Venezuela on the Brink

Guaidó and Maduro seem to be in extra time

It has been several weeks now since Juan Guaidó declared himself Acting President of Venezuela. Much has happened since then, but the balance of power seems to have tottered one way, then the other, without leaning decisively either way. As I pointed out in an earlier post, it is up to the people to decide which way it is going to go. 

Trumps starving the people with sanctions on the one hand and offering aid on the other is not helping the situation. Nor is Guaidó's recognition by the USA and some of its (former?) allies. Foreign interference will, no doubt, rouse additional Venezuelan citizens against President Maduro, but it is also likely to entrench others. It may even inspire indignation amongst people who had joined the insurgency or were considering doing so. The odds seem evenly stacked. Guaidó keeps throwing the gauntlet, while Maduro refuses to take the bait. The status quo favours Maduro since he is already in power. While Guaidó knows that he can only push so far. Still, as is the case in such situations, the slightest spark can trigger a conflagration.

Trump is still playing games

The people are are in the dark (literally!) as to what could happen next. Maduro blamed US sabotage for the power cuts that have plunged much of the nation into darkness. This may be true, but what is certain is that Trump is giving mixed messages. He declared that the US would not use military force to ensure that the aid gets through, but has nonetheless shut the US Embassy in Caracas as a signal that it is prepared for anything. 

Mediation must be the absolute priority 

The situation is indeed precarious. What is needed is ways to ease the tension, not to aggravate it. The problem is finding the right mediator to help broker constructive dialogue. With many parties from the international stage, including the UN, taking sides, it is difficult to gauge who could be trusted by both contenders. Because of its ambivalence, a possible candidate could be the Catholic Church. Even though bishops in Venezuela had called Maduro's inauguration illegitimate, Pope Francis still sent a representative to his inauguration. The Pope could now delegate a representative to try to bring Guaidó and Maduro to the negotiating table.

More of the same in the Brexit debacle

Another crushing defeat for May's Brexit deal

Tonight the Prime Minister's Brexit deal fell short of a 150 votes. This was not as spectacular as the historic 432-202 defeat in January. Nevertheless, there is something even more absurd and humiliating about it. As Albert Einstein once said, insanity is "doing the same thing over again and expecting different results." For almost three years now, May had bulldozed ahead with her red lines and "no deal" threats. She has consistently failed to make any meaningful progress with parliament, mistaking stubbornness for resilience. Her mantra, throughout this process, has been: "we must respect the result of the referendum." If not, she assert, democracy in Britain would be threatened. 

Irony and Dishonesty

There is irony and dishonesty in  all of this. The irony is that while May claims to be acting in line with her democratic principles, she is flouting them on the other. If she were truly democratic, she would consult and take into consideration the views of the whole of parliament. All she has been doing, instead, is trying to appease the the hard Brexiteers within her party. This faction does not only include Conservative backbenchers, but also the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The DUP only have ten members of parliament, yet, because they are the coalition partners propping the Conservative government up, they wield power. Ironic too, is the fact that 55.78 of voters in Northern Ireland wished to remain in the EU. Indeed, a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will cause much hardship for businesses, farmers and commuters. Many fear a hard border might ignite the sort of sectarian tensions that existed before the Good Friday Agreement. The DUP are not representing the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland. 

Whilst the irony may be the result of ineptitude and pressure, the dishonesty is not. There is no excuse for it. The Prime Minister knows full well that the referendum was flawed in a number of ways. First, the people were not clear on what they were voting for. There was no informed choice. Indeed, three years on, and parliament itself hasn't got a clue what Brexit means. Second, it is well documented that there was an aggressive disinformation campaign by the Pro Leave supporters. The promise of an extra £350,000,000 a week for the National Health Service is a notable example. Third, there were irregularities and cases of foreign interference, such as those relating to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. So, why should a second referendum be anti-democratic? The people could vote for her deal, no deal or to opt out of Brexit, now that the electorate is clearer regarding what it would entail. Calling that scenario "undemocratic" is absurd.

What happens next?

Judging by May's post-defeat speech, it seems as though the British people are in for more of the same. As the French say: plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Even though she agreed to have a vote on a 'no deal' Brexit, this means nothing unless there are other options on the table. A 'no deal' exit from the EU would be a disaster for Britain and very bad for the EU. It is, nevertheless, the default scenario if no deal is reached by the end of March deadline. May knows this and made it clear in her speech. She also reiterated that her deal was the only possible one. In other words, by refusing to put the vote to the people, she is exactly where she has always been. "My deal or no deal." Totally insane!  

Algeria: a time for cautious celebrations

Promising signs

At last, there are positive signs in Algeria. With a delay of eight years, Spring has finally sprung. I am referring to the Arab Spring in Algeria. But as the good old English saying goes: Ne'er cast a clout till May be out! True, the fact that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that he will not run for the contested fifth term is a good sign. As is the fact that the Prime Minister has been replaced. Equally reassuring is the fact that the people will be offered a new constitution, which they will be able to vote for. It was thanks to constitutional changes implemented by Bouteflika that allowed him to cling on to power for so long, in the first place. The problem is, however, that there are still too many grey areas and we do not know who is calling the shots. Several questions need to be answered before we can start celebrating freedom of political choice in Algeria.

Immediate concerns

First, the elections have been postponed. How long for? Bouteflika's last concession, some days ago now, was that he would only serve a year, if elected. This was widely seen as a ploy to buy time in order to cover up corruption. Or, equally concerning, a way of grooming a successor of the same mould. An election without Bouteflika could achieve the same results if held months from now. Second, the promise of a new constitution is all well and good, as long as the proposal is meaningful. Much will depend on who will be involved in drafting the new constitution. The electorate will not be duped into voting on insignificant changes dress up as progressive reform. Finally, will there be interference in the political process by Bouteflika's cronies or the army? If so, there will be little hope of progress.

These questions must be answered in next few days and elaborated in the coming weeks. The reaction of opposition parties will be an indication of the sincerity of these moves. Even more revealing, however, will be the transparency of the current regime in facilitating the process of change.

                                            The 1966 Masterpiece by Pontecorvo on Algeria's Fight for Independence

Consolidation the gains

Apart form the dangers of tokenism, there are even more serious hazards ahead. These can be summed up in one word: Egypt. Almost nine years ago exactly, Hosni Mubarak's resignation led to free and fair elections. Morsi was elected President in June 2012. The event only ushered in a period of further unrest resulting in a military coup a year later. Now, the situation regarding Human rights in Egypt are dismal by any standards. Routine killing and torture of dissidents, detention of journalists, persecution of LGBT+ people, violence against women... The list is long and gruesome and spares no one the regime considers a threat. The brutal murder of the Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni, is a case in point.


So far the protests and developments in Algeria have been peaceful. There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Recently a similar revolution took place in Armenia. If Algeria plays its cards right it can pave the way to a future of peace and prosperity for its people. What's more, it can offer a message of hope to a world that is sorely in need of positive examples.

Metropolis: a not so silly masterpiece

The best "silly" you may ever come across!

Fritz Lang's 1927 film, Metropolis, is considered by many film enthusiasts a masterpiece of the silent film era. It certainly is towards the top of my list! Nevertheless, the film has received a fair amount of criticism. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction refers to its story-line as "trite" and its political message as "ludicrously simplistic". Even the great H. G. Wells, one of the pioneers of science fiction literature, dismisses the film as silly. Whilst the symbolism can seem "silly" at times and the acting exaggerated, I find the imagery and overall effect quite overwhelming and addictive. Fine, if you are only looking for an intricate story or a subtle political message, then perhaps the film is not for you. If, on the other hand you are open to a surreal and overpowering assault on your senses, then I believe you will not be disappointed. The dance scene, for instance is so addictive, I cannot say how many times I have watched it. It is as compelling as chocolate: when you are in the mood for it nothing else will do!

                                                                      The Dance Scene

The bad news and the good news

The bad news is that part of the criticism levied against the film concerned its running time. This resulted in cuts that reduced its length considerably. The good news, however, is that an almost intact version was discovered in Argentina in 2008. So now, one can indulge in a two and a half hour delight, which is not far short of the original version. Metropolis was the first film to be inscribed in  UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. This honour, which was bestowed in 2001, is a vindication of its worth. Here is the restored version with English title card texts.

Scratchingdeeper.com

Today I would like to announce the completion of my new website Scratchingdeeper.com. Whereas this blog covers culture and politics in the same pages, topics are divided into three main pages in the website: the Blog, a News Section and a Scrapbook for posts relating to culture and entertainment. The Blog focusses on political issues, often with a global slant and offers readers the opportunity of submitting material for publication on the blog pages, as well as an opportunity for debate. The News Section provides headlines and links to news articles from around the world and will ensure that all countries will receive regular coverage. International news outlets tend to hover around the same turf: the big players like the US, the EU, Russia and China, or countries that happen to be in the spotlight due to wars or revolutions. The chances are that unless you are from or near a country like Suriname, Botswana or Uzbekistan, you would not have read or heard a story relating to them in years (if ever). This will involve much research, but the hope is that volunteers will spring up from the four corners of the earth to contribute useful information. The Scrapbook will be similar to Blog, but it will focus on culture: films, books, music, art... As well as reviews, there will be links and attachments. This section will become more and more vibrant with increasing contribution from readers. The overall appearance and functionality of the site will improve too, in pace with my web-building techniques. Please have a look and contact me if you would like to get involved!

Male greed is not the only force holding gender equality back

On International Women's Day, it is worth celebrating the progress that has been made with regards to gender equality, while not losing sight of the huge issues that still remain. Gender equality is one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These followed on from the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 and they too have a 15 year implementation period. Discussing gender equality, which is Goal 5, the UN highlights some the challenges women and girls still face:

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence. Progress is occurring regarding harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), which has declined by 30% in the past decade, but there is still much work to be done to complete eliminate such practices.

Sadly some of this abuse is linked with culture and religion and progress will be slow, until people of all creeds and nations acknowledge the fact that what may have been acceptable hundreds of years ago, need not necessarily be the right thing now; just as some things that were acceptable for us as small children are not necessarily so now that we are adults. When inspired people spoke, they spoke to the people of the day, and of course they too belonged to that day. Religious and leaders that have faith in the past, but lack faith in the future are flawed. Humanity is developing and religions and cultures that do not develop with it will be left behind while causing much hardship in the process. Men have been slow to act, but as more and more women take control, the chances are that progress too will speed up. 

The Law that is the Crime: The Vagrancy Act

The Guardian newspaper in the UK revealed that hundreds of homeless people in England and Wales are being persecuted by local authorities. The Vagrancy Act was introduced in 1824, as a big THANK YOU to many of the war veterans who found themselves homeless after the Napoleonic Wars. Their recompense was simply being hounded out of existence by the law. Having a home is like having a cabin on board a ship; being homeless is like being forced to live on deck at the mercy of the elements, but - as if that were not enough of a hell - the peak of human depravity decreed that sleeping on deck would be illegal. Now, even the dimmest person can work out this logic... There are three possible spaces: a) the cabin b) the deck and public places c) the sea. If 'a' is denied by circumstances and 'b' by the law, what is left if not the sea? At least, since 1961, suicide is no longer illegal in the UK, so now the poor wretch can jump upright into that ocean. 

Homeless in a Big City

There are few things in this world that are more sinister and despicable that this law and the authorities that make use of it to hound people who should be the focus of our assistance, not our contempt. The penalties can include hefty fines and imprisonment, as well as harassment. The Guardian article discussing the findings, pointed out that: 

Cases include a man jailed for four months for breaching a criminal behaviour order (CBO) in Gloucester for begging – about which the judge admitted “I will be sending a man to prison for asking for food when he was hungry” – and a man fined £105 after a child dropped £2 in his sleeping bag.

The good news is that Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon has presented a Bill to repeal the Act. Its second reading is well overdue, but with Brexit on the horizon, it may be a good while yet before her amendment is voted on. Writing in The Guardian last January she highlights the shame of the current situation. The shocking thing is that she had already presented the Bill last year, only for it to be "halted" in its progress by Conservative MPs. 

Apart from the fact that there is no excuse for a country like England to be witnessing a rise in homelessness, mistreating those people, on top of neglecting them, is what is truly criminal.

Why and How to Cut Down on Meat

This one speaks for itself:

The Danger of Flawless Coercion

The UK government has admitted  that there has been a soaring rise in cases of knife crime over the last few years. Sadly, the victims, as well as the perpetrators, are often young teenagers. A Channel 4 Dispatches documentary highlighted the issue with the chilling statistic that there has been a 93% increase in the number of stabbings of children under 16 in the last five years. This week, the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, acknowledged that the solution was not simple and would need to be tackled on various fronts. The focus, however, was on law enforcement and related preventative measures.

Perhaps Mr. Javid did not want to step on the toes of Mr. Damian Hinds, the Education Minister, by dwelling on education, but education is, in fact, the crucial hub of the matter, whether he can see it or not. Law enforcement is to public order, what vitamin C is to a cold: it can help prevent it and it can contain it, but if people are scantily dressed and poorly fed in cold weather, the epidemic will persist. Law enforcement is getting easier as big brother becomes BIGGER. We are probably not far from a society whose citizens will not be able to break the law without a high chance of getting caught. Wonderful! But what sort of citizens will they be? A society that is forced to live within certain perimeters, because of the electrified fence that the law would have become, could be a society rotten to the core. Such a society will no doubt give rise to corrupt legislators and we all know that law and justice do not always go hand in hand. So, rather than build a hell on earth, we should start focussing on what defines our higher attributes: justice, fairness, cooperation, creativity and harmony. 

A Penny for your Thoughts...

A little bit of music to brighten up the day...

Night Slayers

Today I am posting another extract from my book: Icons From the Mortal Void.

Back at Piccadilly Circus George looked at his watch: three hours exactly. George proceeded to McDonald's Leicester Square and queued for his tea, impatiently. His impatience was not caused by the rowdy Indian youths in front of him or the ridiculously undecided Italian girls who were being served. It was just that he had always hated wasting time in queues and had temporarily forgotten that killing time was now part of his struggle for survival. He was not confronting empty, prison like hours. It was time filled with cold, fatigue, pain and defeat. Already his nipples bled, grated by the vibrations of his new shirt while his feet felt as though they were resting on burning coals. He took his tea to one of the stools facing a long mirror which had little rectangular blots evenly spaced out to where faces would otherwise meet their own reflections. George looked at the contours of his face. It looked as though an obscenity was being censured or recognition being spared for shame-related reasons. The place was quite full and the rest of his view, good, so he began to scan for other homeless night slayers. Four definite ones and a ‘maybe’. They were only partly given away by their clothes, age, loneliness, and loads or such clues. What betrayed them most was a certain resigned expression capable cohabiting all others. He leaned sideways to see whether his face betrayed fellowship in the brotherhood. He could not decide. His face had become unfamiliar. He did not like it. He thanked the unknown designer for the patch on the mirror. He checked his watch. Hardly any time at all and his tea was already getting cold.

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Leads the Charge

Xavier Bettel, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, shocked delegates at the EU-Arab League Summit in Egypt earlier this week by pointing out that he could be legally killed or imprisoned in many of the represented countries. His crime? Mr. Bettel is married to Gauthier Destenay, an architect form Belgium. Gay sex can incur the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, but it is illegal in several other Arab League countries, including Morocco, Tunisia and the U.A.E. It's about time that these countries were openly confronted with their oppressive prejudice, but it is sad that it had to take a gay head of state to do it. 

Of course, behind the scenes pressure is applied to these states by western governments and organisations, both directly, and indirectly through loss of tourist revenue and business opportunities, but the time for subtlety and the softly-softly approach is over. At present, homosexuality is illegal in 73 countries and of those, only Kenya and Botswana have pending court rulings to decriminalise it. In the run up to the vote in Kenya,  Open for Business published a report, The Economic Case for LGBT+ Inclusion in Kenya, showing that the country is losing up to $1.3 billion because of its discriminatory practices. A similar logic no doubt applies to other countries, but clearly, the numbers indicate that facts, justice and mild pressure do not work. It's time for heads of state (not just gay ones) to name and shame these countries, and time for citizens of the "free" world to boycott or challenge them in any peaceful way they can.

Children of the Divine

When I lived in London, I used to love to sit on a wooden bench in the National Gallery and admire a painting by the Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770). The painting, however, was not the only focus of my interest, as I also used to enjoy studying the people that passed that masterpiece by. The painting in question is the Allegory of Venus and Time and it depicts Venus handing her infant son, Aeneas, to Father Time.

 Allegory of Venus and Time

As with all allegories, this one is open to interpretation. To me, it speaks poignantly of life, abandonment and exile, and it does so with the language of artistic excellence. Venus, one of the most beautiful and self-conscious I have ever seen, is perched on an ethereal cloud, dutifully adored by a putto and the Graces, who seem to be showering petals over her. Even though he is just a baby, Aeneas, whose father was the mortal Anchises, looks desolate and pensive, as he is handed to a scrawny looking Father Time. The Trojan prince is destined to live the troubled life of a mortal, although we do not know whether, as in some traditions, he will eventually be whisked up to Heaven and immortalised. Nevertheless, Venus seems haughty and dismissive, while Father Time appears more compassionate. His pleading look speaks of the dark and threatening world she would be abandoning her son to and begs the goddess to reconsider. Indeed, that is how Tiepolo depicts the earth, grim and partly eclipsed by the destructive scythe. There are other symbols, such as the two different doves, that could represent the "morganatic" union between Venus and Anchises, and the busy, but unattractive Cupid, whose face is turned towards the earth as he is carrying his heavy arrows, perhaps wondering what mischief he can cause there. One arrow may already have been destined for the tragic Dido... 

Tiepolo, I believe, was touching the Aeneas in all of us. As the poem Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold puts it:

And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.

As for the visitors at the gallery, hardly anyone ever paused to look at the painting, even though Aeneas had his gaze fixed towards us, as if to say: "This story is about you too." True, one can perhaps only absorb, or give credit to, a few paintings at a time, but we would probably discover so much more if we put the guide books aside now and then and trusted our instincts a little bit more.