I just finished reading Khaled Hosseini’s follow up novel to the Kite Runner called a Thousand Splendid Suns. It could be called a thousand beatings given the amount of male on female violence in the book. I don’t want to put people off it as he both tells a story and exposes the manner in which many women are treated in feudal based societies such as those operating in some areas of Afghanistan

So it didn’t surprise me when I read about this young man, Sayed Pervez Kambaskh, who has been sentenced to death for daring to download a report about the oppression of women by Muslim fundamentalists and how it was directly against the teachings of the prophet Mohammed.

A huge campaign has been mounted on behalf of Pervez as the continued erosion of civil liberties and human rights continues in Afghanistan. This is what the web is all about so get online and sign the petition, blog about it and generally embarrass Hamid Karzai into action.

Death continues to lie over this country like a dark shadow but its one off events like this that can have huge repercussions.

I came across this new journal on basic income and thought it would be worth passing. there are many good and thought provoking articles available. What I have found interesting is this political slant given to some of them. Quite frankly who cares?

It actually falls neatly into and out of most of the political spectrum. Where it diverges is on the issue of control. Politics is all about who is in control whether Blue, Red, Yellow or Green or any shade in between. Basic income is about giving everyone access to the financial commons and allowing them the just get on with it. It isn’t a social policy its an expression of freedom and a right.

It will be interesting to see how this debate develops but I’m glad to see it taking on a more formal conversation.

Two interesting piece of news on the geopolitical spectrum caught me eye this week: Firstly Gordon Brown and his secret talks with other world “leaders” to establish a “new world order”. This will have the conspiracy theorists running amok with versions of the Trilateral Commission and Bilderberg Group stories. Suffice to say that the “New World Order” project has been going quietly in the background for over 30 years.

Alongside this is a new manifesto from top Pentagon, Nato and EU players, past and present. The premise is that a first up nuclear strike is a legitimate and warranted policy option. Their reasoning is that it will be impossible to control the proliferation of nuclear weaponry and that the best approach is to simply nuke those nations who might be a bit aggro with the odd nuclear warhead.

So that probably takes the Middle East, North Korea and other such spots off the tourist map for a while. Unfortunately this sounds like one of those crazy ideas that gets the green light. Time to re-watch “V for Vendetta” and “Children of Men”.

Brave New World and all that.

I guess the upside is that NZ property prices will hold up for some time.

The recent visit of the Saudi Arabian King Abudullah has caused no end of consternation amongst activists of all hue. Let’s face it the Kingdom is not exactly progressive when it comes to human rights or gender equality.

The famous “ethical foreign policy” of the Blair years, a deception like most other announcements of that time, is clearly is misnomer. The real question is can there ever be ethics in foreign policy?

Foreign policy is all about making sure ones national interest is enhanced, or at least not set back, by international events. As Mick Hume notes realpolitik is still the name of the game. Yes we will be enraged at hideous regimes but we have to consider our trade interests blah blah blah.

New Zealand tends to take the higher moral ground where possible but of course people would argue NZ is too small for anyone to notice. The stance of our neighbours across the ditch is somewhat different and maybe its because they have more to worry about with Indonesia to the North and as a bigger economy they interact more competitively with other interests in the region.

It’s an interesting dilemma. The Great Game continues and its hard to see when its going to stop. Until then expect ethics and morals to be trotted out only around election time.

On a recent trip back to the UK I was fortunate enough to visit Salisbury Cathedral and the site of the Battle of Naseby. Both are significant historical sites but linked together by virtue of their place in the development of democracy as we understand it today.
Salisbury Cathedral holds one of the four remaining originals of Magna Carta, the founding document which spells out the relationship between King and Subject. It’s a magnificent piece of history.

The Battle of Naseby, in a Northamptonshire field, was the key to the English Civil War, as the King’s Men were routed by the Parliamentarians. 4 years later Charles I was executed and England became a republic of sorts until 1660. This period was a test of Magna Carta, a rebuff to the over zealous monarchy and a statement by the people that they would not have their rights trampled over.

The reason i mention this is because of this post by Gareth Morgan who is chugging is way around Africa and writes a very neat piece on the continuing disaster that is African democracy (not in all countries of course).

Whenever we grumble about our political system a quick dip into the history books should quickly remind us of  how we got here. It’s a shame history is not taught seriously anymore but it often helps us develop a sense of context when we lose our perspective.