Polymath Kings

Bringing Down the House

2011-03-02T04:23:00.004-05:00

The revolutionary cauldron of Arab dissent has been percolating throughout the Middle East. It has cooked up a storm in Tunisia and Egypt. It is heating up in Bahrain, Iraq, and Iran. It has reached the boiling point in Yemen. In Libya, it has spilled over. This leads to the inevitable question, what exactly is brewing in the grand daddy of them all, the House of Saud?

Saudi Arabia is unquestionably the spiritual leader of the Islamic world. It is home to the holiest of cities--Makkah and Madinah; it serves as the destination of the pilgrimage, Hajj; its ulema, or Islamic scholars are amongst its most respected. The Kingdom is the focal point for a cool 1.5 billion people--over 20% of the Earth's population. The religious significance of this desert peninsula can not be overstated.

Contrary to what many false believe, Saudi Arabia is not a theocracy--it is a monarchy, albeit with a strong Islamic influence. The ruling Al Saud family has held power for centuries dating back to historic battles with the Ottoman Empire. The power and traditions of the Saud are quite established. The transition of power in the royal family is by agnatic seniority--the order of succession to the throne is to the monarch's younger brother, not to the monarch's son. Transition to the next generation occurs after all the elder males have been exhausted. This can take quite some time given the enormous family size of the royals. The current leader, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz is the fifth of thirty seven brothers. Politics, ability, and factionalism play a large part in the choice of a successor as some princes are elevated, and others bypassed altogether.

Proponents of the House argue that its kings are benevolent dictators. The acts of charity are undeniable: $125M to Pakistan for the 2010 floods, over $80M to Asian victims of the 2005 tsunami, and $50M to Haiti for its earthquake of 2010. In addition to natural disaster aid, donations are innumerable ranging from subsidizing oil in Pakistan, to eradicating hunger in the Horn of Africa, to the construction of mosques across America. Many foreigners thus look up to Arabia for leadership given its enormous wealth, influence and status. Furthermore, Saudi is considered to be a land of opportunity for professionals in the Muslim world--doctors, lawyers, and engineers find stable jobs with a good income.

Monies are not limited to international assistance and expatriates. Citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are entitled free education to whatever level or degree they desire to pursue, domestic or abroad.
The government funds the purchase or construction of a home--which remains free of charge if the individual is married, or a governmental employee. Health care is free. There is the provision of cheap petroleum; in fact, it is cheaper than drinking water. A gallon of gas is 91 cents. KSA pays for marriages and wedding ceremonies as long as they are requested by the family. There are numerous other benefits that make the value of a Saudi passport, an excellent one.

As cherished as Saudi Arabia is in certain circles, it is equally if not significantly more despised in others. The reasons are numerous. It begins with a medieval, hierarchical setup--a sick social experiment, gone wrong. Modern day monarchies are largely symbolic or constitutional, but in the land of Al Saud, it is absolute. The elite branch of royals, descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, are referred to by the title "His Royal Highness" (HRH). These are the power brokers of the the Kingdom, some of whom are in line for the succession of the throne. Secondary, or cadet branches of royals hold key positions in the military, government, and the establishment. Although they are not in contention for kingship, they are referred to as "His Highness" (HH) and wield considerable authority. Below the ruling classes are varied tribal lineages with differing levels of power and respect--but in general, the citizens are almost uniformly of Saudi Arabian descent. Given the economic advantages afforded the citizens, it is a nearly impossible for a foreigner to achieve such status. There is a point system to earn citizenship but in reality, unless there is blood relation to a Saudi male it is not usually granted.

The local Arab population has more rights and social standing over foreign, professional workers--be they American, European or South Asian. Generally speaking, even within this subgroup, detractors state that westerners are preferentially treated. There is an ethnic stratification system below this level that features non-Saudi Arabs, Filipinos, and near the bottom of the barrel, poor guest workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The destitute South Asian workers have few rights and in some cases, have conditions akin to modern day slavery. Duty hours can exceed 18 per day, and workers are often not paid for months. Their also have been many reported cases of abuse, including that of a Sri Lankan maid who had nails hammered into her. Although this particular event is likely an outlier, the squalid working and living conditions prevalent in worker colonies is not. Their life is aptly portrayed in the motion picture, Syriana, about a fictional Gulf state. Supporters of KSA argue that poor Asian and African workers come to work according to their free will. While this may be true to a certain extent, it is more of an indictment on the financial climate of their home countries than a referendum on Saudi Arabia. In addition, many laborers are unaware of the actual conditions and limited reimbursement available to them in the Kingdom. Some try to leave but are essentially stuck for years since their passports are withheld by their local employers. This situation was recently highlighted by an Indian stowaway who escaped to his homeland by hiding in the toilet of an Air India flight.

Apologists for KSA argue that complaints about this twisted, class and race-based system is due to jealousy and unfounded accusations. The reality, however, is that there has been development of a modern day caste system that completely contradicts the egalitarian spirit of Islam that descended upon the peninsula over 1400 years ago. The lack of justice and freedoms for the poor and the immigrants is glaring. And the numbers of immigrants is quite high--almost 22% of the population.

According to the Democracy Index compiled by the Economist, Saudi Arabia has the 7th most authoritarian regime in the world. It betters only a few states such as Uzbekistan and North Korea--regimes that sport atrocious human rights records. KSA's record on women's rights is well-documented and universally considered as poor. Although there is much media scrutiny on the inability of women to drive a car, what is more worrisome is the lack of employment opportunity for educated females. Approximately, 78% of unemployed females have university degrees. In total, up to 10% of the population is unemployed--but this masks the alarming rate of unemployment in the 20-24 age category: 39%. What exacerbates these numbers is the burgeoning youth population, as 47% of citizens are 18 or younger.

According to the Emirate Times, 90% of private sector jobs are held by foreign workers. Saudis lack the skill set or desire to work in the most competitive jobs. Many choose to work in easier government jobs if available. However, given the unemployment figures, it is obvious that enough of these do not exist. It reasons that the House of Saud has inadvertently (or skeptics say, intentionally) created a giant welfare state. The government is willing to provide its citizens with many benefits, free of cost. Some are essential (health care) or certainly benevolent (education). However, some of the other "handouts" have stifled a desire to work and killed motivation and entrepreneurship--leading to slow, internal rotting. The result is joblessness for many and a nation that functions almost exclusively by importing outside talents. The current employment patterns are not sustainable long term and present a dire set of problems.

The House of Saud can be as easily referred to as the Kingdom of Oil. The ability of the House to fund all the programs previously mentioned is due to its good fortune--it sits atop reservoirs of liqud, black gold. The Ghawar oil field is the world's largest spanning 170 miles long by 19 miles wide. It is also home to vast amounts of natural gas. The Khurais, Qatif, Safaniya, and Shaybah oil fields--like Ghawar are in the Eastern Province and in adjacent, offshore locations. The oil wealth filters through the open palms of the ruling Saud, making them all wealthy beyond measure. The monarchs are able to take advantage of their position and have ownership in oil harvestation and production, in conjunction with large multinational companies. However, the land that produces the oil is inarguably that of the people of Saudi Arabia, and so should be its spoils. The "benevolence" of the dictators is as much an act of compulsion as it is one of giving. Without a tiny piece of the pie, the locals would be up in arms. This raises another a question--if the oil belongs to the people and they (the citizens) are already deriving some benefit of it--how and where should all the money be spent? Isn't it being properly utilized already?

There is no easy answer to this trillion dollar question. It certainly should not be limited to the hands of the HRH and HH crowd--for their personal pleasure and exorbitant lifestyles. And it shouldn't be entirely applied into the creation of a welfare state which will inevitably result in the decay and demise of future generations. The judicious use of funds is certainly in order--developing education, infrastructure, and for technologic advancement. Facilities and institutions need to be created so that unemployment doesn't destroy the fabric of the nation. There should be an investment in alternative and green technologies as oil is a limited resource. The end of oil should not spell the end of Arabia--because this possibility is certainly a distinct one. The wealth that Saudi has accrued over time should have been enough for it to position itself, as a world superpower. Instead it has simply pumped oil for the West, mired with a vast array of social ills. Another issue for KSA to consider and answer--what are its long-term strategic plans regarding its oil reserves? The United States is careful not to tap into Alaskan oil and similarly, Russia has plans to safeguard oil for future generations. Is Saudi going to run itself dry? Saudi boasts about being able to increase the production of oil enough to actually drive down the price of a barrel. While this may offer some advantages in the near term, it raises questions whether there is truly a vision for tomorrow.

The money that is minted when Arabian oil is exchanged for dollars is quickly reinvested into the West by the purchase of arms. Saudi defense spending in 2009 ranked 8th in the world, at over $39 billion dollars. This accounts for 8.2% of its GDP. In comparison, the US spent 4.3%. The glaring difference is enhanced when realizing that Saudi is not actively engaged in open combat, whereas the US is mired in two occupations and has opened up a global war on terror with a multitude of fronts on many different continents. Simply put, Saudi defense spending doesn't make any sense. Western powers including the US, as well as Israel have successfully created a perpetual fear of Iran, within the House. Although, theologically divided--Sunni Saudi and Shia Iran; there is no real reason either nation should fear the other. Both sit upon ridiculous proportions of natural resources and maintain a strong sphere of influence central to their sects. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia unwittingly has come down on the side of the West in its continual ostracization of Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iran thus fight a proxy war--one that fuels the economy of weapon-producing nations. This proxy war takes the form of a brutal cycle of Sunni-Shia sectarian violence, in many flash points including North Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and Lebanon. [Of interesting note, US has had supposed secret negotiations with KSA rival Iran, regarding the stability of Iraq]

The airtight relations between KSA and the US also results in less than enthusiastic support of the House amongst many locals, as well as much of the Muslim world. Al Saud has been friendly with a multitude of administrations including the recent Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal. In fact, many feel that the Kingdom has been partially co-opted by America. It served as the launching point for Gulf War I against Iraq in the early 90s. To Saudi's credit, there are no longer any (known) US bases on its soil--but the damage to its reputation has already been cemented. Additionally, Saudi religious scholars blessed the US military action against Iraq infuriating much of the Muslim world. In conjunction with turning a blind eye to wanton Royal excess and dubious investments in western financial institutions (outlawed by Islam), the Saudi scholars lose much credibility. They are seen to be simply rubber stamping the policies of the HRH--whether political, social, or religious.

Following the wave of recent protests, King Abdullah announced a $36 billion assistance package for the country featuring loans for homes, increase in governmental salaries, and unemployment benefits. Its intent undeniably is to pacify the population and stave off any potential thought of uprising against the House. This may be able to slow down such a process--in fact, the population of Saudi is likely to be more content than that of neighboring states. However, given both its developing and pre-existing conditions, it is only a matter of time--be it months or years before the revolution hits the Saudi street. It is critical for the Kingdom to accept this reality and evolve accordingly, before a potentially violent ouster. A class-based system with an all-powerful monarchy will simply not survive in the 21st century. A representative government with a stronger focus on civil and human rights is both paramount and necessary, for the survival of KSA as an independent nation. The House must relinquish its power to the people or it will ultimately face the fate of its tyrannical friends, Mubarak and Qadafi. Unfortunately, given the ongoing history lessons of those in power, Al Saud is unlikely to dissolve itself leading to a murky future.

If the going gets tough in Kingdom of Oil, Western powers will surely be at its doorstep. The proven oil fields of the East are the drug that fuels the world, and in particular, the United States. Control, access and distribution of this black gold is beyond critical--and if Saudi is unable to take care of its brewing internal problems, a foreign invasion is a distinct possibility--regardless if Obama bows to the King. The oil-containing eastern coast is where the Shia population, which makes up 10-15% of the country, resides. The neoconservatives of the American Enterprise Institute have already outlined contingency plans to Balkanize Saudi Arabia, in order to maintain dominance of the oil. In their book An End to Evil: How to Win the War on Terror, Richard Perle and David Frum note:

the Saudi government has long feared “that the Shi’ites might someday seek independence for the Eastern Province—and its oil.… Independence for the Eastern Province would obviously be a catastrophic outcome for the Saudi state. But it might be a very good outcome for the United States. Certainly it’s an outcome to ponder. Even more certainly, we would want the Saudis to know we are pondering it.”

Another interesting tidbit to digest, particularly in the context of Balkanization--the western third of the Arabian peninsula allegedly holds monstrous deposits of gold, silver, and copper according to an Ohio State report based on evaluation by global imaging system technologies.

The House of Saud is at a crossroads. Although the timing remains unclear, it will eventually collapse. Will it cede its might willingly, and in the best interests of its many unhappy and repressed people? Or will it try to cling on to its intoxicating power until the very bitter end with the prospect of violence, anarchy, and be potentially carved up to the whims of the West? It must know that the current path is not sustainable. And it must not forget the words of Henry Kissinger, "Oil is much too important a commodity to be left in the hands of the Arabs."

The House is on fire. It just doesn't know it yet.

Properly Defining "Sea Change"

2011-02-23T01:01:00.004-05:00

The phrase sea change is tossed around with reckless disregard by the media. Everything and anything that is new or different is labeled as a sea change.

The release of a new iPhone model is not a sea change.
Carmelo Anthony joining the Knick is not a sea change.
Republicans winning more seats in Minnesota's state senate is not a sea change.

A few day span featuring protesters revolting, air force pilots defecting to Malta, ambassadors resigning, defense and interior ministers switching sides, cities falling, and the potential end of 42 years of tyrannical rule in the Libya? Sea change, in the southern Mediterranean.

Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi's recent antics have been of typical fashion--ranging from the maniacal to the diabolical. Lunatic rantings about how Egyptians were coming to steal petroleum; that the youth had been given hallucination pills to turn against him; to sending French-made Mirage jets to strafe residential neighborhoods in Tripoli. He's pulling out all the stops to hold on to his quickly evaporating power.

Gaddafi plans to make the inevitable end of his reign as bloody as possible, vowing to fight to the very end. His hiired thugs are roaming the streets and sub-Saharan African mercenaries are reportedly on killing sprees [see prior post for story on Bahraini mercenaries]. The following days for Libya are likely to be both chaotic and deadly--with the distinct possibility of a violent ouster of the despot who once allegedly plotted to kill the King of Saudi Arabia. This indeed qualifies as a sea change. AT&T's offering of free mobile-to-mobile minutes, does not.

Correction: Updated reports describe the Libyan jets that defected to Malta as MiG-23s, not Mirages.

Bahrain's Mercenary Army

2011-02-22T00:27:00.012-05:00

The unrelenting seeds of North African revolt have been deeply planted in the island state of Bahrain. The archipelago, home to 1.2 million western Persian Gulf residents of predominately Arab descent, has experienced a catacyslm--its people have awoken from a deep slumber. And they are now empowered by an elusive, recurrent dream: freedom.

Last week, protesters gathered in the Pearl Rounabout in the heart of the capital city of Manama, to express their newfound voice. They passionately called for fair elections, the release of political prisoners, and social reform. Their requests were instead met with rounds of live ammunition resutling in scenes of utter horror and death. The demonstrators were not silenced. Instead, they returned with more fervor and a new, stronger demand: the immediate departure of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Bahrain is 99% Muslim, and approximately 70% of the populace is of the Shia sect. The ruling Al Khalifa family, which has held power for two hundred years, is Sunni. The Shia are essentially a disenfranchsied majoirty with diminished civil rights--unable to procure jobs in the military and positions of influence, power and wealth. Although the protests were largely framed as political, they were overwhelmingly dominated by the Shia; the sectarian flavor, obvious. Nearby international powers understand this paradigm and are well aware of the potential implications. Riyadh fears a spillover of dissent into the oil-rich, Shia populated eastern Saudi Arabian front. Washington fears that a possible Shia takeover will lead to undoubtedly friendlier relations with Iran, and the dismissal of the US 5th Navy Fleet stationed in Manama.

The Bahraini government has attempted to shift the Shia-heavy population balance by granting citizenship to over 50,000 Sunni foreigners. These immigrants from South Asia and other neighboring Arab countries are granted passports by Manama. Notably, it is nearly impossible for foreigners to naturalize in Gulf states--given the context, this policy is a very, big deal. Much like the importation of ethnic Han Chinese into Tibet, the Sunni newcomers are offered many advantages and benefits, slowly changing both the character and composition of the nation. In addition, many guest workers competing for employment are non-local, South Asians, further engendering class-oriented, ethnic, and religious strife.

The Bahraini Defence Force has been suppressing the current revolution as well as prior political uprisings. It acts in concert with special forces and civilian paramilitary units. Military and particularly special force recruits are composed of many Sunnis from abroad, promised with money and quite often, citizenry. The foreign recruits are chosen for a particular reason--their differing ethnicity, language, and religious leanings will allow them to control the local population with less qualms and the absence guilt. A mercenary army has been created.

The mercenaries hail from Yemen, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq (former Ba'athists from the fallen regime of Saddam). The officers of these disliked special forces are from the Arab states. According to Ian Black of The Guardian, "a Jordanian official is currently described as the organisation's [national security agency] 'master torturer'."

The largest contingent of the mercenary army is from Pakistan--up to 35% of these forces are from its southwestern province of Baluchistan. They primarily serve as foot soldiers. Reports of recruiting Pakistanis of Baluchi descent date back to 1992. There is an alleged Bahraini recruitment delegation that makes trips to the southern coastal strip of Makran, on the Arabian Sea. This region, once a stronghold of the Persian Empire, is where modern-day warriors are now lured westward, with promises of cash and power. The Baluchi soldiers of fortune are often from destitute backgrounds with little hope of economic betterment in their homeland. Their fiscally motivated departures to Bahrain are met with much chagrin among the locals. Leaders of the many Baluchi secessionist movements--the Baluchi Liberation Front and the Baluch Republican Army among them, plead for them to stay home and utilize their energies and restiveness against the subjugating Pakistani Army. They want these would-be mercenaries to fight the local tyrants--not cross the sea, and work for another. Not surprisingly, money wins out.

The Bahraini military and mercenary forces have been known to act in concert with armed, "imported" Sunni civilians to quell political disobedience. Reportedly, they have participated in raids to pursue and abduct activists and demonstrators. Use of internationally recruited soldiers is banned by international law. Human rights organizations in Bahrain understand the governmental manipulation of turning impoverished Baluchis into legionnaires. They have called for improved education within Baluchistan regarding the illegality of this work as well as direct condemnation of the Al Khalifa policy. However, as long as there is a financial incentive from Bahrain, the flow of professional soldiers across the Persian Gulf is unlikely to stop.

Pipelines and Pipedreams

2011-02-19T21:35:00.011-05:00

Pepe Escobar appropriately dubs the most important region in the world as Pipelineistan. It is the heart of Asia: the confluence of the Middle East with Central and South Asia. Pipelineistan's immense reserves of oil and gas and the myriad, dizzying array of potential pipeline networks within, give credence to this name. Local militas to world superpowers--all are stakeholders of this precious land--and battle on for the control and distribution of its copious amounts of liquid gold. Pipelineistan is the ultimate geopolitical powder keg and there more than a few matches in the vicinity. Instability and conflict are ongoing.

Ground zero of this war lies in Baluchistan--the large, arid southwestern province of Pakistan and it contains the ulimate prize: the deep, warm-water, port city of Gwadar. Baluchistan consumes almost half of the land in Pakistan but represents less than four percent of its population. The barren, sparse unheralded land of the Baluch is the focal point of Pipelineistan and it holds the potential key to future peace and prosperity; or alternatively, to one that may unlock more death and destruction.

It is well-established that natural resources are a finite commodity. The future of energy undoubtedly needs to be produced from green, renewable sources in entirety. It is debatable if that time will be reached in fifty or five hundred years. Fast, emerging markets in the largest population centers of the world--China and India, are further taxing a continually increasing demand of oil and gas. With supply dwindling, the resource wars have only intensified, and rage onward.

The rich natural gas reserves in the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia have always been challenged with the problem of efficient distribution. The dream scenario--access to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean has proven elusive. This route faces the daunting task of making its way through a perennially unstable Afghanistan, and ultimately the perilous sands of Baluchistan--to Gwadar, on the Arabian Sea. With stationary gas yearning to be transported, potential profit is being flagrantly wasted.

It has been largely argued that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was for this very reason--to clear and control land for profit-making pipelines. The USSR's Afghan occupation of the 1980s also caused immense distress within Pakistan, as it believed that it was next in line for hostile Russian activities. There was a palpable fear of Russia annexing Baluchistan, in order to complete the goal of this ultimate pipeline. [Pakistani fears were exacerbated by the Russian alliance with its eastern neighbor/enemy, India. Pakistan had enemy troops on both borders and felt the squeeze, much like modern day Iran, surrounded by vast amounts of US troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan] The Soviet occupation failed largely due to Amero-Pak collaboration in funding and training the Afghani resistance fighters better known as mujahideen--a time when the US and Pakistan openly supported "jihad". Eventually, the conflict resulted in a Soviet loss, with a subsequent withdrawal completed in 1989. This may have killed USSR's "pipe dream", but it only created hope and opportunity for other imperialists lying in wait.

Unocal Corporation, once a major American petroleum player (now dissolved into a Chevron subsidiary), had wide-eyed plans to deliver gas from the land-locked Caspian to the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. Upon the breakup of the USSR, the newly independent Central Asian republics were ripe for American desires, to cash in on this money train. As the Taliban were slowly taking over Afghanistan, Unocal was prepping the course for the pipeline. Negotiations between Unocal and the Taliban failed despite their close links [it has been widely reported that Unocal security forces and the CIA helped the Taliban take Kabul]. No deal came to fruition and by mid-2001 the Bush regime had decided that the Taliban would be forcibly removed. After 9/11, in late 2001, with a very convenient narrative to chase out the Taliban, the United States was able to gain the footing it had always desired, by invading Afghanistan. A lightning, quick victory with complete territorial control never materialized. The Taliban decided to retreat from the cities, regroup, and return in periodic waves, years later, badgering the diminishing NATO forces. This unexpected, long guerilla war sidetracked any American ability to build and secure a pipeline.

Plans to develop this pipeline have not died but have been put on hold indefinitely. It has become increasingly clear after a fledgling, decade long American-led occupation, that reigning in the submission of the Afghans is untenable. The only hopes to build a Trans-Afghan Pipeline (TAP) will be through negotiating a peace. NATO will have to withdraw--the only questions are when, and on what terms. The United States did not heed the historic lessons of Afghanistan--they are a people that are not conquered. The Soviets failed. The British failed. Genghis Khan failed.

Meanwhile, over the past decade, Iran also has been planning to develop a pipeline to fulfill its ambitions to export its vast stockpiles of natural gas from the South Pars field in the Perisan Gulf. South Pars is quite likely the largest gas field in the world, shared by Iran and Qatar. Due to a variety of reasons ranging from economic to political to philosophical, Iran has become increasingly isolated from much of the Western world--largely due to the influence of its arch-nemesis, the United States. Iran not only wants to find a customer for its natural gas product, but to diversify its oil-based portfolio.

Iran has proposed the Iran-Pakistan-India or IPI pipeline. This $7.2 billion USD project will supply natural gas to both Pakistan and its sworn enemy/neighbor, India (which is why it is also known as the "peace pipeline.") India needs the gas for its expanding population and rapid industrial growth. Pakistan needs the gas as well, but it stands to profit more by the rent it can earn from India and Iran as a crucial part of the supply chain. There are many issues that complicate this deal. India and Pakistan have fought three deadly wars in little over 60 years of existence and do not trust each other; instability in Pakistan, particularly in Baluchistan will certainly threaten the security of such a line; and most importantly, the United States and its Western counterparts are firmly against it. The IPI pipeline would not only stenghten Iran, but put into doubt, and likely crush the development of a Trans-Afghan pipeline--destroying one of the underlying goals of the long, costly Afghan occupation.

The easiest way for the US to sabotage the IPI is to eliminate the end-user. India, perhaps the key to making the project viable, allegedly pulled out of the deal in late 2009. [However, this remains unofficial and its participation still remains in play, at least according to Iran. There are reports of India's renewed interest in trilateral talks with Pakistan and Iran.] There are strong suspicions that India is bowing out as a precondition set by the US for implementation of the Indo-American civilian nuclear deal of 2008. India also remains afraid of making any deal with its mortal enemy, Pakistan and further blames it for demanding too exorbitant a cost as the middle man. Pakistan and Iran have inked a deal to go onwards with the IP pipeline--much of the construction on the Irani side is alleged to be complete. It is well-known that America is pressuring Pakistan to withdraw completely as well. They are being offered various forms of aid to captiulate and many believe that evenutally there will be a sweet enough deal to make that happen (and it probably already has, at least temporarily with the existing Pakistani government). It is not exactly a hidden secret either that Pakistani leadership operates under American instruction, co-opted; the American ambassador in Islamabad, effectively a viceroy.

Ideally, the United States, in its self-proclaimed role as the world superpower would like to be in charge of distribution of gas and still offers to Pakistan the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAP) also known as Turkmenistan-Afgahnistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline. TAPI would originate in the Dauletabad gas fields near the Turkmenistan-Iran border, in the Amu-Darya basin. Turkmenistan is also home to the Yolotan-Osman fields of the Caspian, reportedly home to 14 trillion cubic centimeters of nautral gas--5 times the size of Dauletabad--which could be linked by a spoke. This gas is fervently seeking a non-Russian escape route to the southeast [there is a line from Dauletabad to Iran]. However, for many reasons already noted such as the little problem the Americans are facing in Kandahar (a key node in the line), the development of such a line remains far more theoretical than practical. Thus, the United States is more likely to derail the IPI/IP line by other forms of aid/bribe to Pakistani higher-ups.

Wakhan Corridor

In reality, the TAP/TAPI pipelines are currently nothing short of a pipedream. The failed NATO excursion in Afghanistan has cemented another cycle of quasi-permanent instability. Even the world's largest armies have been unable to provide the security that any corporation requires to protect their investment. This leaves the United States dangling the smaller carrot to Pakistan of building a pipeline through the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan. Wakhan is the easternmost extent of Afghanistan, lying in the Pamir Mountains, between Tajikistan and the Hindu Kush mountain range of Pakistan. This sparsely populated panhandle is better known for snow leopards, drug smuggling and the largest time zone change in the world (3.5 hours) than as a potential gas route. Furthermore, construction in this region will be nearly impossible given its rough terrain and that of the adjacent Pakistani Northern Areas. This option fails for Pakistan for a multitutde of reasons--Pakistan can not pay for gas imports alone and needs additional countries beyond it to collect rent money. Moreover, the development of Gwadar, which is not a part of the proposed route, is absent.

As for the IPI/IP line--what would be India's loss by pulling out, would be somebody else's gain--none other than its long time rival, China. China covets the same South Pars gas as India and both Iran and Pakistan are lobbying hard for it to step into the deal, and save the day. In fact, the port city of Gwadar has largely been built by China (over $0.2 billion USD invested) and it probably held such intentions for a long time [it has been reported that China has sovereign rights over Gwadar's port facilities and some speculate it could be guarded by Chinese Navy if this deal develops]. Gas from Iran can be transported to Gwadar by pipeline, bypassing the dicey waters of the Hormuz; from Gwadar, it can easily be shipped out to China. And if China replaces (or less likely, joins) India in this deal, there are plans to eventually build the pipeline north through the Himalayas along the path of the ancient Karakoram Highway into western China. This would give birth to the IPC (Iran-Pakistan-China) pipeline and obviate the long and timely 12,500 mile sea route along the Pacific rim. China's role in the resource game should not be underestimated--by making deals for Iraqi oil and Central Asian gas (by a would-be, large Central Asian pipeline), it has outflanked the US without guns, tanks or economy-ravaging occupations.

Gwadar Port

It is the competition of these potential gas lines: IPI vs TAPI, and their many variants that makes Pakistan, and particularly Baluchistan the key piece in the puzzle. As noted, India's lack of participation does not kill the IP pipeline. Neither would it be the end-all for the pie-in-the-sky Trans-Afghan line. This pipeline has been drawn to cross central Pakistan (via Quetta and Multan, with spokes to larger Pakistani cities) and head to India. Instead, it could be re-routed to end in the Baluchi port, of the would-be-Dubai, Gwadar (as planned in all IP variants). Gwadar is strategically located 250 miles beyond the straits of Hormuz, and with TAP ending there, would satiate American desires (and one-time Soviet dreams) of bringing Caspian gas to the Gulf. Control of the port of Gwadar would be paramount to any nation involved in developing the TAP, just as it would be for China in the case of IPC. Hence, stability in the underdeveloped and underappreciated Baluchistan would be necessary. This is not a given considering its restive history and current socio-economic climate.

Given realities on the ground and its self interest in mind, the IPI, IPC or even an IPIC (Iran-Pakistan-India-China, with separate spokes in Pakistan going to India and China) is Pakistan's best option. If Pakistan ever develops the foresight and fortitude to resist what will undoubtedly be a handsome American payoff (likely already trading hands to some extent) to douse the IP line, it must solve its Baluchistan problem. An independent and proud people, the Baluchis have always wanted an element of autonomy. Moreover, they want their share of just compensation for the resources that are plundered from their land. Baluchistan is home to Pakistan's natural gas supply, as well as largely untapped deposits of copper, uranium, coal, and gold. Pakistan is predominately ruled by the northeastern province of Punjab and its main port, Karachi in Sindh--the hubs of power and influence. If you travel to the border city of Lahore, the cultural heart of Punjab, you will appreciate developing infrastructure from highways to high-speed Internet. Lahore, home to over 10 million people, and other affluent cities such as Karachi are of high priority to the central government of Pakistan. While Punjab develops, Baluchistan lags behind--literacy rate is below 20% and most don't have access to clean drinking water. As expected, this disparity has served to only further infuriate the Baluchi public.

TAP variant with Gwadar

The inequity that exists between the province of Baluchistan and its affluent counterpart, Punjab has slowly been driving a wedge through the center of Pakistan, which faces a multitude of other sectarian issues. Simply put, Punjabis have not given their fellow countrymen the respect and financial opportunities they deserve--and there have been escalations in Baluchistan calling for autonomy, and even secession. For any chance of success as a nation, and in particular for pipeline development, the rest of Pakistan has to return the Baluchis their fair share, and a seat at the table. With the prospects of TAPI looking grim, it benefits the US to foment instablity in Baluchistan to prevent the development of an IP/IPI/IPC/IPIC line. Balkanization certainly remains in play and given the sentiments and unfair treatment of the Baluch, a real possiblity. The Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), a regional militia, is pushing for an independent Baluchistan and there have been alleged links to many Western intelligence services, including the CIA. [Baluchistan indpendence is also an Iranian issue--western Baluchistan is in Iran, and not surprisingly, Baluchis are repressed there] Also, the Dalbandin and Panjgur air bases in Baluchistan are largely believed to be controlled by the United States after 9/11. If Pakistan wants to profit from the development of an IP or TAP variant, and for Gwadar to fulfill its potential as an economic powerhouse, it must take care of Baluchis. Pakistan's question should not be, "how do we handle Baluchistan?". It should be, "is Gwadar going to be getting its gas from South Pars (Iran) or the Caspian (Turkmenistan)?"

An added benefit to consider by the development of an IPI (or the even the much less likely, TAPI) line would be the forced the cooperation of Pakistan and India. Despite a history of wars and nuclear brinkmanship, a shared pipeline would benefit both nations and help maintain a peace that has been tenuous at best. Both countries desperately need to divert their budgets from defense to spending on education, infrastructure, technology and manufacturing. Shockingly, a pipeline could actually promote security and peace in the worlds's most dangerous flashpoint. Of course, a pipeline that traverses Pakistan would give it some previously non-existent leverage over India, which would obviously be a point of contention. However, it is not unlike the leverage India currently holds over Pakistan by controlling Kashmir--the source of the Indus river and its many tributaries that drive Pakistan's agriculture and hydrolectric power generation.

Presumably, there are safer, more secure methods and pathways to acquire and distribute natural resources. But Pipelineistan is what the dreamers dream of--the fastest, cheapest routes with the biggest upside and largest profits. As we speak, there are oil tycoons, gas executives, tribesman, politicians, presidents, kings and kingmakers--all salivating on how to get in on the action--be it by bribe, coercion or war. Developing a spider web of pipelines transporting liquid gold is their nirvana, and taming the land on which to build them, their kryptonite.

Special acknowledgement to Pepe Escobar, from whose work was borrowed much information and insight

Drones and Davis

2011-02-18T01:07:00.003-05:00

The Drone War that George Bush declared and Barack Obama escalated on Western Pakistan is at a temporary standstill. Is it over? By no means--in fact, the hard numbers prove quite the contrary. Each successive year, the number killed has increased as noted in prior updates.

2004: 5
2005: 7
2006: 23
2007: 77
2008: 313
2009: 724
2010: 993
2011: 47 (to date)

Total: 2189
Bush Era: 413
Obama Era: 1776

The latest attack took place on Jan 23 2011. Three drone strikes allegedly killed 13 in North Waziristan towns of Doga Mada Khel and Mando Khel. Although, Pakistani intelligence officials claimed the dead were militants, it is quite obvious the locals on the ground felt otherwise. Up to 2000 protesters decried that the attacks killed civilians, including women and children. Of course, the international media coverage of this was lacking, as the event was not as glamorous as the ouster of a Tunisian dictator. With missile strikes raining down upon their villages, the protesting crowd was not endorsing America. Not exactly an effective method to win the "hearts and minds" of those perceived to be against us.

Unless you have been living under a rock, educate yourself by watching Jersey Shore or are just geopolitically-challenged, you have heard of Raymond Davis. Davis is a former US Special Forces agent, who also owns Hyperion Protective Consultants LLC--a company that provides "loss and risk management professionals." (Dave Lindroff asserts that this is a phantom business and offers a very interesting summary and perspective of events)

To summarize, on Jan 27 2011, Davis shot and killed two Pakistani men in Lahore. The ensuing chaos resulted in the death of another person by a vehicle that accompanied him. Davis was apprehended by Pakistani authorities and upon arrest he proclaimed diplomatic immunity. This was backed up by statements that followed of the United States. There has been much debate over the authenticity of his diplomatic status leading to a quasi-standoff between America and its ally, Pakistan. Some neutral observers believe this "standoff" is being orchestrated for the consumption of the Pakistani public. Recently, Pakistan has stated it will make a decision on Davis's status within three weeks. The exact nature of business of Davis is under considerable debate: private security contractor/mercenary or CIA operative. The fact that he was armed and allegedly had sensitive information regarding the tribal areas in northwest Pakistan, where drone attacks occur, further complicate matters (the Times of India has speculated that he runs the drone program).

Davis and the US claim the men he shot were thieves in the process of attacking him--something that is clearly not believed by the Pakistani public, given Davis's credentials. Recently, Pakistani officials leaked to ABC News that the two men killed were ISI (Pakistani special intelligence) agents. If so, were they tracking Davis? Was it espionage deal gone awry? Few know the answer to this. Official reports have Davis currently in a full security prison in Lahore. Conflicting, leaked reports have him living in luxury with access to television, mobile phone and alcohol--a banned substance in Pakistan. Like many aspects of this case, it is unclear if this is true, but it has further infuriated the average Pakistani.

As Pakistan is assessing Davis's state of immunity, the US has been applying both public and private pressure to have him released. John Kerry has visited Pakistan and assures that Davis will be prosecuted in America. There have been quiet threats of suspending the $2 billion in military aid to Pakistan and the cancellation of a would-be meeting between Hillary Clinton and the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Pakistan holds some leverage (the possession of Davis) but clearly the upper hand resides with the US. This is true considering that the Pakistan governmental hierarchy is strongly aligned, even co-opted by America. There have been some cries amongst the Pakistani public to exchange Davis for Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national convicted of terrorism by American court serving an 86 year sentence in a Texas prison. Most Pakistanis believe she was innocent of the crimes--but such a swap borders on the impossible given that the Pakistani government also considers her a criminal and has expressed no desire for her return or freedom.

Given the strong cooperation between the US and Pakistan regimes, the prediction is that Davis will be released in due time to American custody. Such a release, without any concessions by the US, will inevitably create a firestorm on a Pakistani street that is quite invested in this case. There are strong feelings that these were unjustified illicit killings, even assassinations, of their fellow countrymen. Relatives of one of the deceased has publicly called for Davis to be hanged. Furthermore, a spouse of one of those killed, has committed suicide--in despair, over a perceived lack of justice. What exactly the concession will be (assuming Davis is released), if there is one, is unknown. The Pakistani public is far more demanding than its government--it is within the realm of possibility that Davis may have already been transferred to US authorities, if not for the backlash. Journalist Jeremy Scahill echoed Pakistani sentiment on Twitter: "Serious question: What would the US do if a Pakistani 'diplomat' shot two FBI agents on US soil?"

The one item of note--is the complete absence of drone attacks since the beginning of this ordeal. As mentioned, the most recent drone attack occurred on Jan 23. The Davis incident took place on Jan 27. It has been 25 days since the last bombing and given their frequency, it is likely more than a coincidence. Is this the concession the US is willing to make? Highly doubtful--but it seems to be at least a negotiating tactic as this drama plays out. Of course, this could be a moot point if Obama authorizes a drone sortie tomorrow.

Rewriting History

2011-02-16T02:46:00.000-05:00

Hosni Mubarak.

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Two of North Africa's most feared tyrants sacked in a span of weeks--a thought that would be considered unthinkable as little as a month ago. In one of the most remarkable moments in modern history, nonviolent movements in both Egypt and Tunisia resulted in the toppling of two regimes that held power for a combined 54 years. Young and old, educated and poor, religious and secular, Muslim and Christian--people came out in droves to demand basic human rights: freedom, equality, justice. A perfect storm of unity and the restoration of humanity. It is not a leap to state that these events are of the greatest political consequence since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Will Egypt transition to a representative government?
Will the future leader of Tunisia be co-opted by Western powers?
Will the fledgling democracies anticipated be wrought with corruption and abuse?
Will there be an uptick in the economic welfare of the average citizen?
Is this the dawn of a new era or false hope?

Predicting the answers to these questions is impossible. What is not impossible to predict, is how the United States will rewrite history and portray its role in the downfall of these despicable autocrats.

Since 1979, America has written checks to the dictators in Egypt amounting over $64 billion or the GDP of Serbia and Panama combined. Like Mubarak, Tunisia's Ben Ali was also supported by US military aid and assistance totaling up to $631 million. These official numbers are in addition to any underhanded gifts and bribes that undoubtedly changed hands. The Jasmine Revolution (Tunisia) and particularly, the 25 January Revolution (Egypt) exposed the bipartisan American support for some of the most evil regimes in the world--regimes that engaged in torture, rendition, the stifling of freedoms--of speech, the press, and to gather. It should be understood in no uncertain terms, that Mubarak and Ben Ali were "America's guys" from Reagan to Obama with every Bush and Clinton in between.

As a swelling mass of daily protesters challenged Hosni Mubarak in the now legendary Tahrir Square in central Cairo, the Obama administration kept sending mixed messages in support of Mubarak. Hillary Clinton hit the Sunday morning talk show circuit and showed her gratitude to the appointment of a vice president (an unoccupied position in Egyptian government). That vice president, Omar Suleiman, was better known as America's torture coordinator. A henchman who oversaw rendition, personally engaged in torture and negotiated the closure of the Rafah border in southern Gaza with Israel (a highly unpopular move amongst the Egyptian populace). The CIA once requested a DNA sample from an Egyptian to determine if he was related to a wanted person. Suleiman offered to cut off an entire arm from that person to provide that sample. This was the guy that Obama praised as a suitable successor--and this was also the same guy wholly rejected by the Egyptian populace as a candidate for their leader.

As it became increasing clear to the public that the despots allied with the United States were anything but benevolent, it became difficult for the American government to overtly support them. However, it was more than obvious that they made their attempts to maintain the status quo and its benefits: use of the Suez Canal, access to natural resources and Israeli security. These items far outweighed the freedom and well-being of Egyptian citizenry. Controlling a "strongman" is certainly easier than manipulating a government reflective of the voice of the people. Thus, the following statements emerged during the #Jan25 Revolution:

Tony Blair, former British PM: [Mubarak is] "immensely courageous and a force for good"

Frank Wisner, Obama Special Envoy to Egypt: "The President (Hosni Mubarak) must stay in office to steer those changes through. I therefore believe that President Mubarak's continued leadership is critical"

Joe Biden, US Vice President: "Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things. And he's been very responsible on, relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle East peace efforts; the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing relationship with -- with Israel. ... I would not refer to him as a dictator."

Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State: "...I think it's important to follow the transition process announced by the Egyptian government, actually headed by vice-president Omar Suleiman."

Robert Fisk of the Independent characterized the situation: "One of the blights of history will now involve a U.S. president who held out his hand to the Islamic world and then clenched his fist when it fought a dictatorship and demanded democracy." It should be noted, and not just inferred, that America held incredible leverage over the likes of Mubarak and Ben Ali as they bankrolled their dominions. At a time when the desires of the Egyptian people coincided with basic liberties purported by the United States Constitution, Obama and the West clearly turned their back on them.

Unfortunately, as the historic lessons of the past foretell, the actual facts will likely be muddied for personal gain and to avoid historic blemish. The lack of support by American leadership for amazing, near bloodless revolutions led by armies of young people, via Twitter and Facebook, will be forgotten. False stories will be told. Lies will be perpetuated by politicians: "We stood by them, hand in hand to see through democracy."

The Tunisian populace will not buy into them. The people of Egypt will not buy into them. It is of much greater importance for the world never to.

Modern Day Hero

2011-02-16T00:15:00.000-05:00

"Dear Western Governments, You've been silent for 30 years supporting the regime that was oppressing us. Please don't get involved now."

--Wael Ghonim, Egyptian Revolution leader on Twitter Feb 11 2011

Freedom is Never Given

2011-02-12T23:48:00.002-05:00

Reggie or Ray?

2011-02-08T23:30:00.004-05:00

Ali-Frazier, Brady-Manning, Gretzky-Lemiuex. Some greats will always be remembered in pairs. Add to that list, Reggie Miller and Ray Allen. Although their careers intersected for only 9 years, they will always be compared. They are the two best shooters in NBA history. Miller turned shooting into an art form. Ray Allen perfected it. Who's better?

Reggie Miller entered the NBA in its heyday when Magic was still battling Bird, and Michael Jordan was emerging as the dominant force. Miller was the backbone of the Indiana Pacers over his 18 year career and "the Man" there for near the entirety. His elite skill was the three point shot and he knocked down 2560 of them at a 39.5% clip. He obliterated the existing record of Dale Ellis (1719), one of the best pure shooters of all-time. His best year behind the arc was in 1996-97 when the 3-point line was shortened and he knocked down 229 at a 42.7% rate. He was able to take advantage of all 3 years the line was short--with 2 of his most prolific made 3's in that time span. He shot over 40% 3 pointers for a combined 10 years. Miller's highest scoring year was his third, 24.6ppg. He averaged over twenty 5 other years and had a career average of 18.2ppg. The most assists he ever had was only 4.0 in 1990-91 and the most rebounds, only 3.9 (twice).

On paper, Ray Allen obliterates Miller. Allen averaged over 20ppg for 9 consecutive years, maxing out at 26.4 ppg in 2006-07 with Seattle. After that peak year, he was traded to Boston, a team with two other big stars, dropping to an average of 17.4ppg. Conceivably, and quite likely he would still be averaging over 20ppg (for a total streak of 12 years running) if he didn't have to sacrifice his stats on a better team. His career average is 20.5ppg despite having lesser scoring opportunities over the previous 3 years. This is an adjustment Miller never had to make as he was on Indiana his whole career, in the same system and pecking order. Despite the arrival of very talented players like Jermaine O'Neal, there were no superstars that forced him to limit his scoring potential. Again Allen, was mainly a scorer but in 2002-03 averaged 5.6rpg and 5.9apg far surpassing the best of Miller's years. Allen also holds the higher career averages in rebounding, assists and steals. As for the 3 ball, Allen is one short of Miller's career record, sitting at 2559. He's on pace to break this Thursday night versus the Lakers at the Garden. His 3 point shooting percentage at 39.8 is a hair above Miller's 39.5. Allen played only his rookie year with the shortened 3 line and made 117 of them. He happened to make more 3's than that 13 other times (with the reinstituted longer 3 point line) in his career with a peak in 2005-06 at 269. He needs to only make 5 more this year to surpass that 117 again and the season has over 30 games left. So whereas Miller's feasted on 3 pointers with a ridiculously shortened line, Allen never really had the opportunity to cherry pick and inflate his stats when the 3 point line was high schoolesque.

Both guys have been amazing at the free throw line. Allen has a career 89.3% FT to-date, and Miller finished at 88.8%. Allen remained a ridiculously consistent 89.6% during the playoffs and in typical Reggie style, he upped the ante to 89.3% (okay, so you're not that impressed by a 0.5% increase). Allen averaged 19.5ppg in the second season and Miller increased his scoring to 20.6ppg. So, yes Miller improved his scoring in the playoffs and Allen dipped but it should be noted that almost half of Allen's playoff years and a significant majority of his playoff games came as a Celtic, where he was the second or third scoring option.

Without a doubt, Reggie Miller is known for being absolutely clutch in the playoffs. He is immortalized in the Association for his 8 points in 11 seconds vs the Knicks in 1995 as well as the 25 point 4th quarter explosion in 1994 vs the Knicks, again, in the playoffs. The Knicks actually came back and won that series but that has been largely forgotten when recounting Reggie lore. Ray's playoff heroics are less memorable but his championship-clinching Game 6 performance in 2008 vs the Lakers can never be forgotten: 26 points, 7-9 from three point land. Unfortunately, his choke job in 2010 (0-13 Game 3) largely erased the memories of 2008 and completely erased that of his record 8 3-pointers (Game 2, 2010). Reggie's legacy is thus far more memorable--unfairly or not.

Despite being amazingly clutch and the two best shooters of all-time, neither has been good enough to be "the Man" on a team and take it to a title. Miller was never surrounded by elite talent unless you consider the Flying Dutchman aka Rik Smits to be All-Pro material. The Davis Brothers, Chuck Person, Jalen Rose, Jermaine O'Neal and Mark Jackson were all excellent players--but Reggie at his peak was better than all of them. It is one of the reasons he never won a championship. Had he been a second fiddle to somebody better from his era like Shaq or Barkley, he may have had a few rings. The closest he came to achieving that was in 2000, when he had a phenomenal run with a playoff 24ppg, only to become the sacrificial lamb to the Shaq-Kobe Chainsaw Massacre, Part 1.

Allen was not blessed with superstar teammates either (until the Celtics of course)--Big Dog Glen Robinson was a solid scorer and helped Allen to propel the Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000-01 and losing to the Sixers (which was all for the better, because they would undoubtedly be the goat to be sacrificed for the Shaq-Kobe Chainsaw Massacre, Part 2). He had a decent Rashard Lewis in Seattle, but again, Allen was better than him and the remaining spare parts were like that of a Kia. Ultimately, Ray Allen was traded to Boston where he teamed with superstars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and obtained the ring that eluded him. It's not a knock on Allen or Miller that they were unable to be the lead guys on a championship team--only the most elite of players are in that category: Jordan, Magic, Bird, Shaq, Kobe, Hakeem, Duncan, etc. The 2004 Detroit Pistons are the exception--but that was largely due to the Lakers implosion as opposed to the Piston's success.

It should be noted that Miller played his entire career with the Pacers and is the best player in team history. He's a legend and teams had to primarily and specifically game plan against him. Everybody knew he was going to get the ball at the end of the game and he reviled in it. He went toe-to-toe with Jordan at a time when few dared, and challenged him head-on when most collapsed in fear. He helped build the Bulls-Pacers rivalry, and took over the Knicks-Pacers feud. He pulverized Patrick Ewing and made Spike Lee look plain silly. Reggie Miller was the Pacers.

Ray Allen* was traded two times--and never will go down as the best player in the history of the Bucks (Kareem), Supersonics (Gary Payton) or Celtics (Russell/Bird). Reggie Miller could never have been traded--although like Allen, perhaps it would have been ultimately better for his career. He may have won a championship as a Laker or Spur sharpshooter but at the cost of iconic status in Indianapolis. Aside from shooting, Allen's game is arguably better with his ability to get to the rim and finish. However, Miller's ability to get to the free throw line was only matched by the truly elite superstars in the game. Both relied on a series of frenzied picks to create their best shots. Reggie's shot was one of the most unorthodox in history, further adding to his legendary status. Ray's shot is pure artistry--exactly textbook, an obvious result of endless practice and a maniacal 4 hour pregame, warm-up regimen.

Reggie's last few years were watered down with diminished output but he remained a late-game assassin. Ray Allen is still going strong much later in his career--some of this is due to new advanced conditioning techniques, but much of it unquestionably due to his largely undiminished skill set. And as pointed out earlier, much of his current statistical "decline" is a function of his secondary/tertiary status on the Celtics. At age 35, he is averaging 17.5ppg, 50.7% FG (career-high), 46.2% 3 point (career-high). Arguably one of the best years of his career in his 15th season.

Reggie Miller has meant more to the league--largely due to playoff heroics, his flair/persona and iconic status. But when you really break it down, Ray Allen has had a better career and he can end the debate altogether if he keeps on going like this just a little bit longer. Adding 3 pointers #2560 and #2561 will go a long way in pouring some cement to his argument. And quite possibly Reggie Miller will be calling that game on TNT, Thursday night.

Who would I rather pay to watch?

Reggie Miller. Hands down.

If somebody had a gun to my head, and the guy I picked needed to make the shot or I would die?

Ray Allen** By a hair.

* Important to note that Ray Allen played Jesus Shuttleworth in He Got Game. Allen has a Hollywood status that Miller will never match--this somewhat negates that he was traded. Twice. Perhaps Spike Lee knew that Miller-Allen was going to be a future debate and tabbed Allen, to get back at Reggie? Miller roasted Lee's beloved Knicks in 1994 and 1995. He Got Game debuted in 1998. You need to consider this.

**Of course if it was 2010 NBA Finals, I would be six underground.

Addendum: 3000 3Point Field Goals Made is in play for Allen as is a possible Finals MVP. Allen also has 10 All-Star appearances to Miller's 5. Allen never took his team to the Finals as his team's alpha dog. Miller did this once (as mentioned above).

Rashid Khalidi on Egyptian Situation

2011-02-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

Really?

2011-02-06T15:14:00.002-05:00

"The people gave me the responsibility of building the future of this nation. And I did it with honor."

--Hosni Mubarak

Our Son of a Bitch

2011-02-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

Short video that explains America's relationships with a select few autocrats:

Face of Egypt

2011-02-04T00:00:00.002-05:00

Chomsky Musings on Egypt

2011-02-03T23:10:00.001-05:00

Fisk: Obama Administration Gutless

2011-02-03T19:50:00.001-05:00

"One of the blights of history will now involve a U.S. president who held out his hand to the Islamic world and then clenched his fist when it fought a dictatorship and demanded democracy."

-- Robert Fisk

Colonialism Never Dies

2011-02-03T16:07:00.001-05:00

"Oil is much too important a commodity to be left in the hands of the Arabs."

--Henry Kissinger

Return of the Thugs

2011-02-02T17:40:00.006-05:00

The brutal pro-regime thugs of Mubarak are back. This time, they came armed with knives, clubs, rocks and whips creating a medieval battle scene. Some even attacked innocent protesters on horse and camelback. The United States' policy of propping and arming repressive autocrats in the Middle East is being quickly exposed. Egypt is home to some of the worst acts of torture in modern history, and a stalwart on the Rendition Circuit. Thus far, the statements and actions by the Obama Administration have been self-serving, appalling and reek of utter hypocrisy.

The Revolution is Televised

2011-01-28T23:50:00.001-05:00

Egyptian protestors attempting to cross the Kasr al-Nil Bridge meet a water cannon in Cairo.

Gobble Gobble

2011-01-21T21:49:00.003-05:00

This is one of the reasons why Terry Bradshaw can't spell "cat" even if you spotted him the first two letters:

Blake Griffin Drops 47

2011-01-18T15:29:00.001-05:00

Best of Class

2011-01-14T22:37:00.001-05:00

The following are my picks for the best players from each individual post-merger NBA Draft [(pick #) and selecting team]:

1977: Bernard King (7) New York Nets
1978: Larry Bird (6) Boston Celtics
1979: Magic Johnson (1) Los Angeles Lakers
1980: Kevin McHale (3) Boston Celtics
1981: Isiah Thomas (2) Detroit Pistons
1982: Dominique Wilkins (3) Utah Jazz
1983: Clyde Drexler (14) Portland Trail Blazers
1984: Michael Jordan (3) Chicago Bulls
1985: Karl Malone (14) Utah Jazz
1986: Dennis Rodman (27) Detroit Pistons
1987: Scottie Pippen (5) Seattle SuperSonics
1988: Mitch Richmond (5) Golden State Warriors
1989: Shawn Kemp (17) Seattle SuperSonics
1990: Gary Payton (2) Seattle SuperSonics
1991: Dikembe Mutombo (4) Denver Nuggets
1992: Shaquille O'Neal (1) Orlando Magic
1993: Chris Webber (1) Orlando Magic
1994: Jason Kidd (2) Dallas Mavericks
1995: Kevin Garnett (5) Minnesota Timberwolves
1996: Kobe Bryant (13) Charlotte Hornets
1997: Tim Duncan (1) San Antonio Spurs
1998: Dirk Nowitzki (9) Dallas Mavericks
1999: Manu Ginobili (57) San Antonio Spurs
2000: Michael Redd (43) Milwaukee Bucks
2001: Pau Gasol (3) Atlanta Hawks
2002: Amar'e Stoudemire (9) Phoenix Suns
2003: LeBron James (1) Cleveland Cavaliers
2004: Dwight Howard (1) Orlando Magic
2005: Chris Paul (4) New Orleans Hornets
2006: Brandon Roy (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
2007: Kevin Durant (2) Seattle SuperSonics
2008: Derrick Rose (1) Chicago Bulls
2009: Blake Griffin (1) Los Angeles Clippers
2010: John Wall (1) Washington Wizards

**Selections from 1999 onwards are subject to change due to injury and/or future performance

Black Rage

2011-01-13T01:16:00.002-05:00

"I was 17 years old, being cheered on the basketball court but being called a 'nigger' by those same people on the street," he says. That summer riots erupted in Harlem. "I stepped off the subway right into the middle of it. It was chaos, wild, insane, and I just stood there trembling. Cops were swinging nightsticks at everybody, bullets were flying, windows were being smashed, people were stealing and looting. All I could think of was that I wanted to stay alive, so I took off running and I didn't stop till I was at 137th and Broadway, several blocks away. And then I sat huffing and puffing and pondering about what I'd seen, and I knew what it was: rage, black rage. The poor people of Harlem felt that it was better to get hit with a nightstick than to keep on taking the white man's insults forever. Right then and there I knew who I was and who I had to be. I was going to be black rage personified, black power in the flesh."

--Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The Jordan Before Jordan

2011-01-09T23:14:00.001-05:00

David Thompson took the league to newer heights in the late 70s. With a vertical leap of 44 inches, the Association was no longer horizontal. A career sidetracked by nose candy and injury, David Thompson is often relegated to the footnotes of history. But make no mistake--he set the stage and the standard, for the high flyers that followed.

You Got Served

2011-01-05T19:56:00.002-05:00

Average ticket price to a Knicks game: $204,

Buying an authentic Lebron James Jersey: $300,

Sitting next to Jack at Staples for a Game 7: $80000,

Having seen the Reign Man in person: Priceless

Shawn Kemp pulverizing and posterizing the Knicks at MSG in 1995 remains one of the most enduring sports memories of my youth. If you've ever wondered what the definition of a man-child is, watch the video above.

There is No WE in Team

2010-07-05T22:59:00.000-04:00

New Rule: You can no longer refer to a sports team as "we" or "us." You don't play on the team. You never did. You didn't score the game-winning touchdown yesterday. In fact, you haven't ever even cleaned the team bathrooms. They don't give a shit about you.

[Shareholders of the Green Bay Packers are exempt]

Bag’em & Tag’em @ Bagram

2010-05-24T17:17:00.004-04:00

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently ruled that three detainees, allegedly captured in Afghanistan and held for years at Bagram Air Force, are barred from accessing American courts. (I say allegedly because the detainees claim they were captured outside Afghanistan.) The decision reverses the lower court’s denial of a motion by the Government to dismiss the petitions for lack of jurisdiction under § 7(a) the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The lower court carefully analyzed and relied on the U.S. Supreme Court test articulated in June 2008 in Boumediene v. Bush, which granted Guantanamo Bay detainees access to the U.S. Court system. Basing its opinion on what it calls a middle-ground interpretation of Boumediene, the Court of Appeals dismissed the habeas petitions, asserting that permitting litigation of every detainee in an on-going theater of war would hamper the war effort. To read the U.S. Court of Appeals opinion, click here.

To my surprise, the three-judge panel of the Appeals Court consisted of one conservative and two liberals. Perhaps even stranger, the lower court citing a change in executive administrations, invited the Government to express any change in its position regarding the Commissions Act of 2006 and its effect on the question of jurisdiction in this case. In response, the Government stated that it “adheres to its previously articulated position.” Now that’s change we can believe in.

Admittedly, the Court of Appeals carefully expounded upon the historical case background of habeas corpus rights as applied to non-citizens. Citing from previous case law, the Court states:

“[w]hat is presently at stake is . . . whether the federal courts have jurisdiction to determine the legality of the Executive’s potentially indefinite detention of individuals who claim to be wholly innocent of wrongdoing.”

In Boumediene, the Supreme Court found it uncontested that the United States maintained sovereignty over Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo). Although Gitmo is located on Cuba’s sovereign soil, the High Court disagreed with the Government, finding that the United States maintained the facility for over a century, in the face of a hostile regime, and outside the theater of war. The Boumediene Court, thus, rejected the Government’s argument that it did not maintain legal sovereignty over Gitmo, but rather it maintained sovereignty over the base de facto.

Here, the Bagram petitioners assert that the of United States lease of Bagram is likewise sufficient to effectuate habeas rights, or at least satisfy the second factor of the three factor test set forth in Boumediene. The Appeals Court, however, rejected this argument as an “extreme understanding.” Understandably, the Appeals Court fears that such an interpretation would create the potential for extending habeas rights to non-citizens held in any United States military facility in the world.

Instead, the Bagram Court holds that “questions of extraterritoriality turn on objective factors and practical concerns, not formalism.” Ok, so far, a logical conclusion.

Central to its decision, the Appeals Court found that the question of extraterritoriality was not determinative. Holding so would render all other points in Boumediene mere dicta and result in the overturning of seminal Supreme Court habeas cases. To maintain consistency, the Appeals Court held that the question of extraterritoriality was one of three factors that needed to be evaluated before granting habeas rights to non-citizen detainees. Those three factors are:

(1) the citizenship and status of the detainee and the
adequacy of the process through which that status determination was made; (2) the nature of the sites where apprehension and then detention took place; and (3) the practical obstacles inherent in resolving the prisoner’s entitlement to the writ.

In the Court’s analysis of the first factor, the Court admits that status determination process of the Bagram detainees affords even less protection to the rights of detainees than was the case with Guantanamo detainees or previous historical status determining tribunals. The first factor, thus, heavily favors the petitioners. No gripes here.

The second factor is where the Court’s analysis seems to run somewhat amok. The Court distinguishes Bagram from Gitmo and asserts that the United States has “options as to the duration of the lease agreement” and that “there is no indication of any intent to occupy the base with permanence, nor is there hostility on the part of the ‘host’ country.” Really? At the outset of its opinion, the Court discusses the nature of the agreement. The agreement states that the leasehold created is to continue “until the United States or its successors determine that the premises are no longer required for its use.” Nothing is said of Afghanistan’s right to terminate the lease. It would seem the United States and coalition forces have the right to maintain Bagram indefinitely. As for Bagram not being located in a hostile host territory, it seems to make more sense that the cozy relationship we have with the Afghan government supports the premise that the United States intends to stay, especially since this is concomitant with the discretion afforded the United States by the lease agreement. Despite this, the Court holds that the second factor favors the United States.

As for the third factor, the Court found that it overwhelmingly favored the United States. The Court held that it is undisputed that Bagram is located in a theater of war, where Gitmo was not so located. The Court stated:

“In ruling for the extension of the writ to Guantanamo, the Supreme Court expressly noted that “[s]imilar threats are not apparent here.” 128 S. Ct. at 2261. In the case before us, similar, if not greater, threats are indeed apparent. The United States asserts, and petitioners cannot credibly dispute, that all of the attributes of a facility exposed to the vagaries of war are present in Bagram.”

While I find this assertion sound on its face, I cannot help but feel the Court missed an important nuance here. The Court makes an important analogy to a World War II case:

“Not only does this suggest that the detention at Bagram is more like the detention at Landsberg than Guantanamo, the position of the United States is even stronger in this case than it was in Eisentrager. As the Supreme Court recognized in Boumediene, even though active hostilities in the European theater had come to an end, at the time of the Eisentrager decision, many of the problems of a theater of war remained:

‘In addition to supervising massive reconstruction and aid efforts the American forces stationed in Germany faced potential security threats from a defeated enemy. In retrospect the post-War occupation may seem uneventful. But at the time Eisentrager was decided, the Court was right to be concerned about judicial interference with the military’s efforts to contain enemy elements, guerilla fighters, and were-wolves.’

128 S. Ct. at 2261 (quoting Eisentrager, 339 U.S. at 784).”

Indeed, we are in a very different world than the one that existed at the time of Eisentrager. While World War II was fought on many fronts, the front lines were relatively well known and articulable. Today, we are fast approaching the decade mark of the War on Terror. Our enemy has many faces, pledges no allegiance to any particular flag, and hides amongst a myriad of civilian populations, including that of Afghanistan. This dynamic theater of conflict is what the Court’s analysis of the third factor fails to grasp. It is precisely because this dynamic exists that the Bagram detainee situation offers only slight differences to Gitmo.

To be perfectly clear, affording habeas rights to every non-citizen detainee in any and every United States facility abroad is not the proper solution. Certainly I do not, nor would any court, find a logical or legalistic basis to do so. However, some of the Bagram detainees have been held in confinement for as long as eight years. The War on Terror has seen its ups and downs in that stretch, yet it is a mission that does not purport to conclude in the foreseeable future. Even more likely, the Government must have some inkling as to whether it has legitimate cases against these detainees. If the Government cannot act on the information it has accumulated in this stretch, then it is high time for the U.S. courts to step in and determine whether or not it is appropriate to continue detention.

Even more telling, the Court acknowledges that the three Boumediene factors are not exhaustive. It notes the potential for the Executive to manipulate the Constitution as an additional factor, but stops short of setting up a preventative precedent based on mere speculation. It goes so far as to say that such illegal action is improbable.

Additionally, a point of contention in these cases is not only where the detention is located, but also where the detainees were captured. The detainee petitions contradict statements by their capturers. Yet the Court skims over this point, perhaps finding the sworn declaration from Colonel James W. Gray, Commander of Detention Operations more credible. While, by no means is the honor and integrity of the commanders of our armed forces called into question, our system of justice is not based on “he-said, she-said”, but rather on hard evidence. Our commanders and soldiers do commit Constitutional mistakes from time to time:

I believe it is of vital importanance that there is some form of check and balance to the detainee process so that it does not appear to the rest of the world that our armed forces have the unfettered discretion to kidnap and imprison any human being anywhere, anytime. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the best way to achieve this goal is by providing long-term detainees habeas corpus rights. I conclude with a quote from the Supreme Court opinion in Rasul v. Butler:

"There was 'no doubt' as to the court's power to issue writs of habeas corpus if the territory was 'under the subjection of the Crown.'"

On Cartoons

2010-05-20T16:40:00.004-04:00

Nigger.

Freedom of speech allows me to say it. But that doesn't mean I should. Freedom of speech doesn't mitigate the hurt. It doesn't heal the wounds. 40 years of civil rights, 150 years of freedom and a black president haven't, and likely nothing ever will. Most of our society has removed that word; ostracized it from our vocabularies. Its use is punishable by death of career and reputation.

We all recognize that our speech is not less free without that word. In fact, our speech is more free. The oppression empowered and symbolized by its use silenced more than any FCC regulation ever could. Removing it from discourse was liberating--even to those who previously said it. No longer can they live in the darkness of having to use expletives to engage in political expression. Now they can come out of the woods, take off their hoods and appear as guests on The O'Reilly Factor. The word is almost gone and we're all winners for it.

However, today much of the American left lives in some parallel kindergarten playground universe, where sticks and stones and car-bombs may break their bones but cartoons can never hurt them, or anyone else. Nowhere does wisdom or sensibility enter their analysis of the "Everyone Draw Mohammed" controversy (or the seemingly dozens of nauseatingly repetitious cartoon "controversies" that preceded it). Nowhere is there concern to empower Muslim voices across the world. Or at least to force bigotry against Muslims out into the open. Rather, the only concern is that bigots continue to feel safe in their bigotry.

Hogwash. The bigots face the threat of physical violence. That's terrible. They're jerks, but they don't deserve to die for it. Still, risking your life and limb to be a bigot is not courageous. It's about as courageous as being a terrorist. Sure, you could die, but why would you want to die for that? We need a word for people who take risks to do reprehensible things. I can't think of one. Courage certainly doesn't fit.

Two words fit: diabolical maniacs.

From OED:
Diabolical: adj. Of or pertaining to the devil.
Maniac: n. A person who has an obsession with or excessive enthusiasm for something.

That's what terrorists are. They are obsessive devils, who pervert legitimate points of opposition into irrational and unconscionable acts of violence.

The provocateurs behind the cartoons, and every permutation of making deliberately offensive statements about Islam under the guise of "free speech," are also diabolical maniacs. Under the vice-grip of their own xenophobia, and in many cases disdain for religion in the abstract, they go to great lengths to organize around the irritation and provocation of the other, in hope that their own myopic views of Muslims will be proven right by an (understandably) angry and (inexplicably) violent response.

Then the American left interjects itself, not in the way it should by accurately the describing the situation as two sets of diabolical maniacs bring each other to heightened mutual arousal, but rather by standing by one set of maniacs in opposition to the other. Yes, the left should stand for free speech. But it never should stand by needlessly offensive and intentionally provocative free speech without reservation or disclaimer.

I am a former student of free speech scholar Lee Bollinger. While I don't believe he's been an ardent supporter of student speech in his capacity as President of Columbia University, Bollinger taught what I believe to be the best argument for free speech. Freedom of speech allows us the opportunity to counter bad words with better words. In the Qur'an, God implies that humanity was made fallible so that we could exemplify His Glory by overcoming our fallacies. Bollinger's argument for free speech frames the marketplace of ideas in that inherently Muslim context.

When defending the free speech of right wing provocateurs, the left must condemn the content of the speech they seek to protect. Absent any condemnation, the American left will come to serve as part of the defense for continued bigotry.

Like Royalty

2010-04-21T00:06:00.001-04:00

A sad day today--marking the passing of epic rap legend Guru of Gangstarr. The 43 year old Guru aka Keith Elam succumbed to cancer. Here is a sample of his work.

9 Lives

2010-04-06T17:42:00.000-04:00

Have You Any Wool?

2010-04-04T01:15:00.003-04:00

If the Wall of Death didn't get you interested in what goes on in the nation that is home to 1.14 billion people, perhaps this will. Baa Baa Black Sheep is a rhyme of historic proportions--a tune that has given rise to both Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Alphabet song. These songs are all excitedly recited by millions of toddlers and grade schoolers across the world. But it is quite unlikely, that the originators of this melody in 1700s England, had this particular rendition in mind.

WMC 2010

2010-03-27T14:01:00.000-04:00

Deadmau5 - Strobe

Ernesto

2010-03-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

"I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man."

--Che Guevara

Made in India

2010-03-25T08:13:00.000-04:00

Ancient Rome had the Circus Maximus.

America created Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.

Canada is home to Cirque du Soleil.

Australia boasts the Circus Oz.

None of them hold a candle to India. The Diamond Maruti Car Circus in Delhi is a sight to behold. The most interesting event is the Wall of Death. Watch and enjoy.

The Road to Indianapolis Goes Through Tehran

2010-03-24T12:17:00.016-04:00

The two biggest stars in the 2010 NCAA College Basketball Tournament are sons of Middle Eastern immigrants. These unlikely heroes have put the Madness into March this year. They are leading little known colleges from Moraga, Califronia and Cedar Falls, Iowa into the second weekend of play. Building a nationwide following and winning over America's heart on the way. Davids slaying Goliath.

Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh whose father, Mashallah is an Axis of Evil/Iranian immigrant, hit the biggest shot of this season, knocking off top-ranked Kansas. With ice in his veins, Farokhmanesh pulled up for an unlikely 3-point shot ending Kansas's dreams of a National Championship. And in the process amazingly, raising similar aspirations in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The 6 foot tall in thick-soled sneakers, senior has raised his scoring average to 16.5ppg (from 9.7ppg) in the post season, and his hit 9 key three pointers. Northern Iowa's victory over Kansas has been the story of the tournament--the biggest upset thus far. Defeating Michigan State to get to the Elite 8 would only add to a legacy, already established.

Farokhmanesh was lightly recruited out of Iowa City, and even his own journey to Northern Iowa came via playing at junior colleges. He was considered too small and too slow, and not offered any Division I or even Division II scholarships. But now it's a different story for the big-shot maker, who's father was on the 1980 Iranian Olympic volleyball team. Of note, there is currently only one Irani in the NBA--7'2" center Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies. But the Persian everybody is talking about hails from the heartland.

Omar Samhan of Saint Mary's is averaging 30.5ppg, 9.5rpg on an incredible 75% shooting--by far the best individual performer of the tournament thus far. The 6'11" center from San Roman, California also known as "The Beast" has taken the little known Gaels into the Sweet 16. And they still have upset on their minds against Baylor this Friday. Samhan's father is from Egypt, not commonly known for developing basketball products. In fact, you have go back to the late 80s to find Duke star Alaa Abdelnaby, who was from Cairo and went on to play five seasons in the NBA, after being selected as a first round draft pick with the Portland Trailblazers. Unlike Abdelnaby, Samhan started out with little fanfare despite being a dominant player in his conference. With continued play like this, Samhan may be knocking on the doors of the Association this June.

Samhan and the Gaels knocked off #2 seeded Villanova, 75-68 in the second biggest upset of this tournament. Samhan's fan base is widely expanding with a rapid number of new Twitter followers and Facebook friends. His trash talking has kept the media very interested:

“Hey, you impressed me tonight,” Samhan said to (Villanova's Corey) Stokes. “Did I impress you?”

I get it,” he said. “I’m a slow white guy, and I’m overweight. So maybe you don’t respect me because I have good numbers. But after I kill you the first half, what are you waiting for. I don’t know what he wanted. Did he want me to have 40?"

“We’re so old school,” Samhan said. “I’m in low tops. Our star point guard is named Mickey. Enough said.

“You’re supposed to be diplomatic with questions like this,” he said, smiling. “No. 1. Best win ever. Quote it, Omar Samhan said best win ever.”

He even has his own blog.

Needless to say, the NCAA tournament has a very interesting flavor this year. Of koubideh and kibbeh. The nation is watching these young stars of Arab and Irani heritage doing something special on the basketball court this spring.

No word yet from Newt Gingrich or the Tea Baggers on how the terrorists are taking over their most beloved sporting event. If they do speak, Samhan may have something to say about that.

Stay tuned.

Spooky Good

2010-03-21T19:29:00.000-04:00

Deadmau5 featuring Rob Swire - Ghosts N Stuff

The Comfort of Conformity

2010-03-19T19:21:00.001-04:00

Adults push herd-mentality; the need to fit in; to fall into line. Children of unusual and unique talents and abilities are often the primary victims of this crime. Bertrand Russell says it the best.

Bertrand Russell: Co-operation, The Beginning and End of Virtue

In these days, under the influence of democracy, the virtue of co-operation has taken the place formerly held by obedience. The old-fashioned schoolmaster would say of a boy that he was disobedient; the modern schoolmistress says of a child that he is non-co-operative. It means the same thing: the child, in either case, fails to do what the teacher wishes, but in the first case the teacher acts as the government and in the second as the representative of the People, i.e. of the other children.

The result of the new language, as of the old, is to encourage docility, suggestibility, herd-instinct and conventionality, thereby necessarily discouraging originality, initiative and unusual intelligence. Adults who achieve anything of value have seldom been "co-operative'' children. As a rule, they have liked solitude: they have tried to slink into a corner with a book and been happiest when they could escape the notice of their barbarian contemporaries. Almost all men who have been distinguished as artists, writers or men of science have in boyhood been objects of derision and contempt to their schoolfellows; and only too often the teachers have sided with the herd, because it annoyed them that a boy should be odd.

It ought to be part of the training of all teachers to be taught to recognise the marks of unusual intelligence in children and to restrain the irritation caused in themselves by anything so unusual. Until this is done, a large proportion of the best talent in America will be persecuted out of existence before the age of fifteen. Co-operativeness, as an ideal, is defective: it is right to live with reference to the community and not for oneself alone, but living for the community does not mean doing what it does. Suppose you are in a theatre which catches fire, and there is a stampede: the person who has learnt no higher morality than what is called "co-operation'' will join in the stampede since he will possess no inner force that would enable him to stand up against the herd. The psychology of a nation embarking on a war is at all points identical.

Serene

2010-03-17T19:34:00.000-04:00

Andy Duguid featuring Leah - Wasted

DSM-IV

2010-03-16T08:35:00.003-04:00

Martin Scorsese is back with a vengeance in Shutter Island. The eerie sounds of a ship foghorn in the early moments, sets an appropriate creepy backdrop in this thinking man's film. I must admit that my experience was enhanced by watching the movie late at night, as the only person in the theater. In fact, the only person in an entire six auditorium cinema. Had it developed into the horror that I was expecting, things would have gotten just a bit dicey.

There are excellent individual performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Kingsley. Kingsley lacks the screen time that his talent surely deserves. An interesting tidbit about Kingsley, one of the best actors in the industry, is that he was born as Krishna Pandit Bhanji. His father is of Indian heritage from Kenya. Mark Ruffalo also does a decent job as DiCaprio's special agent sidekick.

The plot is developed well, and smoothly accelerates ahead with a mix of turns and flashbacks. Cinematography and character development are excellent, on par with plot and acting. The dark, brooding atmosphere that Scorsese desires is adequately achieved. And even though you may figure out what direction the movie is headed, there are enough twists and thinking to keep you guessing until the very end. And beyond. It is the kind of movie that will surely generate discussion after it is finished, adding an extra element that makes the film quite intriguing, In fact, this is at the same time the most satisfying and annoying part of the experience.

Definitely worth watching. Get some popcorn and check it out, if you haven't already.

Rating: 8 out of 10

We Come In Peace

2010-03-15T11:33:00.000-04:00

Pursuit of the Soulless

2010-03-14T07:48:00.000-04:00

“War is not about victory or defeat. It is about the total failure of human spirit."

--Robert Fisk

The Pac-Man Cometh

2010-03-13T10:19:00.002-05:00

Nobody has been as dominating in the sport of boxing over the past four years as Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao aka Manny Pacquiao. The Pac-Man has been absolutely steamrolling his opponents with a wicked combination of speed and power. His record at 50-3-2 consists of 38 knockouts, most of them later in his career. He has had 4 straight KO's--the last three coming against well-regarded opponents: Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and Oscar de la Hoya. And after watching these fights, one can easily argue that he is out of their leagues. It is not his fault that he is in a different stratosphere. The most worthy opponent is undoubtedly, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.--but we all know about the meltdown of that would-be megafight.

Pacquiao's last loss was almost five years ago to Erik Morales--a fight he later avenged with an eight round KO in 2006.

All of this brings us to tonight's match against Ghana's Joshua Clottey (35-3, 1 NC, 20 KOs). Clottey has seen the tough life in the slums of Bokum--growing up wtih 10 people in 1 room with 1 bed, sleeping in shifts. He has made his way from the concrete rings and torn gloves of West Africa to the relatively easy streets of the Bronx.

Clottey is no slouch.

There is some reason for hope that he will put up better resistance than the previous big names who met the canvas at the fists of Pacquiao. Clottey's last fight against Miguel Cotto was scored a loss, by decision. But if you watched that bout, it could easily be argued that he won, or at least that it was a draw. Dethroning a champ like Cotto without a knockout is risky business, and it did not pay off for Clottey. Notably, Pac-Man did KO Cotto when they met.

Clottey's other losses have come with a valid explanation--disqualification after an intentional head butt versus Carlos Baldomir (he was winning) and the other to Antonio Margarito, when he broke his hand.

This sets up potential for an exciting match at the new $1.3B dollar Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The exciting, flamboyant power of Manny P against the defensive "not enough respect" attitude of Clottey. The smart money is Pacquiao--evasive, quick and always gunning for the knockout. Simply put, there is not currently a more impressive boxer, in any weight class (especially given the pseudo-retirement of Mayweather). But do not be surprised if the fearless 33 year-old from Bokum puts up one of the best defenses the Pac-Man has ever seen.

The prediction here--the Pac-Man cometh. And the Pac-Man taketh.

Manny Pacquiao by 9th round KO.

More on the 1971 Genocide of East Pakistan

2010-03-12T11:35:00.002-05:00

It is important to note that the genocide committed in East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh was conducted by the central government on its own people. Armed forces are supposed to defend and protect. Not attack, rape and kill its own population. In 1971, those of Bengali ethnicity were Pakistanis--they just happened to speak a different language than their Western counterparts. When your own military, that is in place to preserve order and safety, turns their guns upon you--then what do you do? It is perhaps, one of the worst security scenarios imaginable.

Here are a few short videos worth watching that shed more perspective circa 1971, supplementing the earlier post on this topic.

Die Zukunft

2010-03-11T22:38:00.000-05:00

BMW Vision

All Aboard

2010-03-11T00:00:00.004-05:00

Aside from commuters in large cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, few Americans travel by train. Railroad service has been largely obviated by the airplane--which is able to move people more quickly and efficiently across the country. The lack of a true high-speed rail system puts it at a distinct competitive disadvantage. Time is scarcer, schedules are fuller and lives are busier than ever before. People want and need to get to their endpoints faster. Simply put, nobody has time to enjoy the ride.

Given the decline of the locomotive, not many know about Amtrak's Auto Train, a hidden gem in the national transport system. The Auto Train is a unique train that transports both passengers and their automobiles along the Eastern seaboard for 855 miles. The route extends from Sanford, Florida which is north of Orlando to a station in Lorton, Virginia, half an hour south of Washington DC. The train travels in both north and south directions, not so far from the busy Interstate Route 95.

Passengers bring their automobiles or SUVs (and can stuff them to the brim with their belongings) to the Amtrak station at either terminus, where they are loaded into dedicated auto carrier cars. Passengers then proceed to their roomy coach seats that recline quite nicely, or if desired, private first-class sleeping compartments. The train departs at 4PM and arrives the next morning at 930AM at the opposite station. Average speed is 49mph with a single stop in South Carolina for refueling.

Advantages are plenty--avoiding the long, and often boring drive on I-95 and potentially affiliated speeding tickets; ability to bring a large amount of luggage that would be impossible by air; a relaxing train ride; and a very different perspective on seeing the country. Most importantly, you have your car at your final destination. Hassles of rental cars are eliminated and this is can be quite cost-effective if the trip is long-term. In addition, if moving from Florida to the Northeast or vice versa, it is a dependable of way of transporting your vehicle. Much more so than a shipping company--most of whom lack credibility and have more complaints than you can count, on the Better Business Bureau. So the next time you are headed for the Magic Kingdom or the serenity of the Keys, hop on to the Auto Train, have the conductor punch your ticket, sit back, and savor the journey.

Interesting facts about the Auto Train:

Original service under Auto-Train Corporation opened in 1971
Bankrupted in 1981
Acquired by Amtrak in 1983
Current service re-opened in 1983
52 trains Northbound
53 trains Southbound
18 passenger cars
33 auto carriers
2 engines
Lone stop in Florence, South Carolina
200,000 passengers annually
$50 million revenue annually
Amtrak's most profitable service
Longest passenger train in the world--3/4 mile in length*
Track owned by CSX Transportation
Maintenance and mechanics performed in Sanford, FL
Capacity of 370 vehicles per train
Significant reduction in greenhouse gases--equivalent to taking off 3478 cars off the road for a full year

*Mix of passengers and auto cars

The Obscenity of Nationalism

2010-03-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”

--Howard Zinn

Eclectic 3.0

2010-03-09T12:50:00.006-05:00

Time lapse photography by Ross Ching

Unity, Faith, Genocide

2010-03-07T03:42:00.011-05:00

In Pakistan's first city Karachi, the beautiful seaside suburb of Clifton is home to the rich and famous. Sandy beaches, trendy shopping, high fashion, fine dining and booming real estate define it. It is the place to see and be seen. Clifton also houses a monument to one of the nation's darkest, deepest and best-kept secrets.

A false slogan.

Driving through Clifton, you will inevitably stumble upon Teen Talwar Chowrangi or in English, the Three Swords Roundabout. There is a trio of large, marble structures resembling swords in the middle of this intersection, and inscribed upon them are three words: "Unity", "Faith" and "Discipline." This moniker was a brainchild of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, considered to be the father of Pakistan, who asserted that the country was founded on these principles. This enormous landmark, commissioned by former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is considered to be symbolic of both military might and high moral standards.

The reality is quite different. And in solemn irony, this statue was erected after a series of events that counter those very concepts. A story that if properly recounted would change the engravings on these shiny, tall spears to "Murder", "Rape" and "Genocide." Certainly not a story of unity. Undoubtedly, not of faith. And unquestionably, not one of discipline.

Genocides and massacres are often give the neat title of "operation"--a nice, clean household term palatable for the general public. Operation 14[F]13 in Nazi Germany sent unfit-for-labor, Jewish prisoners to gas chambers for "special treatment." Israeli Operation Cast Lead aimed to kill Palestinian civilians and destroy Gazan infrastructure under the pretext of self-defense. Operation Murambatsvina in Zimbabwe displaced hundreds of thousands, leading to the silent genocide caused by disease and starvation. Other military exercises such as Operation Menu, the US bombing of east Cambodia during the Vietnam War led to the rise of the Khmer Rouge, and its subsequent genocidal activities.

Operation Searchlight is Pakistan's contribution to genocides that chronicle the history of man. In March of 1971, the West Pakistan-based central government began a reign of terror on their eastern, ethnic Bengali population to curb a separatist movement. According to Anthony Mascarenhas, author of The Rape of Bangla Desh, systematic murder by the Pakistani Army targeted five distinct groups:

[1] Bengali (East Pakistani) soldiers and militia
[2] Hindus
[3] Political party members of the Awami League
[4] College students
[5] Intellectuals

A high-ranking US official told Time magazine in an article printed in August 1971, "It is the most incredible, calculated thing since the days of Nazis in Poland." Operation Searchlight and its spillover into the Bangladeshi Liberation War left behind a ghastly number of victims. Estimates vary widely, but actions of the Pakistani Army and its paramilitary forces resulted in 200,000 to 3,000,000 dead. Pakistan's official investigation puts the figure at 26,000 civilians--which is widely, and summarily disregarded. Most experts feel the number is in seven figures and that quite possibly, the Bengali national estimate of 3 million may be accurate. Eight to ten million refugees fled to India. Rape figures against East Pakistani women also vary but have been reported up to 200,000 or even, 400,000. Actual statistics will never be known. But, the pillaging of East Pakistan would even make the likes of Josef Stalin proud.

Stories of horror.

Soldiers taking grown boys from their parents and bayoneting them in the stomach, letting them bleed to death slowly, helpless onlookers arrested. Mothers suffocating their own crying infants to death, in order to silence them, to save large groups of refugees hiding in the fields, well in earshot of advancing troops. Setting the Old City of Dhaka ablaze by flamethrowers, and subsequently machine-gunning thousands as they attempted to escape the burning fires. Men, women, children, babies.

These kinds of blood stains don't just go away.

Pakistan and its ally, the United States refuse to use the term genocide--although internal memos contradict this public stance. Bengali institutions, press, and publications refer to the events of 1971 as a genocide. As do scholars on the subject, and the Guiness Book of World Records which has listed it as one of the top 5 genocides of the 20th century. A century that also saw death and destruction in Rwanda, the Holocaust and Pol Pot's "Year Zero."

No apologies.

Perhaps as sad as the loss of life and shattering of dreams in Bengal, is the refusal of the Pakistan government to recognize the atrocities it wreaked. Generals and officers guilty of the worst of war crimes are instead lauded as heroes and architects of freedom, defenders of honor. Their names are on highways and government buildings. These myths are perpetuated through all levels of society, a combination of ignorance and denial. Entire generations of school children are brainwashed. But eyewitness accounts, refugee crises and mass graves tell a different tale.

So the next time you happen to be in sunny Clifton, driving down Abdullah Haroon Road approaching the roundabout with Bath Island and Chartered Accountants streets, feel the breeze off the Indian Ocean. And look up at the giant, white swords and take time to reflect on the horrors that were carried out under the guise of these fallacious ideals.

False Assumption

2010-03-06T14:34:00.003-05:00

"Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate."

-- Edward Wadie Said

Enterprising

2010-03-05T19:30:00.001-05:00

Daddy's Grove & Little Mark - Shorebreak (Magic Island Club Mix)

Mc911

2010-03-04T14:00:00.008-05:00

The best news stories hail from South Florida. Disproportionately. For those of you that haven't noticed this yet, I will refer you to the esteemed Biggie Smalls:

"It's all good. Uh, and if you don't know, now you know, nigga."

Now that this fact is established, you must understand the concept of a fast food emergency. The urgent and exigent need to consume as much greasy, fatty, artery-plugging fried food available quickly as possible. Or in the case of South Floridian Latreasa Goodman, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. Goodman went to her local Mickey D's, only to be denied the good stuff because all the other natives in her town had already gobbled them up. She paid for the nuggets but since there weren't any left, the employees tried to substitute some other angina-causing agent disguised as food. This evenutally prompted 3 calls to 911 and the following statement to the Fort Pierce, FL police:

"This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one."

I'm with her on this one. You should be able to pick your own poison. That is not Ronald McDonald's decision. This is a free country.

And if you're feeling sorry that BK is being ignored, don't. Jean Fortune of Boynton Beach, FL called 911 last month, telling dispatchers that he was "unhappy with his order", after being told by the cashier of a local Burger King that they were out of lemonade. Fortune has a solid point. How the hell do they expect him to wash down his Tripple Whopper with Cheese, 8-piece Crown-Shaped Chicken Tenders, and king-sized fries?

Scripted

2010-03-03T17:48:00.010-05:00

After the disintegration of the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight, Sugar Shane Mosley has stepped in to fill the void. The new Mayweather-Mosley contest is clearly a let down after what would have been the biggest fight in years, and presumably boxing's richest. Nevertheless, it is another opportunity to see the undefeated Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) fight. Mayweather's fight style is not exactly fan-friendly, but he is of the smartest pugilists around, using his lightning quick speed to land punches, and rarely getting hit in the process. His defensive skills are just as good as his offense--the reason he remains undefeated.

Mosley (46-5, 1 NC, 39 KOs) is more of a knockout puncher but will certainly be overmatched in Vegas on May 1st. For boxing fans, this remains a must-see bout despite the massive disappointment that followed the collapse of the Pacquiao superfight.

So how do you try to get the public excited about the consolation match? A pre-fight scuffle of course. The time-honored tradition of yelling, shoving, and occasionally punching your opponent during the press conference continues. Anything to sell tickets. Check out Mayweather and Mosley here. I don't think there is much going on, other than the ruffling of Brioni suits and the making of plans to meet up for steak at the Bellagio.

Finding Tranquility: From Gulfport to Kyoto

2010-03-01T20:08:00.019-05:00

Okinawa fears him. They have to now. Okinawa, the fiercely independent island chain with its own language and culture, has always regarded itself as different from the rest of Japan. Known best for exporting karate and music, this is an entirely different and new experience for Okinawa. The Okinawa Ryukyu Golden Kings are the first and only professional team in the history of the islands. They also happen to be the reigning champs of the basketball Japanese BJ League. And they were supposed to win.

But he had other ideas.

The most intriguing player on the Kyoto Hannaryz just missed nine games due to a calf injury. But he is 40 years old and is turning 41 next week, so you don't harp on that. Injuries happen at that age. At 41, you feel blessed just to be alive. But you know he wants to come back against the champs, to show Okinawa that he still has some gas left in the tank. 41 year olds aren't supposed to be playing basketball unless they are coaching YMCA rec leagues or shooting H-O-R-S-E with their kids. Certainly not playing professional basketball halfway across the globe in a fledgling league, less than five years old. And certainly not him. He was a college superstar. One of the all-time greats.

In his first game back against Okinawa, he played off the bench. In 20 minutes, he put up 12 points and helped spur Kyoto to a 93-76 win. He was a key performer, interjecting energy into the team. He shot 2 for 4 from 3 point range, and added 3 steals. But that wasn't enough. He wanted to add some drama. So 24 hours later, he decided to show the good citizens of Okinawa, what those in Louisiana already knew. The Hannaryz, an expansion team, was playing the Golden Kings again and the game was tied 66-66. Five seconds left on the clock. He shoots. He scores. 15 points and the game winning shot. 68-66. Okinawa now knows.

The win improves Kyoto to 11-15. There is not much talent on the team, and they have undoubtedly missed his presence during the injury. Optimism abounds however, as Kyoto's team has just dropped the champs twice on consecutive nights. But this is not a story about the Kyoto Hannaryz. And it is not a story about Okinawa, and how a quarter of its population (120,000 people) perished during World War II or how several American military bases continue to irritate the locals. It is about him. His journey. And finding peace in Japan.

Chris Wayne Jackson shot the lights outs in high school gymnasiums across Mississippi from the mid to late 1980s. Allegedly standing at 6 feet 1 inches (some of his friends swear he is no more than 5'10"), he had always been a small man in a big man's game. But he could shoot and he could score, dominating in the process. Jackson once made a record 283 foul shots in a row at his alma mater, Gulfport High. A Sports Illustrated article written 21 years ago, noted that his high school coach had a policy of making his players shoot free throws until they missed at the end of practice. Chris Jackson had others ideas. He never missed. So Jackson obliterated and ended that policy--because the kids wanted to go home. He went on to become two-time Mississippi Player of the Year. Perhaps the best basketball player in state history.

But the legend of Jackson was just growing and about to explode from the Mississippi River delta on to the national stage. Chris Jackson signed with the Louisiana State Tigers and changed Baton Rouge forever. He had the most prolific season in the history of college basketball for a freshman player. He set the NCAA rookie scoring record at 30.2 ppg. It still stands to this day. Kevin Durant of Texas tried to eclipse it a few years ago, but he couldn't pull it off. Scoring 30 night in, night out is no joke. Especially as frosh facing bigger, stronger, faster competition than you have ever seen before.

Chris Jackson made LSU relevant again. He brought record-setting crowds into the Louisiana Superdome. Over 54,000 people watched the little man bring down the mighty Georgetown Hoyas and their giant, Alonzo Mourning. University of Illinois’s star player, Kendall Gill said he was the best guard he has ever played against. Not only could he score, but he could pass. Move. Dribble. Dart. Dance. Break ankles. You never forget the day you had to guard Chris Jackson. Because if you had any pride or any arrogance, it was erased after he taught you a basketball lesson.

CJ nailed 172 3 pointers in 2 years. He was a First-Team All-American as well as SEC Consensus Player of the Year in both 1989 and 1990. His absolute dominance at the collegiate level prompted him to go pro after his sophomore year. His abilities vaulted him to the 3rd overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, selected by the Denver Nuggets.

Forgotten.

Why is it for a player so accomplished, that if you do a Google search for "lsu basketball chris jackson stats", a different Chris Jackson appears on the LSU website? An obscure college baseball player who ended up signing to play football for a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills in 2007. What happened to the legacy of perhaps one of the all-time best guards to ever play NCAA basketball? Why is he buried so deep in history that even the Internet can't find him?

What is he doing in those cool, wet, green winter mountains of Kyoto anyways?

The story of Chris Jackson is about more than basketball. Much more. According to his college coach at LSU, Dale Brown, "As great a player as Chris is, he's a better person." CJ was a far cry from the typical college player of today or yesteryear. Polite. Humble. Well-mannered. Respectful. A true gentleman. A coach's dream.

The basketball opposition Chris burned for deep trifectas beyond the arc and passed circles around was the easy part. That was just a game. No, that wasn't anything at all. Because you see, Jackson suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, a rare genetic neuropsychiatric disease. It is a tic disorder--and not one that is easy to deal with. It can manifest in many different ways--unwanted movements such as blinking or facial twitching. Or flailing an arm. At other times, there may be uncontrollable crying or blurting of obscene language, or socially inappropriate remarks. Living with Tourette’s can be quite difficult. There is no cure. Treatment may come in the form of various medications--antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants; or cognitive therapy and relaxation techniques. To live and overcome this disease is an accomplishment. A real victory, beyond the bright lights, screaming fans and the hardcourt.

To be a world-class athlete in spite of it. This is the stuff of legends.

To be successful in team sports, you not only need the talent and hard-work but you need the right circumstances. One of my best friends in high school was a basketball player that you had to see in person. Kind of like Chris Jackson, but not quite as gifted. He could also shoot the lights out of a gym--he could hit a shot from anywhere. Baseline. Free throw line. Three point line. Half court. Even 3/4 the way down the court, he had an uncanny ability to one-hand them in to the basket during practice. After setting records that included becoming one of the all-time leading scorers in New York State high school history, my friend instead opted for a Division III football scholarship. To play quarterback. Big time college basketball scouts were not keen on his athleticism. To this day, I feel he could shoot the ball with the best of them and have a decent NCAA basketball career. But the circumstances were not right. The opportunities, simply not there.

For Jackson, the circumstances were perfect at LSU. Suspensions of other prominent post players set up an offense that was geared through him and allowed CJ to absolutely flourish. The NBA was a slightly different story. Jackson averaged 14.1 ppg and 3.1 apg his rookie year, 1990-1991. Those were hardly paltry totals, but not what was expected of him and not enough to earn him Rookie of the Year--that honor went to Derrick Coleman of the New Jersey Nets. Jackson didn't quite live up to the billing and hype that he had created at LSU.

But 1991 wasn't really about basketball anyways. It was about the spiritual transformation of CJ, who was known to be deeply religious. It was the year Chris Jackson of Gulfport, Mississippi was becoming a Muslim. The process started in college, when Dale Brown gave him a copy of the Autobiography of Malcolm X. Jackson absorbed the details of Malcolm's life, taking all his words to heart and giving him a thirst for knowledge. To search and learn about freedom and justice. He began seeking out Muslim figures from various inner city ghettoes. He changed as person as he discovered the truth around him. During this process, with his mind not on basketball, CJ endured a dismal second professional year averaging only 10.3 ppg and 2.4 apg. In addition to poor on-court performance, he gained a lot of weight.

By 1993, Chris Wayne Jackson officially became Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. He embraced the religion of Islam and changed his name, but his journey was far from complete. Although many other famous athletes had converted to Islam such as heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali and NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Abdul-Rauf's new identity sent shockwaves through the sports world. But the biggest shockwave was yet to come, years later. He became rededicated to ball--he shed the fat, 32lbs of it, and had his most productive season, increasing his scoring average to 19.2 ppg and passing for 4.2 apg. He even doubled his rebounding average. Islam focused him both on and off the court. The Nuggets investment started paying big dividends. He earned NBA Most Improved Player honors and consequently a nice, fat contract extension.

Before he injured his calf in East Asia, he had games in which he scored 22, 24, 25, 22, 26, and 22 points. Points are points--no matter the less than stellar Japanese competition. More recently in February post-injury, he has had games of 19 points each in a loss to the Toyama Grouses and a win versus the Fukuoka Rizing. But why is he playing in Japan? So he can make some more money? Or is it because that he is using his God-given talent, for his profession? Or is it so that he can be free again?

Abdul-Rauf began a string of impressive seasons after converting to Islam, with the following stats as a Denver Nugget:

1992-1993: 19.2 ppg
1993-1994: 18.0 ppg
1994-1995: 16.0 ppg
1995-1996: 19.2 ppg (with 6.8 apg)

He led the NBA in free throw percentage in both 1994 and 1996. In fact, in the 93-94 season, he made 219 of 229 free throws for 95.6%. He was one free throw short of breaking the all-time record held by Calvin Murphy of 95.8% that was established in 1981. He performed these impressive feats while fasting from sunrise to sunset during the Islamic months of Ramadan, further adding to the legend that few seemed to recognize. He still had Tourette's--but because he was such a great player, not everybody remembered. Overcoming a sophomore slump, you must understand was not anything.

Then on March 12, 1996--3 days after his 27th birthday, all hell broke loose. Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the United States national anthem, which as you may know, is sung before every sporting event in the land. He had been silently protesting it earlier, by hanging out near the bench and this went unnoticed. But on that fateful day, it became quite public and started a national firestorm. He had disrespected America. Mahmoud viewed the American flag as a symbol of tyranny and oppression, given the nation's past history. Genocide of the native Americans, slavery, imperialism. Wars, occupation, and the support of Zionist apartheid. It all added up and Abdul-Rauf made what resulted in a life-altering decision, by sitting down on the flag. He was immediately suspended by the league--and eventually a compromise was made between the NBA and Abdul-Rauf. He would stand for the anthem, but simultaneously would be allowed to cup his hands and recite Islamic prayers. Although a deal had been hatched with basketball officials, he was vilified in the media. Treasonous. Traitor. Terrorist. It was clear--Abdul Rauf was not an American. He was an enemy.

The enemy.

Despite Abdul-Rauf having a career best season and leading the Denver Nuggets in scoring for four straight years, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He was banished. Punished for his sin. Sent into obscurity. With public opinion firmly against him and Abdul-Rauf unrelenting in his beliefs and principles, his NBA career suffered. His scoring averaged dropped to 13.7 ppg and the following year sank to 7.3 ppg. He only appeared in 31 games with the Kings that year. He was out of the league. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was the first political casualty of the NBA. His talent and skills were unquestioned, and he was on the top of his game--only to find himself out of work a short time after. The rest of his career was not so spectacular. Few know of it. He went to play in Istanbul, Turkey. He took a year off. He attempted an NBA comeback with the Vancouver Grizzlies in 2000 that fizzled within a year. Stints followed in Russia, Italy, and Greece. He even played in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the team Al-Ittihad for a year. That's the life of a professional basketball player who can no longer make it in the NBA, or in Mahmoud's case—one who is not welcome.

Michael Jordan just played basketball. The best in the world. He never made upsetting comments that challenged America's ethics, its psyche, or its actions. He was a media darling, fans loved him, and corporate sponsors flocked to him. He played it safe. Played it smart. In current times, Lebron James knows how it works. Does he believe in anything? Something more? Does he want to, or care to take a stand? Change the world? What are his beliefs? What would happen if he decided to protest torture at Guantanamo? Or comment on the illegal occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan?

In reality, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is a true American hero. Heroes are not always the ones that bring home gold medals and the accolades, and surely they are not the ones that march into foreign lands on top of tanks, flag in hand. Patriotism, as it is currently defined, clouds intellect, and halts the thought process. It is much easier to anoint those heroes--the ones that can give everybody a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling. It is almost never recognized that dissent is a much truer form of devotion to country--to find and accept the flaws. Setting a foundation in order to improve and change the path. So that justice and freedom rings for all people--both inside and outside of the borders. Anybody can be a cheerleader. Anybody can ride the bandwagon. It takes true courage to challenge the accepted norms--to force introspection and insight.

Kyoto is a city of shrines and temples, relatively untouched by the Allied bombing campaign of World War II. It is famous for its botanical gardens, bamboo forests, Geishas, and modern railway station. But some where in this distant, foreign land is a man from the Bayou free from the burdens and hate thrust upon him. A man who has been playing hoops since the Reagan Administration. Hustling after loose balls, practicing twice a day, and trying to transfer knowledge of the game to his young, raw teammates. Teammates that will never be under the marquis at Madison Square Garden or the Staples Center. Young men who instead are playing in front of crowds at Becon Plaza and the Naha City Gym.

In the NBA Draft class of 1990 there are many big names--Derrick Coleman whose career was marred by off-court problems and injury. Gary Payton, the volatile guard who eventually found redemption with the Miami Heat, winning a championship. Jayson Williams, who may be best remembered for accidentally shooting a limo driver and then covering it up. Slam dunk champions Dee Brown and Cedric Ceballos. Toni Kukoc, trying to fill the void left behind by Michael Jordan. Bo Kimble and his inspired run in the NCAA Tournament after the death of a teammate. Dennis Scott, Rumeal Robinson, Elden Campbell...the list goes on. But in time, all these other athletes will be footnotes in the annals of history. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf will be the one, who is remembered--for thinking; for questioning; for daring. A man of convictions.

There are too many details to cover in the Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf story--like his troubled childhood, divorce from his first wife as a result of lifestyle changes in order to practice Islam, or his political theories of conspiracy. Or his time as a religious leader, the Imam of a mosque in Gulfport--and its planned expansion which was blocked, as a result of weary views both of Islam and Mahmoud's well-documented flag incident. What is worth noting is the hate mail--calling him nigger and Bin Laden; telling him to fuck off; to go back to Africa. And also the Ku Klux Klan symbols that were unceremoniously spray painted on his Mississippi home. The same home that was later mysteriously torched to the ground, likely an act of hate and arson.

Maybe it's a constellation of all these life experiences that has chased him to find solace on the far side of the Pacific Rim. Or maybe, just maybe--it's the sound of swishes--balls going through baskets; nothing but net. A soundtrack that he has perfected. Music that is so beautiful to his ears, that he is willing to play ball in an upstart league with kids half his age and half his talent, half way across the planet. Ego be damned. For Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is quite likely at peace, doing what he loves. Adding another chapter to the legend that is his life. The world may not know where Chris Jackson aka Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is. But you can surely bet that Okinawa does.

Floats Like a Butterfly

2010-03-01T11:03:00.003-05:00

"Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision."

--Muhammad Ali

One World

2010-02-28T00:39:00.007-05:00

Tokyo is the largest city in the world by a wide margin. The metropolitan area population of Tokyo is 32.45 million which is approximately 12 million more people than the second largest city, Seoul. If Tokyo was its own nation, it would be the 38th largest in the world--larger than Morocco, Iraq, Nepal, and Peru. Tokyo is approximately the size of New York City and London--combined. It's very big.

The twenty largest cities in the world are listed below. China is home to three of them but its largest, Shanghai is only number 10. India has three of the top twenty as well--Mumbai (5), Delhi (8), and Kolkata (14). Japan and the United States also have two each. Asia hosts 13, North America 3, South America 2, Africa 1, and Europe 1. Eleven serve as capital cities for their nations. Only three cities lie south of the equator--Jakarta (6), Sao Paulo (7), and Buenos Aires (17). Interestingly, the population of New York City (4) is greater than that of the entire state of New York because the metropolitan area extends into both Connecticut and New Jersey.

City Population (Metropolitan Area)

1. Tokyo, Japan                                    32.45 M
2. Seoul, South Korea                            20.55 M
3. Mexico City, Mexico                          20.45 M
4. New York City, USA                           19.75 M
5. Mumbai, India                                  19.20 M
6. Jakarta, Indonesia                            18.90 M
7. Sao Paulo, Brazil                               18.85 M
8. Delhi, India                                       18.60 M
9. Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Japan                  17.38 M
10. Shanghai, China                              16.65 M
11. Manila, Phillipines                           16.30 M
12. Hong Kong-Shenzhen, China            15.80 M
13. Los Angeles, USA                            15.25 M
14. Kolkata, India                                 15.10 M
15. Moscow, Russia                              15.00 M
16. Cairo, Egypt                                    14.45 M
17. Buenos Aires, Argentina                   13.18 M
18. London, UK                                    12.89 M
19. Beijing, China                                  12.50 M
20. Karachi, Pakistan                            11.80 M

[Source: wikipedia.org]

West London's Finest

2010-02-27T22:56:00.000-05:00

The xx - Intro

Awesome Deal

2010-02-26T01:11:00.000-05:00

Upon being asked about the death of a half million children as the result of US sanctions against Iraq in 1996:

"I think this is a very hard choice, but the price--we think the price is worth it."

--Madeleine Albright, then Secretary of State of the Clinton Administration

Syntax Error

2010-02-25T00:20:00.000-05:00

IRS suicide bomber Joseph Stack is a terrorist. Flying a private plane into a building full of defenseless civilians is nothing short of the very definition.

According to Stack, "Violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer." Morbid, disturbing, terrifying. Of note however, is that the media is not using the word terrorist as the descriptor of Stack. He is being called insane, criminal, misguided. Fringe elements have even disgustingly touted him as a hero.

Unfortunately, what he is--a terrorist, is not being used because he is not brown, and because he is not a Muslim. Had there been just a simple difference of ethnicity, he would have been appropriately labeled. Importantly, this highlights the double standard in how the media portrays crimes of white Euro-Americans and those that are more foreign to us.

The key here is that the actions of a terrorist are not defined by the color of skin, accent of tongue or place of one's worship--they are defined by the action itself. This is a critical time to reassess the use of this term that is thrown around without caution. The likes of the Unabomber, Timothy McVeigh, the Ku Klux Klan and Joseph Stack should continually remind us that terrorism is not a foreign concept. It is time for the media and populace to drop its racist attitude and Orientalism in dealing with such acts of cowardice--for they can very well be, and often are home-grown.

Feminism Coming Last

2010-02-24T13:13:00.012-05:00

Racing in her second NASCAR nationwide race this past weekend - Danica Patrick - finished 26th out of 31st - which she claimed was disappointment but to be expected as a rookie NASCAR driver. Patrick, a star in the IndyCar circuit is transitioning into NASCAR racing and has a large following that has helped her ink the two-year contract with JR Motorsports this past year.

Her fans are thrilled of the new venture.

But lets make it very clear for everyone; Patrick is a lousy driver and has made all her earnings off of her appearance as a darling. A women can garner top media headlines in the first two NASCAR races without having any meaningful driving accomplishments speaks to how easily women are objectified within sporting circles.

She isn't talented enough to be in the top tier of drivers in IndyCar or NASCAR, has only won a single race in five years and has never come in the top three in any race in years. The only accomplishment she has on her record is that she is able to play into the idea of people have of women in Racing and in sports in general; female athletes are not competitive and garner their earnings through the exploitation of their sexuality.

Well done sweetheart.

Danica Patrick's actions are reckless - instead of challenging the current gender dynamics that persist in sports - she is abiding by them and reinforcing them. No one expects her to be competitive, no one expects her to win races or even come close - because she never has. Yet there is a clear understanding that the only expectation that can fully be realized is - Patrick - will do what it takes to capitalize on her sexuality rather than her talents.

Go Daddy!

It is unclear what ambitions Patrick truly has - we know that there is a sizable portion of her fan group that are young women who aspire to be like her. It is important for Patrick to acknowledge openly that her celebrity is merited on her sexuality more than her accomplishments. It is her obligation to her fans, the young women that follow her and to the countless women athletes who have actually accomplished meaningful careers, that Patrick acknowledge her popularity as a athlete has very little to do with her athleticism - but rather by the exploitation of her gender.

She isn't a fraud - she is a women athlete that is making it harder for talented women athletes to break the barriers of equal perception... so maybe Patrick is a fraud.

Finkelstein vs Gissin

2010-02-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Put Them in the Octagon

2010-02-23T00:54:00.002-05:00

Mitt Romney allegedly put a vulcan grip on rapper Sky Blu of LMFAO while the two were flying out of Vancouver from the Olympics. The reason? Apparently, Skyler Gordy aka Sky Blu reclined his seat before takeoff impinging on Romney's leg room. Romney asked Gordy to move his seat up but got no response as the musician was trying to go to sleep. Sky Blu had this to say about the flopped Presidential hopeful:

“He grabbed my shoulder, and I was like boom get off of me,” the artist says. “The man assaulted me. I was protecting myself."

The situation was diffused and the world lost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an epic throwdown between a rapper of "I'm in Miami Bitch" fame and a guy who wanted to double the size of Guantanamo. Who do you think would win?

FYI, they were in economy class. It's still a recession, remember.

On the Culling of Chickens

2010-02-22T07:07:00.002-05:00

Historically, male chickens were grown to adulthood and slaughtered for meat consumption. Female chickens obviously were used to provide eggs for your omelette breakfasts. With the advent of modern techniques, separate breeding lines for meat and egg production were developed. The male chicks in the egg-bearing group served no value--the cost of raising them outweighed the financial gains.

To eliminate this inefficiency, approximately 200 million male chicks are sent to their deaths every year very shortly after their birth. If these were people, we are talking about executing without cause the entire population of Brazil or Indonesia every year. What is even more disturbing than this poultry injustice, is the method to this madness--the chicks are sent into giant meat grinders alive.

Clearly the bottom line here is economic, but does that justify this cruelty? If Congress can bail out Wall Street thugs, they can certainly allocate monies to make it worthwhile to raise these chicks to adulthood. Such subsidization would not only benefit the ill-fated chicks, but could be used to attack poverty and hunger both domestically and abroad.

Here is a video expose of this sick process (note: we are advocating awareness, not being a vegan):

Aim High

2010-02-21T09:01:00.002-05:00

"I'm a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I grab a handful of clouds."

--Mike Tyson

20 Sets of 10

2010-02-20T17:00:00.002-05:00

Syles P and Jadakiss - Some Niggas

Kim Jong-il: The Improbable Golfer

2010-02-19T11:21:00.003-05:00

While other world leaders are busy dropping bombs on civilians, using mercenary armies to occupy foreign lands and building apartheid walls, Kim Jong-il is just keeping it real. Kim is always described as a dictator and an evil despot--somebody the rest of the world should fear. The last time I checked, the North Korean army wasn't occupying Iraq or Afghanistan. And it wasn't threatening to level Lebanon.

While other politicians were singing about bombing Iran, Mr. Jong-il was just busy shooting the best round of golf in the history of the world. According to state media, KJI shot a 34 on a 7700 yard, par 72 course. That is 38 strokes under par--something that should shame Tiger Woods into hiding for more than a few months. He reportedly had 5 holes in one. The probability of having a hole in one, is 1 in 5000. The probability of 5 in one round? You figure that out.

Wouldn't you much rather have a world leader be the best damn golfer in the world than one who invades foreign lands in search of oil and democracy?

And if you were wondering, the first time Jong-il ever bowled--he scored 300. Chew on that, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Kobe & Israel Continued

2010-02-19T00:01:00.008-05:00

UPDATE: Regarding our earlier report about Kobe Bryant and his fanship of Israel. Here is a picture of Mr. Bryant posting with Israeli Consul of Los Angeles Jacob Dayan, and Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren.

Kobe Bryant Loves Israel

2010-02-18T17:31:00.008-05:00

According to Israel Today, Kobe Bryant met with Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren and said:

"I'm a big fan of the State of Israel."

Now that Kobe is going to throw his hat into the political arena, we have a few questions for him:

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of state-sponsored terrorism?

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of extrajudicial killings?

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of apartheid?

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of creating the world's largest outdoor prison?

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of stealing other people's land?

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of denying millions their basic civil rights?

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of indiscriminately killing civilians on a whim?

Mr. Bryant, are you a fan of murdering children by bullet shots to the head and chest?

Being a Lakers fan just became a whole lot of ugly.

The Real Geniuses of the NBA

2010-02-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

The NBA trade deadline is less than 2 days away and the rumors are fast and furious.

Amare Stoudemire to the Cavs? To the Heat?

Antwan Jamison to the Cavs?

T-Mac to the Knicks or the Bulls?

Andre Iguodala to the Cavs? Suns, maybe? Celtics?

But the buzz word here is expiring contracts, not the big names involved. The NBA's trade deadline always brings alot more excitement than the NFL but most trades are made for financial reasons. The teams that have control of their cap space can essentially leverage their good standing and exploit the have nots. Every year at this time, teams that want to improve their finances--whether it be positioning for free agency or avoiding the luxury tax, attempt to pick up expiring contracts--money that won't be on the books after the season's end. For example, the Knicks are trying to pick up expiring contracts so at the end of the year, they have less and less financial obligations so they can lure in Lebron James & Co. Likewise, the Suns do this charade all the time to avoid luxury taxes. Teams in position to win like the Cavaliers, Celtics, etc--who have their books in order, can exploit the situation and pick up some talent. That's why the trades are so lopsided--talent has alot less to do with it than cash money.

The real interesting part is that the owners who trade for the expiring contracts to clear up cap space--always end up using their newfound financial flexibility to overpay players. Whether it is giant maximum contracts like $20M/yr to Rashard Lewis or $5.5M/yr to fringe players like Luke Walton. The owners are their own worst enemies. They give away talent thinking they will get better value in the future, and then almost always end up making things even worse. The classic example is Detroit, who hustled out All-Star Chauncey Billups for AI's expiring contract, and then ended up paying $95M to Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva--2 bench players. Detroit screwed themselves for a long time and in a few years will undoubtedly be heavily shopping Gordon and Villaneuva's expiring contracts.

It is not a stretch to say that the GMs and owners throwing around the cash have no clue what they are doing, otherwise Desagana Diop wouldn't be making over $6.5M/yr. But I am very happy for the players--they are absolutely within their right to milk the system, as long as it lasts. They are shopped around like chattel and canned at the convenience of the owners. After all, Gilbert Arenas's weapons charges are conveniently being used by the Washington Wizards in attempts to terminate his $96M contract. I don't think the Pollin family (owners of the Wizards) could have dreamed of a better scenario than Arenas pulling out his six-shooter in the MCI Arena locker room.

Drone Alert: Winter Olympics 2010 Version

2010-02-17T00:01:00.004-05:00

During our last update on July 8, 2009 we reported that since Barack Obama had taken office there had been at least 25 drone attacks with over 440 people killed in western Pakistan. In the interval time period, there have been a multitude of additional attacks--approximately 39 killing over 358 people. The attacks are being chronicled fairly well here, a page we will use in conjunction with other available information to keep further tally. With additional data since our previous reports, the total death toll via US drone attacks during Obama Administration stands at 798 including numerous women, children, and civilians. As always, this number is quite conservative with the actual number of casualties much greater.

It is important to note that the usage of drones is not restricted to Pakistan, but the situation there is unique as that nation is allegedly an ally of the United States and by many considered to be sovereign. Here is the rapid escalation of such attacks in Pakistan under the hawkish Barack Obama:

2004: 1 (Bush)

2005: 1 (Bush)

2006: 3 (Bush)

2007: 5 (Bush)

2008: 36 (Bush)

2009: 53 (Obama 52, Bush 1)

2010: 14* (Obama)

*To date

2010 has started off an a particularly bloody pace with attacks at the rate of one almost every third day. It should also be noted that since our last briefing, Mr. Obama picked up the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. Not too shabby for a president whose foreign policy is war--both declared and undeclared. It is not surprising that Obama accepted the award while overseeing, expanding, and starting wars--but it does further diminish the credibility of the Norwegian foundation bestowing him the award.

As summary since he began his term, Barack Hussain Obama has ordered approximately 66 drone attacks killing well over 798 people in Pakistan, and had 1 Nobel Prize of Peace decreed upon him.

Nobody Mixes it Like Mau5

2010-02-16T11:04:00.000-05:00

Medina - You and I (Deadmau5)

Detroit Red

2010-02-15T14:20:00.001-05:00

"Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."

--Malcolm X

Cleveland: Epicenter of Fun

2010-02-14T21:00:00.002-05:00

Things could be worse. You could be living in Cleveland. Home of the Browns, Indians, and Cavaliers. AND THIS:

Well as long as you don't live in Detroit

See more funny videos and Funny Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Dresden 45

2010-02-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the Dresden terror bombing in Germany near the end of World War II. From the night of Feb 13th through 14th, 1945 the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the USAAF mercilessly firebombed the city center of this yet, untouched capital of Saxon. The result? The evisceration of 15 square miles of city block and the slaughter of up to 40,000 people. It remains as one of the worst war crimes perpetrated to date.

The razing of Dresden, as ordered by Winston Churchill was quite likely for reasons other than defeating the Germans. Dresden had been declared as Die Lazarettstadt, a hospital city and also known as Fluechtlingsstadt, or City of Refugees--not as a crucial launching pad for Nazi operations. The key military and industrial installations that were in Dresden, resided in the suburbs--not the center city that was destroyed. In addition, a key railway station that was allegedly targeted remained structurally intact enough to be operational within days. The most damning evidence that this was not a strategic military operation is that a key Luftwaffe airfield, only a few kilometers north of the city, was not attacked.

The aerial assault resulted in an ocean of fire purportedly 3 miles long by 2 miles wide. Temperatures of 1100 degrees Farenheit sucked the oxygen into the fire and winds of 100 miles per hour hurled people into the raging inferno. Victims perished by being burned alive, via direct hits from carpet bombing, and most disturbingly by asphyxiation, as the giant fire pulled the oxygen out of cellars, basements and other places of gathering. Needless to say, it has been described by survivors as an utter scene of panic and horror. The aftermath--the carnage, the cremation of bodies stacked high in pyres, burning day after night is equally gruesome.

So why was Dresden attacked? The conventional argument that it was to defeat the Germans doesn't hold up given the facts. The alternate argument--to weaken the Eastern front for the Soviets also is equally untrue. It has been falsely claimed that the Soviets requested an Allied air campaign--in fact the Russians were marching forward so quickly that the Anglo-Americans feared that they would penetrate deeper into Germany than they wanted them to. According to this article by Jacques Pauwels, Dresden was destroyed because of Operation Thunderclap. Thunderclap, a plan to obliterate a German city evolved in its goal--no longer to defeat the Germans, but to send a message to the Kremlin that the UK/US air power would reign supreme. To let Stalin know in no uncertain terms that they better play the game right, or a similar fate could happen to any city in Russia. Dresden was carefully picked for its location on the East near the Russians and as a virgin, untouched city--to show the effects of superior, massive Western air firepower. The evidence strongly supports this.

The Dresden firestorm was seen at least 50 miles away (some reports of 180 miles) and up to 15,000 feet high, well in the glancing eyeballs of the advancing Red Army. The British RAF could have easily have flown solo on this project. But the USAAF joined forces--not only to provide Churchill some cover in this heinous act, but to show that this was a multi-player game and the the Ruskies best be afraid. It is quite unfortunate that this chess match, the opening salvo in the Cold War, was played with the lives of so many--a massacre remembered, 65 years ago today.

Silver Bullets

2010-02-13T02:01:00.003-05:00

Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins are starring in the new release, the Wolfman and you may want to think twice before heading out to the theater to watch it. In theory, the film should be excellent--star power cast, big Hollywood budget, and new interpretation of a classic bad guy.

The cinematography and setting in rural 19th century England is excellent, providing a great backdrop for the story. Also the scenes from London rooftops are somewhat enchanting, reminding me of the Peter Pan ride in Disney World. However don't expect riveting performances from Benicio or Hopkins who are capable of much more. Their characters are under developed, and the actor's skills are barely tapped--it is almost shocking that they agreed to these parts. The plot is predictable and never really captivating. Even half way through the movie the viewer thinks that somehow it could become a better movie, but it never does.

The special effects were so-so, and I have seen better werewolf costumes in Michael Jackson videos. Maybe the wolfman concept isn't all that it is stacked up to be or maybe this movie just doesn't do it justice. Hugo Weaving, better known as Agent Smith in the Matrix was a pleasant surprise playing police inspector. I wouldn't say the movie was absolutely horrible--just wait til it hits HBO or cable TV.

Rating: 3.5 out of 10

Goldstone Report Facts

2010-02-12T01:15:00.007-05:00

From December 27, 2008 until January 18, 2009 the Israeli Defense Forces unleashed a brutal assault on the Palestinian people of Gaza. 23 days of hell resulted in the destruction of the Gazan land and infrastructure:

6300 homes destroyed

280 schools and kindergartens destroyed

1500 factories and workshops destroyed

80% of agricultural land destroyed

And left behind 600,000 tons of rubble

Casualties of the conflict were as follows:

1400 Palestinians, 13 Israelis

1100 Palestinian civilians, 3 Israeli civilians

350 Palestinian children, 0 Israeli children

Palestinian homes, schools, hospitals, and even zoos were systematically destroyed. Civilians were targeted with white phosphorus and executed in cold blood. Particularly disturbing is how many children were killed by single bullet wounds to the head or chest. To call this anything less than a massacre is a crime.

The United Nations Human Rights Council established a fact finding mission, led by South African judge Richard Goldstone. His group included British international law professor Christine Jinkin, Pakistani human rights activist Hina Jilani, and retired Irish military officer Desmond Travers. Here are some of the chilling facts they learned. (3 part MUST SEE video)

Narration by Ross Vachon and Noam Chomsky

The Right is Roasting

2010-02-11T12:55:00.003-05:00

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported that the current owners of the NFL St. Louis Rams have entered a signed agreement to sell the team to Flex-N-Gate Corp. magnate, Shahid Khan. Khan, an engineer from Illinois also happens to be an immigrant who arrived from Pakistan 40 years ago as well as a Muslim.

Late last year, well-known bigot and right-wing radio blowhard Rush Limbaugh entered a bid to purchase the Rams. The NFL Players Union and many black players spoke up against and helped to block that sale. As you can deduce, it's probably not going over well with Republican nation that their hero and leader Rush was ultimately passed over in favor of a brown, Muslim immigrant. In fact, it is quite possible that this is even more disturbing to Rush country than the election of Barck Obama. NFL ownership is a country club/old boy's network that may even be more sacred than the Presidency.

FOX News surely can't be handling this well. It won't be long before investigative reports detailing him as a terrorist surface. Anything to stop it. If Khan does indeed become the majority owner, then he will have bigger fish than the right to fry--like finding at least one more worthy fantasy football player on the roster other than Steven Jackson.

Yes or No?

2010-02-10T15:40:00.001-05:00

An open question to Barack Obama: Do the Palestinians have the right to defend themselves?

A simple yes or no will suffice.

Apocalyptic Sheikhs

2010-02-09T19:00:00.013-05:00

The competition to construct tall buildings is a sign of the Last Hour or coming Day of Judgement in Islam. Although an exact height is not defined, it is hard to argue that the recently opened Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 2717 feet does not qualify. This nearly kilometer high tower is by far, the tallest building the world. It dwarfs the CN Tower in Toronto as well as famous buildings such as the Petronas Towers and the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. It is over double the height of the Empire State Building and a cool 1100 feet taller than the Shanghai World Financial Center. Bottom line, it's damn tall.

Obviously, the fame-seeking and oil-rich sheikhs of the Persian Gulf pay no heed to the prophecy affiliated with this dangerous game. That, or they have a death wish.

And if you think the Burj Khalifa is tall, then meet the proposed Mile High Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. If the $13.6+ billion project goes through, it will be an estimated 5250 feet or nearly double the height of the Burj. Why should Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal play second fiddle to the Emiratis? The good Prince is behind this project--something to look forward to after he receives his customized, gold-plated Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft which is slated for a 2010 delivery. His baller jet is to feature a marble-plated dining room that seats 14, a movie theater with sand-colored plush leather seats, a gym and much more.

So, what exactly is the goal of building a mile high building? Wouldn't it be alot easier, let alone cheaper to simply build an office park? Don't get me wrong--I'm all about skyscrapers; but is a corner view above the clouds really that important? And we are not even getting to the more important question of a misappropriation of funds. Funds that could be used in fighting poverty, illiteracy and rabid class disparity that exists in the Middle East.

End times are near indeed.

Robert Fisk on Afghanistan, Email and Obama

2010-02-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

War Crimes: An Onus on the People

2010-02-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

“It was a failure of citizenship of the American people that the Bush cabal was allowed to invade Iraq. Thus, every U.S. citizen who is not doing everything in their power to end this illegal and immoral occupation as quickly as possible is complicit with the war crimes being committed in Iraq on a daily basis.”

-- Award-winning journalist Dahr Jamail

Good Work Being Done in Haiti

2010-02-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

Massive relief operations are underway in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. The lack of an effective, centralized government is hampering the delivery of goods, services and other aid to the Haitian populace. NGOs have set up individual efforts which are being loosely coordinated by the United Nations. In particular, there is one camp being run in Port-au-Prince that is running smoothly and very much helping the local victims.

Borjeux Parc, a children's amusement park is the site of what has become a field hospital providing a variety of medical services and care to all comers. This hospital has been set up with the combined efforts of local Haitian hosts--Aimer Haiti [english], doctors from IMANA (Islamic Medical Association of North America), logistical support of CDRS (Comprehensive Disaster Response Services), and medical personnel from a few other organizations. Reports on the ground reveal that the clinic is seeing up to 300 patients per day, has established a functional operating room and pharmacy, and has a steady rotation of physicians coming in from the United States. Members from a visiting UNICEF team commented that it was the most organized relief camp they have seen.

Learn more by following IMANA's blog for the Haiti relief effort.

Dramatic Prairie Dog

2010-02-07T23:38:00.000-05:00

Old but gold.

The RB-Factor

2010-02-07T15:45:00.002-05:00

If the New Orleans Saints are going to the win the Super Bowl tonight, they will need to feature Reggie Bush quite eminently. His game-breaking skills, speed, and knack for the endzone will be critical if they want to pull off the upset. The Saints can put up plenty of points but if they want to win, they need a special performance from Reggie. It gets down to how many touches he gets. Quite often, not enough. Relying on Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell is not bringing home a Lombardi Trophy vs the Indianapolis Colts. The more touches he gets, the more likey they are to win. This is what I think it will take today:

Touches                        % Chance to win
    <5                                           0
    5-10                                       25
    10-15                                     33
    >15                                        50

Put it this way, if the Saints win there is a very high likelihood that Bush will be the MVP. The prediction here is still with Peyton Manning and his troops: Colts 37, Saints 31

Dancing With the Stars

2010-02-07T13:48:00.003-05:00

It's been a hit or miss Super Bowl week in Miami for Dancing With the Stars contestants/ex-NFL superstars.

Michael Irvin - civil charges filed for prior incident of sexual assault, to which Irvin is countersuing. ESPN Radio summarily dumped him from his show. When similar charges were filed previously against Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, ESPN chose not to report it because they are "among the most serious and damaging charges you can make". What's up with the double standard?

Jerry Rice - selected for the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2010. NFL's all-time leading receiver.

Warren Sapp - arrested for domestic battery at the Shore Club hotel in South Beach. He's been blacked out for television coverage on the NFL Network for the Super Bowl.

Emmitt Smith - selected for the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2010. NFL's all-time leading rusher.

It's been really great or really horrible. But as always it's eventful, Miami-style.

iPhone 4.0

2010-02-06T14:22:00.057-05:00

Rumors about a new iPhone are swirling, with an anticipated launch date in June or July 2010. Apple recently dropped word on the iPad, but what the people on the street are really clamoring for is the next generation iPhone. Here is our wishlist:

1. Multi-tasking - There is no reason for this not to exist in 2010. This is a must have and a lock.
2. Verizon - AT&T isn't as bad as the press it gets, but simply put Verizon has a much larger broadband network. Apple, give the public a choice.
3. 4G - No point in not dreaming. This is a wishlist after all. It would catapult iPhone into the next stratosphere.
4. Improved battery life - We know, it's the display not the processor. But it should be able to handle a day's worth of aggressive usage without having to worry about a dead battery when you are out at night.
5. OLED screen - It only makes sense. Bring it.
6. Upgraded camera - Increase the megapixels and get a flash. For real.
7. Rubberized back option - Better grippage never hurts.
8. Google navigation - There must be a deal that can be brokered between Mountain View and Cupertino. After seeing this on the Droid, it is a "must have." Pay the dollars and make it happen.
9. Flash support - OK just tossed this in there but we don't expect this to happen at all given Jobs's disdain for the folks at Adobe. Didn't he say they were lazy?
10. Video conferencing - Do you really want to go there?

Give me a few of these and I'll be dumping my Crackberry this summer.

Most Dangerous Cities in the World

2010-02-06T11:11:00.012-05:00

5. Cape Town, South Africa (62 homicides/100,000 residents)

Almost 20% are unemployed in this beautiful coastal city of 3.5 million people. Despite the high murder rate, it remains the top international tourist destination in South Africa. It's the city to visit for the FIFA World Cup 2010, hosting 6 1st round matches, 1 2nd round match, 1 quarterfinal, and one 1 semifinal. Goal, goal, goal.

4. New Orleans, United States (95 homicides/100,000 residents)

If Hurricane Katrina didn't kill you, maybe a bullet will. Watch your back when you stroll down the French Quarter. Drew Brees and Reggie Bush may either decrease or increase this number of the 1.17 million citizens based upon their performance this Sunday in Miami. No pressure there.

3. Caracas, Venezuela (130 homicides, 100,000 residents)

Poverty, police abuse, and militias are rampant in metro Caracas which has 4.95 million residents. This shouldn't dissuade you however, from visiting the home of Simon Bolivar, and former MLB slugger Andres Galarraga. Good times.

2. Ciudad Juarez (130 homicides/100,000 residents)
Kidnapping, drug cartels and murder (see also, Caracas) are all within reach by simply crossing the river south from El Paso. It's the most fun you will ever have for a taco run. Do it.
[Estimated population 1.5 million]

1. Mogadishu, Somalia (No available data)
Indisputably, the most dangerous city in the world. Nobody really knows how many people exactly live there, but it is estimated at 2.86 million. If you decide to go there, then you might want to consider these tips. It's the destination of choice for the true adventure traveler. Despite a lack of central government and overriding anarchy, Mogadishu is home to some of the better universities in Africa. Semester abroad?

[Rankings from opentravel.com]

Too Much for Saudi

2010-02-05T00:09:00.007-05:00

Pakistani diplomat, Akbar Zib has been rejected by Saudi officials as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The reason? His name translates to "Biggest Dick" in Arabic. The Salem-News of Oregon reports:

"Akbar Zib is no newcomer to politics, in fact you could say he's a pretty big deal. This long-ranging high level diplomat has worked with some of the largest members of world governments, players charged with negotiating the outcome of the world's current events."

The Pakistanis must have seen this one coming, as he has been previously rejected to similar posts in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. It remains unclear if the Saudis were offended by the term or if he made them feel insecure. Rumors in Pakistan of his imminent appointment as Ambassador to India are unconfirmed.

An Orthopedic Success Story

2010-02-03T17:58:00.002-05:00

This man has two hip replacements. And he can get down better than you. His pelvis x-ray probably looks a little something like this:

And he moves like this:

White Picket Fences

2010-01-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

Corporate thievery is at an all-time high in the United States. In 2009, AIG was awarded up to and probably well over $170 billion in federal bailout (ie taxpayer) money. Quite quickly, $165 million was earmarked for executive bonuses--a nice little pat on the back for the thugs that drove that company into bankruptcy. Sadly, AIG was but one of hundreds of companies that were rewarded for failure. Who said cheaters never propser?

Rims, etc.

2010-01-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Chris Rock breaks down the difference between being wealthy and rich:

Tribute to Howard Zinn

2010-01-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

Legacy of Terror

2010-01-28T11:12:00.003-05:00

It's been over a year since Obama has been in office. Accomplishments:

Continued occupation of Iraq?

Check.

Expansion of war in Afghanistan?

Check.

Ramping up drone attacks since the Bush Era?

Check.

Continued policy of rendition?

Check.

Failing to close Guantanamo?

Check.

Quoting the late, great Howard Zinn: “I think people are dazzled by Obama’s rhetoric, and that people ought to begin to understand that Obama is going to be a mediocre president — which means, in our time, a dangerous president — unless there is some national movement to push him in a better direction.”

Usain Bolt 9.58

2009-08-17T00:42:00.006-04:00

BERLIN - Usain Bolt, of Jamaica, smashes his own world record in the 100M. Simply the best.

HD Video

[Please click above link. Embedding of video has been disabled by Youtube]

Dahlback Spins the Pyramid

2009-07-14T00:26:00.003-04:00

John Dahlback - Pyramid

True Knowledge

2009-07-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

"The knowledge of anything, since all things have causes, is not acquired or complete unless it is known by its causes. "

--Ibn Sīnā

Infuse Your iPod

2009-07-10T12:00:00.001-04:00

Barry Jay - Infused

Drone Count: Midsummer Edition 2009

2009-07-08T18:58:00.016-04:00

Drone attacks continue to escalate in number and severity since our last report under the auspices of Barack Hussein Obama. Here are the documented incidents of blood spill in Pakistan via unmanned US aircraft:

Apr 1 2009 - US drone attack kills at least 12 and wounds many more in the Orakzai Agency. The huge blast caused panic among local residents and was the first in this particular region.

Apr 4 2009 -Air strike kills 13 in North Waziristan, prior to the arrival of US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke to Pakistan. The attack took place in Data Khel in Miranshah.

Apr 8 2009 - Predator drones fire 2 missiles and kill 4 in Gangi Khel area, near Wana. A vehicle was struck.

Apr 19 2009 - At least 8 people killed in Gangi Khel by a US missile strike. Drones hovering in the air "unleashed fears" of local residents upon sighting them. Sources indicate that all were civilians, primarily women and children.

Apr 29 2009 - Drones kill at least 10 and wound 4 in South Waziristan. .

May 9 2009 - Likely 25 killed in Sararogha via 4 missiles from aerial drones.

May 12 2009 - In the village of Sara Khwara, 8 are killed. It is the second such attack in the region over the past 3 days.

May 16 2009 - In Khaisur village of the Mirali subdivision of North Waziristan, 40 people are killed. Reports of a destroyed school as well.

Jun 14 2009 - Predator drone attack on a vehicle near the Ladha region in South Waziristan kills 5.

Jun 18 2009 - Remotely piloted aircraft fired four missiles into a compound in the village of Raghzai, near Wana, the capital of South Waziristan. 13 were killed. Initially a missile killed only 1 person, but subsequently rescue workers were massacred by assault from the skies.

Jun 23 2009 - First attack on the day by Predator drone in South Waziristan kills 17.

Jun 23 2009 - After killing 17 earlier in the day, drones attacked a funeral procession taking the death toll over 80 for the day. The controversial tactic of attacking rescue workers and funeral prayers continues and casualties continue to mount. The 2 separate attacks took place in South Waziristan.

Jul 3 2009 - In the Kokatkhel village of Sarokai area, several were injured and 13 deceased by drone attack. Another missile was fired in the Mantoi area, although there were no casualties reported in that area.

Jul 4 2009 - Obama enjoys a barbecue at the White House.

Jul 7 2009 - Predator drones kill 17 in the Zangra village of the Ladha region.

Jul 8 2009 - A swarm of Predators fired at least six missiles in Karwan Manza early in the morning. Eight were killed during the airstrike, according to reports.

Jul 8 2009 - A vehicle convoy was attacked in South Waziristan killing 40, taking the death toll for the day up to 50. The attack was on the main road between Ladha and Sararogha. The number of casualties up to the time of publication continues to mount.

The 17 attacks in this update have resulted in 306 deaths. Please note that these numbers are likely underestimated given the methodology of reporting in the region. Since the beginning of the Obama Administration this gives a grand total of:

1) At least 25 Predator drone attacks

2) At least 440 people killed--numerous civilians, women and children inclusive

3) At least 1 White House barbecue

Jeremy Scahill Speaks the Truth

2009-07-08T00:01:00.002-04:00

Jeremy Scahill is an American journalist and author of the international best-seller Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. Needless to say, he is one of the few in the American media who knows the truth and is not afraid to speak it. You probably won't see him on mainstream TV, but here he is--telling it like it is, on Real Time With Bill Maher.

The Difference Between Sharpton and Obama

2009-07-07T22:32:00.003-04:00

Al Sharpton delivered an excellent speech at Michael Jackson's Memorial today at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Reinforcing the concept of innocent until proven guilty, he had this to say to MJ's children: "There was nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it."

"It was that comfort level that kids from Japan and Ghana and France and Iowa and Pennsylvania got comfortable enough with each other so later it wasn't strange to us to watch Oprah on television,” the reverend continued. “Those young kids grew up from being teenage comfortable fans of Michael to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a person of color to be the president of the United States of America.”

Jackson did indeed help break down the barriers for the election of an Obama. Here's what the good President had to say after acknowledging the influence of the King of Pop: "You know, his extraordinary talent and his music was matched with a big dose of tragedy and difficulty in his private life and I don't think we can ignore that." On the day people worldwide were eulogizing Michael Jackson, Obama had to play politician and didn't fail to take a [unsubstantiated] jab. It was undoubtedly a game of political posturing. Stay classy, Barack Obama.

Love him or hate him, Al Sharpton is a true civil rights leader and believes in some semblance of justice for the oppressed and maligned. Barack Obama, is simply a pure politician who doesn't stand for much. And herein, lies the difference.

The Moonwalk

2009-07-06T12:40:00.000-04:00

Jermaine Jackson on the Today Show

2009-07-02T23:35:00.001-04:00

7/2/09 - From the Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, CA

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy