Today, the very surprising and non-boring race for US Presidency got ever more surprising. Mr. Barak Obama, a Senator from Illinois, is doing better than anyone expected. A young, charismatic leader with shiny new appeal of untainted honesty, it seems that he got the votes that Mrs. Clinton would've not gotten even if she was all alone in the Presidential race.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Atlantic, what began as an election drama with a very tight race, an incumbent and a noisy oppositioner, is slowing degrading into a severe civil conflict. We all hope that Kenya, formerly the great African hope, oasys of stability and symbol of post-colonial success won't descend into total chaos and oblivion. We'll briefly dive into this topic to examine whether there are any lessons to learn.
Situation in Kenya is starkly resembling the standoff during the Bush - Gore election count. Except for the machete part, of course. Can you imagine hacking up your neighbor and setting his house on fire because he voted for Bush, or because he's of Irish lineage ? I am sure that some can, especially those with noisy neighbors, but no matter how tight or how contested the election results may be, and no matter how right the wronged party may look, and maybe even if we're in the midst of a recession it's pretty safe to say that citizens and aliens will start indiscriminantly looting, raping, pillaging and murdering other citizens and aliens on the basis of their political views and tribal or ethnical division. Civil unrest in US did take place, mind you - remember CH and other riots ? - but I can hardly conceive a non-scifi plausible scenario for such conflict to ignite.
Kenyan conflict rests on the shoulders of one man. Mr. Raila Odinga, a Kenyan bureaucrate who had a taste of power and absolutely by all means has to get the presidential seat. A charismatic educated gentleman, Mr. Odinga has an ego that will not let go. Not that I'm proficient in Kenyan politics, mind you. But it doesn't take a Ph. D. to get some basic undisputed facts and to arrive to a relatively neutral conclusion.
Under incumbent President Mr. Mwai Kibaki (elected in '02) , Kenyan economy grew progressively well. 2007 GDP growth is estimated around 7%, an amazing number for such a country. Opposition's - Mr. Odinga's - main problem with Mr. Kibaki's rule are economical causes; they contend that their tribe, Luo, is not getting a fair chance and now it's "their time to eat". Or at least such is the ruse that Mr. Odinga's rebel leutenants are feeding to rank and file street fighters, who in turn burn down villages, rape children, destroy storefronts and otherwise express their feeling of frustration and desire for a democratic election process.
Frankly, I do not care if there was fraud in Kenyan election. Margin between the two was around 1-2% ; the election wasn't rigged Turkmeni-style where a candidate gets 105% votes. And if there was fraud, they should've sorted it out between themselves. And if they didn't, the system - appearance of which is in place - should've stepped in and took care.
But none of the above happened; instead, the two gentlemen locked their horns and carry on with the instigations and inflammation while their country is undergoing a bloody process from which it may never recover and that will damage Kenyan national identity and unity forever.
Mr. Obama's father was a Luo from Kenya. Mr. Obama and Mr. Odinga have more then that in common, both running on the ticket of "change", both being charismatic leaders challenging incumbent "corrupt" powerhouse.
Before we go further, please me to say that not just that I don't subscribe to racist views, often I take a radical position to the other extreme.
However, I don't believe that an assertion that different ethnodes have different predispositions is either racist or false. Whether predisposition is in any way genetic is a matter of debate that will not be solved any time soon, but we're not anthropologists, biologists or sociologists. For the moment being let's become "empirical observationists", pragmatic people who look at reality and try to manage risk. And reality is that it appears to a naked eye that some ethnodes are not that well at governing. Even governing themselves. Now, self-government is a Divine Right that few can try to wrestle out with a legitimate argument ; every "nation", in theory, has a right to govern itself (unless, of course, it disturbs some major status quo - but let's forget that). In fact, one could even argue that a nation's record at self-government is somewhat of an admission test towards use of that nation's experience in governing other entities and export of their concepts, ideas and maybe even people.
In their majority, modern African leaders do not lack in education, charisma, drive or honesty. Mr. Raila Odinga has "all of the above". But governance isn't just about those qualities. It's mostly about compromise. It's about keeping everyone happy enough not to slit each other's throats while you do the good deeds in the office. And compromise means that sometimes you have to put aside your ego and give way.
Africa in general and now Kenya in particular are deficient in that property. Politicians engrossed in populism bet and lose thousands of lives because of well concealed egoistic narcissism. Politicians elsewhere aren't much better, but meltdowns do not happen and people step aside when push comes to shove - even incumbents. Consider the cases of Prodi, Putin or Nixon. Not so with African - consider Congo, Rwanda, Nigeria, Chad, Zimbabwe or even Messrs. Sharpton and Dinkins during the Crown Heights riots. Bloodshed to "prove a point" looks acceptable.
And now we're pondering installation of a well educated, well groomed, very respectable, charismatic and smart gentleman of Luo heritage into the position of The Man of Planet Earth. Reality is that no other person in the world is as influential or important as the President of the United States.
Stay tuned for examination of theoretical benefits and risks of having a half-Kenyan president and how it is so very relevant to the Hitchens and his argumentation.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Atlantic, what began as an election drama with a very tight race, an incumbent and a noisy oppositioner, is slowing degrading into a severe civil conflict. We all hope that Kenya, formerly the great African hope, oasys of stability and symbol of post-colonial success won't descend into total chaos and oblivion. We'll briefly dive into this topic to examine whether there are any lessons to learn.
Situation in Kenya is starkly resembling the standoff during the Bush - Gore election count. Except for the machete part, of course. Can you imagine hacking up your neighbor and setting his house on fire because he voted for Bush, or because he's of Irish lineage ? I am sure that some can, especially those with noisy neighbors, but no matter how tight or how contested the election results may be, and no matter how right the wronged party may look, and maybe even if we're in the midst of a recession it's pretty safe to say that citizens and aliens will start indiscriminantly looting, raping, pillaging and murdering other citizens and aliens on the basis of their political views and tribal or ethnical division. Civil unrest in US did take place, mind you - remember CH and other riots ? - but I can hardly conceive a non-scifi plausible scenario for such conflict to ignite.
Kenyan conflict rests on the shoulders of one man. Mr. Raila Odinga, a Kenyan bureaucrate who had a taste of power and absolutely by all means has to get the presidential seat. A charismatic educated gentleman, Mr. Odinga has an ego that will not let go. Not that I'm proficient in Kenyan politics, mind you. But it doesn't take a Ph. D. to get some basic undisputed facts and to arrive to a relatively neutral conclusion.
Under incumbent President Mr. Mwai Kibaki (elected in '02) , Kenyan economy grew progressively well. 2007 GDP growth is estimated around 7%, an amazing number for such a country. Opposition's - Mr. Odinga's - main problem with Mr. Kibaki's rule are economical causes; they contend that their tribe, Luo, is not getting a fair chance and now it's "their time to eat". Or at least such is the ruse that Mr. Odinga's rebel leutenants are feeding to rank and file street fighters, who in turn burn down villages, rape children, destroy storefronts and otherwise express their feeling of frustration and desire for a democratic election process.
Frankly, I do not care if there was fraud in Kenyan election. Margin between the two was around 1-2% ; the election wasn't rigged Turkmeni-style where a candidate gets 105% votes. And if there was fraud, they should've sorted it out between themselves. And if they didn't, the system - appearance of which is in place - should've stepped in and took care.
But none of the above happened; instead, the two gentlemen locked their horns and carry on with the instigations and inflammation while their country is undergoing a bloody process from which it may never recover and that will damage Kenyan national identity and unity forever.
Mr. Obama's father was a Luo from Kenya. Mr. Obama and Mr. Odinga have more then that in common, both running on the ticket of "change", both being charismatic leaders challenging incumbent "corrupt" powerhouse.
Before we go further, please me to say that not just that I don't subscribe to racist views, often I take a radical position to the other extreme.
However, I don't believe that an assertion that different ethnodes have different predispositions is either racist or false. Whether predisposition is in any way genetic is a matter of debate that will not be solved any time soon, but we're not anthropologists, biologists or sociologists. For the moment being let's become "empirical observationists", pragmatic people who look at reality and try to manage risk. And reality is that it appears to a naked eye that some ethnodes are not that well at governing. Even governing themselves. Now, self-government is a Divine Right that few can try to wrestle out with a legitimate argument ; every "nation", in theory, has a right to govern itself (unless, of course, it disturbs some major status quo - but let's forget that). In fact, one could even argue that a nation's record at self-government is somewhat of an admission test towards use of that nation's experience in governing other entities and export of their concepts, ideas and maybe even people.
In their majority, modern African leaders do not lack in education, charisma, drive or honesty. Mr. Raila Odinga has "all of the above". But governance isn't just about those qualities. It's mostly about compromise. It's about keeping everyone happy enough not to slit each other's throats while you do the good deeds in the office. And compromise means that sometimes you have to put aside your ego and give way.
Africa in general and now Kenya in particular are deficient in that property. Politicians engrossed in populism bet and lose thousands of lives because of well concealed egoistic narcissism. Politicians elsewhere aren't much better, but meltdowns do not happen and people step aside when push comes to shove - even incumbents. Consider the cases of Prodi, Putin or Nixon. Not so with African - consider Congo, Rwanda, Nigeria, Chad, Zimbabwe or even Messrs. Sharpton and Dinkins during the Crown Heights riots. Bloodshed to "prove a point" looks acceptable.
And now we're pondering installation of a well educated, well groomed, very respectable, charismatic and smart gentleman of Luo heritage into the position of The Man of Planet Earth. Reality is that no other person in the world is as influential or important as the President of the United States.
Stay tuned for examination of theoretical benefits and risks of having a half-Kenyan president and how it is so very relevant to the Hitchens and his argumentation.
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