Review On 'Heimlich In Homs' (ARD)

Wednesday late evening German public TV station ARD broadcasted an undercover report from Homs. The presser for the feature is here released - in German:   

http://programm.daserste.de/pages/programm/detail.aspx?id=86089747AC4E3D9492518B8CC92EF9E7 

Due to the circumstance that actually an Arab League observers' team will be more or less guided on a short leash through the hotspots in Syria perfect timing to present the public the dramatical situation on the ground - images the official monitors never will be able to record, that's for sure.

The report started with two dead bodies dumped at the entrance of the city. The activists told the camera team that the regime forces had placed them right there as deterrence measure. The tour led them to sandbag barricades soldiers of the FSA built up to protect the people in Baba Amr from army attacks. One of the defected soldiers is telling the camera team that they received instructions from the officers which were not accordable to the military oath.

Shelled houses and destroyed homes are giving the impression of the real extend of destruction. Live fire is often to hear when the camera team is outside on the roads. In the living room of a secret place medics are providing for wounded, their equipment is improvised but it is a safer place than the state-run hospitals where the injured protesters are risking their lives getting killed by security forces.

From Baba Amr the camera team went to Al-Khaldeeye. Notable is the enormous amount of litter bags lying in the streets. Some crossings are better death zones referring to regime snipers on the rooftops shooting on each and everywhere. Residents are sharing goods with the help of a rope from one street corner to another not risking to get shot.

After a trip to a funeral in a small village outside of Homs the camera team returned to Baba Amr, where they met one of the famous singers of the meanwhile legendary protests. Despite the humanitarian crisis - shortage up to running out of food and fuel - the people are airing an enormous solidarity, being there for each other, doesn't matter how bad the situation is.

The feature ends with the remarkable sentence: 'After all we've seen here one thing is for sure: this uprising can't be defeated.'

I'm relieved that this report came out in a time when the regime's grotesque inscenation of false transparency with the Arab League monitors in a main role began to attract the public in a critical manner. Sure, we all make jokes compensating our consternation considering the images and statements made. But we should never forget that there are a lot of Syrians hiding, starving, freezing, traumatized, wounded or simply risking their lives every day, every hour, every moment.

And we, deeply symphazising with the Syrian freedom movement, are sometimes more exhausted than on other days witnessing all those crimes against humanity and realizing that the bunch of mass murders is still in power. Such features are bringing us the needed energy back to continue our support for the right thing and that's called: Freedom for Syria.

Inspired from the report I like to give you four words on the way you always should repeat while watching or reading questionable or bizarre regime-related news:

You don't fool us.

Try to fool the Arab League. Try to fool the observers. Try to fool yourself and your cronies.

But don't fool us because you can't, ya Bashar.

Ready To Rumble?

A closer look on Alex Navalny‘s bio uncovers his attitude towards ideas and programs related somewhere between patriotism and nationalism. Normally our inner alert bells ring reading or hearing something which intents to that what we generally call in our European countries as right-winged. But when he faced a 15 days arrest for claiming freedom of speech the above mentioned circumstance was far from interest. And that justified. Navalny was in that moment a symbol for regime injustice. If he‘ll be it in common depends from his performance as serious taken sparring partner for Putin.

Yes, a sparring partner. Don‘t forget we‘re still talking about Russia. We have put off our federalistic-pluralistic-democratic glasses to see and to understand. The political leading figure still has to represent strength and physical energy. Otherwise he risks not being heard from the needed majority. Mainly intellectual types doesn‘t have the slightest chance to challenge someone like Putin. Khodorkovsky was one of the first making that painful experience. Navalny fullfills  - not only on the surface - the needed demands to lead a movement per se against the President.

But flirting with too restrictive powers to overcome Putin‘s reignship may short- and middle-termed damage his reputation as resistance leader and therefore the international sympathy for him. If he‘s straight and clever and not figuring out as a new despot he‘ll realize the edge of the razorblade before sliding on it. As symbol for the necessary renewance of the political structures and the abolishment of corruption and fraud Navalny is a remarkable challenger who urges Putin to think twice about his next steps. But coming out as a right-winged populist Navalny will not only risk the actual international solidarity with the whole movement but also become an easy target for the regime apparatus pushing him exactly in that corner, discrediting or even arresting him again.

Yes, Alex Navalny is at the moment the most qualified boxer to enter the ring challenging Wladimir Putin. And we as his supporters only have to look that our favourite doesn't get too much involved with coaches pursuing their own sinister goals for the time after the fight night.

In the whole world people have nowadays the tools for being more aware than ever before. It‘s not that easy to hide the real intentions especially if it becomes political. The individuals of the international community can differ between honest and pure calculating intentions .. if they only want to.

Tossing A Coin - Heads Or Tails?

Heads: The Arab league observers' mission is a pure farce. Led by an extraordinary dubious Sudanese the whole scenario is more a waste of money than a useful help to the besieged Syrian people.  All they will see and report about is what they want to see.

Tails: It looks like the Arab League observers are dumped off in a foggy territory without any necessary equipment to clear up the area. Their intentions to investigate being hampered through subtle threat hints and a bunch of security officers guarding them day and night. All they will see and report about is what they become to see.

Not easy. The confident element in me tends to the last mentioned explanation. We know what those regime mafiosi are able to do only if they could maintain their power. Intimidations are in Assad's world 'business as usual', respect doesn't exist, not for religious festives, not for the lives of innocent kids, so why in this case for some foreigners sticking their noses in?

The videos uploaded today are speaking a different language. The observers shown seem to be clearly disinterested in that what they boastfully called 'fact finding'. In the first footage residents try to explain the observer their points of view, very emotional, but who can resent it them in view of the traumatizing months they're gone through? Study instead the posture and gesture of the observer. This is the true open book:

In the following video an attendant at least is making a photo (we do not find out which special motive he has caught) while the observer's posture is certainly not revealing any kind of compassion, interest or awareness. A PR advisor would call it 'desastrous performance:

Example number three is topping the first both. An exalted observer walks with his guards through the streets more or less ignoring each and everyone who tries to get in contact with him. Some residents like to give him a hearty warm welcome but after a short professional smile he still behaves like an eccentric celebrity on his way to the awards ceremony. In my eyes the cone end of arrogance:

For sure, we're not expecting miracles but real engagement looks different. Reducing it all to a positive aspect: yes, the observers really reached Homs today - and not a Potemkin village. But this first impression of the monitors' behavior doesn't evoke an efficient mission which will lead to the end of regime violence.

Silence kills we've learned. Disinterest kills double, the people being murdered around and the the hopes of the others on an end of the everlasting nightmare.

More than fourty martyrs are counted today. The monitors' purpose is it to end the continuing violence against civilians. Sad enough to see the thrown coin landed on the brink. I really hope the other expected observers are taking their task more serious than this guys here ..

(Get Out Of That) Golden Cage

they want you to consume their waste

preferring to destroy your taste

cause they have one big fear

won't even let you near

doors behind which appear

a world much more sincere ..

(get out of that) golden cage

time to get up to resist to engage

recognize who you are

freedom's not so much far

all you have to do is

to open your

indoctrinated mind ..

they want you bow to juggernauts

eliminate all sceptic thoughts

which could start an uprise

end the false compromise

disposal in disguise

against unfolded eyes ..

(get out of that) golden cage

time to get up to resist to engage

no longer a brave toy

for their own selfish joy

all you have to do is

to open your

manipulated mind ..

they want you instrumentalized

assuring you are customized

to give all what you have

to believe all their crap

to be caught in their trap

to receive every slap ..

(get out of that) golden cage

time to get up to resist to engage

life will run through your veins

ending all systems' games

all you have to do is

to open your

illusion coated mind ..

Something Is Rotten In The State Of Syria

It's 9am on Christmas eve and I probably should have some rest now, the evening might become a longer one but what please happened there today in Damascus? Two explosions - yes, explosions, bombings are all but proved and confirmed - followed by gunfire - very strange reaction on an 'obvious suicide bombing' presenting later exactly one arrested 'assassin' alive - and a very quick found culprit: the usual suspects. Western nations, Israel, Al Qaeda. The first footage I saw was showing the cleanup but something was missing. The whole atmosphere on the images was lack of the empathical vibration which is usually to be seen - and felt - on visual documents about similar tragedies. The speedy presser of the SNC contained the next remarkable passage: referring to the symbolic act of the constructed assassination as a threat addressed to the Arab League monitoring pioneers - how much do we have? 16? 20? 11? - the human slaughter dynasty has sent coldblooded a strong signal (Got that Madam Secretary?). The places are insofar suspicious being known as well-guarded regime controlled area, no spots where usually many civilians are passing. Finally the chosen time. Precisely before the meanwhile traditional protests after the Friday prayers where Sunni, Alawi and other Muslims as well are praying as Christians, no sectarian myths please, showing the regime's ability to stop at nothing. Regime plot thickened more after eyewitness report about closing a road near the state security building 10 minutes before the first bomb detonated. With every closer look new questions rised about the explosions' real backers. Unconfirmed rumors about the sudden departure of the Arab League monitor crew as reaction on reportedly 'being kind of imprisoned in the hotel chamber' were making the round.

Those questions might be tantalizing but are distracting us from the continuing ongoing attacks on civilians and unarmed protesters in Daraa, Deir, Hama, Idlib and especially in Homs. This regime plot - and I belong to those who strongly believe in - is created make turn away our heads from the besieged places. From the glorious Homsis presenting every day new powerful protests. From the traumatized families who fled with their children from the shelled homes into the hills of Idlib freezing and starving. No, we won't do Assad this favor. We'll keep a watchful eye even on the Western Christian-dominated festives, we won't let us fool from a dumb and extremely brutal regime paying their stories attention. Instead of we have clear to demand form the observers that they urge themselves their 'hosts' to grant them free access to the Homs quarters Bab Sbaa, Inshaat and Baba Amr as well as to Idlib, Hama and all the other towns besieged and/or raided in between the last nine monts. We have to demand that they can interview the families of all the civilian martyrs, more than 6,000 confirmed until now, that they can speak openly to the mothers of the murdered children, to everyone who has lost a relative or a friend.

My present wishes this Christmas for the Syrians are an immediate ceasefire; the withdrawal of the security forces without exception; days on which no martyrs have to be mourned; the safe return into their houses; the possibility to go to the grocery shop without risking to get detained or murdered. But the biggest Christmas present wish is the end of the dynastic tyranny including its apparatus. Great people of Syria, you desired freedom, you're fighting for freedom, you refuse to give up your will for freedom, you deserve freedom and your will get your freedom.

Zwischen Den Zeilen

Bei der Berichterstattung der heimischen Öffentlich-Rechtlichen auf ihren jeweiligen Teletextseiten über die Explosionen in Damaskus herrscht eine auffällige Diskrepanz in der Wortwahl vor.
 

Bombenanschläge in Damaskus

Bei der Explosion von zwei Autobomben sind in der syrischen Hauptstadt mindestens 50 Menschen getötet und rund 100 Personen verletzt worden.

Nach Angaben des staatlichen Fernsehens richteten sich die Anschläge gegen ein Gebäude des Geheimdienstes und der Sicherheitskräfte. Es gebe erste Hinweise, dass Al Kaida an den Anschlägen beteiligt gewesen sei.

Es waren die ersten Bombenanschläge in Damaskus seit Beginn des Aufstands gegen das Regime von Präsident Assad im März. 

(Quelle: ARDtext Seite 109 v. 23.12.2011 20:00)
 

Mehr als 40 Tote bei Anschlägen in Damaskus

In der syrischen Hauptstadt Damaskus sind nach Angaben des Staatsfernsehens zwei Anschläge auf Einrichtungen der Sicherheitskräfte und des Geheimdienstes verübt worden. Dabei soll es über 40 Tote und über 100 Verletzte gegeben haben, wie das staatliche Fernsehen berichtete. Zwei Selbstmordattentäter hätten die Autobomben gezündet.

Zeugen sprechen von lauten Explosionen mit Rauchentwicklung und Maschinengewehrfeuer. Eine unabhängige Überprüfung von Berichten aus Syrien ist schwierig, da die meisten ausländischen Journalisten des Landes verwiesen sind.

(Quelle: ZDFtext Seite 128 v. 23.12.2011 20:00)

Der Text vom Zweiten geht in seiner Meldung deutlicher auf nötige journalistische Distanz zu dem Ereignis. Dass es stattgefunden hat, ist dabei weniger die Frage als wie es stattgefunden hat: zuviel spricht gegen die vom syrischen Staatssender propagierte ,sektiererischer Terror‘-Schiene mit dem Querverweis auf die bekannteste radikalislamische Terrorzelle noch vor der Hisbollah, die das Erste als mögliche Erklärung recht vorbehaltlos ausstrahlt.

Die seit mehr als einem dreiviertel Jahr andauernden Gräueltaten gegen die eigene Bevölkerung, die auf tausenden Youtube-Videos dokumentiert sind, werden - eingebettet in Webnews - fast immer mit dem letzten Satz des ZDF-Texts versehen; für die Versionen der staatlichen syrischen Medien sollte konsequenterweise die selbe Regel gelten. 1:0 fürs Zwote. 

Die suggestive Wirkung von Verben im vorderen Abschnitt der beiden Texte ist hier insofern nicht zu unterschätzen, da das Erste durch die verwendeten Indikative die Intention der ursprünglichen Verfasser indirekt eher verifiziert. Das Zweite hingegen verwendet zwar auch den Indikativ im ersten Satz, relativiert ihn allerdings durch den Zusatz ,nach Angaben von‘ und verweist mithilfe von ,soll‘ und ,hätten‘ die Nachricht des Wie eindeutiger in den Bereich der Spekulation. 2:0 fürs Zwote. 

Gerade weil es sich um das syrische Staatsfernsehen und die staatliche syrische Nachrichtenagentur handelt, sollte mehr als Vorsicht bei der Übernahme von Meldungen sein. Der Umstand, dass in der Zwischenzeit ein sogenanntes Beobachter-Team der Arabischen Liga sicher in Damaskus gelandet ist, verschärft das Misstrauen gegenüber der staatlichen Sichtweise des Vorfalls. Die Sanktionen gegen das mörderische Regime sollten sich auch auf die Veröffentlichungen des syrischen staatlich kontrollierten Medienapparats erstrecken. Assad will mit aller Macht einen Bürgerkrieg mit religiösem Hintergrund auslösen, doch die eigene geschundene Bevölkerung fällt darauf partout nicht rein. Die Welt ausserhalb eines der letzten eisernen Vorhänge sollte dies auch nicht tun ..

Power Plants? Plants‘ Power.

There are different ways to keep our blue planet more greener. One is for sure to maintain the existing resources from Southern landscapes to tropical rain forests to Northern needle woods regarding climate change, expansion of monoculture and genetic engeneering. But that‘s a major problem to be solved together with politics and industry (and may require many common petitions to be forced ..) What the individual can do without consulting his representative is to grow for himself or others for example the seeds daily confronted with consuming worldwide different types of fruit and vegetables.

A fresh apple, orange or lemon carries around half a dozen seeds inside; cherries, apricots, plums etc exactly one pit which disappears together with the other seeds-for-free nowadays mainly in the bio trashbin. Really a waste of a ressource because kept a time half-covered with water the pits will crack up one day presenting a shoot ready to become planted in earth et voilà: a new tree grows. Maybe wandering later in a garden to become a big exemplar spending new fruits or vegetables, maybe spending his life as a room plant or on a balcony.

Apple or pear seed doesn‘t need to germinate if token out of the fruit and can be sticked into the fresh earth. Resistant enough to survive on a balcony during the winter they can become able to carry a handful of fruits after some years. Citrus fruits are a bit more difficult but on a constantly warm and shiny place and direct sunlight during the summer chances on successful results are getting higher.

I tried it out several times this year with avocado pits. The first one was the most exiting: not knowing if my grow experiment will become a success - I was told by a former work colleague who‘s wife had grown a lot of them how to handle the the brown wooden marbles before they can germinate. Like above explained after peeling the pit‘s skin off. In other web publications several variants are recommended to achieve the demanded result up to high professional sounding proposals. Sometimes it takes less than a week, sometimes up to a month until the thin white shoot came out of the cracked-up core. The result are a dozen trees with big green leaves which wont carry fruits due to the local climate but are making my personal environment greener and are a perfect giveaway for other plant friends.

The amazing experience I made watching my first avocado tree growing was definitely that I witnessed new life grow out of a fruit I‘ve eaten before. Not to compare with seed I‘d paid money for or even found it. The green finger or green thumb is willingly mentioned and with it in some cases the excuse that it doesn‘t make even sence to start it but I believe many of us can grow plants, bushes, trees without knowing it. Growing is both contemplative and compensating if someone has a stressful profession, job or occupation. My advice: try it out. Take a pit of a stone fruit or the seeds of other tree fruits, wait what happens, don't hesitate after the first failure, continue to search and one day discover your own personal plant which grows perfectly under your care. Little avocado trees around a one year old exemplar.

The advanced among plants lovers do not only grow new seeds but also save plants. How? Simple. Watching carefully the whole environment they discover an exemplar outside near the dustbin; one which optical claims doesn‘t fit its previous owner any longer or one which hasn‘t survived the last office move. In certain cases it takes patience but with good care the former death candidate recovers becoming stronger than before or flourishing the first time ever. This cactus had five arms when discovered. Existed before in a basement full of chemicals. Blossemed since then several times wonderful huge blooms.

 

 Even a poinsettia whose destiny it originally was to flourish one winter in deep red has become a chance to live further. The first two years she had to learn that he‘s now located in the Northern hemisphere but now he becomes red in the summer and stays mainly green during the winter. The leaves are smaller as usual but he‘s now in the forth year perfectly acclimatized.

 

Finally mentioned species of agaves. Aloe plants prefer bright places and kitchens. If they produce shoots this sometimes remember on ,101 Dalmatians‘. The wider the pot the more shoots may occur. After becoming big enough they can be placed seperately or paired in new pots and will reach one day the same size as their mother plant. About their medical effect on human health can be discussed but one relieving experience I know for sure - almost every summer again. After spending too much time in the sun the glibbery clear juice of one fresh cut aloe leaf helps diminuishing the pain to tight burned skin.

Only a few examples to present the possibilities given. The variety of our fauna is - still - countless and it‘s up to us to keep and preserve it. Most of the industry has only interest in short-term profit promising types ignoring the endangered species‘ variety. And the individual has the chance to maintain the traditional basic knowledge of cultivating becoming with a little bit luck one day self independent from major corporations‘ fruit or vegetable deliveries .. back to the basics, back to the decentralized trade, back to .. (e)quality and fairness?

À Ton Étoile - In Remembrance Of A Tragic Talent

There's one band to be called controversial because listining to it makes me thoughtful about the fate of the lead singer and raises deep-going moral questions. It's Noir Désir, their compositions are rock solid arrangements with pretentious lyrics. Sung by Bertrand Cantat, a charismatic idealist, a globalization critic and kind of white hope - not only - for the French social revolutionaries' pre-generation.

Cantat judged guilty of murder committed with indirect intent to Marie Trintignant in an Lithuanian hotel in 2003 beating her several times severely  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Cantat>. Judged in 2004 for eight years he served half of his sentence witnessing in 2010 the suicide of his ex-wive <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6967410/French-rocker-questioned-over-ex-wife-suicide.html>. Quoting French newspaper Le Figaro from Jan 10, 2010, Kristina Rady described her ex-husband as 'incorruptible as well as honest' *. Attempts to return back on the stage brought as well the supporters of his music as also the campaigners and the victim's family on plan.

So far the controversy.

Cantat, the performer of perspicatious songs like 'Homme pressé' (Man In Hurry) from the above mentioned 1996 album hitting the nail now, 15 years later when he describes the daily militant of the inhumanity ('militant quotidien de l'inhumanité') who has men down on his feet, eight billion potentials of enslaved cretins ('les hommes a mes pieds, huit milliars potentiels de cretins asservis'), the same Bertrand Cantat who was able to produce such powerful verses has taken a life. An ultimate, irrevocable deed. Not easy to forget while listening in this moment to 'Comme Elle Vient' (When She Comes), a clever reference to the (right) extremists' seducers <http://lyricstranslate.com/de/comme-elle-vient-it-comes.html>.

Drawing a cut between Cantat's personality and his performance leaves a formidable discography of his band Noir Désir <http://www.noirdez.com/> as an outstanding act writing music history in the 80's and 90's. On the other side a man whose temporarily loss of control can not be forgotten but certainly forgiven. Admittedly the hardest challenge in the charts of forgiveness which will overcome the anger, extinguish the last spark of revenge and might be granted if Cantat is aware of the deed regretting it honestly and admitting all offers of professional help to find back into life so we are one day able to forgive him in the form of accepting that it happened no longer accusing how. This process has started already during his imprisonment and may continue even some years from now on.

Never before became music through a personal act from the performer such a moral question. Usually the personal fate causes self destruction through highly addictive drugs (Elvis Presley, Bon Scott, John Belushi) or tragic accidents (James Dean, Aaliyah). Other artists have been morally downgraded after a PR desaster like performing at dictators' birthday parties etc. But homicide? Strong stuff. Why? Because it sounds somehow disturbing to reply with the words 'we're listening now to the music sung by a convictable murderer' especially in the appearance of puberting minors for example. Explaining them immediately afterwards 'hey kids: truly this is n o t cool! This is nothing to be anyway heroized or adored, ok?' Sorry, daddy wet blanket's on the doormat ..

Yes, Cantat has committed a deed comprehensibly condemnable. But also, yes, Bertrand Cantat has left us a great repertoire of songs from a time before he ended Marie Trintignant's life. As Kristina Rady's also cited that she 'tried to explain Cantat that what happened at Jul 27, 2003, cannot alterate everything he did before.' * 'I'm Lost (But I'm Not Stranded)' was one his few english hits. Tragical irony regarding nowadays the prophetic refrain. Forgiveness includes also reliance. Maybe Bertrand Cantat will find one day back into the society, into it's general acceptance, on the stages, performing new songs. Sad enough that his career (and Noir Désir's existence) ended so abruptly after that night in a hotel room in Vilnius.

* <http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/01/10/01011-20100110FILWWW00132-l-ex-femme-de-cantat-s-est-suicidee-rtl.php>

Anti-Pluralistic Archetypes

Characteristic for a pluralistic society is the demand that everyone has a right expressing his opinion as long as the pluralism itself or the lives of the pluralistic society's members are not endangered through it. The goal of the social progress is to achieve moderateness without becoming mediocrity. Pluralism assumes necessary tolerance towards positions which might extremely differ to the own ones which doesn't mean at all that those positions are accepted or shared. Some archetypes are standing in strong contrast to the pluralistic point of view. To expel them could be counterproductive making them possibly bigger as they are. Instead is arguing with them the more constructive way both to preserve the pluralistic ideals and to keep the opponent powers in for everybody visible distance.

The most common anti-pluralistic archetypes are:

The right-winged revisionist. Romanticizing the 'good old times' when a strong leader was able to clean up the mess minorities or other phobia causing groups are reputed to be responsible for. In the most cases a projection of own fears or self-inflicted conditions causing discontent causing frustration causing anger. A world without draconic guidance appears as an everlasting nightmare to him. Likes order, hates chaos (due to his own lack of creativity). Can't live without an imaginary enemy who is 24/7 to blame for all and everything. His intellectual horizon ends generally at the picket fence of his property. Languishes for honor and glory rendering homage to the stronger while terrorizing the weaker. A remnant of times we've fortunately overcome.

The extreme leftist. Condemning each and every move of the institutions representing the so called Western world - US, EU, NATO - he strongly supports even those regimes which are responsible for inhuman oppression up to mass murdering their own population. They neglect the classic core of their own roots: to free the suppressed from the tyranny. How it comes that this group has totally forgotten where it originally came from? One main reason may be a misunderstood nostalgia swarming for the good old times of the Iron Curtain and that the concept of the enemy from the Cold War still exists. But they forget that in the last twenty years many has changed. The Russians and the Chinese have discovered their own way of capitalism, democracy is no longer a privilege of the Western and the frontiers between left and right moistened more and more. Maybe too much change at all for some caring for their Manichaean world view. The bad guy remains bad, therefore the so called good guy remains good, even if he is slaughtering thousands.

The religious fanatic. Hides himself behind a divine order which obviously allows him to commit in the worst case crimes against humanity. Only knows a ruthless god. Forgiveness or charity don't appear in his vocabular - at the utmost for himself or his radical fellows. His favorite term is 'blasphemy' because it legitimizes him to serve a higher command. Religious fanatics are more a tool than a part of a system, that's why most of them are unable to reflect the responsibility for their deeds. Like all radicals religious fanatics are forming a minority among the moderate majority of the particular confession but are massively damaging the reputation of the whole spiritual community.

The traditional worrier. His favorite vocable is 'but'. Nearly every sentence contains it. The worrier makes every form of urgently needed action nearly impossible. In contradiction to the traditional arguer who is capable of combining his antithesis with the thesis and forming a synthesis all the worrier wants is the delay of a decision. He could never work as a fireman, lifeguard or emergency doctor. Politics are his preferred terrain, especially if arguments against something are required. Rarely his objection is based on profund knowledge about the situation, mostly he acts halfhearted defensive. Main thing is to avoid a solution or a compromise.

The lobbyist. A type as old as the humanity itself. Supports interests - basically orientated on his own mainly materialistic ones. Gets paid or otherwise honored for his opinion. Lower classes of lobbyists are claqueurs and copycats, higher ranks can be found in economical or political decision-making positions. A quite dangerous opinion forming element because he's nearly never to be located on outwardness. Seems to represent loyality but is in fact as corrupt as the lobby he supports. Prone to undermining movements due to the circumstance that his moral is mainly related to his bank account. Easy to convince of new points of view as long as his pay check filled with a higher amount than the former one.

Maybe some may ask why the anarchists aren't mentioned here. The answer is that original anarchy is often mixed up with left-extremism. A misunderstanding that doesn't cope with anarchy per se because a real anarchist has overcome all forms of political expression before he decided that none of them fits his intellectual needs.

Opinion: The Risky Perception Of Cultural Advancement

Wars and atrocities against others are always an indicator of a culture's socio-ethical character. Often selflessness and moral responsibility are giving way to national or/and individual interests generally sold as justified reason in the name of a higher requirement.

Thinking back of Germany's role during the Third Reich apparent stereotypes can be easily eliminated. The most important is that undescribable cruelties aren't an attitude of so-called underdeveloped cultures. The nation which generated some great poets, philosophers and inventors had fallen in only a few years back beyond imagination - literally, because it took its neighbors and the world powers a long time to realize the strategic genocide policy. Three years after Hitlers takeover the sports world had met to the Olympic games in Berlin while Jews, dissidents and other minorities were systematically persecuted facing in the best case exile and in the worst case death. Another three years later the political world had reacted on the Nazis' increasing mass murdering. The war itself had taken the same time as the NS tyranny's rulership had been more or less tolerated.

After the fall of Berlin the age of remorse and reconstruction had begun. The Holocaust horror was deeply implemented in the collective consciousness of the defeated. The generation of our grandparents was stuck up with guilt teaching the generation of our parents that this ashaming experience may never recur. Only a small minority wasn't convicted of Germany's delinquency slipping through the loops of the denazification programs; after years they'd became very infamous as agitating revisionists. The major part of the German post-war society was indeed busy with the regaining of constructive virtues which led after a decade to the famous economic miracle.

The status of a cultural nation seemed to be restored. The former concentration camps where Hegel's sublimeness was burned became places of remembrance. The reconcilation with the European neighbor countries was the cornerstone of today's Union. More than 56 years our small continent hasn't faced a war among the nations.

A good reason to be a little bit proud of. But these gains aren't all but a matter of course. Several risks are endangering the achieved harmony. A main threat may be for sure a recessive economy and therefore a growing frustration among the population. Another danger is that the horrible crimes of the Nazi regime will fall into oblivion and a new breed of misanthropes and supremacists may enter the political stage. But one aspect is still underestimated: the absence of self-criticism. Consequences of this lack are fatal. Committed faults will be no longer corrected, the significance of the decision maker stands upon the significance of the decision itself and transparency is making room for corruption. The whole credibility of a well-balanced system will get lost with the time and the ordinary citizen is losing more and more the confidence.

Really problematic it becomes if the system of fairness and transparency is regarded as an export seller. Other world regions in which the people stand up against monocratic rulership and oppression see in the contemporary Western democracies leading examples for their own common political systems. But the democratic societies have to be far from imposing their own model. Suggestions can become very soon paternalisms without noticing it feeding those who stand with mistrust and concerns against equivalence. Cultural enhancements cannot be exported like trade goods. Every culture is obliged to go its' own way being maximum a role model for orientation. Impacts differ and problems vary.

To say our culture we've created and developed is the best is not only a sign of ignorance and presumption, it's simply wrong indicating a downgrade of all other cultures around us. It misses two eminent adjuncts to make it understandable for us and for those we're explaining it:

Our culture we've created and developed may be probably not the nonplusultra but it is the best for us. Which means we haven't got the ultimate solution. But we have at least an idea of it.

In that case all patrimonial and imperialistic subtones might be abolished. Relativizing our standards is not a sign of weakness. It shows that our cultural condition is still at an adaptive stage able to admit (self-)criticism and further advancement.

Call It Kismet

"Damascus: Tens of thousands Syrians are giving Russia's president a warm welcome during his first visit after the triumphant toppling of the unwanted Baath regime. The Syrian transitional government praises his firm stand against dictator Bashar al-Assad whose attempted try to leave the country ended with his arrest facing now a trial as 'war criminal being responsible for crimes against humanity'. The Russian intervention on both diplomatic and economic ways paved the road for the fast downfall of the dynasty .."

This could have been the intro of a Russian success story in foreign policy.

Could.

The reality is unfortunately the contrary. Putin's government - or may we better say: regime - still backups the ineloquent tyrant who denied in his last interview even the existence of thousands murdered civilians his own security forces have shot or tortured to death during the nearly nine months longing crackdown.

But instead of manifesting his position as strong leader Putin's star is steadily sinking. It began a few weeks ago during a fight in a box arena. For promotional reasons he entered the ring but received massive boos - a situation all but comfortable for his vain ego. A scratch which wasn't easy to polish away after months of self-orchestration. Many might have Wladimir the diver in their minds who had discovered this early summer 'incidentally' an antique amphore - professionally placed by his PR team short before he was on his way into the deep sea.

And now the disaster with the Duma elections. A better farce which had cost a) a lot of money and b) the complete credibility of the ruling party United Russia and therefore of Putin himself. An election fraud which brought for the first time since long courageous Russians on the streets of Moscow, Sankt Peterburg and other cities. Images from the beginning of the Arab spring came into the minds of the outside spectators, even the Chinese News TV - generally known for its' reservation reporting about revolutionary events - presented unsparing images of arrested protesters.

Wladimir Putin had a lot of chances to jump on the right train of history.

He could have taken a leading role as a new ally of the Arab and Western world urging Assad to face the consequences for his brutal crackdown measures. Without the Russian backup the Syrian regime wouldn't had survived this summer.

But he missed it.

He could have presented own drafts to support opposition movements in Arab Spring uprisings surprising the rest of the world with a wise move towards democratic changes even in traditional partner nations.

But he didn't.

He could have given the proof meaning it serious by accepting the real opposition as well as independent monitors during the Duma elections risking a possible loss but otherwise strengthening the trust in him and his party on a national level.

But he hasn't.

Now a dark shadow of forgotten Soviet days lies upon his rulership. Putin's Russia is far away from modern democratic principles. And the fassade crumbles more and more. What remains are not the achievements of modernization but the fragments of an illusional advancement. Suddenly the Russian regime appears more and more similar to the Syrian regime: explaining everything runs 'fair and democratic' while regime critics are facing arrests, accusing 'foreign powers' - mainly the United States - of infiltrating the Russian sovereignity ..

The sudden awakening of the Russian citizens is a silver stream on the political horizon. Feeling no longer represented by the ruling class the protests are targeting directly the self-claimed icon whose narcistic perfectionism may become now more a burden than a useful attitude. The hopes and thoughts are with all those confessing themselves to the opposition being endangered through possible mass arrests or probably worse.

Swan Song

O Son Of Bloody Tyrants' Gender

Unable To Show Guilt, Remorse Or Signs Of Surrender

Stalks Up And Down In Hith Ivory Tower

Posing Unpertubed Inmidst Thee Fictive Pillars Of Power

Purveyor Of Death Squads, Henchmen And Thugs

Who Squelch Thy Subjects' Lives As If They Were Bugs

Resides At Candle Litten Dinners With Thy Wife

Marvelling Thy Countenance Mirrored In The Blade Of A Knife

Hush! A Shred Of Memory Roaming Around

Brings Back Thee Olde Continent's Sound

Clanking Crystal In Thee Halls Of Thee Famous

Closeth For Each And Every Ignoramus

Times Of Esteem And Rendering Homage

Collecting Many Salvoes And A Huge Apanage

Times Which Belong Irrevocably To Thee Past

Becoming A Persona Non Grata At Last

Ding Dong! Thee Door Bell's Heralding A Guest

An Olde Lady From The New World's West

Standing Outside On The Palace's Mat

Maketh Her Attendance Soliciting A Chat

Thee Tyrant Sees Hith Golden Chance To Shape

Hith Personal Wonderland As A Way To Escape

Thee Imputations Swirling Through Thee Global Air

Telling Thee Olde Lady That Foul Is Fair

Hith Calculating Charme's Polluting Thee Room

And Hith Subjects Awaits Another Day Of Doom

Sacrificing A Lot For Their Freedom Wishes

While Thee Tyrant's Attendants Removing Thee Dishes

O Son Of Supremacists' Dynasty

Thy Efforts Are Useless No Chances To Flee

From Thy Inevitable Destiny

Thee Ghosts Thou Hath Send Are Returning To Thee ..

Rating Dictators .. A (Not) Serious Sight

Nowadays all and everything can be rated. A state causing many not only headaches but real existential problems. Companies, producers, individuals - even whole countries are at the lords prognosis' mercy intensively hoping not to get downgraded and therefore becoming a worse investment product.

 

What if one of those rating agencies would be dealing with - tyrants? First of all business had become in 2011 increasing dull. Three of the 'objects' have somehow hit the road - one fled in exile, one's facing his trial, one isn't anymore alive - and two others are facing meanwhile the dawning of their monocratic rulership - one has signed his resignation and is actually in the transition tunnel and the other is becoming the most isolated of all, tendency rising.

 

Tyrants are devils in the eyes of their oppressed population and the worldwide freedom supporters. And rating agencies are seen from the sceptical public as a devil's instrument. Ergo similia similibus solvuntur - similar could indeed a headline look if such an extraordinary 'axis of evil' might be reality.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Internal Document Leaked - Rating Agency Refuses Statement

 

Short before the confident analysis has reached guarantors and investors an anonymous whistleblower leaked this internal draft to the public. Besides the green marked secret recommendations the real scandal is the proposal to speculate on the army forces in Egypt (in the document below red marked), a country whose client was according to his resigning withdrawed and which is actually holding free elections. The executive board of the rating agency was not until yet disposable for a press release or another kind of statement.

Below the reprint of the leaked document:

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

Conscius, Lessness & Greede - The Tyrants‘ Rating Agency


Prognosis issue 4th quarter 2011


From originally 12 clients 3 clients in 2011 withdrawn. Prognoses expecting 1 or 2 clients more before end of actual quarter. No client any longer in the A rating sector. Downwards tendency increasing. Generally guarantors and investors are recommended to change their portfolios.

(internal: green marks proposing possible new investment partners)

__________________________________________________________________________________
Achmadinedschad
Country: Iran

Guarantors: Russia, China
Relations to: Assad, Hezbollah

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  Ca ( -1 )

Estimated ousting:  B

Notifications: Urged by the Shiite Clergy client‘s perspectives have
                      decreased in 2nd and 3rd quarter 2011. Eye on Khamenei
                      as possible common client.
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Assad
Country: Syria

Guarantors: Russia, China
Relations to: Hezbollah, Ahmadinedschad,
                     obviously al-Sadr

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  C ( -2 )

Estimated ousting:  V

Notifications: Proven as unable to fulfill arrangements client bears
                      the risk of WR before end of 4th quarter 2011. Guarantors
                      beginning to withdraw from their own, rest should remove
                      client‘s shares short-termed of their portfolio
 

 __________________________________________________________________________________
Ben Ali
Country: Tunisia

Guarantors: The people (official since free elections

                    beginning 4th quarter 2011)
Relations to: Arab neighbors, EU, others

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  WD

Confirmed ousting:  E

Notifications: Client fled in 1st quarter 2011. Chances getting back to power
                      rated at less than 1% 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Bouteflika
Country: Algeria

Guarantors: Russia, China, U.S., EU, others
Relations to: Global armament industries

Long-Term Obligation Rating: Caa ( -1 )

Estimated ousting: B

Notifications: Transparency rating results discovered a strong military
                      apparatus behind client. Chances on client‘s replacement
                      becoming higher. Eye on army generals as possible common
                      clients
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Chavez
Country: Venezuela

Guarantors: China, Iran, some

                    Latin American nations
Relations to: The Castros and
                     the faded Gaddafi

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  Ca ( -1 )

Estimated ousting:  LNE

Notifications: Client‘s exposed self-overestimated. Recent release about

                      client‘s medical state from a source who later has left the

                      country still causes panic among investors, downward spiral

                      prognosed
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Gaddafi
Country: Libya

Guarantors: Since 3rd quarter 2011 the people,
                    the NTC and the interim government
                    in a transition period until the first free
                    national elections
Relations to: The Arab, African and Western world,
                     with under esp France

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  WD

Confirmed ousting:  L

Notifications: Client decided to die beginning of 4th quarter 2011. Client‘s son and

                      former regime's most wanted No.3 arrested middle of 4th quarter 2011. 

                      Chances getting back to power confirmed as 0%
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Kadyrov
Country: Chechenia (Russian territory)

Guarantors: Russia
Relations to: Organized crime

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  B ( +/-0 )

Estimated ousting:  V

Notifications: Client prognosed strongly back-upped from guarantor who
                      claims to remain client‘s executive owner. Estimated ousting
                      rated because of client‘s relations. Consultation with the key

                      guarantor highly recommended
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Kim Yong Il
Country: Democrat Republic Of Korea

Guarantors: China, Russia
Relations to: Countries like Libya no longer.
                     Outspread of successful popular
                     uprising bearing high risk

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  Ca ( -1 )

Estimated ousting:  RP

Notifications: Upcoming age of client estimates more retarding than being
                      toppled. Eye on his son and designated follower Kim Yong Un
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Lukashenko
Country: Belarus

Guarantors: Russia, Europe
Relations to: Russian energy companies

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  Caa ( -1 )

Estimated ousting:  <not predictable>

Notifications: Client represents running out model. Measures to uphold
                      tyranny short-termed and counterproductive. Especially

                      guarantor Europe recommended to remove from portfolio
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Mubarak
Country: Egypt

Guarantors: Longer as planned the SCAF.
                    Free elections in progress.
Relations to: The Arab world and mainly
                     the Western nations

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  WD

Confirmed ousting:  RS

Notifications: Client resigned end 1st quarter 2011. Army council took
                      over. Outlook momentarily not possible. Eye on army
                      apparatus
                                                                                                                                                                  

__________________________________________________________________________________
Mugabe
Country: Zimbabwe

Guarantors: Russia, China, others
Relations to: other tyrants

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  Ca ( -1 )

Estimated ousting:  <not predictable>

Notifications: In case of client‘s passing Zvangirai (not relevant as new client)

                      most possible follower. Investors should remove short-termed
                      client‘s shares of their portfolio
 

__________________________________________________________________________________
Saleh
Country: Yemen

Guarantors: GCC, U.S., Russia, China, others
Relations to: Saudi Arabia as result of a
                     longer medical treatment

Long-Term Obligation Rating:  C with Reservations ( -1 )

Estimated / Confirmed ousting:  RS/E

Notifications: Client signed resign declaration in 4th quarter 2011.
                      Transitional period of resign in progress. Short- and
                      mid-term predictions regarding current situation
                      delayed to end of client‘s transitional period. High
                      speculative object in the meantime. Eye on client‘s loyals


 

Rating legend
Aaa    Clients rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with
          minimal ousting/resigning risk
Aa      Clients rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject
           to very low ousting/resigning risk
A        Clients rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject
           to low ousting/resigning risk
Baa    Clients rated Baa are subject to moderate ousting/resigning risk
Ba      Clients rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are
           subject to substantial ousting/resigning risk
B        Clients rated B are considered speculative and are subject to
           ousting/resigning risk
Caa    Clients rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject
           to very high ousting/resigning risk
Ca      Clients rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near,
           default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest
           being subject to dramatical ousting/resigning risk
C        Clients rated C are the lowest rated class and are typically in default,

           with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest being subject

           to soon confirmed ousting/resigning
WD     Client withdrawn as reaction on confirmed ousting




Ousting legend
B         Bureaucratic
E         Exile
L         Lethal
LNE     Losing Next Elections
RP       Replacement
RS       Resigning
V          Violent