Sunday Meditation dreaming about dancing with Mister D.
Up, Down.
“Death begins its reign of terror when life becomes the highest good.”
Hannah Arendt.
meanwhile Omar al-Bashir, president of Sudan, goes here and there like Satan in Job: "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." where will the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo go from here i wonder? Skip to Bashir/Darfur appendix.
It don't matter no more
what you got to say,
it's unbelievable
it'd go down this way.
The Bible is emphatic that nothing numinous exists in nature, that there may be devils there but no gods, and that nature is to be thought of as a fellow-creature of man. However, the paranoid attitude to nature that Pynchon describes survives in the manic-depressive psychosis of the twentieth century. In the manic phase, we are told that the age of Aquarius is coming, and that soon the world will be turned back to the state of innocence. In the depressive phase, news analysts explain that pollution has come to a point at which any sensible nature would simply wipe us out and start experimenting with a new species. In interviews I am almost invariably asked at some point whether I feel optimistic or pessimistic about some contemporary situation.
The answer is that these imbecile words are euphemisms for manic-depressive highs and lows, and that anyone who struggles for sanity avoids both.
Northrop Frye, Double Vision - Chapter 2.
and Bob says It's All Good, oh so problematic-al-eee ... (YouTube)
or you could sit like Dr. Dave Bowman/Keir Dullea, in that film ... 2001, for an age, for an epoch, for an aeon, get old and still never know or be known, have to phrase it in the end as yet another ambiguous phrase ... zero sum game
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
First Corinthians Chapter 13, Verse 12.
which is a great hope, maybe even the great hope, but nonetheless equivocal
this Nixau aka Nǃxau, Gǃkau, Gcao Coma ... fellow has shown up here before: The Gods Must Be Crazy, simply walks off into the desert with his tuberculosis ... goes 'hunting'
the Warhol Naomi from Grumpy Old Indian Man (cf Grouchy Old Cripple in Atlanta)
all that to say that the mind (or at least my mind) doesn't focus very well on these ultimates and wanders off (in my case) in search of either: Geometry, some middle ground Enlightenment, a good Laugh (maybe even a sentimental one), Gardening (see below) or ... a Blow-job ... tem nada que não parece melhor depois um bom Boquete,everyone has read Voltaire's Candide eh? here we go with a bit from Chapter 12 The Adventures of the Old Woman:
a-and the end of Chapter 30 Conclusion:"The Aga, who was a very gallant man, took his whole seraglio with him, and lodged us in a small fort on the Palus Méotides, guarded by two black eunuchs and twenty soldiers. The Turks killed prodigious numbers of the Russians, but the latter had their revenge. Azof was destroyed by fire, the inhabitants put to the sword, neither sex nor age was spared; until there remained only our little fort, and the enemy wanted to starve us out. The twenty Janissaries had sworn they would never surrender. The extremities of famine to which they were reduced, obliged them to eat our two eunuchs, for fear of violating their oath. And at the end of a few days they resolved also to devour the women.
"We had a very pious and humane Iman, who preached an excellent sermon, exhorting them not to kill us all at once.
"'Only cut off a buttock of each of those ladies,' said he, 'and you'll fare extremely well; if you must go to it again, there will be the same entertainment a few days hence; heaven will accept of so charitable an action, and send you relief.'
"He had great eloquence; he persuaded them; we underwent this terrible operation. The Iman applied the same balsam to us, as he does to children after circumcision; and we all nearly died.
"Scarcely had the Janissaries finished the repast with which we had furnished them, than the Russians came in flat-bottomed boats; not a Janissary escaped. The Russians paid no attention to the condition we were in. There are French surgeons in all parts of the world; one of them who was very clever took us under his care--he cured us; and as long as I live I shall remember that as soon as my wounds were healed he made proposals to me."
Pangloss sometimes said to Candide:
"There is a concatenation of events in this best of all possible worlds: for if you had not been kicked out of a magnificent castle for love of Miss Cunegonde: if you had not been put into the Inquisition: if you had not walked over America: if you had not stabbed the Baron: if you had not lost all your sheep from the fine country of El Dorado: you would not be here eating preserved citrons and pistachio-nuts."
"All that is very well," answered Candide, "but let us cultivate our garden."
gardening is the answer you see ... Voltaire knew this, I know this, sometimes the hitch is wondering what the question was? and sometimes it is finding a garden to dig and delve in :-)
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Appendices:
March 4: Warrant of Arrest for Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir.
March 16: Sudan to 'expel all aid groups', BBC.
March 23: Sudan's Bashir in Eritrea after ICC warrant, Jack Kimball & Daniel Wallis.
March 25: Sudan's Bashir in Egypt on second trip since warrant, Will Rasmussen.
March 26: Bashir heads to Ethiopia, defying ICC, Reuters.
March 26: Sudan's Bashir goes to Libya, defying ICC, Andrew Heavens & Cynthia Johnston.
March 29: Bashir in Doha before start of Arab summit, Reuters.
June 7: Sudan's Bashir in Zimbabwe visit, BBC.
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Warrant of Arrest for Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, Wednesday March 4 2009.
this is another of those pesky Adobe pdf's ... i have a copy, if it disappears from the ICC site I will convert to HTML and put it up.
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Sudan to 'expel all aid groups', BBC, Monday March 16 2009.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir says he wants all international aid groups out of the country within a year.
Foreign organisations could drop relief supplies at airports and let Sudanese organisations take care of it, the president told a military rally.
Sudan has already expelled 13 large foreign agencies, mostly from Darfur. Mr Bashir accuses them of spying for the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Darfur. He also shut down three local aid groups, including one of the largest Sudanese groups operating in Darfur.
The United Nations said the expulsions had left millions at risk of a humanitarian crisis.
Speaking to a rally of security forces in the capital, Khartoum, the president said all foreign relief groups should go. "We directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to Sudanise voluntary work," he told a crowd of thousands of supporters. "Within a year, we don't want to see any foreign aid group dealing with a Sudanese citizen. "If they want to bring relief, let them drop it at airports or seaports. Let the national organisations deal with our citizens," Mr Bashir said.
The move could affect the work of more than 70 organisations operating in Darfur and other strife-torn areas.
Later, State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun said that the order would not affect UN agencies. Mr Bashir did not specify how the order would be carried out, or if it would affect aid programmes in the semi-autonomous south. The earlier expulsion of 13 aid agencies, including Oxfam, Save the Children and two branches of Medecins Sans Frontieres, only affected operations in the north.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court seeking Mr Bashir's arrest accuses him of orchestrating atrocities against civilians in Darfur, where his Arab-led government has been battling black African rebels since 2003.
Up to 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million have been driven from their homes. Sudan denies the charges and says the figures are exaggerated.
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Sudan's Bashir in Eritrea after ICC warrant, Jack Kimball & Daniel Wallis, Monday March 23 2009.
NAIROBI - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir arrived in Eritrea on Monday on his first foreign visit since he was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Darfur, Eritrea's government said.
"Yes, he is here," Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu told Reuters by telephone. "He is meeting with President Isaias, and they are discussing bilateral relations. Why should we worry about the ICC issue?"
Bashir risks being detained if he leaves Sudan after The Hague-based ICC issued an arrest warrant for him this month on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On Sunday, Sudanese state media said local Islamic scholars had advised the president not to travel to an Arab summit in Qatar at the end of March.
International experts say at least 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.7 million driven from their homes in almost six years of fighting in Darfur, a mainly desert region in western Sudan. Khartoum says 10,000 people have died.
The conflict flared when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government, demanding better representation and accusing Khartoum of neglecting the development of the region.
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Sudan's Bashir in Egypt on second trip since warrant, Will Rasmussen, Wednesday March 25 2009.
CAIRO - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir arrived in Cairo on Wednesday on his second trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted him on charges of war crimes in Darfur, airport sources said.
Bashir, who risks arrest when he leaves Sudan because of the warrant issued for him by the Hague-based court this month, is expected to discuss developments surrounding the ICC ruling with Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak.
Bashir is unlikely to face arrest in Egypt, which has close ties with its Sudanese neighbour and has called on the U.N. Security Council to suspend the ICC warrant.
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Bashir heads to Ethiopia, defying ICC, Reuters, Thursday March 26 2009.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has departed Sudan for Ethiopia in a show of defiance to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court on charges of Darfur war crimes.
A Sudanese presidential palace source and a foreign ministry official said Bashir, who risks arrest any time he travels abroad, was on his way to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa but gave no further details.
Experts say at least 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.7 million driven from their homes in almost six years of ethnic and political fighting in Darfur in western Sudan. Khartoum says 10,000 people have died.
The trip is Bashir's third abroad since the ICC decision on March 4. He also visited neighbours Egypt and Eritrea this week following invitations from those countries for talks on the ICC move.
The Sudanese government said shortly after the ICC decision that Bashir would defy the warrant by travelling further afield to an Arab summit in Qatar next week.
But Sudanese officials have released statements raising questions over the wisdom of the trip, prompting speculation Sudan may send another representative.
Qatar's Prime Minister has said the Gulf state was coming under pressure not to receive Bashir, though he did not say from whom.
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Sudan's Bashir goes to Libya, defying ICC, Andrew Heavens & Cynthia Johnston & Tom Pfeiffer & Charles Dick, Thursday 26 March 2009.
TRIPOLI - Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir defied an international arrest warrant by travelling to Libya on Thursday for talks with leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's government said.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued the warrant against Bashir this month, charging him with war crimes in Darfur in western Sudan.
Experts say at least 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.7 million driven from their homes in almost six years of ethnic and political fighting in Darfur. Khartoum says 10,000 people have died.
Gaddafi, who is also the current president of the African Union, said last month that "foreign forces" including Israel were stoking the Darfur conflict and urged the ICC to stop proceedings against Bashir.
Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi and top government and military officials welcomed Bashir at the airport in Sirte, Gaddafi's home town 500 km (300 miles) east of the capital Tripoli, Libyan state news agency JANA said.
Bashir, flanked by a delegation including Sudan's foreign and industry ministers, met Gaddafi over lunch and thanked the veteran Libyan leader for his staunch support, it said.
"President al-Bashir thanked the leader of the revolution ... for his solid pro-Sudan positions in regional and international forums, a position that reflects the depth of the relationship between the two brother countries," JANA said.
The two leaders discussed ways to address the humanitarian situation in Darfur and Sudan's relations with Chad, while Gaddafi "stressed his rejection of the decisions of the so-called "criminal court"", it said.
They agreed to focus on a "social solution" for Darfur and work towards a free and fair referendum for its population, JANA added.
Gaddafi says Africa can solve its own problems without outside meddling and has made a number of attempts to broker peace between Darfur rebels and the Khartoum government.
A Sudanese presidential palace source and a foreign ministry official had earlier said Bashir, who risks arrest any time he travels abroad, was travelling to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The trip is his third abroad since the ICC issued the arrest warrant on March 4. He visited neighbours Egypt and Eritrea this week following invitations from those countries for talks on the ICC move.
Bashir later arrived back in Khartoum after his Libya visit.
The Sudanese government said shortly after the ICC decision that Bashir would defy the warrant by travelling further afield to an Arab summit in Qatar next week.
But Sudanese officials have released statements raising questions over the wisdom of the trip, prompting speculation Sudan may send another representative.
Qatar's prime minister has said the Gulf state was coming under pressure not to receive Bashir, though he did not say from whom.
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Bashir in Doha before start of Arab summit, Reuters, Sunday 29 March 2009.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir arrived in the Gulf state of Qatar on Sunday, Al Jazeera television reported, as Arab leaders gathered for a summit set to discuss his indictment for war crimes.
Bashir has visited Egypt, Eritrea, Libya and Ethiopia in the weeks since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest and accused him of masterminding war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Qatar, which hosts a key U.S. military base, said last week it had faced unspecified pressure not to receive Bashir but it repeated an invitation for him to attend.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Sunday described the indictment of Bashir as “First World terrorism”. “The ICC warrant to arrest President Bashir is an attempt by (the west) to recolonise their former colonies,” Gaddafi, the current chairman of the African Union (AU), told reporters in the Ethiopian capital Addia Ababa. “It is a practice of a First World terrorism. It is not fair that a sitting head of state should be arrested. That is why all Third World countries are opposing ICC’s warrant against Bashir,” Gaddafi added.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on March 4 on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of western Sudan, where international experts say more than 200,000 people have been killed since 2003.
Qatar is not one of the 108 states which are parties to the Rome statute which set up the International Criminal Court. Even where a state is a party to the statute, the Hague-based court has no means of enforcing its warrants.
The African Union says that the warrant is likely to compromise attempts to make peace in Darfur and the 53-member organisation wants the indictment deferred.
Gaddafi said last month that “foreign forces” including Israel were behind the Darfur conflict and urged the court to stop proceedings against Bashir.
The veteran Libyan leader says Africa can solve its own problems and has made a number of attempts to broker peace between Darfur rebels and the Khartoum government. Veteran Libyan diplomat Ali Triki told reporters in Addis Ababa on Saturday that the African members of the ICC might withdraw in protest over the warrant. “The ICC decision is a major issue for Africa. We have said time and again that we did not accept the ICC’s decision against President Bashir,” said Triki, Libya’s African affairs minister. “The 33 African member states of the ICC will meet in the immediate future to consider withdrawing from ICC,” he said.
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Sudan's Bashir in Zimbabwe visit, BBC, Sunday June 7 2009.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, is in Zimbabwe for a conference, state radio says.
Mr Bashir was indicted in March but has not been arrested, despite making several overseas trips. Zimbabwe has not ratified the statute creating the court, and therefore is not bound to arrest Mr Bashir.
Mr Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the world's first international rights tribunal. The ICC has accused President Bashir of two counts of war crimes - intentionally directing attacks on civilians and pillage - as well as five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture.
It is not the first time he has travelled abroad since the indictment. Among other trips, he went to Qatar in late March, and in April he was in Ethiopia.
Ahead of the summit opening, Mr Bashir visited President Robert Mugabe, host of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa meeting, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe's state radio reported.
The summit will discuss aid and investment for Zimbabwe.
Down.
