UN Action

Today the UN "slaps sanctions on Libya." This is an extremely important move because it is the first action that the U.N. or any international organization has taken against a dictatorship, as a result of the quickly spreading Arab revolutions.

What do the sanctions do? Well, first off, they aren't economic sanctions. Punishing the country's economy would only hurt the people, the very people that the sanctions are meant to support. Therefore these sanctions are travel and asset sanctions against the Libyan government and military. 

Simple Words: In it, the resolution calls for the "immediate referral of the deadly crackdown against anti-government demonstrations" to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for investigation and possible prosecution of "anyone responsible for killing civilians." The resolution also calls for immediate lifting of restrictions on all forms of media and for safety of all international personnel and citizens to be assured.Aside from that, the terminology is meant as "moral support" as the Libyan deputy UN envoy described it (they have refused to support the Libyan government). 

Backbone: Aside from just general support that this resolution declares, it also has very specific rules to be set up. Probably the most important is the new arms embargo against the Libyan government. The embargo would take immediate effect and ban any UN member from supplying arms in order  to "prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to Libya...of arms and related materials of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment." At the same time, Libya would be prohibited from importing all arms and related material and all UN members would have to work to prevent their own citizens from doing so. 

As a measure to disrupt Qaddafi, the resolution also establishes travel bans and asset freezes against him, his adult children and other family members, as well as top military and intelligence officials accused of leading in the killing of the civilians.

President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have both publicly called for the ouster of Qaddafi. This is a huge step because it is the first time since the uprisings that the U.S. and the international community have taken action against the ruler of the country. They failed during the Tunisia uprising and even more so during the Egyptian one. 

This may also be a sign of adjustment by the Obama administration in how it will deal with these protests as more and more nations are subject to them. It may also be a simple reaction to the killing of civilians who have protests, and especially since in Libya the crackdown has been much more violent, with the use of air power and more. Either way, we should all give the U.S. and international community credit for the resolution. It will limit the Libyan military and restrict Qaddafi from being another dictator that gets away with millions in assets. Most importantly, it sends a strong signal of solidarity to the Libyan protesters, that we are all by their sides. 

Of course, I'm under no impression that this will be the general format of all U.S./international reaction to these protests. I'm also aware that Libya, is not a large enough geopolitical force for the U.S. to worry about. It is nothing more than a nation with an annoying leader. Therefore, its much easier for the U.S. to push an international effort against a leader and government like this. I have no doubt that if Tunisia changed, then Libya changed, (assuming Egypt's revolution happened last), the U.S. would NOT have put sanctions on Mubarak. However, if massive uprisings begin again in Iran (U.S. enemy) then the administration will quickly move to apply similar sanctions.

I believe that this won't be applied to all other protests in all the other countries like in Bahrain or Yemen (key U.S. allies), however I hope they do for the sake of the protesters.

Regardless, the subjectivity of the larger U.S.foreign policy  in the region is irrelevant when evaluating the effect and good work this resolution does for the Libyan people.

However, here is some progress on what is happening in Libya:

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C1RCA TEAMS UP WITH HIP HOP LEGEND, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA

San Clemente, CA - February XX, 2011- C1RCA Select is proud to announce the collaboration with hip-hop legend, Afrika Bambaataa, on the Spring 2011 tee and sneaker collection entitled the Zulu Collection.
Bronx native Afrika Bambaataa is one of the originators of break-beat deejaying, and one of the architects of Hip Hop Culture. In fact, he is credited for coining the phrase, “Hip Hop”for the culture and pulling the 5 elements together. He also helped fuel the development of other musical genres such as freestyle or Latin freestyle, Miami bass, house, hip house, electronic and early techno. He was the first to use a synthesizer on a Hip Hop record, ultimately creating the electro funk sound.
C1RCA is proud to work with Afrika Bambaataa again (initially in a sponsored concert 10 years ago), and is excited about the sneaker and t-shirt offerings in the Spring 2011 Select Collection.
Afrika Bambaataa and C1RCA have teamed up to create two shoes for the Spring 2011 collection, the Convert and the 99 Vulc. The Bambaataa Convert features a High Top design with a molded EVA insole for added comfort. The Bambaataa Convert comes in a green, black and red color way with Suede, Patent Leather, Perf Action Nubuck, and a 3M reflective Upper. The Convert advertises the collab with “UZN” on the heel and “Zulu Nation” on the bottom sole representing the Universal Zulu Nation.
The Bambaataa 99 Vulc features a Mid-Top design with specialized, unique logo and material treatment. The Bambaataa 99 Vulc comes in black and gold with soft Nappa and wrinkle patent leather and the UZN branding on the tongue.
The Zulu collection also features three Zulu tshirts.
Be a part of World Hip Hop History and get yourself a pair of Universal Zulu Nation First Family of Hip Hop Culture Sneekers

Conditions of Revolution

With all that happened in Tunisia and Egypt, and all that is ensuing in nations like Algeria, Bahrain, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Iran, and Palestine I was on the watch for when and where the next revolution would occur. My search does not mean that all other uprisings are virtually over, far from it, many are just gaining strength. Much reformation needs to be done in Egypt and we won't see free elections for some six months, and Tunisia has had a controversial and chaotic switch to power for a new government. Meanwhile in countries like Libya, dictators refuse to step down while using jets to bomb protesters and tanks move into major cities in others like Bahrain.

Having said this, there are trends that can be seen in between all these uprisings. Those who lead them, the tools they use, the effects they bring, and the reactions of the governments are all remarkably similar. Furthermore, conditions, pre-uprising are even more similar on a country by country basis. 

For decades, the middle east has been characterized by its dictators and "oil sheiks". Democracy was not advocated widely by western countries and the status quo was accepted for what it was. That world is rapidly changing, and I predict things will never be the same. Inspired by the success of protests in Tunisia, Egyptians (and others) took to their streets to march against one of the regions most famous and controlling dictators, Hosni Mubarak. After many weeks Mubarak finally resigned and what many thought was impossible, in fact, was. These successes have inspired a new wave (mostly from Tunisia's victory) of protests against Arab governments across the region.

There is no doubt that the call for freedom is persuasive and can move generations, however, there must be certain conditions within a society that must be present in order for a revolution to develop, let alone succeed. 

There are striking similarities between the different nations where these uprisings have started. First are the pro-uprising conditions. Slow economic growth and/or the struggle of the middle to lower class to make a respectable living is what typically begins these protests. In fact, most of the uprisings as of late have begun on an economic basis. So why not call for economic stimuli? or for a government plan to help increase payments to workers? Because, as Reagan once said "...government is the problem." Although I disagree with its use in western developed countries, I use the quote to show that these dictatorial governments were hindering economic growth but also, hindering social advancement of its lower and middle class. By taking in massive oil profits for themselves without reinvestment or favoring an elite minority, these governments rip their people off every day. In many of these countries, in order to be successful, you had to know someone in the government with strong connections to get you a decent paying job. The two are mutually exclusive: Either have a dictatorial government, or economic opportunities. This realization by the people prompts the protesters to end chance for more bread, and begin chants of "Down with the government!"

These protests have been mostly led and organized by young Arabs. The reason? They have the largest access to technology and the Arab world's median age is extremely young (in the 20s). In fact, Egypt's median age alone is 24 years old. An extremely young population also means that many of those leading the protests have never lived in a democratic country. With dictators that rule anywhere between 20-40 years, these youngsters are excited to lead change from what they have been raised to know. 

Being so young, most have used the internet and are very tech savvy. Initial protests in almost all countries were organized over Facebook or Twitter, or using Google services. As a result, when protests gained way, almost every government has shut off their internet access in the country to try and disrupt communication. Mubarak's attempt was the largest failure. Without internet, the youth went "old school" and took to the streets passing out fliers and using word of mouth to tell people of march of millions in different parts of the country. No internet does not mean the crushing of a revolution. 

Another similarity is the unfortunate deaths. Winston Churchill once said "Freedom is never free." Even in peaceful protests like in Tunisia and Egypt, there was the greatest sacrifice for a better tomorrow: Life. The fact is, if you want freedom, you better be ready to demand it with your life. No revolution that I know of has ever succeeded without a single death. When someone is killed, their body is placed in a casket and marched around the crowds as protesters pray for their "matyr." This tends to reignite the passion in the protests in the dullest of moments. 

Government reaction has varied, depending on the state and occurrence of events. In Tunisia, former President Ben Ali did little initially to stop the protests, and greatly underestimated how quickly they would grow. Eventually he gave up his power and left his country. As a result, when protests broke out in Egypt, the hard liner Mubarak unleashed his riot police which beat protesters, used water canons, rubber bullets and more. Eventually, protesters and reporters were being attacked by thugs hired by the government to create chaos, but to no avail. After fighting the fate of ben Ali, Mubarak resigned and traveled to a resort. In order to react to protests, the King of Bahrain has publicly apologized for the deaths of protesters and issued an "investigation" into their killing. Furthermore, today, he has officially released political prisoners in response to protesters demands. 50 were released, and although that is good news, there are an estimated 600 total in Bahrain's prisons. As a reaction to protests in his country the King of Jordan, dissolved the government and  instituted a new Prime Minister to establish a new government. Changes are being forced all over the region, and with more to come.

The most stubborn leader of them all has been the leader of Libya: Quaddafi. Being the longest serving of the Arab dictators (around 40 years), Quaddafi is a widely known international figure and "powerhouse." His orders to bomb protesters using his military jets have been carried out although some have defected. Many of his international ambassadors have also stepped away from the government and protesters are gaining control over more cities despite his warnings of a crackdown. Snipers and thugs in yellow hats have been moving through cities and firing at civilians and more leaders in the government defect.

With all these similarities between the countries, the reaction to the protesters will be the only thing different. Some may take the hard line approach of Mubarak and Quaddafi while others will make concessions like the King of Jordan and the King of Bahrain (attempting, but the people are demanding more). Meanwhile, party members in Yemen's main political party have left the government in protests of violence against protesters. 

There is no doubt that when all these major protests are all done, the region will be far different. Using these similarities, we can try to see where the fire my spread again, inspired by the victories of their Arab and/or Muslim brethren. 

 (Interestingly enough, a last minute similarity is that all these protests have been supported strongly online through online attacks and organization through Anonymous, a loosely organized group of hackers online that have also supported Wikileaks and Julian Assange and advocate against any oppressive government action.)

There are key lessons that we learned from the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, a blog post on that shortly!!

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I DREAM OF GEORGE: My Personal Tribute To George Harrison

If George would have been with us today,he would have been 68 years old. I was totally saddened when I heard the news of his passing a decade earlier.February 25 is his birthday so I'd like to share to you fellows this strange dream I had four years ago,writing it down here I believe will be my most beautiful tribute to the man,George Harrison-guitar god extraordinaire.

George invented the role of a lead guitarist in a band.Before the Beatles,it didn't exist.Sure there were guitarists decades before the Beatles  but none of them were as colourful like the riffs of the great George Harrison.

Four years ago,I had a very strange dream during my sleep.I was in a hall and there I met George who was happy to see me.I knew right then and there that he was already dead,but in that dream I met him like I wasn't  meeting a dead celebrity,as if he is alive and well.I was so star-strucked to see him that I couldn't describe the joy of meeting my idol.I tried to hug him but he told me not to coz he still has the cancer.We chatted about different things-music,about him not going back ever to the Philippines because of Marcos and some other stuff.Suddenly,I find myself giving to him all my Beatles CDs and he happily signed them all.Then I said goodbye to him and as I walk out of the building I saw Luther Vandross being mobbed by his fans on the corner of the sidewalk--then I woke up.

 What a strange dream indeed,I just saw two dead celebrities-George Harrison and Luther Vandross.It felt so real that I eventually looked at my CDs to see If George had an autograph on it--there was none,the album sleeves were clean.It was strange, it was really strange,I never had a dream like that before in my life.Then I realized it was November 29,2007--I dreamed of him on his 6th death anniversary--a sign? nobody knows.Perhaps as a Beatles fan,I might have had a hard time accepting that George is gone.Well,a psychologist may have had difficulty figuring it all out.

Or perhaps George's spirit really came to me in a dream and he took Luther Vandross with him,who knows?



George Harrison as I've said defined the role of a lead guitarist in a rock band,as the Beatles introduced modern rock music and saved us all from boredom.The uniqueness of his guitar playing really seperates him from the rest.Fellow guitar god Jimmy Page praised George on one of his interviews "His[George] solos were so immaculate and impeccably performed."

I can still remember what he wrote on my CDs as he signed them in my dream,he wrote: "To Keith my biggest fan,with love,George Harrison".Whether he came to me in a dream or it was just all in my mind,I dont know.But I feel so priviledged to meet him even only in a dream.

This is my personal tribute to the man,my most beautiful tribute ever....

Thank you George

The Next Revolution

Directly after the success of the Egyptian Revolution, I began to take a closer look at the different countries were protesters were gathering.  Of those I looked at, Bahrain was my choice for what would eventually become a successful revolution. Today, the people of Bahrain are protesting en masse as the King's soldiers have been firing at pro democracy advocates. I still believe that Bahrain has huge potential to lead to country wide reform, however I overlooked an important nation with near perfect conditions: Libya. 

Yes, I knew that Libya was struggling economically and that it has a dictator that has ruled for close to 40 years, however, Gaddafi (the ruler) seems to have such a good grip on society I didn't think anything would happen. We still have to wait and see if this becomes a revolution however protests have been greatly growing to several thousand people in the two largest cities. 

Gaddafi is also reported to have ordered airstrikes against protests, and several officers have refused to carry out those orders. Snipers ahve also been dispatched in the 2nd largest city and estimates of the death toll range from 300-400 death with many more wounded. 

A constant Anti-western leader, Gaddafi and the state television is blaming Israel for the incitement and violence. The spontaneous nature of these protests across the region make it nearly impossible to tell which nations will suffer the wrath of their people. Harder yet is figuring out "when" the events will happen at all. 

Gaddafi's son has addressed the nation warning of a potential civil war. Meanwhile, U.S. and Europeans nations have condemned the crackdown on protesters.  Despite their calls against the crackdown, for many European nations, breaking ties with the current regime may be awkward. After Libya gave up its nuclear program decades ago, many established multi billion dollar deals with Libya primarily of oil, one of the largest reserves in the world. In addition, massive contracts have been in place for weapons and defense. This places Libya in a very similar place to Egypt and its relations to western powers.

Al Jazeera, as expected, has the greatest and most in depth coverage of everything happening in the region. Recently the news station has had trouble with its frequencies to different parts of Libya and the middle east. The station is blaming Libya's secret intelligence agency for disrupting signals since the station has supported the pro democracy protests in both Tunisia and Egypt (through its amazing coverage).

To follow this extensive coverage online, see Al Jazeera's in depth coverage of Libya. You can also watch their live online coverage in English here.

Here are some videos of whats going on during the protests, some are VERY graphic. You are warned. 

This one shows snipers on the top of buildings firing at protesters. 

This one is very graphic showing blog and several shot protesters.

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Bikies gather in the Port - Local News - News - Portside Messenger

Bikies gather in the Port - Local News - News - Portside Messenger: "A convoy of gang members from the Rebels, Finks, Hells Angels, Descendants, Gypsy Jokers and Patriots arrived at the hotel on Santo Parade at 11.30am, after meeting earlier at Colley Reserve, Glenelg.

Colac Hotel bar attendant Natasha Smith said the group gathered at the hotel for more than an hour, for drinks and lunch and did not cause any problems, before leaving at 1pm.

The group was bound for Parliament House, to stage a protest against the state’s anti-bikie legislation, which would make it an offence for members of a bikie gang to associate with each other."

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Japan gang-member admits assaulting kabuki star

AFP: Japan gang-member admits assaulting kabuki star: "A 27-year-old man pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of assaulting and injuring a kabuki star in a drunken bar brawl that has drawn huge media coverage and tainted the classical theatre form's image.
Lion Ito, described by media as a former motorcycle gang member of Japanese-American descent, admitted assaulting Ebizo Ichikawa in the small hours of November 25 at a club in a nightlife district in Tokyo.
Ichikawa, 33, known as the 'prince' of kabuki, sustained serious injuries to his head and body requiring two months of treatment, according to the indictment.
The actor suffered a depressed fracture in his left cheekbone and lost a front tooth in the fight. Kabuki organisers have suspended him from performing for an indefinite period.
In the first hearing on the case at the Tokyo District Court, prosecutors asked Ito if there was any mistake in the indictment.
'No, there is none. It is alright,' Ito replied.
Ito's lawyer told the hearing that his act was 'excessive self-defence' in an effort to protect the former leader of his motorcycle gang, who was overly drunk at the time."

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Suspect claims motorcycle gang killed woman

Suspect claims motorcycle gang killed woman - morningjournal.com: "Murder defendant Michael Martin admitted picking up victim Amanda Gibson and taking her to his home the day she was killed, but claims a member of the Outlaws, a motorcycle gang, killed her, according to testimony yesterday from Erie County Sheriff’s Detective Nick Kotsopoulos

Martin, 53, of Sandusky, is on trial for the June 7, 2010, strangulation death of 25-year-old Gibson, whose body was discovered in Groton Township near a pond by some fishermen.

Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter questioned Kotsopoulos about the investigation that led deputies to arrest Martin.

Baxter said when police got a warrant to search the home of Martin’s girlfriend on July 12, they found a letter from Martin stating he knows she has a lot of questions and he was going to answer them.

Kotsopoulos testified about the letter yesterday, Baxter said. In the letter, police learned Martin admitted to picking up Gibson and taking her to his Sandusky house to pick up possessions stored there and help her move, Baxter said last night."

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Bikies, criminals on bases,serving defence personnel are also members of outlaw bikie gangs

Bikies, criminals on bases: "GAPING holes in the security of Australia's defence bases are leaving them exposed to infiltration by organised criminals, bikie groups and terrorists.

Defence sources have revealed that since at least 2008 the military has failed to act on reports and briefings that warn of poor base security and ignored or stalled recommendations to fix deficiencies.

In late 2009, senior US Navy officials also raised concerns about security at Australian naval bases, querying whether American ships could dock safely.

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Briefings and reports from defence and policing officials over the past three years reveal that:

■ A small number of serving defence personnel are also members of outlaw bikie gangs."

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Short Posts: HNMUN

I haven't been able to post anything on the blog lately because I have been attending the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) Conference in the Park Plaza Hotel. 

I'm part of a team representing Bentley University at the conference. My partner and I are specifically placed in in the General Assembly and in the Disarmament and  and International Security Committee (DISEC). Bentley University has been delegated to represent Finland (What the heck!!! I wanted China! no offense to the Finnish).

DISEC is comprised of several dozens of delegates, I'd estimate at least 150 people in the single committee. The issues we were given was to address the Taliban in Afghanistan or Cyberwarfare (This happened on Thursday). The way the committee works is the begin debate by debating what to debate (confused already?). We have to choose which subject to discuss (which is more important). 

Although Afghanistan is a large issue there was a substantial push (including by Finland) to discuss Cyberwarfare (the terrorism of the future). The measure failed after several HOURS of debating which one to talk about. When the vote decided to discuss Afghanistan, time was essentially up and just a few nations, including Finland, spoke on the issue in front of the other delegates.

Today there has been extensive work on addressing the issue of the Taliban. Different UN blocs have united forces such as the EU, African Union, etc coming up with their own proposals for a resolution. Many of the different European blocs have begun to merge their different proposals into a central one that provides a comprehensive solution. 

Some of the issues to address with Afghanistan have been:

1. Opium trade
2. Afghan military training
3. Government corruption
4. Education 
5. Infrastructure
6. Afghan economy

and more. Many of these issues are intertwined and can easily affect one another.  To address some of these issues there have been many solutions:

1. Opium trade -- provide incentives for other crops, push for larger specific use of melons, pomegranates and hemp given the Afghan climate to move farmers away from the Taliban drug trade. 
2. Afghan military training -- maintain current troops and live up to the 2014 guideline to begin decreasing troops (Finland already has begun the decrease of its forces) but enhance training for Afghan forces. 
3. Government corruption-- Create an international oversight committee to keep track of different aspects of the government (no enforcement powers) but would publicly call out on corrupt leaders for public reaction and pressure for change. 
4. Education-- Develop a larger push in the country to decrease illiteracy rates across the country, teach children more about afghan history, and some have even suggested expanding teaching material in local tribal maddrassas. 
5. Infrastructure-- Some have proposed hiring local afghans to build their own homes, providing jobs and infrastructure creation across the country. 
6. Afghan economy-- This is tied to the infrastructure I mentioned above and also to the opium trade by developing alternatives to poppy growth for the country's farmers. 

There are all still very traditional solutions and while impressive in their detail, I've found to be difficult to do because NATO forces and UN efforts have been trying to do many of these for years. 

There were also many other ideas that we simply couldn't accept, and therefore resolutions we couldn't endorse. For example, some nations proposed re-establishing the Afghan army by gathering all tribal fighters into it. This is surely impractical since many of the tribes have fought each other for decades if not hundreds of years. Others have suggested completely banning all maddrassas (Muslim religious schools). Not only is this a repression of freedom of religion, it is also impractical and would garner much opposition by the Afghan people.

My partner and I had so many ideas we considered developing our own resolution however we realized we were better off traveling to the different country blocs and trying to push our ideas into ALL the resolutions, that way we can feel confident in endorse any of them (unless they includes articles like the ones I mentioned in the last paragraph). 

Our beliefs to best address key problems in Afghanistan (in addition to the traditional initiatives) are these: 

1. Micro-financing for women: International statistics on Micro fianancing efforts have shown that men are FAR more likely to spend the money they get from such programs on drugs, alcohol, gambling and other bad uses. Women are almost perfectly likely to re invest the money into a business endeavor that reaps benefits to their children, husband and community. After proposing it to many groups, we gained acceptance of including the micro finance article, however, not specifically for women. We have more work in the next two days and we will be pushing for it specific to women, otherwise we are just throwing away money. 
2. Afghan natural resources: The U.S D.O.D. estimates that there is 1 trillion dollars worth of oil, gas, and minerals in Afghanistan. We believe more research and development should be done to allow for Afghanistan to take advantage of it, and build its economic backbone. To do so we've proposed to allow different companies of bidding for the research in different areas as well as development, however, we want to keep it highly regulated. Companies that win their bids MUST train and higher local Afghan workers and accept the government tax on their profits. The UN could subsidies the initial costs of research. 
3. Improve information channels: For this Finland (us!) understands that no proposal initiative or endeavor will be successful without proper information. There is a horribly low amount of information about the Afghan demographic which needs to be improved upon. Only with enough and/or accurate information will ANY international or local initiative be successful. We have proposed that two things: (1) The expansion of the national radio system into rural areas that don't have access to media or live news; the more access of information they have, the better they will be and the more they feel connected to a larger nation. (2) The creation of a central "hub" of statistical information about everything from public health to education to environmental issues. This hub, although accessible to anyone with an internet connection, is mainly targeted toward international organizations working in Afghanistan, NGOs as well as the Afghan government. With more accurate information they will be able to do their jobs much more effectively.

These have been the points that we have been pushing in so far. Many of the people are hard headed, however, we have gotten many of these ideas into many of the proposals. My partner and I have been VERY effective, especially for first year students at this conference for the first time. :)

There is a particular proposal by the United Kingdom that is great. The delegates were VERY open minded and took in everything we suggested and all our ideas, placing them into their proposal. For now, Finland will push for the UK proposal. As time has gone by, Finland has gone into collaboration with the UK, Germany, France and other nations at developing this promising piece to hopefully pass the committee. Many of the other ones institute too larger of a western bias, impose on religious freedoms, or are just not practical.

With that I must go on,

Wish us luck!

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How Close We Were to Another Tiananmen...

The world celebrated as the (now former) Vice President  Omar Suleiman announced to the world and millions of protesters in Egypt that the President has officially resigned; 30 years of dictatorial rule would come to an unexpected but wished for end. 

Since then the Egyptian military has set up a panel to rewrite the 6 key provisions of the Constitution that have helped Mubarak consolidate power for more than 3 decades... in 10 days. The military's move is promising, however, until an elected government is formed, there is an anxiety that the military could steal the chance to take over. What happens in the next year will dictate Egypt's entire future. 

There are still many things to be done, like releasing the 80 or so missing protesters that were taken in by the Secret Police, as well as 3 decades worth of political prisoners thrown aside during Mubarak's reign. Corruption needs to be weeded out and key elements of the Egyptian police force need to be punished for their actions against civilians. Most importantly, is the arrest and charging of Egypt's Interior Minister (who is still in his position) who is largely believed responsible for the police beatings of the protesters as well as the organization of the Secret Police.  These are on top of what I believe should be an international effort by specific countries like Egypt, the U.S., Britain, and Switzerland to capture all of the Mubarak family's assets that were gained through years off stealing money from the Egyptian people through special interest deals with the Egyptian regime (these nations have most of Mubarak's assets). The Swiss have already frozen his assets, and the othernations should follow suite. I also think that Mubarak and Suleiman should be put on trial for decades of violence, torture, killings and more crimes that you can imagine.

I want to take some time to applause the military, NOW I understand why the Egyptians love their army, navy and air force so much. It's the topic of this blogpost because they deserve the attention, not for what I've already mentioned (their progressive moves toward democracy) but because of what many people don't actually know: How close we were to another Tienanmen Square...

 In what is now considered a pretty outdated article, one of my favorite writer, Robert Fisk, writes after Mubarak's announcement that he won't resign. However, he gives us insight into what happened sometime before the speech. I've already linked the article so I'll just take out the important snippets and here he describes the most critical moment of the revolution:

 "But the critical moment came on the evening of 30 January when, it is now clear, Mubarak ordered the Egyptian Third Army to crush the demonstrators in Tahrir Square with their tanks after flying F-16 fighter bombers at low level over the protesters."

With the army strategically placed at all important points in Cairo and around Tahrir Square, a bloodbath would have ensued. It is a profound discovery and a very scary one. If anyone thinks Mubarak was a misunderstood softy (by ignoring the past 30 years of oppression) we can see now how brutal of a leader he was. This move, if executed, would have killed thousands if not tens of thousands of people instantly.

So why didn't it happen? Turns out the much loved Egyptian military has a conscience, Fisk continues:

"Many of the senior tank commanders could be seen tearing off their headsets – over which they had received the fatal orders – to use their mobile phones. They were, it now transpires, calling their own military families for advice. Fathers who had spent their lives serving the Egyptian army told their sons to disobey, that they must never kill their own people."

It's no wonder the people chant: "The army and the people stand together – the army and the people are united. The army and the people belong to one hand."

Thank God for the Egyptian military and I think we all should put our trust in their work to establish a better future.


In case you aren't aware of how serious Tienanmen Square Massacre was here are some good videos (some have songs, but included for good footage:

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Rocking history with first generation "1972" Willie Estrada by Navid Bboy Spaghetti & Marvles

THE HOMIE BBOY SPAGETTI FROM NORWAYS KING WINGS CREW FLEW OUT TO THE BRONX AND HAD A SIT DOWN WITH THE OG'S. THIS FOOTAGE IS PRICELESS.......
THANX TO BBOY SPAGETTI

Looking Ahead

Now that Egyptians have had sometime to party for the success of their protests, we need to look ahead. The Military Council has been given full authority and has already dissolved the Egyptians parliament. They are expected to begin modifying the constitution allowing for free and fair elections in the future.

 Meanwhile, Egypt's State TV has officially switched sides. For most of the protests, the State TV, controlled by the government ignored the protesters and their demands. Only when they chanted in the millions did it provide partial coverage. In order to create a more free society, I think it is in Egypt (and every nation's) interest to get rid of state run television (especially in nations that ban other news organizations). 

But the expansion of the Arab fight for democracy isn't ending with Egypt. Tunisia has been changed, and so has Egypt but protests have risen in Algeria, Yemen, Jordan, and Bahrain. As a result of the protests, the Yemeni dictator has vowed not to run for re election and has made economic concessions to the protesters. In Bahrain, incentives were given to help poor families in their economic conditions and in Jordan, the King has removed the prime minister (against whom the protests were targeted) to make way for a new one. The chances of widespread reform in Jordan is unlikely and likewise in Iraq (where small protests have begun). Furthermore, countries like Bahrain can use their oil revenues to alleviate the economic pains that the protesters are feeling. Having said that, Al Jazeera, the only news organization with the best coverage of all the protests that are going on in the middle east (especially in Egypt with 24/7 live feed on their Youtube channel) has started a series called "All Eyes on Algeria" as the most likely place for major reform.

To follow what is happening in Algeria, here's full coverage. Protesters have ignored official curfews and bans of protest by taking to the streets to demand change. Meanwhile, a man has burnt himself to death protesting horrible economic conditions; a burning that started the uprising in Tunisia which led to fiery protests throughout the middle east. In response, police have been cracking down on young protesters who are demanding changes. Let's hope they are successful.

Meanwhile, protesters of the "Green Movement" in Iran that began after the re election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenajad are planning new protests that are inspired by the victories in Egypt and Tunisia.

I think that some of my pieces have lacked some good quality recently but I'll get back on it soon!

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A Tip of My Hat to Egypt

Celebrations in Egypt

Since the beginning of these protests that started out in small numbers, I've been covering them as best I can. Sparked partly by leaks by Wikileaks, but mostly by the successful revolution of Tunisia, the long oppressed and economically restricted Egyptians have finally met the last criteria of a "Revolution:" Victory.

 Here is the list of my coverage:

From Tunisia starting it all:

Tunisia's Fiery Revolution and the Man Who Ignited It

And all my other Egypt posts (which are now my most popular on the blog):

Vive la Révolution! 

International Support 

Global Review: A People's Revolution

Analysis: Mubarak's Strategy

Some Progress....and Others Don't.

And Finally my anticipation for Mubarak's Resignation

The coverage has been extremely difficult since things changed so fast. At times, even a "daily" blog couldn't keep up with everything that was going on. I got a tv interview with a local Boston news station NECN. To See me go here.  I am the guy with the Blue and Black buttoned shirt. (Enjoy!). When I was finally able to get ahead and try predicting the future (Mubarak's resignation) I along with everyone else failed after he told everyone he would stay in office just yesterday. 

 Soon afterwards Protesters responded with angry shouting as they lifted up with shoes (a sign of disrespect in the Middle East).

 In response, Egyptians promised larger protests all over the country on Friday morning (and they did so). Massive protests continued and at 6 pm (Egypt time) the Vice President and former Torturer Omar Suleiman, announced that the President Hosni Mubarak has resigned and given authority to the Military Council. Reports were confirmed that Mubarak and his family worth 70 billion dollars have left Cairo to to go a resort near the Red Sea (but still in Egypt).

There is still a lot to discuss about Egypt's future and what actions will be taken, but for now, a tip of my hat to the Egyptian people. I was working when I watched the 20 second speech by the for Vice President Suleiman, and can't explain the goosebumps I felt when I realized that the Egyptians can officially call their movement a revolution. My feelings are no way equal to those of Egyptians around the world and especially those living in the country. Tonight, Egypt is having the world's largest celebration.

Celebrate well, because tomorrow work needs to be started. 

 

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Short Posts: Mubarak Steps Down!

Full analysis coming soon!

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Short Post: Me On TV

For those that have never seen me before, 

 Tune in on NECN tonight at 9 pm. I'll be one of those interviewed for the coverage of Egypt in my interview!!!!! be sure to watch it! link coming soon!

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Drugs, police uniforms found in raid

Drugs, police uniforms found in raid | Herald Sun: "POLICE uniforms, drugs and stolen items have been found in a house in Sydney's west by police targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Officers attached to Strike Force Raptor searched a house on Myrtle Street at Prospect at 7.30am (AEDT) today.

They found cocaine, amphetamines and cutting agent, as well as an assortment of NSW Police Force uniforms - including police shirts, pants, jackets, a jumper, a reflective vest, a hat, belt keepers and a gun holster.

Laptop computers, a video camcorder, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, car parts and motorcycle parts which were all suspected of having been stolen were also taken from the house.

A 20-year-old woman living in the house was arrested and charged with an outstanding warrant. She will face Downing Centre District Court tomorrow."

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Mubarak's Resignation

I'm watching Al Jazeera's Live online coverage of the protests in Egypt. You can find that here for a live 24 hour feed of the protests in Tahrir Square.  Scroll down a little and you will see the feed running. 

There has been a lot of talk now about Mubarak's resignation. Egyptian State TV has released video of the President and his newly appointed Vice President Suleiman having a meeting (no audio), and that meeting is ongoing. 

The President is going to address Egypt (and the world) sometime today (tonight in Egypt's time). Most believe he will announce his resignation from his position. If not, it is likely he will take a strong stand to stay president as he said be would before (till September). 

His resignation would be the largest success of the Revolution (and its primary goal). As the government has been negotiating with the Muslim Brotherhood, the single barrier to progress has been Mubarak still being in power. Negotiators have refused to accept any reforms to the government and constitution so long as Mubarak is in power.

Vice President

His resignation would be the result of, not only the pressure from negotiators and the protesters in the streets, but also from foreign powers. Almost all democratic governments have called for, no less than, changes that meet the demands of the protesters (without actually calling for his resignation). A few courageous European countries and other countries like Turkey have directly called for Mubarak to step down. The United States hasn't publicly called for his resignation however, (my speculation) it is likely that they have pressured him to step down behind doors. The U.S. would have the largest ability to pressure Mubarak into the move, despite the fact that it wouldn't do so publicly. 

Everyone expects the Vice President Omar Suleiman to take over, and although he is widely seen as a strong Mubarak supporter (once saving the President's life) it will be easier to create progress with negotiations with Mubarak out of government. I will Profile The Vice President (Soon to be President) when the official call is made.  

Some have even speculate that Mubarak will stand down, however, he will hand over the powers of government to the army. If so, it wouldn't be a new chapter in Egypt since military leaders have been in control of the country for the past 50 years, however, in the context of the past few weeks, it could be extremely different. The military has generally been very neutral and has even helped support some of the protesters. However, I will stop the speculation until the official decision is made, then we can analyze it better!

Until then... TUNE IN!!! THINGS ARE GETTING CRAZY!

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Some Progress....and Others Don't.

These past two weeks have generated both good and bad news.  Egypt's massive protests continue and things are getting more violent:

 Read more below!

The government is holding talks with the Muslim Brotherhood to end the protests (although they aren't responsible for them, this group is the only organization political organization to  have 'talks' with). In relation to these talks, leaked cables by Wikileaks show that the Israeli government favors Omar Suleiman (named Soliman in the cables) to succeed President Hosni Mubarak. They believe he takes a strong stance against Hamas in Gaza and is the best alternative to the current leader. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has publicly stated that Suleiman is the best leader for a transition government for a more democratic system. 

There has been some good news: Google's Egypt Executive has been released by the government after being arrested for "aiding the protesters." Google has helped Egyptians access the internet through their phones despite the fact that the internet network was shut off by the government. Upon release, protesters were reignited with hope:

 Suleiman has long been touted as a possible replacement for Mubarak, but some are doubting his intentions. Many believe that his support for the current president gives him a clear biased. Furthermore, he doesn't hold similar sentiments with the Egyptian people (constantly defending Mubarak's right to rule). I'll post up a profile of him soon. 

As Egyptians protest for better standards of living, financially, socially, politically and economically the Mubarak family is estimated at being worth 70 billion dollars. The "Mubarak Empire" stays strong, although that isn't new for dictators; once out of power, many just leave to live million or even billionaire lifestyles.

Things aren't looking very good in Egypt right now and there needs to be real signs of progress, or, as I've argued in my previous blog post: Egypt is going to be a Prologue to Blood.

Elsewhere in the world, progress is being made! The Sudanese referendum has been officially counted and now Southern Sudan will secede from the rest of the nation to become the world's newest country! The southern provinces had a vote where millions of people came out to voice their opinions. The country has long been destabilized by conflicts between Arab Muslims, African Christians, and African Muslims. The current government is dominated by Arab Muslims who are greatly blamed for massacres and a lot of the violence. President Bashir, who is currently wanted by the UN for crimes against humanity, has officially accepted the results and will allow the secession.

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Alleged North Oakland gang member accused of firing on police

Alleged gang member accused of firing on police: "Benny Ray Martin, 31, fired shots at a car near 58th and Genoa streets and then unleashed more gunfire at two police officers responding to the area at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, said Officer Holly Joshi, an Oakland police spokeswoman.

The officers' car was hit, but they weren't injured and did not fire back, Joshi said.

Martin fled but was arrested in a car driven by parolee Anthony Perry, 20, of Oakland, Joshi said.

Both men were booked on suspicion of attempted murder. Perry is also being held on a parole violation. Both men are being held without bail.

Martin, an alleged North Oakland gang member, was released from federal prison three weeks ago after serving a four-year term for being a felon in possession of a firearm, court records show. Martin told police that he fired at officers because of unspecified personal issues and because he didn't want to go back to prison, Joshi said."

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Warlocks gang murder trial: Warlocks gang member James Bedsole on trial for first-degree murder - OrlandoSentinel.com

Warlocks gang murder trial: Warlocks gang member James Bedsole on trial for first-degree murder - OrlandoSentinel.com: "first-degree murder case of James Madison Bedsole, a Warlocks motorcycle gang member whom police say shot and killed another man in Apopka in 2009 who had used his truck to run over another gang member's motorcycle.

Apopka Police said Bedsole, a Warlocks motorcycle gang member, shot and killed Chad Brickey after Brickey used his truck to knock over a parked motorcycle belonging to another gang member.

In September 2009, Brickey, 29, got into an argument at a pool hall on Orange Blossom Trail where the Warlocks were known to hang out, police said. Brickey —- who was not a member of the gang — was told to leave. He climbed into his pickup and intentionally hit a motorcycle parked in the parking lot.

Bedsole, 40, then jumped into the back of another truck driven by another man. Bedsole told that man, Holguy Louissaint, to follow Brickey's truck so he could get the tag number, a police spokesman said at the time."

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Shot Post: Blog Facebook Page

Hey this is just an update to become a fan on my Blog's Facebookpage!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daily-Voice-of-Reason/174951529215408

Just click the link, then click the Facebook sign, and you'll get right to it! Thanks to one of my readers, you can easily become a fan! and give me feedback!

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TECH Update: The Little Man

I've decided to dedicate one part of this series specifically to the smaller tech companies that look like they have bright futures. There is plenty of news about Google's change in CEO, or Apple's Steve Jobs leaving his post as he deals with his cancer, and I'm not saying that those aren't "news" because they can greatly impact the futures of these massive corporations, but the fact is, that they all started as small tech companies working in bedrooms and garages. There are some places that aren't very friendly to tech start ups, namely, Washington D.C., see why here. The little man always innovates and this post is a tribute and spotlight to him:

 First I want to highlight small companies and initiatives that have helped make the world a better place from a humanitarian point of view. We have a man named Brandon Fisher, who became a "surprise State of the Union star" after being praised by President Obama. Brandon Fisher is the founder and company head of Center Rock, a company that manufactures air drilling tools. After seeing the news of the trapped Chilean Miners, Brandon designed a plan based on the location, rock type and tools to rescue the miners. His company shipped 50,000 pounds of tools down to South America and was on site to organize the drilling that eventually saved the 33 Chilean miners and giving the world a great story.

The other company is Barefoot College, a program meant to teach "old grandmothers" how to create technology to harness the solar power to provide electricity in poor areas of the world. The video will tell you more (I couldn't find the CNN video, so here is another older one:

Now let us switch to the most over used word in the past two years: Apps (short for applications). Recently there have been two new platforms for apps to come out on: Apple's new Mac App Store (applications for your Mac computers) and Google's upcoming Honeycomb tablets which will flood the market soon (I would say the iPad, but we all know about that already. So why am I talking about Apps for tech giants like Apple and Google? Because these applications are some of the most diverse and fastest ways to start your own business (and many have). These applications are also becoming ridiculously easy to create as companies like Google create tools to make them without having experience in the area, just your imagination. It is similar to this Blogging platform by Google: I never type in any 'coding' because Google has simplified the process so I (or anyone else) can start their own blog with a few steps. I'm hoping to get started on app development sometime soon! Don't think you can do it? Well a 14 year old has created "Bubble Ball" Itunes' most popular application. If he can do it, why can't you?

Sick of all that snow? A small group of engineers with a grant think they can change all that. They have an idea to redesign our roads; instead of using asphalt, we use a different material that can exert heat to melt away the ice and snow to save states and cities hundreds of millions in clean up costs. Check it out!

A new company named Meet up revamped its website. It's goal is to serve as a tool to organize "Meet ups" for different organizations, political, social, or religious ends or for whatever reason. Al Jazeera has now been using the program to organize parties around the world to meet up on Feb 10th to "Demand Al Jazeera English" to be viewed in the U.S.

On a more controversial note, rebels of the organization Wikileaks have left the organization to create their own: OpenLeaks. Both sites now serve to leak classified information but have different approaches. Wikileaks has a very centralized system in that, documents are sent to Wikileaks, they delete traces of the whistleblower, verify documentation, and publish it on the website. OpenLeaks takes a different approach. they get the information, verify it, then give it to Unions, news organizations, companies and any other outlets who are interested. These groups can choose to publish or not, and if they don't, "someone else will" as the group's introduction says. Different format, same purpose, this is going to be interesting.