Marking the 200th post…

To commemorate having reached the 200th mark, we have compiled a list of our 20 most favourite posts (not in any order) which you should read (if you haven’t).

1. Nakba Day, 15 May - this post was made last year to remind us of the continuing sufferings of the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. While Israel will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Gazans continue to live under the shadow of the economic blockade…

2. Situation in Darfur worsened for second half of 2007 - Given that the situation in Darfur has yet to improve, we should pay special attention to the humanitarian crisis in the region.

3. Failure of US- Iraq Invasion - two recommended books on current American’s foreign policy. Bob Woodward’s State of Denial provides an insight on the Bush Administration while Patrick Cockburn’s The Occupation details the failure of the Iraqi invasion at ground zero.

4. I think you should have a speedy Gonzales departure! - Torture American style and its Australian detainee, David Hicks…

5. May Day Rallies around the World in 2007 - Workers around the world celebrate May Day…

6. Suu Kyi “cannot stop her calls for sanctions” - a posting on the Burma uprising last year and why the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate is caught between a rock and a hard place. To date, the military regime continues to adopt a ‘close- door’ policy against international organisations. This is despite the current humanitarian crisis which is causing thousands of deaths.

7. Liberal Upbringing = Happy Children - an earlier post on why a liberal atmosphere might be conducive to bringing up happy kids.

8. Americans want change… so does the world… - Given the American Presidential elections are coming in a few month’s time, this post reveals how Americans yearn for change. Who would the Americans vote for? Will there be any differences in American’s foreign policy if a Democrat were to be voted into office?

9. Dennis Kucinich - The Most Progressive Democratic Presidential Candidate - America loses a potential president who could possibly made a difference.

10. Time to boycott the China Olympics - The idea of a boycott has been raised by fringe groups. Should sports have a priority over human rights? Given that China has steadfastedly refuse to improve its human rights record, what can human rights organisations do?

11. Repealing Death Penalty is not imposing post-colonial will - Asian autocrats claim that the death penalty is congruent with its Confucian values. This posting exposes the oft-repeated myth.

12. How Asians Commemorate Human Rights Day 2007 - The peoples of Asia desire and fight for human rights and democracy too.

13. Law Society, Mas Selemat and the ISA - The escape of Mas Selemat, a detainee who was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Singapore, opens up a window of debate for the repeal of the legislation. The ISA is a piece of draconian legislation in Singapore and Malaysia which allows detention without trial.

14. The relationship between Human Rights and Democracy - Democracy is not just about conducting periodic elections. Human Rights Watch exposes this misconception and the West’s implicit endorsement of authoritarian regimes.

15. More by Tariq Ali - Excerpts and Links - Tariq Ali remains one of the generation’s most vocal and sharpest critics against Western hypocrisy especially with regards to Pakistan and Palestinian issues.

16. War on Democracy reveals sinister US administration - Watch ‘War on Democracy’, award- winning journalist, John Pilger’s first made for movie documentary which documents the US administration’s history in undermining Latin America’s democracy.

17. Panel agrees Howard government has managed to silence dissent in Australia - Howard might be gone but the damage he has done could outlast his legacy. This is an event review of a forum whereby politicians, academics and media commentators criticizes his government for censoring free speech.

18. Taiwan commemorates 20th anniversary lifting of martial law - Taiwan has become a member of the democratic club with a successful and mainly peaceful transition. Yet, it has been rejected by the UN as a qualifying member state. As Allison Hsieh who was quoted in this posting remarked, “Western countries that claim to support democracy and freedom must be much more assertive in their support for Taiwan’s right to self-determination…”

19. Amnesty (for) American Abductions - The current neo-conservative American Administration conducts illegal abductions under the banner of ‘war on terror’…

20. Sorry - The Australian government has apologised to the Indigenious community for its Stolen Generations policy but stops short of monetary compensation. This is in tune with the advancement of indigenious rights which has recently been recognised on the UN level when the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the General Assembly September last year.

Private Or Public? De or Regulation?

Paul Craig Roberts, a critic of the Bush Administration, and former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during the Reagan Administration in 1981-82, contributes regularly to Counterpunch.  In his article, dated January 30, ‘Which is Worse? Regulation or Deregulation’  on the website, he briefly explored the topic on regulation and come to the conclusion that it depends on situation.

Using the deregulation of airlines as an example, he cited cheaper advanced tickets as a plus which is however offset by shortcomings such as other passengers having to pay for higher fares. Deregulation has also caused the bottom line to matter so much that it has ‘lowered service, removed meals, and results in periodic bankruptcy, thus forcing the airlines’ creditors to pay for the low fares. Pilots, flight attendants, and aircraft maintenance crews subsidize the lower fares with reductions in salaries and pension benefits.’

His argument is valid but external pressures such as the volatility and competitiveness of international markets, coupled with globalisation and climate change considerations have made the debate on regulation of air travel and the industry more complicated than just one of deregulation or regulation. The answer to all these issues, is likely ‘re-regulation’ which he himself purports at the end of the essay.

It is his argument of socialization vs privatization that provokes more debate. He opined that privatization has gone too far in America and gave the example of private prisons to illustrate how it has gone too far, to the extent that the country ‘has the largest prison population in the world’ even for those convicted of minor crimes such as drug use and ‘hate crimes’.

On this argument, basic services which would directly affect human rights, such as potable water, education, health care, utilities and housing would be better served by a stronger public sector dominance (rather than private interests).

Since human rights are non-negotiable, even the poor or less affluent in a society should have access to these services and not be deprived of them due to their economic situation.

While free market capitalists would be quick to argue that privatization (even of basic services) would lead to productivity increase, cost cutting, less tax demands on citizens, and more efficient allocation of resources, there is often a hidden cost.

For example, in depriving someone from an acceptable standard of health care, society is preventing that same person from contributing to the economy at his best. The same can be argued in providing education. By depriving a person of his education (if he is too poor to study), society is depriving itself from a person who could contribute in the future. Such costs are hidden but nevertheless, should form an important consideration for they affect society well-being.

It has often been argued that the executive or legislative could ‘politicize’ these state sectors by using it as a pawn for holding onto political power. That is however beside the point as there is always the possibility of legislative or executive powers trying to overstep its boundaries. Safeguards such as the judiciary and rule of law can help prevent these basic state providers from being manipulated by the government in power.

The debate on private or public and de or regulation is manifold, based on a spectrum ranging from regulation to de-regulation lying on an axis of socialization to privatization. To be solely concerned on hard economic statistics such as the bottom line or productivity is to miss the larger picture. Humanitarian concern should be a priority when it comes to basic services, especially if it is concerned with any possible human rights violations.

The Food Crisis is Real

‘Afghanistan is appealing to the international community to provide extra supplies of wheat to alleviate a shortage’ the BBC reports and quotes from the country’s Commerce Minister, Mohammad Amin Farhang. In the same article, the price of bread is reported to have increased by more than 100% or four times in certain cases. The causes: Rising grain prices on the international market, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, leading to reduction in import of wheat from Pakistan and wheat, being smuggled out of Afghanistan to neighbouring Tajikistan.

In Bangladesh, the price of rice has gone up to the extent that it has become a crisis according to the same news agency. Chief of the Army, Gen Moeen U Ahmed blames it on price increase in the global market, increase in transportation costs (due to increase in prices of oil) and catastrophic weather conditions which destroyed the country’s rice crops.

In Pakistan, food prices has also gone up by about 14 percent in 2007, building on double-digit increases for both previous years according to an AP article. Increase in prices of staple foods is blamed on ‘rampant smuggling enabled by the lifting of laws that had banned the movement of wheat across regions’, allowing flour to be sold at higher prices in neighboring Afghanistan and alleged creation of artificial shortages.

To stabilise domestic food prices, China has imposed tighter controls on grain imports into North Korea, which heavily depends on the former for food aid. According to the news article, China has blocked grain exports since late December in 2007 ‘to stabilize domestic food prices’ due to increase in worldwide food prices. The article stated that up to 80 to 90 percent of food aid to North Korea is delivered via Dandung, which is the main route of transport; and that if the blockade continues, ‘North Korea’s food supplies are expected to deteriorate quickly.’ A food crisis is hence imminent in North Korea.

In China itself, rising prices of food and property is causing ‘discontent among the urban poor’. BBC reported that the increase of food and property prices, some, amounting to as much as ‘10% in some cities’ towards the end of 2007; and attributes the main cause to the inability of production supply in countrysides to catching up with demand in wealthy cities.

What then drives the price of food to increase? According to an OECD and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) report published in July this year, it is mainly due to the increase in demand for bio-fuels. It also lists other factors such as ‘droughts in wheat-growing regions and low stocks’ to explain for the hike.

As global food prices increases, coupled with increase in oil prices, and effects of climate change affecting growth of crops, food prices are likely to further increase. This will result in inflation globally, but its effects are mostly likely felt in poorer countries and those who depend heavily on aid.

The food crisis is real and it has manifested itself in countries which are experiencing political and social instability. Ending world hunger may and will likely become an acute global problem, especially countries in the South.

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References:

1. Afghanistan appeals for food aid, BBC, Pam O’Toole, 4 January 2008

2. Bangladesh ‘facing rice crisis’, BBC, 3 January 2008

3. Bhutto’s death a further blow to Pakistan’s economy, AP, 2 January 2008

4. China suspends food exports to N. Korea, Hankyoreh, 5 January 2008

5. Discontent ‘grips Chinese cities, BBC,3 January 2008

6. Growing bio-fuel demand underpinning higher agriculture prices, Joint OECD-FAO report, 4 July 2007