21 October 2008

Building Empires…

About a week ago I was walking through town with a friend and as we often do we ended up talking about political and related issues. This particularly conversation turned toward the topic of empires – they come and they go. This is what has happened throughout history and it will continue to happen. One particular question that came to mind for me was to what degree we should laud the empires of the past and their achievements.

So why on earth did this come to mind? Well, it’s not unusual to look with amazement at the achievements, chronicles and artefacts of the so-called great empires of the past – such as the Egyptians, the Chinese and the Romans. Yet at the same time it is quite common for people to feel animosity toward economic and/or political empires that indirectly or directly impact their lives. So my question is how do we hold these conflicting perspectives together? Can we despise those empires who attempt to gain so much control now and still sing the praises of empires built with so much blood mix in with the cement? This is a question I ask myself too – after all I too have find myself in awe of the achievements of these empires.

Not really anti-USA?

From time to time I find myself in the middle of a conversation regarding the state of our little global village, whether specific issues in specific locations or overall trends. Based on the responses I occasionally get to the things I say and the opinions I share I realise that people regard me as being anti-USA, so I thought I should clarify a few things.

While I’m not going to look at it at length there is a well-known line from the USA’s Declaration of Independence that reads as follows: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. As with any idea or belief someone, somewhere will try and find problems with this statement but there is something striking about this idea of equality among men at that time in history – or at any time I guess. After all, it flies in the face of so much of the outworking of human ambition. Along with other ideals on which the republic was founded I find this to be something essential and undeniable, although it is in the sporadic and limited applications of these beliefs that my concerns are based.

When “all men” becomes all white men or all American men then I have a problem. When the “unalienable rights” are perceived in such a way or extend so far that the pursuit thereof infringes on the rights of others then something is wrong. When someone’s life is more important or valuable than that of another based on where they are from, then someone has gone off-track. Or, when someone’s pursuit of happiness results in someone else’s unhappiness then we have to question the process and the legitimacy of that happiness. There is a strong-foundation at the base of the USA but I, like many others, believe that some of the builders have not stuck to the original blueprint.

16 October 2008

Babies, puppies & New Year’s Day…

Every Wednesday afternoon I have a 2-hour English conversation class at a local company and in order to get there I can walk down a street that has a pet store, usually with a variety of puppies just inside the window and more inside the store. Sometimes just standing there for a few minutes watching those balls of fur puts a smile on my face. So what does that have to do with babies and New Year’s Day?

As I walked away from the store one day I started wondering why people like puppies and came up with one and surely not the only answer – at the very least this applies to me. They are new, innocent and unspoilt among other things. Obviously though I’d say that the “cute factor” is the main reason. So once again what about babies and New Year’s Day? Well I think that apart from the obvious and inherent cuteness of babies there is this idea of newness coming into play when we get excited about babies or 1 January. I think most people would agree that the world we live in is seriously troubled at the best of times, even if Hollywood tries to sell us something different. So, when I see a baby, a puppy or arrive on 1 January there is a sense that regardless of everything going on in the world here is something that is new and unspoilt. There is potential for all kinds of great things that flies in the face of the challenges that life can throw at us. I would even go beyond that and say that especially a baby or a New Year can cause us to dream, to hope and for some to pray for something more, something better…

15 October 2008

With Friends like These…


In global politics there are often numerous words and terms been thrown around to describe supposedly undesirable elements – state sponsors of terror, rogue states and dictator among other things. But recently I’ve been thinking about a very simple word that is seemingly easy to understand – enemy. But what is an enemy?

One definition I came across suggests that an enemy is “a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent” or more generally speaking it is “something destructive or injurious in its effects”. Now I look at the state of global politics and economics (after all, we can’t separate those two) and I have to wonder who the real enemies of freedom are? Sure there are countries who perhaps don’t live up to the expectations of others within their own borders, but whose economic and other policies keep the rest of the world on the back foot? Yes it s true that this is a complex issue but at the very least there are those who claim to be on the side of freedom and democracy whose actions can at times be regarded as “antagonistic activities” and or are “destructive or injurious in its effects” even though they claim benevolence.

When then hear terms like “leaders of the free world” or “defenders of freedom” I can’t help but laugh (at the very least) at the gall of those using these terms. And, I have to ask the question: who are the real enemies of global freedom and human rights? After all, with friends like these who needs enemies?