Tis the Season to Build a Barricade

Over the past weekend I watched with great interest, and as you’d expect knowing me, great pleasure, as the masses took to the streets in Buenos Aires and danced a Tango of protest against the US president. It pretty much set the tone for the entire weekend, as the mass media offerred speech after speech with the silver-spoon president fumbling and bumbling speech after speech about how latin america loves his destructive foreign policy. Then he tried to escape to Brazil, but even there, o povo Brasileiro gave him hell everytime he stepped into the light of day. I bet he has nightmares of protestors and asks Laura everynight why the world hates him. I hope he cries himself to sleep for all the people his policies have killed, its the minimum punishment, in my opinion.

But this isn’t about attacking the easy target. This is about the wonderful landmass known as South America and how, in the past 5 years, it has awoken and stood up – time after time – against the forces that have opressed, manipulated, and murdered its people. The myths of free trade, the terror of so-called democracies, and the empty promises of a bright future as the economic, political, and social laboratory of North America.

Diego Maradona and Hugo Chavez, two men who definitely act and look as if they have circus experience on their CV’s, may not be the ideal posterchildren for a movement, but their message rings true for the marginalized majority across the continent and worldwide.

I too should have brought a shovel to my blog today, to bury that horrendous and illegitimate pact – the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas.

Museum Knight Sir Bicyclemark

I was just looking back fondly on Museum Nights of years past — last night was my 4th in Amsterdam, and it remains one of the best nights of the year.

With an array of famous Amsterdammers, including Gabe of xolo.tv and the Mindcaster, we went from museum to museum taking photos, drinking cocktails, running past art, videoblogging and of course – recording podcasts. To quote my dear roomate talking about are museumnight behavior, “You guys really are nerds.”



Audio of the evening, including me tipsy and insulting segway drivers, and stopped for being a terrorist at the door of a synagogue – go to podmind.com. And video, if you actually want to see us, is available here.

Flames Fanned By Idiots in French Cabinet

Though they might not be reporting on it in your neck of the woods, over here in old Europe, things are happenning. More specifically, in poor communities outside of Paris, people are revolting. And I’m not talking about body oder. – I’m sure lots of comfy living Europeans gasp at the news and remark — theyre going crazy, it’s terrible! But as you know, I often see things upside down, and in a very dark way – I think this is a necessary and well – justified- revolt.

Generally speaking I’ve long been waiting for a return of the revolutionary spirit of France. The outpouring of capitalism and “stuff” has certainly helped to muffle what was once a wonderfully unpredictable social and political tradition. Throw up the barracades, maybe don’t break out the guillotines, but some pitchforks and torches could certainly be in order. And the only thing they should be doing, which they haven’t done as of yet, is head directly to Matignot or Eylsee and demand some resignations, justice, and maybe some real representation.

Amongst the long list of complex and hard-for-a-guy-like-me to truely understand, problems, I look to the government first-and-foremost. French policy makers at the highest level as completely out of touch with the reality of the working (or unemployed) class. You get guys like Chirac who is senile, Vellipin who’s a classic elitist, and my least-favorite: Sarkozy who is basically Vichy junior, passionately working on bringing facism back to the country. These guys have encouraged an atmosphere where revolt is inevatable and perhaps the only way to get noticed, it would seem. Either that or they’re completely asleep at the wheel of government.

bicyclemark79: Controlling Water, Exposing Bechtel

Examining the forces behind the push for water privatization and the track record of one company that makes unbelievable profits and is made up of current and past government officials.

AudioCommunique #79(mp3)
30min+, 80kbps, 17Mb+

Discussed:

The world water reality
Public Management versus private
Reasons and actors behind the push
Bechtel – the long list of huge contracts since 1900
CEO’s of Bechtel – The Oligarchy
Boliva 1999 – struggle and victory
Oscar Oliveira’s testimony
My firefighting story-comparison
– This may be part 1 or 2… we’ll see…

Music:
Madeleine Peyroux – Cry Baby
Dresden Dolls – Perfect Fit
Sweet Honey & the Rock – When I Rise
Harry Belafonte – A Hole in the Bucket

My Friend in Malawi

If you study in an international place like Amsterdam at an international school for social sciences, you find yourself living with some insanely ambitious and worldy people. I’m talkin bicyclemark and his 4 or 5 languages and dual nationality is basically considered average. And of course, as I’ve mentioned before, it’s also a situation where people are constantly passing through, moving on, moving out. And just as frequently, they come back to visit.

That’s my segway to talking about my friend Cecilia, who graduated around the same time as I did well over a year ago. She’d long been saying she wanted to do work with an organization in Africa. Never specified where really, for her any corner of the continent seemed worthy of her attention and prescence.

Recently I got that classic email many of us get when our friends move somewhere new and exciting. C had arrived in Pretoria, South Africa (if I recall correctly) and she was on her way to Malawi – her final destination for a new project. Malawi. I went directly to wikipedia. I know tons about African history. I can name 96% of the countries and their capitals. Most of their prime ministers too. But I didn’t remember where the hell Malawi was or what the situation was there. And so I read up.. and now Im a fairly informed podjournalist.

Fortunately, and I’d like to think my influence helped, C has a started a weblog. Which is perfect for me (and you) to read of her experiences and see her photos of Malawi and all the wonderous journeys she’s be making during her new life there. Another bit of proof showing the uses and power of blogs; I’m now a concerned observer of life/politics in Malawi, and I’d like very much to visit.

Disaster Fund Disparity

It’s a theme that i revisit regularly, it seems; disparity in how the first world looks at the third world and the tragedies related. I’m sure for lots of the big newspapers and conversations round the watercooler, few are still talking about the incredibly devastating earthquake in Kashmir. But I’m still watching, and I’m still angry at the embarassing and disrespectful reaction for many of the powerful forces in the international community.

Today I read the UN’s statement that out of the 550 million $ they need to get through the coming months of relief work, they’ve only received 20%! 20%! As a comparison, the almost cliché call for hurricane relief in the US gulf coast has generated 1 billion $! 1 billion!

It’s not my preferred hobby to sit around comparing disasters and death, but 80,000 people died in Kashmir. 800,000 are displaced and without shelter. Yet they receive not even 1/4 of the amount of aid. That’s shameful, unjust, and I’d venture to say it’s also racist.