It appears that my new hopes for Zimbabwe, just a few hours old, have encountered a significant hurdle. The Mugabe government, apparently defeated in recent national elections, has begun a crackdown on members of the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

This involves police raids on gathering places of MDC members and the arrest of journalists.

Furthermore, the government has not released the results of the elections and has not allowed foreign press to cover these elections.

Therefore, with no foreign press to report the news and the press in Zimbabwe effectively stifled, one can only imagine what the announce “results” of the elections might be.

My heart is still with Zimbabwe today but, it is much sadder than just a few hours ago.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Perhaps, just perhaps, things may change in Zimbabwe. There are rumblings that, after a defeat of his party in Parliament and his own loss in a presidential election, Zimbabwe’s current president, Robert Mugabe, may be close to admitting defeat.

Mugabe has been in power since 1980, the year in which Zimbabwe won its independence. However, over the years, those hopes for a free and prosperous Zimbabwe seem to have gone downhill as Mugabe has seemed to rule with an iron fist and let his economy slip wildly out of control.

28 years is a long time to be ruler of anything and, at some point, one could be corrupted by power, simply cease to be effective or both.

Today, I am sending positive thoughts out to the people of Zimbabwe. Here’s hoping that your new day is coming.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Just a quick word to say that, tonight, my thoughts are with the people of Kenya.

As you are aware, a disputed election has plunged the country into turmoil and violence. The death toll stands at some 500 people and another 250,000 have been displaced.

While we are caught up in issues of a war, worsening economy and politics at home, I hope that we can still take a brief moment to pray for Kenya.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Question: What do these two statements have in common?

On Iraq:
“Knowing these realities, America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof — the smoking gun — that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.” (George W. Bush, Oct 7, 2002)

On Iran:
“I’ve told people that if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.” (George W. Bush, Oct 17, 2007)

Answer: After yesterday, we know that these are, at best, trumped-up charges and, at worst, flat-out lies meant to get us into military conflict with countries that pose(d) no immediate threat to us.

As you are likely aware, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) came out yesterday and had some very telling things to say that stand in stark contrast to Bush Administration’s allegations on Iran.

The NIE is the compilation of the combined views of the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies regarding the security issues affecting the U.S. and, like I stated, its findings on Iran were very telling.

According to the NIE, Iran actually halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and, furthermore, states that due to significant technical issues, Iran probably is another 3-8 years away from having enough enriched uranium for a bomb.

However, the most interesting part of the report coming out is its back story. It is believed that the administration, particularly the office of Vice-president Dick Cheney, held up the release of this report for over a year, try to twist arms of intelligence analysts to get them to change the report to match the administration’s rhetoric.

So, in other words, as in Iraq, they went around the world citing Iran as an immediate threat when they clearly knew otherwise.

Of course, the chickenhawk spin-doctors are at work and trying to wipe egg off their faces on this and Republican candidates, no doubt, are going to have to get new material for their stump speeches, as this country has no desire to repeat the Iraq debacle.

We’ll have to see how this all shakes out but, one this is clear. We are certainly being lied to by this administration on Iran.

Popularity: 36% [?]

Over the weekend, I heard all types of the news on the unrest in Pakistan. Despite what our government wants to tell us, Pakistan is ruled by dictatorship. If not, how else can a general (and supposed president) suspend a nation’s constitution, black out all media and even fire a supreme court (the same court that was to decide if his election to president was even legal) when it doesn’t side with him?

But, if you look, the story isn’t as much about what a government is doing as it is about what the people are doing in response to it.

This is the lesson of Pakistan.

Today, I see that even lawyers are taking it to the streets in protest of having their rights trampled. Thousands of attorney are squaring off with police as they say “no” to having their constitutional rights taken from them at the word of one person. This follows protests by other Pakistanis from all walks of life, all saying “no” to be ruled by a dictator.

In this country, as we see more and more of our rights taken away, we heap scorn on the people who say “no”. We live in such a fear of another attack, that we allow people to tap our phones and read our mail to “protect” us. We allow people to take away our First and Fourth Amendment rights because we have be scared into compliance, not realizing that once these powers are taken, they are not easily returned back to the people. Some of us laugh at the possibility of ever ending up like these nations we see on TV but, we need to remember that this things don’t always start with a military coup. Sometimes, it’s the gradual erosion of one’s way of life that puts you on the same path.

What we should take from Pakistan is that freedom and self-determination are the best defenses against tyranny and terror. It is the absence of the prior that make the growth of the latter possible.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Before anyone gets on me about blaming Oprah or bashing a “leading black”, hear me out.

Recently, it was reported that allegations of physical and sexual abuse of girls at the hands of a matron (dorm parent) working at the all-girl Leadership Academy she opened in South Africa had surfaced.

According to South African police, the woman in question is accused of choking and beating some students and is also accused of fondling at least one girl there. The matron has been suspended. Another matron and the school’s principal, Dr. Mzimane, had already been placed on leave prior to the alleged fondling incident.

For her part, Oprah has issued tearful apologies to students and their families but, as far as I know, has not made any public statements about this issue in the U.S.

However, could it be that Oprah, unintentionally, created an environment where such abuse could thrive? One Chicago Sun-Times columnist thinks so and I am inclined to agree. The rules of the school state that parents are only allowed to visit their children once a month. Also, children are only allowed to use their cell phones and email on the weekends.

In this country, we know that abuse also goes on in schools but, knowing that a parent could show up at any time, that a kid could call a parent at any time or that, at day’s end, a parent could know what happened, would not embolden many to say the wrong thing to a student, much less put their hands on a child. By keeping these children, as the columnist put it, as “virtual prisoners”, they were left at the mercy of an abuser.

Also, let’s be real, this was supposed to be a dream come true for poor parents to offer their daughters an education that they might not have otherwise received. So, for the sakes of their children, they went along with the rules. But, from what I understand, many parents complained of this arrangement. It now appears that these complaints went unheeded, to the detriment of some students there and to the detriment of the school’s and Oprah’s reputations.

I believe that her school was and still is a wonderful idea. But, perhaps Oprah should actually listen to parents and learn the lessons that the abuse in her own past should have taught her — kids need to be able to talk to their parents about anything. In order to do so, they actually need to be given the actual ability to do just that. It is in silence and secret that abuses like these are allowed to flourish.

Popularity: 45% [?]

Living in Cincinnati, OH, I have a lot of co-workers who are right-wingers. One thing that is common is that most of them readily mock any notion of needed to be better at conservation and looking at other options to oil.

For example, I am trying to better myself where I can in this regard and started by flourescent bulbs as bulbs burn out in my home. In addition to not having to change bulbs as often, they use less energy so, I save money on both ends. But, some mocked me for doing so. Now, you would think saving money would be appealing but, so many of us a brainwashed by talking points that we go against our own best interests.

But, there is news out today that will, hopefully, grab our attention.

I’ll share with you the words from the article in London’s Guardian newspaper:

The German-based Energy Watch Group will release its study in London today saying that global oil production peaked in 2006 - much earlier than most experts had expected. The report, which predicts that production will now fall by 7% a year, comes after oil prices set new records almost every day last week, on Friday hitting more than $90 (£44) a barrel.

“The world soon will not be able to produce all the oil it needs as demand is rising while supply is falling. This is a huge problem for the world economy,” said Hans-Josef Fell, EWG’s founder and the German MP behind the country’s successful support system for renewable energy.

The report’s author, Joerg Schindler, said its most alarming finding was the steep decline in oil production after its peak, which he says is now behind us.

The results are in contrast to projections from the International Energy Agency, which says there is little reason to worry about oil supplies at the moment.

However, the EWG study relies more on actual oil production data which, it says, are more reliable than estimates of reserves still in the ground. The group says official industry estimates put global reserves at about 1.255 gigabarrels - equivalent to 42 years’ supply at current consumption rates. But it thinks the figure is only about two thirds of that.

So, what could this mean? Well, if we’re willing to wage war over oil now, what will 10 years from now look like, if we do make some changes. Also, do you think that China and Russia, with all their energy needs, won’t be actively fighting against us for their share?

In other words, if we don’t look to other options, what we see in Iraq could be the normal course of business.

So, don’t you think we need a change?

Popularity: 53% [?]

Well, look what I saw today:

The United Arab Emirates plans to reduce crude oil production by up to 25 percent within weeks.

The reports of a UAE oil slowdown — not yet confirmed by the government — have driven up the price of Abu Dhabi crude to its highest levels in eight months.

Industry sources said the UAE was planning major maintenance on oil facilities in October 2007. The sources said this could result in a halt of up to 810,000 barrels per day, or 25 percent of total oil production. The UAE produces 2.54 million barrels of oil per day.

Get ready for $3.50 - $4.00/gallon gas.

Popularity: 44% [?]

All right, Republican sheep, let’s hear how you don’t want Democrats taking over because they’ll increase taxes.

Well, somebody has to pay for this mess.!

What mess am I talking about? Okay, let me explain. Back in January, I talked about how George Bush has singlehandedly doubled our foreign debt (now over $2 trillion). The country that holds the lion share of our debt is China.

In that post, I stated the following:

Do you think they may get some say in our foreign policy? If China were to sell off all its U.S. currency, we could see an almost immediate collapse in our economy.

Well, guess what? They do get a say. Today, I read the following:

The Chinese government has hinted that it may liquidate its vast holding of US Treasury bonds, potentially triggering a crash in the dollar, if Washington imposes trade sanctions to force a yuan revaluation, The Telegraph reported.

The paper said that two Chinese officials at leading Communist Party bodies have given interviews in recent days warning, for the first time, that China may use its 1.33 bln usd of foreign reserves as a political weapon to counter pressure from the US Congress.

Xia Bin, finance chief at China’s Development Research centre, which has cabinet rank, commented last week that China’s foreign reserves should be used as a ‘bargaining chip’ in talks with the US, the report said.

He Fan, an official at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, went further yesterday, indicating that China had the power to set off a dollar collapse, if it chose to do so, The Telegraph said.

Right now, China may hold as much as much as $900 billion in U.S. bonds.

So, yes, we do need taxes “raised”, which means a rollback of the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Otherwise, you Republican cheerleaders, who can’t afford an economic collapse any more than the rest of us, will find yourselves victims of the same economic depression as the rest of us.

Popularity: 60% [?]

…so might safety and oversight.

Yesterday, I and some co-workers were having lunch and someone brought up a tire recall. Apparently, to save some money, a manufacturer allowed a batch of tires go through with a high likelihood of blowing. Then, I brought up a recall of toy trains because of lead paint. Then, I brought up the tainted pet food scare in which hundreds (or was it thousands?) of pets died.

The common thread — all of these items were manufactured in China.

One of my co-workers asked, “How is this happening?” Another co-worker explained that, when companies take their manufacturing offshore, much of the oversight goes with it. So, issues of health and safety for the employees or contamination and defect-checking for consumers are not considered heavily in the manufacturing process.

Now, we find out, today, that China has shut down 180 food factories. Apparently, now that China is getting such bad press, its government is finally stepping in to do the job that it should have been doing (or, at least, our government should have been doing more of to protect people here) all along.

Just check out some of the things they found:

Formaldehyde, illegal dyes, and industrial wax were found being used to make candy, pickles, crackers and seafood, it said, citing Han Yi, an official with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, which is responsible for food safety.

So, today we are seeing that the almighty dollar is again taking precedence over good common sense. We need to stop making it so beneficial for companies to undermine our economic health and, now, physical health by taking manufacturing offshore.

Popularity: 67% [?]