Another Pair Of Eyes

US Stem Cell Research

This has been a long time coming.

Inauguration

I spent a while waiting for someone else to post something so I could comment on it, before realising I might as well write my own blog. That’s what this is for, after all!

Along with what must have been an audience of tens of millions worldwide, I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama to President of the United States. I found the prayer beforehand a little hypocritical, especially the part about diversity of religion. Hmm. It still concerns me that religion takes such a central role in politics and, indeed, in life in the USA – politics should be free of religious, financial and racial influence of any kind. Sadly, humans are not perfect.

Obama’s speech, on the other hand, was a work of art expertly delivered. I had then and I still hold now a hope that the US can finally be that force for good in the world that it’s been trying to be for a while now. This is the first time since I have been truly aware of politics that I have thought that things could get better, not stagnate or worsen, under a new administration, be it American or British. I also truly spent the whole time worrying that he’d be assassinated before my very eyes and that would be the end of that. He’s a brave man to stand up there, the eyes of the world on him and pinning everything they hope for to him.

I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Let’s hope it’s for the better, and that President Obama lives up to the dreams he paints so prettily in his speeches. And, indeed, that nobody kills him before he has the chance.

The Interpreter

I was given this film for my birthday two and a half years ago, watched it then and clearly didn’t pay enough attention, as I consigned it to ‘incomprehensible’ and did not watch it since. Tonight I watched it again, and this time I paid enough attention. It was excellent, although the structure of the film is slightly unbalanced (difficult to explain why, but I think you’ll understand if you’ve seen it)

The film concerns an interpreter at the UN (surprise surprise) who overhears a snippet regarding an assassination plot – the target, the president of Matabo, accused of genocide. A detective is assigned to investigate her and the plot, and the film moves in a complex arc from there. You need to be on the ball, and many parts of the film are difficult to piece together until later, but you have just enough information to keep guessing. Some stuff I think were too missed-out on, but on the whole it’s pretty good. It’s tense and it’s suspenseful, and it’s got me making up words. Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn are fantastic, and I don’t generally take note of excellent acting so it really is spot on (Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, for example!) 8/10.

An interesting appedum for after you’ve watched the film: the film is banned in Zimbabwe. It doesnt take much figuring to work out why.

Speaking of Zimbabwe, what do people think of the power-sharing deal, from what coverage has been given? Going to work, or not? Opinions polled here…

Palin

Sarah Palin as vice-president of the USA is a terrifying prospect, and with John McCain at a rich 72 years of age the possiblity of President Sarah Palin becomes truly terrifying.

A small list of things. Sarah Palin:

• is anti-abortion
• is anti-gay
• believes that global warming is not a man-made phenomonon
• is pro-drilling for oil in wilderness preserves
• has a husband who works for BP. Coincidental, no?
• believes that polar bears will be fine if all the ice melts and will ‘just adapt’ to living on land despite evidence to the contrary.
• thinks that Creationism should be taught in schools, and the evolution is rubbish.
• is already embroiled in an abuse of power case as governor of Alaska. Interestingly, during the first week of her tenure as Mayor of Wasilla in Alaska, she fired the librarian (when it was stated that the library would not allow censorship of its books – no books were ever removed) and the chief of police (who was against allowing the legalisation of carrying concealed weapons which Palin supported). There were no reasons behind this case save political ones.
• has been to Ireland (where her plane was refuelled) and Kuwait (not Iraq). This is the limit of her foreign policy experience.
• supports capital punishment
• supports the aerial hunting of wolves for sport with a bounty of $150 per set of wolf paws

She’s about as right wing as they come. I am actually terrified of the prospect of her getting into a position of yet more power. The most alarming US politician of the moment?

South Ossetia

I could write all about this, and how I feel Russia is being ridiculously overbearing, how Georgia was foolish to think it could pull this off unretaliated, how this is proof positive of what we all knew already – that Vladimir Putin is Russian president in all but name. But I’m not going to. Instead, I’m just going to link to this article, and focus not on its content but on the last point:

“August is good month in which to reflect on alliances.

In August 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo led to the First World War. It did so because alliances had been formed in Europe which came into play inexorably. Russia supported Serbia, Germany supported Austria, France supported Russia and Britain came in when Belgium was invaded.

Alliances must not be entered into lightly or unadvisedly. If Georgia had been in Nato, what would have happened?”

42

42 days of detention is not the answer. People get worked up about a lot of things calling them an infringement of civil liberty but this is, in fact, an infringement of civil liberty. Imagine that you are innocent, and are taken into custody. In 42 days, a ninth of a year, your whole life could fall apart. Bills would arrive and go unpaid, you could easily lose your job and even if you didn’t you’d likely lose some of your wage in that time. Etc etc.

Have a glance at some other countries and their rules regarding being held without charge. Canada is particularly glaring – you may be held without charge for one day. I don’t see Canada falling into a pit of crime and despondency.

Thing is, there already exist methods to extend custody without charge. The fact that it requires a hearing to do so is good – the decrease in procedure will just encourage people to arrest first, ask questions later. This latest increase is entirely superfluous, regardless of cash prizes for those released uncharged.

Also, this. To what depths will people sink, a ‘government’ sink, its country ground into the dirt while ministers sit on their high horses and blame everyone but them. Horrendous.

Dictatorship

Not good. The generals say the army must be biased towards Mugabe and then send them to ‘help police control political violence.’?

Likely. I can’t decide whether I’m more disgusted by Burma’s leading junta or Mugabe’s regime. At least the junta did let aid workers in eventually, despite their continued opposition to the idea.

There are no words for their disgrace. I am actually rendered speechless.

EDIT: I was so annoyed/alarmed/frustrated/angered when I published this that I forgot to add a title. Ugh.