The Nuclear Power Pecking Order

NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Probably to be the eventual cause of the worlds end some day. I hate violence and, more so, I hate the fact that some countries have the ability to wipe out the entire world with just the pushing of a few buttons. Noone should have that power. Just as I stongly believe that noone should feel justified in taking away innocent lives, I also believe that noone should be in possession of such immense power. However, nuclear power exists and there is nothing that can be done now to rid the world of it. I am well aware of the arguments in favour of nuclear power, but I also realise that with great power comes the capacity for great evil.

My question for you is, why is it that the United States seems to have most of the say when it comes to deciding which countries have the "right" to own and control nuclear weapons? Personally, I believe no country should have access to such weaponery, but I do understand that with technological advancement comes the the advancement of weapons. Today, the nuclear bomb is the perhaps the single greatest weapon one could hope to have. If it ended up in the wrong hands, it could mean the end of the world as we know it. Since it is inevitable that countries will develop nuclear programmes, care must be taken that unstable and volatile countries be prevented from such development. I understand all of this, and yet,
WHY IS ISRAEL ALLOWED TO BE IN POSSESSION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS?
Although Israel has never admitted a nuclear capability, defence analysts have concluded that Israel has the most extensive and sophisticated nuclear arsenal outside of the major powers.

Let's be realistic, would you really believe that this illegal state, this modern example of classic colonialisation, would you really believe that Israel would refrain from getting in on the action? With something like, 2.5 BILLION dollars (forgive me if I'm a little off mark, I'm recalling from memory) allocated out of the the US Budget 2006 to Israel in "foreign aid", can we really be so naive as to assume that most of this money will not go into developing weapons? After Israel was illegally founded in 1948, talented physicists were flown in from Europe to begin work on a nuclear program. As it was surrounded by Arab countries which were hostile to its existence (Gee, I wonder Why!!??) it was decided that nuclear technology had to be developed as the ultimate deterrent.

So here we have the (so-called) state of Israel in possession of nuclear arms, with all the world accepting it, and then there are other countries worldwide, for example Iran, getting into major trouble for trying to achieve what Israel so easily did in 1948. That is, beginning a nuclear program. IS ISRAEL SO MUCH LESS OF A THREAT??
Has Israel never committed atrocious, monstrous acts of violence?
Has Israel never killed innocent civilians for a land which does not even rightfully belong to the Israelis?
The fact that the land does not belong to them seems to have been overlooked by most of the world. An air of acceptance of the inevitable hangs about the world. "We cannot get Israeli's out of there, so we should just forget the injustice of it all!" Unfortunately, realistically it is improbable that Israelis will ever get out of Palestine. However, such circumstances make us question just who is running the world anyhow? America?

Unfortuntely, the truth is that the US is indeed pulling the strings all over the world today. The only superpower left is holding strong and doing its darn all to ensure that it will not be vacating this prestigious position anytime soon. And why should it want to? Surely if you held so much power that the rest of the world did not even have the courage to stand up to you while you commited illegal international acts, well surely you would not want to give it up either.
Where is the courage in the world???? Why can't potential superpowers of the world snap back to reality and realise that it IS possible to stand up to America. We managed just fine before America was discovered and we can live without them now.

The problem that exists is that the world has become irreversibly dependant on this ficticious world we have created for ourselves - the world of consumerism and materialism. Greed rules the planet, and blinds our eyes to the injustices it leads to. Just as Ireland's famine was the result of the greed of others, with all wheat and grain being shipped out to England leaving Ireland's people dying of starvation, most of the worlds starving could be saved if economics and greed did not play a part.
Shock-Horror that we should allow the price of goods to fall by shipping the surplus to starving people all over the world. No, we should destroy this food that would save peoples lives. It seems that as long as actions do not harm the West, then they are not classified as bad.

Get your act together and get your priorities right. Now is not the time for hatred and violence. Let us put our differences aside and realise that not everyone can be the same. We must unite to fight the evil that surges through our world. Greed can only be overcome when we realise that in our haste to have the most, we have lost the one thing that can save this world from its impending destruction - empathy. For it is only when we understand that we can accept.

Stillness

Freedom exists within the lie that is democracy and the media,
Like the prize at the end of a long, hard race, it is always in the future and out of reach.
How can we say we know what freedom is when we cannot say how the wetness of the depths of the oceans feels on our lips?
How the air presses hard against our temples at the top most peak on the highest mountain of our earth.
What enables us to know who and what is free?
Is the tribal man who lives for and with nature, concerned only with the work he must do for the good of the community and oblivious to time bar the placing of the sun,
Is he less free than the modern man whose life is constantly pressured by the omniprescent ticking of the passing seconds?
Should freedom be measured by possessions,
Should it be measured by fulfilment of desires,
Should it be measured by ones position in artificially created societies?

Before one can even attempt to be free, one must sit contentedly within ones skin.
Feel the beating of ones heart,
Hear the faint murmurings within ones ears, the whispers of secrets of long ago.
Freedom will not come with awards, will not be attained through riches.
Freedom can be reached through stillness.
Stillness will hear the teachings of the trees, and Stillness will know the calling of the seas.
Stillness will bring you freedom in your heart.

Gossip

You know what I absolutely hate?? Gossip. Yet for so many people it's a standard form of communication. "Oh you know what I heard today?", "Did you hear who cheated on her boyfriend?", "So-and-so told me, that so-and-so told her that her brothers best friends wife said that so-and-so broke up with his girlfriend for a rabbit! Can you believe it?" NO! I cant believe it. In fact, I find it very hard to believe any of what you just said! I dont want to believe it. In fact, I choose NOT to believe it and to give that person, of whom you feel you have a god-given right to talk so freely about, the benefit of the doubt. To me, it's a disgusting, useless habit and I try my hardest to steer clear of it. But God knows it's hard to stay away from! Everywhere I turn someones talking about someone else.

I have one friend, who shall remain nameless, that is the biggest gossip I have ever met. She just loves to talk, and usually her talk is focused around the private details of someone else's life. The thing is, I know that there's no malicious intent involved. She really doesnt set out to ruin some innocent girls reputation, yet most of the time I'm afraid that's what she ends up doing. She just doesnt realise the impact of her words. She doesnt realise that half the time, she's employing a hell of a lot of double standards, and criticising someone else for things that she herself feels justified to do.

WHO CARES about everyone elses private life??!! Don't you have enough to think about just worrying about your own? Life is short, you've got to live each day as it comes, and a lot of the time many people dont take full advantage of what life has to offer for fear of what other people might say. You wouldnt like it if people jumped to conclusions about your life, so why jump to conclusions about someone elses? Sure it can be fun when you hear a piece of really juicy news. But is it really worth it? I wouldnt want people to talk about me, so I dont talk about other people. It's as simple as that. So if you want people to worry about your relationships and what exactly it is that you do every night when the lights go down, then by all means go ahead and worry about what goes on in their lives too.

Point is, I have a life to live, and interestingly enough it doesnt involve wasting my time talking about the problems of people I hardly know.

Self-Absorbed Population

I was walking around the mall the other day when I saw someone wearing a t-shirt with the words "There's only one ME" imprinted on it. I had to laugh because, it seems to me that that t-shirt pretty adequately summed up the current self-absorbed mentality of the majority of the world's population. Of course there's only one "ME"! But that's because of the subjectivity of the word. One can only describe oneself as "Me"; to each there is but one person they can refer to as "Me", that is, themselves. "You"'s however, are plentiful. In fact, eveyone is a "You" to all except himself.

When you percieve something to be rare, you instinctively attach a higher value to it. In today's society, especially among the more affluent, there seems to be a continuous fear of producing individuals who, god forbid, should not think the world centers around them! Children are encouraged to grow up believing that they are unique, special and ENTITLED to only the best in life. Don't get me wrong, every child is precious and most certainly should be reared in a loving, supporting family where he or she is encouraged to be all that he can be. However, in line with what we discussed earlier, a lot of children grow up these days believing themselves to be a rare commodity, and believing that this "ME" is more important than all of the "YOU"'s put together. Herein lies our problem, I believe.

If society insists on continuously producing individuals who truly believe that the world owes them something merely for being this unique, one-of-a-kind person, then we will end up with a population who act only for their own maximum benefit without a thought for others. This, I fear, is already the case. It is important to feed your child's self-esteem, but do not do so to a point where 'empathy' ceases to be a part of his vocabulary.

The sooner we realise that the difference between "Me" and "You" is merely a matter of perception, the sooner we may be able to fix some of the ever-growing problems of our society. Let us stop for a moment and think of all the "You"'s out there, because after all, "I" am a "You" to everyone else.

Fleeting Friendships

I came across this quote the other day: "to the world you are one person, but to one person you are the world", and i gotta tell ya, it really got to me. It made me realise that I spend too much time worrying about being on people's good side, too much time socialising with people who probably when it all comes down to it, couldnt care less about me. And honestly, I dont spend enough time with the people who love me, who really care about me. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but you've got to admit that if in your lifetime you can count out a handful of real friends, i mean someone who would do anything to help you, who genuinely cares about what happens to you, who would risk humiliation, risk being an outcast, just to stand by your side, well if you can count out a handful of those friends then you're so way beyond lucky its crazy.
The point is, you're going to come across alot of people throughout your life. Some will be friends, some will not, some will be interesting, some will be boring as hell, but the heart of the matter is that these people will come and go. Sure it's great knowing them, but most people arent meant to be in your life forever. It took me a long time to accept this, and I dont know if I fully have yet, but you cant spend your life being mad over lost friendships. It was great while it lasted, and you should count yourself lucky to have known that person, no matter how it ended. Remember the good times, keep the memories, but know that just as people come into your life at a certain time and for a certain reason, they must leave it too.
You're lucky if you have someone who really c ares for you, and you'd be a fool to take them for granted and waste your time looking for greener pastures so to speak. There are over 6 billion people in the world, and they all cant like you. So save your precious time for those who do.

Majority-Rule Principle

The majority-rule principle seems to apply in societal as well as business circumstances since it is apparent that most people are happy and willing to go along with the majority of the population. Oh yes, there does exist the odd minority that is brave enough to stand up and voice a different opinion. But the problem is that most of the majority has closed their minds to the possibility of other valid opinions and views. Yes, our world has been struck by the majority-rule principle.

What the majority votes must be obeyed. Yet, who encompasses the majority of this world? Surely population figures should be the determinant. However, those who rule the world as a pre-requisite must be educated. This rules out the majority of our world's people. In reality, those who have political power and money are the ones who are running our world. Qualification is not an issue. Simply, Power Rules. Today, the United States has, in ways not always legal, succeeded in ensuring that it remains the sole superpower of the world. Americans and their values have become the norm, especially when television and the internet ensure that these values and norms remain a permanent fixture in the homes of most of the world.

To digress, the almost global acceptance of the illegal state of Israel and its people has been almost completely as a result of the attitude towards them displayed in the American media. That is, the attitude displayed by this majority power of the world towards Israel has set down the norm against which all nations attitude towards Israel will be judged. Actions diverging from the norm will be condemned, regardless of whether the norm is in fact the correct standard to apply in terms of humanity, legality and so on.

But what may I ask is the perception of Muslims and Arabs displayed in the American media? Entertainment shows almost never involve Arab or Muslim characters. While media bosses thoroughly ensure that a representative of most ethinic and religious minorities appear on all current TV shows, they seem to forget that Arabs and Muslims do exist and in fact form a large part of American society. The only exposure given to them is on the news when America and, due to satellite television, consequently the world, are exposed to images of evil Arab terrorists and fanatical Muslims. The news flashes pictures of riots and civil unease, of angry Arabs screaming a language most do not understand - no doubt lamenting the implementation of another one of the United States cruel foreign policies and the fact that the laments will fall on deaf ears. With little or no evidence to the contrary, Americans and the world come to believe that with Arabs and Muslims only comes trouble. The different accounts of the characteristics of Arab people coming from someone whose only contact with the Middle East comes through the television on the one hand, and someone who spent time living among and befriending Arabs on the other hand, are unbelievably different. In a sense, the opinion given on Arabs and Muslims in the Western media is extremely unfair. It's a case of bad publicity, and in the case of world politics, bad publicity is not better than no publicity.

Let us stop blaming a religion and a race of people for the worlds current problems. Instead, let us examine the events that led to our current situation and let us realise that the norm is not always correct. And finally, if we must blame someone, then let us blame ourselves. For we have accepted this norm as legitimate and have not bothered to come to our own conclusions. It is time we stood up to the norm, because as Ghandi once said: "Even if you are in a minority of one, the truth is still the truth."

Rage to get Reactions and Results

We may try and kid ourselves as to the extent of our evolution from the instinct-driven animals we descended from, but when it comes down to it, in the face of fear and rage (our two most overwhelming emotions) we resort back to our old ways. Reason is abandoned; Rationality is thrown our of the window. When we feel threatened we do all we can to protect ourselves from the threat. We prepare to attack and instinctively we look toward a leader to guide us to victory (the leader of the pack). Incidentally, the threat does not have to be actual. An apparent threat can raise an equally high level of alarm and instinctive reaction; Image is just as important as reality. Leaders worldwide have realised that in order to produce the desired result, the appropriate reaction must be extracted from the population leading to a corresponding action, which finally culminated in the calculated and expected result. To produce the reaction that sets the ball rolling, leaders have never confined themselves to the exact truth. Exaggerations and insinuations abound. And why not? It's so much easier to belive things that make you look good, and so simple to believe in the honesty and integrity of our nation's leaders. Indeed, we are a world of fools. Puppets played so skilfully that with all our education and "intelligence" we cannot feel the strings tugging us this way and that.

Midnight Inspiration

I was trying to sleep one night last summer, and suddenly this just came into my mind, so I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote it down before I forgot it.

I search and search but cannot find
The balme I seek to soothe my mind
For as I reach with outstretched hand
It eludes my grasp like grains of sand
Taunting me, Teasing me, Willing me on
With snatches and fragments of mystical songs
A sound so familiar and yet so strange
A tune that's forgotten until it's heard again
But the spell that it weaves about my soul
Like the thread of devotion 'tween a mare and her foal
Flows within me and merges with the blood in my veins
I've heard it once so I'll hear it again

Zena

Regurgitated Ideas

When one wishes to study the nature of modern society, I find that Heathrow airport proves an ideal place. Surrounded by people of all race and religion, you realise that, my God, but western media has done one hell of a job in westernising our worlds people. Granted, many would feel that, rightly so, when in Rome dress as the Romans do so to speak, but I fear that many westerners would feel little inclination to don the traditional garbs of Eastern countries they would be visiting. Instead, accompanying the western mentality is a sort of arrogance which demands the whole world conform to western norms but which is devoid of any similar opposing inclination to adopt, nay ACCEPT, the norms of any other society worldwide. Westernisation does not equate to civilisation! Sadly though, I fear that the majority of people believe that to be a walking billboard for consumer, capitalist ideals is the highest title one could hope to attain as a human being. "Look at me, I am an individual, I am free, I am democratic, I am fashionable, I buy the latest trends, I am open minded, I am civilised, I am Westernised." I pose the questions why persons wear the West on their sleeve, yet feel the need to cover their Eastern heritage with as many layers as possible, pardon the pun.
How can one be free when one is a slave? A slave to fashion, a slave to advertising, a slave to ones desires, a slave to the media, a slave to money. This is not freedom. It is brain washing masquerading as freedom. There is no such thing as freedom. Human beings are guinea pigs in the lab that is our world. Subliminal messaging, advertisments developed by psychologists with a purpose in mind, and many more avenues have been utilised by the select few who run the world in order that they be able to control the masses. Our "individual" ideas are no more than fragments of things we've heard, read or seen on television, pieced together and regurgitated in our minds.

Role Reversal?

The rise of feminism in the past, and the continuous empowerment of women has brought with it changes. Changes in attitude, changes in society and most importantly it seems to be in the process of bringing about a fundamental change in human nature. Indeed, it is my opinion that we must question whether the empowerment of women has gone a step further than planned, and instead of bringing about so-called "equality" of the sexes, has actually resulted in the reversal of traditional roles of the sexes. That is, have men now become submissive to the domination of women? Sitting in Heathrow airport last month, I watched as a father, weighed down with countless bags. trailed slowly behind his wife and two daughters. As his wife told him to hurry up and get a move on, she found a table and pointed to him to sit there. She then marched up to the counter, ordered and bought the food, and brought it back to the table. It was obvious to all watching who wore the trousers in that relationship so to speak. Obviously these actions do not speak for the whole world, people would seem to be alot more polite than that women and her daughters, but it offers some interesting observations. For years people in the West have insisted on using as an example of "domination" the stupid example of women walking behind their men. Dont get me started on the infancy of this argument, but returning to the example of the father in the airport, it seems almost prophetic that he be walking behind his women and be accepting orders from them. Are we on the verge of a new era? Is it less of an inequality because it is a woman doing the dominating? I think not. Women should not use as an excuse their "empowerement" when they want to boss their husbands or boyfriends around. Neither of the sexes is better than the other. Women must realise that to be an "empowered" woman is not to be a bossy so-and-so when interacting with men. Personally, I believe that women and men are fundamentally different and that in order to reach true equality, we must embrace the differences instead of fighting against them. That, however, is for another thought.