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Costa Rica: Political Discontent

Roy Rojas · 23:14

La versión original de este artículo está disponible en español.
Translated by David Sasaki. All pages linked in this article are in Spanish.

Everyone is talking about the same thing. Or, at least it seems. Among the Costa Rican blogs this last week, one theme has predominated: the discontent towards the political class of this country.

Blogs like La Suiza Centroamericana, betobeto, Mirando en Marcelo, Se Salvó el país, and websites like Batichangó.com as well as others, have spoken on one or another occasion about the general discontent with the political class of this country.

It's really worrying that the worst president (ES), or at least one of the worst of Costa Rica's history doesn't have the least idea of how to do his job or at least appear like he does. There have been many mistakes in this government: credits granted by the Central American Bank of Economic Integration since 2003 still haven't been used even though we are already paying interest on them. They couldn't have a complementary agenda to send together with the Central American Free Trade Agreement to congress and so one has to ask what's been done in the past year and a half where only two projects have been sent to the general assembly for revision. The multiple “Juntas de Notables,” a sort of government propaganda, is already tiring the population.

Others are calling for liberty of expression, as not long ago, a few public announcements were censured for openly criticizing one of the candidates and the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Many describe it as “Political Deception” while others' posts like, “Of Paradies, CAFTA, and Freedom of Expression” give their distinct point of view, but arrive at a similar conclusion in which, they request that all the sectors are listened to but without the objective of deceiving the people.

Other websites like Batichangó.com openly put forth their point of view against many of the government's decisions as well as the current presidential candidates. There's plenty to see.

What is most worrisome is that a large part of these discussions have had to take place in blogs, personal web pages, websites, and emails. Really, little is spoken of this in the news and media so the least we can do is make note that we are not in silence. At the end of everything we say, post, and comment, we all want the same, a better Costa Rica in which they tell us the truth, where they don't censure us, with more opportunities, less deception, less corruption. We want a better Costa Rica for everyone.

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Images from Azerbaijan: Standing For Democracy

Nathan Hamm · 22:40

“Azadliq Supporter” by commonroman

This photo shows a supporter of Azerbaijan's opposition Azadliq (”Freedom”) electoral bloc standing outside one of the bloc's buildings two days after last weekend's parliamentary elections. The vote has been condemned as rigged by observers and the opposition. Backers of the opposition have already held one rally and plan more in the days to come while the government is trying to defuse unrest by acknowledging and addressing some of the problems in the voting. azerbaijan.neweurasia.net blogs solely on Azerbaijan and has been following news regarding the election closely.

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Egyptian Parliamentary Elections

Karim Elsahy · 10:27

Few, besides the ones that were already content with the Egyptian status quo or the Muslim Brotherhood, are happy with the outcome of yesterday’s elections. Big Pharaoh considers immigrating, sentiment that Sandmonkey reports is being echoed in the country (except from one of his friends that concludes that “Islam is the solution”.)

Perhaps the biggest upset is Ayman Nour’s (the main opponent in last September’s Presidential elections and leader of Al Ghad party) loss to yet another NDP candidate.

Jeramy of Arabia tells of his experience monitoring the elections. Zeinobia also has a cynical perspective.

Movements and attempts to reduce the ruling parties influence like Itharak, The Save Egypt Front, and a banner depicting an X through both a crescent and camel logo (the ruling parties logo’s) with the caption “your voice for opposition” (picture at top) apparently did little to influence the vote in this first round.

For Arabic posts concerning the elections visit Ramy and Digressing.

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From corruption to culture - a taste from the southern tip of Africa

Bronwyn · 07:07

As the holiday season approaches, in South Africa this time of year has also become known as cash heist season. As more money is put into circulation to meet the needs of christmas shoppers and holiday makers, armed gangs consisting of up to 15 or 20 members, armed with R4 rifles and AK47's attack cash-in=transit vans with military precision. The blog It is the Question brings up the debate of whether South Africa should be trying to encourage a cashless society.

The fate of South Africa's former deputy president Jacob Zuma who is to stand trial for corruption in July next year is never far from South African media headlines, and is always a popular topic of conversation in the local blogosphere. The Hope Flower looks at whether the struggle for power between Zuma and President Thabo Mbeki in the ruling African National Congress is indicative of a greater underlying struggle in South Africa. She raises the notion that instead of a struggle between black and white, the country is now embroiled in a class struggle between rich and poor. On the same issue fodder writes about Jacob Zuma's many supporters who are expected to show up at the Durban High Court in their thousands on Saturday when Zuma is to make a brief appearance. Zuma will be formally indicted and given his trial date.

Finally, hip hop/spoken word poetry is undergoing something of a rennaissance in South Africa, particularly in the city of Johannesburg, fondly known by its inhabitants as Jozi ( a word that has emerged from the slang of the black townships). Lebo Mashile is one of the country's hottest spoken word poets and is known for her incredibly beautiful and fiery feminist performance poetry.

Lebo Mashile

Lebo has been an inspirational force to many young South African poets, and now some of them have started blogging their poetry.

The dust of the soil from this streets,
The “WOLA” shouts on the streets all day,
cheerfully I shouted “HEITA” back to this streets,
they groomed me, spoilt me,
They made me cry Im Black, young, powerful,
therefore dangerous…..

Thami - The Celestine Truth

they read our destiny
from the cracks
beneath the soles of our feet
and we bleed

they whisper truths
in the swirling dust
and we close our eyes
blinded by unrelentless truth….

Koko - The imperfect poet

A child of about just over teen years
Strolling the streets of Jozi
Empty stomach, empty handed
Only 5 bucks for a taxi home
Home being a single roomed shack in township house backyard
A child full of unattainable ambitions….

Floyd - Floyd's Perspectives

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A taste of the Caribbean blogosphere

Georgia Popplewell · 02:18

Barbados
Titlayo's view of noted Barbadian poet Edward Kamau Braithwaite “as some sort of iconic academic abstract figure” is altered by the poet's accounts of his fight to hold on to his house and land.

Belize
Manolo Romero reports that “celebrated Belizean writer” John Walter is doing well after undergoing surgery in Cuba and that two government ministers who were dismissed last year from the Cabinet of prime minister Said Musa have been re-appointed ahead of the March 2006 city council and town board elections. Expat blogger Andy Hunt writes about being featured in a UK Guardian article entitled “Retired Footballers' Strangest Jobs”.

Bermuda
The Limey is his usual garrulous self, summarizing, critiquing and noting omissions in the 2005 Throne Speech (Bermuda's equivalent of the Queen's Speech, delivered at the opening of Parliament), defending teachers against accusations of dishonesty, and pointing out the limitations of the government's new dictate that 10% of the music played on Bermudian radio stations should be from local artists. Christian S. Dunleavy also points out several instances of “hypocrisy” on the part of the government.

Guyana
Guyana-Gyal posts several entertaining entries written, as usual, in the form of short narratives in the local vernacular, on topics ranging from “hammock days” to hollow gold bangles. VSO worker Michiyo (posting in English with Japanese translation–or vice versa) is off to remote Region 1 in the far western part of Guyana to consult with teachers, and writes belatedly about last week's Diwali celebrations, along with an interesting photo of a distinctively Guyanese Diwali float. The Voice of Guyana International radio station wants your poetry and links to an article about the popularity of Cuba's eye surgery programme in the Caribbean. M'lilwana reproduces an article on the ethos of Guyana's early “freedmen” (freed slaves).

(more…)

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Links

Americas

J.D. Clarke has discovered that presidential candidate, Oscar Arias has a weblog (ES), which is built with the open source software b2evolution, but so far lacks content. It seems Arias could use some help from an experienced blogger.

Americas

Nicholas Laughlin has his eye on recent events that have led to a resurfacing of the land dispute between Venezuela and Dominica over a small island between the two countries.

Americas

Andres Soto Bustos has a followup report on how the Chilean presidential candidates are using blogs to reach voters.

Middle East & North Africa

Golbang says Saudi Arabia has become a new member of World Trade Organization. Blogger asks when Iran will become a member. Among 191 United Nations members only 42 countries are not members including Iran. Golbang adds that Iran is losing opportunities.

Americas , East Asia

After the news of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori's arrest in Chile, Mutant Frog Travelogue wonders what makes Fujimori a Japanese national?

East Asia

Billy Qiu of HitHat Blog translates a post (Chinese) by keso evaluating Yahoo! China's new look-and-feel.

East Asia

EastSouthWestNorth posts a translated article on a lawsuit launched by a Nanjing professor against a blogger for alleged defamation.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Zimbabwean Pundit quotes Pan-Africanist writer, Baffour Ankomah, who “irked by the constant delvings of western ambassadors in Africa wants to know what Africa's diplomats in the west are doing that comparable”, comments “I don’t understand why Western ambassadors and their subsidiary diplomats in Africa are free to pronounce on, and many times even interfere in, African domestic affairs whilst African ambassadors and diplomats in the West never ever open their damn mouths about the internal affairs of the Western countries in which they serve”.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopian blogger Wonkette of Weichegud!Et Politics returns to her/his childhood days in Addis Ababa where his neighbours were expat Brits working for an NGO. s/he made friends with the daughter and everything was great until one summer when her cousin came to visit. Things went pear shaped when the cousin began complaining about the beggers in Addis and went from bad to worse ending with the words “Oy!” she shrieked at me. “My father is here helping your stinking, starving country. You should be grateful.” End of said friendship. And so on to Professor Sachs and his unhealthy relationship with prime minister Meles which goes as far as to accuse critics of being “tribalistic”. “Many of the attacks on the current government reflect revanchist sentiments from an earlier era of Imperial domination of a former elite”…..”One commentor on the last blog hit the nail square on the head: Liberals do jerk off to anyone who fits their perception of the ‘underdog “.

Sub-Saharan Africa

As part of his discussion on race and science fiction, Ramblings of an African geek, reviews “Skin Folk” a collection of short stories by African Americna writer Nalo Hopikinson. “The one theme that is prevalent in all of her stories is the concept of facades and the people inside our skins, hence the title. Obviously in a work by a black female author dealing with appearances, there is a strong focus in a lot of stories on issues dealing with race. In dealing with race, she also takes a close look at self-loathing among black people when it comes to both appearance and culture. Specifically our tendency to idolize ‘white' features and culture over our own natural appearances and heritage”.

First, I thought Judaism was similar to Hinduism in the sense that you were born into the religion and couldn’t really convert. Second, if these people claim to be Jewish, then why would they need to be converted again?