SpareTariq Aziz

Tariq Aziz is known as the international face of Saddam Hussein's regime. In the first place, the legality of the war in iraq has been called to question for had Saddam not lost the war Tariq would not have been declared a criminal by Iraq. Secondly, Saddam Hussein has paid the ultimate price for attrocities commited during his reign and this should be sufficient for closure and reconcilliation in Iraq. In this respect, taking another life will tantamount to State savagery and will serve no useful purpose other than revenge by the incumbent regime. The state execution of Saddam should be enough as penalty for the wrongdoings of the the regime as a whole and further state executions should be halted. I call on the Iraqi Government to spare the life of Tariq Aziz. He has already been sentenced to 22 years in jail and this should be enough as a lesson to the frail old man The USA was wrong to have repartriated Tariq Aziz. He ought to have been given political asyllum judging by the peaceful manner he gave himself up to USA.

Rescue of Chilean Miners

Bravo to the people of Chile. The rescue of the 33 Miners is not just a success for the Chilean Nation but an achievement for the whole of humanity. This is a testimony to the potentials of the human race if we all join hands and work for common good rather than focus energies on negative things like wars and bitter struggles between various groupings, nations,races,religious sects,and other beliefs. The world would be a better place if we all come together as one and fight disease, hunger, poverty, natural disasters and limitations against various other natural barriers by focusing on positve aspects of science and technology.

Release Liu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Laureate.

Congratulations Liu. The award of the Nobel Peace Price to Liu Xiaobo could be turned into a win-win scenario for both sides of the divide. For Human Rights Activists it's already a great day and for the Chinese Government, a smart move would be to release Liu Xiaobo for this would sway world opinion and improve Beijing's image abroad. So think Beijing. Think!

Xenophobia in South Africa

In an inteview aired on SABC Sports, the General Secretary of FIFA, Jerome Valcke confirmed and regretted being able to bring only 50,000 neighbouring Africans to the World Cup in South Africa.This may have been in part due to failure of FIFA in certain aspects of the administration but in consolation to him I would say this was mainly because of the xenophobic attitude exhibited by South Africans in recent times leading up to the event. Most African States,especially the so called frontline states stuck up their necks in support of the freedom fighters against the apartheid regime incurring heavy casualties and making sacrifices but rather than showing gratitude the South Africans pay back with xenophobia.It is no surprise therefore that very few Africans made any effort to go physically to events of the World Cup festivities. What justification can the Black People of South Africa have against apartheid if they themselves are  intolerant and engage in discrimination against economically and politically displaced brothers and sisters from neighbouring countries.  

Israel and the Settlement Freeze

If Israel really has the intention of a two state solution, then clearly the continuation of settlement buildings in the West Bank would be a contradiction. For how do you separate the Palestinians from the Jews when you are integrating them further. Moreover the legality of  settlements by an occupying power is contentious. Our Lord , Jesus Christ, a jew, said : "To whom much is given, much is expected." .God has blessed the nation of Israel and therefore much is expected. Israel can afford to extend the moratorium on settlements constructions for another 10 months without losing a sleep. Israel can and ought to make this sacrifice in order to keep the Middle East peace talk alive and hopeful.

Middle East Peace Talks :Bob Marley said "until the philosophy that holds one race superior..."

Middle East  Peace talks continues to be problematic. Perhaps, Hillary Clinton,Benjamin Netanyanhu and those directly involved should listen to the all time great reggae star , Bob Marley,when he said ; I quote "until the philosophy that holds one race superior and another inferior is finally abandoned and discredited there will be war.  Until that day the hope of everlasting peace will remain an illusion never to be attained...."

The Lerinja: President Ahmadinejad's UN Speech out of order

The Lerinja: President Ahmadinejad's UN Speech out of order

President Ahmadinejad's UN Speech out of order

The speech that sparked the walking out of US delegates was completely out of order.
 He should show respect to the innocent victims even if he considers them as adversaries.There are pressing issues of the day like the dispute over Nuclear enrichment which needs to be addressed and which will captivate the interest of the world community much more than such frivolity.

The Lerinja: Death Penalty or capital punishment as is more widely referred to in Moral Philosophy.

The Lerinja: Death Penalty or capital punishment as is more widely referred to in Moral Philosophy.

Death Penalty or capital punishment as is more widely referred to in Moral Philosophy.

The case of  Teresa Lewis brings to mind the debate about capital punishment that has raged on for centuries.The Human race has evolved from primitive societies to sophisticated systems of governance and this has been possible because of the careful applications of the principles of moral philosophy to the way the society is organised.  A system of punishment is definitely of paramount importance in keeping law and order in all modern communities.The death penalty is only one of such and critics of this have said it conflicts with human rights. To those I say, all are given fair warning that they jeopardise their own rights by intentionally engaging in taking the lives of their fellow citizens.  The families and loved ones of victims who talk of closure are only seeking retribution and this would be a weak argument for death penalty. The main justifications for capital punishment are deterrence and protection of the society from further abuse. To those who oppose capital punishment on the ground that judicial mistakes could not be compensated for after execution, I say this is a price the society has to pay and this is no more than sending soldiers to die in war fronts. In any case the judicial system can be continously reviewed for improvement. Finally to those who say death penalty has not deterred people, I say placing murderers in prisons that look like holiday resorts has not either. They are better removed permanently so they can be of no danger to any citizens including fellow inmates and prison warders. Being a Woman or a grandmother is of no consequence either. If the courts say she is guilty we have to uphold the law.

World Leaders meeting at the United Nations General Assembly.

Perhaps it is time for the United Nations to be adequately empowered and its mandate reviewed in order for it to be effective as a global policeman and dispute manager rather than bickering at the Assembly and making resolutions that members are not fully commited to implement. Leaders would serve the world community better by :  1). Proposing and agreeing on reforms to make the United Nations a truly democratic global institution.
        2). Establishing effective military and economic powers to enforce resolutions arrived at democratically.
At present the UN is regarded by a large number of nations as an instrument of America and its allies and this accounts for its weakness in resolving many a dispute.

American audacity

All the way from USA,Sarah Shourd and her two American friends hitchhicking on the borders up to a point of loosing their way and ending up inside Iran, at a time when tensions are high between the two nations will find it difficult to convince any rational and unbiased person that they did not have any ulterior motives including spying and other covert activities. If the reverse were the case Americans would call the offenders terrorists.

Papal visit to uk should inspire all peace loving peoples of the world

The beautiful spectacle of the Papal visit to UK and the awesome pictures emanating from Hyde Park in London at a site where 400 years ago, Catholic and Anglican Martyrs met their fate is a testimony that it is in vain for violence to be used to further the cause of any religious faith. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Pope.and other Pontiffs of the major religious sects of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and others could have a joint prayer vigil at Ground Zero  in New York and set aside all mundane differences for the good and progress of mankind. The world could be a better place if we could overcome religious intolerance inherent in many faiths today.

The numbers of people pouring unto the streets to catch a glimpse of the Pope and the attendance at other similar religious functions all over the world are indicators of the importance religion plays in the lives of Humans.  Political leaders should understand this and give due recognition to the beliefs and aspirations of all faiths so long as they are not at variance with the aspirations of the commonwealth of all peoples. An example of this exception is of course the use of violence to propagate one’s belief.

My Philosophy

To quote THE PHILOSOPHER himself  "I think so I exist." From this standpoint I will try to develop my own ideas and will not be moved if anybody else disagrees. I will place emphasis on my faculty of reason and will rely on authority and empirical evidence only to the extent that they do not contradict my a priori synthetic judgements.