::Colored Opinions::

Hugh Evans Flying Over My Blogging Niche

2012-02-15T13:59:00.002-08:00

Wouldn't you sometimes wish you were the sparrow of psalm 84 who found a nest near His Altar? To find that small niche in blogging that is exactedly right for you in that big universe of world politics, Republican primaries, life near the Congo river or any other topic that passionates you.

But blogging is also a day to day following of what happens around you, in your blogging habitat. And today I noticed the feathers of a new bird flying by: Hugh Evans.

Hugh Evans is apparently also on board with the propaganda team of the current regime in Kigali. Maybe he should thank Phil Quin for the encouragement and inspiration for the idea?

His article makes the case Rwanda is the only country where aid works because "the political will exists". In other words, thanks to the (RPF) regime aid works in Rwanda.

As usual with such articles, it gets eagerly retweeted by @UNDP, by @joric_m (Jose Eric Maclangue KM Coordinator for UNDP) , by @JudithMadigan from Amsterdam "This story of Rwanda needs to be heard" ), @j_stratmann OneBrussels , @JoshRuxin).

Aid in Rwanda apparently only works when a RPF regime remains in power. Apparently people love to fall for such fairy tales.
And let's not forget these folks are doing PR for a regime responsable for multiple assassinations in the last couple of years, consistent intimidation of dissident journalists and members of the diaspora, false charges against members of the diaspora and the rigging of the 2010 elections by banning all opposition parties, killing the vice-president of the green party. None of that is off course mentioned by fly-by Hugh.

If the future of Africa, development aid or Rwanda depends on propaganda (or on a specific regime), aid specialists would be, to paraphrase Apostle Paul from 1. Corinthians 15 verse 17, "the most miserable people on earth".

The propaganda war against dissidents of the regime is continuing. People like Lazare Kobagaya and Victoire Ingabire deserve our moral support, our prayers and good blogposts. I confess I haven't lived up to expectations in excellence and quality. We should do more and better.

Let's hope and pray more great lakes specialists, especially the wittty, the smart and the connected will find a place in their hearts to write about real people and move above and beyond those utopian projects which we all cherish.

But even you, whomever you are, that small sparrow sitting on the threshold of the impressive great lakes blogging temple choir, can add your twittering distinctive voice!

Was Augustin Katumba Mwanke Great Lakes Grey Eminence?

2012-02-13T04:43:00.000-08:00

Augustin Katumbwa Mwanke, chief bribing officer in Congo politics, died in the Bukavu crash while visiting a member of the old and powerfull Bisengimana clan. The impact of Augustin Katumba Mwanke's crash is being discussed on Afrikarabia, Jason Stearns and dizolele's blogs and no doubt by many others off and online through radio trottoire, the internet and in bars across Brussels. We will probably only find out in the future how he fits into the "African liberators", dead aid and war on terror narratives. We should however be carefull to turn this man into some fictional character that makes good headlines. I'm convinced "Grey Eminince" does not correctly characterizes the role Katumbwa Mwanke played in Congo's politics.

Comparing Mwanke to Richelieu as does Colette Braeckman doesn't seem helpfull to me either. His lavish lifestyle and personal pet projects don't make him a Grey Eminence reminscent of Aldous Huxley's famous book. CENI President Pastor Mulunda's name would probably be more fitting for a superficial comparison to French cardinal Richelieu. Grey Eminince, the austere monk that did some of Richelieu's dirty work, as described by Huxley, has more characteristics of a Paul Kagame heading the military intelligence inside Uganda during the ninenties. And that brings us to the Richelieu of our times: Yoweri Museveni, the guardian of Africa's liberation narrative.

As Kambale noted in his first reaction to the death of Augustin Katumba Mwanke, this briber-in-chief actually left a fortune. How ironic, like a Jacob he sold his birthright and soul for a bowl of soup. This gives me the impression he was mostly after money and no ideologue. Which brings us to his role as chief-negotiator for a chinese-congolese deal as described by Howard French in the article Next Empire in may 2010:

"In Congo it was commonly said that President Kabila had bet his presidency on relations with China; for an official to say anything critical could be career-ending, or worse."

Dambisa Moyo is quoted in that article saying "China offers a way out of the mess the west has created", "western obsession with democracy has been harmfull" and "sustainable democracy is only possible after a strong middle class has emerged".
Allthough the press in Europe and the US reported Dambisa Moyo book "dead aid" as if it was revolutionary, in reality her comments above make clear that her views are in fact a description of the status quo of both European and American consensus on aid, foreign policy and democratic development. Both US foreign policy and the aid specialist community see the development of civil society as a prerequisit for democracy.

In my opinion a strong middle class or civil society is not a guarantee for, nor a sure road to democracy. Politics is about narratives like the "liberation struggle against colonialism" the "aid miracle", the "war on terror", "struggle for civil rights", "Ich bin ein Berliner". Just developing civil society is not a story that can move people. And to think democracy can only deepen is just naive. The aid communities irritation and fascination with Nicholas Kristof proves my point that narratives do count.

ICG Senior Congo Analyst: Any Logic In US Foreign Policies?

2012-02-13T02:15:00.000-08:00

Marc-André Lagrange, Senior Congo Analyst of the International Crisis Group in Brussels said this week:

"Quickly, I would like to share a feeling of non comprehension and astonishment about US policy in the Great Lakes. Somehow, I feel lost about what the US are trying to do in the Kivu. On one side we have Washington screaming that elections were flawed, non credible and must be, at least, recounted. On the other hand we have US diplomats shouting to who wants to hear it that they are 100% with DRC government to increase military cooperation to fight FDLR and other peace spoilers.

I mean, is there any logic in the US foreign policies?"

Those who still believe the US stands up for democracy in Africa should read Congressman Donald Payne, an African-American long seen as sympathetic to opponents of autocratic rule in Africa, recent declaration:

"the future of Congo is not with Tshisekedi. His time has come and passed."

Ever since Susan Rice claimed to stand up for democracy one week ahead of Congo's elections I have argued that this was pure tactics. The speech in Kigali was meant to create a smokescreen of supposed sincere support for democratic development in the great lakes region.

The liberation narrative pushed by Museveni and Zuma has essentially not been challenged by US foreign policy makers. Instead it has been integrated in the larger "war on terror" narrative. The question is off course who is taking who for a ride in Africa?

Why Aid Specialists & Nation Builders Hate Ron Paul

2012-02-09T05:50:00.001-08:00

The last two decades have seen an unprecedented effort to rebrand the term "conservatism". A Plato interpretation by Andreas Kinnegin has focused on virtues to rebrand the word "conservatism" in the Netherlands. Among Christian Democrats Roel Kuiper and Jan-Peter Balkenende have been spreading this "virtues gospel" (liberal conservatives have an army of believers as well). However, when you take a closer look you notice how this approach could be summed up by paraphrasing Plato:

"the man that feels just is happier than the man who feels unjust"

Institutionalized arrogance if you ask me. In 2008 Lew Rockwell at Ron Paul's rally for the Republic might have called it an infection: it spreads.

Ron Paul's campaign should push back against communitarians and Obama supporters among self-proclaimed aid specialists who have staked their reputation on Rwanda as aid model. People Like Hugh Evans:

Ron Paul is ignorant, ill-informed and/or morally bankrupt when it comes to #ForeignAid #CNNDebate #SadHeCanBeAPresidentialCandidate

Gerard van Mourik, a development consultant who has worked in Rwanda from 1994-1995 claimed in a tweet to former Dutch member of parliament for the conservative liberal peoples party, Arend-Jan Boekestijn:

@ajboekestijn Meer economische ontwikkeling in Afrika betekent minder genocide.

Which translates as "More economic development in Africa means less genocide." He, as many other development consultants, politicians and journalist just can't seem to fit Victoire Ingabire into their development model. The easiest solution is off course to just ignore her story or paint her as a naive, incompetent or crazy individual.
Victoire Ingabire's invaluable contribution to great lakes politics is the fact that she has forced politicians in Rwanda, but also in Europe and the US to show their real colors. She has thrown on the table the question everyone should ask: Can the African nation have peace and prosperity without freedom?

Off course Museveni, Kagame, Zuma and others would argue that the war against Mobutu was part of the liberation of Africa and that critics are in fact the metastase of the former colonizers.

This liberation narrative has not been challenged by US politicians. Instead US foreign policy consensus has been to integrate it into the larger "war on terror" narrative. Paul Kagame comments supporting the war against Ghadaffi and his comments on the Burundian FNL illustrate this.

Donald Tusk did not support the war against Ghadaffi! However, the platonic happy crowd of European politicians jumped on this bandwagon in the name of universal human rights or the notion of a boring and predictable cosmopolitan village.

Leading up to the 2008 presidential elections Cindy McCain led a bipartisan visit to Rwanda that was supposed to showcase how well-intentioned, caring and good people Americans are when helping, through organisations such as the ONE campaign, the poor in Africa.

It's in Ron Paul's campaign's interest to broaden the scope and move away from the unhealthy focus on the middle east.

The last election cycle both democrats and republicans visited Rwanda to show how much they cared for development (make them feel just and they will be happy). It played an important role in the campaign, I remember. And it symbolized the consensus on foreign policy in the US. A superficial feel good message in a country ruled by a ruthless dictator. This bipartisan foreign policy consensus came together with Rick Warren at the swearing in of Obama.

To just ignore debates on development and nation building in Africa isn't an option. As I mentioned above, Ron Paul's ennemies/adversaries ( the likes of Romney advisor Pierre Prosper and Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson and Hugh Evans) are bringing them up.

To broaden the appeal to compassionate conservatives or evangelicals it's important to counter the superficial perception that somehow Ron Paul's campaign doesn't care about development in Africa.

The war on terror in Africa has ugly consequences and US citizens would do well to find out what these consequences are for citizens of regimes that have these cozy ties with US administrations. So if people don't know about Sudan, Rwanda and Congo, it's time they get educated. I support Ron!

GOP Delegate Allocation Rules

2012-02-09T01:29:00.000-08:00

The total number of delegates at stake in all GOP caucus states this year is 462.

Some clame the Ohio race will be key:

"analyst Sean Trende of Real Clear Politics identified Ohio as the key state between a Romney runaway and the possibility of a brokered convention."

To become a delegate for Ron Paul, visit the RonPauldelegates blog for instructions. One wonderfull blunt phrase on that blog:

"Remember, our system of government is a republic and not a democracy. Now you can understand why it’s so important to become a delegate because delegates determine who the GOP nominee is"

December 23 the RNC released it's final piece of the puzzle in terms of how delegates will be allocated. Thanks to Frontloading HQ for helping me find it.

Several questions are off course on all our minds:
How many Republican caucuses are there?
Who can participate in these caucuses?
How many Republican Primaries are there?
How many winner-take-all primaries are there?
Who can participate in the winner-take-all primaries?
Who can participate in the not winner-take-all primaries?
Who qualified for these primaries?
To calculate or predict the potential outcome of this complicated chess game there is more to it then just following the partisan pundits.

To become a delegate for Ron Paul, visit the RonPauldelegates blog for instructions. For any and all who want to be a delegate please get familiar with Robert's Rules of Order. This is essential in the delegate process!

Jason Linkins points to another source to understand what is going on. In the meantime, as MATTHEW GAGNON reports, mainstream media is smelling the proverbial rat in Maine:

"Indeed, intrepid gumshoes from the Associated Press, Reuters, Washington Post, Politico and a whole host of other news gatherers are descending upon the Pine Tree State over the next few days, hoping to cover a shockingly interesting race.
So what are these folks from away so excited about? They think Ron Paul might win the Maine caucus. And, it is true, he might. If he does, they’ll have a political story to really spill some ink on."

Columbia's Jo Ann Cavallo 's excellent article puts to bed the easy slogans and myths about Ron and his crew, read it to wash away the tidal wave of propaganda we have been exposed to by folks from all sides of the political spectrum:

“We’ve Been Neo-Conned”: “Let it not be said that no one cared, that no one objected once it’s realized that our liberties and wealth are in jeopardy.”

Just make sure you show up on time for your caucus, watch the mess Caucus in Nevada in this video.

Ron Paul & War On Terror In Africa

2012-02-08T03:04:00.000-08:00

Sofar the debate on US foreign policy and the War on terror has been limited mostly to Iran. However two subplots have been proposed by Romney's foreign policy advisor Pierre Prosper and former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson.
Ron Paul's campaign could improve it's reach if it engaged it's critics on current hot issues like Congo and Sudan. Weeks ago former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, in a washington post article, had the nerve to claim that eastern Congo shows us why we need big government. An obvious attempt at smearing Ron Paul's small government agenda. A claim that should not have been left unanswered! Propping up dictators in the region, especially through public relations, has a lot to do with the situation in Congo. The war in Congo is not just caused by hutu rebels as many mainstream journalists and policymakers would love us to believe, but has strong correlation with US cozy relationships with unsavoury dictators like Meles Zenawi, Paul Kagame and Yoweri Museveni. This can all be trackt back to a strategic calculation that focuses on Sudan and the war on terror.

The consequence has been that critics of Zenawi, Kagame and Museveni have been consistently ignored, ridiculed (For example: Ward Brehm had the despicable courage to attack Victoire Ingabire's lawyer Peter Erlinder while he was jailed in Kigali) or even demonized by US and UK foreign policy "experts" and journalists. Romney's foreign policy advisor Pierre Prosper has consistently helped Kagame's RPF avoid persecution at the ICTR and the mapping report (how many Americans know what is in it?) has been ignored. Republicans Pierre Prosper and Jendayi Frazer have both used the "local ownership" and "racism against Africa" argument to attack the ICC and shield these new Africa leaders from prosecution. Consistent obstruction by the US State Department of procedures against RPF officers for massive scale crimes stands in stark contrast to the resources and effort invested in prosecuting the innocent hutu immigrant Lazare Kobagaya from Kansas.
Recent comments by Romney's campaign days ahead of the Florida pirmary concerning a slow genocide in Sudan were obviously cooked up in close consultation with Pierre Prosper. Ron Paul's campaign should have hit back hard and point to the disaster in Congo that has been fueled by Pierre Prosper's friends in the region.

US foreign policy has consequences for real people in Congo, Ethiopia and Rwanda where opposition leaders are jailed on trumped up charges, politicians and journalists are being assassinated by these regimes. Pierre Prosper, a friend to a regime that has a trackrecord of numerous assassinations in Europe and Africa. If you want to know what Pierre Prosper's African friends are about (it's not about economic freedom) read this recent statement:

"Organising communities and pushing for development is not an organic phenomenon. It is the duty of a responsible government."

Do we still remember the warning by John F. Kennedy when he said in his Berlin speech:

There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

Cleary the communitarian bejing consensus is not what America and it's foreign policy should be about.

As Jim DeMint reiterated this week: we need radical spending cuts, including putting defense spending on the table. A debate between conservatives and libertarians should also include a critical evaluation of failed US Africa policy which contributed to the suffering of millions in the great lakes region. No more Utopian Nation Building projects. No more cozy receptions of bloodsoaked killers and their sycophantic PR crowd of socalled experts. No more demonizing one-sided propaganda against criticis of totatalitarian regimes, "what would be wrong with swearing of aid to all dictators?".

Jim DeMint: Debate Between Conservatives & Libertarians Necessary

2012-02-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

Jim DeMint has a background in marketing, as he explains in this recent interview, which clearly influences his approach to Republican politics.

Romney's Foreign Policy Ahitophels

2012-02-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Ahitophel is the proverbial cynical advisor who comes to mind every time I see all these campaign advisors swarm around the candidates. Milwaukee Journal, a blog on US politics has written several excellent blogposts on the Republican nominating process. For example the article on Iran and the Pentagon. January 30th Shaun Booth puts the spotlight on Romney's foreign policy team which is composed of 23 people that served under Bush. Sofar during this nominating process, the focus has been entirely on Ron Paul's Iran comments. Have Ron Paul's advisors, people like Trygve Olson, been sleeping?
ouldn't it be fair at some point to focus on Mitt Romney's foreign policy and these Ahitophels? Do we really want US foreign policy decided by people like Pierre Prosper? An individual who has troubling close ties to the controversial Rwandan President. It's clear Pierre Prosper is a key player in US foreign policy when we consider that he was recently hired by Amir Mirzaei Hekmati's family. Prosper was Romney's advisor in 2008.

For obvious reasons Prosper was hired by Kagame in the high profile case against him by the widows of former Presidents of Burundi and Rwanda. Florence Hartmann, former spokesperson for Carla del Ponte, former prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, has explained how on pressure from the United States (read: Pierre Prosper) the special investigations targeting suspects from the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) were buried forever, sullying the legacy of the ICTR. This controversial cozy relationship between US high-level politicians, like Senator Inhofe, officials at State Department, Jonnie Carson, and Pentagon, like Tom Odom with Paul Kagame's RPF has not gone unnoticed. It was mentioned in an article about Stephen Rapp's visit to Sri Lanka this week. For obvious reaons: the nephew of Sri Lanka's President, Shyamlal Rajapaksa, died in 2009 under suspicious circumstances while investigating RPF crimes. That's why I like Tony Gambino's quote that sums it all up: "During the Cold War, US foreign policy globally had clear priorities. That clear lens, however, disappeared with the end of the Cold War in 1990".

Elizabeth Blackney (@richardgrenell & Elizabeth push #romney on twitter), a (past?) communication strategist for Pierre Prosper, has allready "dropped" Prosper's name as potential Secretary of State on twitter, january 24th:

@DustinkBailey Mitt's foreign policy team is very, very impressive. My 1st choice for SecState is on that team.
@DustinkBailey I prefer former War Crimes Ambassador Pierre Prosper off Romney's team. Dear friend, great man, favorite client EVER.
@DustinkBailey Awww, shucks. Thank you. And Pierre is an amazing man, great diplomat, strategic thinker. Romney was smart to bring aboard.

She wrote on politico january 24th:

"Romney's foreign policy team includes Rich Williamson and Pierre Prosper, both with tangible records of delivering positive results in America's policy towards Sudan."

And as clockwork Romney attacked Sudan on january 31th, as tweeted by @medializzy and reported by global post:

" Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney today condemned the "slow motion genocide" in Sudan and pledged, if he becomes president, to "protect innocents" in Sudan"

Which she used as a tweet aimed at Florida voters:

#Romney commits to civilian protection in #Sudan. When will @whitehouse act to protect "innocents" there? http://bit.ly/wtTIjE #FLPrimary

January 31th Josh Rogin essentially republished this Romney press release on the Foreign Policy website.
Richard Grenell tweeted february second:

just words MT @AmbassadorRice: Outraged that #Sudan bombed a school run by @SamaritansPurse I condemn this heinous attack @MediaLizzy

Jon Hutson tweeted:

Must-read in today's @USAToday: #Sudan and #Congo are being savaged as world shrugs: http://usat.ly/yVpEhT #refugees #humanrights

Richard Grennell:

@jonhutson @usatoday @MediaLizzy US Ambassador Susan Rice did nothing about Rwanda in the 90's while Assistant SecState & now Sudan

January 27th Elizabeth Blackney retweeted Michael Gerson's article advocating Ugandan military adventures inside Congo:

"An American combat mission in this conflict is not contemplated. But the U.S. government should press Congo to readmit Ugandan troops pursuing the LRA. And the U.S. military could aid the UPDF with more advanced air and communications capabilities. A small, final push might remove the LRA’s most capable leaders from the field"

The "Gerson" interventionist narrative leaves out essential parts of the great lakes political puzzle. Note for example that he did not interview Rwanda's opposition party leaders like UDF-Inkingi Alice Muhirwa or mentions Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda. Not once election rigging, the mapping report and assassinations by Rwanda's RPF were mentioned. Is it part of the urban bias in Research on civil wars described by Kalyvas ? It's a fallacy to claim, as Pierre Prosper and Jendayi Frazer do, that supporting strongmen in Africa is in the long term US interest or advances sustainable peace. Their hostility towards Occampo's indictments of Kenyan politicians is part of their strategic foreign policy towards Africa and should be part of any real debate inside the Republican party.

For those who want an alternative and superb read of events in eastern Congo, read (google translate will help) the article "Killer King of North-Kivu" by Stefano Valentino, John Vandaele en Anneke Verbraeken !

Will Minnesota's caucus and the thriving blogging avant-garde in that part of the US provide an opportunity for a real debate on foreign policy inside the Republican party to finally take off. When endorsing Ron Paul former Minnesota GOP State Chair Chris Georgacas said "he is the only real advocate for freedom, peace, and prosperity". Does this include denouncing the above mentioned cozy relationships with bloodsoaked and undemocratic "leaders" in Ethiopia and Rwanda? I would hope so.

Habyarimana Case Discussed On Many Blogs

2012-01-30T12:52:00.029-08:00

Habyarimana case is still on the minds of many in the Rwandan blogosphere and others.

For those who want to read the Bruguière report on Habyarimana's assassination again.
Bernard Lugan on Habyarimana's assassination and the recent news concerning the export report, downoad it here, ordered by Trevidic.
Recent articles on Habyarimana's assassination and the new technical report by Victor Tobler in Slate by Stephen Smith in Liberation, by Julie Owono on Aljazeera and by Francois Soudan in Jeune Afrique. Jambonews wrote an article about it on january 20th.
In the meantime the RPF is stepping up it's propaganda assault against blogger and perceived opponent Jean-Marie Ndagijimana

PR efforts meticulously dissected by digitaldjeli surrounding the release of this technical report.

Filip Reyntjens, professeur à l'Université d'Anvers et auteur de Rwanda gave his views january 31.

Herenmuiterij En Volksopstand In Gereformeerd Nederland

2012-01-28T03:42:00.000-08:00

In een reactie op Berkelaar's column op protestant.nl , schrijft ND hoofdredacteur Bergwerff:

"Maar in aanleg was er religieus geweld aan twee kanten. Dat had deels ook een sociologische achtergrond. De afgescheiden traditie had modern positivistische trekken. Daarin was ze kind van haar tijd. Er zat iets van geestelijk negentiende-eeuws maakbaarheidsdenken in, iets van dopers activisme. Rechte lijnen trekken, heldere grenzen stellen, gaan voor het ideaal, hoorden daarbij. Tonen van besef van gebrokenheid en onvermogen klonken minder luid. Geen ‘halven’, maar ‘helen’, dat had Christus’ kerk in de traditie van Kuyper en Schilder nodig"

populaire stelling waarbij Kuyper en Schilder geslachtofferd worden ten gunste van bevindelijkheid en "diepe geloofsherkenning". Wat mij betreft een doodlopende (snel)weg richting oppervlakkig moralisme en zoetsappig middenklasse geloof. Ongetwijfeld, Kuyper en Schilder prikkelden en daagden volk en de hoge heren uit. De spanning die zich manifesteerde in de gereformeerde zuil sinds de democratiseringsbeweging aan het eind van de 19de en begin 20ste eeuw is ook in andere delen van de samenleving zichtbaar geworden. Zowel in Nederland als daar buiten. In zekere zin kun je scheuring van 44 en de jaren zestig daarom zien als het omgekeerde van de "herenmuyterij" binnen de ARP. De synode vertegenwoordigde in beide gevallen de gemakzucht.

War On Minorities & The Police State

2012-01-26T04:59:00.000-08:00

Jeffrey Tucker interviews Daniel D'Amico, assistant professor of Economics at Loyola University New Orleans, and discusses Dan's ongoing research on the economics of crime and punishment.

A great interviw that explains how Ron Paul's version of libertarianism could help fight the police state and the incarceration of minorities. Very instructive video to understand how the police state is ennemy number one of minorities in the US.

Congolese say South Africa’s Congolese immigrant sweep targeted anti-Kabila refugees

2012-01-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila shook hands with South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma in Lumumbashi, the capital of Congo’s Katanga Province, on June 21, 2011, five months before Congo’s presidential and parliamentary elections. On Nov. 12, five months later and only two weeks before the election, Zuma witnessed as the energy ministers of South Africa and the DRC inked the two countries’ hydroelectricity deal in Johannesburg. In December, in his capacity as chair of the Southern African Development Community organ on politics, defense and security cooperation, Zuma declared that Kabila’s re-election was valid, even though the EU, the Carter Center, the International Crisis Group and Congo’s Catholic Church had all declared it massively fraudulent.

Read more at Congolese say South Africa’s Congolese immigrant sweep targeted anti-Kabila refugees, San Francisco Bay View Newspaper.

Someone Greater Then Jonas Is Here

2012-01-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

We read in Matthew 21 an example of crowdsourcing:

"Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them, and bring them to Me. 3“And if anyone says something to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them".

Could we call the numerous references to old testament texts also crowdsourcing? It reminds me of how Google calculates authority by evaluating the links to a certain texts. It would be interesting to have a bible online that had all the (internal )linking between the new and the old testament integrated. How would search engines deal with that? The way search engines calculate authority is an interesting principle to apply to the bible.

In Matthew 12 Jesus compares himself to Jonas. A reference which reminds us of the references made elsewhere to Abraham, Moses, Salomo and the temple. A claim to greater authority based on all these different people who link to him. Jesus at the heart of a collaborative project that goes back to Abraham.

Spokesperson For Things Nobody Wants To Talk About

2012-01-21T01:32:00.000-08:00

Toronto based artist and historian Monika Berenyi met Ron Paul in june and gave her impressions:

"I believe firmly we are going to look back on this epoch in history and we are going to try to understand ... his ability to be the spokesperson for things that nobody else seems to want to talk about."

Best Case For Ron Paul Ever

2012-01-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

Communitarians Tony Blair & Eric Cantor Meet

2012-01-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday House Majority leader Eric Cantor met a communitarian politican from Europe: Tony Blair. When is the GOP base going to vote these communitarians out of office?
Let's not forget Brad Dayspring, Cantor's spokesperson who dismissed Ron Paul's win of the CPAC strawpoll in 2010.

Cameron, Huckabee and Santorum apparently are part of this same communitarian line of thinking.

Will Nevada's Casino Owner Take Down Mitt Romney?

2012-01-19T23:41:00.000-08:00

Stewart J. Lawrence has written a great article on the dynamics of the Republican race Is Mitt Romney's campaign about to go south? In which he mentions Sheldon Adelson from Nevada:

A key factor in the Gingrich rebound was the decision by a prominent Nevada casino owner, Sheldon Adelson, to donate $5 million to Gingrich's Super PAC to wage his South Carolina campaign. Gingrich originally requested $20 million, and he may well get the balance if he scores a big win on Saturday. And if that happens, all bets are off in the next GOP primary in Florida scheduled for January 31.

Lumumba is an idea

2012-01-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Lumumba is an idea (Link to sfbayview.com)

Rwanda will never be the same, after Victoire Ingabire’s return

2012-01-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Rwanda will never be the same, after Victoire Ingabire’s return

Dutch Christian Conservatives Dominated By Communitarianism

2012-01-18T04:21:00.000-08:00

Hans Bleker, the former Chairman of Dutch Christian Democrats CDA, claimed in an interview with influential Dutch weekly Elsevier that:

"immigrants and their children are closely alied to Christian democrats because of their communitarian ideas and that the party should not propose or support cuts to the development aid budget"

Some, like @kustawbessems, see this as an attempt to become party leader by playing nice to the current party leadership that claims to want to pull the party to the left. It's amazing how Christian Democrats have the nerve to present communitarianism as an ideology that could attract immigrants to the party. As I have argued time and time again, communitarianism is responsable for the rise of xenophobic anti-immigration and anti-immigrant sentiments inside Dutch society. It's emphasis on judeo-christian values was aimed at co-opting anti-muslim sentiments. This strategy was the basis of Balkenende's electoral victories.

The Dooyeweerd school of philosophy plays an important part in shaping the ideological direction of Christian Democrats and their two parties inside the Netherlands: CDA & ChristenUnie. Professor Roel Kuiper is deeply involved in this school of thought and Senator for the ChristenUnie. Both on immigration and integration the Dooyeweerd school has aligned itself with communitarian prime-minister Jan-Peter Balkenende. The reaction to Obama quoting Psalm 46 spoke volumes. Obama was obviously playing out his strategy to win over the communitarian vote when his press secretary wrote this 9/11 release:

"The President chose a scripture which he believed was most appropriate -- he believed it was particularly appropriate to use -- to read scripture this morning. And he chose a passage that talks of persevering through very difficult challenges and emerging from those challenges stronger."

Jan-Peter Balkenende quote on 9/11:

"Bitter experience has taught us how fundamental our values are and how great the mission they represent"

In stark contrast to what Dutch Reformed Professor Ad de Bruijne wrote concerning 9/11:

"sign on the wall, which points to the reality that God's severe judgment over the western world is inevitable"

Just read the blog by Denny Burk, associate professor of biblical studies at Boyce College to understand that communitarianism has taken over the evangelical wing of the GOP. To claim, as Denny Burk implies, that Abraham Kuyper would have been a compassionate conservative today is cynical. However, Christian Democrat Hans Bleker took it to another level of cynism to claim communitarianism to be attractive to immigrants. Abraham Kuyper and his struggle for democratic development should be understood as an ideological answer to European conservatism, French revolution liberalism and communism, not a movement to impose "Christian values" on the rest of the population. Abraham Kuyper challenged both the conservative elite in his own party (and beyond) AND the disenfranchised reformed masses which created his path to victory in a a world dominated by easy solutions (communism, national-socialism).
On both sides of the Atlantic communitarians have virtually taken over the major parties, Democrats and Republicans in the US, social- and christian democratic parties in Europe.
Hostility towards big government was traditionally an important part of reformed Christian politics in the Netherlands. I could dig up examples of resistance against the US (after the second world war), the EU and communism. Will Senator Jim DeMint's vote against indefinete detention be the turning point away from this dead end street of communitarianism among Christian conservatives? Muslims like Democrat Rep. Keith Ellison's father and Muslim immigrants in the US are coalescing around Ron Paul precisely because he fights this narrative of foreign interventionism and judeo-christian superiority complex.
51% of hispanics's have a favorable opinion of Ron Paul against 25% of Mitt Romney. Muslims say Ron Paul is their kind of Republican. The reality behind those numbers hasn't yet fully sunk in with Christian conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic. It's a vote of no confidence against communitarian panderers like Marvin Olasky, D.C. Innes and Michael Gerson. Abraham Kuyper would turn in his grave if he knew communitarians claimed to be his heirs. Or as pastor baptist Voddie Baucham states: The President is not “Pastor in Chief.”

Dick Armey: More Military Spending Does Not Necessarily Make Us Safer

2012-01-14T04:28:00.000-08:00

This week Dick Armey, who In his early years in Congress was influenced by Libertarian Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, came to the defense of Ron Paul:

An unfortunate stigma still exists that those who propose reasonable military spending cuts do not support the troops. But that’s far from the truth.

No one wants to jeopardize our national security or purposely put our troops in harm’s way. The reality is that more military spending does not necessarily make us safer. A lot of items in the Department of Defense budget have nothing to do with defending our nation.

He has been critical of Christians and Big Government in 2006:

"There was a day when social conservatives were united with economic conservatives in the belief that small, limited government was not only good for our economy and the prosperity of American families, but essential to protect traditional family values. We all fought for a limited federal government -- a government that had the decency to respect the American people by staying out of their lives. Small government meant that all Christians could practice their faith as they saw fit. Big government violates those rights by meddling in our lives, misusing our hard-earned money, and dictating cultural norms to us. We were and are rightly outraged when government imposes wrong-headed values through its monopoly of schools, government-funded "art," and taxpayer funded "family planning."

Listen Dick Armey speak on The Ideas and Impact of F. A. Hayek:

"Hayek’s Austrian roots and his relationship to such thinkers as Mill, Marx, Keynes, and Popper. Bruce Caldwell, editor of The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek traces the complex evolution of Hayek’s thought—and the evolution of Austrian economics—and places Hayek in a broader intellectual context. His book has been called “the best book in economics of 2003"

Austrian contributions to mainstream economic thought include involvement in the development of marginalism Sounds like a topic uncle Ron would jump on!!!

update: A video in which Mitt Romney claims cutting military spending is identical to making America a far weaker nation.

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They're Hatched

2012-01-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

Media and establishment are allready busy counting their chickens while Ron Paul is surging to 20 +11 in South Carolina (#mitt 29 -2 #newt 25 +1), some examples:

David Frum Let Ron Paul Speak at the Tampa Convention?

Ross Douthat The Silver Medalists

David Grant Why Ron Paul won't go rogue on the Republican Party

The latest attack line, since the thirteenth floor and the newsletters failed is the claim that Ron is actually running for Rand in 2016, if we should believe David Grant and Ross Douthat and many others, as George Bennet writes in The Ledger:

"Many politics watchers speculate Paul would not buck the GOP because he doesn't want to jeopardize the future prospects of his son, Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul."

I do agree that Rand Paul plays an important role in Ron Paul's campaign, but not in the selfish way suggested by these "many politics watchers". In an earlier excellent blogpost by Ross Douthat (june 2011) : Rand and Rubio, Ross contrasts Rand and Rubio on foreign policy which is central to Ron's campaign. One important fact in that blogpost is essential here:

A recent Pew poll found that the share of conservative Republicans agreeing that the U.S. should “pay less attention to problems overseas” has risen from 36 percent in 2004 to 55 percent today.

Ron Paul's surge in South Carolina is not accidental. This race is far from over!
Exclusive: Top S.C. Tea Party Senator Tom Davis To Endorse Paul . Allthough Charles Krauthammer ends with the lame Rand Paul conspiracy theory (popping up everywhere), he does seem to look for a pragmatic solution:

The Republican convention could conceivably feature a major address by Paul calling for the abolition of the Fed, FEMA and the CIA; American withdrawal from everywhere; acquiescence to the Iranian bomb — and perhaps even Paul's opposition to a border fence lest it be used to keep Americans in. Not exactly the steady, measured, reassuring message a Republican convention might wish to convey. For libertarianism, however, it would be a historic moment: mainstream recognition at last.

America Smell The Coffee

Santorum Sexist Campaign in Iowa

Dick Armey joins Ron Paul on Foreign Policy

Jack Hunter discussing campaign with Judge Napolitano

Polling ignoring 29% black vote in South Carolina?

In a December survey from Public Policy Polling, 51% of Hispanics said they saw Paul in a favorable light, compared to 25% for Romney. Nevada has 26% Hispanics

DeWayne Wickham column: GOP candidate Ron Paul says 'true racism' exists in nation's judicial system

EPP is considering nominating Donald Tusk to be the next president of the European Commission !!!

Breakfast With Ron Paul

2012-01-11T23:44:00.001-08:00

Great stories during breakfast with Ron Paul.
The religious right won't unite behind Rick Santorum, so much is clear (even among those who don't give Ron Paul's campaign a prayer). Senator Jim DeMint, who represents both Christian right and the tea party made it clear yesterday that the GOP should embrace the message of Ron Paul. He also thinks Mitt Romney will probably win South Carolina, but at the same time it becomes clear from his words, "I feel good about our top-folks in the race" ,that he considers this from now on a two man race. Ron Paul rose to second place (17 % against Mitt's 27%) in the last national poll before the first in the nation primary. Revolution Pac: "Ron Paul seals position as Romney Alternative". Mitt Romney will have to listen carefully to the words of political marketing specialist Jim DeMint if he wants to remain a viable and credible national election candidate for the Presidency. Laura Ingraham's asks her followers/listeners on facebook what do conservatives and the GOP have to learn from Ron Paul? Conservatives who dismiss Ron Paul destroy the Party's future. Judge Napolitano sums up the race sofar with Republican political strategist Jack Burkman.
Update: Judge Napolitano asks Ron Paul to respond to Jim DeMint's words. Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist who was National Campaign Director for the Reagan-Bush '84 campaign, winning 49 of 50 states and who ran Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign and Michele Bachmann's for awhile in 2011, said Paul needs to know he is being heard. Tony Fratto, Republican consultant and former deputy spokesman for President George W. Bush:

"It's really important for whomever the Republican nominee is ... to treat the Ron Paul constituency with respect, to not be dismissive, to appreciate their energy and enthusiasm,"

Jim DeMint's words are making waves across the newsmedia!

Ron Paul's speech after his second place finish in New Hampshire

2012-01-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

Laura Beyne Miss Belgium 2012

2012-01-11T02:48:00.000-08:00

Flemmish newspaper Het Belang van Limburg dubbed Laura allready the perfect compro-miss This "Belgo-Congolese" citizen (her mother is from Congo) lives in Brussels and is neither from Wallonie, nor from Flandre. She speaks perfect Dutch, French and English.