Busy Nothings

It’s necessary that I comment on the whole Ahmadinejad thing, not because it matters, but because it’s taking place at my lovely Alma Mater, the Acrapolis.

Why, I’ve been wondering, does anyone care?  What are they so afraid that he’ll say?  Because if you listened to the 60 Minutes interview with Ahmadinejad (I’m starting to learn how to spell his name!) that aired yesterday, you know that this guy rocks at the intricate art of answer-evasion.  Ask him any question, any question at all, and he will invariably respond with – nothing.

“It is an established fact now that Iranian bombs and Iranian know-how are killing Americans in Iraq. You have American blood on your hands. Why?” Pelley asked.

“Well, this is what the American officials are saying. Again, American officials wherever around the world that they encounter a problem which they fail to resolve, instead of accepting that, they prefer to accuse others,” the president replied. “I’m very sorry that because of the wrong decisions taken by American officials, Iraqi people are being killed and also American soldiers. It’s very regrettable.”

…

Screw The Free Elections, Free Computers for Everyone!

There’s a new president in Freetown, Sierra Leone – and he’s pulling out all the stops to celebrate.

Hours after the swearing-in ceremony, hundreds of looters descended on the headquarters of the former president’s party. They carried out desks and chairs, computer monitors and printers, posters and coat racks before police blanketed the neighborhood with tear gas.

Police also fired bullets into the air and arrested numerous people while regaining control of the area. At least one person was killed, according to footage taken by an Associated Press Television News cameraman at the scene.

Yep, free elections, bringing riots to a neighborhood near you. Not that I’m against them. I’m just skeptical of this whole ’spreading democracy’ propaganda we like to believe. It’s harder than we might think. I’m also skeptical of President Koroma’s claim that he’ll end government corruption. Are there any governments that aren’t corrupt in some way? And it’s been such a vicious cycle in Africa. Just read Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautiful Ones are Not Yet Born.

So, to conclude, I have no idea how to fix the world, but we need to do something different soon. That said, I wish our forefathers had thought of post-election looting. Think of the cuts in government spending!

Darfur? Again?

Apparently, things have gotten even kinkier in the world’s latest pot o’ genocide.

The Times reports that now not only are Arabs assaulting non-Arabs, but they’re also fighting tribal wars with other Arabs. But don’t panic – the wali’s got it all under control.

The wali, Ali Mahamoud Mohammed, said in an interview that such clashes were “just a natural part of the life of the tribes” and something he had witnessed growing up in Darfur in the 1970s.

Ah yes, the good old days. So good to have a chance to reminisce. Of course, the government did not step in when these tribes were massacring non-Arabs. But now that everything is in “chaos” and beginning to “resemble Somalia” – well shit! Maybe they should do something!

I’m sure that “something” won’t extend to actually ending the genocide, considering the government started that “phase” of their great plan (to dye the water red, presumably?). I hope it ends all the same, considering that every day of any conflict in that country hits women and children the hardest. It’s hard getting up in the morning sometimes, realizing that in another part of the world, you’re property to be brutally and nearly always sexually conquered. The story that’s always hit me hardest about Darfur is the tale of the refugee women who can’t visit the well for water because crossing the open plain is equivalent to asking for sexual assault.

We think we’re so modern, but we live there, too.