Society and Systems

Reading past postings I have written is a common thing I do. It gives me a sense of continuity as well as stirring the existing thoughts I have. One of the thoughts deals with systems and society.

I am not all the attached to labelling systems of order. For example, democracy has taken on many descriptors such as one person one vote, capitalism, human rights, equality and others. Yet even in the countries that have democracy as a system they rig elections, tramp on human rights, and allow capitalism to eat the country to death. All with the objection of society. No matter what lable you put on a society, it has to function. The irony is that no system can exist unless the people are willing to apply it. With that understanding, ultimately every system is either agreed to or not by each person.

Every society is going through change,progressing, moving or what ever, it is part of being alive. Each country is an experiment of change and at the moment Russia is one of the most daring experiments of change we have the pleasure of witnessing. 

Russia is in the mix of building their system. The election is by all accounts won and Putin will be the next president. Of course there are concerns with the voting that took place within the Duma. Do to these concerns we can see where improvements have to be made to ensure the system is well protected. Welcome to the world of red tape and bureaucratic hurdles.

In reality all the red tape and bureaucracy will never stop corruption, it will only limit the incidents. As you think about this you have to realize that the major energy, cost and time is spent/wasted because of those we can not trust. That is the root of every reason why we even have or need laws, systems, religions, or structures of order.

In Russia, they are in the midst of developing their system as they see fit. In truth so is every other country in the world. To me the focus has been pointed in the wrong direction. There is no system that can not work, the problem is the people that apply it.  What I would like to point out is the reality of such systems that have a capitalist ideology.

Capitalism is rooted on growth, must grow or die. That is the ideology. Of late we have come to the understanding that a sustainable economy is the best way forward. Sustainability, in reality is producing  what you consume , it is very much a balance of equality. In my understanding the perfect balance is zero. Zero is a capitalist nightmare, but it is the perfect balance of sustainability.

As Russia goes about its progress in economics and politics their society will morph as well. These are their decisions as to what path to take. In pursuit of a strong economy, Putin has noted that he wants to build a strong economic block within Asia. Really that needs to happen as it did in North America, South America, West Africa, South Asian and Europe. Putin wishes also to work more within the BRIC countries. Building stronger working/scientific ties with the countries that ring the North Pole are in his plans as well.

Such times are very interesting. I just wish we could trust eachother to be peaceful.

Foreign Intervention in Syria

The United Nations Security Council has voted that no foreign military intervention is to take place. Now we are learning that the RUSA is positioning forces. Plus rumours are swarming of the RUSA arming their sworn enemy Al-Quaeda. The positioning of forces is a not an intervention in Syria. The arming of opposition forces is an intervention.  

In the world of politics, such speculation of rumours usually has truth to it. Weapons are being provided to the opposition somehow. The bordering countries are Turkey to the north meeting up with Iraq to the east. The Iraq border continues south to meet with Jordan. Moving west the Jordanian border moves along to meet up with Israel. This border moves north to meet with Lebanon. The Lebanese border moves north then turns west to the Mediterranean Sea.

Iraq is not stable enough to even monitor its borders so weapons would be easily brought in through that area. All the other countries are questionable at best. Also you have to question the security at any sea port. Add to that the capacity and ingenuity of people to get weapons in.

As China and Russia take a great deal of heat for voting no, the points in which they based their thought upon was correct. The other three members of the United Nations Security Council actively pushed for the current government to step down. This push is a direct interference in the sovereignty of that country and that course of action is as responsible for each death as China and Russia are. However, placing blame does not solve the problem and I should not play that way either. Setting the record straight is of no importance to a child being held in complete fear.

The Permanent Five members of the Security Council, (China, RUSA, Russia, France and UK) and the government of Syria need to cobble a team together, send them to Homs to hammer out a game plan. No luxury hotels or ten car motorcades, get in there and do not come out until all of you have an agreed game plan.

Again I live in a bit of a dream world. I know there is no strong will to solve anything with the determination that is necessary. If we had such a will, Israel and Palestine would be a thriving metropolis filled with cruise ships, hotel strips, vacation resorts and region wide support for all the religious celebrations. The peaceful celebrations of the major religions would be a universal positive impact to all people. Unfortunately we have war, hatred, segregation, and deep rooted racism flourishing throughout the region.

Chaos and insanity are now the norm in Syria.

How many does it take to lead a country to complete chaos? For Syria, that number is still being counted as it appears everyone is jumping on that band wagon. The craziness has only just begun. Within a few months there will be no way of distinguishing who is on what side and of course no one will have the courage to do what is necessary to stop any of this.

I spent a great deal of time looking at reports and emails to gather information about the situation. With each piece of information I grew more and more frustrated. We have known for months that there are extremists inside Syria fighting the government. Some reports indicate that the Syrian government has brought them in and other reports indicate that a weakening of the border is a factor.

To be as clear as I can, the fact that civilians will die by the thousands should be more important than who or what crazy bastard organization is involved. What we have here is a classic bar room brawl. The situation is already so mixed up that no one has a clue as to what side anyone is on.  This is going on now in Syria. With that understanding, does anyone think the government in Syria has any control?

We are looking a failed state very soon. With that destabilization, the surrounding countries are in grave danger. Due to this danger, the sovereignty argument for non-intervention is no longer valid because the threat to international peace is now within reach. Easing the violence is not even possible for the Syrian government anymore. Two months ago they could have but not now and with each passing day, controlling the peace becomes more and more difficult.

As it stands right now China is the wild card among the Permanent Five members of the Security Council. Russia has stated that force will be used if the Syrian government does not quell the violence. The other three, France, RUSA and UK have already voted in favour of intervention. Tougher Sanctions, more observers will most likely be the next move. What should be done?

Well if I were in charge, demand China, Russia and a host of other countries to build a peacekeeping force of no less than 60 000soldiers. March them in and secure the border as soon as possible, no one gets in or out. This will stop or at least slow the flow of weapons and extremists. As soon as the border is secured, get the negotiations going.  Have the Peacekeepers enforce the current laws of Syria that pertain to breaches of the peace. This will help sweep the country clean of any and all small to medium weapons.

Will that happen, never. The world just does not have the will to actually do such a thing. Basically civilian lives are not worth the time, effort or cost. The funny part is the time factor. No one is willing to engage in a peacekeeping mission if they have no sense of how long it will take. However, many countries are willing to get into a huge fight without a sense of how long that will take to end. The frustration I feel because of that mentality leaves me speechless at times.

Syria is without a doubt a perfect example of the term “cluster fuck” and it is going to get worse. Sanctions and observers will not stop this war in Syria any more than it has stopped the shit show between Palestine and Israel. We need a complete lock down accompanied by the largest disarm, demobilize and reintegration program ever thought possible.

Russian Transformation

25 December 1991

 Twenty years ago Russia took a very courageous step.  That step ended the Soviet Union and began Russia.  Also it was courageous because the leaders knew they would have to deal the image of losing the cold war, even though the cold war had only a small part to do with it, the cold war was just collateral damage.As we near the date of 25 Dec 2011, we will hear a great deal of garbage about how the RUSA won the cold war.  Those that believe Russia lost the cold war are lazy in thought, poor students of history and easily swayed by propaganda.The history of Russian reform had very little to do with the cold war.  The reform of Russian politics and economics lay squarely at the feet of corruption and a very large gap between the people of Russia and the politicians that lead Russia.  The largest enemy to the Soviet Union was itself, no other entity.

The Soviet leaders of 1980-1990 knew the internal enemy was real and they could see the corruption of Soviet politics killing Russia.  Something had to be done so they came up with perestroika and glasnost.  These two programs were intended to end the corruption and lessen the gap between the people and the political leaders.  This step was courageous in every way as it promised to end a luxurious life style for political leaders and build a stronger middle class. 

The transformation is still taking place in Russia.  The Russian people are wonderful people that have been loyal to their country and the politics of communism.  They had lived the realities of corruption and in the late 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s their desire for an equal opportunity to achieve dreams took priority over status quo.  Thus the leaders of the day embarked on change unlike the world had seen in centuries. 

It is no small fact that very few countries could ever go through such a dramatic shift in economics, politics and society as peacefully as Russia has.  They have endured the stigma of losing the cold war and bending to the ideology of the RUSA.  These two stigmas are false stigmas.  The world would be better to see the history for what it is, not what one side proclaims it to be.

I truly admire the Russian people for their courage and peaceful ideology.  Their rival enemy RUSA would crumble under such a courageous step and that fact is what makes the stigma of losing all the more bogus.  However I am sure that many people will object to my view.  That is a point where I will always side with the peaceful issue of Russian transformation.  Perception and opinion be dammed, reality is that Russia had a greater enemy within than from outside

I wish the Russian people all the success as they continue on from their historically courageous step.

Na Zdorovie

Fear, Security, Power, Rights and Dreams

When a government uses fear to control, uses threats of violence to persuade and speaks to the need for the use of physical force to defend freedom, we are all in for chaos and hell.

There is no greater threat to peace than physical violence.  There is not greater threat than an insane person with the capacity to use violence.  Right now all I can see are the ones that have the capacity to use violence are the ones that are insane.

As individuals we are all very much alike.  As we begin to form groups we lose a little bit of our commonalities.  These groups we gravitate to become insulated and the fear of the other starts.  Russia is now in the midst of such a battle, Libya has gone through such a battle and may have a further war developing due to the desires of group power struggle.  Europe is going through a very difficult time and the causes are so complex that a solution is lost due to the search for blame. 

In these situations, the words that divide us have become so vague that mistrust builds exponentially.  We are experiencing a nuclear explosion of mistrust around the world.  It is difficult to find a government that is trusted by its people.  This mistrust builds fear, which is met with a need for security, which is secured through a show of power, which is justified through our right to protect, which was developed from a dream that we should live peacefully. 

We are caught in a prisoner’s dilemma.

That is why I wrote about game theory a few days ago.  We are involved in a game of Russian roulette.  There is only one strategy in that game, be in or out.  To phrase it another way as it was once stated, with us or against us.  Such a game is pure chaos.  To be part of such a game acknowledges that you have no hope for the future; it is an all or nothing end game.  The problem we face is that the leaders are at the table playing roulette yet they are pointing the gun at the citizens.  In turn the citizens know that the gun only has a limited number of bullets so fire away.  This is the enduring spirit of the dream that peace will prevail.

We have seen peaceful demonstrations all over the world, many that were countered with bullets and all with some degree of public disdain –such as the occupy protests in Canada.  The part in which the peaceful protesters play in this game is very dangerous.  The protesters know they can be killed but they also know that a just society is possible.

In Egypt and Tunisia, ultimately the soldiers would not fire upon people.  We had seen this same peaceful resolve during the Russian August coup in 1991 and I believe that we have witnessed the same resolve in Russia during the past weeks.  Libya was not so lucky, neither is Syria, Yemen or the DRC.

We are indeed living through an interesting time period.  The political games that are now taking place have deep connections to history.  Political lines are being redrawn, new identities being forged, flawed ideology are being brought to light and discarded, hopefully the result will provide for ideology and strategy for peace.

DRC & Russian elections

Elections are great to observe.  Right now both Russia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are in the process of elections.  Both have their issues with demonstrations and opposition parties.  One main difference though is the level of violence.

Russia will have a peaceful election compared to the DRC election.  Public opinion in both countries wavers yet at the base of this is the need for peaceful demonstration.  Even though both countries are mentioned the circumstances in each are vastly different.

Russia is going through a process of economic change.  During the 90’s the economic environment swung wildly too far too fast.  This swing created a gangster economy that undermined the dreams of the leaders that began the economic change.  Today Putin must manage the history of Russia with the reality of today’s Russia.  This management is the largest issue that faces Russia today.

In the DRC the largest issue is violence.  Political leaders are actively inciting violence, people are dying in demonstrations.  The electoral process in both countries are being called into question.  For what it is worth I cannot think of any election that has not been called into question, even in Canada there are some that believe the electoral process is unfair and needs to be changed.

Both of these countries will be fun to watch as the election process continues.

A nations identity

My understanding of identity hinges on a reality in that no other nation or group is a threat.  I also understand that a good portion of life is insane which needs to be tempered.  Furthermore, the sane are capable to lapse the other way at times.  This is the puzzle of life that we all try to balance personally and as nations.  How that balance is performed will be judged by others and as I judge myself as well. 

Russia sees the situation in Syria as a civil war.  As must the political leaders in my home Canada, agree with Russia.   By stating Syria is experiencing civil war, the legal scales point to no intervention. 

Had Russia said they feel the situation is an international situation it would set the basis for legal obligation to involve the Security Council (even more that it is) and then doing something.  Ultimately the decision about such a situation is; having moral acceptance then knowing when to step in with.  The world is not ready to step in.

What do such actions say about the  character of the nations?  There are a great many areas of conflict and to stop all of them is a goal, rarely achieved.  On a judgement issue, the moment when it is necessary to kill another human is a very disgusting moment with no other option.  At that moment you have stepped into a world of insanity.

When that insanity is over, all we can hope is that the balancing act is performed perfectly.  Which ,will be indicated by no one seeing your reasons for taking such actions as cause for fear.