Filed under: Drama, History, Military, Movies, Politics, Posted by TA, Wars | Tags: 2012, Ambassador, Arab Spring, Benghazi Attack, CIA, diplomacy, John Krasinski, Libya, Michael Bay, US State Department
I was positively impressed for many reasons.
- It was the first movie in a very long time that proudly announced “This is a true story”, unlike “Based on a True Story” or even “Inspired by True Events”. Trust me, the real deal makes a huge difference.
- Herr director Michael Bay has changed. He did his best to tell what actually happened in Libya 3.5 years ago. Before watching 13 Hours I saw one featurette and one making off. At least 3 of the guys who went through the battle survived to tell the story and served as consultants to the movie. If you look at Bay’s filmography, it will be almost impossible to find something close to the truth.
- Yes, there is the usual Hollywood embellishment and excessive patriotism in some scenes but overall acting and the story are pretty convincing. Background and personal stories are not an excuse for the plot. If you watched Pearl Harbor (also directed by Bay), you’ll get my point.
13 Hours’ weakness lies on the lack of the in-depth coverage around the causes of the attack. The movie leads you to believe that angry Libyans randomly decided to attack Americans on 11-September. The work was in fact orchestrated by a local militia. Days later, more than 100,000 “true” Libyans went on to the streets to claim for justice and strongly condemn the acts of violence.
If you forget about the military bragging typical of American movies, the story is quite compelling. There are several interesting lessons to learn from the situation:
It’s remarkable to know that some people will put their own lives on the line.
If you’re part of a militia trying to attack highly trained military operators, don’t charge frontally. Read the books and every single commander will tell you that it is suicide except for very specific scenarios.
If you’re the American government dealing with a highly stressful and life-threatening event, there must be better and more efficient ways to make decisions. The lack of action to support the besieged Americans was appalling. If details are true (and I’m assuming they are because everything is logged), the US had massive forces all over the place but decided against deploying the options. Why?
Unfortunately 13 Hours is yet another good reminder of how American foreign policy fails on “post-game” handling (to quote a term from the movie Charlie’s War referring to the American support to Afghan mujahedeen against the USSR).
Filed under: History, Military, Posted by TA | Tags: CSKA, Dmitry Medvedev, Farewell of the Slavianka, Pet Shop Boys, Russia, Russian Red Army Choir, Top Gun, Victory Day Parade
If you pay attention to some of Top Gun’s lines, Jasper says just before the first training session the US pilots would be competing against a similar fighter to a Mig-29. Still according to Jasper, the Migs are more agile and manoeuvrable. A roommate of mine, also watching the movie then asked me: “So why the hell would you fly an F-14 Tomcat?” Dmitry Putin… I mean, Medvedev, Russian’s president stated a couple of weeks ago that a major rearmament of the Russian Armed Forces is due to start in 2011. He’ll focus on buying, developing and improving conditions of his arsenal, but will also realign the Russian human resources policy (“the Alpha Group accuracy target”, a.k.a. “shoot to kill 99% of the time”).
Russia has been a fantastic military machine for centuries. Military uniforms are the second skin of millions of Russians. Forget for a second about the Red Army. The Great Russian Bear started teaching the world when Peter the Great, then a tsar, spent time and countless resources modernizing a gigantic but disorganized force. Time passed, and the Russians fought France, Britain, the German Wermarcht, went through a bloody Civil War, provoked the Americans for 45 years, and finally tried to kill James Bond until it fell onto an internal political and economical crisis. “Red” by the way has become an emblematic term for the Russian Army. Communism is over for more almost 20 years, and the officers do not shoot at privates retreating from German bombs anymore.
Things have changed. Russia found a lot of oil and natural commodities in its huge territory. And by blackmailing Europe and former Soviet republics (such as Ukraine), the good times of lavish military budgets are now back. The Army in Russia is not all about guns and weapons though.
CSKA is a major sports institution for many decades now. CSKA means Central Sports Club of Army. It’s a common name within former Soviet-occupied countries. You can call it the Red YMCA. The Russian Red Army Choir is another fantastic Russian organization closely affiliated with the Armed Forces there. It’s been my favourite choir for quite a long time for the symmetry and close-to-perfection performances, live and in studio. They sing everything; even recorded Go West with the Pet Shop Boys in the 90s.
Such a shame Russia’s economical prosperity will likely not see such duets happening again. I’m sure the Choir won’t have to sing for British gay duos to pay for their uniforms’ dry cleaning bills anymore.
You can check a fantastic marching performance with an instrumental version of Farewell of the Slavianka (my favourite Russian march) here.
Another magnificent video to check out is the Victory Day Parade at the Red Square
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpngaG5tDpA
Filed under: American Elections 2008, History, Posted by TA, Society | Tags: Canada, inauguration, Martin Luther King, Nova Scotia, Obama, Pulitzer Prize, quote, reverend, Rosa Parks, sentence
A day after Obama’s inauguration I was at a coffee shop drinking some tea and reading the daily newspaper. Amidst all the nonsense, frivolity, excess and repetition of so many quotes, wishes and shenanigans there was this incomparable sentence by a man from Nova Scotia, Canada. He said:
“Rosa Parks sat down so King could walk. King walked so Barack could run. Barack ran so all of us can fly”.
Rev. Elias Mwamba Mutuale
Mr. Mutuale, the spectacular connection of your words created what I’d call the most original and creative post-Obama inauguration sentence. For at least one sentence in life you managed to break the line of genius. I don’t know you, never heard of you and will probably never hear again, but if there was a one-sentence-wonder Pulitzer Prize for the average citizen you’d be the winner by far.
Filed under: Culture, History, Posted by TA, Religion, Society | Tags: Alienation, anti-Semitism, Calgary, Canada, Ignorant, Israel, Jews, Latinos, Mel Gibson, Montreal, Ontario, Palestinians, Society, Toronto, Vancouver
How ironic is publishing this article? I’ve been drafting for almost a month and suddenly a new war between Israelis and Palestinians erupted. This is certainly a very sensitive moment to talk about anti-Semitism. Perhaps there wouldn’t be a better moment. What do New York-born, Australia-raised Mel Gibson and someone I know from South-Central Ontario have in common? They’re two ignorant, racist pigs who blame Jewish people for their frustrations and miserable lives.
In a society where Europeans tighten their immigration rules, Latinos in the US are largely blamed for a lot of bad things happening and Africans are mistreated and forsaken as usual, it still intrigues me that an Ontarian redneck has something against Jews. First thing, I asked myself how this person in his early twenties could have possibly hated someone from a different race in a place where you can barely find them. Second of all, even if Southern Ontario were a Jewish-inhabited area, what would have they done for a person to openly declare his detestation? More topics intrigue me. Canada is worldwide known for having a very tolerant and opened policy towards immigrants and ethnicities. Then I concluded that the government might be tolerant, but real natives are likely getting fed up with so many people from abroad. There are typical topics to blame on.
Canada’s immigrant population grew dozens more in percentage than native Canadians in the past 40 years. There have been a lot of interracial marriages and society in big cities has always been very smooth in absorbing foreigners. Foreigners themselves usually tend to adapt to the local culture. My opinion is that some reminiscences of ignorance and alienation are the problem. Canada is not only Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. All across the country there is a number of communities not used to seeing people from outside a range of 40 km and it takes them time to assimilate the novelty. There’s also the old jealous story about immigrants “stealing” jobs, deteriorating services due to the influx of new people etc.
Still, it’s a bit surprising for me to see a jerk, in Canada, that has no point in his racist remarks. Do you want to be a racist? Be against someone who has no common sense or culture enough to live in society. By the way, is there any justifiable racist remark?
Guess not.
Filed under: Behavior, Books, Culture, Education, History, Posted by TA, Religion, Society, TA | Tags: Bible, Book, bookshop, Dr. Seuss, ignorance, Leicester Square, London, Mankind, Qur’ān, Torah
I’ve slowly started an effort to read great classics of mankind, including the main religious works such as the Qur’ān, the Bible and the Torah. This way I can try to understand the whole mess we are in right now and also to predict and understand human relations better. If there’s a principle I believe is that human beings are so predictable that historical periods are always a repetition of something that happened a while ago (see samples at the end of this email).
So I went to a bookshop last weekend to buy the Qur’ān (I already had the Bible). I got a good deal on a very fancy, comprehensive, 900+-page long and English-commentated version printed in a malleable green hard cover and with internal page markers. Fine, great, that’s what I wanted.
What I didn’t want is the old reaction by ignorant people who just don’t understand how things work in life. On the way to the cashier, some people noticed my copy of Qur’ān and gave a twisted look to it. Twisted look because they would probably find it cute if I had a Dr. Seuss work in my hand. It wasn’t quite the case.
Those people are the ones who spread fear and speculation and I felt really disgusted. So disgusted that I refused a plastic bag from the cashier and insisted in proudly walking around with the Qur’ān in my hands so everyone could see it. Whoever else has a problem about it, come and talk to me directly. That works the same for any other book I’m reading.
The Qur’ān has some very strong verses but not quite different from other major religious works. An example from the Bible is at Genesis 6:6-7. “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them”.
The first time I saw the statue below (2004, near Leicester Square in London) I knew I had to take a picture and save it forever every time it makes necessary to use. Look, learn and use it.
The gang of ignorance shall never rule.
"... no darkness but ignorance"
Filed under: Europe, History, International Relations, Law, Politics, Posted by TA, TA | Tags: Augusto Pinochet, Baltasar Garzón, Bernard O'Higgins, Brussels, Chile, EU, European Union, immigration, José de San Martin, Michele Bachelet, Spain, Turkey
Angel and Tiggs have up-to-date and exclusive information about Chile’s intention to apply to membership for the European Union. According to sources, president Michele Bachelet wants to deviate the international crisis by adhering to a strong and prosperous economical bloc that is the EU. The plan is quite simple. Famous Spanish jurist Baltasar Garzón, the same who requested imprisonment of the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, was hired as an immigration attorney. Garzón is supposed to submit the paperwork to Brussels (EU headquarters) as early as Turkey is accepted to the continental bloc. The European/Asian country has preference in the membership application because it’s been submitting bids for more than 10 years.
Chile states that she has the right to apply for EU membership, even being some 10 thousand kilometres away from the closest piece of land in the continent. Santiago alleges that almost 300 years of Spanish rule would be enough to give the country the right to ask for Spanish citizenship. Spain is a full member of the EU. Bernard O’Higgins and José de San Martin, fathers of the Chilean motherland, also have European ascendancy (Irish / Spanish). Spain already informed 300 years are indeed enough to request citizenship, however, Chile would have to apply first for permanent residency to comply with the country’s current law.
Filed under: Democracy, Energy, Environment, History, International Relations, Politics, Posted by TA, Society, TA | Tags: 10 commandments, Bolivia, Brazil, Chavez, China, coca, cocalero, Cuba, drug dealers, Energy, Evo Morales, Fernando Lugo, gas, imperialism, Karl Marx, Lula da Silva, natural resources, North Korea, Paraguay, SMEs, socialism, South America, Soviet, Spain, The Capital, US, Venezuela, Vietnam, water
The reason why I translated and published Evo Morales’ 10 Commandments is how intrigued I was after reading his ideas. His innocence has always been notorious in the international scenario, but his manifesto has showed to be a great paradigm. In some way it shows an evolution in his ideas to the point of suggesting highly modern concepts as local consumption, climate change and renewable energy sources. On the other side, his ideas about economy and politics can sound as archaic as a Soviet press-release from the 50s.
Morales is very knowledgeable about Bolivia and her resources. As a union leader he felt in his own skin what it is to be opposition against a usually elitist government. He’s right about Bolivia’s sacking. Their natural resources have always been explored by the Spanish and other nations in the past centuries, always sponsored by a ruling, wealthy minority. Morales’ intention to keep Bolivia’s riches in Bolivia is remarkable. He made use of some old but simple political and market laws like bargaining, offer-and-demand (like gas) and government authority over internal affairs.
Morales’ manifesto cons (in my opinion)
- Overly simplistic about capitalism. Karl Marx published The Capital in 1867 and the criticism about the system hasn’t stopped ever since. Extinguishing capitalism is not the solution. Socialism and communism haven’t proved to be the right way anywhere. China, Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea are there to prove exactly the opposite.
- Socialism is another topic that deserves some attention. Morales clearly states on commandment 10 that this socialism, the 21st century socialism is not the way and it has to be improved. Which way should it go then? Other concepts as imperialism are also out of date.
- I don’t agree with moratoria when contracts are being fulfilled. In case there’s something irregular then the government should justify the use of force. Renegotiation is a different story. Read Machiavelli’s The Prince, Morales!
Morales’ manifesto pros (in my opinion)
- Finally instituted in South America a principle of sustainability of her resources. Each country should have independent communities and think internally first to then export.
- Another head of state to officially bring climate change as a top priority in his international agenda. As it looks and sounds, Morales is deeply committed to the subject.
- Sponsors a larger integration between neighbour countries, something that South American has never understood nor practiced.
- Stimulates SMEs (small and medium enterprises). In many countries these companies respond for more than 50% of the total jobs in the economy.
Morales and his paradigmatic manifesto
A short background of Morales
The elected president of Bolivia stepped up to his incumbent position in 2006. Morales broke a number of traditions in Bolivia. He was the first indigenous president elected in almost 500 years, his background is of a poor leader coming from the lowest social layers existent in Bolivia. He also used to be a union leader and coca farmer (a very popular leaf in Bolivian diet also associated to the raw material for the production of cocaine. Very traditional in Bolivia, even because of the country’s high altitudes, Morales always campaigns against the prejudicious image that cocaleros are drug dealers).
Morales is adamant about his convictions. He’s a nationalist in spirit. Some of his feats in his two years of government include:
- Taking over and nationalizing gas pipelines and lands. Gas is Bolivia’s main commodity in the international market. Contracts for gas exports are being revised and renegotiated. In some cases they jumped from $ 400 million to $2 billion a year. Morales defends that Bolivia’s resources have been sacked for centuries.
- Shifting gas royalties from state governments to a national program to help aged citizens that cause violent and deadly riots in some gas-rich departamentos (Bolivian states).
- After the protests, expelling the US ambassador quoting American interference and collaboration with the rebel states. Venezuela followed in support to Bolivia and expelled the ambassador from Caracas. Washington promptly reciprocated and sent both the Bolivian and Venezuelan ambassadors back home.
- After a referendum, he pretty much confirmed significant changes in the Bolivian constitution (that is still pending approval.
Morales wasn’t the first declaredly leftist phenomenon in South America in the 21st century. In Venezuela, Chavez came first proposing a new “Bolivarian revolution”. Then came Lula da Silva in Brazil in 2002. This latter one is an interesting case. He ran for president for the first time in 1989, losing four times in a row until finally making it. He’s not nearly half as socialist as he says nor as radical as Morales and Chavez. In 2008, a priest named Fernando Lugo won the presidential elections in Paraguay based on a more radical and nationalist platform of government.
Filed under: Behavior, Democracy, History, Politics, Society | Tags: Bolivia, commandments, consumption, Culture, economy, Education, Energy, Evo Morales, harmony, health, human being, imperialism, life, Mother Nature, Planet Earth, President, resources, socialism, Wars, water
This was a manifesto-style document released at the Social Forum of Americas, Guatemala, October 9th, 2008). You can read my analysis of this manifesto here.
Evo Morales, elected president of Bolivia
1st. If we want to save Planet Earth to save life and mankind, we have to give an end to capitalism. The human hand shouldn’t be blamed for the grave consequences from climate change, food, financial and energy crisis. The current capitalist system, inhuman with its unlimited industrial development should.
2nd. Give up on wars because peoples are the greatest losers with wars; only empires win wars; nations don’t win, multinationals win. Small families profit from war, not peoples. The trillions destined to war must be turned to heal and cure Mother Earth that is hurt because of the climate change.
3rd. A world without imperialism or colonialism where relations should hinge upon the landmark of adding up and consider the deep asymmetries that exist from family to family, country to country and continent to continent.
4th. Water must be righted to every human being, and not privatized or concentrated in the hands of a few. Water is life.
5th. I want to tell you as my fifth point that we must end energy waste. Fossil energy sources that took millions of years to be created will be gone within 100 years. Given the fact that some presidents reserve lands for luxury cars and not human beings, we must implement policies to stop bio fuels and, this way, avoid hunger and poverty for our peoples.
6th. Respect Mother Earth. The capitalist system sees Mother Earth as raw material, but the earth cannot be treated as merchandise. Who could possibly privatize, rent or sell his own mother? I propose the organization of an international movement to defend Mother Nature so she can heal Mother Earth and restore a harmonic and responsible life with her.
7th. Essential services as water, energy, education and health must be basic rights to every human being.
8th. Consume only the necessary, make sure local products are priority, end lavish consuming, waste and luxury. We must give priority to local consumption, stimulating self-sustainability and community sovereignty within the planet’s healthy limits and scarce resources.
9th. Promote cultural and economical diversity, live in unity, respecting our differences, not only physical, but also economical; economies should be directed by communities and associations.
10th. Let us seed well-being, not living on someone’s back; a well-being hinged on the living of our peoples, the riches of our communities, fertile lands, clean air and water. A lot has been said about socialism, but it is necessary to improve this 21st century socialism by building a sort of community socialism or simply well-being, in harmony with Mother Earth, respecting all sorts of community living.
Translated from Terra Magazine.
Filed under: Democracy, History, Politics, Society | Tags: Angela Merkel, Athens, Berlin Wall, Cold War, DDR, Democracy, democratic state, East Germany, France, Germany, Greeks, Helmut Köhl, historians, Middle Age, Nazis, Prussia, Reich, reunification, UK, US, USSR
The other day my mother was working on a book’s revision and found the following sentence (free translation): “It is known that the Germans have a great participation in the consolidation of the German democratic State after the collapse of the Nazi regime”. She asked me if I agreed with such statement. The answer was a sound “no until the 90s”. Historians and Germans, you’re invited to contribute. I’ll give you my point of view with everything I know about German’s history (not much, really).
Germans first organized themselves into tribes. These were not democratic. Well, not at least as I understand the word or even close to what the Greeks used to do at the apex of the Athenian society. Great. Let’s move on. Then came the German kingdoms during the Middle Age. Do you really call a kingdom democracy? If you do, contact me, we have similar ideas of democratic centralism and dictatorial aspirations. That situation lasted for a millennium until Bismarck “unified” the German states with Prussia in the centre of it. The German Empire (Reich) had just been born. Again, when has an empire become synonym with democracy? But wait, we’re just about to enter the period that really matters to answer the original question: the Nazism era and its aftermath. After WWI the Republic of Weimar was installed. As far as I know there were elections and the whole democratic apparatus. Elections were fraudulent in some cases or at least subject to a recount due to intimidation, political assassinations and whatnot. However, Hitler officially came to power as a people’s representative. Now if you dare to call the Nazi regime (1933-1945) as democratic I’ll definitely have to ask you to contact me.
So, we finally hit the day and years after the fall of the Nazis. Germany was divided into 4 zones of influence, one to each of the main allies, US, UK, USSR and France. In practice, the two big spheres of domain were the USSR and the US, the Cold War has just started. Honestly I’m not very familiar with West Germany’s political system and history, but I’m sure there was a strong feeling of US manipulation in different levels. Now if you try to convince me elections in East Germany (or the infamous DDR) I will definitely ask you to leave the room.
I told my mom that I wasn’t sure if Helmuth Köhl, the ruling German chancellor after the collapse of the USSR and reunification of Germany, had ascended to power democratically. Gerhard Schröder and most recently Angela Merkel have. Can you now understand my point of view?
Angel and Tiggs 