BLOG POSTS

Have we all got George W Bush wrong? I mean, he made a mess of Iraq and Afghanistan and global warming, and a few other things, but Africa loves him. Judging from news reports emanating from US and even some UK media outlets, George has just about saved the life of every African child on the continent.

Does this mean George Bush will, after all, go down in history as a great US president?

Unfortunately for George, probably not.

Mister Bush has spent the last few days slogging his way through the ‘success stories’ of Africa, leaving the not so successful – Sudan, Somalia, D.R.C., Angola, to name just a few – to their inglorious fate.

Mister Bush was hell-bent on glorifying his (read: American people’s) vast spending on combating AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis; all, in themselves, worthy causes and the recipients of great dollops of US cash.

The media would have Americans believe the progress made in combating these diseases has resulted from purely American funding. In fact, the fund raising has been global, with regular annual contributions from forty-four other nations.

Nevertheless, the US pledged $724,000,000 in 2007, between a quarter and a third of the globally pledged amount of $2,573,061,210.

That’s a fair chunk of money and representative of the most powerful economy on the planet.

Unfortunately, the US failed to deliver nearly $193,000,000, which means its actual donation amounted to only $531,007,853, less than a quarter of the full sum globally pledged and received – $2,283,390,073.^[1]

In fact, according to today’s Washington Post:

“At a briefing in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Mark Dybul, the president’s global AIDS coordinator, asserted that the United States is the largest contributor to the fund, which is certainly true. And he said the president has proposed an increase in the U.S. contribution for next year, which is debatable at best.

“The president is requesting an increase for our contribution to the Global Fund, an increase above his last year request from $300 million to $500 million,” Dybul told reporters.

A casual listener might think the United States is increasing its contribution to the Global Fund. Not really: As is often the case with Washington budget claims, it’s important to look at exactly what is being asserted. Bush did request $300 million for the Global Fund for the current fiscal year, but Congress decided to go further and approved $841 million. So even though Bush’s request for $500 million for the next fiscal year is higher than he requested the year before, in reality it would cut the contribution back from the $841 million it is getting in cold hard cash this year.” ^[2]

It would seem George W Bush, while making a valiant attempt to rescue his legacy from the trash can, will still give as little as possible to any cause that isn’t supported by the sharp end of an M16.

^{[1] Global Fund (Figures can be downloaded as .xlr file)}

^{[2] So Who’s Counting – Washington Post, February 18th, 2008}

Filed under: George (of the African) Bush

“Can I really buy a gun on the Internet?”

That question, along with a detailed answer describing just how easy it is, can be found in the sidebar of “TopGlock”, a website advertising hand guns for sale over the internet.

This site, along with “thegunstore.com”, “thegunsource.com” and, according to their advertising, another “100 Web sites that sell firearms, firearms’ accessories and hunting supplies”, is owned by Eric Thompson.

It’s hardly surprising then that both Stephen Kazmierczak, who recently slaughtered a number of students at the Northern Illinois University, and Cho Seung-Hui, the perpetrator of the massacre at Virginia Tech, were both customers of Mister Thompson.

Stephen Kazmierczak purchased two magazines and a holster. Cho Seung-Hui obtained one of the weapons he used in the Virginia Tech shooting from a website owned by Mister Thompson.

In a statement today, Mister Thompson stated:

““TGSCOM Inc. is assisting in any way we can with the on-going investigation into Stephen Kazmierczak’s evil actions. We have also included a link to the NIU Memorial Fund that has been established to assist the victims of this tragedy. We have made a donation ourselves.”

“Today’s discovery is doubly difficult for us at TGSCOM Inc. as we are still saddened by the Virginia Tech murders. As a father, my heart breaks for the parents who lost a son or daughter to the acts of these madmen.”

“My hope is that we will all learn from this tragedy and develop solutions that will allow people to better protect themselves from depraved people who do not have any regard for human life.”

“All of us at TGSCOM Inc. are saddened and shocked by this senseless act of violence. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the families of the victims and the students at Northern Illinois University.”

This was followed by an update:

“”For now, the most important thing we can all do is send our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the victims of this heinous act. I’d also suggest making a contribution to the NIU Memorial Fund.”

” I do agree that our country must have an open and honest discussion about how we can better protect ourselves from the murderous acts of sociopaths like Stephen Kazmierczak and Cho Seung-Hui. I hope and pray I will never again be in a position where I am asked questions about selling items used in a crime. The next news story I want to be involved in is how I sold a firearm to someone who helped prevent tragedy – not cause it. But for today, I’m hugging my kids a little closer and thinking about the parents of the NIU students who are suffering a pain I cannot imagine.”

Eric Thompson is in no way responsible for the deaths at either Virginia Tech or NIU. His business is perfectly legal, even if the moral aspects are in doubt. The question of whether his business should continue to be legal, in the light of these revelations, is highly relevant.

Mister Thompson hopes and prays he will never again be involved in selling weapons used in a crime. He’d rather he sold his wares to someone who helped prevent a tragedy.

Mister Thompson, it may just be I don’t read the right newspapers or watch the right news media, but while instances of crimes like Virginia Tech and NIU regularly cross my vision, I have yet to ever come across one instance of an individual using a gun to avert a tragedy.

If that, truly, is your fervent prayer – have you ever considered becoming a florist?

^{My thanks to Al at “Vineyard Views” for the information.}

Filed under: Floral tribute

There seems to be a move towards praising the Northern Illinois University for its prompt action in informing students of the killer loose on the campus during its very own Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Tonight, NBC and a number of other news media organizations, said that following the Virginia Tech shootings last year, guidelines introduced in educational establishments had been adhered to, and NIU had used text messaging and its intranet to alert students to the potential danger.

Congratulations to Northern Illinois University for its quick response to this emergency.

It needn’t have bothered.

The guidelines adopted after Virginia Tech had no effect on the loss of life at NIU yesterday. The gunman was already in the building and killing people before anyone was aware what was happening.

The media skirt around the issue, looking for any loophole they can use to justify some cause other than the prevalence of firearms in this country, as the reason for incidents similar to yesterday’s massacre.

Whatever the sickness pervading this nation that creates assassins like Stephen Kazmierczak, the root cause of yesterday’s killings lies with the number of firearms on the loose in this country and the ease with which people like Kazmierczak can obtain them.

THERE CAN BE NO ARGUMENT AGAINST THAT FACT.

The general objection to gun control is that it is impossible to take guns off the streets. Opponents argue that criminals will always be able to obtain them illegally.

Today, I have read comments from those who declare that if only students were allowed to carry weapons on their persons, Kazmierczak would have been gunned down before he could perpetrate his crimes.

THIS IS TOTAL AND UTTER MADNESS!

Proponents of this crazy idea would turn America’s campuses into battlefields. The young are emotionally impetuous enough, without putting lethal firearms in their pockets.

Today, in Britain, an experiment is taking place in schools in the southern town of Southampton. Metal-detecting wands are being used to check-out pupils suspected of carrying knives into schools. Head teachers confirm there is not a problem with knives in their schools, but the local authority has introduced the measure as an added security, and as an additional tool for teachers, should it be necessary.

Had Stephen Kazmierczak only had the option of a knife, it is likely he could have been overpowered before inflicting any fatal injury. In fact, he probably would never have attempted his attack if his only weapon were a knife. Somehow, a knife does not carry the power and romanticism of a firearm.

And thereby hangs the crux of the matter. In America, guns are romantic. They hold an appeal that lights the eye of every ‘macho’ American male. It’s a false machismo; an indoctrinated delight; a sop to male insecurity.

As an outside observer, it’s not difficult to understand the allure of gun power in America. Getting Americans to understand it is a different matter altogether. Tell an American male the selection of firearms in his gun cabinet is nothing more than a sop to his masculine insecurity is likely to find one at the receiving end of his favorite .270 Winchester.

Yet, doesn’t that just prove my point?

Gun control begins with a period of amnesty followed by enforcement, with fines and jail sentences for offenders. The opponents are right, guns would not disappear off the streets overnight and criminals would be the last people to lose access to them. It would take ten years to lower the level of gun ownership in this country to an acceptable and relatively legal level. It is not impossible. Other countries have achieved it. Over that ten year period, incidents like the massacre at NIU would decline.

The last school shooting in Britain was in March 1996, twelve years ago. Following that massacre of sixteen children and one adult, the government introduced legislation bitterly opposed by gun clubs and rifle associations throughout the land.

That the legislation was effective, is proven by the total lack of similar incidents since that time, and the fact that Southampton schools are more concerned about possible, though unlikely, knife attacks.

Does America have the courage to enact similar legislation, or is the macho insecurity of the American male more important than the lives of young US students?

Filed under: Don’t tell me it can’t be done