1. Nilipoomba kwenda kusoma kwa kutumia Udhamini wa Serikali ya nchi ya Marekeni (USA) chini ya Ufadhili wa Mfuko wa Hubert Horatio Humphrey (HHH Fellowship) mwaka 2007, nilielezea nia yangu ya kwenda kusomea masomo yatakayonielekeza katika kuja kuanzisha Kituo cha Msaada wa Sheria kwa Wananchi (MZUMBE UNIVERSITY LEGAL AID CLINIC - MULAC)kwetu Chuo Kikuu, Mzumbe, Tanzania.
2. Nilibahatika kupata fursa ya kwenda kusoma nchini USA katika Chuo cha American University, Washington College of Law (WCL); kilichopo mjini Washington, DC; ambao ni mji mkuu wa Serikali ya nchi hiyo.
3. Niliondoka na kwenda USA kufanya masomo hayo kuanzia Agosti 2, 2008 hadi Juni 12, 2009. Wakati nipo masomoni, nilitayarisha Andiko lililoeleza namna ya kuanzisha Kituo cha Msaada wa Sheria kwa Wananchi (Starting a Legal Aid Clinic at Mzumbe University, Tanzania).
4. Niliporejea Juni 13, 2009 na kuripoti ofisini wiki iliyofuata, nilimuona Mkuu wangu wa Kitivo, Bw. Eleuter Gabriel Mushi na kumfahamisha juu ya masomo yangu yaliyonichukua miezi kumi huko USA. Yeye alinielekeza kwamba jambo hilo kiutaratibu huanzia katika Idara yangu husika (Idara ya Sheria za Kimataifa - Dept. of International Law). Baada ya kulishughulikia katika Idara kwa kuitisha mkutano wa Wanataaaluma na kuelezea juu ya Andiko langu na kujadiliwa (Paper Presentation), nipokee maoni na mapendekezo ya wasomi ili niyaingize katika Andiko hilo kwa nia ya kuliboresha.
5. Nilipofikisha Andiko langu kwa Mkuu wangu wa Idara; wakati huo Profesa Padma Sabaya, akaahidi kulishughulikia jambo hilo. Nilipolifuatilia baada ya wiki moja, nikaarifiwa na Katibu Muhtasi kwamba huyu Profesa kaenda India kwao kwa likizo ya mwezi mmoja. Nikauliza aliyemuachia ofisi. Nikaambiwa kuwa hakumuachia ofisi mtu yeyote na hivyo Andiko langu analo yeye na hajalifanyia kazi.
6. Kwa bahati wakati huo huo, ikatoka orodha mpya ya Walimu wa Kitivo cha Sheria na Idara zao zilizopangwa upya. Nikajikuta nimepangwa katika Idara ya Sheria za Madai na Jinai (Civil and Criminal Law Dept.) nami sikuwa na neno juu ya hilo. Mkuu wa Idara hii ni Bw. Ignas Punge. Hivyo nikachukua hatua ya kumuona mkuu wangu huyo mpya na kumweleza juu ya azma yangu ya kutoa Andiko kwa Wanataaluma wa Mzumbe kwa Kujadiliwa kwa ujumla. Yeye aliliafiki moja kwa moja na kuniagiza nimfikishie andiko hilo mapema iwezekanavyo.
7. Tarehe 15/10/2009 nilifikisha andiko hilo kwa Mkuu wangu wa Idara Bw. Ignas Pungem kupitia kwa Katibu Muhtasi wa Kitivo cha Sheria. Hii ilikuwa tayari mwezi mmoja umepita tangu nifikishe andiko langu kwa Mkuu wa Idara wa Kwanza Profesa Padma Sabaya. Safari hii kwa bahati mbaya Andiko langu halikumfikia Mkuu wa Idara yangu kama nilivyotaraji.
8. Mkuu wangu huyo wa Idara akishirikiana na Wakuu wa Idara wenzake Bw. Benjamin Jonas na Bw. Cosmas Julius walifanya bidii kubwa kuona kwamba Andiko langu linajadiliwa na Wanataaluma ipasavyo tarehe 1/9/2009; na kuniongoza jinsi ya kufanya matayarisho muhimu ya maandalizi ili jambo hilo lifanyike ipasavyo. Mojawapo ya mambo hayo ilikuwa kumtafuta Mjadili Mkuu (Main Discussant), kuandaa ratiba na kutoa matangazo chuoni juu ya tukio hilo; mambo ambayo niliyafanya kwa ufanisi mkubwa chini ya uongozi na maelekezo yao.
9. Nililazimika kuanza mara moja kazi ya kuingiza mapendekezo na maoni ya wachokozi (critics) walioshiriki katika Mjadala wa tarehe 1/9/2009. Pamoja na kwamba sikuweza kupata fedha mara moja za kufanyia kazi hiyo. Baadhi ya mapendekezo yaliyotolewa na wachokozi hao ni kuwa ni muhimu kwa mimi kushirikisha vyombo na asasi na wadau mbalimbali wa kisheria juu ya jambo hili; na pia kufanya utafiti mdogo (situational analysis) kujionea na kujihakikisha katika Mahakama za ngazi ya chini kabisa nchini zinaamua kesi za aina ipi, ili nasi hatimaye tutakapokuja kuanza Kituo Chetu cha Msaada wa Sheria kwa Wananchi, tujue tutaanzia na kesi za aina ipi.
10. Nilianza na kuwaona wadau mmoja mmoja na kufika katika mahakama za Mwanzo za karibu na Chuoni kwetu. Pia nilijitahidi kuwahoji binafsi Jaji Mstaafu wa Mahakama Kuu Raymond Mwaikasu (tarehe 19/9/2009) wa Chuo Kikuu cha Ruaha (RUCO) na Jaji Mstaafu wa Mahakama Kuu James Mwalusanya aliyeko Dodoma.
11. Nilitembelea pia Mahakama za Wilaya ya Morogoro Vijijini (Tawa Mkuyuni,Mikese, Ngerengere, Manispaa ya Morogoro (Nunge, Chamwino, Kingolwira), Mvomero (Mgeta, Mkongeni(Vikenge) na Dodoma Manispaa(Makole). Wakati wote nitembembelea Mahakama hizi mbalimbali, nilishaomba Masurufu kazi yaliyofikia Tshs.992,200.500/= ili kuifanya kazi hiyo kikamilifu. Hadi leo hii niandikavyo Ufupisho huu, tarehe 20/1/2010, Fomu hiyo ya Masurufu iliyosainiwa na Mkuu wangu wa Idara Bw. Ignas Punge toka tarehe 18/9/2009, iko mezani kwa Mkuu wangu wa Kurugenzi cha Mafunzo Endelevu (Institute of Continuing Education - ICE); ambaye ndio mwenye mafungu husika ya kufanyia utafiti wangu; na hivyo ndio muidhinishaji wa mwisho wa kutolewa masurufu hayo chini ya Kurugenzi yake. Yaani miezi minne (4) baadaye, bila kufahamu ni lini fomu hiyo itaridhiwa na kuelekezwa ikaandikiwe malipo hayo.
12. Kwa uzoefu wa kujua tatizo nililolielezea hapo juu, hata hivyo; tulishirikiana vizuri sana na viongozi hao waliotajwa na kufanikwa kumpata Mjadili Mkuu (Discussant) wa Andiko langu kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, Mhadhiri Msaidizi, Bi Asina Omari; na kazi hiyo ya kitaaluma ya kutoa Andiko hilo kwa Wanataaluma wa Mzumbe ilifanyika vizuri tarehe 1/9/2009 katika Darasa la LT.3 Chuoni Mzumbe kuanzia saa 4.00 asubuhi. Walioshiriki katika kufanikisha siku hiyo ni pamoja na Bw. Thobias Mnyasenga wa Kitivo Cha Sheria na Bw. Evans Kautipe na Bw. Barnabas Chomboko; wote wa Idara ya Huduma za Kiufundi ya Maktaba Kuu ya Chuo Kikuu Mzumbe.
13. Mara baada ya zoezi hili; ili jambo hili lifikie linakotakiwa; nililazimika mara moja kuanza kuingiza maoni na mapendekezo mbalimbali kutoka katika Wachokozi walioshiriki (critics) katika Andiko langu. Pia niliingiza yale niliyoyashuhudia katika Mahakama za Mwanzo mbalimbali nilikotembelea na maoni na mapendekezo ya wadau nilioweza kuwahoji. Wakati huo huo sijakata tamaa kwamba nitaendelea kuwahoji wadau wengine zaidi na kutembelea Mahakama na Ofisi nyingine zaidi katika kufanikisha zoezi hili.
14. Tarehe 28/10/2009 kulikuwa na Mkutano wa Kitivo cha Sheria (Internal Examiners Board of the Faculty of Law). Nilitaraji kwa nia njema kabisa kwamba Andiko langu lingekuwa moja ya Ajenda ya Mkutano huu kwa kuwa hakukuwa na fursa ya mkutano mwingine Kitivoni kujadili jambo hili. Kwa bahati mbaya, Andiko langu halikuwahi kumfikia Mkuu wangu wa Idara Bw. Ignas Punge; badala yake Katibu Muhtasi Grace Nyamhagata, alifikisha lile Andiko langu kwa mwalimu mwingine kwa makosa (Prof. Khan). Baada ya kugundua kosa hili siku hiyo ya mkutano, nikahakikisha safari hii nimefikisha Andiko langu kwa Mkuu wangu kwa mikono yangu miwili. Mkuu wangu wa Idara amenifahamisha kwamba Andiko hilo litajadiliwa katika kikao kijacho cha Kitivo kabla ya kwenda kwenye vikao vya juu zaidi.
15. Hivyo, leo niandikavyo Ufupisho huu wa jambo hili; tarehe 20/1/2010; haijatokea fursa nyingine ya kufanyika Mkutano katika Kitivo cha Sheria, Chuo Kikuu Mzumbe. Na hiyo ndio fursa inayosubiriwa ili Andiko langu lijadiliwe kabla ya kufikishwa na Kitivo katika Mkutano wa Kitivo (Faculty of Law Board), ili hatimaye likikishwe katika Kamati ya Seneti (senate). Fursa inayoonekana kujitokeza hivi karibuni ni Mkutano wa Kitivo Ujao utakaojadili Matokeo ya Mitihani ya Kitivo cha Sheria unaotarajiwa kufanyika baada ya kusasahihishwa Mitihani ya Semesta ya Kwanza ya Chuo kwa mwaka 2009/2010, kunako mwishoni mwa mwezi Februari au mwanzoni mwa Machi, 2010. Nami naisubiri fursa hiyo kwa hamu sana, ili hatimaye jambo hili liweze kupiga hatua inayofuata.
16. Hadi hapa, nilidhamiria kuelezea mtulinga nipitiao katika kufanikisha jambo hili ambalo si tu kuwa ni kwa manufaa ya Chuo Kikuu Mzumbe, bali ni kwa manufaa yangu kitaaluma kwa sababu hatimaye nataraji kulichapisha Andiko hilo litakapopitishwa na Seneti, ili iwe sehemu ya kufikiriwa kwangu kupandishwa cheo; pamoja na Maandiko mengine. Kigezo kimojawapo cha kupandishwa cheo katika ngazi za kitaaluma katika vyuo vya kitaaluma ni kutoa machapisho ya kitaaluma.
Zainab Mwatawala, Chuo Kikuu Mzumbe, 21/1/2010.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
MIAKA 42 YA MAADHIMISHO YA KUUWAWA KWA DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING WA USA
Imechangiwa na Kaleema Hasan Sumarey wa Detroit, USA.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, 42 Years Later.
I was sixteen years old the day Dr. King was murdered, sixteen years old. I was deeply involved in the radical black student movement and thus considered Dr. King's message of non-violence as wrong headed and too deeply embedded in religious rhetoric. I respected Dr. King very much, just did not at the time agree with his tactics. This was a condition of my political education, to love him, but not “follow him.” To defend him and join him, but not “follow him.” We live and learn.
You have to remember it was the sixties, I was sixteen and the urgency for black liberation was hot in my heart and blood. I wanted to be a free woman in all ways and did not want to feel like I was begging some benevolent white person for my freedom and the freedom of my people. It appeared to me that Dr. King’s message carried that signification.
On that April 1968 day I fully understood the signification of his message. I had been ill and stayed home from school and "organizing the student masses." When the report came on my little clock-radio, that Dr. King was dead, I cried for a long time. I had no inner power to stop my tears; it was if my own brother or father had been killed. I spoke these words aloud to myself, "if they will kill Dr. King, they will kill anybody." This was the one thought I had about his murder. I was sixteen and understood that “freedom wasn’t free.” And that if I was serious, I had to be willing if called upon, to give what all our great freedom fighters had given, their lives, personal safety, freedom and aspirations for fame, fortune and recognition.
It was at that moment I appreciated the importance of critical thinking or Malcolm’s revolution of the mind. This lesson, I might add, had also been drilled into me by my two Mississippi parents. "Always think for yourself." "Don't be an educated or any other type of fool." "Do what's right." "Watch the crowd you follow, same as you watch the ones you think you are better than."
It was at Dr. King’s death, that moment in 1968 that I knew I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by continuing to be as revolutionary as I could be. Given what I have learned over the years about my own personal shortcomings, failures and periods of deep sleep and disenchantment I continue to experience the realization that this ain't a friendly place, but that, that ain't not the point.
To struggle is the point. While there has been much demonizing of the sixties, for me, it was the best time to be a black teen-age girl/woman. It was the best time because everything and everyone was subject to examination, unlike today, where most things are to be accepted on face value or simply dismissed based on some infactual (I know its not a word) mind twisting wordology designed to invoid meaning through obtained through close inspection of concepts, ideological origins, purpose and usage, ownership, reality construction, meaning manufacturing, disinformation construction, knowledge for whom and what purpose. . .
The sixties and being sixteen taught me the value of struggle. I learn everyday the value of living for more than your own ambitions and ideas. Dr. King’s death on my generations watch, taught me the honor of taking the bullet (death, poverty, any number of assassin's tactics) that can cause a silent resurrection of people of good will all over the world to make sacrifices in order to make the world better, more equitable, more just, more compassionate, more safe, and more peaceful for the people now suffering from the greed, inhumanity and opportunism of the few. That bullet Dr. King took (and Malcolm and so many others) woke me up. And each time I doze off to sleep, I think of, dream of, and dream about Dr. King. And each time I wake from my sleeping I am refreshed, I am sixteen again, only these times, I pray 42years wiser.
Posted by kaleema hasan at 2:26 PM 1 comments
Labels: Remembering Dr. King and April 4 1968
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, 42 Years Later.
I was sixteen years old the day Dr. King was murdered, sixteen years old. I was deeply involved in the radical black student movement and thus considered Dr. King's message of non-violence as wrong headed and too deeply embedded in religious rhetoric. I respected Dr. King very much, just did not at the time agree with his tactics. This was a condition of my political education, to love him, but not “follow him.” To defend him and join him, but not “follow him.” We live and learn.
You have to remember it was the sixties, I was sixteen and the urgency for black liberation was hot in my heart and blood. I wanted to be a free woman in all ways and did not want to feel like I was begging some benevolent white person for my freedom and the freedom of my people. It appeared to me that Dr. King’s message carried that signification.
On that April 1968 day I fully understood the signification of his message. I had been ill and stayed home from school and "organizing the student masses." When the report came on my little clock-radio, that Dr. King was dead, I cried for a long time. I had no inner power to stop my tears; it was if my own brother or father had been killed. I spoke these words aloud to myself, "if they will kill Dr. King, they will kill anybody." This was the one thought I had about his murder. I was sixteen and understood that “freedom wasn’t free.” And that if I was serious, I had to be willing if called upon, to give what all our great freedom fighters had given, their lives, personal safety, freedom and aspirations for fame, fortune and recognition.
It was at that moment I appreciated the importance of critical thinking or Malcolm’s revolution of the mind. This lesson, I might add, had also been drilled into me by my two Mississippi parents. "Always think for yourself." "Don't be an educated or any other type of fool." "Do what's right." "Watch the crowd you follow, same as you watch the ones you think you are better than."
It was at Dr. King’s death, that moment in 1968 that I knew I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by continuing to be as revolutionary as I could be. Given what I have learned over the years about my own personal shortcomings, failures and periods of deep sleep and disenchantment I continue to experience the realization that this ain't a friendly place, but that, that ain't not the point.
To struggle is the point. While there has been much demonizing of the sixties, for me, it was the best time to be a black teen-age girl/woman. It was the best time because everything and everyone was subject to examination, unlike today, where most things are to be accepted on face value or simply dismissed based on some infactual (I know its not a word) mind twisting wordology designed to invoid meaning through obtained through close inspection of concepts, ideological origins, purpose and usage, ownership, reality construction, meaning manufacturing, disinformation construction, knowledge for whom and what purpose. . .
The sixties and being sixteen taught me the value of struggle. I learn everyday the value of living for more than your own ambitions and ideas. Dr. King’s death on my generations watch, taught me the honor of taking the bullet (death, poverty, any number of assassin's tactics) that can cause a silent resurrection of people of good will all over the world to make sacrifices in order to make the world better, more equitable, more just, more compassionate, more safe, and more peaceful for the people now suffering from the greed, inhumanity and opportunism of the few. That bullet Dr. King took (and Malcolm and so many others) woke me up. And each time I doze off to sleep, I think of, dream of, and dream about Dr. King. And each time I wake from my sleeping I am refreshed, I am sixteen again, only these times, I pray 42years wiser.
Posted by kaleema hasan at 2:26 PM 1 comments
Labels: Remembering Dr. King and April 4 1968
SOCIAL SECURITY REGULARITY AUTHORITY IN TANZANIA
Mohamed el Munir Safieldin Has sent in the following Contribution::
Social welfare and protection system should be multi-dimensional targeting various vulnerabilities and not one group such as the aging people.
I thank Mr. Festo E. Maro for his contribution and the questions he posed with regard to the management of the to-be-established Social Security Regularity Authority. With no intention to undermine the main question posed in this contribution, I would like to propose widening the scope of social welfare to make it a net work of well coordinated schemes that, when taken together, they address all vulnerable segments of the society whether or not they contribute (or contributed at a previous stage) to a social welfare fund. The reason I am making this proposal is that a number of studies in Africa and Latin America have shown that an increasing number of aging people is using their welfare benefits to support their grand children (many of them orphaned by HIV/AIDS) or their daughters who have become single-mothers. This sharing of benefits by the recipients within an extended family network benefits some unintended members but decreases the material benefits of the intended members. The ultimate result of such situations is that the beneficiary and the individuals he/she feels obliged to support will all survive at levels below descent human living standard. The overall objective of achieving social welfare for the society will be attained only when we have a social protection system that cares for all vulnerable groups such as single mothers; widows; people with disabilities; aging people; and vulnerable children.
It is also important to note that the number of people who contribute/contributed to pension funds and other contributory social welfare systems in developing countries are limited compared to other vulnerable groups in these societies. This is attributable to reasons that have to deal with types of employment and the relatively recent history of welfare programs in these countries.
Who should manage such schemes or system? Certainly the state has a prime responsibility here. However, for the purpose of accountability and transparency, senior technical positions should be offered on competitive grounds to those who have the required technical competencies, commitment, vision and zeal. Beneficiaries and civil society organizations should be represented (as appropriate) at the central and sub-national levels of the management structure.
How should such management systems work? The decentralization of the management structure of social protection is important. The identification of beneficiaries and the assessment of benefits/impact on them must be entrusted to accountable management structures at district levels.
Regards
Munir Safieldin
Deputy Representative
UNICEF Tanzania Office
Social welfare and protection system should be multi-dimensional targeting various vulnerabilities and not one group such as the aging people.
I thank Mr. Festo E. Maro for his contribution and the questions he posed with regard to the management of the to-be-established Social Security Regularity Authority. With no intention to undermine the main question posed in this contribution, I would like to propose widening the scope of social welfare to make it a net work of well coordinated schemes that, when taken together, they address all vulnerable segments of the society whether or not they contribute (or contributed at a previous stage) to a social welfare fund. The reason I am making this proposal is that a number of studies in Africa and Latin America have shown that an increasing number of aging people is using their welfare benefits to support their grand children (many of them orphaned by HIV/AIDS) or their daughters who have become single-mothers. This sharing of benefits by the recipients within an extended family network benefits some unintended members but decreases the material benefits of the intended members. The ultimate result of such situations is that the beneficiary and the individuals he/she feels obliged to support will all survive at levels below descent human living standard. The overall objective of achieving social welfare for the society will be attained only when we have a social protection system that cares for all vulnerable groups such as single mothers; widows; people with disabilities; aging people; and vulnerable children.
It is also important to note that the number of people who contribute/contributed to pension funds and other contributory social welfare systems in developing countries are limited compared to other vulnerable groups in these societies. This is attributable to reasons that have to deal with types of employment and the relatively recent history of welfare programs in these countries.
Who should manage such schemes or system? Certainly the state has a prime responsibility here. However, for the purpose of accountability and transparency, senior technical positions should be offered on competitive grounds to those who have the required technical competencies, commitment, vision and zeal. Beneficiaries and civil society organizations should be represented (as appropriate) at the central and sub-national levels of the management structure.
How should such management systems work? The decentralization of the management structure of social protection is important. The identification of beneficiaries and the assessment of benefits/impact on them must be entrusted to accountable management structures at district levels.
Regards
Munir Safieldin
Deputy Representative
UNICEF Tanzania Office
Monday, January 18, 2010
MALUMBANO YA SIASA ZA TANZANIA NA ZANZIBAR
From: yussuf_salim@hotmail.com, January 18, 2010
Makamba sikia : Amani atimiza ahadi kwa Marehemu Baba yake
Makamba anazidi kukiaibisha chama chake kwa mara nyengine tena, kwa kutoa kauli zisio na mvungu. Katika mtindo wake wa kawaida wa kusema kwanza halafu kufikiri baadae, anarejea tena kuwafanya viongozi wengine wa nchi, kukenya –kenya huku wakigubika nyuso zao zisionekane. Kwa viongozi wengine wa CCM hali hii kwa mara nyengine tena imewafanya wajionee aibu upya. Kauli za kuvurumisha maneno ovyo, hulengea aliyekuwemo na asiyekuwemo. Mwenyewe Makamba, akijiona stadi wa kusema, hatambui kwamba hajirejeshi yeye mwenyewe tu nyuma au sio kuirejesha CCM tu nyuma , bali heshima ya Tanzania nzima inaathirika wakati kiongozi wa juu kama yeye nchini, kila kukicha, heshi kuteleza na kujiona kapwetereka kwenye matope na kuipaka nchi nzima matope.
Hivi punde shehe Makamba aliushangaza ulimwengu wa waungwana alipotoa kauli za kuwakashif Watanzania wanaoheshimiwa Ulimwengu kote. Kauli hizo zilikuwa sawa na matusi mazito kwa Watanzania wote, Waafrika na jumuia ya Kimataifa kwa jumla ambao walikuwa wakiwathamini na kuwa enzi viongozi hao wakiwemo Mwana Diplomasia mashuhuri Salim Ahmed Salim na Mheshimiwa Jaji Warioba, wote wawili wakiwahi kushika nyadhifa nzito za Uwaziri Mkuu wa Tanzania. Vipaji viwili hivi vimeshaweka rikodi sio Tanzania tu bali hata Ulimwengu mzima wa Kimataifa. Leo Katibu Mkuu wa CCM anawatukana Viongozi hao hadharani bila kuona hata haya au vibaya.
Kipi chema mtu utatarajia kitatoka katika mdomo wa Katibu Mkuu huyu, ikiwa bwana huyu wakati huo huo atajiweka mstari wa mbele kutaka kuwafyeka wale Wabunge mashujaa wa CCM waliojitolea kutetea maslahi ya Watanzania wasiojiweza na kutetea mali ya Tanzania kwa jumla, lipi jengine hatalifanya. Badala ya desturi ya Kiongozi wa juu wa chama kujivunia kuwa na Wabunge wapenda nchi na walinda mustakbal kama hawa, kinyume chake tunamuona anatumia kila mbinu, pamoja na kubadili katiba, kuhakikisha anawaangamiza Wabunge hao. Mshangao mkubwa na bumbuwazi linampiga mtu akitanabahi kwamba kuna Kiongozi kama huyu: na kujiuliza ni maslahi ya nani mtu huyu anayatetea? Ya mafisadi waliopita au ni ufisadi ujao? Na ufisadi huo una majoka gani ndani ya mapango yake? Kama itakavyokuwa, majoka hayo hayataleta maendeleo Tanzania bali yatazidi kurejesha maendeleo nyuma na kuzidisha umasiki kwa wengi na kuzidisha utajiri kwa wachache. Ama kweli, wale waliosema kwamba kuna wanajeshi fulani hutumia vichwa vyao na wengine kutumia BUNDUKI zao, hawajakosea.
Hivi punde Wazanzibari wameamua kuchoshwa na kupigana na kuchingana wenyewe kwa wenyewe na wameamua kurudi kwa Mola wao, kumuomba msamaha kwa yaliyopita na kuamua kusameheana na kuheshimiana kama ni Wazanzibari sawa bila ya kujali mirengo yao. Wazanzibari wametanabahi kwamba hakuna yoyote kati yao aliye bora ya mwenziwe mbele ya Nchi yake na mbele ya Mola wake. Wote wamezaliwa sawa na wana haki sawa katika nchi yao ya Zanzibar. Viongozi, Rais Amani na Maalim Seif, wameamua kuchukuwa dhamana zao walizopewa na wafuasi wao, nayo ni kuwaongoza wao na nchi yao ielekee kwenye Mustakbal bora wa Zanzibar na Wazanzibari wote.
Laa, kwa Makamba hayo haiwezekani, jambo jema na usalama kwake ni marufuku kwa Zanzibar. Kila watu wakitesana, kuuwana, kunajisiana, kufanya watoto wadogo mayatima na wanawake vizuka ndio akina Makamba wanavyofurahi. Wanageuka kama wale Waspeni wanaofurahishwa na mchezo wa n´gombe na kuona raha pale n´gombe anapochirizika damu na hatimae kutiwa upanga wa roho na kufyatua fyatua miguu huku wakikata roho wakizungukwa na dimbwi la damu. Hali kama hiyo huwa wanaifurahia kina Makamba wanapowaona Wazanzibari wakikata roho wakimiminika na kuogelea katika madimbwi ya damu zao wenyewe.
Akina Makamba hawachoki kutumia vibaraka na vitimba kwiri vyao vinavyo vikiwemo vile vinavyo gombania tiket za Uraisi wa Zanzibar kuvusha wanajeshi na polisi kutoka Bara kwenda Zanzibar kuuwa, kunajisi n.k. na wao wakikaa juu ya majukwaa na kupiga makofi.
Viongozi wema mfano wa akina Mwanadiplomasia Salim Ahmed, Jaji Warioba, Wabunge washupavu wanaopigania walalahoi, ni viongozi wanao hatarisha maslahi ya akina Makamaba na Msekwa. Viongozi wanaowatakia mema Watanzania ni maadui kwa watu kama Makamba na Msekwa. Kina Makamba hawaoni raha kama madimbwi ya damu za Wazanzibari hayamwagiki kila kukiwa na uchaguzi. Kwa hivyo kwao Viongozi kama Rais Amani na Maalim Seif ni watu wanaowaogopa sana na sifa kwao kuwawekea kila vizingiti.
Lakini Makamba kasahau kwamba kuna jambo linaloitwa ”Ya Mbayana”, na hili lina ashirika wazi pale Makamba anapojaribu kumnukuu Mwenyekiti Mao na kusema kwamba ”ukimuona adui anakusifu ujue ana lake. ” Kauli hii ina ukweli kabisa na kumdhihirisha nani ni adui wa Wazanzibari na adui wa kutaka kumuangamiza Rais Amani, yule wa msatri wa mbele kabisa wa kutaka kuafanya hivyo ni Makamba akifuatiwa na Msekwa. Wanajaribu kumramba kisogo Rais Amani wakidhani hawaoni. Wamejionyesha kwamba ni wao ndio hasa MAADUI wenyewe, kama alivyosema Mwenyekiti Mao. Huyu wa pili, yaani Msekwa, vile vile anamuonea choyo cha kisiasa Rais Amani kwa kuwa ingawa ni Makamu Mwenyekiti kama yeye, lakini mwenziwe ni Rais wa nchi nzima, ingawa walifanya mbinu za kuinyan´ganya Zanzibar U-Makamu wake wa U-Rais.
Napenda kumkumbusha Katibu Mkuu Makamba kwamba, Mwenyekiti Mao katika mengi aliyosema, alisema vile vile kwamba, ”kuna kutofautiana kwa kimgongano na kutofautina kusiko kwa kimgongano” yaani ”antagonistic contraditions na non-antagonistic contradictons” au msemo huo haujui ? Kutokana na msemo huo ndio maana Mwenyekiti Mao na Chang Kai Chek wakaamua kuungana na kumtoa Mjapani NCHINI mwao. Sasa inaonyesha Rais Amani na Maalim Seif wamesoma somo hilo vizuri, ila Katibu Makamba bado anataka damu imwagike akidhani vitimbwa kwiri wake watamsaidia kwa njama hizo.
Somo jengine muhimu Mheshimiwa Makamba inafaa ajifunze ni kwamba Rais Amani anatekeleza lile Marehemu Baba yake alilolianza lakini kutowahi kulimaliza. Sidhani kama hili analijua ndugu Makamba, kwani ni wale tu wanaojua shina na kina cha historia ya Zanzibar ndio wanaoweza kujua undani huo. Makamba akae ajue kwamba kabla ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar, Mzee Abeid Amani Karume na Sh. Ali Muhsin walikuwa na mazungumzo ya siri kabisa kutaka kufanya serikali ya MSETO Zanzibar. Kwa bahati hii au ile Mapinduzi yakatokea kabla mpango huo kutekelezwa na ndio maana wakati Sh. Ali Muhsin akishindikizwa kuingia katika kambi ya Rahaleo alipokamatwa baada ya Mapinduzi Mzee Karume akamwambia kwamba ”haya Mapinduzi yameharibu mpango wetu Serikali ya Kitaifa”.
Hio ni sababu moja wapo ya kumfanya Rais Amani akawa na deni la kutimiza ahadi kwa Marehemu Baba yake.
Wasalaam
Dr. Yussuf S. Salim
Copenhagen
Denmark
Makamba sikia : Amani atimiza ahadi kwa Marehemu Baba yake
Makamba anazidi kukiaibisha chama chake kwa mara nyengine tena, kwa kutoa kauli zisio na mvungu. Katika mtindo wake wa kawaida wa kusema kwanza halafu kufikiri baadae, anarejea tena kuwafanya viongozi wengine wa nchi, kukenya –kenya huku wakigubika nyuso zao zisionekane. Kwa viongozi wengine wa CCM hali hii kwa mara nyengine tena imewafanya wajionee aibu upya. Kauli za kuvurumisha maneno ovyo, hulengea aliyekuwemo na asiyekuwemo. Mwenyewe Makamba, akijiona stadi wa kusema, hatambui kwamba hajirejeshi yeye mwenyewe tu nyuma au sio kuirejesha CCM tu nyuma , bali heshima ya Tanzania nzima inaathirika wakati kiongozi wa juu kama yeye nchini, kila kukicha, heshi kuteleza na kujiona kapwetereka kwenye matope na kuipaka nchi nzima matope.
Hivi punde shehe Makamba aliushangaza ulimwengu wa waungwana alipotoa kauli za kuwakashif Watanzania wanaoheshimiwa Ulimwengu kote. Kauli hizo zilikuwa sawa na matusi mazito kwa Watanzania wote, Waafrika na jumuia ya Kimataifa kwa jumla ambao walikuwa wakiwathamini na kuwa enzi viongozi hao wakiwemo Mwana Diplomasia mashuhuri Salim Ahmed Salim na Mheshimiwa Jaji Warioba, wote wawili wakiwahi kushika nyadhifa nzito za Uwaziri Mkuu wa Tanzania. Vipaji viwili hivi vimeshaweka rikodi sio Tanzania tu bali hata Ulimwengu mzima wa Kimataifa. Leo Katibu Mkuu wa CCM anawatukana Viongozi hao hadharani bila kuona hata haya au vibaya.
Kipi chema mtu utatarajia kitatoka katika mdomo wa Katibu Mkuu huyu, ikiwa bwana huyu wakati huo huo atajiweka mstari wa mbele kutaka kuwafyeka wale Wabunge mashujaa wa CCM waliojitolea kutetea maslahi ya Watanzania wasiojiweza na kutetea mali ya Tanzania kwa jumla, lipi jengine hatalifanya. Badala ya desturi ya Kiongozi wa juu wa chama kujivunia kuwa na Wabunge wapenda nchi na walinda mustakbal kama hawa, kinyume chake tunamuona anatumia kila mbinu, pamoja na kubadili katiba, kuhakikisha anawaangamiza Wabunge hao. Mshangao mkubwa na bumbuwazi linampiga mtu akitanabahi kwamba kuna Kiongozi kama huyu: na kujiuliza ni maslahi ya nani mtu huyu anayatetea? Ya mafisadi waliopita au ni ufisadi ujao? Na ufisadi huo una majoka gani ndani ya mapango yake? Kama itakavyokuwa, majoka hayo hayataleta maendeleo Tanzania bali yatazidi kurejesha maendeleo nyuma na kuzidisha umasiki kwa wengi na kuzidisha utajiri kwa wachache. Ama kweli, wale waliosema kwamba kuna wanajeshi fulani hutumia vichwa vyao na wengine kutumia BUNDUKI zao, hawajakosea.
Hivi punde Wazanzibari wameamua kuchoshwa na kupigana na kuchingana wenyewe kwa wenyewe na wameamua kurudi kwa Mola wao, kumuomba msamaha kwa yaliyopita na kuamua kusameheana na kuheshimiana kama ni Wazanzibari sawa bila ya kujali mirengo yao. Wazanzibari wametanabahi kwamba hakuna yoyote kati yao aliye bora ya mwenziwe mbele ya Nchi yake na mbele ya Mola wake. Wote wamezaliwa sawa na wana haki sawa katika nchi yao ya Zanzibar. Viongozi, Rais Amani na Maalim Seif, wameamua kuchukuwa dhamana zao walizopewa na wafuasi wao, nayo ni kuwaongoza wao na nchi yao ielekee kwenye Mustakbal bora wa Zanzibar na Wazanzibari wote.
Laa, kwa Makamba hayo haiwezekani, jambo jema na usalama kwake ni marufuku kwa Zanzibar. Kila watu wakitesana, kuuwana, kunajisiana, kufanya watoto wadogo mayatima na wanawake vizuka ndio akina Makamba wanavyofurahi. Wanageuka kama wale Waspeni wanaofurahishwa na mchezo wa n´gombe na kuona raha pale n´gombe anapochirizika damu na hatimae kutiwa upanga wa roho na kufyatua fyatua miguu huku wakikata roho wakizungukwa na dimbwi la damu. Hali kama hiyo huwa wanaifurahia kina Makamba wanapowaona Wazanzibari wakikata roho wakimiminika na kuogelea katika madimbwi ya damu zao wenyewe.
Akina Makamba hawachoki kutumia vibaraka na vitimba kwiri vyao vinavyo vikiwemo vile vinavyo gombania tiket za Uraisi wa Zanzibar kuvusha wanajeshi na polisi kutoka Bara kwenda Zanzibar kuuwa, kunajisi n.k. na wao wakikaa juu ya majukwaa na kupiga makofi.
Viongozi wema mfano wa akina Mwanadiplomasia Salim Ahmed, Jaji Warioba, Wabunge washupavu wanaopigania walalahoi, ni viongozi wanao hatarisha maslahi ya akina Makamaba na Msekwa. Viongozi wanaowatakia mema Watanzania ni maadui kwa watu kama Makamba na Msekwa. Kina Makamba hawaoni raha kama madimbwi ya damu za Wazanzibari hayamwagiki kila kukiwa na uchaguzi. Kwa hivyo kwao Viongozi kama Rais Amani na Maalim Seif ni watu wanaowaogopa sana na sifa kwao kuwawekea kila vizingiti.
Lakini Makamba kasahau kwamba kuna jambo linaloitwa ”Ya Mbayana”, na hili lina ashirika wazi pale Makamba anapojaribu kumnukuu Mwenyekiti Mao na kusema kwamba ”ukimuona adui anakusifu ujue ana lake. ” Kauli hii ina ukweli kabisa na kumdhihirisha nani ni adui wa Wazanzibari na adui wa kutaka kumuangamiza Rais Amani, yule wa msatri wa mbele kabisa wa kutaka kuafanya hivyo ni Makamba akifuatiwa na Msekwa. Wanajaribu kumramba kisogo Rais Amani wakidhani hawaoni. Wamejionyesha kwamba ni wao ndio hasa MAADUI wenyewe, kama alivyosema Mwenyekiti Mao. Huyu wa pili, yaani Msekwa, vile vile anamuonea choyo cha kisiasa Rais Amani kwa kuwa ingawa ni Makamu Mwenyekiti kama yeye, lakini mwenziwe ni Rais wa nchi nzima, ingawa walifanya mbinu za kuinyan´ganya Zanzibar U-Makamu wake wa U-Rais.
Napenda kumkumbusha Katibu Mkuu Makamba kwamba, Mwenyekiti Mao katika mengi aliyosema, alisema vile vile kwamba, ”kuna kutofautiana kwa kimgongano na kutofautina kusiko kwa kimgongano” yaani ”antagonistic contraditions na non-antagonistic contradictons” au msemo huo haujui ? Kutokana na msemo huo ndio maana Mwenyekiti Mao na Chang Kai Chek wakaamua kuungana na kumtoa Mjapani NCHINI mwao. Sasa inaonyesha Rais Amani na Maalim Seif wamesoma somo hilo vizuri, ila Katibu Makamba bado anataka damu imwagike akidhani vitimbwa kwiri wake watamsaidia kwa njama hizo.
Somo jengine muhimu Mheshimiwa Makamba inafaa ajifunze ni kwamba Rais Amani anatekeleza lile Marehemu Baba yake alilolianza lakini kutowahi kulimaliza. Sidhani kama hili analijua ndugu Makamba, kwani ni wale tu wanaojua shina na kina cha historia ya Zanzibar ndio wanaoweza kujua undani huo. Makamba akae ajue kwamba kabla ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar, Mzee Abeid Amani Karume na Sh. Ali Muhsin walikuwa na mazungumzo ya siri kabisa kutaka kufanya serikali ya MSETO Zanzibar. Kwa bahati hii au ile Mapinduzi yakatokea kabla mpango huo kutekelezwa na ndio maana wakati Sh. Ali Muhsin akishindikizwa kuingia katika kambi ya Rahaleo alipokamatwa baada ya Mapinduzi Mzee Karume akamwambia kwamba ”haya Mapinduzi yameharibu mpango wetu Serikali ya Kitaifa”.
Hio ni sababu moja wapo ya kumfanya Rais Amani akawa na deni la kutimiza ahadi kwa Marehemu Baba yake.
Wasalaam
Dr. Yussuf S. Salim
Copenhagen
Denmark
Saturday, January 16, 2010
VITA YA TEMBO NA NYASI (au ya Nyangumi na Dagaa majini)
January 12, 2010
> Heading for Another Quagmire
> The Quiet American Goes to Yemen
> By URI AVNERY
> The Quiet American was the hero of Graham Greene’s novel about the first Vietnam War, the one fought by the French.
> He was a young and naïve American, a professor’s son, who had enjoyed a good education at Harvard, an idealist with all the best intentions. When he was sent to Vietnam, he wanted to help the natives to overcome the two evils as he saw them: French colonialism and Communism. Knowing absolutely nothing about the country in which he was acting, he caused a disaster. The book ends with a massacre, the outcome of his misguided efforts. He illustrated the old saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
> Since this book was written, 54 years have passed, but it seems that the Quiet American has not changed a bit. He is still an idealist (at least, in his own view of himself), still wants to bring redemption to foreign and far-away peoples about whom he knows nothing, still causes terrible disasters: in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now, it seems, in Yemen.
> THE IRAQI example is the simplest one.
> The American soldiers were sent there to overthrow the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein. There were, of course, also some less altruistic objectives, such as taking control of the Iraqi oil resources and stationing an American garrison in the heart of the Middle Eastern oil region. But for the American public, the adventure was presented as an idealistic enterprise to topple a bloody dictator, who was menacing the world with nuclear bombs.
> That was six years ago, and the war is still going on. Barack Obama, who opposed the war right from the start, promised to lead the Americans out of there. In the meantime, in spite of all the talking, no end is in sight.
> Why? Because the real decision-makers in Washington had no idea of the country which they wanted to liberate and help to live happily ever after.
> Iraq was from the beginning an artificial state. The British masters glued together several Ottoman provinces to suit their own colonial interests. They crowned a Sunni Arab as king over the Kurds, who are not Arab, and the Shiites, who are not Sunni. Only a succession of dictators, each of them more brutal than his predecessor, prevented the state from falling apart.
> The Washington planners were not interested in the history, demography or geography of the country which they entered with brutal force. The way it looked to them, it was quite simple: One had to topple the tyrant, establish democratic institutions on the American model, conduct free elections, and everything else would fall into place by itself.
> Contrary to their expectations, they were not received with flowers. Neither did they discover Saddam’s terrible atom bomb. Like the proverbial elephant in the porcelain shop, they shattered everything, destroyed the country and got bogged in a swamp.
> After years of bloody military operations that led nowhere, they found a temporary remedy. To hell with idealism, to hell with the lofty aims, to hell with all military doctrines – they’re now simply buying off the tribal chiefs, who constitute the reality of Iraq.
> The Quiet American has no idea how to get out. He knows that if he does, the country may well disintegrate in mutual bloodletting.
> * * *
> TWO YEARS before entering the Iraqi swamp, the Americans invaded the Afghan quagmire.
> Why? Because an organization called al-Qaeda (“the basis”) had claimed responsibility for the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. Al-Qaeda’s chiefs were in Afghanistan, their training camps were there. To the Americans, everything was clear – there was no need for second thoughts (neither, for that matter, for first thoughts.)
> If they had had any knowledge of the country they were about to invade, they might have, perhaps, hesitated. Afghanistan has always been a graveyard for invaders. Mighty empires had escaped from there with their tails between their legs. Unlike flat Iraq, Afghanistan is a country of mountains, a paradise for guerrillas. It is the home of several different peoples and uncounted tribes, each one fiercely jealous of its independence.
> The Washington planners were not really interested. For them, it seems, all countries are the same, and so are all societies. In Afghanistan, too, American-style democracy must be established, free and fair elections must be held, and hoppla – everything else will sort itself out.
> The elephant entered the shop without knocking and achieved a resounding victory. The Air Force pounded, the army conquered without problems, al-Qaeda disappeared like a ghost, the Taliban (“religious pupils”) ran away. Women could again appear in the streets without covering their hair, girls could attend schools, the opium fields flourished again, and so did Washington’s protégés in Kabul.
> However - the war goes on, year after year, the number of American dead is rising inexorably. What for? Nobody knows. It seems as if the war has acquired a life of its own, without aim, without reason.
> An American could well ask himself: What the hell are we doing there?
> * * *
> THE IMMEDIATE aim, the expulsion of al-Qaeda from Afghanistan, has ostensibly been achieved. Al-Qaeda is not there – if it ever really was there.
> I wrote once that al-Qaeda is an America invention and that Osama Bin-Laden has been sent by Hollywood’s Central Casting to play the role. He is simply too good to be true.
> That was, of course, a bit of an exaggeration. But not altogether. The US is always in need of a world-wide enemy. In the past it was International Communism, whose agents were lurking behind every tree and under every floor tile. But, alas, the Soviet Union and its minions had collapsed, there was an urgent need for an enemy to fill the void. This was found in the shape of the world-wide jihad of al-Qaeda. The crushing of “World Terrorism” became the overriding American aim.
> That aim is nonsense. Terrorism is nothing but an instrument of war. It is used by organizations that are vastly different from each other, which are fighting in vastly different countries for vastly different objectives. A war on “International Terror” is like a war on “International Artillery” or “International Navy”.
> A world-embracing movement led by Osama Bin-Laden just does not exist. Thanks to the Americans, al-Qaeda has become a prestige brand in the guerrilla market, much like McDonald’s and Armani in the world of fast food and fashion. Every militant Islamist organization can appropriate the name for itself, even without a franchise from Bin-Laden.
> American client regimes, who used to brand all their local enemies as “communist” in order to procure the help of their patrons, now brand them as “al-Qaeda terrorists”.
> Nobody knows where Bin-Laden is – if he is at all – and there is no proof of his being in Afghanistan. Some believe that he is in neighboring Pakistan. And even if he were hiding in Afghanistan – what justification is there for conducting a war and killing thousands of people in order to hunt down one person?
> Some say: OK, so there is no Bin-Laden. But the Taliban have to be prevented from coming back.
> Why, for god’s sake? What business is it of the US who rules Afghanistan? One can loathe religious fanatics in general and the Taliban in particular – but is this a reason for an endless war?
> If the Afghans themselves prefer the Taliban to the opium dealers who are in power in Kabul, it is their business. It seems that they do, judging by the fact that the Taliban are again in control of most of the country. That is no good reason for a Vietnam-style war.
> But how do you get out? Obama does not know. During the election campaign he promised, with a candidate’s foolhardiness, to enlarge the war there, as a compensation for leaving Iraq. Now he is stuck in both places – and in the near future, it seems, he will be stuck in a third war, too.
> * * *
> DURING THE last few days, the name of Yemen has been cropping up more and more often. Yemen – a second Afghanistan, a third Vietnam.
> The elephant is raring to enter another shop. And this time, too, it doesn’t care about the porcelain.
> I know very little about Yemen, but enough to understand that only a madman would want to be sucked in there. It is another artificial state, composed of two different parts – the country of Sanaa in the North and the (former British) South. Most of the country is mountainous terrain, ruled by bellicose tribes guarding their independence. Like Afghanistan, it is an ideal region for guerrilla warfare.
> There, too, is an organization that has adopted the grandiose name of “Al-Qaeda of the Arab Peninsula” (after the Yemenite militants united with their Saudi brothers). But its chiefs are interested in world revolution much less than in the intrigues and battles of the tribes among themselves and against the “central” government, a reality with a history of thousands of years. Only a complete fool would lay his head on this bed.
> The name Yemen means “country on the right”. (If one looks towards Mecca from the West, Yemen is on the right side and Syria on the left.) The right side also connotes happiness, and the name of Yemen is connected to al-Yamana, an Arabic word for being happy. The Romans called it Arabia Felix (“Happy Arabia”) because it was rich through trading in spices.
> (By the way, Obama may be interested to hear that another leader of a superpower, Caesar Augustus, once tried to invade Yemen and was trounced.)
> If the Quiet American, in his usual mixture of idealism and ignorance, decides to bring democracy and all the other goodies there, that will be the end of this happiness. The Americans will sink into another quagmire, tens of thousands of people will be killed, and it will all end in disaster.
> * * *
> IT MAY well be that the problem is rooted – inter alia – in the architecture of Washington DC.
> This city is full of huge buildings populated with the ministries and other offices of the only superpower in the world. The people working there feel the tremendous might of their empire. They look upon the tribal chiefs of Afghanistan and Yemen as a rhinoceros looks down at the ants that rush around between its feet. The Rhino walks over them without noticing. But the ants survive.
> Altogether, the Quiet American resembles Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust, who defines himself as the force that “always wants the bad and always creates the good”. Only the other way round.
> Uri Avnery is an Israeli writer and peace activist with Gush Shalom. He is a contributor to CounterPunch's book The Politics of Anti-Semitism
>
> Heading for Another Quagmire
> The Quiet American Goes to Yemen
> By URI AVNERY
> The Quiet American was the hero of Graham Greene’s novel about the first Vietnam War, the one fought by the French.
> He was a young and naïve American, a professor’s son, who had enjoyed a good education at Harvard, an idealist with all the best intentions. When he was sent to Vietnam, he wanted to help the natives to overcome the two evils as he saw them: French colonialism and Communism. Knowing absolutely nothing about the country in which he was acting, he caused a disaster. The book ends with a massacre, the outcome of his misguided efforts. He illustrated the old saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
> Since this book was written, 54 years have passed, but it seems that the Quiet American has not changed a bit. He is still an idealist (at least, in his own view of himself), still wants to bring redemption to foreign and far-away peoples about whom he knows nothing, still causes terrible disasters: in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now, it seems, in Yemen.
> THE IRAQI example is the simplest one.
> The American soldiers were sent there to overthrow the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein. There were, of course, also some less altruistic objectives, such as taking control of the Iraqi oil resources and stationing an American garrison in the heart of the Middle Eastern oil region. But for the American public, the adventure was presented as an idealistic enterprise to topple a bloody dictator, who was menacing the world with nuclear bombs.
> That was six years ago, and the war is still going on. Barack Obama, who opposed the war right from the start, promised to lead the Americans out of there. In the meantime, in spite of all the talking, no end is in sight.
> Why? Because the real decision-makers in Washington had no idea of the country which they wanted to liberate and help to live happily ever after.
> Iraq was from the beginning an artificial state. The British masters glued together several Ottoman provinces to suit their own colonial interests. They crowned a Sunni Arab as king over the Kurds, who are not Arab, and the Shiites, who are not Sunni. Only a succession of dictators, each of them more brutal than his predecessor, prevented the state from falling apart.
> The Washington planners were not interested in the history, demography or geography of the country which they entered with brutal force. The way it looked to them, it was quite simple: One had to topple the tyrant, establish democratic institutions on the American model, conduct free elections, and everything else would fall into place by itself.
> Contrary to their expectations, they were not received with flowers. Neither did they discover Saddam’s terrible atom bomb. Like the proverbial elephant in the porcelain shop, they shattered everything, destroyed the country and got bogged in a swamp.
> After years of bloody military operations that led nowhere, they found a temporary remedy. To hell with idealism, to hell with the lofty aims, to hell with all military doctrines – they’re now simply buying off the tribal chiefs, who constitute the reality of Iraq.
> The Quiet American has no idea how to get out. He knows that if he does, the country may well disintegrate in mutual bloodletting.
> * * *
> TWO YEARS before entering the Iraqi swamp, the Americans invaded the Afghan quagmire.
> Why? Because an organization called al-Qaeda (“the basis”) had claimed responsibility for the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. Al-Qaeda’s chiefs were in Afghanistan, their training camps were there. To the Americans, everything was clear – there was no need for second thoughts (neither, for that matter, for first thoughts.)
> If they had had any knowledge of the country they were about to invade, they might have, perhaps, hesitated. Afghanistan has always been a graveyard for invaders. Mighty empires had escaped from there with their tails between their legs. Unlike flat Iraq, Afghanistan is a country of mountains, a paradise for guerrillas. It is the home of several different peoples and uncounted tribes, each one fiercely jealous of its independence.
> The Washington planners were not really interested. For them, it seems, all countries are the same, and so are all societies. In Afghanistan, too, American-style democracy must be established, free and fair elections must be held, and hoppla – everything else will sort itself out.
> The elephant entered the shop without knocking and achieved a resounding victory. The Air Force pounded, the army conquered without problems, al-Qaeda disappeared like a ghost, the Taliban (“religious pupils”) ran away. Women could again appear in the streets without covering their hair, girls could attend schools, the opium fields flourished again, and so did Washington’s protégés in Kabul.
> However - the war goes on, year after year, the number of American dead is rising inexorably. What for? Nobody knows. It seems as if the war has acquired a life of its own, without aim, without reason.
> An American could well ask himself: What the hell are we doing there?
> * * *
> THE IMMEDIATE aim, the expulsion of al-Qaeda from Afghanistan, has ostensibly been achieved. Al-Qaeda is not there – if it ever really was there.
> I wrote once that al-Qaeda is an America invention and that Osama Bin-Laden has been sent by Hollywood’s Central Casting to play the role. He is simply too good to be true.
> That was, of course, a bit of an exaggeration. But not altogether. The US is always in need of a world-wide enemy. In the past it was International Communism, whose agents were lurking behind every tree and under every floor tile. But, alas, the Soviet Union and its minions had collapsed, there was an urgent need for an enemy to fill the void. This was found in the shape of the world-wide jihad of al-Qaeda. The crushing of “World Terrorism” became the overriding American aim.
> That aim is nonsense. Terrorism is nothing but an instrument of war. It is used by organizations that are vastly different from each other, which are fighting in vastly different countries for vastly different objectives. A war on “International Terror” is like a war on “International Artillery” or “International Navy”.
> A world-embracing movement led by Osama Bin-Laden just does not exist. Thanks to the Americans, al-Qaeda has become a prestige brand in the guerrilla market, much like McDonald’s and Armani in the world of fast food and fashion. Every militant Islamist organization can appropriate the name for itself, even without a franchise from Bin-Laden.
> American client regimes, who used to brand all their local enemies as “communist” in order to procure the help of their patrons, now brand them as “al-Qaeda terrorists”.
> Nobody knows where Bin-Laden is – if he is at all – and there is no proof of his being in Afghanistan. Some believe that he is in neighboring Pakistan. And even if he were hiding in Afghanistan – what justification is there for conducting a war and killing thousands of people in order to hunt down one person?
> Some say: OK, so there is no Bin-Laden. But the Taliban have to be prevented from coming back.
> Why, for god’s sake? What business is it of the US who rules Afghanistan? One can loathe religious fanatics in general and the Taliban in particular – but is this a reason for an endless war?
> If the Afghans themselves prefer the Taliban to the opium dealers who are in power in Kabul, it is their business. It seems that they do, judging by the fact that the Taliban are again in control of most of the country. That is no good reason for a Vietnam-style war.
> But how do you get out? Obama does not know. During the election campaign he promised, with a candidate’s foolhardiness, to enlarge the war there, as a compensation for leaving Iraq. Now he is stuck in both places – and in the near future, it seems, he will be stuck in a third war, too.
> * * *
> DURING THE last few days, the name of Yemen has been cropping up more and more often. Yemen – a second Afghanistan, a third Vietnam.
> The elephant is raring to enter another shop. And this time, too, it doesn’t care about the porcelain.
> I know very little about Yemen, but enough to understand that only a madman would want to be sucked in there. It is another artificial state, composed of two different parts – the country of Sanaa in the North and the (former British) South. Most of the country is mountainous terrain, ruled by bellicose tribes guarding their independence. Like Afghanistan, it is an ideal region for guerrilla warfare.
> There, too, is an organization that has adopted the grandiose name of “Al-Qaeda of the Arab Peninsula” (after the Yemenite militants united with their Saudi brothers). But its chiefs are interested in world revolution much less than in the intrigues and battles of the tribes among themselves and against the “central” government, a reality with a history of thousands of years. Only a complete fool would lay his head on this bed.
> The name Yemen means “country on the right”. (If one looks towards Mecca from the West, Yemen is on the right side and Syria on the left.) The right side also connotes happiness, and the name of Yemen is connected to al-Yamana, an Arabic word for being happy. The Romans called it Arabia Felix (“Happy Arabia”) because it was rich through trading in spices.
> (By the way, Obama may be interested to hear that another leader of a superpower, Caesar Augustus, once tried to invade Yemen and was trounced.)
> If the Quiet American, in his usual mixture of idealism and ignorance, decides to bring democracy and all the other goodies there, that will be the end of this happiness. The Americans will sink into another quagmire, tens of thousands of people will be killed, and it will all end in disaster.
> * * *
> IT MAY well be that the problem is rooted – inter alia – in the architecture of Washington DC.
> This city is full of huge buildings populated with the ministries and other offices of the only superpower in the world. The people working there feel the tremendous might of their empire. They look upon the tribal chiefs of Afghanistan and Yemen as a rhinoceros looks down at the ants that rush around between its feet. The Rhino walks over them without noticing. But the ants survive.
> Altogether, the Quiet American resembles Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust, who defines himself as the force that “always wants the bad and always creates the good”. Only the other way round.
> Uri Avnery is an Israeli writer and peace activist with Gush Shalom. He is a contributor to CounterPunch's book The Politics of Anti-Semitism
>
AINA 10 YA AJIRA ZISIZOKUWEPO MIAKA 10 ILIYOPITA
On Sat, Jan 16, 2010 at 1:23 AM, wrote:
10 Careers That Didn't Exist 10 Years Ago
By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer
Every so often, you meet someone with a job title that makes you go, "Huh?" Either it's too technical to understand, too hard to describe or in some cases, people just may not have heard of it. But, why would someone not have heard about a job's existence?
Simple: All the changes that have come about in the past 10 years, from environmental policy to emerging technologies to the recession, have contributed to the creation of careers that never could have existed before.
Dom Sagolla, co-creator of Twitter, for example, recently made the switch from working in research and development at Adobe to creating iPhone applications with his company, DollarApp. Sagolla is also authoring a book, "140 Characters," which demonstrates the effect of hypertext on literature by redefining the concept of "the book" using Twitter and iPhone to start, he says. Could he have done this 10 years ago? Doubtful.
"I've noticed that the best-of-breed iPhone apps incorporate Twitter and social networks, and the best Twitter apps seem to be on iPhone," Sagolla says. "That is no coincidence: The two came to prominence at roughly the same time. I've worked hard to position myself at intersection of those two industries, which form a vortex of attention and zeal that is unmatched."
Here is a little information about 10 careers that didn't exist a decade ago:
1. Bloggers
What they do: Bloggers research and write blog posts in a conversational style to engage readers online. They work for themselves or for corporations, but their goal is the same: to develop and maintain blogs to promote a brand, mission or objective. Jimmy Moore, owner of "Livin La Vida Low-Carb," started his blog in April 2005 after losing 180 pounds. He wrote about it while still employed in a customer service position. He began blogging full time in October 2006.
"My annual income increased from about $25,000 a year to nearly $60,000 now. I get to work out of my home, I've written two books, host my twice-weekly health podcast show on iTunes, do YouTube videos and so much more. This is literally my dream job," he says. "[It] didn't even exist a decade ago."
2. Community managers or content managers
What they do: Community or content managers are an extension of a typical marketing role, but on a more personal level. They serve as a liaison between the company and the public, managing a Web site that allows them to engage with community members and spread the word about the company.
Erin Bury has been the community manager at Sprouter, a Toronto company that enables collaboration and networking among entrepreneurs, for almost one year. She says, "A community manager is a nontraditional role, so it requires some unique traits: the ability to adapt quickly, the ability to juggle a multitude of tasks while still keeping a smile on their face, and an innate passion for what they do. This isn't a 9-to-5 job; it's one that involves being an extension of the brand almost 24/7, which is why loving the company and the job is a prerequisite."
3. Green funeral directors
What they do: Green funeral directors incorporate environmentally friendly options to meet the needs of families who want a green service.
"A green funeral may include any or all of the following basic options: no embalming or embalming with formaldehyde-free products; the use of sustainable biodegradable clothing, shroud or casket; using recycled paper products, locally grown organic flowers, organic food; car pooling; arranging a small memorial gathering in a natural setting; [or a] natural or green burial," says Elizabeth Fournier, a funeral home owner who works as a green mortician. "It's a fabulous opening for an individual who is green-minded in all aspects of their work."
4. Interior redesigners
What they do: Instead of spending $500 on a new couch, why not use that money to hire an interior redesigner who will find new ways to decorate with items you already own? Interior redesigners remodel your home using the things you already have, either repurposing them for other uses or putting them in other rooms, etc.
Jennifer Schweikert, owner of Just My Style by JMS, says, "In a time of 'less is more,' people streamlining possessions, baby boomers and seniors downsizing, and the green movement of reduce, reuse and recycle, interior redesign is an up-and-coming field of work that addresses these needs in today's lifestyle and economy."
5. Patient advocates
What they do: There are several types of patient advocates, and although their services vary, all of them want to make sure that the patient and family are informed and to make things easier on everyone. Advocates can go with patients to appointments; ensure they're visiting with the right specialists and taking the right medicines; sort through medical bills and negotiate fees with health-care providers and insurance companies; they can even educate family members on proper care for their sick loved one.
6. Senior move management
What they do: Senior move management companies help older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of downsizing, relocating or modifying their homes.
7. Social media strategists
What they do: Social media strategists use social media tools to help companies interact with customers, increase brand awareness, create buzz, increase traffic and provide information.
8. User experience analyst
What they do: User experience analysts look for ways to make using a Web site easier, more pleasant and more engaging for consumers. They want to figure out how to keep you on their site and how to make your experience while you're there memorable and useful.
9. Video journalists
What they do: In the 1960s, reporters had to shoot and edit their own stories because of lack of manpower and resources. Now, almost 50 years later, this role is back, but now it's called video journalism. To save money, large-market news groups hire small-market reporters as video journalists at a fraction of the cost. They are usually assigned stories to produce for the station Web site, finding content to drive Web traffic.
10. Virtual business service providers
What they do: Many people are forming their own companies by way of telecommuting, offering such virtual services as customer service, concierge services or even public relations from their homes.
"Thanks to the birth of the Internet and the rise of new industries because of it, my company was born. The rise of virtual companies like ours has provided jobs for lots of people," says Deborah Sittig, owner of Green Room Public Relations.
Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CBwriterRZ.
10 Careers That Didn't Exist 10 Years Ago
By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer
Every so often, you meet someone with a job title that makes you go, "Huh?" Either it's too technical to understand, too hard to describe or in some cases, people just may not have heard of it. But, why would someone not have heard about a job's existence?
Simple: All the changes that have come about in the past 10 years, from environmental policy to emerging technologies to the recession, have contributed to the creation of careers that never could have existed before.
Dom Sagolla, co-creator of Twitter, for example, recently made the switch from working in research and development at Adobe to creating iPhone applications with his company, DollarApp. Sagolla is also authoring a book, "140 Characters," which demonstrates the effect of hypertext on literature by redefining the concept of "the book" using Twitter and iPhone to start, he says. Could he have done this 10 years ago? Doubtful.
"I've noticed that the best-of-breed iPhone apps incorporate Twitter and social networks, and the best Twitter apps seem to be on iPhone," Sagolla says. "That is no coincidence: The two came to prominence at roughly the same time. I've worked hard to position myself at intersection of those two industries, which form a vortex of attention and zeal that is unmatched."
Here is a little information about 10 careers that didn't exist a decade ago:
1. Bloggers
What they do: Bloggers research and write blog posts in a conversational style to engage readers online. They work for themselves or for corporations, but their goal is the same: to develop and maintain blogs to promote a brand, mission or objective. Jimmy Moore, owner of "Livin La Vida Low-Carb," started his blog in April 2005 after losing 180 pounds. He wrote about it while still employed in a customer service position. He began blogging full time in October 2006.
"My annual income increased from about $25,000 a year to nearly $60,000 now. I get to work out of my home, I've written two books, host my twice-weekly health podcast show on iTunes, do YouTube videos and so much more. This is literally my dream job," he says. "[It] didn't even exist a decade ago."
2. Community managers or content managers
What they do: Community or content managers are an extension of a typical marketing role, but on a more personal level. They serve as a liaison between the company and the public, managing a Web site that allows them to engage with community members and spread the word about the company.
Erin Bury has been the community manager at Sprouter, a Toronto company that enables collaboration and networking among entrepreneurs, for almost one year. She says, "A community manager is a nontraditional role, so it requires some unique traits: the ability to adapt quickly, the ability to juggle a multitude of tasks while still keeping a smile on their face, and an innate passion for what they do. This isn't a 9-to-5 job; it's one that involves being an extension of the brand almost 24/7, which is why loving the company and the job is a prerequisite."
3. Green funeral directors
What they do: Green funeral directors incorporate environmentally friendly options to meet the needs of families who want a green service.
"A green funeral may include any or all of the following basic options: no embalming or embalming with formaldehyde-free products; the use of sustainable biodegradable clothing, shroud or casket; using recycled paper products, locally grown organic flowers, organic food; car pooling; arranging a small memorial gathering in a natural setting; [or a] natural or green burial," says Elizabeth Fournier, a funeral home owner who works as a green mortician. "It's a fabulous opening for an individual who is green-minded in all aspects of their work."
4. Interior redesigners
What they do: Instead of spending $500 on a new couch, why not use that money to hire an interior redesigner who will find new ways to decorate with items you already own? Interior redesigners remodel your home using the things you already have, either repurposing them for other uses or putting them in other rooms, etc.
Jennifer Schweikert, owner of Just My Style by JMS, says, "In a time of 'less is more,' people streamlining possessions, baby boomers and seniors downsizing, and the green movement of reduce, reuse and recycle, interior redesign is an up-and-coming field of work that addresses these needs in today's lifestyle and economy."
5. Patient advocates
What they do: There are several types of patient advocates, and although their services vary, all of them want to make sure that the patient and family are informed and to make things easier on everyone. Advocates can go with patients to appointments; ensure they're visiting with the right specialists and taking the right medicines; sort through medical bills and negotiate fees with health-care providers and insurance companies; they can even educate family members on proper care for their sick loved one.
6. Senior move management
What they do: Senior move management companies help older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of downsizing, relocating or modifying their homes.
7. Social media strategists
What they do: Social media strategists use social media tools to help companies interact with customers, increase brand awareness, create buzz, increase traffic and provide information.
8. User experience analyst
What they do: User experience analysts look for ways to make using a Web site easier, more pleasant and more engaging for consumers. They want to figure out how to keep you on their site and how to make your experience while you're there memorable and useful.
9. Video journalists
What they do: In the 1960s, reporters had to shoot and edit their own stories because of lack of manpower and resources. Now, almost 50 years later, this role is back, but now it's called video journalism. To save money, large-market news groups hire small-market reporters as video journalists at a fraction of the cost. They are usually assigned stories to produce for the station Web site, finding content to drive Web traffic.
10. Virtual business service providers
What they do: Many people are forming their own companies by way of telecommuting, offering such virtual services as customer service, concierge services or even public relations from their homes.
"Thanks to the birth of the Internet and the rise of new industries because of it, my company was born. The rise of virtual companies like ours has provided jobs for lots of people," says Deborah Sittig, owner of Green Room Public Relations.
Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CBwriterRZ.
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