The face of tyranny. Gadhafi and his family are losing control of what they see as their personal hacienda. The wind of freedom blows and I wish it blows towards what was the smiling coast of Africa. ... Gambia. Lord knows we need some popular uprising in that country.
I hope he (Gadhafi) goes and soon. God speed Libyan patriots. Take your country back. Gadhafi has been nothing, but a divisive figure on the continent of Africa. The world and Africa for that matter is better off without his destructive activities.
I hope he (Gadhafi) goes and soon. God speed Libyan patriots. Take your country back. Gadhafi has been nothing, but a divisive figure on the continent of Africa. The world and Africa for that matter is better off without his destructive activities.
Thank you Egypt. After Eighteen Long days and nights, you rid youselves of a thirty year tyranny. This reminds me of the old adage "Freedom is never free". Somebody has to fight for it, demand it and unfortunately pay the ultimate price.
If only Gambians can muster this kind of courage and take to the streets of Banjul, our sixteen year nightmare will be over in a moment. Can we?
If only Gambians can muster this kind of courage and take to the streets of Banjul, our sixteen year nightmare will be over in a moment. Can we?
Pro-government thugs at Tahrir Square used clubs, machetes, swords and straight razors on Wednesday to try to crush Egypt’s democracy movement, but, for me, the most memorable moment of a sickening day was one of inspiration: watching two women stand up to a mob.
That is how Nicholas Kristof begins his oped in todays new times. This is the scene he is alluding to. The grace of two women in the face of aggression from bulky angry men, who thugishly try to intimidate them to silence.
I urge my government and by extension the man in charge [President Obama] to do all in his power to force Mubarak and his thugs out now. The Egyptian army should be told in that it is time for them to step up to the plate and support the people in their quest for freedom, and that the continuation of the funds and materiel we provide them are dependent upon what they do.
I will end this writeup as I begin it: with a paragraph from Kristof's column... a must read by the way:
But for me, when I remember this sickening and bloody day, I’ll conjure not only the brutality that Mr. Mubarak seems to have sponsored but also the courage and grace of those Egyptians who risked their lives as they sought to reclaim their country. And incredibly, the democracy protesters held their ground all day at Tahrir Square despite this armed onslaught. Above all, I’ll be inspired by those two sisters standing up to Mr. Mubarak’s hoodlums. If they, armed only with their principles, can stand up to Mr. Mubarak’s thuggery, can’t we all do the same?
Mubarak is quoted:
Duh. Ya think. The dictator got scared straight by a sea of people, who can't take his authoritarianism no more.
"We will seek economic and political reform. I will also ask the police to always mind the people's rights and their duties," according to National columnist Sultan Al Qassemi.
Duh. Ya think. The dictator got scared straight by a sea of people, who can't take his authoritarianism no more.
From every corner of the Egyptian society they rise. If Mubarak is complacent before, well he got something else coming. Look at the defiance on that woman's face. Dictators beware. Yeah ... I am talking to you Yahya Jammeh. Gambians will eventually rise up and take their country back.
It is awe inspiring. If Mubarak weathered this storm, he will have to open up Egypt to serious transparency. My gut tells me he is done, just like Ben Ali of Tunisia. Take a look at this picture:
Huffington post has a live update going on at this LINK....
The Daily Kos as usual has some of the most exhaustive discussion of the events taking place on that community blog.
Here is a link to the Daily Kos discussion board.
Aljazeera is running a Live stream of the events happening in Egypt. The role of Aljazeera in disseminating opposition views on the Arab street is consequential.
Here is the Aljazeera Live stream in english
It is awe inspiring. If Mubarak weathered this storm, he will have to open up Egypt to serious transparency. My gut tells me he is done, just like Ben Ali of Tunisia. Take a look at this picture:
Huffington post has a live update going on at this LINK....
The Daily Kos as usual has some of the most exhaustive discussion of the events taking place on that community blog.
Here is a link to the Daily Kos discussion board.
Aljazeera is running a Live stream of the events happening in Egypt. The role of Aljazeera in disseminating opposition views on the Arab street is consequential.
Here is the Aljazeera Live stream in english
Take a look at these photos and tell me you are not inspired. Egyptians came out en-mass in defiance of dictatorial orders not to protest.
The look on that elderly woman's face is priceless. She took a gallant stance for liberty. In an authoritarian country like Egypt, the consequences of this action is life altering. She knew this could cost her her life, but took a stand anyway. She is all guts.
The youth were out in force as well. Reminds me of scenes reported out of Gambia in the student demonstrations of April 2000. The difference between the two encounters is the stance taken by the older generation in support of the youth uprising. In the case of the Gambia, the elders cowered in fear while fourteen people were murdered by the military. Not a peep. What do you think would have happened if you have a few Gambian grandmas stood up for the youth like the Egyptian lady pictured above. The story would have been different.
The Arab street is rising up using social networks to challenge entrenched dictators. It started in Tunisia, moved on to Egypt. Mean while Gambians are castigating one another for losing an election that is not even contested yet. the contrast is so heart wrenching.
The look on that elderly woman's face is priceless. She took a gallant stance for liberty. In an authoritarian country like Egypt, the consequences of this action is life altering. She knew this could cost her her life, but took a stand anyway. She is all guts.
The youth were out in force as well. Reminds me of scenes reported out of Gambia in the student demonstrations of April 2000. The difference between the two encounters is the stance taken by the older generation in support of the youth uprising. In the case of the Gambia, the elders cowered in fear while fourteen people were murdered by the military. Not a peep. What do you think would have happened if you have a few Gambian grandmas stood up for the youth like the Egyptian lady pictured above. The story would have been different.
The Arab street is rising up using social networks to challenge entrenched dictators. It started in Tunisia, moved on to Egypt. Mean while Gambians are castigating one another for losing an election that is not even contested yet. the contrast is so heart wrenching.
This is the first house built in the village of Saba. It is not dated for obvious reasons: the owner and the society at large when this house was built have no inclination to the western idea of date and time.
This blog post is a prelude to the research I am doing relating to the founding of Saba and how its rightful founder came to be robbed of his settlement. One thing is not disputed in Saba: that the picture above is, in fact, the first house built in the village. Which begs the question, who owns that house then? The answer will surprise the revisionists running around the world wide web calling Madiba Singhateh the founder of Saba.
Bolokele Singhateh is the owner of the first house built in Saba. His family still owns the house and property upon which it stands. Bolokele Singhateh is the founder of Saba. This is a prelude to the larger write up I am working on. The lie that Madiba founded Saba has been perpetrated for some time now. It is time to challenge the nonsense with facts. Facts ma'am just facts. Stay tuned...
This was a note I wrote on my FaceBook page.
The advent of social networks has done wonders in bringing people together. Long lost friends, classmates and yes relatives are suddenly a search away. The internet has been around for decades, but the proliferation of social networking sites like this one (Facebook) has up the ante in connecting individuals. I have been blogging for years on Blogspot. I have a niche following of political junkies who read my rants and musings on everything from technology to mostly contemporary politics. One issue I have never dealt with is the history of the village of my birth, especially it's founding. This is a topic I intend to write about in detail on my blog in the very near future.
Why the sudden interest some may ask. That is where the advent of social networks and the power they possess in disseminating messages be they true or in most cases not so true comes into play. I have come across a blog posting on the founding of saba that parroted an old lie that has been perpetuated for eons. Here is a link to the posting in question (The author of the blog send me an email on 1/23/2011 to say he is deleting his blog. Sorry for the broken link folks).
Saba wasn't found by Madiba Singhateh. I know that is a bold statement for some folks born and raised in that village. But the facts will support my suppositions when I lay them out in the blog post I am working on. Opinions are entitlements, but no one is entitled to their own facts. The photos displayed on the blog post I reference above tell a different story. I am not sure if the author is clueless or trying his hands at revisionism. Hint...the first house belongs to someone other than his purported founder. The first Gate sat on land owned by the owner of the first house....you get the drift. Saba, like most African villages, has no written history. Most of its history is folklorist and embellished. However, there are landmarks that are agreed upon regarding there significance to the founding of the village. This is where fact base analysis comes in handy. I am not interested in what your grandmama told you if it is directly contradicting a known fact.
Stay tune folks ... the subtle bigotry that has been the norm in Saba will be laid to bare. Yes Bigotry. Saba is a very bigoted community. It is all so subtle, but the under current is brutal.
The photo above is that of Dr. Isatou Touray and Amie Bojang-Sissoho: two honorable ladies, who made a career of fighting for women's rights in a male-dominated society. They have until a few days ago been engaging their countrymen to put a stop to some harmful practices undertaken in that society such as female circumcision. Along the way, they have gathered some powerful enemies, but they persevere. That is until they were arrested and detained at the Gambia's notorious mile two prisons on trumped-up theft charges.
Their arrest is a smokescreen on the larger socio-political dynamic taking root in the Gambia. Imprisonment without due process is the norm in Yahya Jammeh's Gambia and they have become the latest victims to this madness that has engulfed our nation since July 1994. Our people cower in fear while their fellow citizens are brutally subjected to inhumane treatments. Nations deserve their leaders and the Gambia is no exception. Gambians are not bystanders in this tragedy, they are active participants, aiding, abating and yes meting out inhumane treatments to prop up a dictatorship.
The comedy of tragedy extends to religious leaders as well. In civil and human rights crusades around the world, religious leaders take an active role in freeing oppressed masses. From the abolitionist movement to the civil rights struggle in the United States, religious leaders have been at the forefront. The Gambia's religious leaders have failed tragically in this arena. The Supreme Islamic Council has very recently dictated that a fellow imam refrain from preaching to the flock; because, well he is hurting their little feelings. Our Christian brethren, though not involved in any outright censorship that I know of, are missing in the fight against the infringement of rights that is a daily occurrence in their immediacy.
Yahya is who he is because Gambians have become fearful of their own shadows. A lot of Gambians aid this buffoon's ego trip and hurt a lot of innocent people along the way. The larger population has a cynical world view. It is never about them until one of their relatives is picked up and mistreated. The adage "injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere" has never been a mantle in our society. It is these two ladies today, it will be somebody's brother tomorrow until we shed the fear and confront cancer that is Yahya's brutality before it metastasized to a terminal stage. Then all bets are off.
History, they say is prologue. But that doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't learn from it to make adjustments for the better. Opposition supporters have come to terms that a united front is our best shot at competing in any meaningful way against an entrenched dictatorship. What seems to be the sticking point is the modalities needed to bring about such unity. To come up with the modalities requires acknowledging the differences that bridge the parties. To this end, the points Demba enumerated are germane to the discussion. They are the most thorny issues in this unity quest. We keep mouthing off about unity, but when confronted with the mechanism to achieving such a feat, we get cold feet and withdraw into our corners.
It is my opinion that the parties should form an alliance lead by the largest opposition party with the following understanding between the parties:
1. Formation of a coalition government lasting five years
2. Electoral and constitutional reform during the coalition governments' term
3. Parties to the alliance maintain their identity and freedom to organize during the term of the coalition
4. Members of the coalition government will not contest subsequent presidential elections
5. Coalition government members can endorse candidates for subsequent presidential elections (free speech and association).
6. Mobilize mass public campaigns to educate the population in their rights and duties as citizens (parties can do this as well).
These are some of the things that could help bridge the gap. I submit that the parties have smarter people in charge of their affairs than yours truly. Furthermore, I am not breaking any new grounds here. I have heard variances of these points made by numerous people. Pragmatism dictates that we give up something to gain some. The Gambia needs her opposition children to be pragmatic for her sake.
It is my opinion that the parties should form an alliance lead by the largest opposition party with the following understanding between the parties:
1. Formation of a coalition government lasting five years
2. Electoral and constitutional reform during the coalition governments' term
3. Parties to the alliance maintain their identity and freedom to organize during the term of the coalition
4. Members of the coalition government will not contest subsequent presidential elections
5. Coalition government members can endorse candidates for subsequent presidential elections (free speech and association).
6. Mobilize mass public campaigns to educate the population in their rights and duties as citizens (parties can do this as well).
These are some of the things that could help bridge the gap. I submit that the parties have smarter people in charge of their affairs than yours truly. Furthermore, I am not breaking any new grounds here. I have heard variances of these points made by numerous people. Pragmatism dictates that we give up something to gain some. The Gambia needs her opposition children to be pragmatic for her sake.
I am pressured for time these days, but I read through a lot of mail courtesy of my membership to the two largest Gambian mailing lists. The clarion call from most of the participants is a united opposition ala NADD to contest the 2011 presidential elections. I am not a pessimist, but I will venture a prediction that, the opposition coming together as they did with that NADD formation isn't going to happen this time around. If this (opposition parties coming together) is their only chance at defeating professor Jammeh, they might as well call it a day. There is very little pragmatism in the opposition leadership to allow for a united front.
Proponents of unity harp endlessly about unity, but are short on specifics. The mechanisms needed to get these guys to come together is always an elusive one. Until folks are willing to look beyond their own biases, a united front will not happen and Jammeh will cruise to victory with all the impending baggage that entails for the nation.
Proponents of unity harp endlessly about unity, but are short on specifics. The mechanisms needed to get these guys to come together is always an elusive one. Until folks are willing to look beyond their own biases, a united front will not happen and Jammeh will cruise to victory with all the impending baggage that entails for the nation.
"Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war billions more. But no more for the poor"...Reverend Joseph Lowery uttered those words at Coretta Scott King's funeral.
What he was decrying then is the scenario unfolding right under our nose. President Obama ordered thousands of troops to descend on Afghanistan to fight a war without any fuss from the deficit hawks. These same folks are putting every procedural road block available to them to stop the passage of a public insurance option that will generally benefit poor and low income people in this country. Where is the outrage of the Liebermans, the Landrieus , Ben nelsons and the blanche Lincolns of the world? Their hypocrisy knows no bound. It is galling to see how they run their mouth about deficits when it comes to health care reform, but they will borrow their way through wars till the cows come home.
Watch the video and see how poignant his observation is to todays crowd in washington.
What he was decrying then is the scenario unfolding right under our nose. President Obama ordered thousands of troops to descend on Afghanistan to fight a war without any fuss from the deficit hawks. These same folks are putting every procedural road block available to them to stop the passage of a public insurance option that will generally benefit poor and low income people in this country. Where is the outrage of the Liebermans, the Landrieus , Ben nelsons and the blanche Lincolns of the world? Their hypocrisy knows no bound. It is galling to see how they run their mouth about deficits when it comes to health care reform, but they will borrow their way through wars till the cows come home.
Watch the video and see how poignant his observation is to todays crowd in washington.
I have not been posting for the past few months, swamped by work related issues, but I have not stopped following the biggest spectacle that does not have its own television show, "The Public Option Drama Hour".
The rumors, innuendos, uncited sources, cited sources, blanket statements, vague statements, speeches, the word "public option", Olympia Snowe, scurred Democratic Senators, fierce House Progressives, The White House and Barack Obama are a daily staple for those of us who follow congress on the health care and other innane issues that govern our lives.
At this point, every political junky following the congress knows which Democrats side with the public option being included in the final bill and which Democrats do not. We know that. My frustration is at the White House and why we need to have Senator Olympia Snowe to sign off on any final health care legislation? I have YET, to hear the White House explain this in reality terms, when the fight is amongst Democrats.
Is the word bipartisan that important to President Obama and the Obama White House? If it is, I have news for them, "One vote from a Republican does not make it bipartisan. It makes it a joke if you try to tout it as such." Is the Obama White House getting this message? Are the light bulbs on at that joint? I don't think so.
There are rumors swirling around that the senate leadership will include an opt out public option in their merged bill to be announced sometime this afternoon. If that comes to fruition, progressive advocacy will have something to show for a summer of relentless action.
The rumors, innuendos, uncited sources, cited sources, blanket statements, vague statements, speeches, the word "public option", Olympia Snowe, scurred Democratic Senators, fierce House Progressives, The White House and Barack Obama are a daily staple for those of us who follow congress on the health care and other innane issues that govern our lives.
At this point, every political junky following the congress knows which Democrats side with the public option being included in the final bill and which Democrats do not. We know that. My frustration is at the White House and why we need to have Senator Olympia Snowe to sign off on any final health care legislation? I have YET, to hear the White House explain this in reality terms, when the fight is amongst Democrats.
Is the word bipartisan that important to President Obama and the Obama White House? If it is, I have news for them, "One vote from a Republican does not make it bipartisan. It makes it a joke if you try to tout it as such." Is the Obama White House getting this message? Are the light bulbs on at that joint? I don't think so.
There are rumors swirling around that the senate leadership will include an opt out public option in their merged bill to be announced sometime this afternoon. If that comes to fruition, progressive advocacy will have something to show for a summer of relentless action.
As a rule, I'm not a fan of Hallmark Days - those occasions when we're obligated to celebrate and tithe to the tinsel titans who compel us to compassion or guilt.
But Father's Day has always had a special spot on my calendar - not only because I like fathers who stood up to responsibility, but it serves as a day for me to reflect on the sacrifices of a man who once called the Village of Saba home. The man with the loud voice, but a gentle heart. The joke on our side of the village is that my old man will scare the living hell out of a lion with his voice but the soul behind the man we called Dad is as gentle as they come.
Father’s day is a day of remembrance for me. I remember the phone call that broke the terrible news… the demise of my father. It is still vivid in my memory as the morning dew. But I will not dwell on that sad news, because his is a life worth celebrating.
Frankly, I don't know why Dad doesn't slam the door on his way out. Considering the abject poverty that bedevils the life of an illiterate African villager; who lives literally from hand to mouth.
The reason he doesn't is that fathers when they are true fathers, don't do that sort of thing. They don't act childishly, throw tantrums, pout and demand attention. They take the guff and keep on trucking or in the case of my old man keep on farming and doing any odd job to feed his family. It's a very grown-up thing.
Before everyone who had a bad father or a lousy husband starts typing my name, allow me to disclaim: The world is full of good and bad men, some of whom have managed to procreate, as well as good and bad women. Ditto. But this is not about them. This is an ode to a man I grow up to respect and even more after he gasps for his last breath.
This is my appreciation for my father’s patience and understanding. His strength and reliability in spite of the forces arrayed against. This is the reason I celebrate father’s day. If only I can give ol' dad a call.
But Father's Day has always had a special spot on my calendar - not only because I like fathers who stood up to responsibility, but it serves as a day for me to reflect on the sacrifices of a man who once called the Village of Saba home. The man with the loud voice, but a gentle heart. The joke on our side of the village is that my old man will scare the living hell out of a lion with his voice but the soul behind the man we called Dad is as gentle as they come.
Father’s day is a day of remembrance for me. I remember the phone call that broke the terrible news… the demise of my father. It is still vivid in my memory as the morning dew. But I will not dwell on that sad news, because his is a life worth celebrating.
Frankly, I don't know why Dad doesn't slam the door on his way out. Considering the abject poverty that bedevils the life of an illiterate African villager; who lives literally from hand to mouth.
The reason he doesn't is that fathers when they are true fathers, don't do that sort of thing. They don't act childishly, throw tantrums, pout and demand attention. They take the guff and keep on trucking or in the case of my old man keep on farming and doing any odd job to feed his family. It's a very grown-up thing.
Before everyone who had a bad father or a lousy husband starts typing my name, allow me to disclaim: The world is full of good and bad men, some of whom have managed to procreate, as well as good and bad women. Ditto. But this is not about them. This is an ode to a man I grow up to respect and even more after he gasps for his last breath.
This is my appreciation for my father’s patience and understanding. His strength and reliability in spite of the forces arrayed against. This is the reason I celebrate father’s day. If only I can give ol' dad a call.
Readers of this space can attest to the fact that I have been an Obama supporter since he announced his candidacy. I am no fair weather supporter either. I braved the cold weathers to knock on doors during the presidential elections last fall and contributed to the campaign. For all intents and purpose, I am fully invested in the journey that led to Barack Obama's ascendancy to the presidency. But lately, I am getting disillusioned with President Obama's nice guy approach to governance.
Except for bailing out banks and indebting millions of us, I can't think of any significant legislative accomplishment. I am getting sick and tired of the bipartisanship meme democrats shackle themselves with. We have two political parties for a reason and elections have consequences. Whatever you may think of Bush, you have got to admit that he has the balls to get his agenda through an evenly divided legislative branch. Be it the Iraq war; to trillions of dollars in tax cuts for his rich friends, bush made it all happen. He understand that politics is a blood sport. You have to pull punches to get your agenda through.
President Obama's health care reform plan is been sliced and diced right under his nose and he is playing nice guy. The health insurance industry, pharmaceutical companies and the American medical association are not his friends. They will protect their racket at all cost. Mr Obama's popularity with the public is in the strastosphere and instead of using that to push for the enaction of a public option in health care, he is leaving the heavy lifting to the spineless democrats in the senate. It makes you nostalgic for Bush's cahones.
If President Obama continue on this trajectory, his reelection might falter along the way. I will rather not vote than vote for a guy who won't grow a spine and get his agenda for which he is elected enacted into law. Your are forewarned President Obama...you are taking the wind out of your supporters sails. Do something we can cheer for or don't count on me come 2012.
Except for bailing out banks and indebting millions of us, I can't think of any significant legislative accomplishment. I am getting sick and tired of the bipartisanship meme democrats shackle themselves with. We have two political parties for a reason and elections have consequences. Whatever you may think of Bush, you have got to admit that he has the balls to get his agenda through an evenly divided legislative branch. Be it the Iraq war; to trillions of dollars in tax cuts for his rich friends, bush made it all happen. He understand that politics is a blood sport. You have to pull punches to get your agenda through.
President Obama's health care reform plan is been sliced and diced right under his nose and he is playing nice guy. The health insurance industry, pharmaceutical companies and the American medical association are not his friends. They will protect their racket at all cost. Mr Obama's popularity with the public is in the strastosphere and instead of using that to push for the enaction of a public option in health care, he is leaving the heavy lifting to the spineless democrats in the senate. It makes you nostalgic for Bush's cahones.
If President Obama continue on this trajectory, his reelection might falter along the way. I will rather not vote than vote for a guy who won't grow a spine and get his agenda for which he is elected enacted into law. Your are forewarned President Obama...you are taking the wind out of your supporters sails. Do something we can cheer for or don't count on me come 2012.
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