabwe-the-fear-the-hope
The story of modern Rhodesia and Zimbabwe may as well begin in the politically fraught climate of the late 70s and early 80s, the days of Ian Smith - the white supremacist (in true Rhodes fashion) who claimed there would never be a Black government in his lifetime, ensuring this by stipulating a minimum salary before the right to vote was earned; and with white supremacy rampant across the southern states of the continent (including the hugely supportive government of neighbouring South Africa), it certainly seemed likely that he would be proved right.
Smith was also the man who took the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, having failed to gain independence by request from Britain. This decision brought about the first issuing of economic sanctions by the UN, Britain's Harold Wilson having taken the country to the UN for that very reason. As history has shown, however, economic sanctions are rarely as effective as they might be, serving as only a weapon against the antagonist (something Mugabe has done throughout his career) and hurting those who are already struggling to survive.
Continue reading this article here:
http://www.hungrysociety.co.uk/topics/79-society/92-zimbabwe-the-fear-the-hope
Monday, December 19, 2011
An introduction to my human rights blog
In a way I think this blog has been a long time coming. It's taken me a number of years, various jobs and any number of learning experiences to decide that I have this interest in human rights to the extent that I do - i.e. where I want to do something about it on a daily basis.
I want to commend to anyone reading at this point, the book "What Colour is Your Parachute?" by Richard Nelson Bolles. Unlike many books/systems of its kind, it only seeks to make you think about your preferences for life in general, and then leave you free to research the possibilities that would fit those preferences. I am hugely grateful to my friend Joel for recommending it to me.
To be brief, this blog is to be a record of my thoughts while reading around the subject of human rights through reports compiled by Human Rights Watch, as well as other sources - for example I am currently reading "The Fear" by Peter Godwin, documenting the violent oppression of the people of Zimbabwe since Robert Mugabe's negated defeat in 2008.
The purpose of this blog is not to disseminate information that I obtain but to try to find ways of doing something with or about it.
If writing the reports or books has not and does not change things (and with all the respect in the world for the writers
I want to commend to anyone reading at this point, the book "What Colour is Your Parachute?" by Richard Nelson Bolles. Unlike many books/systems of its kind, it only seeks to make you think about your preferences for life in general, and then leave you free to research the possibilities that would fit those preferences. I am hugely grateful to my friend Joel for recommending it to me.
To be brief, this blog is to be a record of my thoughts while reading around the subject of human rights through reports compiled by Human Rights Watch, as well as other sources - for example I am currently reading "The Fear" by Peter Godwin, documenting the violent oppression of the people of Zimbabwe since Robert Mugabe's negated defeat in 2008.
The purpose of this blog is not to disseminate information that I obtain but to try to find ways of doing something with or about it.
If writing the reports or books has not and does not change things (and with all the respect in the world for the writers
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