'New' Labour's Identity Crisis

Good question:

"what's Labour for and what is it definitely against?"

Polly Toynbee in the Guardian here

a friend of a friend of a poster on the internet

I read this
so thought
pass it on

it's the least I can do.

over to you...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7470761.stm

machoangelo

my son
started school
a little boy
short pants

two days
later at home
he asked

Oliver
why is it
when I'm
walking along the top corridor and another boy is walking toward me
and there
is no one
else about

he
just bumps
into me

no reason
bump
why is that?

what could I say?
there is
NO reason

macho angels will bump
into each other
anywhere
even on top of a pin

Statesman

Alan Little gave an interesting summary on the Today programme this morning:
here
His comments on Mbeke's and Mugabe's respective background have me thinking what is the difference between a statesman and a politician.
The entry in Wikipedia
here
is a good one.

Mugabe has proved he is not a statesman.
Bush, despite leading the most powerful nation for years, is still a grubby politician.
Blair talks more the part
has more of "the vision thing"
but lacks rational principles.
Zimbabwe has given Mbeke an opportunity to show he is more of a stateman.

(I raise the "'statesman' v 'politician' debate" in the context of some of the world's "leaders". If "statesman" gives a clue to desirable qualities for world or national leadership - or just political leadership - then it may be worth defining that more closely. An informed, intelligent electorate is better than one which elects on the basis of hairstyle, willingness to ride a bike, or similar minutiae.

The Wikipedia quote particularly appeals to me because of the use of "disinterested" i.e. "free from bias or partiality; objective" (O.E.D. definition). "Disinterested" in the context of world leadership raises questions about much of the assorted machinery of "democracy" - and, for instance, the power and role of the U.N. Security Council.

The Today piece I referred to, Alan Little, struck me as a short but very thoughtful analysis of the current crisis in Zimbabwe including a brief attempt to explain some of it in the context of some recent African history, colonial past, the distribution of world power (i.e. China), and some personal psychology.

I hope the situation in Zimbabwe - and southern Africa - can be resolved satisfactorily and that lessons learned can be applied to the many other troubled regions of the world.)

Oi! You! Mugabe!

A Freedom Fighter
is someone
who fights
for
Freedom;
not

a Bastard
who
strangles
whips
and
rapes
it.

Stick Figure Olympics 2

Aung San Suu Kyi
for the marathon.
Morgan Tsvangirai
high jump.
The Olympic flame
burns
in Tiananmen.

Hope For Zimbabwe

Did Mbeki
suggest
the opposition in Zimbabwe
should shower after voting?
At last
there's soap
for Zimbabwe.

There goes Burmah - why not Zimbabwe?

There are lots of parallels, including support from China.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for over 12 years.

What price Morgan Tsvangirai - just shoot him and throw him in a ditch?

Anyway, who cares?

here