UK – Page 13 – Citizen Reporter

Nuclear Irony

I burst into the amsterdam vlogger meetup this evening and my opening statement was as follows:

If you don’t want other nations to get nuclear weapons, try not developing them in the first place.

I listened to radio open source on the way from the oud west to de balie, and they were talking about what if Iran gets nuclear weapons. And then the bigshots give their little shpeal about what might happen and what might not. They bring plenty of points, some are even good, but I can’t stop having the same thoughts over and over:

Why does the United States or the European government get to decide who can and can’t have nuclear technology or weapons? I mean, I hate both and think both have brought more harm then good to the world. But put aside my idealistic evaluations — we live in a world where nuclear weapons exist. Yet somehow a few nations try to decide who can and can not have these weapons that can basically lead to the destruction of the earth. Somehow they are more responsible and are more qualified to determine right and wrong, good and evil, and responsible and irresponsible.

It just keeps repeating in my head — these weapons shouldnt exist to begin with, but they do. And who the hell can point the finger and say Iran is not allowed, while Pakistan, India, China, UK, Russia, North Korea, France, hell.. even Brazil has enriched uranium. Its the old double standard of international relations. Hypocracy through and through.

Expats and the elusive Doctors

Check out my doctor’s office! Not Impressed? It’s part of the former hospital that was squatted decades ago. Still not impressed? Well I am.

See I realize many of my readers have lived or do live abroad. Others of you have never lived abroad but you’ve pondered it in your head. Whatever the case, one of the issues that comes up with being an expat is, of course, medical care.

Now right away you start with a strike against you. No matter what work permit or European Union agreement you might have going for you, very often you simply don’t quite get into the system like a regular citizen. Maybe you haven’t filled out the right forms. Maybe you can’t read the right forms to begin with. Medical words are scarey, even in your native tongue, nevermind Dutch. – All this to tell you that despite my almost four years in the Netherlands, I’ve never had a proper doctor.

Until last week.

Using my best friend, the internet, I located my local health centre and noted what documents were necessary. I mentally prepared for any questions they would ask me, cause one of my long running phobias is that I won’t understand and then instead of switching to english, Ill stubbornly pretend I understand, and end up agreeing to an enema or a spinal tap or something.

Since you may be wondering, what’s the big deal – why wait so long to get an MD bm? It’s hard to explain. Mostly it’s this feeling that comes back whenever I have to handle something official, that I’m doing something wrong or committing some crime.

Back to the story–
I walked into the super cool doctors office located in my favorite legalized squat-hospital, and the cutest girl wearing a head scarf greeted me with a smile. After enjoying practicing the pronounciation of my name for a minute, she put me in the computer and voila – I had a doctor and even an appointment to boot. It took four years, but I was going to speak with my very own doctor.

Or so I thought….
(to be continued… insert cliffhanger music and that voiceover guy from Dukes of Hazard)

Oh look.. a blog from South Africa.. or the Netherlands.. or something.

Driving Around with Nuclear Missiles

Thursday is my all-day in the fishtank day, where all the little fishies come to use the computers. As part of my fishtank ritual, I read the International Herald Tribune and the Financial Times; both because its the only reading material around and because Im looking for stories that deserve more attention. And today it was an article on the British Submarine fleet.

Some people may not find it a big deal, but I’m kind of baffled by the fact that the United Kingdom has a fleet of submarines in service that are still armed with long range nuclear missles carrying multiple warheads.
I repeat and I’ll quote the article:

Nevermind. I can’t quote it now, some dude is eating his lunch over it.

Anyway according to the Naval Defence Industries, the Vanguard class submarines current in service, carry a maximum of 48 nuclear warheads!

Now I ask you, British military, and people around the world. Why? What for? Why is it that certain countries still feel the need to pretend nuclear war could happen at any minute and that without the capability to launch a zillion nuclear missiles, their nation will never survive?

In this case I’m focusing solely on the UK. I’m sure the US and Russia also enjoy sending out their submarines loaded with nuclear missiles to launch at imaginary enemies.

According to the description in the FT, who I believe was quoting the Royal Navy, these nuclear missiles are to be used against “rogue nations.” Nice and specific eh?

The scariest part is that members of the Navy have to work with these useless, accident-waiting-to-happen weapons. I’m sure they’re very efficient and knowledgable with how to manage missiles with multiple world-destroying war heads. But even the slightest possiblilty of any type of nuclear accident is unacceptable.

The real reason they still exist? Beyond any military-strategic reasons, it’s because two major corporations profit from building and servicing the missiles: BAE and LockheedMartin. Who should both be taken to task by the public and by governments for encouraging and profiting from this out-dated and dangerous business arangement.

Bonus:
In honor of my occasional participation in videobloggingweek2006, I present a video montage of my thoughts the other day.

One of these Taylors is a Sociopath

Actually I don’t know anything about Charles Taylor the Republican House Rep from North Carolina. I just found it fun that he shares a name with the ex-Liberian president now on trial.

Charles G. Taylor, American-Liberian. Meaning born in Liberian but having American roots in his family. I know it’s common human rights protocol to condemn him as a warlord, but can I just say – this man fascinates me to no end.

Naturally if your family was hacked to pieces by his soldiers, you probably don’t want to hear this. But all the killing aside, this man is much more than a warlord. His behavior has been described by the BBC as that of a “showman” for his tactics during various moments as president where he would appear in distinct costume (military uniform or all in white) and his use of religion to justify his decisions (sounds familiar).

I’ve read the interviews over the years while observing his actions. With the reports coming out of the first days of trial, I’ve started thinking that perhaps Taylor fits the profile of a sociopath. I’m Portuguese from New Jersey, which makes me automatically qualified as an amateur social worker, so lets use the sociopath checklist on Taylor:

failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest

– evidence suggests — CHECK.

deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure

– seems to be his specialty. Check.

impulsivity or failure to plan ahead

– not sure, but the fact that he got caught – check.

irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults

he started lots of wars, and he’s pretty aggressive in interviews. half-check.

reckless disregard for safety of self or others

the scores of dead and maimed would prove this one true. Check.

consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain steady work or honor financial obligations

money has repeatedly gone missing under his care. Check.

lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

well, he has collapsed on the ground and begged forgiveness from god. But during this trial he seems completely withoout remorse. So this ones hard to tell. Half-check.

I’ve said it many times before. The world needs an army of psychologists to be rapidly deployed wherever people are suffering or have suffered. They can evaluate the situation, work out the collective and individual issues that lead to conflict, and identify the leaders that are mentally unstable.

Shit, I just noticed there is additional criteria for classifying a sociopath. somebody get me Taylor’s childhood behavior record, I’m on the job.

bm117 Pursuing Global Peace by Developing Bigger Bombs

During a recent press conference when asked why he wanted to go to war so badly, GW Bush told Helen Thomas that no president wants war. Yet this president, like many before him, encourages the development of new nuclear weapons and conventional weapons that can cause more destruction. Today the military announced new tests in Nevada, of a conventional bomb more powerful than any before it. What message do such developments send to the world, regarding the longterm goals of the nation? How does it effect the growing conflict between the US and Iran?

AudioCommunique #117 (mp3)

Lots of audio from Operation Ivy, the US military experiments developing the H-Bomb.
Guardian Article on the Nevada Tests
Normon Solomon, in 2001
The Downwinders
Senator Harry Reid’s Campaign Contributions

Music –

We Are Scientists – Bomb within a Bomb
Operation Ivy – Bombshell
Streetlight Manifesto – Here’s to Life
Steve Earl – Rich Man’s War
The Stars – Soft Revolution
etc etc

Peace At Hand in Spain

Rafa Díez Usabiaga

Remember that name, because he could and should be the Gerry Adams of the ETA Basque Paramilitary/Seperatist group. When you hear the name Gerry Adams, you should think: IRA, Sinn Fein, politician, peace negociations, unity, diffusion of tensions…. any one or all of those. My hope is very soon, when you hear the name Rafa Díez Usabiaga, you will think, ETA, Batasuna, trade unions, politician, peace negociation, etc… you get the idea?

But notice I said COULD and SHOULD… this because it is still unclear if it WILL happen. I remember only a few years ago under the conservative spanish government of Aznar, their specialty was refusing to negociate, using hardline tactics, and generally making the situation worse rather than better. Now there is Zapatero and his center-left government who have not made huge strides in the first part of their term when it comes to solving the bitter conflict with ETA. Until now.

My hope is that Zapatero will avoid any tough-guy antics that politicians always choose to adopt since appearing weak is such a taboo. I hope they will engage in conversation, negociation, and basically – communication with ETA, as the group has openly come out and said there will be a cease fire and they want to talk. I always compare it to the IRA and the UK, mostly because I see what has become of that conflict as a very positive example of how conflicts can be solved or AT LEAST, transferred into the political realm and out of the violence realm.

The ball is in his court now, the government of Spain will now show its true colors, and I hope they are open minded and communicative colors. If it works, it qualifies as another sign that there are far better ways to handle conflicts then bombing, invading, or outlawing, which seems like such a popular idea in this era.